Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

• b u t th e three-t ime Alligator Enduro winner saw his chances of a fou rth win go up in steam - literally. "The bike started to overheat on the first loo p," sai d Hop kins . "It turned out to be a blown head gasket, an d [ pulled in sho rtly after the s tart of th e second loop. [ had go ne over the bars ea rlier on the first loop and rip ped all of my compu ters off, so I figu red [ sho u ld jus t call it a da y." Kevin Hines nabbed thi rd in the AA class aboard h is CRE, dropping points in th ree sec tions fo r a 19-p oint tota l. Motocrosser Keith Johnson turned in a su rp ris ingly im p ressiv e p er form ance and came home fou rth . Th e Kawasaki T ea m Green rid er dropped onl y 20 poi nts in his first -ever enduro. "I'm playing w ith thi s off-road stuff a little," sai d Johnson. "I only had one functi on on my computer - the one that tells me if I'm late or early. [ don' t eve n have a clue about this ti m e keepi ng stuff. If I was late I'd pin it, if I was early I'd slow it down." Two riders wh o didn't fare as well as they had hoped were the master and his protege - Larry Roeseler and Ty Davis . "a ll, I had a crappy day, not.so good," said Davis. "This course jus t wasn' t my style, it was the tightest thi ng I've ever r id den . Th is was d e finit e ly righ t u p Haw kins' alley. I'm not used to looking up for the arro ws! I was scared to take my eyes off the trail long eno ugh to look for them! But hey, I finally beat Larry here." " I go t in to the woods a li ttle early an d burned the second check," said Roeseler. "This was the bes t Alligator eve r, I had a good time." Th undering throu gh the woods and to the Four-Stroke A class win wa s 500cc World Champ ionship MX Series contend er Joel Smets , Th e Belgium, wh o also competed in th e Gainesville 250cc MX N a tiona l and th e Ocala N ational H are Scr ambl e s ea rl ie r in the w eek, dropped 29 points in what he described as the second endu ro of his career . "It was good fun," said Sme ts. "I like this sty le of riding - wh er e yo u are no t going as fas t as yo u can go. It is more relaxed , and also more fun . Maybe I was not prep ared cor rectly thou gh - my handlebars we re 33 inches wide and I think I hit every tree on the course." l~ (Above left) Kevin Hines had a good day at the Alligator, droppi ng 19 points and finishi ng third In the AA class. (Above) Allen Gravitt piloted his factory KTM to third overall and second In the AA class with an 18-point tally. 45th Alligator Enduro Daytona Beach, Ror ida Unofficial results: March 9, 1995 AA : 1. Rand y Ha w kin s (S u z) ; 2. Ala n Gr a vitt Hines (CRE1 4. Keith Johnson (Kaw); 5. Jd ! Russell (Yam); 6. Ty Da vis (Ka w ); 7. Stev en Sntith (Ka w) ; 8. Larry Rcesele r (Ka w) ; 9. Anders Eriksson (Hbg~ 10. Fred Andrews (Yam~ O PEN A: t Mike Monroe (Ka w) . 2SOA: 1. Rodney Sm ith (Suz). 200 A: 1. Jd f Fred ette (Ka w) . 4STK A: 1. Joel Smets (Hbg~ VET A: 1. Mark Hyd e (S UL). SR A: 1. Robert Neeley (KTM). S/SR A: 1. J. Wolferb urg er (Yam ). MSTR A: 1. Lloyd Widener (Hon). OPEN B: 1. Jeff Forrest (Hu s). 2500: 1. Frank Wa y (Hon ). 200 B: 1. Steve New (Kaw). 125 B: 1. Robert Ledford (Hon ). VET B: 1. John Hams (Kaw), SR B: 1. Billy Erwin (Yam ). 4STK B: 1. David Walter (Hbg). S/SR B: 1. Dean Butl er (Yam ). MSTR B: I. Bud Hardeman (KTM). OPEN C: 1. Bobby Mon:tz (Hu s). GL D N MSTR: I . Joe Haley (Kaw) . WMN: 1. Vicki Wil cox (Kaw). 250 C: 1. C. Hollingsworth (Ka w ). 125 C: 1. Da vid Patterson (Kaw) . 200 C I. Billy Hughes (Ka w). 4STK C I. John Put ortl ( Ho'n~ VET C: 1. Kev in Smith (KTM) . SR C I. M;ke Lyn n (KTM). S/SR C 1. Barry Cole (H on ). (" "TM~ 3. Kevi n (Above) Despite s truggling with wide, MX-style handlebars, J oel Srnets thun dered to the Four-Stroke A class victory. The Belgian finished third In the '94 500cc World Champions hip MX . Ser ies. (Right) Motocrosser . Keith Johnson came out to "play" with the off-road boys and wound up fourth In the AA class.

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