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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128389
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OFF-ROAD
Round 6
. . . . . . AMA National
The HEAT Is On'
K
M's Mike Lafferty made it
four wins in a row after over-
coming extremely dusty conditions and near 100-degree
mperatures to take the overall victory during the Loose Moose National
Enduro in Marquette, Michigan. Lafferty
tallied a score of 43, while Team Throttlehead.com/Kawasaki's Steve Hatch finished
second with a score of 47. Lafferty's win
extends his lead in the AMA National
Enduro Series over Hatch, 166 to I 29, with
just three races left in the nine-race series.
Lafferty, the six-time National Enduro
Champion, edged out Hatch by one minute
in four of the enduro's six special tests,
which featured tight, rocky, single-track
trails. Hatch tied Lafferty in the remaining
two tests.
"Without the heat, this would have been
considered a hard event. With the heat, it
will probably be the toughest race of the
series," Lafferty said. "I'm sure some B and
C riders didn't have a lot of fun out there
today. If they finished, my hat's offto them."
Rounding out the top five were KTM's
David Lykke, Yamaha-mounted Blair
Bersano and Gas Gas rider John Barber.
They carded scores of 53, 54 and 55,
respectively.
"We're actually real happy with our
results," said the 36-year-old Hatch, who
won the National Enduro Series title in
1994. "Mike [Lafferty] has been riding so
good lately that the only race seems to be
who's going to finish second. This is just my
second year back [after concentrating on
the GNCC series for eight years], and we're
still getting back on track. The important
thing is we're having a ton of fun, and that's
what it's all about."
Lafferty, who calls New Jersey home,
credited his success to his fast pace early in
the race.
"I got off to a good start this morning
when they threw an 8.8-mile test at us right
away," Lafferty said. "I've always been a
good starter, and I knew if I got off to a fast
start, I could carry that lead into the afternoon before it got hot."
Lafferty's fast-paced strategy drew first
blood when he carded a two in that test
while Hatch and Russell Bobbitt scored
threes and Bersano and Barber tallied fours.
"Right out of the gate, I wanted to pick
up enough of a lead that if I had any problems, I would be able recover," Lafferty said.
'~ it turned out, 1broke my shift lever during the next test, and I had to ride that
whole section in third gear. We got it fixed
at the next available gas, but we didn't have
any time left to make some needed suspension adjustments. So, we waited until the
64
next reset and made those changes."
Lafferty and Hatch both went seven in
the first test and six in the second, while
Bersano went 8-6. Bobbitt and Lykke
went 8-8. The total scores at the halfway
point were Lafferty, 15; Hatch, 16;
Bersano, 18; Bobbitt, 19. Lykke and
Barber both had 21 .
Test four saw Lafferty increase his lead
again when he turned in a nine while Hatch,
Bobbitt and Lykke all tallied lOs. Bersano
went I I, and Barber went I3.
Test five was the turning point for many
of the riders as the dust and midday temperatures quickly separated the top riders.
Lafferty again set the benchmark with a fIVe
while Hatch went six. Lykke, Bersano and
Barber went seven.
Test fIVe is also where Bobbitt's thirdoverall ride qUickly evaporated when he
missed a comer marker and went on to
drop 19 points.
"I actually had a good day going until I got
lost, missed a comer marker and rode on
follOWing somebody else's dust," Bobbitt
said. "I finally got turned around and headed
for what I thought was the course and
ended up getting lost worse. By the time I
found my way back, I was way down. I was
so mad. Midway [in that test] I caught
Barber and was really making good time. By
the time I got to the next restart, I didn't
have enough time to stop and replenish fluids, and during the last section I started
cramping. My body had just had enough."
Bobbitt's misfortune dropped him from
third to 13th overall for the day, effectively
moving Lykke, Bersano and Barber up.
"I had no real problems here today other
than the dust," Lykke said. "I felt I went as
fast as I could without taking any chances. I
could have rode a little more aggressively,
but I crashed myself out [at round five of the
National Enduro Series] last month, and
today I chose to ride a little more conservative. The heat was a big factor as well. I saw
a lot of riders slOWing up as the day went
on. What it comes down to is that I would
rather be safe than sorry."
Lafferty and Barber each posted a 14 in
the last test. Both Hatch and Lykke finished
on 15. Bersano carded an 18 to finish out
the event.
eN
looSE MOOSE ENDURO
MARQUETTt, MICHIGAN
RESULTS: JULY
16, 2005
(ROUND
6
OF
9)
OVERAll: I. Mike lafferty (KTM); 2. Steve Hatch (Kaw);
3. Dam Lyi