Abbott Gives Washougal the WORCS

Kit Palmer | June 11, 2001

Hare & Hound National Champion Destry Abbott continues to display his off-road versatility by scoring the overall win at the third round of the Parts Unlimited World Off-Road Championship Series at Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington, June 10. After winning the previous week at the Idaho City ISDE Qualifier, Abbott, on his Team Green-backed KX250, led all but the first few turns of the two-hour, six-mile-a-lap course that utilized Washougal’s National MX track, as well as tight, rocky and slippery single-track trails that surround the famous MX course.

Abbott, however, could not relax the whole two hours, as Team Suzuki’s Rodney Smith and Steve Hatch, both riding DR-Z400s, gave chase every step of the way. Hatch ended up putting his Suzuki into second at the finish, followed by two-time Grand National Cross Country Champion Smith. Abbott finished just 12 seconds ahead of Hatch, who held an 18-second cushion over Smith. Thirty-nine seconds later finished KTM rider Brian Garrahan, and just under a minute later finished Team Suzuki’s Mike Kiedrowski, who was the series leader going into the event. Kiedrowski collided with Pat Garrahan off the start and spent the whole race coming up through the field.

Sixth overall went to Yamaha-mounted Russell Pearson, followed by KTM rider Pat Garrahan, Yamaha pilot Kurt Caselli, and KTM riders Scott Myers and Shane Watts.

Watts was another rider who crashed early in the race. Less than a mile into the first lap, Watts tangled with another rider and was left with a bent bike and a suspected broken thumb. Watts immediately pitted, taped up his thumb and came from way, way back to finish 10th, ahead of TM’s Luca Trussardi, Kawasaki rider Mike Corder, and Yamaha riders Ty Davis, Nick Pearson and Kevin Parks.

Previous round winner Shane Esposito failed to finish after suffering a flat tire and then mechanical problems.

Unofficially, Abbott now leads the series by one point of Kiedrowski.