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most. Someday Fahringer will find another gear. And when he does, look out. Until then, we'll keep him in the second place spot for 2014. #3) Mike Lafferty: It's his final season and his last chance at off-road immortality and a standalone 9th National Enduro Championship. He is back with KTM but what bike will he commit to? Early on he was all about the XC 300. Now he's back on an XC-F 350. Will the 350 hold him back? Will he second guess himself if he fal- ters early? What we do know is that If Mike Lafferty can get some success early on and carry that through the first few rounds and into the mid season, he'll be there at the end. We like his chances if he comes out of the gate strong and fast. As he says, "When you're winning, it's easy. And when you're not, everything is hard." Let's hope the first part of the sea- son is easy as the competition is too fierce to dig yourself out of a hole. #4) Russell Bobbitt: We struggled with this one. As of now, Russell Bobbitt will be fielding a Husqvarna 350 four stroke. For a guy that's earned his keep aboard the 2-stroke, this is a curious decision. Still, Bobbitt excels when his back is against the wall; the guy seems to do his best when under pressure. While others may wilt, Bobbitt is always so cool and collected. If he slips early – and by slips we mean fin- ishes just off the podium, he will rally back and be there at the end. You can't keep Russell down and he is never out. #5) Stewart Baylor: There was serious consideration about putting Stew Baylor in the number 2 spot. But the truth is, we have no idea how his wrist is doing. He spent almost all of last year rehabbing it and has had a quiet off season. The 2012 National Enduro cham- pion has proven that he's got the speed and talent to win national Enduros. The only question mark is how will his wrist hold up - he actually had a bone removed from it and missed most of 2013. If we could confirm that his wrist is good to go, we would have placed him in the number 2 or 3 spot. #6) Jesse Groemm : Jesse is back on a KTM for the 2014 season as part of the Shane Watts Dirt Wise team. Jesse has shown flashes of brilliance in the past but seems to suffer from weird luck and inconsistency. If he can consistently ride to his potential, he will crack the podium often. And if he can build on his accomplishments of last year, we think he can visit the podium early and often. The future is bright for this upstart. We think he can crack the top 3 if he rides con- sistently all year. How many times did we say consistent? #7) Cory Buttrick: Now here is an interesting dark horse rider. Cory Buttrick was a top contender just a couple of years ago but has been sidelined for the last two years with injuries. Still, he picked up a factory ride from American Beta and will be fielding their 250 2-stroke. We like the Beta 2-stroke as a National Enduro weapon and expect Buttrick to do well on it. It may take him a few more months to get back up to speed, but the bike won't be the thing holding him back. If he can stay healthy for the season and get himself back in to shape, he will spend some time on the podium, no doubt. Buttrick was battling Mullins for the championship just a few years ago. We think he can do it again if he returns to his 2011 form. #8) Andrew Delong: We expect Delong to step it up this year. He won the Texas round last year and now that he's got a factory ride, we like his chances. He did have his old TE 310 dialed in for the enduros and the new TE is quite different. It may take him some time to get used to the new Husqvarna but once he does, we expect him to join the podium carousel. #9) Brad Bakken: We often wonder why he doesn't ride a de-tuned YZ 250 2 stroke? We had a look at his YZF-250 last year and it looked, well, cumber- some. But then again, we thought the XC-F 350 wasn't the right tool for the job, so it shows you what we know. B- Rad has the talent to land anywhere in the top 10 on any given Sunday. He has had a great off-season but that is nothing new for Brad. Could he finish further up than the 7th overall position we have him at? Hell yeah, easily. #10) Ryder Lafferty: In his first year of riding the National Enduro series, Ryder Lafferty earned a Pro plate. He comes from a long line of regional and national Enduro champions and has some of the best practice areas outside his back door. His dad, Rich Lafferty, is a treasure trove of knowledge and is incredibly supportive. Ryder has the supporting cast and talent to make an immediate impact on the national Enduro field in 2014. We put him 10th this year but expect him to climb the wrung even further next year. The 2014 field of National Enduro pro riders is as stacked as it's ever been. The reality is that any one of these guys has the ability to move significantly up in the rankings. We also think the podium will be a carousel of different riders; we just happen to think Charlie Mullins will spend the most time on the top of the box. The National Enduro Season kicks off in a few weeks. We're ready for the action, are you? March 2014 21