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AMAlFMF National Championship Enduro Series Round 2: Quicksilver National Enduro oIerser residents Michael Lafferty (left) and Fred Hoesa (beiowl felt right at home In the Callfomla snow and mud, slithering to first and second overall, respectlvelr· one and two. The third loop was basically a 12-mile special test that only AA, A and B entrants (vets, seniors and women excluded) were required to ride. Saturday's rider's meeting briefed all competitors on the last-minute changes, and much to the joy of everyone, the 7:30 a.m. start was postponed until 9:00. However, in the middle of the night, the skies once again opened up, making things even more interesting for the day ahead. For C, B, and even some A riders, it was a struggle just to make it through the snow and mud that covered the two-track roads on the first two loops. One particular hill that was used at the start of the second loop saw as many as 10 riders at a time stuck on the slimy climb. Top riders however, zeroed the first two loops before heading out onto the third. "I zeroed the first two loops, so the last section took five minutes from me," said KTM's Lafferty afterward. "Going into the last section, I knew I needed to ride fast but not take big chances. I just backed it down a little By MAn FREEMAN PHOTOS BY MARK KARIYA COAUNGA, CA, FEB. 18 ("j'z- or the second week in a row. vr a round of the AMA/FMF National Enduro Series went off with a hitch, only this time, rather than manmade errors with course markings and inaccurate clocks, it was Mother Nature throwing a figurative limb into the spokes of the participants. In the days leading up to the event, snow and rain plagued the mountainous Clear Creek Recreation Area, but the Salinas Ramblers Motorcycle Club acted fast, getting permission from the AMA to run a modified version of the original course. Modified or not, the mud- and snow-plagued three-loop event obviously favored those with mud-riding experience. And three-time champ Michael Lafferty - a resident of New Jersey - has enough of said experience that his overall win seemed only natural. In fact, fellow Jersey resident Fred Hoess was second overall. For this season, the AMA lowered the minimum number of miles that are required for a National Enduro from 100 to 85. Typically, the Ramblers have no problem getting the required total on their route sheets, but with trail conservation and poor weather conditions to consider, the Ramblers opted to go to an approximately 70-ground-mile event, using virtually the same course for loops 36 MARCH 7, 2001 • cue • • n • _ .. and rode smart and made no mistakes." Lafferty's score was the lowest by one point. Riding a Husqvarna, runner-up Hoess dropped six points on loop three, beating out Yamaha riders David Lykke and Randy Hawkins on tie-breakers. All three riders had been in the hunt for the overall going into the final section, but Hawkins got off just after the 13th of 14 checks, costing him dearly. "I rode well," Hawkins said. "I rode much better than the results look. In the last section, I made a mistake that dropped me back to fourth. I crashed on a rocky downhill, and Lykke and Hoess beat me at the next check by seconds." Hawkins, who won the event in the rain last year, felt a lot of gratitude to the Salinas Ramblers for putting on an event despite the conditions. "They did an excellent job with what they had to work with," he said. "For myself, it was just too short." While Hawkins rode a WR250F to fourth, Montclair Yamaha's Ty Davis, the only Californian in the top five, rode a YZ250F to finish fifth. Riding back on minute 38 with Washington's Jason Raines, Davis had the least mud-and-snow-riding experience of any competitor in the top 10, but that did not stop the two-time series champ from posting a seven. KTM's Pat Garrahan is no stranger to the Coalinga area. He and brother Brian have won many District 36 events at the same sight, but Pat's score of seven was only good enough for sixth overall. Finishing in the top 10 for the second week in a row was Richard Lafferty, taking seventh as the top Gas Gas rider. The brother of winner Mike, Richard was the only rider to drop eight points. The top-placing A rider was Tim Taber, who took 200cc A honors and an impressive eighth overall. Gas Gas' Matt Stavish and Scott Bright rounded out the top 10 with 1O-point scores. Believe it or not, Mike Lafferty's round-two win marked his best-ever start to a National Championship Enduro Series. Lafferty typically starts out the series modestly, letting other riders shine in the western