Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

• .OFF-ROAD Enduro Series AU National RelIability' Round 5: Trask Mountain Two-Day Qualifier best special-test times in the Lightweight Two-Stroke class, with Odem getting the nod in three out of the five. "I fell in both tests (Sunday) so I just tried to go on and have fun and wait for the final moto," Kerling said. The 178-mile Day-One course and the shortened 104-mile-long Day-Two course included two identical loops that were run over the same terrain, but in opposite directions. The riders left from the campgrounds of Flying M Ranch located about 25 miles northeast of McMinnville. Oub President Mike Poe said, "We told everybody last year at the awards presentation that because this year would be the last Trask Mountain Qualifier that we would try to make it like the Trask Qualifiers of old. In 1971, Day One ran about 250 miles and Day Two was approximately 160 miles long. In those days the event started in McMinnville and used road sections to get here. This year's course is still shorter than the original but it's the best we can do with over 450 riders expected to participate." In all, 78 riders signed up for the ISDE Letter-of-Intent classes and 375 (Left) Rodney Smith continued his domination of the ISDE Quallfter SerIes at the Tresk Mountain Two-Day. He won every event except one. (Below) Patrick Garrahan came from behind to edge out James Gray for the Ughtwelght Four-Stroke c.... win. MCMINNVILLE, OR, JUNE 24-25 odney Smith scored his fourth consecutive Trask Mountain Qualifier win during the fifth and final round of the National Reliability Enduro Series. The current and three-time National Reliability Enduro Champion won all five special tests during the 25th annual and last-ever Trask Mountain ISDE Qualifier, as the hosting Trask Mountain M.e. has chosen to stop holiiing the traditional event. Smith's Trask streak bettered Kurt Hough's three-in-arow run - which started in 1989 - and tied Dick Burleson's four non-eonsecutive wins during the '70s. Smith has a long history of doing well in the Northwest and this year was no different, though the Suzuki pilot had to overcome a bit of adversity in the process. '1 kind of had a bout with the flu (Saturday) and almost had to quit. Luckily both of the tests were during the first loop or things could be different. So I'm real happy with my win here at Trask." Finishing in the top five behind Smith in the two-day event were David Rhodes in second, followed by Jason Dahners, Scott McLaughlin and Brian Garrahan. . Although Smith set the benchmark in all of the special tests during the twoday Qualifier, the 31-year-old Oakley, California, native admitted that he was only one fall away from giving up his lead after Day One. Starting Day Two, the RMX250 rider had a 24-second lead over 125cc Honda pilot Jeff Odem. "The tests out here are fast and really short too short to fall in. I had less than a 30second lead this morning and I fell during the first test, so I'm sure it'lI be close," said Smith. Although Smith had the misfortune of falling in that first test, he still managed to add another 21 seconds to his H lead by the end of the day's second test. The former World GP motocrosser ensured his victory during the six-lap final motocross test where he added another 30 seconds to his lead. Second-overall finisher David. Rhodes said of his performance: '1 rode too cautiously yesterday (sixth overall and 26 seconds behind Odem). I guess I thought it was too slippery and tried to just stay out of trouble. It really cost me. So today I rode more aggressively. All of the tests here have a lot of road sections and it's really easy to go fast. The difference is making it through the short tight sections without making any mistakes. I'm sure it's going to come down to the final moto's scores." Rhodes' cautious strategy came from the extremely slippery Day-One conditions. Although the trail became almost ideal after the first loop on Day One, it took the initial traffic on the course to bum off the film of mud that was left after a week's worth of rain that stopped falling just a few days before the event. Team Green rider Rhodes put together consistent third- and fourth-place overall special test finishes to take second overall while competing in the Heavyweight Two-Stroke class. Rhodes also took second place here behind Smith last year. Odem had to settle for sixth overall when he crashed hard after completing both of Day Two's terrain tests. "My tests went pretty good today. I crashed . during one of them but I recovered real well," Odem said. "The problem came la ter on the trail when I smashed my foot. It was pretty sore coming into the final check. I didn't dare take my boot off during the break (before the final motol because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it back on. I just rode the final moto the best I could. Hopefully it was good enough." Odem's injury sealed his fate when he finished 14th overall in the final motocross test - 57 seconds back behind Smith, - and lowered his overall finish to sixth. The 32-year-old rsDE veteran still held onto his class win by beating Yamaha-mounted Mark Kerling by one second.· Kerling and Odem swapped riders participated in the expert and amateur classes, including eight riders from the original 69 Trask Mountain participants from 1971. During that "first official" two-day qualifier event run 25 years ago, Jeff Penton rode to the overall victory. This time around, Dane

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