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/128378
-------- OFF-ROAD SIwe Hakh (4) (114) and the Round b ~ Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series the Iu..... an Glenn K_rney of the pack. TM's IO-time World Enduro Champion Juha Salminen used a good start to his advantage when he won the teele Creek GNCC a week ago. So, heading into the next round - the prestigious Suzuki GNCC at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee - the pack worked on starts with hopes of running with Salminen early. If Salminen would get a bad start, maybe they could hold him back. As it turned out, they got their wish: Salminen crashed in the first turn of the race. Finally, the Finnish rider would have to struggle from the back, dodging trees while trying to pass the best riders in the country. But by the end of the very first lap, Salminen was in first. He then proceeded to pull away steadily throughout the day, until he had amassed another huge lead for a dominating win. "I don't know how I did it, maybe I was just pissed because of the crash," Salminen said. "I was just finding good lines. I feel like I'm getting faster and more comfortable, and now I can win with a good or bad start. I had to push so hard to catch up on the first lap, I got a little tired - I am not a robot." The rest of the pack might think he is, though. Salminen simply doesn't make mistakes when he's charging, allOWing him to save energy and go fast. It's a lethal combination that the other riders must figure out if they hope to get back into contention for the title. Maybe it's due to frustration, or maybe just plain bad luck, but the riders who were expected to win this year have had all sorts of problems keeping things together. Defending Champion FMFI Suzuki's Rodney Smith is still out of action, healing from a broken leg. Last year's runner-up, Team Pro Am Yamaha rider Jason Raines, DNFed the race with rear-brake problems - the third time in six races that some sort of rear-binder ailment has ruined his day. Barry Hawk, the 2003 GNCC Champion, had a miserable day and ended up crashing hard a few times to finish fifth. KTM's National Enduro points leader, Mike Lafferty, is out with a broken collarbone. And on it goes. This is not to take away from Salminen's amazing riding. It appears that good luck or bad, everyone else racing in the United States, or even the world. is hard pressed to figure out how to beat him. "The thing is, I have ridden in very bad conditions in Europe," Salminen said. "I have ridden in rain and sand and rocks and tight forest. The conditions here are not too bad." At the moment, the rider coming closest to him is actually new to the series as well. FMF/Suzuki's Glenn Kearney put in a fantastic effort again to finish second, his fourth podium of the season. Kearney is also second in points "It's all coming together qUickly for 54 MAY 18. 2005 • CYCLE NEWS STORY ay JASON WEIGANDT PHOTOS aY RAy GuNDY me," said Kearney, who has improved greatly in the tight trails and soft dirt of the Eastern U.S. GNCC tracks. "They told me the track would have some soft terrain and some hard-pack, and I was waiting to find some of the hard-pack stuff, but it never seemed to come. But I've been working with a lot of people on getting better in the softer stuff, and everything they say I listen to. I want this so bad. That's the biggest thing I've got: determination. I'm not going to give up, I never have, and I never will. These races are hard. It's three hours, and that's a long time for things to go wrong. You need to keep charging and pushing." GNCC veteran FMF/Throttlehead.com/ Kawasaki's Steve Hatch logged his best ride of the season to finish third at Loretta Lynn's. "I'm fired up," Hatch said. "I had a picture-perfect start, and it helps so much. These guys are smooth and fast and don't make mistakes. We're all doing our homework and raising our level. The first lap we were fighting it out, and it was a free-for-all; guys were endoing and crashing everywhere. I knew it was one of those deals where if you picked the wrong line, you were going over the bars. Juha Salminen recorded hi. fourth victory ~ the year with another strong ride at Loretta