Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) Andrews (3) grabbed the holeshot at the start of the Pro race, with Steve Hatch (4). Mike Kiedrowski (12) and Jason Raines (9) in tow. (Right) Andrews' win streak ended with a secondplace finish at the lronman. ana battling the flu, and then he spent what little energy he had yanking his bike out of a tree after crashing on the first lap. The exhausted champion called it a day after that. At the start, Andrews grabbed the holeshot, but Hatch put his Suzuki underneath him as they headed into the woods. Watts was back around 10th, while Kawasaki's Chuck Woodford and Hawk went down in the first turn. It didn't take long for Watts to put his big 520 out front. "We just got into the field there, and this thing just hooked up, and away we went," said Watts. "I was popping wheelies all day." Hatch crashed early, allowing Watts and Andrews to move by. Andrews would bobble too, though, and end the first lap in ninth. Watts' teammate Lafferty maneuvered past the fallen riders and into second at the end of the first lap. Smith was already out of the race. "Josh McLevy got stuck going up one of the bankings back there, and I came up from behind and crashed into him," Smith said. "When I came back down, the bike got wedged into a tree, and we couldn't get it out. It took three of us to get it out, and then the bike got turned upside down, and it was tough to get it started. By then, all the A riders had gone by, and I had no energy left." Smith headed back to the pits with his first DNF of the season. Meanwhile, Andrews got into the same groove that took him to wins at the previous three rounds. While other riders were having problems with the rugged terrain, Andrews charged into third and started battling with Lafferty. The two passed each other several times as they chased after Watts. By the end of the third lap, nearly an hour and a half into the race, only six seconds separated the trio. Watts still held a distinct advantage over his competitors every time they hit one of the course's wideopen field sections, as his big fourstroke allowed him to literally motor past whoever was in front of him. "I would just stay close in the woods, and ride right past them in the fields," Watts said. Of course, the ONCC tracks always throw a variety of obstacles at the riders, and Watts found his bike's Achilles' heel when he buried it in a rut. "The 520 is a little lower and a little wider than the two-stroke," Watts said. "When I saw a. big rut, I thought I could get through it, but I wound up wedging it in. I was really stuck." With that mistake, Andrews took his standard position at the front of the pack. Lafferty stayed right with him until he crashed hard on the fifth lap and dropped back to sixth. At that point, it looked like Andrews was ready to take a ONCC record fourthconsecutive victory. "Shane and I went back and forth, but when I came up on him and saw he had stuck that four-stroke, I figured he would never get that thing out," Andrews said. Watts, meanwhile, dropped to the tail of the top 10 while trying to dig himself free. "I was making some progress [in digging out], but then a lapped rider came up and helped me," Watts said. "I had fallen way back and figured it was time to go." Watts wasn't happy ~bout losing the lead, and his anger carried him forward. Said Watts, simply, "I was pissed." Like he has done so many times before, Watts turned it up and started passing riders in bunches before finaliy catching the leader. "I got stuck behind some lapped guys, and I heard a four-stroke behind me, and I knew it was him," Andrews said. "Sure enough, it was him, so I thought, 'Well, we're going to run it then.' And we did." The Andrews-Watts duel was one of the best of the year, as the pair went back and forth for the better part of two laps. The huge crowd was cheering the two former ONCC champions on as they tackled each section at high speed. Entering a particularly deep water hole, Andrews came in leading over Watts, but the Aussie passed him as they climbed over a bank, and then Andrews got back by as they snaked through the trees. Watts made the final move after a grass-track section. "We were coming off the grass-track section, and he got a little better line than me when we went into the woods," Andrews said. "He tried an inside line that n9 one had used yet and got by me, so then I thought, 'I'll hang with him.' But then we came up to a ravine, and second lead at the finish. "Once I got into the lead, I just kept going," Watts said. "I think maybe Fred settled for second." "Shane's a great rider, and he rode a great race," said Andrews. "I had fun out there." For Watts, the race was much more than just his third win of the season; it was also a welcome boost of confidence for 2002. "It's good to know you've still got it," Watts said. "I'm coming back strong next year." CN he got by a guy and I didn't, and then he was gone." The Suzuki duo of Hatch and Kiedrowski was trying to reel in the lead pack, as both riders were hungry for their first win of the year. But they wound up falling together in a muddy section and dropped off the pace. "It was a bad time to fall, because we were with the leaders with about a lap and a half to go," said Hatch. "We went up a little bank, and it was so rutted out that if you got sideways at all from it being slick, you couldn't catch yourself because it was so far down to the next rut. So he [Kiedrowski] kind of tipped, and I was like 'C'mon Mike, hang on!' I went for a different line and thought I had it, but I got off-center, spun around and flipped it off the bank. So we had to pick up ourselves and our bikes and get them back over the bank." Watts put it into overdrive on the last two laps, eventually pulling a 44- lronman &NCC Crawfordsville, Indiana Results: October Zl, ZOOl O/A: 1. Shane Watts (KTM): 2. Fred Andrews (Kaw); 3. Steve Hatch (SUI); 4. Mike Kiedrowski (So2); 5. Barry Hawk Jr. (Yam); 6. Michael Lafferty (KTM); 7. Robbie Jenks (Yem); 8. Jason Reines (Yam); 9. Chuck Woodford (Kaw); 10. Andy Shea (KTM). AMA GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY C'SHlP FINAL SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 13 of 13 round.); 1. Rodney Smith (300/4 wins); 2. Fred Andrews (287/5 wins); 3. Shane Watts (218/3 wins); 4. Steve Hatch (200): 5. Jason Raines (197); 6. Michael Lafferty (179); 7. Mike Kiedrowsk; (178); 8. Robbie Jenks (152); 9. Barry Hawk Je. (146/1 win); 10. Joshua McLevy (138). BRIEFLY•• • To get a better look at what Shane Watts looks like with a Mohawk. and what Larry Maiers looks like without a beard. tune in for the GNCC television series, which airs Wednesdays at 11 a.m. EST on Fox Sports Net. Sunday moming's Industry class was packed with stars. including FMF's Donny Emler and Danny laPorte. The Californians enjoyed their first·ever GNCC ride. although they both only completed two laps with their borrowed bikes and gear. LaPorte. a former 250cc World Motocross Champion, was planning to ride when he arrived at the track, but Emler planned on spectating until the FMF Suzuki riders talked him into it over dinner the night before. "Well. I thought I was going to race. but once I saw how fast those guys are. I decided to just ride. - Emler said. "I haven't raced in 30 years. so I guess this is really the beginning of my career. I had so much fun out there. I have a whole new appreci· ation for these guys now that I've seen how rough the tracks are." Shane Watts' father Norman also raced the industry class. and he finished a respectable ninth. When the younger Watts was asked if he would help pit for his dad like his dad would do for him in the Pro race. he said. "No. He rides slow enough to get really good gas mileage. He probably won't need gas... After clinching the 250cc A-class Championship at the High Point GNCC, Kawasaki's Cole Calkins decided to race the Pro class at the Ironman. The 19-year-old finished a solid 11 th overall, but 250cc A-class Winner Andy Shea actually finished ahead of him in 10th. Silly Season speculation was running rampant through the Ironman pits. Kawasaki will retum with its three·pronged approach of fast Ohio riders· Cole Calkins. Fred Andrews and Chuck Woodford (Paul Edmondson will return to Europe to race Husqvamas). FMF Suzuki said it would keep its three-man team intact. as well. with riders Rodney Smith. Steve Hatch and Mike Kiedrowski. Shane Watts is looking to keep his deal with KTM, but he plans on hitting more AMA/Chevy Trucks National Motocross races and even a few rounds of the EA Sports 125 Supercross Series (he's also said to be entered in next week's National Hare & Hound finale). Rumors also persist that motocross stars John Dowd and Greg Albertyn may make appearances next year. Dowd, an east coast rider a'nd mud specialist, would make a good fit for the GNCC series. Albertyn, the former U.S. 250cc National Champion and three·time World Motocross Champion, is getting into off·road racing. as he announced he will contest the November 11 Lake Elsinore GP with Team Suzuki Off-Road. cycl. n e _ S • NOVEMBER 7,2001 19

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