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AMA/FMF National Championship Round 3: Cherokee National Enduro (Left) Michael Lafferty showed that he shouldn't be counted out this year, riding to a dominant win and nipping Randy Hawkins' win streak in the bud. Lafferty won every special test by a point or more. Finishing second overall, and taking more points out of Hawkins' lead, was Lafferty's teammate Allen Gravitt (below at left), a lo~al SETRA hot shoe. STORY AND PHOTOS BY KENNETH KING GREENSBORO,GA,MAR.19 ust when everyone was getting ready to proclaim this Randy Hawkins' year to score a title on his four-stroke Yamaha, KTM's Mike Lafferty stopped the Javelin's streak at two, scoring the win at the Cherokee National. Lafferty got some additional help from his teammates, with KTM riders Allen Gravitt and Brian Garrahan filling out the top three and taking additional slack out of Hawkins' points lead. Hawkins finished fourth and had his advantage cut to just two points, and with the nex~ round set for Lafferty's home state of New Jersey, Lafferty is in a good position. Lafferty posted excellent scores all day long, actually besting everyone by at least a point in each of the sections. His total was 17. "I had a great day," said Lafferty. "After I got out of the real tight stuff, I started riding the bike and having fun. I was on row 36; the last time I had that row was at this race a few years ago, and I won. I think the late row helped me out today." Hawkins, who also won the prestigious Alligator Enduro in Daytona J 28 APRIL 5. 2000' cue • - Beach, Florida, had a good day, with no trouble to speak of, but the KTM team was just too strong this weekend. "It was a good race," said Hawkins. "The club did a good job; it was definitely the tightest Cherokee I've ridden in years. I rode good; no excuses. The bike worked well. This was the tightest race I've ridden on the bike." Gravitt was the surprise of the day. Riding his 200 EXC, the SETRA regular dropped 23 points on the day, tying his best-ever national finish. "I had a good day - a lot of fun," he said. "I think I could have done a little better." Garrahan was just a point back with 24. He and brother Pat were the bread on a Hawkins sandwich, as Pat's 25 was good four fifth overall. The speed average was almost straight-24, with just one section jumping to 30. A few miles of warmup trail led to the first (and major) point-taking section - five miles of tight, virgin trail, with handlebarwidth trees, lots of ditches and exposed roots. It was here that Lafferty showed he meant business, posting the fast time with a score of six. "That first section was tight," he n _ _ IS said. "It wasn't much fun. I think being on a late row helped me; I'm sure it was wider on row 36 than it was on 20. When I saw bark missing from a sapling, I knew I could just charge over it." Gravitt wasn't far off the pace, dropping seven. "I got pinned between two trees trying to make a pass and got stuck. 1 was there for 20 or so seconds when Mitch McRee bumped me from behind and broke me lose. I think I went a 7:41." Garrahan matched Gravitt's score BRIEFLY••• GNCC regular Shane Watts (right) showed up and signed up on row 75 on a 250. Shortly after the race Started. Watts moved up to around row 20 and rode with friends. What did he think of the race? "I just came out for a bit of a trail ride." he said. "Once I got out of that tight stuff. I had fun. !Watts was riding without Bark Busters.! We don't have the tight trail like this in Australia. Why would we? It's not much fun to ride. I think I had more fun today than anyone. I didn't have to stop at any of those resets: I just kept on riding. What a lot of fun. In addition to being round three of the AMA/FMF Nation· al Enduro Series. this was round 12 of the SETRA seriell. This is the 34th year that the Cherokee Enduro Riders have put on the event. Over 350 riders signed up. but the threat of nasty weather kept many at home. The course was 103 actual ground miles in length. divided into five points-taking sections and 12 checkpoints. Temperatures were down in the 308 in the morning. and in the low 50s by midday. Cloudy skies and wind made it feel even colder. Rain threatened all day. and finally let loose as the race was coming to an end. The area had gotten rain a few days before. making for some slick spots and mud. but overall ground conditions were nearly perfect.