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AMA Grand National Cross Country Series Round 2: Aonia Pass MJK tender P.A. Allen rounding out the top 10 overall. With so many lines to choose from, passing wasn't too tough, While Florida's mud bath will go which was good, since many top down as one of the most grueling off- GNCC riders were left with poor start- road races in years, the Georgia track ing spot selections since they had wasn't much easier. While race day DNFed round one and were far back bloomed to warm, sunny skies, the in points. Fun Mart Yamaha's Jimmy Aonia Pass motocross facility that Jarrett snagged the holeshot, but any hosted the event took on a lot of rain fears of the start positions hurting the the week before the event. Once the race faded when Hatch, a nonfinisher riders began attacking the eight-mile last week, came out right behind him. loop, ruts and mud bogs started Just a few miles into the race, Laffer- forming everywhere. The track grew ty, who drew the 29th pick on the wider and wider as the riders worked starting line, had already taken the the edges to find shallower ruts, lead. Lafferty had company early with which made picking lines key. Russian Andrews, but the Pro Circuit/Kawasa- Roulette out there with those ruts," ki rider soon crashed back into the "It was like playing pack. Smith and Jarrett would not let Hatch said. Still, the event, which was co- Lafferty go, and they hooked up in a sanctioned by SETRA (the South three-man fight, pulling a significant Eastern Trail Rider's Association) gap on the rest of the field. went over well, if the tremendous number of entries is any indication. !Above) Robbie Jenks (8) was running fourth late in the race when he got passed by Jason Raines. Jenks had to settle for fifth overall. (Below) A healthy Jason Raines rode well and ended up finishing fourth. Jarrett, who missed several months of racing last season with a Own Race Rodney Smith 3rd The defending GNCC champ was a bit upset after his DNF in Florida, but he put his head down and rode hard in Georgia, nearly pulling off a win. "The course was really tough; it got so wide that you didn't know where the track was," said the FMFISuzuki/DunJopl Moose/Smith-backed rider. "I thought J was in the lead at one point. and then they told me Lafferty was 30 seconds ahead of me. I put my head down and charged, but he stretched it out." Although the roundone DNF has hurt the Califomian in the point standings. Smith actually has the exact same amount of points he had after two rounds last season, and he ended up winning the championship. ® Barry Hawk 2nd @ 4th Hawk rode timidly early but came back strong at the finish. "I had a lot of problems early on; I think I was too worried about getting stuck," Hawk said. "Then after gas I started charging, and I was catching guys. On the last lap, the trail split by this big mud hole, and they [Smith and Andrews] went one way, and I went the other, and next thing I knew, I was right behind him. Then there was another mud hole, and I passed Freddy, and then Rodney got tangled with a lapper and went down. Then I came in here and got second." Jason Raines Last year's early-season hero couldn't get into a rhythm or catch the leaders in Georgia. "I seem to struggle on tracks that are really rutted like this," Raines said. "I like to stand up all the time, but the ruts are trying to pull your feet off the pegs, so you have to sit down more." StUl, a fourth-place finish eamed Raines plenty of points in pursuit of this year's title. "Last year Jhas a first and a sixth after two races, now I have a third and a fourth, so I'm pretty close to last year, reaJly." 1] ~ BRIEFLY••• In response their error in marking the course at the Hurricane GNCC one week earlier. Racer Productions. the producers of GNCC Racing. elected to add a throwaway round to the season's Pro Championship points total. Riders will now count 12 of 13 races toward the GNCC title. GNCC trail boss Jeff Russell admitted to having mismarked the trail during The Hurricane's Pro race, which resulted in a few riders. Mike Lafferty and Rodney Smith among them. getting lost and losing a lot of ground. "We regret this unfortunate situation." said Russell in a press release. "And i take full responsibility. The rest of the riders followed the markers into the new section. but for Mike and Rodney. I am sure that it was confusing." This year's GNCC Series will once again be featured on TV. Seals Communications. producers of the GNCC TV Series, has worked out a deal for the GNCC shows to air on Speed Channel this season. The gO-minute shows will begin airing in the spring. Shane Watts was on hand to help a group of KTM riders pit in Georgia, and the former GNCC champ reports his broken leg is healing quickly. In fact. he's even been riding some already. "I can race if the track isn't really muddy." said Watts. "If the next round is dry, I'll race." When not racing, Watts has his hands full with a series of riders racing on his machines. At the General. his squad included Brian Garrahan. who borrowed one of Watts' KTM 200s and finished ninth overall. 56 MARCH 26. 2003' eye • e Mike Kiedrowski DNF The multitime AMA Motocross Champion had a rough day at the General, as his bike lost a radiator hose early, which ultimately led to a seized engine. n e vv s ®®~ Kurt Caselli 20th KTM's young star was trying his hand at GNCCs, and he found the races very demanding. "I was just trying to finish," said the friendly young Cal.ifornian. "Three hours is a long time, and these tracks are tough." Caselli managed a 20th overall for the day. 1] ® Jimmy Jarrett DNF Jarrett is a former ONCC amateur champ and overall Winner, but he's been absent from the leaderboard lately due to lingering back problems. Off-season surgery seems to have restored his old speed, as the Ohio native ran with the leaders early at the General. "I was cleared to star! riding in January, and I've been going at it hard ever since," said the Fun Mart Yamaha/Kenda/Scott/ZLT/Answer-backed pilot. "I was hoping I would be back up there. I feit good, I wasn't tired, and as long as you picked good lines, the track really wasn't that tough." Unfortunately, Jarrett's bid for the win washed away when his flywheel key broke while h~ was running in second place.