Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series "The conditions deteriorated so quickly during the day that line selection and staying out of the bike swallowing ruts was a major issue for everyone," Wesner said. "The mud got so thick and deep," KTM/Maxxis/FMF/Pro Clean-sponsored B. Garrahan said, "that you just had to really stay on the gas and just go through it. There is a hard base down there." One of the trails along the course that fared well was "Ball Be.aring Hill," because it is located in one of the rockier sections of the area. After a short, steep downhill riders crossed "Boston Gulch," where it feeds into Forrest Creek, then climbed up the rocky terrain of "Ball Bearing Hill," which gave some of the only traction riders found on the course all day. During the majority of the race's 10 laps, riders settled into various condition-dictating racing rhythms. Some rode all out and some tried to stick to their pre-planned strategies. "People would pass me, then crash, then pass me and crash again," B. Garrahan said. "I just tried to keep my own pace and ride smoothly. I only crashed one time, when I hit a stick I couldn't see in the mud. It tossed me off hard." Watts and B. Garrahan swapped the lead several times, while Blackwell rode consistently behind them between the third and 10th laps. Edmondson, Kohler, Wesner, Dahners, Perrett, P. Garrahan and DuCray rode hard and stayed up with the leaders to stay in position to finish well. The fourth through fifteenth places changed several times before the race was over. "I tried to ride consistent the first few laps," Kohler said. "Then the course started changing so much it was a matter of staying up with the shift of the course and not getting stuck in any of the bottlenecks." "I tried to stay calm and ride smoothly. I knew it was going to be a long race and a lot was going to happen." P. Garrahan s"aid. "I tried to stay (Above left) Brian's brother, Patrick Garrahan, took third. (Above) Shane Watts heads into the pit area. The Australian finished out the race in ninth. (Left) Erik Kohler flogged his Yamaha through the mud, finishing sixth. out of everyone's roosts, so I could see the whole time." Several areas of the course turned into mud-bogs and resembled large swamps. Some riders were surprised to come up on a deserted bike. "There was a YZ400 buried so deep in a hole the mud was up to its seat." Kohler said. "It was sitting so someone could have ridden right over it and used it for traction. There wasn't a rider in sight, just the bike he must have given up trying to get it out and walked back to the pits." Every time the leaders completed another lap, it was harder to recognize them through the thicker layers of mud heaped on their gear and bikes. The event announcer, Duffy Collins, did an excellent job identifying them and was at times the only way the pit crews knew their rider was coming through. The weather didn't let up and some of the rain clouds lowered to the ground along the ridges. The resulting foggy conditions gave riders one more hurdle to overcome. "It was ·hard to see where we were going," Open A rider Craig Chapman said. "I got stuck in a rut aDd it took me one whole @p's worth of energy to get that bJke out, now that's stuck." At the beginning of the last lap there was only about 15 yards sepa- 'J' 42 MARCH 1,2000 • cue I e ne1lVs rating Watts and B. Garrahan. Blackwell was about 40 yards behind them. Edmondson was next to begin the final lap, but he slipped in a gooey section of mud between some oak trees and tipped over. It took him a few kicks to get his bike started again before and he headed across the meadow for the last time. P. Garrahan, Dahners, Kohler, Wesner, Perrett and DuCray soon followed and also began their final lap. While the white flag was still out, an exhausted Kawasaki rider got cheers from the crowd while shaking their head "no" to the scoring crew who tried to coax them out onto the course for one final lap. Shortly afterwards, B. Garrahan made his way around the final turn to see the checkered flag first. Other lapped riders were mixed in the finishing order as the leaders completed their 10th and final lap. P. Garrahan and Watts came to the last turn at nearly the same time. He took the inside line, but fell, and' Watts was second to eros's' th~ finish line. Edmondson came through next, followed by Blackwell, Dahners, Kohler and Wesner. The scoring officials, course officials and event referee went to work immediately to determine the proper way to score the event and establish a winner. Lap times were verified and scores were adjusted to reflect the first-lap mishap and any other course violations. When the results were resolved, Edmondson, who was the only rider to get credit for completing 10 full laps, was declared the champion. "I've only done GNCCs for the last two years, so I'm pumped to be back in the hare scrambles series," Edmondson said. "Its great riding and I get to spend more time on my bike." Second place went to B. Garrahan, while brother P. Garrahan took third. Blackwell finished in fourth, Dahners placed fifth and Kohler, Wesner and Perrett followed in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions. All seven riders were recognized for completing nine laps. Rounding out the top 10 were Watts and DuCray, who were the highest two of the eight-lap finishers. "The club did a good job taking out the sections that got rough, like usual," Blackwell said. "Its not the clubs fault, they did everything in their power to make the best of these conditions. We got screwed up on the first lap, so it was our own fault. We did find the. right track nine out of 10 times." "It was fun, it was a classic Wilseyville race, "KTM/Maxxis/Foxsponsored P. Garrahan said. "It was nasty, it was gnarly, it was muddy and it was great!" eN Wilseyville NItiHllIII8nt Scrambles Wilseyville, c.liflImill Results: FebruaJy 13, ZUUU lRound Z of 9J O/A: 1. Paul Edmondson (Kaw); 2. Brian Garrahan (KTM); 3. Patrick Garrahan (KTM); 4. Doug Blackwell (Yam); 5. Jason Dahners (KTM); 6. Erik Kohler (Yam); 7. Craig Wesner (Kaw); 8. Guy Perrett (KTM); 9. Shane Watts (KTM); 10. Eric DuCray (Yam). A O/A: 1. 1.Craig HoJasek (Husq); 2. Demien Galford (Kaw); 3. Brian Sperle (Hon); 4.Travis Sluder (Husq); 5. John Mason (Yam). A 200: '1. Travis Sluder (Husq); 2. Robert Fouts (Hon); 3. Matthew Wallace (Yam); 4. Cole Calkins (Kaw); 5. Brian Butler (Kaw). A 250: 1.Craig Holasek (Husq); 2. Demien Galford (Kaw); 3. Brian Sperle (Han); 4. Tim Stowe (Suz); 5. Eric Mashbir (Suz). A OPEN: 1. Craig Chapman (KTM). A 4·STRK: 1. Kubi Hucek (Yllm); 2. Curt Wilcox (Suz); 3. Shaun Wilcox (Han); 4. Craig Hayes (Husq). A VET: 1. John Mason (Yam); 2. Tony Rutter (Kaw); 3. Jay Faulkner (GAS); 4. David Huynh (Yam); 5. Ronald Picken (ATK). A WMN: 1. Heather Wilson (Kaw). B 0/A: 1. John Webster (Kaw); 2. Kenny Miller (Hon); 3. John Ballesteros (Suz); 4. Ben Hale (Yam); 5. Kirk Fetter (Suz). B 200: 1. Ben Hale (Yam); 2. Mathew Teegarden (KTM); 3. Travis Kinney (KTM). B 250: 1. John Webster (Kaw);- 2. Jason Frei (KTM); 3. Walter Lunn (Yam); 4. Reno Bailey (Kaw); 5. Joseph Bondad (Hon). B OPEN: 1. Kenny Miller (Han); 2. Brian Barrington (KTM); 3. Ken Nolan (Han); 4. Mike Uneback (KTM); 5. Joe Paz, Jr. (KTM). B 4-STRK: 1. John Trabucco (Yam); 2. Dustin Soldan (Yam); 3. Kevin Peloso (Han); 4. Dustin Tibbets (Yam); 5. David Turnage (Yam). B VET: 1. John Ballesteros (Suz); 2. Kirk Fetter (5uz); 3. Shawn Black (KTM); 4. David North (KTM); 5. Chris Karla (Kaw). Upcoming Rounds; Round 3 - Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, April 16 Round 4 • Good Springs, Pennsylvania, May 7

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