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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128341
Round 10 ; OFF-ROAD ~ AMAlFMF Racing National Enduro Series I f you signed up to ride the Litt le Burr National Enduro this year and your last name resembled that of a bird of prey, the chances are that you did pretty good . And your chances just got even better if you ride a Yamaha for the Am-Pro team. Just ask Barry Hawk and Randy Hawkins, who both made the podium at this year 's event. Of the two "Hawks," one might've guessed that it was the seven -time enduro champion Hawkins who got the win, but it was the Hawk - without the "ins" - that nabbed his first-ever National Enduro victory. "I'm happy to finally get one ," said Hawk, the defending Grand Nat ional Cross Country Champion. "I've won a SETRAenduro before, but never a National. I've ridden about IS [Nationals] and I've come close many times , but I was never able to put it together - until now." And he did it in grand style. He batt led his Am-Pro teammate Haw kins and defending Nati ona l Enduro champ Mike Lafferty the whole way in O hio and was rewarded with a close one-point victory over Lafferty, 1920. Hawk ins ended up third, also wit h a 20-point card . "Eve ry time I do an en duro , I get a little better at it," Hawk said. "I've bee n in the running [for the win) before , and I sometimes lose focus; before I know it, I'm not charging. But this time I was able to stay focused and stay with them all day." And Hawk, a longtime GNCC racer, didn't just "tag along" with another rider on his minute , as he relied on his own timekeeping skills. "I have to thank Hawkins and the ICO people - they are the ones who taught me how to timekeep," Hawk said, "although I still have a lot of learning to do . Sometimes I just don't understand how they know that it's okay to go into a special test like a minute early - I'm, like, I0 seconds early. But they've been doing this for a long time and know the rules better, like they know where a check can and cannot be . I just relied on my timekeeping and computer." The Enduro Riders Association created a fun and challenging National enduro. Despite a couple of land-use and checkpoint-clock issues, complaints were few and far between. The enduro started at the Vinton County Fairgrounds with a 4-mile section , which included a grasstrack, an MX track and some woods trail. From there, the race went north to a 12-mile section of real Ohio woods. The typical score from the top competitors was an average three- to four-point drop. Then the ride contin ued on west and south to some easy two-track and a 3-mile woods section that led to the first gas stop. It was just before here that the ser ies leade r going into the ride, David Lykke, suffered a hard get -off. Lykke reportedly overcooked it in an open field sect ion, came over a rise and missed a turn. The bike flipped, which resu lted in a bent subframe and handlebars . He would re place the twisted parts at various times through out the day, slowing his overa ll progress. He would finish out the day in seventh and lose his points lead. Meanwhile, after the gas, the land-use issues started. The trail entrance was blocked , so the club had to bypass four miles of woods as well as check five, The riders would eventually join back on to the trail for several more miles of woods. After that little fiasco was another 14-mile test section. This test was pretty rough , but Hawk bested the field with a score of five in this section . Next up was a 7-mile section that started immediately with 3.2 miles of very tight woods. All the top riders dropped three to four points at this check . I 66 SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary ~