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(Left) KTM's Mike Lafferty led after the first day of competition but let Hawkins catch and pass him on day two. Lafferty still finished second overall. (Right) ISDE veteran Jeff Fredette won the Senior class. (Below left) KTM's Russell Pearson took top honors in the Lightweight Two-Stroke class. (Below right) Husaberg's Jason Dahners was the top Four-Stroke rider, finishing third overall. though there's a casual trail pace (between tests), you have to keep attacking the trails or they'll just beat you up." "The heat was the real detennining factor," commented Fredette. "Each morning was pretty good until halfway through, when (the heat and humidity) was like hitting the wall. I felt like calling it quits a couple of times, but Dennis (Hawthorne) kept me gOing. He had a fan set up in the (Kawasaki Team Green support) box van, and that made the difference. "I thought the club did a real good job with test placement and layout," Fredette added. "They really mixed things up a bit. They had a new grasstr""ck area at the start/ finish and had a new terrain,-test area as well. They really mixed it up." "The heat was probably the toughest part of the event," Dahners said. "At every gas stop I would put wet towels on my head, especially in the afternoon, just to keep from overheating. Sometimes riding was easier than just sitting around." The 214-mile two-day National Reliability Enduro was also scored as a National Enduro. It had 12 checks and 15 special tests, and it was also the first qualifier in the five-event serie.s that ultimately qualifies 27 riders for the International Six-Day Enduro, which will be held in Australia in November. Those rid,ers will represent the United States in three-rider club teams. Ten other riders are picked by a board of governors to determine the United States' elite sixrider World Trophy Team. Four more riders, who must be 24 years of age o.r younger, are picked to represent the !.!,.S. Junior Trophy Team. Hawkins has already been preselected to ride on the u.s. Trophy team; along with Chris Smith, Ty Davis, Rodney Smith, Steve Hatch and Scott Summers. This is the same team tha t has competed in, the last two ISDEs and finished third overall in Finland in 1996. The Junior Trophy Team will be. headed up by Lafferty; the other three riders have yet to be announced. Even though Hawkins and Lafferty s!'t the fastest test scores, bettering the closest competitors by over 100 seconds, competition for class points was tight. In the Heavyweight Two-Stroke class (175cc to Open), Garrahan, Raines and Mike Windmann oattled it out for third, fourth and fifth, behind Hawkins and Lafferty. Less than 13 seconds separa ted tl)e trio. . , Finishing in the top two in the Lightweight Two-Stroke clasS (0-125cc) were Pearson and local Texas rider Brian Stor- rie. Pearson took the edge by 40 seconds. Pearson finished seventh overall and Storrie 10th. In the Middlew.eight Four-Stroke class (251-400cc), Curt Wilcox held on to the overall class win. Wilcox beat Mike Monroe on day one by 40 seconds, while Monroe could only take back 29 seconds on day two. Wilcox and Monroe respectively finished 13th and 14th overall. Finishing second in the Heavyweight Four-Stroke class (500cc-plus) behind Dahners was Ron Lawson, who rode a "kitted" Yamaha YZ400F. Lawson finished 20th overall. Brieflv... .. In the Senior clas~, Fredette's eighth overall finish netted him the class win by 54 seconds over Rick Higgins. Higgins finished 11th overalL In the premiere running of the smallbore four-stroke class (0-250cc), Lonnie Ross took first-place honors, while Shaun Wilcox finished runner-up. Neither Ross nor Wilcox placed in the top 20 overall scores. {X Texas Two-Day New Waverly, Texas Results: May 16-17, 1998 (Round 4 of 11) O/A: 1. Randy Hawkins (Yilm); 2. Mike Lafferty (KTM); 3. Jason Dahners (Hbg); 4. Patrick Garrahan Ra';dy Haw·kin.s dedicated his overall' win .to l2·year-old Brandon ,Benoit, .who recently died because of complications' fro(l1 heart prob· lems. "i-mef. Brandon while doing a family -trail' ride in Louisiana with the ·Acadfana Dirt. Riders." Hawkins said, "When you put these kind of, tragedies in perspective. it doesn't really matter how many National titles or wins a guy has when; pe,son this'young' dies. The Acadiana' Dirt 'Riders and'their club 'members have'always made me.feel right ,at home. and r hope that my dedicati?n of this .win tc? Brandon .can help aase·their ,loss,".' (KTM); 5. Mike Windmann (KTM); 6. Russell Pearson (KTM); 7. Jeff Fredette (Kaw); 8. Alan Randt (KTM); 9. Rick Higgins; 10. Brian Storrie (Kaw); 11. Brian Garrahan (KTM); 12. Curt Wilcox (Suz); 13. Mike Monroe (Yam); 14. David Bragg (KTM); 15. Lynn Bailey (Han); 16. Carlos Ungo (Yam); 17. Eric Cleveland (Yam); 18. Jeff Kirchner (KTM); 19. Jim Conner (KTM); 20. Ron Lawson (Yam). AMA ACERBIS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENDURO SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 11 rounds): 1. Michael Lafferty (96/1 win); 2. Ran.dy Hawkins (65/1); 3. Doug Blackwell (62/1); 4. Jason Dahncrs (58); 5. Patrick Garrahan (49); 6. Matt 5tavish (48); 7. Ty Davis (30/1); 8. (TIE) Kelby Pepper/Fred Hoess (25); 10. Kevin Bennett (21). Upcoming Rounds: Round 5 - McArthur, Ohio, May 23-24 Round 6 - Bellingham. Washington. June 6-7 - had the! 'bone set by doctors ,on Mond~y. Stavish said he' will sit out the May 22-.23 Ohio round of the National, Enduro Series but tentatively plans on riding the June 6,7 round 'in Bellingham: Washington. With his 'win, ,Randy Hawkins'became the.foorth different rider to win a National Enduro this' year. After four rounds., Hawkins, Lafferty. Doug Blackwell and Ty'Davis have ,all won a round, Laff,;rty. leads the Acerbis National· Enduro Series with an overall' score of 96, with Hawkins' and Blackwell. in second ?nd thi~d, wiih 65 'and 62 p'oints, respectively.' . .. . . The -s,moke from hundreqs of brUsh and forest fires i~ Mexico kept the Texas event under a brown haze. Although temperatures w.ere actually cool -_ in the 70s - humidity stayed in the sticky' SO-percent range. "By midday (on day one). ": said Lafferty. "the heat and humidity were starting Current National'EndlJ~o Series number-two plate hqlder Matt Stav;"h 'to get almost unbearable, I swi.fched from goggles to sunglasses just to' ·fell in 'one of the early tests on Saturday and broke one' of the metacarpal,' help keep cooler, It was harder·to see in .the dust but the air movement bones tn his left hanq. The'Minneapolis native returned home Su:nday and .felt better." . , ,