Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

.-4 00 C') .-4 (Above) Larry Roae'" didn't let dumping It In 8 creek stop him; he got third AA. (Below IeftI Terry Cunningham (file photo) tied winner Mike Melton on poirrt8 but loat by one .econd at the t1.breeker. (Below right! Dick Burleson we. 8 point behind Melton 8nd Cunningham for third ova,.II, . .cond AA. AMA National Enduro series: Round 10 Melton edges Cunningham for Cowbell win By EIRae Morgenthaler BELUNGHAM. WA, OCT. 25 The 51st consecutive ~ng of the Mt. Baker Motorcycle Club Nauonal Cowbell Enduro earned Husky rider Mike Melton his third National Enduro win this year, as he beat out Terry Cunningham by one second at the tie-breaker. The promoters of t~e event had expected four AA nders for the event, but an unfonunate incident eliminated one of the riders from the field. Friday night, while parked at a downtown Bellingham hotel, the Team Huaqvama truck was broken into. The 1982 prototype that Tom Webb was to test ride and write up was Itolen, as well as Terry Cunningham's 250. The 250 was found later that night in a ditch not far away. Rumor has it that a "fan" o~ King Richard w~tf:f; small souvernr to take home The ~ent. blessed with good weather (no rain, no snow) was well organized and executed by promoters Lyle Duronso and Fred Boettner with lots of help from the M.B.M.C. There were no protests flied, although the seventh check had to be scored only as an observation check based on a precedent set at the Black Coal National. The ruling states that a reset cannot be U8ed in the three-mile rule for a checkpoint after a gas check. WI The riders left start for the Toad Lake riding area. a nice trail section into check one at5.6 miles. The course then wound its way through wood and logging road sections to check two and then first gas SlOp. They continued up Stewan Mountain to check three, the start of a five-mile check·in!check-out section. The riders easily handled the !O mph average to the fUlt emergency tiebreaker at check four. From check four. there was a speed chan~ to 12 mph through "Lyle's Death March." One-eyed Kelly trail. and a new trail section through virgin timber - 16 miles of continuous trail to the top of Cub Creek to check five. MOlt riders were still without point 1011I. A second reset gave the rideIll 20 minutes before hitting the second gas stop at 55 miles. A Ia~ water CJ'08Sing at Skookum Creek made for lots of excitement and several spectacular crashes. The section from gas to check eight was through the Saxon Middle Loop on good trails and lesser logging roads at 24 mph. They checked back in to the same gas area, then up the back side of Cub Creek to check nine. The next section was the only place that all riden lost time. The four-mile Roots Ri~ trail was run at 24 mph. allowing the riden 10 minutes. Melton was the fastest rider through the tight. hand-built trail with no straights. Melton lost ~: 12, Cunningham had ~: 15, and Burleson lost 3:19. The rest of the course took the riden back to the top of Stewan Mountain to a 10-minute reset at check 10. Then they were off to the c1ubgrounds for the finish on basically the same trails and roads as in the morning. All in all, everyone was quite pleased with the organization, the COUJ'lle and the turnout. At the first gas stop, the out-of-area riden were remamng that they bad hoped for faster speeds. The promoters. however, are very! aware of the frequently inclement conditions and prepared the c;oune and speeds for wone weather. • Results 0YERALl.: 1. MIla "-'lHuII3. M: 1. Torry Cunrlir9-n lHull 3: 2. DicIc IIur'-an lHuII4; 3. Uny "-lYernl5. 200 k 1. llII: 2. J.D.1lenllev (7): 3. GNg Lytd

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