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BRIEFLY••• Former GNCC champ and ISDE Champion Shane Watts came to Utah to help fellow KTM rider Brian Garrahan. Watts normally would've been competing at Utah but is still dealing with an injured wrist. Watts said that the original injury is healed. but he is now dealing Wlth carpel-tunnel syndrome. -I tried riding a couple of days ago but no good: Watts said. -My doctor says it's going to be at least another two months before I can ride. The original injury caused the carpeltunnel and all you can do is let it rest. I probably won't ride again until September - Watts spent a couple of days before the race riding mountain bikes in Moab. Utah. Kawasaki Team Green had three riders absent at Utah: Destry Abbott. Shane Esposito and Brian Brown. Injuries forced the no-shows. Abbott was preparing for the Utah race when he injured his knee and will now have his troubled shoulder and. now. knee fixed. There was a lot of concern about the dusty conditions at the Utah race. DUring Saturday's amateur program. the choking dust was literally blinding in some of the ravine and wash sections of the l1-mile-a-lap course. For Sunday's Pro race, the sections in question where eliminated and the course was shortened to six miles. "They [the race organizers] did a great job." Ty Davis said. "The course today [Sunday] was a lot better than yesterday's. They really worked hard and learned from yesterday to make today's course a lot better. They did what the could because of the dry conditions. and I thought it was good," For the first time. the Utah round of the WORCS Series was co-sanctioned for Saturday's Amateur and Sunday's Mini program. as the event also offered points for the local USRA Series. The result was the largest overall turnout for a WORCS event. Nearly every starting line was filled to capacity on Saturday. Cross Roads Adventures, the promoters of the WORCS Series. announced that nearly 600 riders turned out for the Utah event. The next round of the WORCS series - in Washougal. Washington, in two weeks - will be tri-sanctioned. because the wind picked up and you could ride close [to another rider]." On the last lap. Davis had a big scare when his front tire went flat. "I thought. 'Ah. this sucks - he [Kiedrowski] can't beat me on the last lap! I've worked too hard to come this far...• Davis said. "Actually, it wasn't too bad in the silt. but in the hard stuff... I just changed the way I rode the bike. ride over the rear end - old style." Flat tire and all. Davis still took the checkered flag 12 seconds ahead of Kiedrowski. "It was a good race; I just dragged my feet and made dust the whole way." Davis joked from the podium. Finding his way onto the podium was third-place finisher Russell Pearson. on the Montclair Yamaha YZ250. Pearson had control of third place by the end of the first lap and held it there to the finish. though brother Nick Pearson early on challenged him. "Off the start. we were all battling there." Russell Pearson said_ "Nick was right on me, riding good. I thought about letting him by, but I guess he stalled it. After that, it was pretty uneventful. but the track was fun." Russell Pearson finished a little over a minute behind Kiedrowski and about a minute and a half ahead of fourth-place finisher Kurt Caselli. Nick Pearson ended up rounding out the top five. eN CoIr11oo County Fsirgraunds Russell Pearson seWed Into a fast groove but lost sight of both Davis and Kiedrowski and finished third. m ~ Own Race Kurt CaseUi KTM's Kurt Caselli never really got the chance to race with Davis or Kiedrowski. but he did battle with Nick and David Pearson for a while before finishing out the race a distant fourth. "I started off about sixth. got around a few guys and then stayed there [fourth] the whole race," Caselli said. "David [PearsonJ got around me when I pitted. but he tried to make another lap without pitting but didn't make it. I got by him, then I got by Nick [Pearson] when he fell over. It was a tough race - dusty in the tight washes. You didn't want to get behind someone or you couldn't see at all, I'm glad I got a good start." ®@ Nick Pearson Nick Pearson gave brother Russell a race for third early on before stalling his Yamaha thumper. "I started off about fUth. got to fourth and then started pushing Russell.' Nick Pearson said. "I then washed out and stalled the motor and Kurt [Caselli], David (Pearsonl. Brian (Garrahan] and (Steve] Hatch all got by me. After I got going, I saw Hatch pit. so I skipped my pit and got by him. saw David [Pearson] run out of gas, and then caught end passed Brian [Garrahan]. By that point, Kurt [Caselli) was too far gone." Nick Pearson ended up fmishing fifth. 37 seconds behind Caselli. ® Brian Garrahan A bad start had KTM's Brian Garrahan working hard the whole race. "I stalled off the gate and went as fast as I could the first lap," Gar· rahan said. "I made the top 10 on first lap." Garrahan eventually got into sixth. where he finished. 20 seconds ahead of Steve Hatch. MJ( PrIce, Utah Results: May 26, 2002 (Round 3 of 6] O/A: 1. Ty Davis (Yam); 2. Mike Kiedrowski (Suz); 3. Russell Pearson (Yam); 4. Kurt Caselli (KTM); 5. Nick Pearson (Yam); 6. Brian Garrahan (KTM): 7. Steve Hotch (Suz); 8. Joey Lanzo (KTM); 9. Morg~ln Crawford (Kaw); 10. David Pearson (KlIw); 11. Robert Noughton (Suz); 12. Tober Murphy (Hon); 13. Dave Neumeister (KTM); 14. Craig Wesner (Kow); 15. Bobby Gorrison (Vom); 16. K.C. Bogue (KlIw); 17. Jesse BlIrstow (Hon); 18. Robert Settles (Hon); Ig. Trovls Uvlngston (GG). Following the Pro race. many of the finishers from the moming's Mini races joined Ty Davis. Mike Kiedrowski and Russ Pearson on the podium (right). Davis. Kiedrowski and Pearson even took over the interview duties from track announcer Dave Brosius and asked the top three Mini riders questions about their race. ® Steve Hatch The Utah race was Steve Hatch's first race back since injuring his wrist. "I picked the wrong race to come back after an injury," joked Hatch. The Yoshimura Suzuki DR-Z430 rider struggled a bit on the wrist-pounding course, but he still finished a credible seventh. 1] 1J David Pearson KTM's David Pearson was on the move early on in the race. Pearson was running fourth and dicing with Kurt Caselli when he tried stretching out one more lap before refueling - it didn't work. Pearson ran out of gas and eventually finished JOth. 1] @ Robert Naughton On Saturday. Robert Naughton said he was going to get the holeshot in Sunday's Pro race - and he was right. Naughton. on his Mike Jankowski·tuned Suzuki RM250. nailed the holeshot in the Pro race and actually began extending his lead as the pack negotiated the MX section of the track, which featured a unique triple jump constructed of three telephone poles. The poles, however, were actually intended for the riders to "trials ride" over them. but a slight ramp had developed on the left side during Saturday's amateur races. making them triple-"jumpable." For the Pro race, the race organizers place hay bales to block the jumpable side of the section. but Naughton. who opted not to participate in the parade lap, was unaware of the hay bales. As he approached the poles on the first lap while leading. he was caught by surprise by the hay bales and tried to triple the section regardless· he didn't make it. Naughton nailed the front of the third log with his front wheel and went cartwheeling over the handlebars. Naughton was slow to his feet. straightened out his bike and re-entered the race in nearly dead last. Naughton fought his way back and finished an impressive 11 tho "' was stupid," Naughton said.. "I should've ridden the parade lap. I saw the hay bales but thought I could still clear the logs - I didn't even come close.' Naughton said he injured his shoulder and ribs in the spectacular fall. §6 Rodney Smith GNCC Champion Rodney Smith completed just one lap before pulling off and calling it a day. Smith just couldn't come to terms with the dusty conditions and wasn't exactly pleased with some of the questionable lines some of the other riders were taking in the dusty sections. All that, combined with a midpack start and an earlier DNF in the series. had Smith thinking about the GNCC Series. where he is battling for his third title. Smith decided to play it safe and retired to the pits. c u e ' ... n ... VI' S • JUNE 5, 2002 39