Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127936
(Left) Doug Blackwell kicked off his 1998 AMA/Acerbis National Enduro series campaign the best of those who will contest the entire series, finishing third overall with 17. That was far better than his first desert foray in 1995, when food poisoning caused him to DNF. (Right) KTM's Mike Lafferty discovered just how much pressure comes with the number-one plat!!. By Mark Kariya WICKENBURG, AZ, MAR. 15 ontclair Yamaha's Ty Davis says he's concentrating on two ~~WIl. series this year - the AMA National Hare & Hound Series and the Best in the Desert Silver State Series with twiIj championships his goal, of course. But there's a third goal he apparently won't admit to: b~ing a thorn in the sides of raCers in other series wRen the opportunity arises. After a month's delay (due to the rain-forced cancellation of the Quicksilver National eries opener in California), Davis got his chance to irritate the enduro regulars by scorching the Desert Mountain National Enduro on his YZ250. He carded eight points for the day, despite slicing open the tip of his right-hand index finger in a crash. The' next-closest rider ended up being former enduro National number three Kelby Pepper (also on a YZ25O), with 11, which stunned many since the Colorado potato farmer didn't contest Nationals last year. Instead, he stayed home and topped the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit (which kicks off annually with the Desert Mountain race). Sport Cycle Racing Yamaha's Doug Blackwell turned in the best performance by an Eastern-based racer, scoring 17 on his YZ250 and beating defending National number two Matt Stavish's 17 on tie brea kers, 397-402. Defending National Champ Mike Lafferty scored 18 on his KTM 300 E/XC to finish fifth, behind Larson's Cycle Racing/Honda CR250R-mounted Stavish. The iast tiJ:ne the Arizona Trail Riders hosted the Desert Mountain event was in 1995, when Davis also won en route to his one and only AMA National Enduro Championship. In the two-year interim, the club faced seemingly endless legal wrangling and volumes of paperwork to bring it back to reality: Club members credit close work with the BLM for making the 1998 edition , happen; only a tiny fraction ran on state land (unlike the '95 race, where most of the land used belonged to the state). So far this year, all off-road Nationals have been affected to some degree by rain, and the Desert Mountain National was no exception. The saving grace, Last year's series runner-up, Matt Stavish, tied Blackwell at 17 points but lost out at the tie breakers to finish fourth overall. Prepared for a dusty race, Stavish instead found himself riding In cool, damp conditions all day with an abundance of ·technlcal trails. however, is that the area east of Wickenburg (about an hour's drive northwest of Phoenix) is desert and can absorb plenty of water. It didn't have to, though. A cold front moved through the area and dropped just enough light rain to practically eliminate dust while keeping temperatures in the 50s and 60s. In addition, the trails featured technical sections that kept the most jaded Eastern racers on their toes. (Some wanted more, but there are always a few hard-core enthusiasts who thrive on abuse.) As Blackwell said: "Sections of it was fast, but it still had a lot of tight stuff. It's a different kind of tight out here. With the cactus and stuff, you can't rub through the trees like you would back home. It still had a lot of cutanct-thrust-type of riding. You could get a lot of good flow going through most of the sections, especially toward the end of the day. When it was tight, it was tight. It was a good course. I liked it." This year, the ATR laid out a cour~e some 88 ground miles long and 138