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C Y C L E N E W S • AUGUST 23, 2006 57 BY DAN SCHMITT GRATTAN, MI, JULY 16 I t was another hot and muggy day in west Michigan as the Experts charged down the 3000-foot straightaway of Grattan Raceway, site of round six of the Michelin/WERA National Chal- lenge Series. Robert Jensen grabbed the lead during the first lap and stayed ahead of Tray Batey. On the fourth lap, he dropped the track record by nine-tenths of a second, to 1:18:291. Behind this duel, Taylor Knapp was on the move, first getting by Lee Acree and then drafting by Ben Thompson, but he couldn't catch third- place runner David Weber. Jensen took his first victory of the day. Brian Van Den Brouck took the Open Novice Superstock win, over Matt Spannan and Allan Pett. In 600cc Superstock, Michael Books led Jason Palmer to the checkers. Van Den Brouck came back to outrun the tight battle for second between Jeff Kovack and Palmer in the 750cc race. Later in the day, he also won the 750cc and 600cc Novice Superbike races. In 600cc Expert Superstock action, first Jensen led, and then Shawn Conrad took his Kawasaki into the lead for four laps, but a five-way battle began to shape up as Acree, Knapp and Brent Bennett joined the fun up front. Jensen took the lead back for a few more laps. Conrad tried to get by between turns three and four during the final lap but went down, and Knapp charged through and took the victory. In big twins, Batey spanked Knapp in the Expert race, while Blake Dircks outran Allan Burley in the Novice race. Dane Westby won the Lightweight Twins Expert race, over Chris Parrish, while the very fast Stevie Bonsey took the Novice win. The Formula Two race was the same, but this time Steve Green ran second to Westby in the Expert race, and Bonsey outran Dircks in the Novice race. Jensen took the lead in the 750cc Expert Superstock final. Knapp held second, over the three Vesrah teammates - Mark Junge, Acree and John Jacobi. At the halfway point, Acree charged up to displace Knapp, while Weber moved by Jacobi. Jensen took the safe win, a few seconds ahead of Acree. Daniel Parkerson, on his 600cc Suzuki, outran Nathan Dressman and Tony Palarie in the 750cc Expert Superbike final and Brent Bennett in the 600cc Expert Superbike final. Formula One was the last race of the day. It was very hot. Jensen took the lead off the line, with Batey second. During lap three, Jensen dropped the track record another half-second, to 1:17:840. Batey was right there, going faster than ever, but still one second back. Knapp, running in fourth, drafted by Thompson to take third. Weber was also on the move, first passing Thompson and then Knapp. Battling for third, Acree drafted by both Weber and Knapp; Weber came back in turn two, and Knapp reclaimed third in turn three. It was a shuffle for the next three laps, but Weber was there in third on the final lap. Jensen won. "Maybe it is because I have never been here before," Jensen stated. "I am not afraid of anything yet. I just put my head down, and the Michelins DOTs hooked up really good. I didn't want Tray to catch me, so I just put in a series of good laps." CN GRATTAN RACEWAY GRATTAN, MICHIGAN RESULTS: JULY 16, 2006 (ROUND 6) 600 NOV S/STK: 1. Michael Books (Yam); 2. Jason Palmer (Yam); 3. Jeff Kovack (Yam). 600 EX S/STK: 1. Taylor Knapp (Suz); 2. Lee Acree (Suz); 3. Robert Jensen (Suz). 750 NOV S/STK: 1. Brian Van Den Brouck (Suz); 2. Jeff Kovack (Yam); 3. Jason Palmer (Yam). 750 EX S/STK: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz); 2. Lee Acree (Suz); 3. Taylor Knapp (Suz). OPEN NOV S/STK: 1. Brian Van Den Brouck (Suz); 2. Matt Spannan (Suz); 3. Allan Pett (Suz). OPEN EX S/STK: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz); 2. Tray Batey (Suz); 3. David Weber (Suz). L/W TW NOV S/STK: 1. Stevie Bonsey (Suz); 2. Allan Burley (Suz); 3. Blake Dircks (Suz). L/W TW EX S/STK: 1. Dane Westby (Suz); 2. Chris Parrish (Suz); 3. Chris Knight (Suz). H/W TW NOV S/STK: 1. Blake Dircks (Suz); 2. Allan Burley (Suz). H/W TW EX S/STK: 1. Tray Batey (Suz); 2. Taylor Knapp (Suz); 3. Chris Knight (Suz). 600 NOV S/BK: 1. Brian Van Den Brouck (Suz); 2. Michael Books (Yam); 3. Jeff Kovack (Yam). 600 EX S/BK: 1. Daniel Parkerson (Suz); 2. Brent Bennett (Kaw); 3. Chad Herrmann (Suz). 750 NOV S/BK: 1. Brian Van Den Brouck (Suz); 2. Allan Pett (Suz); 3. Jeff Kovack (Yam). 750 EX S/BK: 1. Daniel Parkerson (Suz); 2. Nathan Dressman (Suz); 3. Tony Palarie (Suz). F-1 EX: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz); 2. Tray Batey (Suz); 3. David Weber (Suz). F-2 NOV: 1. Stevie Bonsey (Suz); 2. Blake Dircks (Suz); 3. Allan Barley (Suz). F-2 EX: 1. Dane Wesby (Suz); 2. Steve Green (Suz); 3. Russell Stodard (Suz). Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series Round 6: Grattan Raceway Jensen - The Man Without Fear Robert Jensen took the victories in the 750cc Expert Superstock, Open Expert Superstock and Formula One Expert contests at round six of the Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series at Grattan Raceway. PHOTO BY KEN GOSSOM/MIRROR IMAGES Sunday 200 A: 1. Travis Peterson (Kaw); 2. Scott Nickoli (KTM); 3. Ben Grosse (Kaw). 200 B: 1. Chad Cooley(Hon); 2. Clayton Vonmoos; 3. Brandon Check (Hon). 250 A: 1. Brandon Cooley (Kaw); 2. Darren Carlson (Yam); 3. Erik Loomis (Suz). 250 B: 1. Nick Nottle Marquette (Hon); 2. Cory Smidel (Hon); 3. Clemet Hofman (Hon). OPEN A: 1. Ben Bernard (KTM); 2. Dave Peters (KTM); 3. Rick Bartell (KTM). OPEN B: 1. Eric Derlein (Suz). AA (PRO): 1. J.D. Friebel (KTM); 2. Ryan Beaber (Yam); 3. Tom Kalies (KTM). WMN (16+) B: 1. Brittany Lemke (Yam); 2. Carley Whitehorse (Kaw); 3. Susan Gibson (Kaw). VET (30+) A: 1. Scott Daubert (Suz); 2. Cory Harris (Hon); 3. Richard Ladd (KTM). VET (30+) B: 1. Robert Munger (Hon); 2. Gary Gibson (KTM); 3. Rob Hoefert (KTM). SR (40+) A: 1. Rob Houts (Hon); 2. Dan Finnel (Suz); 3. Craig Hayes (Hus). SR (40+) B: 1. Boyd Peterson (Kaw); 2. Jim Blau (Hus); 3. Jack Drummond (KTM). S/SR (50+) A: 1. Randy Rychiock (Suz); 2. Dennis Rosa (Suz). U.S. Amateur Hare Scrambles Championship Sugar Camp Raceway Cooley Beats The Heat! Chad Cooley topped Saturday's 85-105cc (12-15) Big Wheel class and then Sunday's 200cc B class at the first-ever U.S. Amateur Hare Scrambles Championship at Sugar Camp Raceway. PHOTO BY DAN SALTON BY DAN SALTON RHINELANDER, WI, JULY 15-16 T he inaugural U.S. Amateur Hare Scrambles Championship was held at Sugar Camp Raceway in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, July 15-16. The organizers of the race, Rick Anschutz and Scott Schwalbe, had billed this as the "Loretta Lynn's of Hare Scram- bles" in the hopes of enticing the best-in-class amateur hare scrambles racers in the country to come up to the green, cool north woods of Wisconsin and find out how they would fare against the competition from other regions. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, and the woods were not green nor the temperatures cool. The turnout was lighter than hoped for. But those who did show up were treated to some of the best single-track they had ever ridden. Anschutz and his trail crew spent weeks preparing 9.3 miles of trail, utilizing the famous Sugar Camp MX track, in addition to a perfect mix of tight, technical single-track and hold-it-wide-open fire lanes and fields. Roots and rocks were plentiful, and flat tires became a factor in more than one race. Throw in a first-rate scoring system provided and run by Kirk Sessions and the Event Scoring crew, lots of flat, RV-friendly parking, and a concession/scoring tower building where spectators could hang out, and you've got the makings of a future classic at Sugar Camp. And this is an event that is badly needed, as the only other way to earn a National Championship is to contest the full National Hare Scrambles Series, which many amateurs can't afford to do. Fifteen-year-old Chad Cooley and his family made the trek from Grand Ledge, Michigan, and he impressed everyone with his speed, consistency and endurance in the heat. Racing first in the 1.5-hour 85cc race on Saturday, he cruised to the win against the best District 16 had to offer on the 4-mile Youth version of the course. Then, on Sunday, he raced on the full-sized 9.3-mile course, winning the two-hour B-class race - but doing so with a time that would have placed him in second overall in the two- hour AA/A race that afternoon. He even turned the fastest full- course lap of the weekend, at 24:35. This kid is fast! Knowing that several racers had already succumbed to the heat in earlier races, Anschutz polled the riders at the start line, and by a close (13-10) vote, the race was shortened to two hours. That didn't affect the AA-class standings, though, as the class was decided within the first hour. First Matt Herrington went out with a flat rear tire. Next out was Chuck Cisler, with a flat front while running second. This left only Tom Kalies, who was leading from the start; J.D. Friebel, who moved from third to second after Cisler's misfortune; and Ryan Beaber. However, Kalies ran out of steam in the heat, and then his KTM 200 EXC ran out of gas. This left the lead to Friebel, who turned it up a notch and recorded the overall win. CN SUGAR CAMP RACEWAY RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN RESULTS: JULY 15-16, 2006 Saturday 50 SR (7-8): 1. Adam Smet (KTM); 2. Ben Kortbein (Lem); 3. Luke Gray (KTM). 65 SR (10-11): 1. Jeremiah Lemke (Suz); 2. Jared Martin (Kaw); 3. Dillon Mueller (Suz). 65 JR (7-9): 1. Noah Smet (Kaw); 2. Zachary Carlson (Kaw); 3. Ben Kortbein (Lem). 85 JR (7-11): 1. Jeremiah Lemke (Suz). 85 SR (12-15): 1. Ryan Finnel (Hon); 2. Joshua Mueller (Suz). 85-105 (12-15) B/W: 1. Chad Cooley (Suz); 2. Brandon Houts (Hon); 3. Charlie Williams (Hon). GRLS (12-15) 85-105: 1. Kayla Martin (Yam). 200 C: 1. Andy Drager (Yam); 2. Clyde Berna (KTM); 3. Brittany Lemke (Yam). 250 C: 1. Brian Winnekinn (Hon); 2. Jerry Winnekinn (Hon); 3. Glen Berna (KTM). OPEN C: 1. Steve Roof (Hus); 2. Craig Franz (Kaw); 3. Troy Fisher (Yam). WMN (16+) C: 1. Carley Whitehorse (Kaw). SR (40+) C: 1. Kevin McNiff (Yam); 2. Dave McQuestion (Suz); 3. David Jackson (Suz). S/SR (50+) B/C: 1. Jack Drummond (KTM).