Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Doug Blackwell held the lead going into the final lap. but a small crash cost him the win. He had to settle for third. Brian Garrahan ran as high as third before finishing fourth. After leading the whole first lap, Woodford didn't put up too much of a fight when Andrews got around him and led for a while. Woodford hung right with Andrews, while Blackwell continued to hold his own in third and Garrahan in fourth. After the third lap, both Andrews and Woodford pitted for gas, while Blackwell continued on and got around Woodford. Shortly thereafter, Blackwell ran down Andrews and passed him for the point. It was obvious that Blackwell liked being out front, as the Honda rider perked up and opened up a modest lead, while Andrews and Woodford began to mixed it up behind him. "I got past Woodford at the gas spot," Blackwell said. "Then I started pushing Andrews, passed him, and started checking out." Later on, Woodford decided it was time to get around Andrews and started making a run at Blackwell and the lead. When the white flag came out, Blackwell was still leading but couldn't relax, as Woodford was charging hard. At this point, all the spectators could do was wait to see who would emerge out of the woods first - Blackwell or Woodford. As it turned out, it was Woodford. But, to everone's surprise, the next rider to emerge from the woods was Andrews, while Blackwell finally appeared in third place. "I had almost a perfect race until the last three miles," Blackwell said. "I got into the lead and started to check out, but then I got behind some lappers - they killed me. They let Chuck and Fred catch up to me, and then 1 gave it away in a corner when the front end washed out on me. That was it." "I got a good start and was in the lead and was cruising," Woodford said, summarizing his race. "I was relaxing, and then 1 heard them back there racing. On this course, there are a lot of blind rises, and I realized that they were keying off me and using me as a guinea pig to see what was on the other side, so I was taking my time. The second lap, we got into some tappers. Fred went one way and 1 went another way. So 1 had to turn and cut back over. Fred got by me, so I was cool with that, and I was following until we got gas, and then Blackwell got past me. I tried to get past Doug, so it could be a 1-2 day for us [Kawasaki]. Fred let Doug by him and then Doug started to pull away from us. I was following Fred and realized that 1 was going to be third behind Blackwell and Fred. 1 decided I could be second behind Fred, but not third. I got by Fred and got behind Doug to wait for him to make a mistake, and he did. Then I rode to the finish." But the man of the hour was Andrews. "The race was actually uneventful for me," Andrews said. "I started right behind my teammate Chuck and followed him around for a while. Then 1 got into the lead and kept trying to find out where Garrahan was the whole time. 1 knew he and Chuck were behind, and then Chuck got by me again. Then, Blackwell got by Chuck and me to take the lead. On the last lap, Doug went down; Chuck and 1 went first and second for the day, and I won the championship again. That was about it." Black Coal National Lynnvilla, Indiana Results: October 13, 2002 (Round 10 of 101 O/A: t. Chuck Woodford (K8W); 2. Fred Andrews (Kaw); 3. Doug Blackwell (Hon); 4. Brian Garr.han (KTM); 5. Andrew Shea (KTM); 6. P.A. Allen (Kaw); 7. Joshua McLevy (Hon); 8. N.than Kanney (Yam); 9. Eric Ducray (Yam): to. Chad Froman (Kaw). AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES (After 10 of 10 rounds); 1. Fred Andrews (176/1 win); 2. Chuck Woodford (173/4 wins); 3. Brian Garrahlln (163/ W wins); 4. Doug BI.ckwell (100); 5. Eric Ducr.y (85); 6. J.son Raines (74/1 win); 7. Chris Gallt (74); 8. my Own Race Brian Garrahan Going into the race, KTM's Brian Garrahan was expected to playa major role in the race and the series outcome, depending on where he finished. As it turned out, Garrahan (nor Blackwell) could not get between the two Kawasaki riders to be the "spoiler." Garrahan, who had an outside chance to win the title, finished out the day in fourth. "The race went all right," Garrahan said. "I got a good start and was up there in the top three the first lap. I tried to catch Chuck and Fred but wasn't able to get by them after riding hard the two first laps. They held me off and then I made a few mistakes on the third lap. I tried my best to catch up to them, but I wasn't able to catch them. They rode a really great race, and it was a fast-pace race, too. It was for the championship and everyone knew that and was riding 110 percent the whole time. It was hard to pass out there." Andrew Shea This is the second Pro race for this up-and-comer, and the KTM rider pulled off a head-tuming fifth overall. "It was a pretty good day considering the bad start I had," Shea said. "It took me two kicks to start my bike, so it put me in the back. I tried to work my way up front as quickly as I could. I came around the first lap in seventh right in front of P.A. Allen. Then I pulled away from him, but he came back. I got gas and then we rode the rest of the race going back and forth all day. Then, on the last lap, I made a pass in the back part of the woods in the bushes." P.A. Allen Team Green rider P.A. Allen also made his mark by placing a respectable sixth overall in his very first Pro race. "I got a nice start - around fourth or fifth - before the woods, and then [Shane] Watts and Garrahan got past me," Allen said. "I followed them for a while until Shea got me, and then me and Shea had a great race going back and forth wIth each other. It was a great race. I saw him on the side of the track one time. I didn't know what Shea was doing on the side of the trail, but he got by me on the last lap on the back part of the woods. We raced to the finish." Joshua McLevy After a hard race, off-road veteran Josh McLevy was pleased to come out of it with a seventh-place finish. "It was an awesome race, and so was the weather, and I think the club here did a great job," McLevy said. "I had a lot of fun. I got seventh overall and went down a few times in the first lap that put me last, but I was able to catch up again. I tried my best to make up the time I iost when I went down. Ijust tried my best and rode harder and faster to catch up. I tried to go two-times faster, but would go down again and again. I am just happy to finish it." Shane Watts KTM's Shane Watts had another disappointing day. The Australian is still bothered by a sore wrist. "I wasn't able to fmish the race again," Watts said. "It was going good; I had a good start and was up there with the leaders, and I was riding well, too. Then I wasn't looking where I was going and I hit a tree. It put me down and I tried to charge one more lap, but then my wrist got too sore and I couldn't hang on anymore. I am pretty beat up from all the crashes I have been having lately. But I'm happy because I almost finished a race. I'm getting closer and closer to finishing one." Kerry Green In just his third race since coming over from Australia., KTM rider Kerry Green didn't have the best of days. "It was awesome out there; the track was different than what I'm used to riding," Green said. "Also, I am not used to riding this kind of woods. It was fun to give it a go out there. Unfortunately, I crashed on the first lap and I hit a tree. I had a bad day, but I hope to do better next weekend at the last GNCe." JOShU8 McLevy (68); 9. Andy Shea (50); 10. Mike Kiedrowski (46). cu cle n e _ so • OCTOBER 30, 2002 47

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