Mid-South Hare Scrambles Series Cross-Country Motorsports Championship

Round 1: Lakeview Lodge

Gibson Lands Lakeview

White Plains, KY, Oct. 10

The Mid-South Hare Scrambles Series kicked off its twenty-fifth season at the Lakeview Lodge in White Plains, Kentucky. Nearly 600 riders gathered for the opening battle. This Cross-Country Motor-Sport Championship had a certain element of newness which gave everyone the chance to aim for the high mark of winning the Pirelli / Moose / Maxxis / American Patriot Getaways victory, and no one did it better than KTM mounted Dustin Gibson.

Off the start, a tight battle emerged between the AA riders as John Maschino grabbed for the holeshot with Hayden Moore, Gibson, and Chris Bach dominating the front row. After the first corner, Gibson wedged his way into the lead by taking a further line into the woods and shortly thereafter Robbins cruised by while Moore and Bach drifted to the back pack.

“Me, Robbins, Cregg, and Maschino were busting trail,” said the Sarge’s Cycles/ Pro Action of Kentucky / Tire Balls / Maxxis backed Gibson. “It was just awesome. One person would be leading one minute, and someone else would be leading the next.”

By the second lap, Gibson realized that the dust was getting too thick due to heavy traffic, so he made an aggressive move for the lead and passed Robbins. He said, “Sorry about that because I kind of hit him a little hard.”

On the other hand, Cregg was not as easy to shake. The Southern Indiana and Stoney Lonesome Champion and top contender for State Champion was behind Gibson the entire time waiting for a bad move. Right before the third lap, Team Green Kawasaki / Johnny Signs /Moose / Scott / Alpine Star supported Cregg saw his chance when Gibson couldn’t get around a lapper. He pushed hard for the lead but a mile later lost it when he stopped for gas. Gibson was too close for the Indiana native to have a permanent placement in first; however, Cregg did freight train into second place.

Cregg said, “I’m ready for the next one.”

Cycle Shed / KTM / Michelin /Motorex / IMS sponsored Robbins led most of the second lap, and then Gibson and Cregg passed him and pulled away. He dropped back to third place and was happy for the podium position.

Meanwhile last years AA Champion, Blair Bersano, struggled in fourth place. Robbins would hear him from the distance but wicked it up just enough to stay in third. The Michigan bound Bersano finished in fourth while John Maschino savored fifth place.

Maschino said, “I thought maybe I’d let those guys clear the path for me instead of being in the front all the time. They did a good job at clearing the trail, but I wished they could’ve cleared the dust for me a little bit better.”

Cox Promotions tried. Throughout the day, they had water trucks soak some of the trail and did a great job at laying out a nice, nine mile course which consisted of tight sections, a little bit of fields, and what seemed to be one, lonely mud puddle that equaled everything out.