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/146682
Chad Froman finished second to Josh Lojak in the 200cc A division. . Czechoslovakian Jan Hrehor scored his first-ever off-road National win in the U.S. at the Sunday Creek Hare Scrambles. Hrehor wins Sunday Creek National By Davey Coombs Photos by Jim Talkington MILLFIELD, OH, SEPT. 13 merican Suzuki's Czech. import Jan Hrehor finally rode into the winner's circle at a National woods race by earning the overall victory at th~ Sunday Creek National , Hare Scrambles. The many-time Czechoslovakian ISDE Trophy team rider, Hrehor, piloted a Suzuki RMX250 to the overall victory ahead of Team KTM's Scott Plessinger, the series points leader based on net points (not including each rider's two worst finishes). Third overall was Duane Conner, who narrowly beat Hrehor for second overall at the previous National in Pennsylvania. ''I'm glad to finally win because I was thinking that it might not ever happen," said Hrehor, who is residing in the States with three-time National Enduro Champion and Suzuki team- A 10 mate Randy Hawkins. "I had a very, good day and everything I did worked very well for me." Honda's Scott Summers, the defend, ing Hare Scrambles National Champion, finished a credible fourth overall. The 24-year-old Summers is still trying to recuperate from the broken wrist he suffered in late June at the Blackwater 100. "I was four minutes behind at the last race and this time I was only about two and a half minutes down at the end, so I think that shows some progress," said Summers. "This is no Rick Johnson-type injury that's never going to get better. I think that I can be back up to speed within a few weeks." Earlier in the series Summers scored two overall victories, one in Tennessee and the other in Kentucky, and still holds second place in the series point standings behind Plessinger, despite sitting out the previous round due to the wrist injury. Plessinger may not have scored the win at Sunday Creek, but the valuable points he picked up on Summers by finishing second made it a satisfying day. "I did exactly what I wanted to do, which was to gain points on Scott," said Plessinger. "I would've liked to have won the race, but the championship is much more important to me. I didn't want to throw everything away by getting greedy and going for the win. Besides, Jan was riding so well today it would've been pretty tough to beat him in the end. " Plessinger's runner-up performance came off the heels of his overall victory at the previous round in Pennsylvania. The Sunday Creek National was hosted by JTM Promotions and set up in the same location as the Burr Oaks Cross Country National, which took place in June. However, the course had little in common with the previous event as a new three-mile section was added. Also, the weather offered a drastic change in that the Sunday Creek National was held on dry turf under sunny skies. The course was designed and laid' out by National Enduro Champion Jeff Russell and Vet A rider Tim Shepherd. The riders started with the wave of a green flag and made a short jaunt through a special test-type area. Hrehor and Doug Blackwell were the early front-runners, while Summers, Plessinger: and' four-time National Enduro Champion Terry Cunningham made up the immediate pursuit. Kawasaki Team Green's Conner was submerged deep in the pack. "Right off the start it seemed like everyone started pushing me around," said Conner. "Through the first three turns I was getting pushed to the outside and all of a sudden I was the last guy in the whole class. I guess I started going backward before I started going forward." Summers made the first real moves of the race and quickly surpassed Hrehor and the Kawasaki-mounted Blackwell for the lead. "Once I got around Jan I really let loose and started feeling fast again," said Summers. "I stayed up there for most of the second lap and then the pain (from the wrist injury) started coming on slowly. I backed off a little bit, but it was enough for everyone to go back around me. The pain got so bad that I had to take some aspirin when I stopped for gas." Hrehor moved back into the. lead with Plessinger just off his mark. Then a new face arrived at the front of the pack as Team Green's Cunningham roared past everyone. The 34-year-old veteran has had considerable success in Ohio this season, having previously won an ISDE Qualifier and a National Enduro in his home state. But Cunningham's string of successes would not continue at Sunday Creek - both Hrehor and Plessinger spent their time behind him studyitlg the crafty veteran's lines.