Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Rurr Peorson 3l"uggled in lhe dusl ond running oul o, gqr neor the finish didn'r help ony. He srill linished rhird. Norman confirmed Abbott's story "l was pr€tty much in the lead for the first mile," Norman sajd. "Then Destry passed rne, and he took off on the trail I was headed for and dusted rne out, so I fotrnd a noar trail; but by the tirne I got to ttle end of the bomb, I was probably fifth or sixth." Mike Childress tucked in behind Abbott iust arter the bomb, but a few miles lateG he got a flat tire and returned to the pits to replace the wheel assembly on his Precision Conceptdll4S/O'Neal XR650R. That, of course, put an end to his aspirations of a good finish. KTM's David Pearson was only too happy to assume the runner-up spot at that point on his Michelinfl-ag/Moose 525 XC. By the end of the first loop (about 38 miles long), he was less than a minute behind Abbott, while Norman had clawed his way back into third. "The first loop, I knew it was hard to pass," Abbott said. "l saw David back there; I saw one of the Hondas - I don't know who it was - but I knew there was really no way they were going to be able to pass the way it was out there- I rode a good pace and basically stayed on the trail. Out there, there's so much vegetation and rock that you can't get off the trail." Russell Pearson came from deep with- in the dusty pack after a horrible multi- kick start and was fourth at gas. "l charged and was feeling good, but then I made a stupid mistake on the sec- ond loop," Pealson said. Choosing a bad line on a treacherous downhill cost him time, though he got back to within striking distance of Norman with a few miles to go, only to run out of fuel just over a small hill from the finish. That sealed his fate - a third-place finish. His cousin, David Pearson, fared a bit befter off the start and headed into the sec- ond loop in second place. However, a bike problem would slow him tremendously. "The first loop, my clutch was fading a little bit, and I was trying to take it easy on it," Pearson said. "lt was faster going, so it was easier not to use the clutch- "The second loop, I iust lost my clutch. All those downhills and stuff, I was crash- ing. I tried to go up one uphill three times before I made it up. You €an't do anything without a clutch in a tight race," He would finish founh. while KTI'4 teammate l4att Gosnell and his BRP/GPFV Fly 525 XC claimed lifth. Gosnellwas also the victim of a reluctant startin8 machine. "lt took probably seven kicks to 8et it going," Gosrellsaid, "By the time I reached the bomb, I was back in zfth, 30th, some- where around there. I strrted charEing, but I ended up hi$ing a G-out about halfway around the first loop. Pulled a big ol' swap- per, crashed and blew my knee out. lt did- n't necessarily hurt so bad riding until you staned hittinS the G-outs, which, out here, there's a whole lot of them! "l came into the pits in eighth and then went out and just charged and rode a Sood second loop - didn't crash, didn't make any mistakes - and ended up fifth overall." Abbott, of course, was happiest with the day's outcome. "Yeah, it was a good day," he said, "l really can't complain because I haven't won a race wire to wire in a lon8 time. "lt is going to be tough to reclaim the championship, no doubt," Abbott said. "David was actually ridinS really well. I know he would've been tough to beat, were it not for his clutch problem." Abbott has 55 points with his 2-l series finishes, while Russell Pearson has 5 I via his l-3. "lt's a long series, so for me, it's basi- cally tied because anlthing can happen," Pearson said. Cll SPANGuI Hru5'wAGoN WHEiL STAGTNG AREA RrD lllourrarN, CAuroRxta REsuus: FEBIUaRY 12, 2006 {RouND 2 or 8l Deitry Abbott wanted to 8iv€ the new KX450F a winninS debut in the desen at last month's series op€ner, but he fell short So, he looked at round two as his next chance but was beaten to the punch. as fel- low Team Green racer Ricky Di€trich used the new thumper to win the AMA National Hare Scrambles S€ries opener in Arizona the day before. "lwas happy for him, he's riding realfy well," Abbott said. "lt was a good weekend for Kawi!" At least Abbon was the llrst to win a National Hare & Hound on the bike. Former motocrosser Scott Myers used the Moose Run as practice for the Quickil- ver National Enduro next week, and he did better than ever, The Temecrh Motor- sports/Precision Conceptyo'Neal CRF45ox-mounted racer got a good start and found himself in the lead group. When challenged by faster riders who are contest- ing the entire series, he didn't hold them up and was more than happy with his eventual severrh-place finish. Carl MaassberS counted himself lucky after he dropped into a lo-foot-deep mine shalt. Though his bike was a bh oveaked, he was reponedly uninjured. After Mike Childreis got a flat rear tire on tfie fim loop, he rode back to the pits to get a new rear wheel, tlen rode back to the spot where he left the course. Obviously, this put him far back in the lield, but it did let him practice his passing technique. "l paised 176 people," he said, "l counted theml" Steve Hengeveld finished lfth overall despite having radiator problems. "l came into the pits sixth and that's when they noticed a radiator problem," the Precision Concepts/Dunlop/l'4SR CRF450X-mounted racer said. "l think it must've lust happened, be' Bri t 'I >\ I t ! / I r A r- 7 t' ,\t 'W.r dt V X aaa I \ t' t '. !' '"E- I Ii I OVERALL: l. O6try Abbott (K:w)i 2. KEndall Norun (Hon):3. FrsllP6on (YamJ;4. D id PqEon (KTl.l): s. Matt Gornell (rCIM)j 6. Quion Cod/ (Hor): 7. s.oE l'lyeB (Hon): 8. Rrn Kudh (Yam) 9. Pavid Kimo (KTl'1): 10. Stse Henseveld (Hon): Il. Chris Ray (Kaw): I 2. Matth€w Hende6on (Kaw): I l. Ryan Abbaroye (Kzw)i 14. Kellon wal(h {fiM): I5. Zack Dodson (Soz)r 16. Reece Hona (Hon)i 17. SEn Bradle/ (GC)r 18. Dan capparelli (GG); 19. Erian Pinard (Hon)r 20. Rr& SpanSler (Hon) AMA FiIF RACING NATIONAL HARE & HOUND sERlEs POIHTS STANDINGS (Round 2 of 8): l. Oesrn/ Abbo$ (55/l sn)i2. Ru$ellPe6on (51/l win):3. Man Gosnell (31):4. Quinn Cody (29): 5. Steve Hen$veld (27)i 6. Kendall Nom& (25)i 7. Rran KLdla (22): 8. Ty oavis (21)i 9.lTlEl l'aike child6/Dasd PEffion (18). r 'n

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