Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128200
AMA National Hare & Hound Series Round 1: Desert M.C. Winter Classic was able to mount a charge on the leader. "I had a... I couldn't sayan easy day; it was nothing like that, but it was just another day in the desert, trying to have fun out there," Pearson claimed. "I really wanted to win this one, just to kind of start out the year Ion a good note]. If I can win down here [in the more-used SoCal desert] - this place here is rough. I'm getting better and better down here; actually, last year I won [the season finale here] so I can't really complain. But I really wanted to win this one. 1really worked hard." When the banner dropped for the 9:30 a.m. start on the east side of STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARK KARIYA LUCERNE VALLEY, CA, JAN. 26 '1n evada's Russ Pearson opened the 1ft 2003 AMA National Hare f, Hound Series with a commanding win at the Desert Motorcycle Club's Winter Classic National off Bessemer Mine Road. He took the lead on his Montclair Yamaha/Pro Circuit-supported YZ450F shortly after the end of the bomb run and never saw dust the rest of the way on the two-loop course. Team Green teammates and former series champs Destry Abbott and Brian Brown rounded out the top three on their KX500s, though neither Bessemer Mine Road, north of Soggy Dry Lake, Pearson made his line at the far right side of the trail work, sneaking past early leader and teammate Ty Davis - Davis chose the shorter but tighter and slightly slower main line. "I worked on my start and got a holeshot, " Pearson said. He held the high line as the course funneled down through some rocks and carried speed that moved him into the lead as the course dropped into the first valley. Brown, Davis and Abbott tucked in behind him. "After we got there, it (Left) Destry Abbott ran third for much of the race, finally moving into second about halfway through the second and final loop. He won the race last year. (Right) After almost completely smashing his pipe against some rocks, Brian Brown's bike didn't have much power to fend off any attacks. He ended up third overall. 22 FEBRURY 12, 2003' cue I e n e "" s was just, 'Hang on and pin it!'" Pearson exclaimed. "I wanted to look back and see if anybody was right there, but it was like, 'Oh, can't back off!' One National out here I backed off, and as soon as I backed off, Destry and Ty just went boom, boom [past me]1 So I wasn't looking back until about halfway across the valley, then I did a quick [check], 'Whew, okay!' After that, there was big dust behind me." Abbott managed to get around defending champ Davis, but the 2000 and '01 series champ couldn't make a pass stick on Brown, the '99 title- holder. At the end of the 39-mile first loop, Pearson maintained a fairly comfortable lead over Brown, Abbot and Davis. Honda's Steve Hengeveld, newly signed Team Green racer Mike Childress, Honda's Andy Grider, Team Green's David Pearson, Vet-class KX500 rider Paul Shafer, and Utah's Rob Phillips, on a KTM 300, rounded out the top 10 as they exited the pits