Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

~ pr ecious seconds of breat hing room. Know ing this was his chance to get away, Le ivan put his u. head down and focused on putt ing togethe r a ~ fast and erro r-free lap. Le ivan did just that, and 35 minute s later the >- I I-t ime series cha m pio n to o k the checkered co flag to claim the overall victory. just over half a I m inute late r. Woh le tz claimed r unne r- u p D... hon ors w ith ano ther so lid ride . Th ird w ent to Ne sbitt , despite loose motor-mo unt bo lts tha t led t o int ense vibrati o n du r ing t he clo si ng stages . Mark Gay r o de ha rd to ov e r ta ke Ba u ma n on th e fin al lap fo r fo ur th . in th e process nea rly cat ching Nesbitt. ~ i g RESULTS Steve Leivan scared the overall victory ot round twa of the Missou ri Hare Scrambles Championship Series. '" had never given much thought to being able to ride tw o races in o ne wee kend. m uch less win th em bot h," Le ivan commented afte r Sunday's victory. "Th is was a rare o pportunity to gjye it a try. so I worked really har d, and I wa s able to pull it off. It was de finitely a long an d t o ugh couple of days , and I am looking forwa rd to sleeping w ell to night ." Round -on e w in ner C aleb W oh letz quick ly wo rked his way into t he lead at the sta rt and o pened up near ly a 30-second lead by the end of th e o pe ning 13 .4 - m ile la p on his J&W Cycles/Iea rn Gree n/Fladand Racing/RenthaVE mig Racing-supported KX2S0 F. Leivan was locked in a battle with C hris Nesb itt and Tracy Bauman for the en tire lap, but he moved arou nd both riders wit h a fast e r line t hrough th e cree k sectio n. enteri ng Pit Row. With a clear and dust-free trail, Lelvan picked up the pace on his Answer/DunloplSilkolene/Race Te ch / Sc o t t -ba c ke d W R2S0 F a nd ree led in Wohlen just past the halfway po int of lap tw o. Both riders chose to sto p for fuel at the midpoint of th e two -ho ur race , and t he n th ei r battl e r esu m ed . N e sb ill and Mo o se/F MF/Flog It Offroad/ IMS/Monster Energy ri der Bauman w ere loc ked in a battle fo r t hird place , just off t he leading duo's pace . Late in lap three, Le ivan made his move and cu t off a co rn er to ta ke his first lead o f the seas o n. Wa hle n was now the pursuer, and he mimicked Le ivan's every move . "I was kind o f surp rised t hat Steve d idn't start going faste r after he got in fro nt," Wah len said. "The pace kind of stayed the same , and I just fo llow ed him until we hit the creek ." At that point , Leivan dro pped the hammer, fo rcing Wa hlen to do the same . Eve rything was go ing well until t hey hit a sec t ion of d e e p w hoo ps, where Wo hlen swa pped V iolently and st e ppe d o ff his mount, giving Le ivan a few 88 O/A : I. Steve Leivan (Y am); 2. Caleb Woh~tz (Kaw); 3. Ch ris Nesbitt (Kaw ); 4. Marie Gay (Y am); S. Tracy Bauman (KTM); 6. Aaron Shaw (Y am); 7. John Roth (Y am); 8. David Taylor (KTM); 9. Je rry Hemann (KTM); 10. Andre w Smith (KTM). AA EX: I. Caleb Wohletz (Kaw); 2. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw); 3. Marl

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