Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

degree temperatures, no dust and great traction. The washes had enough of a trickle to cool the riders smoking through in fifth gear but not enough to make the waterfall sections any tougher. And the miles of steep, curving uphill trails still seemed like concrete covered in marbles. The ATR event is usually the first on the RMEC schedule, allowing Colorado riders a brief, if somewhat painful, respite from winter. Although the weather made Phoenix the place to be this weekend, it was not enough to surmount the true nature of the desert. Of the 281 entries, only 59 percent were considered finishers. Seventy-one actually DNFed, and 21 more riders houred out. Flats were everywhere, along with smoked clutches and toasted valves. Few of the tires used are likely to see another trail. A lot was packed into the 36-mile short course with its 18-mph speed average. A disarming beginning on some easy washes and jeep roads led to Garfias Wash, where conditions allowed riders to grab a handful of throttle and hold on. This led to Don's Falls, where A's and C's alike were forced to manhandle their hardware through a maze of granite chunks the size of small cars. A relentless flow of water over and around the rocks added interest. Riders surviving the "small falls" met the challenge of Boulder Garden Road - emphasis on boulder. A trip up White Wash led to the C finish Opening'round winner Billy Russell finished fourth. and first gas for the A and B riders. The gas stop allowed a brief respite before the fun began in earnest. The riders went back up "big side hill," a seemingly endless off-camber climb with loose gravel and a series of steps near the top, then "up and down Jeep Road" and on to trails that covered the spectrum from painfully tight and twisting to undulating Jeep trails that allowed cheek-stretching speeds. Another trip down the small falls and some fast Jeep trails led to the A-B split at 70.3 miles. From this point, B riders rode the infamous Shelf Trail, which ends at the Waterfall: a series of slick rock steps that demand finesse or offer the alternative of lying on your back in a shallow pool with a motorcycle in your lap. A short run up another sand wash led to the B finish, at around 73 ground miles. "Enough with the hills," muttered one exhausted B rider after pulling and pushing on his bars for hours. "My arms feel like overcooked spaghetti." A-class riders were treated to the Ridge and Corral trails, leading back to the small falls, the Shelf Trail. Waterfall and Boulder Garden Road. The Peak and Saddle trails led to the final trail, appropriately named after a body function describing elimination. The (short by some standards) 86 ground miles seemed to satisfy even the hard-core challengers. First-round winner Billy Russell, of Watsonville, California, aptly summarized: "I really think Geoff Aaron could have overalled this thing on his trials bike." Russell finished fourth, one point behind Lafferty and three behind Hatch. "Had some trouble; rode the wrong loop," a chastened Russell said. "I took the wrong course for sure on the first loop and ended up riding the third loop twice, which was gnarly, but other than that it was nice. A real tough enduro. "It definitely hurts to see that I'd possibly be in there for the win if I hadn't taken that route," he went on to say. "Me, Barber and Tim Taber, and it looks like Lafferty, may have done it, too. We all rode that third loop twice. It was tough. It was just as hard the second time. It was definitely a tough enduro, a real enduro." Last year's winner, David Lykke, of Lansing, Michigan, was realistic about the turn of events and his fifth-place finish. ''I'm a little disappointed, because I won the race last year," he said. "I just did not ride the bike well Sunday. The course was great, the bike was great, and I just couldn't get it going." Tim Taber of Moline, Illinois, flogged his KTM to an eighth-place finish. "I had a little bit of trouble in the beginning, I took a wrong turn and rode the A loop twice. There might have been a couple of checks that were a little funny, but I'm not sure about that. I got stuck on a couple of hills. Other than that, I think the club did a really good job using the land they have and working with this. Overall, they did a really good job." Behind Taber was a somewhat lesscheerful Ron Schmelzle, the RMEC's top AA rider. "I bonked," he said. "It was a great trail, plenty difficult. I'm too old for this. I should really start training." RMEC referee Dave Smoljan was among the ATR supporters. "I think Don Hood gave an honest effort," Smoljan said. "I know there've been problems in the past, but this was the best event I've eN seen here." DESERT MOUNTAIN ENDURO WICKENBURG, ARIZONA RESULTS: FEBRUARY (ROUND 2 OF 27, 2005 9) GRAND CHAMPION: Steve Hatch (Kaw). OVERALL A: I. Steve Hatch (Kaw); 2. Matt Stavish (Hon); J. Mike Lafferty (KTM); 4. Billy Russell (KTM: S. Davld lykke (KTM): 6. Jordan Brandt: 7. Steven Kreis (KTM); 8. Tim Taber (KTM): 9. Ron Schmelzle (Yam): 10. Mike Monroe; I I. Ryan Rodgers; 12. Richard lafferty (KTM); 13. Jeff Bauer; 1-4. Scott Myers: 15. Russell Pereira. OVERALL B: I. Ernie Alsup; 2. Jack McCormick; 3. Alex Smith: 4. Darrell Ekbom; S. Brett McMillen; 6. Dave Bower (Yam); 7. Vance Kennedy: 8. Joseph Volpe: 9. Adam Johnston: 10. Robert Cole: I I. Ron Jackson; 12. Keith Ratcliff: I J. Jeff Markewicz (KTM); 14. Daniel Roper, IS. Todd Harrison (Yam). OVERALL C: I. Kevin Brunson; 2. Kelty Alexander, J. Ken Carpenter, 4. Michael FoNarsky; 5. Max Gerston: 6. Bill Flynn; 7. Roben Berg; 8. Adam Snay: 9. $con Sanders: 10. Jerry Foster: II. James Robinson: 12. Jack lMlley; I J. Doug Seitz: 14. Robert Hormell: 15. T.J. Brown. AMA FMF NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 2 of 9 rounds): I. Matt Slavish (50): 2. (TIE) Steve Hatch (4811 win)/Billy Russell (4811 Win); ". (TIE) David Lykke (J7)/Mlke lafferty (37): 6. Tim Taber (28): 7. Mike Monroe (22): 8. Russell Pereira (18); 9. Jordan B.-andl{IS); 10. Brian Jelich (14). David Lykke rounded out the top five. CYCLI NEWS • MARCH 16,2005 37

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