Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
24 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com AHRMA National Round One AHRMA National Round One Carolina Firewater Carolina Firewater Buffalo, South Carolina Buffalo, South Carolina By Kurt Flachbart By Kurt Flachbart Photos By Action Shots Photos By Action Shots Formerly known as the "White Lightning", an annual AHRMA Cross Country event held at mul - me Na onal Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins Silver Hawk Planta on in SC, had become an annual favorite here at Trail Rider. And you can imagine our disappointment when we learned that this fun event had been canceled due to the previous race organizers' work schedules while we were a end- ing the Potomac Vintage Riders banquet in January. Word spread quickly amongst those in a endance, and the internet was soon abuzz with the sadness of such an iconic event being pulled, as it was the White Lightning that lit off the vintage racing sea- son for so many eager vintage racers and families throughout the country. Well, my friends, we have AHRMA Mid-Atlan c-Po- tomac Vintage Riders Offroad Race Coordinator, Dave Kutskel, to thank for immediately jumping into ac on by calling Randy Hawkins and Silver Hawk Planta on's Property Manager, Todd Mac- Donald, with a plan to save our favorite vintage race venue! As for those of us based in the Northeast, this past winter has been quite a stretch, arriving a full month early and, as I write this feature, s ll has a stronghold on our region. As you might expect, a er months of couch surfing, we've been jonesing for some much-needed thro le therapy. Having enjoyed racing at Hawkins' Silver Hawk Planta on since 2018, I was greatly looking forward to a long weekend of racing and camping with my race family. I'll be honest, my only concern was the weather, rain in par cular, as that southern red clay can get slicker than wheel bearing grease when the skies open up. And yes, I've taken a few wicked diggers as a result of lack of finesse in condi ons such as this. On the other hand, when dry, dust can be a major concern with vis- ibility on the open sec ons a challenge. Fortunately, the weather gods couldn't have been more kind with generous downpours arriving early Thursday morning, delivering just the right amount of moisture to soak into that glorious red soil that tacks up oh so nicely once the sun and wind dry the upper layers.