Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS SETRA Enduro Series, Round 15 Brown Mountain Enduro win to Ramey (Left) Rob Lamberte (63) dominated the Over 40 class at Green Acres Motocross in Marion, Kansas. I By Kenneth King BROWN MOUNTAIN, NC, APR. 6 ain, rocks, roots, and hills; Each on their own can be a formidable obstacle in an enduro, but when you add them together, it's a formula for a real test of character. This perhaps best describes this year's running of the Brown Mountain Enduro. Up until this event, SETRA riders have been spoiled this season with just about perfect weather at each event, but Mother Nature decided to change all that this time, and the North Carolina hi! Is were the site for the change. What had been a dry course the day before, turned into slick treacherous trails the morning of the enduro, with riders leaving the start as the rains poured down. KTM's Franklin Ramey III didn't let Mother Nature bother him, though, as he rode to the overall win with a score of 12. "I just rode hard and didn't really have any problems, passiI)g anybody, or at any of the bottlenecks," the MSRsponsored rider said. Terry Cunningham, a four-time National Enduro Champion, would take his Kawasaki to the second overall and first place in the 250cc A class. Cunningham, last year's winner, was riding a KDX220 and would finish the day with a 14. Neeley Racing-backed Jason Chancey, riding a KTM, would drop 16, to round out the top three, Chancey would also take first AA. "I rode good. This type of terrain is what I'm used to. The rain didn't seem to bother me all that much. Although I couldn't see. But then neither could anyone else," the Moose-sponsored Chancey said. The Unifour Motorcycle Club has been promoting the event for years, and this was the 27th running of the enduro. SETRA rider have come to know this event as a fun, challenging enduro, and one of the highlights of the season. Terrain is hilly and covered with rocks. Some sections are almost all rock, and the club lets the rider know this on the route sheet with "TOR," which stands for "top of rock." The club holds the enduro on the Pisquh National Forrest. They had 43 miles of trail for the event, and those trails were tough and technical. As the rains came, and came hard, the club decided to use only half the course, and end it at the gas stop. The riders were not made aware of this until they reached the gas stop. The club was concerned about dam.ge to the land, and since they have a good relationship with the park service, that decision seemed to be in everyone's best interest. With only 21.45 miles of actual trail to ride on, you would think it wouldn't be too tough. But the average points dropped in those 21 miles was around 35. It was a survival run. The trail started at 2.35 miles and riders were checked in. The section was 8.45 miles long, and R ...... I-< ~ 52 Ramey would have the fast time through with a four. Chancey, Cunningham and Kawasaki-mounted Steven Smith would drop a five. "I wear contacts and it is almost impossible to see without goggles, but I had to ride without them just to see anything," Smith said. '1 also had some problems passing people, but I suppose everybody had about the same problems." Smith would drop 16 points for the day for fourth overall. He and Ramey have been going at it neck and neck for the SETRA Championship. Farrell Smith, an Open A rider, would drop six points, followed by KTM-mounted Allen Gravitt with a seven, along with 250cc A rider Johnny McCoy on a Kawasaki, also with a seven. McCoy was the first rider through the section and he started on row three. There was a short reset at 13.95 miles, and quite a few riders found themselves too far behind to stop. The slick trails and steep downhills had created a few bottlenecks. For many it was p challenge to get around riders. MSR-sponsored Gravitt was one of the riders who had problems in this first section. Reportedly, a rider fell on one of the steep downhills and created quite a jam-up. Gravitt would lose several points here. Check three, a going-in check, was at 15.55 miles. Once again, Ramey would have the fast time through with an eight-point loss. Ramey would drop al!llost a point a mile - it was tough gOing. "The water was rushing down the hills so much, it was like riding a creek downhill," Ramey said. "Goggles were useless, I rode without them all day. I did some suspension changes before the race that worked really well, and my Bridgestone tires were hooking up good." Cunningham would be the nextfastest in the section with a nine. Gravitt and Farrell Smith were third-fastest with 1Q-point losses. Gravitt was having his share of problems, most of them trying to get past other riders. The MSRbacked Gravitt would finish out the day with a 17, good enough for fifth overall. Cunningham had his problems in the section, a rider bobbled in front of him on one of the many downhills, and he accidentally bumped into him, causing the rider to go down. Being the sportsman that he is, he stayed with the rider for a few moments to make sure he was okay. The club had 272 riders, although not all chose to ride in the rain. Riders came from as far away as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, with the most coming from South Carolina and Georgia. It was a short race but not too many complained about cutting the race short. The Unifour Club members worked hard, even removing all the arrows in the rain. ' (.~ Brown Mountain Enduro Brown Mountain, North Carolina Results: April 6, 1997 Olk 1. Franklin Ramey ill; 2. Terry Cunningham; 3. Jason Chancey; 4. Steven Smith; S. Allen Gravitt; 6. Farrell Smith; 7. Johnny McCoy; 8. Bryan Adams; 9. MHch McRee; 10. Sam King. AA: 1. Jason Chancey: 2. Steven Smith; 3. Allen Gravitt. OPEN A; 1. Fanell Smith; 2. Mitch McRee. 4--STRK A: 1. Willie Bradshaw; 2. Chase Furnas; 3. James KalJerker. 2SO A; L Terry Cunningham; 2. Johnny McCoy; 3. Bryan Adams. 200 A: 1. Tommy Veator; 2. Martin Pruett; 3. Jay Lagroon. VET A: 1. Doug Deaton; 2. Robert Pearson; 3. Damien O'Neill. . SR A: 1. Russell Holliday; 2. Robert Neeley; 3. Terry Hughes. SlSR A; L Johnny Thomas. MSTR A: 1. Bruce Triplett; 2. Ron Hale; 3. Lloyd Widener. OPEN B; 1. Flip Jendro; 2. Dennis Gibas; 3. Phillip Doyle. 4-STRK B: 1. Ken Meyers; 2. Alan Coker; 3. Scott Byrd. VET B: 1. Poonet' PoweU; 2. John Langston; 3. Bruce King. SR B: ]. Richard Edmonds: 2. Douglas Cochran; 3. Gary Bishop. SlSR B: 1. Bill Watkins; 2. Steve Clancey; 3. Michael Thompson. MSTR B: 1. Mike Garrett. OPEN C: 1. Randall Ellison; 2. Lon Buysman: 3. Darrell Gaskins. 250 C: 1. Paul McCall; 2. Alan Coker; 3. Scott Byrd. 200 C: 1. Bobby Johnson; 2. Steve dtancey; 3. David' RenseL • 4-STRK C: 1. James Gourach; 2. Brian Dowless; 3. Duanne Wellington. VET C: 1. Greg Gibson; 2. Chris Doran: 3. Robert Brown. SR C: 1. Gary Surcey; 2. Greg Cowan; 3. Wayne Odell. SlSR C: 1. Steve Stirewalt; 2. Mark Zachary; 3. Steve Huggins. Lamberte ploughs the field at Green Acres Motocross By SCooter Ball Photos by Craig Coal MARION, !

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