Garrahan Still King of the Hollister Hills

Kit Palmer | February 23, 2004

The AMA National Hare Scrambles Series held its first “stand-alone” event of the year in Hollister, California, yesterday, and it was local favorite, G Brothers/KTM rider Brian Garrahan (pictured) who prevailed for the fourth time in as many years.

A $500 bounty was up for grabs to the rider who could beat Garrahan in his own backyard, but no one got to take home the cash, though a couple of riders tried pretty hard, notably Garrahan’s own brother, fellow KTM rider Patrick, and Kawasaki Team Green’s Chuck Woodford. Both Pat and Woodford led at times, but it was Brian who established a solid lead during the second half of the race to take the win, finishing approximately two minutes ahead of Woodford and about four minutes ahead of Pat. The win was the KTM rider’s fifth at Hollister.

Husqvarna rider Kerry Green from Australia finished fourth but was later disqualified for failing an on-course sound test. (The AMA has been seriously enforcing its new 96-decibel sound rule.) Green’s DQ bumped up Kawasaki Team Green rider Brett Zpfchak into fourth, and teammate Brian Brown, who rode a KX250F, into fifth.

The Hollister Classic National Hare Scrambles Series was the second in the 10-round National HS Series (the first was a combined GNCC/HS race held in Texas earlier this month), and Garrahan is now the points leader, but by just one point over Woodford. Opening-round winner Rodney Smith is third with 30 points.