Tough work, do you think you know it? Charlie Mullins knows it very well indeed. The Yamaha mounted North Carolinian has been officially named overall Champion in the 2010 running of the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Championship, presented by Moose Racing, after a solid second position at the final round held at Cumberland Covered Bridge near Matthews, Indiana on 2 October. His chief competitor, FMF/KTM’s Cory Buttrick, took the overall win at the final round, but he remained 25 points behind Mullins in second overall. Of course, another 14 Champions were crowned in the various other classes, and they will also ride with AMA number 1 plates next year.
Mullins, though, did not achieve his title easily. 2010 was his first full season in the National Enduro Championship series, and he had some problems at the start. He DNF’ed the third round at Daytona Beach, with Russell Bobbitt - Buttrick’s teammate at KTM - benefiting, and Mullins had to make up a lot of ground after that no points result. In the end, it was his string of five straight victories coming into the penultimate round which elevated his points total high enough for him to have a good chance at the title in the final. This year’s championship was incredibly tight with Bobbit only 2 points and Husaberg’s Michael Lafferty a mere 9 points behind Buttrick.
The Obermeyer/Am-Pro/FMF Yamaha rider is quite proud of how he and his team managed this championship when the odds were stacked against him – referring to this being his rookie year in the series and with such talented competition. The AMA and promotional partner the National Enduro Promotions Group (NEPG) were elated at Charlie Mullins’ performance this season and are hoping for more like it next season. Given the run up to the final race, the heavy competition this year, and the tight battle for the championship, it is no wonder they are happy with Mullins. He brought some extra excitement to the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Championship and it’s safe to say more is to come.
