Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126510
.-4 00 C) .-4 AMA Natlo., Championship Enduro Serle.: Round 2 Meltonwins (Above) Mike Melton took top honors by OM point In the GeorgiII CnIckera' event. beetlnlll DaTyI Kuenzer lebove rIghtl, 18-1•. (Below) Ron RlboIzI fInIahed~, 22 points down. Stone Mountain By Gary Van Voorhis WEST ARMUCHEE, GA, MAR. 1 Mike "Snake" Melton, Team Husqvarna's newest member, worked his way over and around the rocks and trees of the IOO-mile Stone Mountain National E~duro to take the overall by one point (18-19) over KTM's Darryl Kuenzer. Kuenzer copped the AA class win while KTM rider Eddie Keen look top spot in the A class. The B class overall went to Suzuki rider Ken Haywonh. "I did it and it feels great," said Melton before the awards presentation. "It was a fun ride. Dicit (Burleson) and I both had flats in the fU'it section be· fore the gas stop. Luckily, there W:ll a Husky right near where I had the problem and I took the guy's rear wheeJ. That put 'me up on Dicit because he had to ride about 10 miles before he got to change his. I just rode my own race, and picked my way through the rocks. " Kuenzer threw caution to the win in the fInal sections. At that time he W:ll ODe point behiDd Melton. "I kDew Mike waa~ point ahelId of me," said Kuenzer. "I also knew if I really cha~ what would happen. You can't nde hard through this rocky area and not expect a flat tire. I got more tha~ my share I flattened both tires about three miles before the finish. " For once, the weatherman and Mother Nature cooperated to provide riders with a beautiful day for riding. Weather for the event over its %4-year history has ranged from lousy to the ice and snow of lut year's event. The nearly lOO-mile rull through the nonh Georgia mountains and a good ponion . of the Auachoochee Natioml Forest saw over 400 riden leave the stan and a high number of thOle fInish. "I think the run W:ll a good one," said KTM's Rod Bush. "I believe it was a bit hard on the B class riders, but that made it fIne for AA and A dau guys. Person:aIly, 1 didn't have a very guod..da.y. ILrnnrd DO. mana:.xhat . did, nothing went right." Bush dropped 30 points, good for 16th overall. The rider ranks were ftIIed with entries from thOle on their way .to Dayt.,ma or just out for a good run. One such nder W:ll Eddie Keen of Michigan, who hustled his KTM to a %4-point total and the A class overall. His score was good enough to pick up lOth overall. Overall in the B class was decided by one point in Ken Haywonh's favor. He tallied a 37 while Frank Price, aboard a Husky, was just one point back. Price settled for the Open B win. There was some very tight battling among the AA class ranks. ROn Ribolzi, one of two new members of Team True Spon, put his Kawasaki through its paces to come up with a n point total. The next eight riders in the overall standings were separated by a scant two points. The tie brener checlt crew warlted ovenime. Leading the trio at %5 points was KTM's Kevin Lavoie with Husky's Ten"}' Cunningham and Kawasaki's Mark Hyde following. "~ had a good time," said Lavoie. "It was fun and a good run." "I had a great day," said Lavoie. "First 1 sheared my kick start lever off before the stan. Then 1 sheared a second one. I rode the whole day with· out one and bump staned the bike when I needed to." ''Cunningham isn't walking too well," observed one rider in the gas stop area, "but he sure is riding strong." Cunningham was thought to have bruised or broken his tail bone in a crash in the opening National of the seuon, but upon clllIer examimtion a cyst was found. "It's very uncomfortable," said Cunningham. . _. '_" • ~