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the next one," said Smith. "We're off
to a better start than we were last
year. We'll get the thing rolling.
Everybody else has kind of been racing and this is [Team Suzuki's] first
race. For me, it's a good start,"
Hatch battled arm pump for the
first three laps, lamenting, "I was
bummed because I couldn't ride at
all. I think I went back to 12th at one
"This year I'm just riding smart,"
Abbot said, "I'm real happy with the
way I rode. I just focused on riding
my own pace, and it worked out really good. I want to be known as more
than a desert racer. That's my big
thing. I've been concentrating on riding more motocross, which has
helped me a lot. Maybe I'll do a couple more."
point."
After teammate Mike Kiedrowski
passed him on his DR-Z400, Hatch
got back on track, passed Kiedrowski
back and tried to tow the thumper
pilot along to give him pointers.
Hatch regained all of his lost ground
and more, eventually settling into
(Above) Defending series champion Rodney Smith
finished round one much like he did last year's entire
series - consistent and on the podium. Smith finished
second, approximately three minutes behind Watts.
(Left) For the most part, where you find Rodney Smith,
you find Steve Hatch (3). The two teammates have made
it a habit of finishing on the podium together throughout
the years, and Okeechobee was no exception. Hatch
rounded out the top three.
(Below) 1998 ISDE Junior Trophy Rider Jason Raines is
no stranger to GNCC competition, which is why he
finished fifth ahead of some pretty stiff competition.
third.
"I just floored it the last lap," he
said, afraid that someone was closing
on him. "It was kind of Russian
Roulette with the mud holes, I just
played it smart; I just really want to
be on the podium every single time.
That's what it's going to take to win
the championship. Coming out of
here with a third, I'll take it. I really
wanted to win. It was a great day all
the way around." Hatch's time was
3:11 :32.
Kirstin Ranch
Abbott stole fourth in the last corner before the finish, which surprised
Results: March 8, 2000 (Round 1 of 141
Raines.
"He just came up out of the blue,"
Raines said. "I figured I had a little
time on him then all of a sudden I
heard him on the gas over that tabletop [on the motocross track]."
Abbott said, "I came in here and
top-five was my goal, and that was
pretty high, considering I've never
even really finished one of these without having a problem, I was real
happy with finishing fourth. We ran
the desert setting out here, and it
worked out really well in the fast,
choppy stuff.
Okeechobbe, Florida
O/A: 1. Shane Watts (KTM): 2. Rodney Smith
(SllZ): 3. Sleve Hatch (Suz); 4. Destry Abbott (Kaw);
5. Jason Raines (Yam): 6. Jim Jarrett (Suz): 7. Ty
Davis (Yam); 8. David Fretigne (Yam); 9. Mike
Kiedrowski (Suz); 10. Joel Dengler (Hus).
OPEN A: I. Dave Gunn (Hon): 2. Michael Grizzle
(Hbg); 3. Jeff Murgel (Yam): 4. Jerald Brownell
(Gas); 5. Norman Feth (Yam).
250 A: I. Chuck Woodford (Kaw); 2. Matt Beally
(Yam): 3. Aaron Kopp (Su,), 4. Andy Shea (KTM): 5.
Todd Morain (KTM).
200 A: I. Cole Calkins (Kaw): 2. Garrell
Edmister (SUI); 3. Mike McCrea (Kaw): 4. Chris Galll
(Kaw): 5. Jaco Wolmarans (Kaw).
4/STRK A: 1. Curt Wilcox (SUI): 2. John
Oechsle (Yam): 3. Darius Lattea (Yam): 4. Ryan
Barrett (Yam): 5. Craig Borders (Yam).
VET A; 1. Kevin Foley (Yam); 2. Gene O'Nail
(Kaw): 3. Dennis Decker (KTM); 4. Jan Hrehor
(KTM): 5. Richard Kemman (KTM).
SR A: I. Jeff Fredette (Kaw); 2. Keith Rodgers
(Kaw): 3. Mark Smith (KTM); 4. David Crain (Gas):
5. Scott Sears (Yam).
OPEN B: I. Norm Richards (KTM); 2. Edward
BRIEFLY•••
Mike Kiedrowski was pleased with his ONCC debut and his new Suzuki DR-Z400. Though
he stalled It a couple times and fell over as well, he enjoyed his Rrst big off-road race after a few
Mid-South hare scrambles to get his feet wet, so to speak. "It was fun," he grinned.
Yamaha YZ250-mounted Jason Raines had a chance to dice with Mike Kiedrowski at one
point in the race and observed, "He was on the gas," Raines said of Kiedrowski. "That thing