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/128386
Ian er Josh Mclevy IovecI the rocks and it showed• . . ,. . . . up front all day and even led for quite a while. He ended up seconcI for hi. fir.t ONCC paclium finish. bing his second GNCC podium in a row with third. "I know everyone gets tired out there - I get tired, too - but it seems like on the last lap, I just go into this mode," Raines said. "I just don't feel anything. It's like a dream. I block everything out and just go. Today, I was okay off the start, but I went down at the second hill. I knew I had 29 guys in front of me, so I knew it was going to be a long day. I just kept plUgging away, putting in good lap times and not making any mistakes. This is a really special race for me; a lot of stuff has gone down here, and I'm glad to get it up here on the podium." Lafferty held on for a solid fourth, with Jayco/SCR Suzuki privateer Doug Blackwell fifth. Once again, Am Pro Yamaha's Charles Mullins took top Amateur honors with sixth overall and a win in the 2SOcc A class. Salminen ended up seventh, with R.E.R. Motorcity Yamaha's Nathan Kanney eighth. FM F/Th rottlehead. com/Kawasaki's Steve Hatch finished ninth, and FMF Suzuki's Fred Andrews was 10th. eN PARTS UNUMnlD WISP "I missed a few days of riding last week," Hawk said. "I want to dedicate this to my family, my wife, Kristen, my new son, Talon, and my daughter, Ireland." He also could have dedicated this to the fans, who were going nuts. Hawk only lives about 45 minutes from the Wisp facility. They had a great race to cheer for as well. Just as surprising as Salminen's struggles was the rider who led the majority of the race: FMF/Throttlehead.com/Kawasaki Team Green's Josh MeLevy. The Connecticut rider has always been fast but has never put a consistent, three-hour ride together to make the GNCC podium. He finally did at Wisp, though, leading a large portion of the race at the midpoint, yielding only to Hawk down the stretch and then holding on to second. "I didn't think, I just rode my dirt bike today," McLevy said. "I didn't take any big chances. I would pass someone, and if I saw someone up ahead, I would just try to stay with them and go. It feels so good to finally get up here, and I want to thank my mom and dad for putting up with me for all of these years. I finally made it." The battle for the final podium spot came down to two more riders who have had problems this year while Salminen has been winning all the races: Am Pro Yamaha's Jason Raines and KTM's Mike Lafferty. Lafferty looked like his old self at Wisp, taking the early lead from Hawk and looking strong. Raines crashed in the second turn and had to mount a big comeback, which would be tough in these rocky conditions and hot weather. But the superfit AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion was able to do it, tracking down Lafferty on the last lap and grab- MVOWN 111 (ROUND 9 6 7th Scott Summers 17th In a classic tough-guy ride from one of the toughest racen ever, Scott Summers crashed and broke his hand on the first lap but continued all day In extreme pain, finishing Inside the top 20. 00" GNCC ",.......~ 26, 2005 OF Juha Salminen WIsp became the fnt GNCC where KTM's Juha Sahnlnen didn't ftnIsh on the podkm. He was --'Y wtped out at the stlIrt whM his ~ Kurt CaseIl aashed In the second tum, but when he _ to mount his usual early dlIIp and lilt to the front, he started CI'lIShilll. At the end or the flnt lap he was just a few seconds behind Hawk and LaIrerty, but he was never able to lilt closer. "It was so tough, there ~ many big sron.," Salmi.... said. ". would crash, and then when I would lilt up and start ridl... It was like I was lust waiting for the . - t crash. I tried hard to catch up. but all or the crast- I had, they wwe big crashes. I have a big points . ., but I ride to win f!Nf!f'1 race, so I am still dlsappointed.• Salminen got his bike upside down enough times to actually run out of gas halfway tiYough the race, and he had to push his bike Into the pits. DEEP CREEK, MARYlAND RESULTS: JUNE RAce 112 Nathan Woods DNF Defending WORCS Series Champion Nathan Woods returned to the GNCCs to learn the tnlde. After a disappointing finish at his last attempt in Rorida, he was expecting more. Woods rode strong, but a crash early 13): PRO: I. Bany Howl< J'. (y",,); 2. JO>hua McLevy (Kaw); ]. J"'"' Ra;nes (Y"");'. Michael Lalfeny (KTM); S. Doug Blackwell (Suz); 6. Charles Mullins (Yam); 7. Juha Salminen (KTM); 8. Nathan Kanney (Yam); 9. Steve Hatch (Kaw); 10. fred Andrews (Suz); II. Aaron Wegneo- (y",,); 12. Scott Watkins (Kaw); I]. ToMs Green (Kaw); I•. Justin Williamson (Yam); 15. Robbie Jenks (KTM); 16. Ryan Rodgers (y",,); 17. Scott Summers (Hon); lB. Stephen Edmondson (KTM); 19. Ryan Powell (y",,); 20. Kyte Chaney (y",,). SUZUKI GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 9 of 13 rounds): I. Juha Salminen (240/6 wins); 2. Barry Hawk Jr. (178/2 W;"'); ]. Glenn Kearney (I ]7);'. Robbie Jenks (122); S. Steve Hatch (106); 7. Charlie Mum", (10<); 8. J"'"' Ra;nes (102); 9. Brian Gamohan (BO); 10. M;ke Lalfeny (BO). pnM!llted him from hooklng onto Hawk and watching the leaden. On the last lap, Woods was running I Ith when he tagged a rock and crashed hard, breaking his nose and fracturing a cheekbone. "It was fun while I was out there," Woods said. "I liked it, but I really wanted to finish. This is such a bummer." Luckily, the WORCS Series has a summer break, like the GNCCs do, so Woods probably won't miss any rounds of racing. 5 Doug Blackwell 5th Doug Blackwell rode well at WISp, but he thinks he could have ridden better. "I struggled a little bit with my bike," Blackwell said. "We made a few changes before the race that we shouldn't have made. It was a little harsh, and my hands got so blistered. I was pretty happy with the way things turned out, with the blister. I'm not really tired, so I know the blister is going to sound like an excuse, but it was tough to hang on. It's our fault for deciding to change the forks before the race." I I Briefly... . . The Wisp is a race like no other, with a track laid out on the slopes of Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain Resort, a ski resort in western Maryland. The chair lifts remain in function during the race so the fans can watch the race beneath them. But it is the rocks that have given this race its reputation, and the tough track drew plenty of racers who were looking for a challenge. In all, over 1300 different racers competed. Team FMF Suzuki was decimated at the Wisp, with Glenn Kearney missing the race after breaking his leg badly at a hare scrambles in New York state a week ago. Kearney had been traveling with GNCC Champion Rodney Smith, who is stiil recovering from a broken leg of his own. This left Fred Andrews to fight for the tearn's honor, but he is not a fan of the rocky track and held on for 10th overall. Since he has wrapped up the 250« A championship, Am Pro Yamaha Amateur sensation Charlie Mullins will tum Pro at the next GNCC stop. CYCLE NEWS • JULY 13, 2005 4S