Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 23 JUNE 11, 2013 Briefly... STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAN MOORE C harlie Mullins keeps building momentum in the Rekluse AMA National Enduro Series and now sits 27-points clear of his nearest competitor in the series standings after his latest victory at the Loose Moose Enduro in Marquette, Michigan. Held in the upper peninsula of Michigan just a few miles from Lake Superior, the Loose Moose consisted mostly of fast sandy trail, with a few tight and technical bits added in for good measure, including the final test of the day, which featured some pretty challenging rock sections. In all, Mullins won five of the six tests, conceding the fourth one to Brad Bakken, who managed an error-free ride in the eight-mile section of trail to post the fastest time. But for the most part, Mullins managed to gain 10 to 15 seconds on his nearest competitor in each of the tests, ending the day with a whopping two-minute cushion over runner-up Nick Fahringer. "I won five of the six and I didn't have any crashes, so I would have to say it was a good day," said Mullins. "It was pretty sandy and technical and pretty fast in some places. I really liked the course except for the second test, which was kind of tight for my taste. But it was still a good day, and from here we just have to get ready for the next round and keep the ball rolling." n P99 Charlie Mullins flat-out dominated the Loose Moose National in Michigan. FAR Husqvarna's Andrew DeLong had to sit this one out. DeLong, who won a round earlier in the season, broke his hand and injured his foot a week and a half before the Loose Moose Enduro and had surgery a few days later, requiring six screws in his hand and three in one of the knuckles on his hand. It is not yet known exactly how long he'll be off the bike but it certainly won't be anytime soon. Mike Lafferty switched things up again, this time trading his four-stroke Husaberg for the lighter two-stroke, which is what he started the year on before changing to the four-stroke after round three. "I like the two-stroke and I'm glad I rode it," said Lafferty. "It seems like I can push all day long in every test; it seems really good in that regard. I'm just a little off the pace, though, and need to make up some time. I felt like I had a chance to get on the podium, but it just didn't work out." Brad Bakken had nothing but good things to say about the Loose Moose course. "I really like this place, the dirt was excellent, and traction was great, it was almost like Velcro out there," said Bakken. Jesse Groemm matched his best finish of the year with a fifth-place finish. The AmPro Yamaha rider has shown he has the speed, evidenced by his fourth-fastest time in the fourth test, but he just needs to work on his consistency. "This was my first time here and it was pretty awesome – fast flowing sandy stuff," said Groemm. "I had a couple of tip-overs and get-offs, which cost me a little time, but the bike felt great and I'm just trying to work my self up into that top three. This place was pretty close to where I ride in New Jersey, with the fast, wide-open sandy trail. But that last section was pretty tight and I stalled it once in there. I did okay, but I didn't ride that part as well as I wanted."

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