Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Kawasaki KDX200-mounted Dwight Rudder was the high point A rider after finishing seventh overall. He dropped 65 points; Cunningham 38. Terry Cunningham clinched the National Championship Enduro title after winning the rain-plagued Delaware event over Randy Hawkins. AMA National Championship Enduro Series: Round 10 Win, title to Cunningham in Delaware By Brooke Lincoln Photos by Henny Ray Abrams BEAR, DE, OCT. 26 H usqvarna's Terry Cunningham retained his National Champion tit~e with a winning ride in the rain-plagued De~aware Enduro. Cunningham's third title - he also won in 1983 -cameattheexpenseof KTM's Kevin Hines the only rider . . '. f with ';l mat~ema~lcal chance 0 catchIng hIm. HInes suffered a 6 bruised shoulder and brake problems and dropped oul at the third check. The win gave Cunningham a total of 259 points and with just two rounds left in the series that was enough to c1im:h the title. Hines left I)elaware with the same 212 points he carried into the event. "It gets harder every year," Cunningham said after dropping 38 points in the 126-mileevent run by the Delaware Enduro Riders. "The other guys learn more and more and keep coming at you until somebody burns out· or quits. This title is definitely the most gratifying." Following Cunningham in the standings was the Husky-mounted trio of Randy Hawkins with 42 points, and Dave Bertram and Jeff Russell at 45. Dwight Rudder was the top A rider dropping 65 points and the Top B rider with 96 points .wasTodd Boyer. Over 5~ riders signed up for the event run In the northwest part of the First State and into western Maryland. But according to club officials, about 100 chose not to start because of the torrential rains. "I love the rain," Cunningham said while waiting for the 23rd minute after the 7:00 a.m. key time to get started. "I go faster in the rain. This area is similar to Ohio, but it's a lot flatter. I'm in the lead. All I have to do is get decent finishes in the next three enduros and I'm all right." He started by coming in three minutes late in the first check and burning the second one by a minute, although he didn't see it that way. "When I popped up over the ridge I realized it was a check. I got in a rut crossing and almost fell over which is why I stopped," he said. After a known control at the third stop he hit the fourth check hot and was late at the fifth before the gas stop at the start control. Il was the trail after this section that caused many rtders to drop out. "It was a challenging trail at 24 miles-per-hour," dub member and A rider Charlie Staple[ord said. "Even in the dry they would have been late. From the start control to check six is . where they lost all their time." According to Stapleford, who was Ithe fore-rider'rLhey were constantly changing the trail to adapt £01' the inclement conditions. Seven miles were cut out at the end of the first loop back to the gas SlOp. And they couldn't cross under 1-95 at Lhe l7-mile marker because putting 500 riders Lhrough it would have made it impassable. In the afternoon the phragmitis (reedlike grass) trails were flooded so the riders were put back on the pavement. There were still 18 well,hidden checks. "Our pride is to sneak these checks in and we were proud to get Cunningham in early twice," said Stapleford. The run, a National since 1983, was the 23rd for the club and only once, in 1975, were the conditions this bad. Using three different courses for the enduro and then running them in reverse meaDS the riders will only see the same trail every six years. "And by then they're gone," added Stapleford. Of the approximately 400 that started, only 311 made thefirstcheck. Cunningham thought the run was consistently difficult but thought the morn.ing sections slightly Jess taxing. "In the morning I was having too much fun. The biggest challenge was keeping my goggles clean. And the hardest part of the trail was the roots. The rain makes them slick and the front end chatters," he said. He knew that in order to clinch the title here he had to win and have Hines drop out and he didn't find out until the second gas stop that Hines had had problems. The problems for Hines were a shoulder bruised from a -fall and rear disc brake trouble. His rear Drake was taken out when a stick snagged the hydraulic brakes line. Hines riding on the 34th minute, hit the third check, 22 miles out, on the 40th minute and decided to call it a day. Cunningham stilI had to take the overaIrand Hawkins, Bertram, and Russell stayed close alI day. "People were good enough to get out of the way," Russell said later. ..All you can ask is that they make Lhe effort." The afternoon loop sent the riders back through the Rock Sluice, the most popular spectator spot, down the nearly vertical drop-off at Pucker's Peak, 85 miles out, through more of the tall phragmitis and over the Rock Bridge before a reset at 113.4. The trail was changed to 18 mph before another reset at 117 and then continued to the 122 mark for the next to the last check. Some difficult trail was cut near the end and many of the riders from alI classes were able to finish on their minute. Of the 400 that started, about 125 finished. Jeff Russell, who won the A class here two years ago, said "I made it here and finishing is an accomplishment. " "I didn't think it was ever going to end," Cunningham said at the finish. He said that his two biggest problems were jamming his leg in a.comer and almost taking himself out when he got his water pump'caught on a rock in his second trip down the Rock Sluice. . The club awarded· trophies to the top 10 in each class and doled 9ut . over $4000 worth of goods. Even with having to go to back-up scorecards for many of the riders, the trophies were all handed out by 6:00 p.m., which, given the conditions, was an extraordinary feat. "We had to play the hand the good man dealt us and :we did it with a total club effort," Stapleford said. - Results OVERALL: 1. Terry Cunningham (Husl 38; 2. Randy Hawl

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