Moose Western Regiona l Cross Country Series
Round 4 : Shasta Dam Hare Scrambles
At Shasta, It Hasta
Be Naylor!
By CHR IS GHIONE
REDDING, CA, MAR. 28
" D on Naylor - what's up with
that guy! He
r\co mes out of retirement and smokes
everyone! I don't know what the deal is; apparentty. he is just faster than everyone else up
here."
Those comments came from a perplexed
Craig Wesner after seeing hometown hero Ron
Nay lor once again ride away fro m the
competition , win ning the Shasta D am Hare
Scrambles. This time , Naylor not only won the
race, he also claimed the $ 1()()() purse - wh kh
he then do nated to a local family whose father
ha d passe d away in a motorcycling acci dent
earlier this year.
Co nditions for the race w ere nearly perfect.
and the Redding Dirt Riders put together a fast
and challenging c o ur se that most riders
enjoyed. The event organizers decided upon a
pecu liar start formula : Riders sat on their bikes
backwa rd . and w hen the gun sou nded , the
racers had to tum aroun d, kickstart their bikes
and then head off to the co urse . Naylor was n't
the fastest off the line , but he quickly showed
he was the fastest on the course.
"I d idn't get the greatest start right off the
line: ' Naylor admitted. "I was probably maybe
like 30th, but I just got out wide , and ob viously I
had the fastest bike o ut there, noth ing even
close , and 1[ust basically we nt by every body."
JuS! a few miles in, the Shasta N issan/Cycle
Sa lvage/ We st e rn Power Mot o rspo r tsspo nsored Naylor passed the early race leader
on the first sect ion of fast fire road .
The race for se cond was the biggest of
the day, with Wesner, Imoto/Moto Doc/ Fox
Rac ing's Brian Sperle and Broughton Fire
Pro tection / Faultllne Suspension/ Cycle Gearbac ke d Jo rdan Brandt a ll in the battle early.
Bran dt had t he adva ntage ea rl y on , wh ile
Wesner tried to ho ld off Spe rle. Near the end
of the first lap, Sperle passed ar ound Wesner
and Brandt in quick succession .
"Wesner and me kind of just freight-trained
thro ugh the first loo p: ' Sperle recounted. "I
kind of stayed behind him, watched him make
so me lines; he ma de a mistake, an d I got
arou nd him. I wen t a bout ha lf a mile , a nd
Brand t was laying In the bushes , and I was like,
' Ri ht on!'"
g
Brandt chased Sperle for the rest of the first
lap and all the wa y through the second lap, and
at the start of the third and final lap, he made a
move, an d that's how the two KTM riders
finished: Brandt second and Sperle third.
"I juS!stayed right behind him: ' said Brandt.
" I got pelted and bludgeoned w ith rocks
everywhere, and it hurt. Finally, on the third
lap, I took off right beh ind him and just got him
right out of the pits, right up one of the first
rocky sections, and that was it."
Honda rider Greg Ghione charged fro m the
back of the pack and eventually moved up to
Team Green/E tnies rider Wesner's rear fender.
Ron Naylor noiled the win at round four of the M005e We5tern Regional
Cro55 Country Serie5 .
Ghione pushed Wesner all the way to the finish.
almost making a pass just before the flag, but
Wesne r hel d o n fo r fo u rth , w h ile t he
Moose/Honda Pen insula of Sunnyvale . backed
Ghione took fifth.
eN
SHASTA DAM HARE 5cRAMaLlS
REDDING, CAUFORNIA
MARCH 28,2004 (ROUND 4)
:
0 '''' I. """"'d N'Y'o' (!ndt (KTH):
J . Brian Sperl e (KTH) : .of . Cra ig Wes ner (Kaw): S. Gr eg
Ghione (Ho n); 6. Damian Galford (Kaw) ; 7. John Mason
(Yam); 8. J
eriah Gurley (KTM); 9. Cole Mannall (Suz); 10.
luke Noble (KTM). A 200: I. Nobnlrwin (KTM); 2. WiIIWn
Roussel (KTM); J Jared O rrock (KTM). A 150: I. Brian
Sperle (KTM): 2. Craig Wesner (Kaw) ; 3. Damian Galford
(Kaw). A OPEN , I. """"'d N'Y'o' (Kaw): 2. jonlan Ilnndt
(KTH): 3. Ale. e;"gg (Kaw). A 4 -STRK: I. Gan Hellman (Yam): 3.
:
Jewa G hK>ne (Hon ). A VET, I. Cole MMShaIl (Son): 2. John
Sider (Hon); 3. Scott Goff (Han) . A SR : I. Cu rt Wiko x
(tnt (KTH).
B SR: I. Ron Miner (KTM); 2_ Gordon Hodges (KTM); 3.
Wonwn Hanoen (Han). B SlS R: I . james B_
(Yom): 2.
Michael Schultz (KiM); 1. Ros Ross (KTM). B WMN: I.
s
Kacy Mart inez (Ha n); 2. Je nna Pima (KTM); J . Michel le
Eidam (KTM). C 100: I . Chad Matten (Y
am); 2. Kevin Ring
(y",,); 3. Auon Volle (KTH). C 250 , I. Scott Derose (y",,):
2. Dav;d ""I,.. (!on (Hon):
3. Rkhe Mendez (KTH). C SlSR: I. leny Ilbnd (KTH) ; 2.
Raben RDuueau (KTH); 3. Brian W~lett (KTH). C GENT,
I. Teny Fish (KTH): 2. J"""" Dona hoe (Su,): 3. Bob Man
(Hon) . C WMN: I. Patricia Henn ing (KTM); 2. Jessica De La.
Garza (Kaw); l . Nicole Menvielle (Hon ).
e..-'e<
AHRMA pro-Flo Southea5t MX Serie5
Round 2: Aonia Pass
Spring Has Sprung, and
So Has the Rubber Bandl
By RICK
GARNER
WASHINGTON, GA, MAR, 20
A o nia Pass was the scene of the se cond
/""\race of the seaso n for the AHRMA Southeast MX Series . More than 100 riders tu rned
o ut fo r the Vint age and Po st -vint age
motocross, and spring had sprung, with temperatures approaching 80 degrees , blue skies,
and a breeze strong enough to keep the dust
at bay. T he trac k, wh ich had been changed
since the last race and watered just before the
first moto, proved to be quite challenging for
many a rider.
Ao nia' s Vintage motocross trac k near
Aug usta, Ge orgia , is laid out over an old
terraced field and features some gna rly ruts
and bumps, orr-cambers, grass sections, and
one lo ng sweeper followed by some serious
Vintage whoops.
Th e Sout he ast was well-re presented by
riders from all over the region, and since the
ve nue is so clo se to Atlanta , it's o ne of the
favor ites o f t he Georgia race rs . The facility
offers run ning water, showe rs, and a great
hardwood-shaded area for camping.
56
Many a racer made a long d rive for the
event. William Douglas and his friends came all
the way from Mo bile , Alabama. and he was
having a good ride until his Suzuki gave it up.
Brent and Barb Ritt e r, ge nerou s spo nsors fro m
Pro Flo, ca me up from the Flo rida panhandle
and raced like there was no tom orrow. Bo b
Adams came down from Kentucky and put on a
show in three classes and carried home more
than his fair share of trophies. Johnny Lee
Adams , Judy and Je rry Lavinder; Phil Wheelock
and Clint Cotter bro ught the en tire Tennessee
racing team down . Jer r y had his new re d,
Ho nda-pow ere d Mako on hand for its first
race, and it looked really fast. Rhett Smith from
Clemson, South Carolina, put in an impressive
effort on his trick CZS.
Terry Dishroom promoted the eve nt and
also partici pa ted in the O ve r 60 class . Larry
Sta hl and Bob Groves kept everything moving
a lo ng , a nd D wa yne Sm it h pe rfor m ed t h e
start ing d uties de spite a broken collarbone from
a cras h in practice a few weeks be fore. Ben o
Rodi. as atways , was keeping an eye op e n for
AHRM.A:s inte re sts and ride rs' safety. Also, the
efforts of the many volunteers who helped with
APRIL 28,2004 • CYCLE NEWS
Larry Smith flie5 high on hi5 HU5ky in the Over 70 Novice cia 55 at round
two of the AHRMA Pro -Flo Southea5t MX Serie5.
the flagging and othe r d utie s. and of Michael
Hoath, who keeps up with all the results, are
much app recia ted.
RESULTS
PREM 500 EX: I. Beno RoelL PREM OPEN lW EX:
I. Beno Rod i. CLs e 1 5 0 EX : I. An d y Blac kburn .
SPTSMN 125 INT: I. Bob Groves. SPTSMN 125 EX: l.
Darre ll Welborn : 2. Andy Blackburn . SPTSMN 250 NOV:
I . Bo b Adams ; 2. Do na.ld Moss ; J . Gr e go r y La Rue .
SPTSMN 15 0 INT: I. Michael Heath; 2. Joe Parks; l . Don
Do tson . SPTSMN 25 0 EX: I. Steve Moo re ; 2. Ste ve n
40th Anniversary
Smrth; J. Rhett Smith. SPTHSN 500 NOV: I. Greg Brown:
2. Ed Moody; J . Moon Mulling. SPTSMN 500 INT: I. Bre tt
Riner. SPTSMN SOO EX: I . Rhett Smith : 2. Steven Smith.
WMN : I. Do nna Blackburn. OPEN AGE NOV: I. Gre g
Brown . OPEN AGE INT: I. O1ris CordelL OPEN AGE
EX: I. Steve Moore. 40 + NOV: I. Doug Srrmh: 2. David
Pond ; l . Moon Mulling. 40+ INT: I. Joe Parks ; 2. Brett
Ritter; 3. CMs Greene. 40+ EX: I. Steve Moore; 2. Rhett
Sm ith; 1. Da. id Keith. 50 + NOV: I. Ed Moody: 2. Les
v
Engtand: J . Alan Talbott. 50 + INT: I. Rtck Gamer. 2_James
Ra
ymond: 3. Jeny LMnde ,. SO+ EX: I. 10mmy Loyd. 60 +
NOV : I. Richa.n:I Ught: 2. Kermit Evans; 3. Charles CorOeI
I.
60 + INT: I. john ny Adams; 2. Bob Adams : J. Clyde Brown .
10+ NOV: I. lNry Smith. POST-VINT ULTIMA NOV : I.
Bob Kennedy: 2. Powl White. POST-VINT ULTIMA INT: I.