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/128324
s Associat ion Series Circuit Ser ies • • • •1 hip Enduro INfO fHE By C HARAY D uBOSE P HOTOS BY CARO LYN REED ERA r ider Stephen Reed rode to his first overal l win of the 2004 SERA enduro season. Deep with In t he Kisatchie National Forest, the Louisiana nat ive proved o nce aga in that he would be a top conte nde r for the year-end overall positio n just a few mon ths afte r re ceiving the 2003 SERA overall trop hy helmet. The co -sanctioned event, hosted by the Louisiana catch-up for the remaining 3.5 miles of faster trail. Reed see med to own this section as well , carding in at 3.10, with Cagle right on his tail, clocking in at 3.18. A restart at 8 I. I miles out was the start of the third test, which consisted of fairly fast tra ils. Here, Cagle proved to be a source of concern for Reed . Turning the ta bles, Cag le took th is section on his Suzuki with a score of 7.10, followed by Reed 's 7.18 . The next and final test sect ion was in the infamous "moguls," wher e Reed once again re igned with a 2.38 , followed by Kawasak i jockey Nat han Trail Riders, featu red 77 miles of everything from fast , open sections to needle-head-tight sections and even some new, fresh trails. The first test section was at 5.1 miles. The race rs rode up to the restart wiping the ir fogged goggles, as a slight, foggy mist had set in. There they were faced with 10.8 miles of new, moderate ly tight trails. Reed set his pace for the win early with a record score of six minutes and 14 seconds, followed by fellow SERA rider Carsten Cagle, who tu rned in the ne xt-best score of seve n minutes and three seconds. Reed too k t he challenge in st ride, as he rode to the next test at the 29.9-mile marker. The first mile of the 4.5-mile test sect ion was brutally t ight - as in "thread the needle" tight. Most riders exited th is tra il portion about two minutes down and found t hemselves playing Knight, also a SERA rider, with a score of 3.2. A member of the assisting forestry personnel commented about Reed : "We saw him racing down a 200-yard section of pipe line in the mogu ls, and we thought, ' He' s never going to make it,' when he got o n the brakes hard and then made the left turn back into the woods." "We cou ldn't have asked for a better weekend or trails," Reed enthused. "Th e new trails were a real treat. My Gas Gas 250 worked perfect for the tight trails, and my day was excellent excep t for o ne crash in the th ird test section." Reed also thanked his spo nsor s Hattiesburg Cycles , Gas Gas , ICO, Michelin, Enduro Engineering and Moose - for all their support at the races. Reed may have taken the day, but he has so me de finite competit ion on his S 50 2004 • CYCLE NEWS