Cycle News Staff | March 20, 2000
After a slow start to the season, former National Enduro Champion Michael Lafferty and his sponsor, KTM, made up for lost time at the third round of the AMA/FMF National Enduro Series in Greensboro, Georgia, yesterday. Lafferty took the win, and KTM took four of the top five positions overall. KTM’s Allen Gravitt and Brian Garrahan finished second and third overall, respectively.
Yamaha four-stroke rider Randy Hawkins, who had won the first two rounds and the Alligator Enduro in Daytona, was the only non-KTM pilot to break the top five. Hawkins finished fourth overall, and although he still retains his lead in the points standings, Lafferty now trails him by just two points, 78-76. Patrick Garrahan (Brian’s brother) rounded out the top five on another KTM.
A nice battle is shaping up for the title this year, with Hawkins and Lafferty – both former champions – the primary contenders. Hawkins appeared to be sitting pretty after winning the first two rounds in the Western U.S., a region that is not considered his strength. But a slip closer to home in Georgia has allowed Lafferty into the hunt, and the next round in early April will be in New Jersey – Lafferty’s home state.
In Georgia, Matt Stavish finished sixth on a Gas Gas, followed by Yamaha rider David Lykke and Kawasaki pilot Doug Deaton. The top 10 was completed by Michael Grizzle on a Husaberg and Nolan Knight on a Gas Gas.
