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/128006
Enduro Round 12: The Paul Bunyan National Endurr By Steve Berkner AKELEY, MN, JUNE 25 fter finishing no better than secon d place d uri ng the N at ional End u ro Series thi s year, tw otim e a n d d e fe ndin g se ries cha m pion Mi ke Lafferty took his firs t overall victory by winning round 12, the Paul Bun yan Nati on al End uro. After the even t, 23-year-old KTM Spor tmo to rcycles-s ponsored Lafferty exclai med, "Finally!" Lafferty, who is currently in second place behind Mountclair Yamah a 's Ty Davis, who now leads the series wi th a score of 296 poi nts to La ffe r ty ' s 217, said, "It's been a lo ng yea r so far. Even tho ugh Ty 's basica lly won the overa ll Cha mpio nsh ip , I still want to wi n jus t to say thanks to my sponsors a n d es peci a lly Alan (Ra n d t, ' La ff e r ty ' s mechanic). By w in ning en en en ~ (Above) Defending National Enduro champ ion Mike Lafferty posted his first win of the series in Minnesota, besting the competition by two points in the 96-mile event. Lafferty has won the event the last three years in a row. 36 (Left) Randy Hawkins barely edged out series regular MattStavlsh for runner-up honors. Both riders carded a 17, but Hawkins came out on top in tie breakers. here in Minnesot a, it's my way of saying, 'Thank you for su ppo rting rne.' " Laffert y carded a sco re of 15 poin ts for the overall during the 12-check, 96mil e eve nt, w hile a tie br eaker we nt in Yama ha 's Rand y Hawki ns ' favor after Hawkins a n d Larson Cy cle Racing' s Matt Stavish both tied wit h 17s. Davis finishe d fou rth wit h a scor e of 19, follo w e d b y Was hing t ons t ates Da vid Lykk e, who tallied a 23. La fferty ha s s truggled findi ng th e winners circle during the 15-round series this year, w here six different riders have now wo n overalls, includi ng Davis, who has five wins. Absent was Fred Andrews and Shane Watts, who bo th have at least one wi n to their name. Pau l Edmo ndso n, Dou g Blackwell and now La ffert y a ll have a win apiece. "Its li ke we just ca n' t make things happen th is year," sa id Lafferty. "We just haven't bee n able to make anything go ou r way. We' ll start to put togeth er a good rid e a n d th en so me th ing goes wrong a n d we're o u t of co n te ntion . Other years I've got used to not having any ma jor problems to deal wi th. Up to now , I think bad lu ck was just getting eve n." The wi n, Lafferty's th ird consecutive a t th e Akeley Na tional End uro since it becam e p art o f th e. Na ti onal En d u ro series in 1997, came in typ ical Lafferty style. The hard-ehar gin g Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, native establis hed an early lead and held on for the overall. KT M Spo rtm oto r cy cl e s /Tr elle borg /M oose Off-roa d / En d u ro Engi -