Lucerne Valley National Hare & Hound Race Results - News - Dirt Rider Magazine

The race for the 2004 AMA/FMF Racing National Hare & Hound Championship went down to the final event at Lucerne Valley, California, on Sunday, 24 October—the 37th-annual Johnson Valley Championship put on by the 100s Motorcycle Club. A tight battle for the AMA title realistically included three protagonists: defending champion Russell Pearson, two-time former champ and current number two Destry Abbott and Pearson's cousin, Team Green racer David Pearson. What it boiled down to was Abbott having to ride just well enough to keep his rivals in sight, and that's what he did to reclaim the title he last held in 2001."I wanted this one," the Team Green veteran proclaimed after settling for a safe second overall. "This one feels better than the other two I've won."Montclair Yamaha racer Russell Pearson ended up storming past KX500-mounted Abbott shortly after the end of the bomb run; they diced for a few short miles, but after that, the YZ450F rider owned the race—his last of the season to wear the number one plate."I did what I had to do; it just didn't fall into my hands," Pearson said. "I wanted to win today. I earned the number one ; I wanted to show everybody it wasn't a fluke."Pearson ended up approximately two minutes ahead at the finish. David Pearson cruised in a few minutes after Abbott for third place in the race and in the series, unofficially. The seat of his KX500 fell off with about 20 miles to go, forcing him to change his style and prematurely fatiguing him.Mike Childress on an XR650R claimed fourth overall with Quinn Cody on a CRF450R rounding out the top five and wrapping up the Four-stroke Open A National championship.