Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

South Carolina Motorsports Part<: Eric Cook (777) recorded his first win at WERA Vintage's first stop at this track in Kershaw, South Carolina - the same track at which Cook started his racing career just last year. WERA Vintage Road Racing Round 7: South Carolina MotlIrsport Parle Cook Serves Up First Win By bard sweep, as his BSAs took the top three spots: David Rutherford took the win after pulling away from a close battle with David Matthews, and David Cornelison grabbed third. Zens Zastrow took the Lightweight Classic win on his Cinnamon-sponsored Honda 175. In the second event, Harsh and Cook lined up in the Vintage One race. Cook snagged the holeshot, with Harsh in close pursuit. Team Steve-D's Mike Schulte had third but had his hands full with Kenneth Debelak, as they fought over that position all race long. Cook led lap one but gave it up on the back straight on lap two. Cook stayed close all race long but couldn't put together a pass and settled for second. Schulte took third - barely - over a fast-closing Debelak. This race also included Formula 500, and Morrow did a repeat of his Formula RD feat and scored another runaway victory. John Stauber, on the Narrow Focussponsored SR500 Yamaha, tried to make it close at first but couldn't keep up with Morrow's fast RD. Garland was a distant third. Steven Mahanes, on the Crockett Racing Ducati 350, took the Middleweight Classic win over Zastrow. The fireworks were about to start as the Vintage Two race took to the track, along with Vintage Four and Formula Two-Stroke. Cook again grabbed the point, but this time he stayed in front of the champ for four laps. On lap five, Harsh passed Cook in the same spot as before and had STEVE STASER KERSHAW, SC, JUNE 23·24 ric Cook from Hampton, Georgia, pulled off the upset of the season in WERA Vintage racing as he squeaked out a win over current National Champion Buff Harsh in the Vintage Two race. Cook, who just started racing last year, recorded his first victory at this same Kershaw, South Carolina, track where his first race took place in 2000. "At my first race here last year, the leaders lapped me!" said a very exuberant Cook. "Beating Buff, the number-one guy, makes it even sweeter." This was Harsh's first defeat this year after seven straight wins in both Vintage One and Vintage Two. "I knew Eric was getting faster every race, but I didn't expect this," said Harsh. "He just flat beat me!" Ironically, Harsh built the motor that Cook races. Formula RD started the day off. MRA's Mark Morrow led from flag to flag to take the win by 20 seconds over Vintage Specialist's Rick Butler and his teammate Lyn Garland. Butler had to work hard for his secondplace finish, as he stalled his machine on the start. After a healthy push from the track marshal, he set out to try to play catch-up. By lap four, Butler had caught and passed Garland in turn 11. A surprised Garland couldn't keep pace with the hard-charging Butler and had to settle for the third spot. Heavyweight Classic, which was run concurrently, featured a Ted Hub- E 50 AUGUST 8, 2001 • cue • e n • _ s the lead with a lap and half to go. As the two crossed start/finish for the white-flag lap, they were dead even. Harsh won the drag race into tight turn one. Cook would have to put together a pass somewhere else. As they emerged from the back section and with about half a mile to go, Cook was right on Harsh's back wheel. The two hit the final tum and Cook dived under the number-one machine. Cook got the better drive and took the win by about half a bike length, much to the delight of the crowd that had gathered at the finish line. They had just witnessed something no one else had been able to do this year: beat Harsh's Honda. Stauber took the lead away from Team Steve-D's Mark Nadelkov on lap one of the Vintage Four race and never looked back as he pulled out the win on the fast thumper. The MKA Enterprises Honda of Michael Hodgson caught Nadelkov by the halfway flag and went on to take second. The Mine Rich Motosports Moto Guzzi of Charles Cole sneaked by the fading Nadelkov on the last lap and took third. In race four, MRA's Rick Guirey took the Vintage Five win, over David Hurst's EX500 Kawasaki and Hodgson's Honda. In Sunday's Vintage Six race, Dale Burroughs continued his winning streak as he took his Deals Gap Resort Park-sponsored GSX-R 11 00 to its fourth straight win of the season. Burroughs stretched his streak to eight, as he had finished last season with four straight victories, including the Grand National Finals. Ray Hickman, on his Suzuki of Morristown 750, took second, with William Mayfield handling third on the Baxley Trailer Co. FZRI000. CN Sou1lt Caralina Motllrsport Park Kershaw, Sou1It Caralina Results: June 23-24, 2001 [Round 71 L/W else: 1. Zens Zastrow (Hon): 2. N~than McManes (H·O). M/W elSe: 1. Steven Mahzmes (Duc): 2. Zens Zllstrow (Hon); 3. Nathan McManes (H·O). H/W ClSC: 1. David Rutherford (BSA); 2. David Matthews (BSA); 3. David Cornelison (BSA). F-RD: 1. MlIrk Morrow (Yam); 2. David Butler (Yam); 3. lyn Garland (Yam). F·500: 1. Mark Morrow (Yam); 2. John St8uber (Yam); 3. Lyn 08rland (Yam); 4. Mark Harrison (Yem): 5. John Harrison (Yam). F-2: 1. R;ek Guirey (Yam). VINT I: I. Buff Harsh (Hon); 2. Eric Cook (Hon); 3. Mike Schu~e (Hon); 4. Kenneth Debelak (Hon); 5. Eric Sm;th (Hon). VINT 2; I. Eric Cook (Hon); 2. Buff Harsh (Hon); 3. Erk: Smith (Hon); 4. Kenneth Debelak (Hon); 5. David Cornelison (BSA). VINT 3; I. Mark Nodelkov. VINT 4: 1. John Stauber (Yam); 2. Michael Hodgson (Han); 3. Charles Cole (MO); 4. Mark Nadelkov (Yam); 5. DDvtd Rutherford (Due). VINT 5: 1. Rick Ouirey (Yam); 2. David Hurst (Kow); 3. Michael Hodgson (Hon). VINT 6: 1. Dale Burroughs (Suz): 2. Ray Hickman (Suz); 3. William Mayfield (Yam); 4. Brent Hackney (Han): 5. Shawn Romano (Han). oMRA Cross COUntry Series Round 5: Coast Range 100 Kramer Kills Coast Range 100 By ADAM ACHEPOHl TI1l.AMOOK, OR, JUNE 24 fter four rounds of dry-weather racing in the OMRA Cross Country Series, racers began to wonder where and when the next "mudder" would happen. All doubt was washed away on June 24, as a steady rain fell throughout the day at the eighth annual Coast Range 100. Taking the checkered flag after a grueling 87-mile "survival run~ was local AA-cJass hotshoe Chris Kramer, aboard his Forest Grove Hondabacked Yamaha WR426. After a lastplace start, Kramer quickly moved up and, although he was unaware of it at the time, assumed the lead early in the first loop. The first loop, mind you, was 57 miles, and by the time Kramer came in for the gas stop, he was far ahead of the rest of the contestants. Although he was told that he was in the lead, he still didn't believe it. "I raced the whole time thinking someone was ahead of me," Kramer admitted, "so I just kept hammering." Kramer's knowledge of the Tillamook State Forest paid off on the extremely rocky and demanding A course. Current OMRA Cross Country points leader Mason Harrison came in second, followed by Derek Steahly. Other class leaders included Mitch Jueneman in the Open Expert class, and Ken Spruit hauling you-knowwhat in the Over 40 Expert class. Most of the Expert-class riders fared pretty well in the trying conditions, and the Amateur ranks had their share of heroes, too. Todd Wilson took the Open Amateur class to school, and Lyon Payne smoked the Over 50 class. There were, of course, quite a few less-fortunate riders on the course; they could be seen on the side of the trail, having a "moment." Trail boss Meylan Thoresen of the Trailsmen Motorcycle Club is actually a very nice guy, not the sadistic troll that many might think he is. He should be given credit for sticking to his guns and putting on an honest-to-goodness cross country race. Even under the best of conditions, the steep terrain of the Coast Range is technical and exhausting. Add to it a smattering of "Oregon sunshine" and the contest becomes an epic battle. Hillclimbs became bottlenecks and downhills turned into torrents of glop

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