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/127939
ENDURO AMAIACERBIS NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES Round 2: Greenbrier National Enduro " By Paul ClipperlTrail Rider Magazine BELLEPLAIN, Nj, MAR. 29 TM'S Mike Lafferty overcame his signature morning tension to take the win at the Greenbrier National. Although happy to be close to home about a five-minute drive - Lafferty houldered a fair amount of dread for what might happen during the day. Of most of the competitors on hand, lafferty knew just how tough it could be in his local woods, and also how tough the local competition might be. Rather than worrying about his National AA-class peers, Lafferty was mostly concerned about his own sibling and two local hotshoes. Past ECEA Champion Kevin Bennett was a dark-horse favorite on his XR250, being well-known for unrelenting speed in unforgiving tight stuff; and ~ current ECEA champ Fred Hoess was also a major threat. With additional pressure from his brother Richard, who also grew up in the area, Lafferty had his hands full just getting away from the starting line - but by the first check, it was plain to see who was going to lead the pack this day. For the National sanction, the TriCounty Sportsmen MC - always known as a tough regional enduro - pulled out all the stops to take points away from the ational class. In doing so, they also took away buckets of points from the rest of the field. Unseasonably warm temperatures and sunny skies also added to the workout, and triple-digit scores were not uncommon, even in the A class. The day started out with a quick 4m.ile section to warm everyone up, and (Above) After a disappointing finish at the National Enduro Series opener in Arizona, defending champ Mike Lafferty bounced back with a win at round two in his home state of New Jersey. (Left) Another New Jersey local, Fred Hoess, fared well. Hoess took runner-up honors on a 125. to wake up those still sleeping. Lafferty wasted no time getting into high gear, and clocked out at the first check with the lowest elapsed time, although not by much. Lafferty nipped in two minutes down, as did Hoess, Bennett and local . ECEA rider Michael Moore. Lafferty still edged them all for tie-breaker seconds. . Missing the flip in that first section meant three points or more on your card, and included in that group were such notables as Yamaha's Randy Hawkins, who wa - riding a YZ250 for this round and seemed to be suffering at the hands of overheating gremlins right from the start. Michael's brother Richard Lafferty also clocked out with a three, as did local riders Bill Atkinson and Duane Shirk. Six or seven points down was not an unusual score in the A class, and this was only four miles into the event. A long section of free time followed, as the riders moved to a different part of the South Jersey forest, and then a 10mile section that kept the riders busy but not late. Big points weren't taken until the third section - 10 m.iles of tight trail that made a number of riders wonder exactly what they were doing there. "You know, we lay this stuff out," said Tri-County club member Richard Lafferfy, who was riding the event in the National AA class, "but we never ride all the sections back to back. I never realized how tough our own enduro is. Holy cow..." His sentiment was echoed by brother Michael, who said, "I sawall kinds of people stuck in the mud in that freetime section. Lucky they ran us at 18 mph, or they would have killed us all off. In a free section!" Once again, Michael was the man to beat at the check-five check-out. He dropped eight points - again - a full point better than everyone else, which pretty much cemented his place at the front of the pack, barring any catastrophes along the way. His rival Hawkins was right behind with nine points down, but liquid was visibly steaming out his radiator's overflow, and things didn't look good for his machine. West Virginia rider Doug Blackwell, well-known on the GNCC circuit, also finished up with a nine, as did Hoess and Bennett. Coming into the gas available, it waS Lafferty, Hoess and Bennett, in that order, with Lafferty holding a slim one-point lead.. The next section was 17 miles of timekeeping, basically - a cruise for the AA and most of the A classes, and a very spirited ride for the B and Criders. Zero was the score to log at both bad<-