Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMA District 36 Moose Western Regional Cross Country Championship Series Motul Western Regional BIC Cross Country Series Rounds 3/3: Old Crow Hare Scrambles Sperle Back on Top at the Old Crow By LISA K. GRAGG LIVERMORE, CA, MAR. 6 H eavy rains eliminated the dust 48 hours before the race at Carnegie SVRA, leaving mud in its place. Riding the storm was KTM-mounted Brian Sperle, showing he's just where he likes to be: back on top. The Red Neck Roosters hosted the 18th annual Old Crow Hare Scrambles, a.k.a. round three of the District 36 AMAsanctioned series. In addition to the 518 riders competing for the top position and points on Sunday, more than 200 riders were on hand for Saturday's Youth and Women's events. Starting with the holeshot, the Fox/Scott Goggles-supported Sperle led the 147 riders who'd earned the ranking to race the main event. Along with hundreds of spectators, another 371 riders watched and waited for their turn on the 10.B-mile track. "I felt good the whole race," Sperle said. "I just got new suspension from Dick's Racing, and it made all the difference - it was dialed in perfectly." With Sperle leading out of the first corner, a tight pack followed. Damian Galford was in second, and Jarrod Orrock was third. Sperle was pulling away right from the start on the terrain's constantly changing elevation: steep hillclimbs, huge dropoffs, giant mud puddles, and off-camber corners. At the end of lap one, Sperle had a 30-second lead on Galford, followed by Galford's fellow Team Green rider Craig Wesner. Sperle held his lead comfortably through six laps and almost 2 1/2 hours, though there was shufmng going on behind him. On lap two, Wesner and KTM's Patrick Garrahan got around Galford. Garrahan held second on laps four and five. Wesner went off the course to avoid a lapper on lap four, and Galford was able to get past both Wesner and Garrahan for second. After a bad start, Mach I Motosports! Watson Performance/Moose rider Alex Gragg was in fifth, battling with his fellow Oregonian Mason Harrison and Alex's IS-year-old brother Garrison Gragg. Alex managed to hang on to fifth, though not without pressure from Harrison, 2004 ISDE rider Ryan Powell, and KTM rider Nolan Erwin, but the most pressure came from his own brother: The younger Gragg finished one second behind Alex for sixth overall. The battling brothers kept the announcer, MotoMouth, and spectators entertained. At the finish, it was Sperle, Galford and Garrahan. The youngsters were hot at round three, and the fastest B racer of the day was Norcal Motorsports!Off Road Outlets!Posey Racing-backed 14-year-old Yamaha rider Jonathan Godman, who stormed the ranks for a 21 st-overall finish. John Mason led the I34 riders in the Over 40 race on a wild chase, leading for the four laps of the second race of the day to take the win. r---------------- o YES! Start my ~ubsc:Tiption immedi.. lcly to Cycle News. I year/50 l..sues for $45.00. (can be bllk'CI 2 monthly payments) _ Citv Statl' .-.J 1-\'(,'.... W('(> ... fllr tWtl \t'ilr~ _ Ni.Hlll' Addr(>~ ...J flllU b!>UL~ h1r SBlIU(l) Sh: nhlnlh~ <;£'['I)n..:l deb:' (2S i3~lh'" f(\( S2.1i)l}) _ ..J I hi ......1 Zip__ Phonc_ _ .J "l'll o..,ub"o(.ript(on J Rl.'neW,ll Send to: ~ Inc. P.O. Box ~8-I. COS," M(~", CA 92628·5084 Toll Free Subscription Hotline (800) 831-2220 Brian Sperle (2) nobs the holeshot at the Old Crow Hare Scrambles, round three of the AMA District 36 Moose Western Regional Cross Country Chompionship Series. ...J P1l',l"-l' bill nil' I payment (If 54; ;.J Bill 2 r.-lyml,:nt<., \If $22 Co(I .J Lncl()~'d b Ill\ du-..:k or mon('y \ltd>:'r 1.IMr~i: SignilturL' Ord~r LlI1{' (71-l) 751-6685 • E-lllcld: Slll'lscnb('@cydencws.coll1 my J Vi:...l .J 24-hour FAX r-,las.h.'rC'ard CYCLE NEWS • MAY 4,2005 61