Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542393
Russell Bobbin clairned hb first-ever victq ry in the AMA FMF Racint Ndbnd Enduro Series earlier h the year in G€orgia atd after four rounds ofttre serk5, sits con ort- abty in second place in the srandirEs behind s€rijen-tirne d|ampion Mike laffert/. After plenty of erccess a the r€Sional lq/el, kEldirE thb yEar's SETRA Hare Scrambles dde and the SETRA Enduro title, th€ quiet 2Gyear-oH from Fa)€ttEville, Georgia has put hirnself in position to dnlbnge a dre National level ard w:r.rld eventualty like to add a National Enduro tide to his creden- tiah. Fle aiso h6 had some |SDE experi- ence after ridirg anent dte past two years a d wanB to qualifr thb year's q/ent in New Zeaiard. bbitt talked aboL,t his y€ar after his second-place finish at the Leadbeh Ndional Enduro in Missouri. cn' Tdl us about gour first National €nduFo win in G€olgia. russcllbobbitt h was anuzirg. I was on cloud nine for a whole week after thx. Ewrybody uas happy for me and everyone at SETM h6 beer p(lshirE for r€, so it really feds good to actEly 8et ooe r.rder my belt. cn: Ydr hav€ b€€n dos€ b€forE russellbobbite Yes, lle had a fevr sec- ords in dle past, and l'\,e done \^/ell at the Georgia round the last couple of ;,ean- But thb year it worked out. (,l: What do gou think ls diffsEnt about this g€arP ruscellbobbitt Going to the Six Dq/s this pqst year realy helped me with my line selection. That is how the European riders carry so mwh speed weryrvhere. Plus, I've been training ard practicing a lot. I do a ld of cro6s.training with bicy.les, too, and that aharap helps with balarce. cnr W}tat ar€ qoun strong points? russellbobbitc I seem to be better in the tEhter se€tions- ln gnarly situations I u$al- y do wdl, b,ut not so much in the really raalg/ stufr. Sioce l'm from the SouttEast, there are rnore rolling hills and hard woo& to ride on. &rt, d fle GeorBia roud, it w6 an adrantage for me to be able to use all tIrc knowledge I have ganed from riding tErE- But it still rezly came dorvn to riding dE fastest, and ttnt's how I weuld like all drcracestobe-toracetf|e tual sections. cn: Did gou grow up riding €ndurosP russellbobbittr Yeah, I've only ridden one motocross race, My dad and I have been riding enduros since l\das 12, and a few Hare Scrambles in SETR\ cn: An€ gou ridinq th€ qualifi€rs again for the Six DagsT russellbobbitt: I rode the 2003 Six Days in Brazil and I rode last year, so I want to ride it again. This yeac we are going to the Tennessee qualifler and the Oklahoma round. Then we are going to do the World Enduro round in Nerv York, so that will be a lot of fun. cn: What ar€ gour goals for th€ I5D€? russellbobbitt: I would like to make it on the Junior Trophy Team, that is my main 8oal. I would rather be on that thafl the Trophy Team this year. Everyone's really gunhing to be on that team, so it would be really prestigious to make it. cnr What about gour ov€rall goals? russellbobbitg Nadonal Enduros seem to be my {avorite series right now We played a little in the GNCC Seri6, and this year was my lirst year to ride some Pro roun&. That series has a different kind of feeling to it. Rjgtt now, I iust like the enduro series, it has better trails. So haturally, I would like to win a Nationaltitle. 8y Sfian Moore Russell Bobbitt Checkin' ln lJr t Charlie Mullins: Breaking Out GNCC racer Charlie Mullins is havinS a breakoot season in 2006. ln only his first year in the Pro division. the 2&year-old from Hamilton, Ohio, has been in con- tention for the win at every round of the series so hr and has finished second. behind defendinS series champ .luha Salminen, on three diflerent occasions. Had it not been for bad luck (running out of gas while running second in Georgia and tangling with anqther rider at the race * Loretta Lynn's) he could easily be in sec- ond overall in the GNCC seri€s standings. Howeve4 despite two DNFs, Mullins still hol* down the number-frve spot in dle points and is boking to up his stock during the second half of the season, Mullins was exched about his chances for the rest of the year when we spoke to him at the Sho\,/time National in Missouri. cn: You'v€ had a good rooki€ sEa$n so fal: but gou havc had somG ups and downs. char{lemulins: Yeah, I had three sec- onds, whn:h I am excited about, but I've had oaro DNFs this year: ln Georgia, I had a gas isue and I was disqualified from that event. At Loretta LFnt it was going good, I was up from running with Juha, but I enfu up crashing and I hurt ny wrist, so I had to drop olrt. lt's b€en pretty up and down, rc I am ready to get consistent. cnr How is goun wrisP charliemullins: lt's okay. I did an OMA race last weekend in lndiana and it went pretty good. lt was a muddy race and I was leading it until the last lap, hJt I tot stuck and Jimmy Jarett got around me. I ended up second and my wrist feh good and strong. cn: You havE r€allg co{rE on strorlg this g€aP. WhU ls thaP charliemullins: Yeah, I haven t really changed much from last year, 6ough. Maybe I am traininS a litth hardet because the pace is so much faster and you've got to be in befier stEpe. But, I think I have more experience now from riding with faster guys, I haye been forurnate enou8h to learn how to ride dleir pace and be able to run up front. cn: What is it going to tak€ to g€t to th€ next level? charliemullins: I think l've 8ot the speed to run with Juha, it is just a matter af eliminating the mistakes and staying out oftrouble - being in the right place at the right time. luha's been consistent all year, and that's what it takes to be a true champion. cn: Th€r€ s no doubt that gou would bc sitting in s€cond ov€F all in th€ sEri€s if not for th€ two DNFS. charliemullins: I iust take it race by race and ldon't worD/ about points. Hopefully I can win one of these before the year is up. cn: Did Uou grcw up with a cross-countru background? charliemullins: I saned GNCC racing in 2000- ln 2001 and 2002, I did motocross, as well. ln 2003, it was my first full year of GNCC5 in the bi8-bike class. I raced 200 A and ended up second. Then in 20O4, I raced 250 A and ended up second. Last yea( I linally won a championship, the 250 A class, so now I am riding Pro full time. Cn: What ar€ gouP goals for th€ futur€P (harliemullinsr I definitely \^iant to be a GNCC champion. That is my number- one goal. But I would like to stay healthx and do this for as lonS as I can, and just enjoy ewry minute of it. By Shan Moore EHMT REEN43 t a \ \-,:f I Ir L-/ ,- --] r=tLflfEls;r tl==lrr]lrr] |l a a I I ? t ,,p lrj i t n .* 22 MAYt7,2oo6 CYCLE NEWS