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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128210
AMA National Hare & Hound Series Sageriders Me National Two after his YZ450F didn't want to light, but he was ahead of Brown, who was even further back after cartwheeling For Two his bike off of a big dune just after the bomb run. They both went to work, fighting the thick dust and picking off riders on their way toward the front. Rob Zimmerman managed to make it through the start melee somewhere in the top 10, pretty much where he wanted to be. Sys- (Above) Russ Pearson crossed the finish line by himself to remain undefeated in 2003 Hare & Hounds. -- , Destry Abbott and Russ Pearson traded the lead multiple times early in the race, but a tweaked knee caused Abbott to settle for second. drop-off in the opening sand-dune section, and then to the lead moments later when Abbott, after watching his teammate crash, chose a slightly safer (though apparently slower) line through the section. With clean air, Russ Pearson put his head down and didn't look back until around 10 miles out, when he caught the "hare," which meant a qUick $100 in his pocket. As he looked back, he noticed that Abbott was closing fast. "We came into a flat area, and he [Abbott] just pinned it right around the outside of me," Russ Pearson said, and he was back in second. Abbott took a while to get up to speed. "I was second off the bomb, and Brian had a huge crash, so I was kind of leery to go fast, and Russ went past me," said the Team Green rider. STORY AND PHOTOS BY DOUG KARCHER DELTA, QT, APR. 12 !RI nce again, Russ Pearson found ~ himself locked in a battle with Kawasaki rival Destry Abbott, and once again he emerged the victor as he took home the overall win at the Sageriders National in Delta, Utah, and gained an early lead in the series points chase. YZ250-mounted Rob Zimmerman captured third and was followed across the line by Brian Brown, Ty Davis and David Pearson in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. That made the top six Yamaha, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Dry, dusty conditions made the start critical. Russ Pearson was third at the end of the bomb run behind Abbott and Brown, but he moved to second, after Brown endoed over a 24 APRIL 23, 2003' eye I e n e _ so With Russ now second, Abbott got more help when Russ stalled the big four-stroke. By the time he got it refired, the Kawi two-stroke was out of sight. "So I just rode my butt off," said Russ, who caught and passed Abbott again in a tight tree section late in the loop. When they came into the pits, Russ was less than 10 seconds ahead. Behind them, positions were starting to sort out. The current and former champs found themselves at or near the back of the start - not where they wanted to be in the dusty conditions. Ty Davis had a "terrible start" tematically picking off riders, he got around Mike Childress to ta ke over fourth and then set his sights on David Pearson. "I kind of snuck up on David and tried to pass him before he knew I was there," Zimmerman said. It worked, and the D-36 ace found himself sitting third. Close racing continued at the front as Russ Pearson and Abbott went out onto the slightly shorter second loop. "Russ and I were going back and forth - having a great time, hootin' and hollerin' and giving each other high-fives," recalled Abbott. "( was feeling really good and thinking I had a shot at winning, or at least going to the end. Then I tweaked my knee, and I just had to back off." "He was right with me the first 10 miles, then I quit looking behind me," said Russ, who rode wide open all the way to the checkers with no one else in sight. "I came into the pits and found out that Destry had hurt his knee. That kind of sucks for Destry it was fun to have him out there. Hopefully it's not too bad." Zimmerman crossed the finish several minutes later comfortably in third, while Brown narrowly held off Davis for fourth. David Pearson, Rob Phillips and Mike Childress led the chase pack that, along with Wes MacMillan and T J Hanifin, filled out sixth through 10th positions overall. my Own Race Russell Pearson 1st "Destry was riding dang good today," the Montclair Yamaha rider said. "That guy likes to push you. Whew! If he's behind you, there ain't no restin'. It was so much fun out there; these guys put on one of the best races - they mark it well, and it just makes for a fun day." Ty Davis 5th By the time the defending champ got his Montclair Yamaha-backed YZ450F started, much of the field was already gone. "I worked my way up to pretty quick to the top 30 once I'd get around a guy, I'd chase right into the next guy," Davis said. "I stalled it, and Brian got by. I finally got by David [Pearson], and when I caught up to Brown, I was fighting the dust, but it was getting close to the end, and there wasn't enough technical stuff to get him, so I ended up fifth." Rob Zimmerman 3rd The FMF Yamaha rider was really happy with his ride but never lost sight of who he was racing against. "On the second loop, Brian [Brown] was behind me, and knowing the caliber of riders I was riding with, I just pushed as hard as I could to stay in front of them and not make any mistakes." Kelly Yancey 1st (Women's class) The current Expert Ladies class number-one plate holder rode her Pro Circuit-sponsored KTM 400 to the class win. "I kind of laid back at the start - I saw a lot of people crashing," she said. "It took me half of the first loop to really pick it up and get comfortable. It was awesome - one of the best c.ourses I've ridden up here." Late in the first loop, she got around and then held off challenges by Susan HeUman.