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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128370
competing, including current champ Hawkins and former Champions Mike Lafferty and Dick Burleson and his old Husky teammate Mike Melton, who both did all right - Burleson took second in the 200cc A class, as did Melton in the 2S0cc A class. Melton last rode the 'Gator 2 I years ago, and he won that event in 1984. This time, both Burleson and Melton were KTM-mounted. Legendary offroader Jeff Fredette and Melton rode their very first Six Days together, and Fredette is still flying, as he took the overall A-class honors on a Kawasaki KX2S0F four-stroke. The outlook for the race looked very wet on Wednesday, as it rained all day. But the Florida sand soaked it up and made for near-perfect conditions. Add in temps in the 70s, and it just doesn't get any better. There were several miles of trail off the start to get the riders warmed up. The first check was around the 12mile mark and was an easy zero. It came after a few miles of two-track and kept the riders honest. The first pOints-taking section was a 12-miler. It had a lot of deep, sugarlike sand and lots of switchbacks. "I had a hard time getting going," Lafferty said. "I just couldn't get a rhythm, and I was playing with the suspension some, trying to get my bike to turn better." Lafferty dropped seven points and Team AM Pro Yamaha rider Jason Raines, who made a last-minute decision to race and rode on the last row, dropped the low score in the section with a six. A burned check going in, however, cost him two additional points. Hawkins and Edmondson both dropped eight. Then there was more free territory, followed by the gas stop. "I raced the GNCC on Tuesday and really haven't done much to my bike since then," Edmondson said. "When I got going this morning, I noticed the clutch was going out. Lucky for me, the guys at Augusta Kawasaki/KTM gave me a clutch at the gas stop." Lafferty made some fine-tuning as well. "One good thing about riding this race is I get to ride with my mechanic, Alan Randt," he said. "We get to do testing on the bike." The club placed another tricky check after the gas that was an easy zero for those watching the clock. There were two timed sections remaining, both about eight miles long. The trail was faster and more flowing. Lafferty, Hawkins and Edmondson all dropped one point, and Raines dropped two. There were several hundred yards of fast Jeep roads heading to the out-check, and Lafferty missed a zero by a second. "I knew the check was coming up, and I hammered on the road," Lafferty said. "I watched the cards flip right before I got there. After some adjustments, I got my bike turning great. I really felt a lot better in the second half of the race." After a brief reset, the riders headed into the final section of the day. Unfortunately, sometime early in the race, arrows got torn down and quite a few riders rode the section twice. "I rode by mileage marker 89 two times. I knew something was wrong, and I was worried about running out of gas," Edmondson said. The club found the trouble spot and steered riders the right way but decided the only fair thing to do was throw out the check. This jostled some scores around. in the other classes, Wilfredo Ramirez, riding in the 2S0cc class, dropped 18 points to claim the overall B spot, and Mathew Taylor, riding in the 12Scc class, dropped an 18 as well to take the top spot in the C class. eN TOMOKA FARMS DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA RESULTS: MARCH 10, 2005 (ROUND 11 OF 14) O/A: I. Mike Lafferty (8): 2. Stephen Edmondson (9): 3. Randy Hawkins (9); -4. Jason Raines (10): 5. Fred Hoes (10): 6. Russell Bobbin (II): 7. Brooks Hamilton (II): B. Glen Myatt (II); 9. Jeff Fredette (12); 10. Mike GrinJe (12); II. Rodney Judson (12): 12. John Bennett (12): Il. Jo'h xott (Il): 14. Lee o.ley (I J): IS. John Day (I J): 16. Nolan Knight(ll); 17. DanielJanus(13}; 18. Jimmy lewis (13); 19. Kev;n Foley (I J): 20. John Burga,d (11). (Below, left to right) Mike Grizzle hod wire wrap up in his wheel but got it out to finish 10th. Coming in sixth was KTM rider Russell Bobbitt. Dick Burlson makes a regular appearance at the Alligator Enduro, and this year was no diHerent; here, he wheelies his big KTM out of a tough spot. CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 23, 2005 49