Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMA National Hare Scrambles Series Round 1 : Hollister Hills SVRA District 36 number one Brian Sperle took third place less than 20 seconds later, while Team Green racer Woodford and Pearson rounded out the top five. Andrews didn't get a very good start. "Actually, I kicked and the thing took off, and I wasn't even ready - my hand came off the clutch, and I had to get back on it: he said. "I didn't have a very good start, but there was a pile-up in the first turn. I kind of weaved my way through that and knew I had to get to the front quick because I didn't know if Garrahan or Pearson or Chuckie - I didn't know who was leading, but I know if you get behind here, you're in trouble. "I caught my teammate Chuckie, and he pulled over and let me by: Andrews said. "I didn't know if anybody was ahead of us so I just floored it, and I couldn't catch anybody. The next thing I know, I heard a thumper coming. I looked, and it was Garrahan catching me. "We kind of traded positions a couple times, then he got around me, and I thought, 'Well, I'm just going to stay with him and follow him because he knows where he's going.' Shoot, he was gone. The KTM rider makes it three in a row at Hollister (Above and right) Brian Garrahan recorded his third consecutive win at the Hollister National Hare Scrambles. It was also the fourth win of his career at Hollister. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARK KARIYA HOLUSTER,CA,FEB.2 iding like someone with a point to prove, Brian Garrahan dominated the 10th annual Hollister National Hare Scrambles, the opening round of the nine-round AMA National Hare Scrambles Series. The win was Garrahan's third consecutive at the Hollister Hills SVRA site, and it was accomplished on his NorCal Motorsports/Maxxis/Shift-sponsored KTM 450 MXC RFS. It was also his fourth overall victory at Hollister (his first came in ] 998); two-time winners Ty Davis and Rodney Smith are the only other riders with multiple overall wins at this site. Two-time and defending series champion Fred Andrews of Team Green finished second on his Pro Circuit/Dunlop/THOR-backed, Joey Maurer-prepped KX250 with desert racer Russell Pearson rounding out the top three on his Montclair Yamaha/Pro Circuit/Moose YZ450F. "I had a good incentive to win today," said Garrahan, who lives near Hollister. "I've been having some sponsorship problems this year, and I R 20 FEBRURY 19, 2003' cue I really wanted to win today. A threepeat is really, really sweet. Everyone all year has been going, 'Are you going to make it three in a row? Are you going to make it three in a row?' I've just been saying, 'Yeah,' and I did it. It's awesome." The race unfolded for Garrahan almost perfectly. "I got a good fourthor fifth-place start, which is really good for me at Hollister, because I [usually] get a last-place start," he said. Garrahan forced his way to the front in short order and came through the scoring area with a four-second lead over Andrews at the end of the first 14-mile lap, though it didn't go his way entirely during that initial tour. "A couple times I went the wrong way and got behind Fred and Chuckie [Woodford]," Garrahan admitted. "It just made me ride harder, and I got by them." ... n e _ os