Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Bl ac kw ell. " I know I h ad it in m e for a l ong t ime ; it' s j ust a matter to g e t th in g s t o go my w a y. I think I ha d a Doug B lackwell loo ked to have his premie r w i n in t he bag until Watts found a w ay by. Blackwell finished second, and is fourth in points. l ittl e bit of a menta l b lock ; I thin k I got rid o f that and started ridi ng li k e I can . W a tts h ad a lin e back th ere , and I missed it all day . I really wish I c ould h a v e m a d e h im wo rk a little ha rder t ha n t hat to get around me . I've b een th e brid esma id I d on 't kn ow how ma ny ti mes. I'm re ady to w in o ne . Hopefu lly n e xt ti m e I' ll b e th ere.' " I' ve h ad a rea lly b ad year, ' s a id Andrews. " T h ird pl ac e - I'll take t ha t all d ay lo n g , but I j u st w ish I c o u ld h av e st a yed on tw o wh eels just a little bi t long er. I shou ld h a v e w on thi s th ing. I c r as hed three t imes, flipped en d o ver en d . I j u st strugg led so bad and in th e b eg in n ing I thought those guys w ere gon e . This t ra ck wa s like on e l i n e , t hough , a n d ev erybody c o uld f r eight -tra in ; I reall y w asn 't g oing fast. I'm lu ck y those o th er guys weren't g oing fast, and I w as able t o ca t c h b ac k up . M y h at's off to D oug and Shane - th ey r o d e a g o o d ra c e .' Ba rry Ha w k was j ust a few seconds behi nd A ndrews a t th e finish , and must h a v e b een t r ying everything to g et arou n d h im , a s An drew s complim ented h im o n his "cre ative li nes ' in t he w o ods . Fifth plac e overall w ent to Su mm e r s , wh o d id a gr eat job o f h au li n g h imself b ack from such a b ad start, and this tim e Su m m ers w as riding a m o d ified Honda 6 50 R. F o llow in g Summers wa s KTM's M ike L a ffe r t y and Kiedrowski , c o m p let in g a t ri o of fo ur-stroke ride rs who did w ell. " It was d e finite ly a fo ur -str o k e tra ck ," sa id La fferty , " I wou ld n't h a v e w anted to b e on anything o th er than th e 'S tro k e .• Following Kiedrowsk i 's s ev enth pla c e was t ea m m at e Hatch , who did a h eroic job of rec overing fr om th e fi r st -t u rn crash. Jenks held o n fr o m h is first- lap first p la c e t o finall y fin ish n i nth i n th e cla ss , a nd KTM 's J o s h Mc L evy f i ll e d o ut 1 0th pla c e . E d m o n d so n , with h is ha nd swe ll in g b y the m inute, li m ped in 1 1th o CN Spa rta GNCC Sparta , Kentucky Results: lpril30, 2000 (Round 6 of 141 O/A: 1. Shane Watt s (K TM) ; 2. Doug Black well (Yam) ; 3 . Fr ed An dre ws (K aw ) ; 4 . Bar ry Hawk Jr. (Yam); 5 . Sco tt Sum mers ( Ho n) ; 6 . M ich ael Laffert y (KTM); 7. Mike Kiedrowski (Suz); 8. Steve Hatch (Suz); 9. Robbi e Jenks (Yam); 10. Chuck Woodford (Kaw); 11. Joshu a Mc Lev y ( KT M); 12 . Paul Edm ond son (Kaw); 13. R odney Judson (G·G); 14. Rod Stuckey (K aw) ; 15. Sco tt Plessinger (KTM); 16. And y Shea (KTM); 17. Jim Ja rrett (Suz); 18. Joh n Maschino (TM ); 19. Cole Calkins (Kaw ); 20. Steve McSwain (Kaw) . OPEN A : I. Jeff M urge l (Yam ); 2 . Da ve Gu nn ( Ha n ); 3. Jeff Melik (Yam ) ; 4. Jerem y Berwanger (KT 5. Mark Adkins (KT M); M). 2 50 A: 1. Chuck Wood ford (Kaw); 2. Andy Shea (KTM); 3. Aaron Kopp (SUl);4. Todd Morain (KTM); 5. Marty Alo isio (KTM) . 200 A: 1. Cole Calk ins (Kaw ); 2. Benny Leonard (KTM); 3. R Bennett (Y J am); 4. Joshua Knapp (Kaw); 5. Brett Zo fchek (Kaw). 4 · 5 A : 1. Vance Earl (S ua) : 2 . Harvey Wh itak er (Kaw); 3. Darius La ttee (Yam) ; 4. Ryan Barrett (KTM ): 5. Curt Wilcox (Suz) . VET A: 1. Steve McSwain (K. w); 2. Jeffre y Hursh a (Yam ); 3 . Dennis Deck er (KTM ); 4. Richard Burbi ck (G-G); 5. Clark Munger(Hus). 5R A: 1. Tim Shephard (Yam ): 2. Keith Rodgers ( K aw) ; 3. Mark Smith ( KT M); 4 . Mi c ha e l Ho lbert (Yam); 5. Jo hn Kealey (Han ). OPEN B: 1. Mik e Bradshaw (Yam ): 2. Tro y Wertz (Kaw); 3. Todd Vess (SU ); 4. David Wolfe (KTM); 5. l Kris Aldridge(KTM). 25 0 B: 1. Blair J ac kso n (S uz) ; 2. Br ia n Noffz (Kaw); 3. Sean Clayton (Kaw); 4 . Len Kapton (KTM); 5. Mik e Monnig (Han) . 200 B: 1. Mike Mihalik (KTM) ; 2. Antho ny Glasso (Suz); 3. Robert Stock (Kaw): 4. Chad Tallman(TM);5. Tod d Morrow (Kaw). 4 ·5 B: 1. Bryan Mu sca vi tch (S uz) ; 2 . T imm y Luck adoo (Suz); 3. J effr ey Hively (Yam ); 4 . Robe rt Moss (Yam); 5. Paul Blaner (Yam) . VET B: 1. Ray Owe ns (K TM) ; 2 . Da v id Po well (Yam); 3. R Jones (Yam); 4. Todd Temple (KTM); uel Watts wasn't the only thumper rider to do well in Kentucky. M ichael Lafferty [8 1, Mike Kiedrowski [301 and Scott Summers [191 rode four-strokes to seventh-, slxth-, and fifth-place f inis h e s, respectively. 5 . Uonel Asselin (Yam ). SR B : l . Rob in Miller (Suz) ; 2 . Benja m in Smith (Yam); 3. Mark Yuk evich (Yam); 4. Randall Hillega s (Yam ); 5. JD Hamm ock (K aw). AMA GRAND NATIONAL C'SHIP POINTS ST A NDING S (A fte r 6 of 13 Rounds): 1. Shane Watts (1176); 2. Steve Hat h (100 3. Paul Edm c 6); ondson (865); 4. Doug Blackwell (816); 5. Barry Hawk Jr. (725); 6. Chuck Woodford (555); 7. (TIE) Mike Kiedrowski/Michael Lafferty (534) ; 9. Randy Hawk ins (5 14) ; 10. F red Andrew s (51 3) ; 1 1. Robbie Jenks (506); 12 Jason Raine (433); 13. Jim Jarrett (404); . s 14 RodneySmith (392): 15. Scott Summers (333); 16. . Joel Dengler (274); 17. Brian Garrahan (262); 18. Joshua McLevy (222); 19. Steve McSwain (2 14 ); 20 . Rodney J udson ( 193). Upcomi ng Roun ds Round 7 - Clarksburg, West Virginia, May 14 Round 8 - Boyers. Penn sylvania. June 4 BRIEFLy• .•• A ttendance w as h igh at Racer Productio ns new Kentucky venue, wi th 249 C riders signed up for the morning race. and 255 A and B riders in the afternoon. In addition. Saturday saw 3 19 ATV riders get first crack at the new course. and 50 Youth-class riders 'ran a shortened course o n Satu rday aft e rnoo n. Kawasaki' s Will ia m Yo kley was the w inner of the Sa turday ATV race. lead ing almo st wi re-to wire over the l l -mile course. with Chad Duvall and Matt Smiley chasing him into the finish. Top.finishing A-class rider was Chuck Woodford once a·gain. cracking into the top 10 with a 10th-overall finish. The A·c1ass riders all did six laps of the course. and with two exceptions the B riders all managed only five laps before the checkered flag. The two six-lap B riders were Blair Jackson and Brian Noffz. both in the B 250cc class. both pushing each other into that extra lap. Rodney Smith was in attendance. healed from his quadncep Injury at North Carolina. but still unable to finish in Kentucky . Smi th' s rea l problem . It turns out, is a brok en ligament in his right thumb that has left him with limited control of his thumb. usually leaving it hanging out in the breeze w he re it is vulnerable to snagging on brush and other riders . and to being nailed by the handleb ars. " I hit it a few t im e s , a nd I ca n 't hold o n any more · t he p a in is so g re at . " he told us . Smith is looking into having a brace made to keep his thumb in the proper position. Racer Productions' Kentucky site was not only new . it was accessed by a brand-new trap-rock road put in by the landowner to accommodate t he racers . It was a fine touch. but still quite loose. with whoop-de-dos building up on Saturday morning as trucks and motorhomes tried to clear the final section of the hill. Things smoothed out once Jeff Russell's dad got out on the bulldozer and spent some time packing it down . Former GNCC champ Scott Plessinger came to Kentucky and quietly entered. after taking the better part of the year off from racing. He still hasn't lost his style. and finished 14th in the AA class. 15th overall. cue' II! n e vv s MAY 17 , 2000 37

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