Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AftIIa. It _ notMI for Its dust, the_ . . fe....red - . n i l water crossInp. ......, Yet winner and sIxth_rall finisher Luca Tru.santi navigates a stream on hi. TM. Though the dust prevented him from nearing the lead duo, Shane Esposito had a steady race to round out the top three. J caught behind David Pearson, and I guess we got lost," he said. About 10 miles out, he caught and passed erstwhile leading 125cc rider David Rees and held on to take top honors in that class. The second loop reportedly had some very high-speed sections, but more technical sections thrown in slowed average speeds some. Pearson was pulling out all the stops to keep Abbott behind him, but he had more than just dust and the big Kawasaki to contend with. Somewhere before the alternate gas, there was a water crossing that turned out to be a bit deeper than he expected. After crossing it, he had his engine begin cutting out and acting like it was going to die altogether. Assuming the wiring had gotten wet, he rode the best he could, hoping it would eventually clear out. Descending a hill just before the alternate gas, his bike died completely, so Pearson pulled the spare gas bottle from his belt, ripping off the tape that secured the top and dumped the fuel in. "Three, four kicks and it wouldn't start," Pearson said. "So 1 reached for the choke, only to find that it was already on. That's why the bike wouldn't run - the choke was on." As it turned out, there was a branch wedged into the engine that may have caused it. Pearson got the engine fired and got in and out of the alternate gas before Abbott. Forced by the dust to hang back, Abbott kept looking for a way to take back the lead. He'd closed to within striking distance, and as they descended a technical section late in the second loop, Abbott made his move. "I got next to him fPearson]," Abbott said. "We bumped elbows - he was on the course, and I was just next to the course." They raced side-by-side through the section, neither rider willing to back off. "The last loop, we came down this hill," Pearson said as he launched into a colorful account of the race's moment of truth. "It was just sagebrush this tall [gestures] you can't see any ribbons. I'm just trying to follow the course. Dllstry can see that I'm staying in the wash; he catches me, and all of the sudden I hear wahhhhf, right behind me. Destry's about 10 feet over where the sagebrush isn't as big. He comes down right beside me - all I can do is just grab another gear. I mean, our bars are like side-by-side, and we're just buried as much as we can. I'm on a little bit of a cow trail, and then we came down into the big sagebrush we're going through the sagebrush like 50 mph, probably, through the sagebrush five feet tall. Somehow, when it opened up, I was the first one to the trail. I didn't look back - I just gassed it and started shifting gears." As the dust poured off of Pearson's rear tire, Abbott had no choice but to back off, retreating a couple hundred yards, but it wasn't over yet, as Pearson faced yet another challenge. Less than five miles from the finish, the trail wound through a section of kneehigh grass, and Pearson couldn't see the ground. He rode slowly at first, then, clicking up through the gears, he began to pick up speed again. Without warning, Pearson hit a rock that he didn't see, going over the bars and cart-wheeling the bike. "The next thing I know - loud noise and ahhhhf," Pearson recalled. "I was already trying to run in the air. My bike flips upside down, lands on its wheels and keeps going. I'm listening for Destry's bike - I don't hear the beast, so I'm running to my bike. It took me about three or four kicks - 1 hear Destry's bike coming. I gassed it out of there. 1 didn't let off or look back until I crossed the finish line." Esposito managed to hold onto third place, and despite the flat tire Brown was able to claim fourth. Caselli rounded out the top five, and TM-mounted Italian Luca Trussardi claimed top Vet honors and sixth overall before summing it up, "[With] this kind of race, if you have a good start, it can make a big difference." With two rounds remaining and the top spot decided, the battle now is over second, and it's one that could go down to the final round. Brown's ahead, but Pearson is now within striking distance... CN Wild lJeclda CIctus PelJJ's J8cIlpot 100 JscIqIet, Nevsa Results: sapta.bar Z2. 2001 O/A: 1. Russ Pearson (Yam); 2. Destry Abbott (Kaw); 3. ShllOe Esposito (Kaw); 4. BrIen Brown 125 B; 1. Cody Padmos (KTM); 2. Jevan Weeks (KTM); 3. Nathan Evans (Yam). (Kaw); 5. Kurt Caselli (Yam); 6. Luca Trussardi (TM); 250 B: 1. Cameron Brewer (KllIw); 2. Robert Harris (Hon); 3. George Chamarro (Yam). 7. David Pearson (Yam): 8. Dustin Headman (Yam): OPN B: 1. Jay Quayle (KTM); 2. Kevin Knight (Kaw); 3. Jason Smoot (Kaw). 4-5 B: 1. Steve Bllikely (Yam); 2. Brian Denny (Yam); 3. Allan Lafranbclse. VET B: I. Bruce Hansen (Han); 2. John Maddox (Hon); 3. Brent Lulloff (Hon). 9. Robert Phillips (KTM); 10. Taber Murphy (Hon); 11. Kellon Walch (Kaw); 12. Kelly Swope (Kaw); 13. Curtis Jones (KTM); 14. Brian Beth (Hon); 15. Robert Naughton (SUl); 16. Matt Gosnell (Yam); 17. Clay Hawks (KTM); 18. Kevin Bogue (Yam); 19. Glen Carmody (Yam); 20. Matthew Corwin (YlIm). OPN A: 1. Destry Abbott (Kaw): 2. Shone Esposito (Kaw); 3. Brian Brown (Kaw); 4. Dustin 5R B: 1. Tom Shivers (KTM); 2. Beaver Ellis (Suz); 3. Calvin Yllmamoto. MINI: 1. Lindon Sherwood; 2. Scott Miller; 3. Todd Christensen; 4. Benjllmin Corwin; 5. Mitch Underwood. Headman (Yam); 5. Robert Phillips (KTM). 250 A: 1. Russ Pearson (Yam); 2. Kurt Case-Ill (Yam): 3. David Pearson (Yam); 4. Kellon Walch (Kaw); 5. Robert Naughton (SUl). 125 A: 1. Clay Hawks (KTM); 2. David Ree, (KTM); 3. Jason Orndorff (Hus); 4. Kyle Kisch., KTM). 4·5 A: 1. Taber Murphy (Hen); 2. Matt Gosnell (Yam); 3. Matthew Corwin (Yam); 4. Bob Roberts; 5. Jason Weeks (KTM). 125 NOV: I. Brock Wilson. 250 NOV: I. Bryson DllVis. OPN NOV: I. Jacob Simmons. 4-5 NOV: 1. Greg Hammond. ANTQ NOV: 1. Scott Montefusco. BMIlR NOV: I. Richard Martin +25 NOV; I. Robert Johnson. +30 NOV: 1. Cory Johnson. WMN A: 1. Heather Wilson (Ka..,); 2. Kelly Yancey (Kaw); 3. Brenda Jankowski (Yam); 4. Luana Canfield (Kaw); 5. Vanessa Race (Yern). VET A: I. Luca Trussardl (TM); 2. Brian Beth +40 NOV: I. Mike Filben. AMA NATIONAL C'SHIP HARE (, HOUND SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (AFTER 6 OF 8 ROUNDS); 1. Destry Abbott (170/4 wins)*; 2. Brian Brown (Hon); 3. Glen Carmody (Yam); 4. Mike Smith (Yam); 5. Tom Hanks (KTM). SR A: 1. Steven Fry (Hon); 2. Dick Yardley (KTM); 3. Terry Kyle (Hon); 4. Alan Myler (Hon); 5. (Kaw); 3. Russ Pearson (122/1 win): 4. Shane Esposito (105); 5. Kurt Caselli (87); 6. Andy Grider (74); 7. Luca Trussardi (72); 8. David Pea"",n (63); 9. Ty Davi, (39); 10. Kellon Walch (37). Tad Goimarac (KTM). 5/5R A: 1. Stanley Miller (Yam); 2. Chris * Clinched title Kerstein (KTM); 3. Art Donoho (KTM); 4. Kerry Chartier (Yllm). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Luceme Valley, CaJ~omia, OCtober 14 Final Round - Lucerne Valley, Cal~omia, I'ISTR A: 1. Roy Watson (KTM); 2. William Sea.. (KTM). 4-W (16+): I. Bruce Childs (SUl); 2. Adam October 28 Arrington (Born); 3. Jon Wayment (Hon). BRIEFLY. •• Russ Pearson was so excited about getting a rare 250cc Yamaha overall Hare & Hound win that he asked that we print his sponsor list: Acerbis. Arai. SRP. Dunlop. GPR, IMS. Pro Circuit and Smith. To be fair, we'll also list the sponsors of re-crowned champ Destl)! Abbott. o~ Kawasaki Team Green; Dunlop. O'Neal, Pro Circuit. Scott. Sprocket Specialists.IMS. SRP. Sidi. Maxima and Tsubaki. Jackpot, a small Casino town in northeastern Nevada just south of the Idaho border, was alive with desert racing for much of the '70s, while the Cactus Pete's Jackpot 100 was running. The desert was quiet again until the 1989 Wells-to.Jackpot National Hare & Hound. which Dan Smith won (as he often did in those days) over a young. unknown kid named Danny Hamel. The promoters hope to make National-caliber desert racing an annual event here again. Ever-tightening land-use regulations are makirtg it more and more difficult for organizers to gain access to the land required to stage off-road competitions. As at numerous other events this year. the start and finish (as weil as parts of the course) were set on private land. The promoters and participants wished thank the Y-3 Ranch. the Mule Creek Ranch and the San .Jacinto Ranch for the use of their land and their support of this sport. Many Expert riders voiced discontent with the race course. commenting that the high speeds were made more dangerous by poor marking, rocks and extremely dusty conditions. Top Vet Luca Trussardl said, "Some sections today were vel)!. vel)! nice - vel)! fun. [butJ some sections were too fast. Some guys, theY passed me in the dust. like. I don't know [howl. I can't do that - iI's so dangerous. - Said top 125cc rider Clay Hawks.• Rocky and dusty. !Youl had to do some crazy stuff to pass people you know. just kind of close your eyes and pick a line through the rocks.' Women's winner Heather Wilson said. "It was so dusty and dangerous. There was a lot of luck to it. You were lucky to catch... some clean air in the technical stuff. it was just seal)! - really fast." Overall winner Russ Pearson said. "It was nasty out there· high-speed rocks. low-speed rocks. rocks that are like, 'Oh my you know what... .. Recrowned champ Destl)! Abbott said. -I thought it (the coursel was one of the worst Nationals I've ridden way too fast and nowhere to pass .. .!t wasn't a rider's course... cue I • n .. _ The B-cla•• riders got to chase a hare - ears and all • just like in old-school hare & hound race•• 51: • OCTOBER 10.2001 51

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