NEWS FLASH07/14/2000 12:05hrs Pacific:
Troy Herbst, first car in to the overall finish and looks to be the
overall Car/Truck class winner finishing at 12:00:30. Next vehicle,
Brian Stewart in at 12:14:13. Followed by Brian Collins at
12:14:46, Scott McMillin at 12:17:21 and Ivan Stewart at 12:17:29
Campbell/Stabb looks to be the overall Motorcycle class winner,
topping team-mates, Street/Hengeveld by @12 minutes.
Nevada 2000
Day 5
A Day of Surprises, A Day of UpsetsWipeout!
In the desert, anything can happen - and usually does. Today
was no exception, and no one is more aware of that than Kawasaki's
Destry Abbott. After a stellar race thus far, Abbott experienced a
high-speed get off, rendering himself temporarily unconscious. Upon
regaining consciousness, the injured Abbott managed to ride his
bike to the northern Nevada's Rawhide Mine, where employees there
called for a helicopter extraction to a
Reno hospital for observation. At last report, Destry was treated
and released with a possible concussion, and a few assorted bumps
and bruises.
Giving up a nearly 11 minute
lead, Abbot's misfortune kicked the door wide open for the Red
Riders, Johnny Campbell and Jonah Street, yet the two desert pilots
face internal battles of their own. A questionable dinner the night
before left the Honda riders in less than peak health, and fighting
for every inch of ground they covered. Regardless, they pressed on,
with Jonah Street taking the win over Campbell in Team Honda's
first stage victory of the Nevada 2000.
Race Truckin'
Trick Truck saw another
reversal of fortune, and some new faces at the top of the list.
Brian Collins found himself in the winners. circle ahead of the
second place team of Brian Stewart and Bekki Freeman. Collins
pulled in to Tonopah in a time of 5:31:27, besting the Vortec
Chevy's rapid run by just over 2 minutes.
Although losing the
battle of the day, Brian and Bekki are one step closer to winning
the war. With Collins win, a second place finish, and the
Toyota/PPI truck of Ivan Stewart & Larry Roseler finishing
4th in class today, Team Vortec has a fleeting lock on
the lead, and 2nd 4-wheel overall, going in to the final leg.
Keeping that lead, and winning the title, however, are two entirely
different things.
Class 1500 saw Troy
Herbst, and Truggy take the 4 wheeled overall, in addition to the
class win. The 4-wheeled overall leader took advantage of the
Landshark's long legs and high horsepower, flattening the
increasingly rough terrain. Before crossing the finish line, Herbst
extended his winning pace to over 11 min over the Collins Trick
Truck, and nearly 22 min over Class 1500's 2nd place
finisher, Corky McMillin.
Hot on his
father's heels, Scott McMillin rounded out the top 3 finishing the
Tonopah leg in a time of 5:45:33, followed closely by soon to be
Trick Trucker Damien Jefferies, whose 5:46:24 time left him less
than a minute out of the big 3.
Pro
Quad
The 4 wheel crowd made the return to
rougher climes along with their larger brethren, with Doug Elchner,
and Jim Stephenson battling it out aboard their Hondas. Elchner
went on to reign supreme, taking the red rocket home in a time of 6:30:52, while Stephenson kept
the pressure high with his own 6:32:44. A ways back in
3rd , Kentucky's own Will Yokley rounded out the top 3
in a time of 7:23:50.
Notes of Note
As the last leg of the BITD Nevada 2000
approaches, crews have pushed themselves beyond the point of
exhaustion, drivers have covered terrain ranging from mountains, to
silt beds, to rock gardens, and their vehicles have had a literal
"full season" of racing packed into one not so short week. But
despite everything that. s happened, both the good, and the bad,
there. s a growing feeling of camaraderie amongst the racers and
their teams. Acts of sportsmanship like Steve Scaroni stopping to
tow a competitor to a place of help. finish, crews freely swapping
parts and labor, putting racing second behind safety to help an
injured racer get medical attention.
Sitting in the scoring both at the Tonopah Convention center,
we heard team after team recount a good many stories like this,
which can only happen in desert racing. When Casey Folks billed the
Nevada 2000 as the "All American Off-Road Adventure", little did he
realize the impact this race would have.
Yet for all the stories,
for all the intense competition, for all the sportsmanship shown
thus far, it. s not over yet. Not by a long shot, because tomorrow
morning, the final leg of the Nevada 2000 begins, and there will be
many chances to do it all again.
Contrary
to some predictions, this race has been anything but a "runaway"
for anyone. With Brian & Ivan Stewart well within striking
distance, Johnny Campbell and Jonah Street even closer, and any
number of Class 1500 racers in close proximity to Herbst
Motorsports. "Truggy", the excitement is far from over. In fact,
it's really just begun!
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to a
Reno hospital for observation. At last report, Destry was treated
and released with a possible concussion, and a few assorted bumps
and bruises.
home in a time of 6:30:52, while Stephenson kept
the pressure high with his own 6:32:44. A ways back in
3rd , Kentucky's own Will Yokley rounded out the top 3
in a time of 7:23:50.
