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AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series
Round 2: Two Rivers Racing
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
DOUG KARCHER
MilliKIN, CO, APR. 14
ust 17 hours after winning a
National Hare & Hound in Utah,
Ty Davis lined up on the start of a
Colorado National Hare Scrambles,
and nine laps later, it looked like he
would have his second victory of the
weekend. Matt Karlsen had different
ideas, however. The local fast guy,
who contests the AMA Western FourStroke Nationals, had been following
Davis for most of the race, but he
soon began closing the gap on his
YZ426F. Still, it didn't look like the
few remaining laps would be enough
until the misfortune for which Davis is
famous once again struck. The Californian broke on the penultimate lap,
and Karlsen cruised one more trip
around the 5.7-mile course to take
his first-ever National HS victory.
Among the 17 AA riders who had
lined up on the motocross start line
(without the gate) for the deadengine start were not only regulars
like champ Fred Andrews and roundone-winner Brian Garrahan, but also
a half-dozen of the nation's top desert
racers, "fresh" off the aforementioned
hare & hound. Montclair Yamaha
teamsters Davis and Russ and Nick
Pearson were parked outside the gate
when the organizers arrived in the
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MAY 1, 2002'
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morning, and Team Green's Destry
Abbott and Brian Brown joined the
Kawasaki contingent.
At the firing of the gun, they had
a short, 50-yard dash before
crowding into a hard right-hander,
where Andrews found himself sideby-side with Abbott. The two
Kawasakis continued to lead over
the following tabletop before
Abbott pulled slightly and led much
of the first of 12 laps. Then he blew
a corner, however, allowing
Andrews, Davis, Russ Pearson and
Karlsen to get by, and he never saw
the front aga in.
Barely noticed by the big names,
Karlsen had moved into second by
the end of the opening lap, and this is
where he stayed for the next eight
and a half laps, holding off the rest of
the AA riders and whittling away at
Davis' lead. Mounted on a YZ250,
Davis seemed right at home on what
Fred -Andre';' t11 snared the holeshot
at the start of the National. Ty Davis
(no number, far r1ghtjled most of the
race, only to break on the last lap.
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