Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) Fred Andrews finished out the race in fourth. (Below) Mike Kiedrowski led briefly, but ended up fifth. (Right) Hawk takes the checkered flag for his first win. slippery conditions were the norm in the da'rk woods, especially on fresh tree roots. "It was tough, a lot of roots," agreed Hawk. "It's definitely a tough track, but I think it's my favorite track as of right now!" Hatch bolted out of the pack to take the lead on the first lap but scrambled to keep upright on the unfamiliar trail. He was pressured by Team Green's Fred Andrews and Hawk, while FMF Suzuki's Mike Kiedrowski, RER Honda's Josh McLevy, Smith, Yamaha's Robbie Jenks, KTM's Mike Lafferty and Team Green's Paul Edmondson all made up a very fast-moving front pack. All were turning laps below 19 minutes, ensuring a final lap count of an unprecedented nine laps in three hours of racing. On the third lap, positions were jostled around as some riders opted to stop for fuel, and Hatch finally relinquished the lead to his teammate Kiedrowski. Defending champ Shane Watts, of Team KTM, also pulled in at the end of the third lap with an ailing thumb, not to return to battle. "I had a little crash at the last round of the World Off Road Championship and twisted my thumb back." Watts explained. "It wasn't even a great crash, but I find I can't hold on to the bars anymore. I tried to ride earlier in the week and could only manage a short ride. We'll hope it heals up quick." Keidrowski's run up front was short, as Hawk took over the lead during the fourth lap, with Smith right on him. Hatch was holding on in third, with teammate Kiedrowski chasing the two other yellow bikes. Andrews, still warm from a pair of wins earlier in the season, was right on the lead pack, circulating in fifth and looking for clear air and a chance to get out front. He wouldn't find it this day, but he broke out as far as second place on the seventh lap, before being overtaken by the Hatch/Smith steamroller once again. . Once out front, Hawk proved how consistent he can be, effectively duplicating his lap times every circuit. "After we stopped for gas, I think I got a couple of lappers between us." Hawk said. "Maybe those guys thought, 'Maybe he'll make a mistake, and we'll just catch back up,' but I kept my head down and charged the whole time. I knew I could beat these guys - I just had to have the right breaks." Hawk's lead increased to 38 seconds in front of the pack, and though he tried to hold it there, Smith and Hatch were nibbling away at it. At the white flag, Hawk stopped for a splash of gas, just to be sure, and the Suzuki teammates lit the afterburners. Where the Suzuki duo was turning lap times around 18:30 before, on the last lap they cranked it up to post the fastest laps of the day - 18:04 for Smith and 18:08 for Hatch. "When I got the white flag, I knew I had a lead of about 20 seconds or so, and I kind of backed it off a little bit, thinking, 'Don't make any mistakes now .. .' And of course that's when I started making mistakes," said Hawk. "About two miles into the lap, I said to myself, 'Kick the pace back up; these guys are the best in the world, and they're gonna catch back up.' So I put my head down and charged right into the finish, and didn't back off until the next-to-Iast corner." Hawk's strategy paid off with a respectable 18:23 lap, and he crossed the line with a 14-second cushion. Andrews came across the line in fourth, 20 seconds farther back and still holding off Kiedrowski. Yamaha's Robbie Jenks was the sixth rider in, followed close by Team Green's Paul Edmondson. Yamaha's Jason Raines was eighth, followed by Team Green's Chuck Woodford and Lafferty. "A lot of the ATV wins, I really didn't get to celebrate a whole lot." Hawk explained. "I'd be worried about the bike race the next day, but I'm going to celebrate the whole week! I guess I'm champion for the next couple of months! I already had it in my mind that I'm not going to goof off this summer - I'm not going to take it easy. I'm going to keep training. Usually I take some time off, but not this summer. I'm going to keep working and try and come back and win the next race!" While local boy Hawk and his family celebrated, series leader Smith looked relieved to be facing the summer break with a comfortable points lead. "I just came here today to ride conservative and try to pad my points lead the best I could, and try to go away relaxed for the summer break," Smith said. "I don't think I actually crashed, I just got stuck on some hills with the lappers and messed up a couple of times. Everybody else rode a great race, and happy Father's Day to everyone!" With 11 weeks of summer vacation facing the series regulars, Smith holds the GNCC points lead with 225 points to Andrews' 172. Watts is third in points, 167 to Hatch's 131. Raines fills in the fifth spot with 126 points, followed by Kiedrowski (112). Lafferty (109), Chuck Woodford (99), Robbie Jenks (98) and Josh McLevy (97). The 2001 GNCC series will wrap up this fall, with four more events to go. CN 5. Mike Kiedrowski (Suz); 6. Robbie Jenks (Y8m); 7. Paul Edmondson (Kaw); 8. Jason Raines (Vern): 9. Chuck Woodford (Kaw); 10. Michael Lafferty (KTM). OPEN A: 1. P.A. Allen (KTM); 2. Ryan Wuebbeling (KTM): 3. Jemes Tretinik (KTM); 4. Adam Fennel (KTM); 5. Harvey Whitaker (Kaw). 250 A: 1. Cole Calkins (Kaw); 2. Andy Shel!l (KTM); 3. Rylm Rodgers (Kaw); 4. Bill Atkinson (KTM); 5. Marty Aioisio (G-G). 200 A: 1. Chris GaUt (Kaw); 2. Dustin Gibson (SUl); 3. Mike Mihalik (KTM); 4. Brett Zofchak (Kaw); 5. Joshua Knapp (Kaw). 4·STRK A: 1. Ronnie Bumfield (Suz); 2. Darius Lattee (Yam): 3. Curt Wilcox (Suz): 4. Anthony Glesso (Yam); 5. Brad Hamrick (Yem). VET A: 1. Richerd Burbick (G·G): 2. Dennis Decker (KTM); 3. Todd Morein (KTM): 4. Jeffrey Hursh (Yam); 5. Tony Taraborrelli (Yam). SR A: 1. Tim Shepherd (YlIrn); 2. Keith Rodgers (Kaw); 3. Tenner England (YlIm); 4. Merk Smith (KTM); 5. Troy Schlereth (Hon). OPEN B: I. Raleigh Thompson (G~G); 2. Darrin Ekis (KTM); 3. Mike Zibaila (KTM); 4. Randy Smallwood (KTM); 5. Troy Wertz (Kaw). 250 B: 1. John Barber (Yam); 2. Bill Fermer (KlIw); 3. Dusty Clayton (Kew); 4. Chris Buzzelli (Han); 5. Eric Stewllrt (Yem). 200 B: 1. Ben Bouwens (Yam); 2. Todd Marrow (G·G); 3. Mark McGrath (Yam); 4. Travis Green (Kaw); 5. Kyle Chaney (KTM). 4-STRK B: 1. Michael Faulk (SUl); 2. Carl Pettit (Yam); 3. Jeremy Morris (Yam); 4. Eddie Bell (Yam); 5. Jeffrey Hively (Yern). VET B: 1. Greg Elrod (Kaw); 2. Mark Good (Yam); 3. Larry Musick Jr. (Yam); 4. Todd Temple (KTM); 5. David Powell (Yam). SR B: I. Rllndall Hillegas (Yam); 2. Richard Stroud (Yam); 3. Bill Agandy (Kaw); 4. Michael Schwartz (SUI); 5. James Vicheck (Yam). MINI JR: 1. Adam Giddings (Yam); 2. Thaddeus Duvall (Yam); 3. Kailub Russell (KTM); 4. Nicholas Hughey (Kaw); 5. Tyler MacDonald (Yam). /YUNIINT: I. D.R. AlWood (Kaw); 2. Cody Calkins (Kaw); 3. Wallace Palmer (Hon); 4. Brian Guenther (Yam); 5. Allen Nutter Jr. (Yam). MINI SR: I. Robby Towery (Kaw); 2. Brad Hensley (Kaw); 3. David Reusch (Kaw); 4. Sterling Daniels (Kaw); 5. Nathan Shannon (Kaw). JIIINI 65; I. Cory Buttrick (KTM); 2. Lucas Towery (Kaw); 3. David Snyder (Kaw); 4. Joseph Marchese (KTM); 5. Daniel Eger (Kaw). INO: 1. Doug Whitmer (Yam): 2. Alan Randt (KTM); 3. Shane Nalley (SUl); 4. Richard Burleson (KTM); 5. Bryan Nylander (KTM). S/SR A; I. Ronald Bahn (Yam); 2. Terry Mealer (Yam); 3. Frank Erne (Yam); 4. Joseph Hull (Yam). 200 C: I. Brian Howell (Yllm): 2. Nicholes Weaver (Suz); 3. Tony Baughman (G-G); 4. Mark Richter (Yam); 5. Adam Delph (SUl). 250 C: 1. Jamie Smith (SOl); 2. Scott Rllttigan (Hon); 3. Joe Lape (SUl); 4. George Popelas (Yam); 5. Shawn Bames (G-G). OPEN C: 1. James Vtm AUa (KTM); 2. Mike Harris (KTM); 3. Earl v~ose (Hon); 4. Den Doerr (G-G); 5. D. Biser (KTM). 4-STRK C: 1. Samuel Furgason (Yam); 2. Kevin Larson (KTM); 3. Robert Bates (Suz); 4. Ronald Groves II (KTM); 5. Karl Dodson (KTM). VET C: I. Jim Norris (KTM); 2. Gregg Dull (SUl); 3. Greg Nehr (Yam); 4. Eric Simpson (Yam); 5. Uoyd Shaffer (KTM). SR C: 1. Raymond Drugmand (SUI); 2. Dllvid Diatri (Yam); 3. Bruce Ramsey (Yam); 4. Jeff Fortner (Hus); 5. Andy Stelkovick (KTM). WMN: 1. Jessica McConnell (Yam). S/SR B/C: 1. Jack Falbo (Kaw); 2. Carl McDaniel (KTM); 3. Larry R;ce (KTM). CIA C: 1. Doug Whitmer (Yam); 2. Alan Randt (KTM); 3. Shane Nalley (SUl); 4. Jamie Smith (SUl); 5. Scott Rattigan (Hon); 6. Ronald Sohn (Yam); 7. Brian Howell (Yam): 8. Terry Mealer (Yam); 9. Joe Lape (SOl); 10. George Popelas (Yam). AMA GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIS C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 9 of 13 rounds): 1. Rodney Smith (200/4 wins); 2. Shane Watts (167/2 wins); 3. Fred Andrews (154/1 win): 4. Jason Raines (113); 5. (TIE) Steve Hatch/Mike Lafferty (111); 7. Josh McLevy (103); 8. Mike Kiedrowski (100); 9. Chuck Woodford (87); 10. Robbie Jenks (85). Matthews fana &NCC Taylortown, Pennsylvania Resuhs:June17,2001 PRO: 1. Barry Hawk Jr. (Yam); 2. Rodney Smith (Suz); 3. Steve Hlltch (Suz); 4. Fred Andrews (Kaw); cue I e Upcoming Rounds: Round 10 - Millfield, Ohio, September 9 Round 11 - Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, September 22 n __ so • JULv4,2oo1 33

• Cover