Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128316
Round 3 OFF-ROAD good out there. On the third lap I lost my rear brake completely. I had to slow down so early for comers, and I lost time." Still, Blackwell ended up the top Suzuki rider. Mike Kiedrowski had fourth in the bag until he slid out with just a mile to go and handed the spot to Blackwell. Rodney Smith , the winner of the opening GNCC round in Texas, bent his brake pedal early and struggled to 12th overall after pulling into the pits for a fix. And Fred Andrews, who nearly won the Florida race five days earlier, couldn't find the same drive he had then and settled for seventh at the finish . He was later awarded sixth after Throttlehead .com/Kawasaki Team Green's Steve Hatch was penalized a position for riding through the wrong scoring lane during the race. And then came defending GNCC Champion Barry Hawk in his wo rst finish in over a year. The Pennsylvanian had been struggling w ith flu-like symptoms 52 ~ AMA Grand National Cross Country Series for a week. He skipped the Alligator Enduro to rest, but he still struggled in Georgia and finished eighth. Kawasaki Team Green riders Chuck Woodford and Cole Calkins were ninth and 10th, respectively. Smith and Hawk jumped out first as the pack fired into the woods at the start. Raines and jenks were in the hunt, too. " Eve ryo ne is so fast at the start now that we all get in there close and ball up in the first turn," jenks said . "So I decided to line up way to the outside. I figured maybe I could get around some guys , and if I didn't, it wasn't any worse than the other races anyway." Hawk, Smith and Kiedrowski took tums at the head of the pack, but before long Raines was out front and pulling away. "Once I got int o the lead, it was just me and Robbie," Raines sa id. "T he n I pulled out a little bit, and I got some confidence, so I just pushed and pus hed and pulled as far out as I could. Good thing MARCH 24, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS I did, because on the last lap I had no rear brake. Iwas downshifting that thing and riding the front brake." "I was kind of tight, and I didn't feel like Iwas riding all that fast, but we were pulling away," jenks said. "So I was up there with jason and Kiedrowski, and I made one mistake and fell, and we never saw jason again all day." Summers and Blackwell put on charges from the back of the pack, and most of the fastest riders started suffering brake problems after hammering across the fields and dMng into the woods all day. jenks, Raines 40th Anniversary and Blackwell all lost their rear binders by the finish. eN AONIA PASS MOTOCROSS WASHINGTON, GEORGIA RESULTS: MARCH 7, 2004 (ROUND 3 Of 14) a /A: I. jason Ra;"., (Yam); 2. Scott Summon (Hon) ; l . _ jenks (Yam); • . Doug Blackwell (Suz); 5. H ,ke lOedrowski (Suz); 6. Fred ~ (Suz); 7. 5teve Hatch (!Caw); 8. 8any Hawl< (Yam); 9. Chuck Woodl",d (Kaw); 10. CcseCalkins (Kaw). AHA GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Mer l of 14 rounds); I. Barry Hawk (64/1 win); 2. Rodney Smith (55/1 win); 3. (TIE) Fred AndrewslScott Summers (52); 5. Jason Raines (5 111 win); 6. Robbie Jen ks ("'9); 7. Steve Hatch (......); 8. Mike Ktedrowskl ("'1) ; 9. Brian Garrahan (38); 10. D oug Blackw ell (37).