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AMA Mid-South C'ship Winter Hare Scrambles Series Round 10: Crossroads School STORV AND PHOTOS BV DEBBIE ALLEN UNTON, KY, MAR. 16 reat weather set the stage for the 10th round of the AMA/Pirelli Tire/Moose/Parts Unlimited/White Brothers Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scrambles Series. The sun was a welcome sight, and many riders broke out the Sahara gear in order to breeze through the heat. After overcoming a few problems, Scott Summers made the fastest lap, took the lead and held on for his third win of the season. Off the start, Summers was the fourth rider into the woods, and things slowly got worse for him. He dropped back to 10th, but at the end of his first lap, he came through the tent in sixth place. After one log jam, two crashes, and 10 miles of technical trail, he progressed to third place. "I felt like my biggest problem was myself," the Honda Riders Club/Factory Connection/Honda Pro Oils and Chemicals/Summers Racing Componentssupported Summers admitted. "Every time 1started making progress, I would start charging too hard and would make a mistake and would start crashing." Three laps later, he finally quit crashing and started reeling guys in. He passed the leader, Jeff Cregg, and finished the race in first place overall. "I'll take second to Scott Summers any day," said Cregg. "I had a great ride and ran second for most of the day, behind Dustin [Gibsonl. On the next-to-the-Iast lap, Summers caught G us, so 1let him by me." Shortly after that, Cregg ran into a tree, and Gibson got back around him. Team Green Kawasaki/Moose/ Scott/Lidz by Fid/Pro Action of Kentucky-backed Cregg stuck it out, riding on two flats. Nevertheless, he rode smoothly and got around Gibson when the latter was least expecting it. Afterward, he cranked his KX250 into high gear and finished 20 seconds behind Summers in second place overall. Sarge's Cycles/KTM/Smith/Bike Pedlar-backed Gibson was the frontrunner for the first three laps. He battled for the lead on the first lap with Kawasaki-mounted P.A. Allen. About three-quarters of the way into the lap. Allen blew a corner, and Gibson pulled into the lead. He stayed out front for the next two laps, and then he drifted back due to fatigue, while Summers and Cregg gained momentum. "My bike beat me to death, because it still has stock suspension, and I have only had a couple of hours on it," Gibson said. "I just got tired, and I didn't know Cregg was that close. They both were riding real fast." Gibson finished third overall and is currently in second place in overall points for the series. Meanwhile, Allen crashed in a creek and dropped back to fifth place. He finished three minutes behind OffRoad Group/Leader Bridgestone/TM/Thorsupported John Maschino, who came in fourth overall. They both rode a fairly lonely race and finished within a he became the Four-Stroke C champion. Now, he's making things more interesting for 250cc B points leader Eric Meeks and second-placed Brandon Jones. Hayden Moore got second place at this race, and Meeks followed in third place. Jones came in a respectable fourth. eN Crossl'llads School Unton, Kenblclcy Results: March 16, Z003 [Round 10J O/A: 1. Scott Summers (Hon); 2. Jeff Cregg (Kaw); 3. Dustin Gibson (KTM): 4. John Maschino (TM): 5. P.A. Allen (Kow): 6. Alan Westerfield (Suz): 7. Charles Mullins (KTM); 8. Timmy P'Pool (Suz); 9. John Robbins (KTM); 10. Harvey Whitaker (Kew). AA: I. Scott Summers (Hon); 2. Jeff Cregg (Kaw); 3. Dustin Gibson (KTM); 4. John Maschino (TM): 5. P.A. Allen (Kow). 250/0PEN A: I. Alan Westerfield; 2. Timmy P'Pool (Suz); 3. Ben Weathers (KTM); 4. Wyles Griffith (KTM): 5. Josh Scott (Vom). 4·STRK A: 1. Jack Bailey (KTM); 2. Jeremy Garrett (Yam); 3. Jason Elrod (KTM); 4. Robert Lich (Yam); 5. Dean Grewe (KTM). 200 A: I. Chris Taylor (KTM); 2. Derek Bratcher (KTM); 3. C1.y Hedgepath (KTM): 4. Bryon Dixon (Kaw); 5. Mark Akers (KTM). SR A: 1. Steve Thomas (KTM); 2. Dallas Mayer (Yam); 3. Scott Martin (Suz); 4. Mark Guy (Yam); 5. Phillip Marker (Hon). VET A: I. Harvey Whitaker (Kaw); 2. Greg Elrod (Suz); 3. Thomas Bennett (Han); 4. Jason Dickey (Suz): 5. Taro Massey (KTM). 250 B: 1. Jeffrey Welch (Yam); 2. Hayden Moore (Hon); 3. Eric Meeks (Kaw); 4. Brandon Jones (Yam); 5. Michael Barnick (Kaw). 4·STRK B: 1. Jon Buckner (Yam); 2. Keith Lewis (Yam); 3. Ryan Creasor (Han); 4. William Pherson (Suz); 5. Jeremy Wisdom (Hon). OPEN B: 1. Lucas Snell (Yam); 2. Mark Jones (Hon); 3. Gaylon Rogers (Yam): 4. Todd Buchanan (KTM): 5. Rick Modlin (KTM). 200 B: 1. Shane O'Banton (Suz); 2. Sean Young (KTM); 3. Mike Scherzinger (Han); 4. Scott Meredith (Kaw); 5. Kyle Peacock (Kaw). VET B: I. Robert Adkins (KTM); 2. Richard Ward (Suz); 3. Scott Kirchoff (Suz); 4. J8mes Fleming (Han); 5. Eric Gill (Yam). SR B: I. Louis Gibson (Suz); 2. Steven Middlebrook (KTM): 3. Roger Crow (KTM): 4. Ron Dilback (KTM): 5. Jim Sorrels (Hon). S/SR: 1. Ronnie Hackett (Suz); 2. Patrick Jones (Yam); 3. Sidney Robinson (KTM); 4. Doran Carrell (KTM); 5. Ronnie Snell (Hon). 250/0PEN C, 1. Andy Gentry (Vam): 2. Joke Summers (Kaw); 3. Walter Taylor (Yam); 4. David Gillibang (Kaw); 5. Jeremiah Perry (Kaw). 200 C: I. Michael Wood (KTM); 2. Chris Knight (Kaw): 3. Robert Rogers (KTM); 4. Chaz Green (KTM); 5. Nathan Hammons (KTM). 4·STRK C: 1. Andy Kraus (Yam); 2. John Davis (Suz): 3. Billy Clark (Hon): 4. Chuck Word (Vom); 5. Joseph Pinson (Suz). VET C: 1. Rusty Lewis (KTM); 2. John Robinson (Yam): 3. Darin Sizemore (Y8m); 4. Charles Cunningham (Kaw); 5. Chance Blackwell (Kaw). SR C: 1. Kelley Cherry (Yam); 2. Eric Klaus (Yam); 3. Greg Gibson (Yam); 4. Billy Childers (Kaw); 5. Berry Luther (Han). BEG: 1. Cody Manley (Yam); 2. Geoffrey Sanders (Hon); 3, Nathlln Jones (Hon). respectable five minutes of Summers. No doubt this battle between Allen and Gibson will find its way into the next race, as both will be gunning for this year's championship. "It was rough and fast," said Maschino. The track consisted of older trail with deep ruts and big roots that made it one dangerous hare scrambles for everyone. Off the start, the riders were forewarned by an AAclass collision when Mike Sampson went down on a straightaway. The riders toughed it out, even though there were more than a few riders off their bikes. Sampson finished in 10th place in the AA class. Team Green's Harvey Whitaker won the Vet A class and clinched the championship with his seventh win this season. "I struggled today and did everything - including spit, kick and cry to get the lead," Whitaker said. "I settled down after a while, and things finally started to happen. It's been a good year, and I appreciate everything about the Mid-South races." Making the move to the Intermediate class, Jeffrey Welch earned the 250cc B win and came in 22nd overall - not bad for starting this season in a Novice class. After seven rounds, cue I e n e _ SO • APRIL 16. 2003 53