Daytona In the Dirt

DAYTONA IN THE DIRT

DODGING 'GATORS ON A KDX200

DAYTONA ISN'T JUST about roadracing. While Don Canet was flogging the Team Cycle World Superbike to a top-10 finish in Thursday's qualifier on the Speedway's high banks, I was a few feet above swamp level, slogging a Kawasaki KDX200 through the mud of the Alligator Enduro. Now in its 44th year, the Alligator is put on by the

Daytona Dirt Riders, and is one of the prestige events on the Eastern enduro circuit. This year, about 350 riders showed up to tackle the 80-mile course. My rent-a-racer came by way (expense) of Kawasaki enduro ace Jeff Fredette. He loaned

me his brand-new KDX200 with all the fixings. It was going to be his racebike for the rest of the year, but I was to break it in for him while he tested his new KLX25O. All I

had to do was mount up my enduro computer and go. By good fortune, I was riding on minute 20, the same as Team Green member and multi-time Alligator winner Joey Hopkins. So much for time-keeping; I had a human comput

er on my minute. But standard editorial luck soon struck as I seized the zero-mile KDX rid ing to the start line. After a few moments of cool-down, though, the KDX sprang to life with one prod of the kickstarter, and I was able to start on time. I kept Hopkins' Kawasaki in sight until my overstressed and still-unbroken-in KDX locked up once again, axle deep in the ubiquitous Florida mud. I waited a few seconds the bike back to life. Hard on the gas, I was a few minutes late to the first check. Fortunately, there was a road section after the check, a good spot to make up some lost time, so I pinned it-and promptly seized the little KDX once again. And, once again, it started up after a few sec onds of cool-down. I have never had a bike take this much abuse and still keep running. I plugged on, occasionally keeping company with Hopkins and National Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins, both men giving me woods-riding lessons. Halfway through the event, the KDX was fully broken-in, and I was having a blast riding in mud and slop. I even negotiated a gas-tank-deep water hole, aided by the advice of two guys standing shoulder deep in the muck, pointing at the good line through. Despite my piston-sticking best, the little KDX carried me to first place in the 200cc A-class, and I would have had the A-overall if not for motocrosser-turned-off-roader Guy Cooper, who won the 250cc A-class. Overall, I was 12th. My sometimes-riding-partner Hopkins took the AA HighPoint overall honors on the day, adding yet another Alligator to his win list. Second place went to Team Suzuki's Steve Hatch-he dropped 11 points compared to Hopkins' 10. Hawkins rounded out the top three. So why do they call it the Alligator Enduro? It's said that if you're lucky. you'll see one of the nasty critters out on the course. Luckily,

course. Luckily, I wasn't that lucky.

Jimmy Lewis