After the first two rounds of series, it was pretty obvious that Charlie Mullins was the man to beat in the 2013 Rekluse AMA National Enduro Championship. Even with his mechanical failure at the Texas round back in March, the FMF/KTM rider was able to quickly regain the points lead and build a cushion in the series standings.
By round seven of the series, it became clear that, barring a major catastrophe, the Ohio-born rider would likely be the 2013 champ. The question on everyone’s mind was by how big of a margin?
At the Black Coal National Enduro, in Lynnville, Indiana, Mullins laid it all to rest, clinching the 2013 title with one round left on the schedule. And as usual, he did it by getting off to a fast start.
Mullins got a big jump on the competition by winning the first three tests of the day, giving him a decent cushion over the competition.
In test four, Andrew DeLong challenged Mullins by turning the fastest time in the section by five seconds over Mullins.
Then, in test five, Jesse Groemm topped Mullins, turning a time that was 17 seconds quicker.
However, Mullins sealed the deal with a decisive ride in the sixth and final test, going 15 seconds faster than Russell Bobbitt and taking the overall win by a minute-and-a-half over Groemm.
“This is a big weight off my shoulder, to get this title out of the way,” Mullins said. “I started off really strong. I just felt really good and the bike worked well. Jesse Groemm beat me in the fifth test, but I was able to come back and win the final test and put it away. It (the course) just had a nice flow to it, and the club did a great job of marking it.”
In addition to winning a test, Groemm also tied Mullins in the third test and finished out the day in second, a personal best for the Am Pro Yamaha rider. Meanwhile, DeLong’s third place finish was impressive considering it was his first race back for the FAR Husqvarna rider after spending the last few months recovering from a broken hand.
Fahringer just barely missed out on fourth but still maintains second in the standings despite finishing off the podium for only the second time all year.
Obermeyer Yamaha’s Brad Bakken finished fifth, just 25 seconds ahead of factory Husaberg rider and four-time champ Russell Bobbitt.
After Bobbitt was Grant Baylor KTM in seventh, while eight-time champ Mike Lafferty finished eighth on a factory Husaberg.
Black Coal National Enduro
Lynnville, Indiana
Results: September 15, 2013
1. Charlie Mullins-KTM
2. Jesse Groemm-Yam
3. Andrew DeLong-Hus
4. Nick Fahringer-Hbg
5. Brad Bakken-Yam
6. Russell Bobbitt-Hbg
7. Grant Baylor-KTM
8. Mike Lafferty-Hbg
9. Ian Blythe-KTM
10. Tanner Thomas-KTM
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