Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ CROSS COUNTRY AMA WisecolYamahaIYokohama Grand National Cross Country Series: Round 10 ~ Steve McSwain (16), Doug Blackwell (5), Duane Conner (2) and Ed Lojak (50) fight for the early lead in the Pro class. Steve Hatch crossed the finish line three minutes behind Hrehor for second overall. Jan Hrehor scored his first-ever GNCC overall victory at the Hardrock 100. Czech and mate for Hrehor, Hatch By Davey Coombs FAIRMONT, WV, SEPT. 20 he 10th round of the Grand National Cross Country SerieS proved to be a historic one for both motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki and the nation of Czechoslovakia, as Jan Hrehor stormed to the overall win at the Hardrock 100. Hrehor, piloting a Suzuki RMX250, became the first non-American to win a round of the GNC~ series and only the second rider in off-road history to win an AMA National Reliability Enduro, National Hare Scrambles and GNCC overall in the same season. And with teammate Steve Hatch finishing second overall, Suzuki was able to claim the top two positions at a cross country National for the first time ever. "I felt that today would be a good day when I went to the starting line and saw that the organizers had placed a Czech flag by some others along the starting line," said Hrehor. "That was a good sign at first but then I realized that it was upside down and maybe a bad sign. Now I know that it was good." Hrehor bettered New York's Hatch by T 38 just under three minutes in a race that lasted two hours and 54 minutes. Finishing third overall was KTM America's Jeff Russell, the defending . AMA N.ational Enduro champ and the only other rider to pull off a National Enduro, Hare Scrambles and GNCC win in one season ('91). Doug Blackwell placed fourth in the final tally with Vet A class winner Tim Sheph.ard a surprising fifth overall. Joining Hrehor and Shephard at the top of the class results were sixth overall Gene Onail (25Occ A), seventh-overall finisher Jared Green (Four-Stroke A), Robert Tominello (200cc A), and Yamaha pilqt Tom Harris (Open A). Honda's Scott Summers, who has already wrapped up his third-straight cross country series title, was an early drop-out when his motorcycle heat-seized after the drain plug fell out of.his normally bullet-proof XR600. And Scott Plessinger, the KTM rider who is currently challenging Summers for the National Hare Scrambles title, passed on the Hardrock event in order to prepare lor the upcoming Indiana National Hare Scrambles. The Hardrock event, located in northern West Virginia, is notorious for its rocky terrain and difficult hillclimbs. The centerpiece of this year's course was a three-route quarter-mile climb, with each level named according to its difficulty factor: Papa Hill, Mama Hill and Baby Hill. After several top riders became entangled with one another at the top of Papa Hill, only a few of the nearly 200 entered riders tried the steepest (and shortest) line to the top, Hrehor among them. The entire course measured approximately 10 miles per .lap. in length and lap times hovered around the 26-minute mark throughout the seven-lap race. Steve McSwain blasted into the early lead when the green flag dropped to start the event. McSwain was competing abOard a '93 Suzuki RM250 after recently ending his affiliation with Kawasaki Team Green. McSwain's former teammate Doug Blackwell was hot on his heels, while Summers, Hatch and Duane Conner all collided in the second comer. Hrehor's luck started out poorly as he four-kicked his machine to life when the green flag dropped, leaving him last in the Pro class. By the time the leaders hit the two-mile ~arker, Summers was holding on to the top position and was showing no signs of the wrist injury that has troubled him throughout the summer. He attacked the Papa Hill successfully and was 30 seconds .clear of the rest of the field when disaster struck. "lhe bike completely locked up at the six-mile mark," said Summers. "It appears that the drain plug was loose and just spun itself out. The oil ran out and it just came to a stop. It's just one of those things that happens every now and then. That was a sobering experience, but I'm just glad it happened now when I don't need the points rather than when I'm in contention for a title.... like next week." . Summers walked to a checkpoint and received a ride back to the pits. He returned to the bike with a bottle of oil and a plug and was able to get back into the race for a few late laps with the leaders. As Summers stQOd on the side of the track, Hatch and Hrehor raced past him and into the lead positions. A stack-up at the Papa Hill was instigated by Terry Cunningham, who flipped his Kawasaki KDX200 at the top of the incline. That briefly trapped Conner, Russell and several 'other early contenders in the middle of the hill and allowed the Suzuki duo to get away before anyone could recover. At the end of the first lap Hatch was 13 . seconds ahead of Hrehor, while Russell held third at a 35-second deficit. Conner, Blackwell, McSwain and Gary Roach filled in the chase positions. Before the completion of the second lap, Hrehor worked his way into the lead and settled into an early pace that allowed the charging Russell back into the chase. "1 came up on Jan and Steve and they were just kind of cruising," said Russell. "1 was really glad to see that, because it gave me a chance to catch my breath and settle down a little, but after everyone gassed we really took off, especially Jan." Hrehor waited until the fourth lap to try to make a break from Hatch and Russell. Within one lap he held a lead of 21 seconds; by the end of the race he had extended his comfort zone to nearly three minutes. "The track and the bike worked very well for me and I am happy to win two in a row," said the 28-year-old Hrehor, adding his recent Pennsylvania hare scrambles win to his first-ever GNCC overall victory. "1 was starting. to think that I might not ever win, but now I hope that I have made Suzuki very happy for helping me come here." The last time a Suzuki won a GNCC overall was in1988. Hatch's runner-up finish was a careerbest cross-country finish for him as well; he was just more than two minutes ahead of Russell at the checkered flag. For his own part, Russell partially blamed his sudden fifth-lap fade on a blown rear shock that made circulating the Hardrock course a painful experience. ''My back hasn't felt like this in a long time," said Russell, who was using the race to prepare for the upcoming National Enduro stretch run. Blackwell finished fourth overall after experiencing some bike problems of his own. Fifth in the class went to Conner. Shephard's inspired performance in the Vet A class marked a season-high finish for th~ 33-year-old Yamaha pilot. The Ohio resident managed to build himself a lead of over seven minutes on Rick Kresic in the Plus-3D class. Third-place went to . Jeff Murgel. Kawasaki-mounted Gene Onail stormed to sixth overall and the 250cc A class win. The 24-year-old Ohio rider held

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