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/128322
OFF ROAD - Round 6/3 1 i~ "Going into th e last lap I was in the lead, and I was riding my heart out," said Andrews. " I heard someone behind me , and I was hoping it was Rodney, but it t urned out to be Jason. When he got around me , I just let Rodney go by. I thought maybe he had something for him. I didn 't have anything for him. My grandfather die d last week, so I haven't done any training or riding. I said I would ride my heart out for him though , and that's what I did ." Andrews ended up a respectable th ird, and the rest of the contenders were right be hind him. Thronlehead .com Kawasaki rider Steve Hatch , who is knocking on the 30 Apr. 18,2004 MAY 5,2004 • CYCLE N EWS Ya maha Grand Na t ional Cr oss Co untr y Series/ AMA National Hare Scrambles Se r ies door of his first podium finish since switching to the green bikes, was fo urt h, and Suzuki rider Doug Blackwell ended up fifth. But the day 's most impressive ride may have been turned in by Parts Unlimited/Moose Honda rider Scott Summers. After Summers broke his collar bone two weeks ago at the FMF Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina, he had surgery to insta ll a plate and screws over the bone and hold it together. Just a few days after the surgery, he was back on the bike , and not only did he race at Loretta's , he ended up an amazing sixth. "It went about as well as I could have hoped ," Summers said . "There are sections out there where you have to push or pull on the bike to get over the whoops, and I couldn't do that, so I just let it go where it wanted to go. " Summers actually got stronger as the day went on . On the last two laps, he passed Mike Kiedrowski, Barry Hawk and Josh McLevyto move into sixth, a phenomenal performance. The rest of the field was not as happy after dropping off the pace in the late going, but the extremely rough track and high heat and humidity did a num ber on all 1456 riders at the event. Well , all but Smith and Raines, who outlasted the rest of the contenders and then pushed each other through the last of six 14mile circuits. when "You know, you 're out t he re battling with all of those guys, you say it's fun , but it' s re ally not that fun ," Raines sa id. "Afte r the race , it's great. It's fun to talk about it and all with the guys, but during the race, one mistake and you know you 're going to lose so many positions." "T he re were a few tricky lines out there, and if you d idn't take the right one , you wou ld get passed," Smith sa id. "Jas o n used one to get by me , and then he started pushing Freddy. Then Freddy let me by, and I chased after Jason . He made one m istake, and that was enough for me to get by." " I made one big mistake; I nearly threw the whole day away," Raines said . "I was out of control going down this hill." Th is put Sm ith into the lead as the duo raced onto the infamous Loretta Lynn's motocross track , and Smith , being an e x-motocrosser, held his ground to take yet another win . eN I LOREnA LYNN'S RANCH H URRICANE MI LLS, T ENN ESSEE APR IL 18, 2004 (RO UN D 6/3) O/A: I . Rodney Smith (Suz); 2. Jason Raines (Y am); 3. Fred Andrews (Suz); 4. Steve Hatch (Kaw); S. (TIE) Doug Blackwell (Suz); 6. Scott Summ ers (Hon); 7. Barry Haw k (Y am); 8 . Chuck Wood fo rd (Kaw); 9. Brian Garra han (KTM); 10. Co le Calkins (Kaw); I I. Mike Kiedrowsk i (Suz); 12. P.A Allen [Kaw ): 13. Andy Shea . (Kaw): 14. Randy Haw kins (Yam); 15. Dustin Gibson (KTM): 16. N athan Kanney (Y am); 17. Ryan Rodge rs (KTM); 18. Brett Zofcha k (Kaw) ; 19. Charles Mullins (KTM); 20. Steph e n Edmondso n (KTM). AMA GRAND NAT IONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES POINTS STAND INGS (after 6 of 14 rounds): I. Rodney Smith ( 145); 2. Jason Raines ( 126); 3. Bar ry Hawk Jr. (99); 4. Steve Hatch (96); S. (TIE) Fred Andre ws/ Mike Kiedro wsk i (88); 7. Scott Summers (85) ; 8. Do ug Blackwe ll (77); 9. Brian Garrahan (70); ID. Chuc k Wood ford (63) AMA HARE SCRAMBLES NATIONAL CHAMPI· ONSH IP SE RIES (after J of 10 rounds): I. Rodne y Smith (70/2 wins); 2. (TIE) Brian Garrahan/C huc k Wood ford (62); 4. Steve Hatch (36); S. (TIE) Mike Kiedrow skVBarry Hawk Jr. (35); 7. Fred Andrews (33); 8 . Scan Summers (28) ; 9. (TIE) Bret Zo fchak/Jason Raines (25). 40th Anniversary As the oldest, and probablythe most prestigious, race on the GNCC tour, the Lorena Lynn's event alwayspullsin huge crowds . A record 14S6 riders competed throughout the weekend at the ranch. EvenLoretta Lynn herselfgot in on the action,as the country music legend stopped by at the start of Sunday's race to greet the racers. The Lorena Lynn's race also paid points toward the AMA National Hare Scra mbles Champi onsh ip Series. After three rounds, RodneySmith isalso the points leader of that series, and iseight points ahead of a second-place tie between Brian Garrahan and Chuck Woodford. Jason Raines, the defending HSchamp, is currently 10thafter missing the first two rounds in Texasand California due to injury. Prior to the start of the off-road season, Team Suzuki committed only to the GNCC series. Scott Summer's ride with a broken collarbone was one of the day's bigstories. Just I I days removed from surgery to bolt his broken collarbone back together, the fIVetime GNCC champ was backon the charge. "It was allright,but I had to ride a littlebit different. Iactually thought about letting everyone go at the start, because Ididn't want to get into an altercation and haveanyone take me out ," Summers said. "Then I thought that I didn't want to be in anyone's dust. I just wanted to come out here and get some points. Iwould have liked to have beaten the guysahead of me in points, but I'vegot two weeks to come back 100percent in Kentucky." Steve Hatch is working hard to get his Throttlehead.com Kawasaki squad on the podium. "We're so close to the podium," Hatch said. "Plus,it's great to have my teammates back and doing bener." Andy Shea had his best race of the year with a lZthplace finish, and Josh McLevy made his return to racingafter a long layoff with a wrist injury to finish 16th. Top amateur honors went to Tennessee's own PA. Allen, a Kawasaki Team Green rider who competes in the 2SOcc A class. In the two-hour morning race for novice riders and the Industryclass, MikeKiedrowski's FMF Suzuki mechanicShane Nalley took the overall riding a RM-Z2S0.