Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Moose Western Regional Cr oss Country Series Round 10: Gambonini Hare Scrambles Bria n Sperl e led almost a ll of the Ga mbon in i Hare Scrambles, round 10 of the Moose Western Regi onal Cross Country Series - i n c l u d ing across the fi nish. By C HRI S G H IO N E P HO T O S B Y MI C H E LL E GH IO NE PETALUMA, CA, NOV 8 . flf' T M r ider Br ia n Sperle c h a rg ed th e mud t o t a k e the ove rall v ictory at th e w et and wild Gambonini Hare Scram bles . With wet weather earli er in th e week and pouring ra in throu gho ut th e sec o nd ha lf of the race , the GPR/Faultline Susp en sio n/ IMX/Scott Goggles -s ponso re d Sp erl e showed that he was not just the fastes t bu t also the to ug hest ri der ou t there. T he ra c e w a s ro und 10 o f th e AMA /D i st ri c t 36 -sanctioned M o ose W e s t e rn Regional Cross Co un try Se ries. In the ear ly -m o rni ng hours, racers were qu est ioning if t h e race would even run at all , but with a lot of hard wo rk , th e Marin Co unty Mot orcycle A sso c iatio n was able to m ak e some last -m inute c h an g es and pu t t ogethe r a cou rse th at wou ld hold up in th e rain . Nea rly 150 ra cer s li ned up to take part in the fi rst rac e of the da y . When the shotgun fir ed to sou nd th e sta rt, Sp e rl e w a st ed n o time getting ou t fron t. "I like the mud , so it was good we had wet condi tions ,- Sperle said . " I pretty mu ch got the hol eshot and led fo r fiv e lap s." Whi le Sp erl e ro de alo ne o ut fro nt fo r much of th e rac e, the rest of the fi eld w as not o n ly battling th e m ud but also eac h ot her. A ft er th e firs t lap , som e o f t he fast e r ri d ers beg an t o m a k e t he i r w ay to wa r d th e fro n t. Suzu ki jo c ke y J ef f Ba u er a n d KTM r id er J er iah Gurl ey bo th got o ff t o pretty good st a rts , as d id Yam ah a m ounted Eric Ducray . iR::J through Start ing off nea r th e ba c k o f the pa ck was Tea m Green /Moose-ba c k ed D amien Galfo rd , who wa s left p icking up his bike afte r being kn oc k ed down in the first turn . Along w ith KTM rider Nolan Irwin, who also suffered a slow start, Galfo rd quickly began to move forward through the pack , and by lap two they were back up with the leaders . With Spe rle out fron t for most of the race , th e battl e fo r second wa s still up in the air. O n the last lap, Gal ford got away fr o m t he rest of the field and then surprise d Sp erle w ith a chall enge fo r the lead . " I j ust b a t t l ed a ll da y a nd ke pt sn eak ing up on people ... " Galford recounted , " and I finally worked up to wh ere I got Sp erle, and he was t otally sleeping, and I go t by him for mayb e a m ile or tw o." North Bay Motorsports/ Pro Circuits p o n so re d Irw in had a g reat ride, bringing it hom e in th e fou rth position. "l pitted o n th e second lap and got g oggles and g as. " Irwi n recalled . " F ro m there o n out, it was j ust back and forth w ith Damien and Jeff. It was just a good time. a fun race ." Also running n ear th e fr o n t a ll d a y was No rCal Moto rspo r ts / Fly Gear/Arai Helmets -sponso red Du cr ay , w ho t oo k the fifth sp ot , j ust a sh ort d ista nc e behin d Irw in . F i n i sh i n g in th e nex t tw o sp ots we re KTM rid ers David F ish, in six th , and Gurley , who wa s just a sho rt way back . in seve nt h. Kawasaki rid er Kurt Wil cox was eig ht h , fo llow ed by Ho nda rid er Bri an Toline in ninth and KTM jockey Jam es Gard in l Oth . The top fi nishi ng B r ide r o n t he d ay was KTM p ilot Bo bby Meyer. In the afternoo n C rac e, wh ich had eve n worse cond itions than the first race. KTM rider Nic F it ch too k the overa ll race w in . CN " D a m i en ca me o ut o f n o where ," Sperle said. "All of a su dde n, he was t h e r e , and he p a s sed m e , a n d I passed him bac k. I don't know wh ere he came from all of a sudden. Once I got back in th e lead , I just pi nned it. " After that quick sk irmish, Sp erle charged fo rw ard and m anag ed to put a little d ista nce between himself and Galford. A t the fin ish , Sp erle ca me in for t he ov era ll w in j ust a b o ut o ne m inut e ahea d o f Galfo rd , w ho ro de home in seco nd. F inish ing in th i rd was Cycle West's Bau er , w ho 'd ha d toug h b att l es w ith m an y d iffe re n t peop le on the da y . "I had Eri c Du cr ay and N olan Irw in on m y ass t h e w hole d a y , " B a u er sa id . " D uc ray never got me . Nolan d id get m e on th e fi fth lap, but h e c rashed, and I got him ba ck. So I j ust tol d m ys elf I had to rid e sm ooth and not cras h and fin ish th ird ." Gambanlnl He.. Scnmble. Petaluma . Callfamle Results: November 8, 2003 (Round 10J O /A: 1. Brien Sperle (KTM ); 2. Dem ren Gafford (Kaw); 3. J eff Beuer (Su, ); 4. Nolan Irwin (KTM); 5 . Eric Ducra y (Yam ): 6. Davi d Fish (KTM); 7. .Jer teh Gurley (KTM ); B. Curt Wilcox (Kew) : 9 . Brian Tol tne (Han ); 10. .Jem es Gard (KTM ). A 2 00 : 1. Nolan Irwi n ( KTM); 2. Curt Wi lcox (Kaw ); 3. Ja red O rrock (KTM ). A 250: 1. Bri en Sperle (KTM ); 2. Demlen Galfo rd (Kaw) ; 3. Jeff Bauer {Suz). A O PEN. 1. J ames Gerd (KTM); 2. Shaun Wilco x : (KTM) : 3. Raym ond Geimer (KTM). A 4 ·STRK : 1. David Fish (KTM); 2. Brian To line (Han ); 3 . Russell Pereira (Ka w) . A VET : 1. J ohn Sic ley (Han); 2 . Mars hall Gord on (Yam) : 3. Nick Thorn (KTM ). A SR : 1. Dua ne Sc ot t ( KT M) ; 2 . De vtd Wo od (KTM) ; 3. Raym ond Spo re (KTM). A 5 / 5R : 1. F re d Sumr all ( K T M); 2 . Peter Pric hard (KTM); 3. Eugen e Price (Suz). A GENT: I. W ill iam Craig (KTM) . A WMN: 1. Heather Wilson (Ka w ). B 200 : 1. Jason Sm ith (KTM); 2. Charles Rand (Ka w) . B 250: 1. J ason Orrock (Yam); 2. Cod y Norman (Han ); 3 . Nick Riui (Yam) . B O PEN : I. Bobby Meyer (KTM ); 2 . Chri stoph er Young (Yam) ; 3 . Nathan Bumran (Yam) . B 4 ·STRK : I.T ho mas Baxter (Yam ); 2 . Ja son Ma rsh (KTM): 3 . Ad am Nich ol s (KTM ). B VET : I. Ron Fecctano (Han) ; 2. Jim Perreira (KTM) ; 3 . Shannon Poor e ( Yam) . B SR: I. Mark Tw ig gs ( Ya m ); 2. Sc ott De La Monta nya ( Yam): 3 . Dennis Davis (Yam) . B S/SR : 1. J am es Brindos (Kaw) ; 2 . Ross Ross (KT M) ; 3 . Kenne th Bur kett (K TM) . C 2 0 0 : I . Ni c Fitch ( KTM ); 2 . J ohn Sag ar oa ( Yam); 3 . Tho mas Simontacchi (Su z) . 250: 1. Kev in Porter ( K aw) ; 2 . Ryan Perry (Han ); 3 . Wayne Skicki (S uz) . O PEN: I. Ric k HJul (Han); 2 . Dale Noel (KT M): 3 . Matthe w Sch olt (Han). 4 ·ST RK : I. To ny Davis (Han) ; 2. Chri s Kegg (Yam) : 3. Keith Rose (Yam) . C VET : 1. Bria n Co lli ns ( S uz); 2 . Mar shall Mendes (Hon ); 3 . Richie Mend ez (KTM). C S R: I. Mark Wil k en s (K T M ); 2 . J eff Ake rs (Kaw); 3 . To m Perreira (KTM). C S/SR : 1. Brian Willett (GG): 2 . Norm an Spe rle (KTM ); 3. Robert Rousseau (KT M). C WMN: 1. J enna Pinto (Ha n): 2 . Kacy Mart inez (Han) ; 3 . Cassie Creson (Han ). e e e Damlen Ga "ord was the on ly ri d e r t o challenge the leader, en route t o garnering run ne r -up overall in Petaluma, Ca l iforn ia . cu e I e n e _ S ' D EC EM B ER 3 , 2003 29

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