Updated February 20, 2008   Email   Print

AMA FMF Racing National Enduro Series race reports

Mike Lafferty, Russell Bobbitt and Wally Palmer stood on the podium at Round 3.

Round 3

The third round of the AMA/FMF National Enduro Series presented by Maxxis may have been the closest margin of victory ever for an AMA national Enduro.

Just when you were sure that KTM teammates Mike Lafferty and Russell Bobbitt couldn’t possibly race any more closely than they did at the first round, where Lafferty edged Bobbitt by 6 seconds, it got even closer with Lafferty coming out on top at Round 3 by only 3 seconds.

The two battled 350 other riders and each other in the 70-plus-mile course the Acadiana Dirt Riders did a great job putting together. It consisted of nearly 100 percent of quality single-track with plenty of tree roots and an occasional low spot to test racers' rut-riding skills.

The day started with a 3-mile warmup before the first 3.5-mile test section that included the tightest trail of the day. Lafferty led the way with a 4:32 followed by Bobbitt’s 4:35 and New Jersey's Wally Palmer at 4:46. Another 6-mile transfer took the riders to the second test section, which was 10 miles in length and much faster than the first section.

Bobbitt took the section by 4 seconds and the race lead by 1 second. Palmer also had a good section, only 1 second behind Lafferty, while the big Texan, Cole Kirkpatrick, lost a point to the three leaders.

The ADR club's route finished out the first loop with a very technical 10.5-mile section to bring the riders in to the gas stop. The section had many creek banks, ravines and large logs that offered some great spectator vantage points. Lafferty’s 7:00 gained his biggest edge of the day, but that only amounted to a mere 12 seconds over Bobbitt’s 7:12. Palmer and Kirkpatrick also continued their battle for the final podium spot, each dropping 8.

The riders had a short break for fuel and then it was back on the trail for a second loop of the same course. With the trail fully established now, the times for most all riders were getting quicker, as the top four were about 25 seconds faster through the fourth test. Bobbitt had gained back 5 of the 11 seconds and now was only 6 seconds behind Lafferty. Once again the two KTM pilots were the quickest through the 10-mile long test five and this time it was Lafferty who extended his small lead by 2 seconds to hold an 8-second lead going into the final test.

It was clear that neither rider was about to let off and it would be all or nothing for the last 10.5 miles. Bobbitt was quickest for the third time, but it wasn’t quite enough, getting 5 of the 8 seconds back but still coming up 3 seconds short of the win. Kirkpatrick continued to keep pace with Palmer for third, but the one extra point in the second test would keep him looking for his first podium finish in his young career.

Team Am-Pro Yamaha rider Jason Raines was gunning to give the KTM boys some pressure, but a rare mechanical problem Sunday morning made it impossible for him to even leave the starting line.

Lafferty now holds down a slim one point lead in the series championship when the series continues on April 20.

Round 1

Michael Lafferty claimed the win at the opening round of the 2008 AMA FMF Racing National Enduro Series in Sumter, South Carolina, with a one-point victory over KTM teammate Russell Bobbitt.

Lafferty and Bobbitt were evenly matched through the first two sections of the fast and sandy 77-mile course with Lafferty holding a two-second advantage after the first section of the race. Amazingly, both riders turned in identical 4 "double zero" in the second 18-mile section.

However, the race was won (or lost) in the third section of the event, when Lafferty gained 40 seconds on Bobbitt after turning in an exceptionally fast ride. Bobbitt retaliated in the fourth section, gaining back 12 seconds from the eight-time champion, but it was too little too late as Lafferty took the win by a 30-second margin, dropping 18 points to Bobbitt’s 19.

Yamaha’s Barry Hawk, who was riding the event to get ready for the upcoming GNCC opener in Florida, finished third with 22 points.

Fourth went to fellow Yamaha rider and defending Hare Scrambles champ Jason Raines. Raines is riding the first three rounds of the National Enduro series and plans to "see how it goes" before deciding if he will finish out the series.

Fifth went to local Kawasaki rider and up-and-coming GNCC whiz Jesse Robinson, while veteran KTM rider Shane Watts finished sixth after running among the front-runners during the early part of the race.

The SERMA-hosted event was a huge success for the series in general and the National Enduro Promoters Group, since it was the first National Enduro to be scored totally by electronic means. Riders were issued transponders and at each check the rider’s times were transmitted to a hand-held PDA and then downloaded to a main computer for final scoring. The scoring was fast and flawless.

© 2008, American Motorcyclist Association