ALLIGATOR ENDURO RACE REPORT

Words: Kurt Lucas Photos: Jamey Perdue

The Alligator Enduro is one of my favorite events. The event is on a Thursday in the heart of the infamous Daytona Bike Week. There is so much to do around the event and the majority of the motorcycle industry is in the surrounding area with a multitude of events going on. The event is put on by the Daytona Dirt Riders at the Strickland Ranch property (the same spot as the DDR Hare Scramble). The property is huge so the majority of the endure trail was fresh. Which was good because it was super dry, the state has not seen much rain lately and it is really showing out on the racetrack.

This endure was the “sprint endure” format which allows you to go out whenever you please, after the first test at least. I like this format a lot because if you are feeling good and don’t want to take a break in between tests then you can just keep going. It is also nice because if you are a faster rider you do not have to keep starting behind the same riders each test, this really helped in the dust.

The loop consisted of three tests; all a lot different from each other. You had to ride the loop three times, so nine tests combining for just over 60 miles of race trail. It was gnarly and long and really tested the rider’s endurance as well as skill. The first test was the longest, it felt like 20 miles but was probably closer eight or nine. This was a tough one, the roots were tough and only got worse as the trail wore on. I always struggle at the beginning of an endure, you get zero practice and its 0 to 100 right off the bat. The test also featured some mega sandy hills that made even the best riders flounder. The test opened up near the end to some fast, flowy palmetto sections followed by some slick black dirt where throttle control was key. Tests one, four, and seven were really tested the rider’s concentration because any lapse could cause mistakes.

The second test was my favorite. It was a shorter test at about six miles but every bit of it was super fun. It started out with some sweet fast sections through the pines, multiple lines made it super fun and easy to pass other riders. About halfway through the test opened up to an epic grass track section. This part got better every time around as berms began to develop and allow the riders to carry more speed around the sweeping corners. At the end of the test was some very soft, sugar sand that got very rough. A lot of riders were in limp mode through here at the end of the day.

The last test was rough, plain and simple. This test jumped on to the hare scramble trail a few times and just got rougher as the day went on. The whoops were soft and deep, I had nightmares about them for a few days. Of course, this test was three, six, and nine so at the end of the loop when riders were the most fatigued. I saw a lot of tired riders through here.

All in all it was a great event and the Daytona Dirt Riders did an excellent job with the trail layout. 60+ miles of dusty, hot, rooty trails tested every single racer.