Josh Toth Takes 5th Consecutive NEPG Win, Rachel Gutish CLEAN SWEEPS Pro Women
Courtesy NEPG
July 29, 2024
Josh Toth (Enduro Engineering) on his way to the overall win at the Redline Oil Black Buffalo NEPG round.
Image Mack Faint, courtesy NEPG
The sixth round of the 2024 Redline Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles, gifted riders ideal trail conditions. The dirt was moist due to rain earlier in the week, perfect for ripping through the fern-covered forests.
Even with ideal trail conditions for the Yamaha Rattlesnake National, nobody downplayed the technicality of the course. Most riders know when it comes to Pennsylvania terrain, they need to be cautious of hidden rocks. Even so, those rocks claimed some big hitters -- including Test 1 winner Ricky Russell on his Am-Pro Yamaha. Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Grant Baylor also went down in Section 2, ending his race day.
Overall Podium
Topping the box for the fifth-straight time, Josh Toth, backed by Enduro Engineering, claimed the Yamaha Rattlesnake National overall. The GasGas rider had a challenging start to the race, taking fifth in class and sixth overall through the first test. He managed to regroup and go 2-3-2 in class through the next three sections. In Test 5, the NE Pro1 rider walked away with the win and followed it up with a second-place finish in the final test.
“I'm stoked to make it another one,” Toth said. “It was probably the toughest one yet, I’d say. Yesterday, I had a crash just testing and warming up. I banged up my arm a little bit, so it was tight to begin with. Fortunately, it loosened up. We were all pretty close because it was a short first test. I kind of went from there and tried to just ride it smooth. The track was pretty treacherous and took out a couple riders. I was just trying to stay upright and get out of the woods as quick as I could.”
Steward Baylor.
Image Mack Faint, courtesy NEPG
When the day was complete, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Racing Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor Jr. had earned second overall. The 2023 event winner also had to fight his way through Test 1, only taking seventh in class, before taking fourth in the next test. A pair of second and first place results for NE Pro1 in the final four tests really helped turn his day around.
“I pushed the front a few times early on,” Baylor Jr. said, “Test five -- I knew Josh [Toth] and I were tied going into that, and I think within a second the test before that. He, Evan [Smith] and I were all right there within a second, and I knew I had to put my head down. In test five, I lost both front and rear brakes and gave up some time there. About halfway through the test, I was trying to pump them up and that test had some twisty tight sections in it, so I was bulldogging through a few trees. Test six, I knew I just had to put my head down and ride without mistakes. You know, the way this track is you can see a long way in advance, and I could see in the distance -- in the ferns -- I could see Johnny [Girroir] getting up far off. I went up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill again, and I found exactly where he was getting up. I ended up on my head right there, about a mile from the finish. I mean, just a few small mistakes but I've always liked this place. I look forward to a few races a year, and this is one of those. The club really goes above and beyond.”
Max Motorsports’ Evan Smith, aboard his Husqvarna, captured the third spot on the podium. He powered his way onto the podium in Pennsylvania with four NE Pro1 third-place test results and a pair of fourth-place finishes.
“I'm super happy with the day,” Smith said. “Historically, this has never really been my place. I didn't grow up on rocks, so I always kind of struggle here. Today was awesome. I think test two or three, I fell and got stuck between the bike and the tree. That took me a little while and then kept it relatively clean until the last test. I fell twice in the last mile and the handguard locked up the brake. I probably spent 30 seconds dillydallying. I thought Trevor [Bollinger] was going to get me there, so I was super bummed but was happy to hold on to it in the end.”
NE Pro2 Podium
Grant Davis (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers).
Image Mack Faint, courtesy NEPG
Notching his sixth-consecutive NE Pro2 podium finish this year, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers rider Grant Davis captured the NE Pro2 win. Never finishing worse than fourth in the six tests, he ended the day more than a minute ahead of second-place finisher Jason Tino on his Husqvarna.
Had it not been for his 11th place finish in Test 1 due to two crashes, Tino might have clinched the NE Pro2 win at his first National Enduro of the year. The New Jersey native dominated the rest of the day, grabbing three test wins in his class in addition to a second and third place.
Red Bear Racing’s Will Sievenpiper started the day strong with a test win, but finished sixth in class through the next two tests before regaining momentum to go 5-4-2 for the remainder of the day. His performance earned him the final step of the NE Pro2 podium at the Yamaha Rattlesnake National.
Women’s Elite Podium
Rachel Gutish had a perfect day winning all tests to dominate the Elite Women.
Image Mack Faint, courtesy NEPG
Last year’s event winner for Women’s Elite, Sherco USA-backed Rachel Gutish, backed up her win while also taking her first win of this season. Finishing more than a minute and a half ahead of Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner, Gutish won all of the day’s tests.
Turner clinched her sixth podium of the year after she placed her GasGas machine in third and second through most of the day’s tests.
Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner captured third in all five tests, which landed her on the final step of the podium and allowed her to achieve her fifth class-podium of the 2024 season.
Canada’s Shelby Turner picked up an impressive P2 result ahead of Series leader Rachael Archer.
Image Mack Faint, courtesy NEPG
RESULTS
PRO 1
WOMENS ELITE
PRO 2
OVERALL STANDINGS
PRO 1
WOMENS ELITE
PRO 2
