Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

N.C OFF.ROAD Round 3 Mdr.h 26. 2OO5 Suzuki Grand National Cross Countng S€ri€s ended up right into the weeds. Glenn went by and I got going, lbutl I T-boned someone and cartwheeled. I reeled Glenn back in and then I fell, and then lgot up and reeled him in again. Then I followed and staned makinS some dumb mis- takes." The mistakes not only cost Smith too much time tg seriously challenge Salminen, they also cost him energy, and he would ultimately fall back to seventh at the finish. However, running with Salminen early was a step in the riSht direction. "l was right on him and lust fol- lowinS him and having fun," Smith said. "lt was good to ride with him. But then 1... crashed. lt was bad - Glenn said he thought I was dead!" Kearney witnessed several crashes by his teammate as he tried to stay up front with Salminen. "lt was unreal," said Kearney, who spends half of the year liv- in8 at Smith's house, learning the riding and training game of GNCC. "Rodney came past me on a hill like I was standing still. Juha had a little gap, and then Rodney went around me and then we were right back on him. Rodney was r,ding fast! lt was awesome- But he crashed a bunch of times- He was using a lot of energy pick- in8 that thing up!" Kearney would tr/ to stay with Salminen, but he eventually had his own prgblems down the stretch. ''l'm still hav- ing some problems with my diet on race day," Kearney said. "My stomach started feeling bad, and then I couldn't drink water, so I started cramping up. But Charlie was going fast." "Charlie" is the super-rookie Charlie l'4ullins, who was eventually able to catch and pass Kearney and take second. Had lvlullins not run out of gas on the last lap of the previous race in Georgia, he would have had a podiLrm at all three races this year. He's happy with his consistency, but starting to get antsy for a win. "l chareed hard all day and it paid ofl" Mullins said.'At the beginnins, we had a problem with the gas tank, the hose came out so we had to replace that, and I fell back to ninth. I knew I had my work cut out for me. After that I iust did my best to come back through, I felt good all day. I would like to get up there and race with Juha, but I'll take second any day. lsure would like to win one of these, though." Mullins worked his way through the field and set some fast lap times. equallinE Salminen's best throughout the second half of the race. He zapped Smith and then Kearney to finash second. Also on a charge through the pack were the KTM teammates Mike Lafferty and Robbie Jenks. They baltled all day, passinS each other back and forth on a run to the front, and it paad ofl, as Lafferty finished fourth and Jenks fifth. Fred Andrews was sixth, Smith was seventh, and Am Pro Yamaha s Barn/ Hawk strug- gled mightily on his way to eighth. He iust barely held off New Zealand's Paul Whibley. who flnished ninth on the Parts Unlimited/Moose Honda. Kawasaki Team Green's Jesse Robinson was the toP Amateur. as he finished l0th overall on the way to winning the 250 A class. Overall though, there were no maior problems for the winner, Salminen. "l got a few seconds gap, and after that it was the same as Georgia - go as f?!st as you can and try to control the race.'' Cll STEETE CREEX MorGANroN. NoRrB CaiolrNA Rrsu!'s: MaR(H 25, 2006 . ..9.f,1 1+ t t I --.Iftnl ! ! a fr \ t ) T ;^ ffia l\ ,t -* Enduro stqr Mike Lofferty is off to one of his best slorls ever in lhe GNCC Series. 2 Barry Hawk 8th Place Former GNCC champ Barry Hawk just couldn't 8et it Soint at the Steele Creek GNCC. "Thar was the hardest I've ever had to work to finish eighth," said Hawk, who looked completeb/ sPent after the race. 'The bike and the track were iust beatinS me to death out there.'After spendint the last few months testinS and trainint at Randy Hawkin's house in South Carolina, Hawk said he ll head home to Pennsylvania after !his to try to retune his machine. I O Fred Andrews 6th Place k took Fred Andrews a little while to get settled in, but once he did, Andrews rode well and made up some ground. 'l had a Pretty tood start, but I was pretr/ intimidated and just got Pushed around by those guys at the start," said the l'4onster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider "l had been crashing early in these first few races, so I decided I wasn't toing to do that, but it was worse, because I let them push and shove me allthe way back. I was, like, lSth atain, and I was fifch off of the line. I didn't ride well until we stopped for gas. l'ly wife tave me a little pep talk. I told her maybe she should iust .ide the bike then! 5o I got going and wor*ed my way up, I passed Rodney lsmithl, and I saw [Robbie]Jenks, but there iust wasn't enough time. We were both Settin8 ti.ed. Sixth is okay, but I have to get up on that podium" | 58 Jimmy Jarrett I2th Place The Andrews Suzuki rider and the 2005 oMA CharnPion,Jimmy larrett, is back to full-time GNCC racing. "l felt 8ood," he said, "but on the fourth lap, I was riding with Freddy lAndrews], and he wert one way around a lagper and I went another, and I got (altht in tlvo trees and snapped rny wrists. Then, it iust felt like lwas hittinS every hole out there, and it z+p€d all of my energy, I tried to make a push at the end, and I almost caught.losh lMclevy], but he man- aged to get in there before me." Mv Owru Rnce 44 APR|L 12,2006 . CYCLE NEWS OYERALIi l.luha Salmiren (fifl):?. charle' r4ullin' C/am)1. Glenn K€mey (suz):4. Hicha€lLz{eny (KTl'l):5. Robbie lenk (fit1)i 6. Fred Andr*s (Xew)i 7. R

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