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Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor

Weekly Round-Up | 2024-08-13

We’re in the dog days of summer and although it was quiet in Europe this week, the Enduro scene was hopping over here in North America with Canada’s Trystan Hart (FMF KTM Factory Racing) taking a dominant (and important!) win at Donner in the US Hard Enduro Series, and Josh Toth (Enduro Engineering) and Rachael Archer (Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki) coming home with the victories in the NEPG series. Over in Indonesia we saw Michael Walkner (GasGas Factory Racing) beating out Mario Gomez and Graham Jarvis in the Uncle Hard Enduro. Let’s get into it!

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Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, NEPG Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, NEPG Noel Flatters / Editor

Josh Toth Takes 5th Consecutive NEPG Win, Rachel Gutish CLEAN SWEEPS Pro Women

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.

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Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor

Weekly Round-Up | 2024-06-03

This week was one of the highlights on the Enduro world’s calendar - Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. This is the classic Hard Enduro race, and for North American (and global) fans there were really only two big questions. First, like in any Hard Enduro round, could anyone find a way to beat German superstar Manuel Lettenbichler and, second, how would Trystan Hart and Cody Webb (FactoryOne Sherco) fare in one of their only European appearances this season?

Over in North America the focus was on Round 8 of the GNCC series in Pennsylvania where Steward Baylor Jr. (Rock Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki) needed a win to keep in reach of FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir for the series overall.

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Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC, Race Analysis, North America Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC, Race Analysis, North America Noel Flatters / Editor

Girroir Makes Last Mile Pass to win Mason-Dixon GNCC

The Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship concluded its eighth round of racing, Parts Unlimited Mason-Dixon GNCC, on Sunday, June 2, 2024, in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. Brief rain showers in the morning created some slick conditions for the first half of the day, but partly cloudy conditions made for some great afternoon battles throughout XC1 Open Pro and 250 Pro Sport classes.

The big story coming into this round was in the XC1 class, where second-place overall Steward Baylor Jr. really needed to finish ahead of overall leader Johnny Girroir, preferably with a win in order to secure the maximum five point differential. Baylor did everything he could, managing to stay ahead of Girroir before taking the race lead on the white flag lap. Girroir managed to ramp up the pressure, though, catching Baylor in the final mile before beating him to the win by under a second. Girroir now holds a 34 point lead over Baylor with five rounds left in the series. Barring a major mishap, Girroir has taken a stranglehold on the overall that will be nearly impossible to break.

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Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor

Weekly Round-Up | 2024-05-28

t was a huge week for enduro and off-road racing in North America, and we got to see some fantastic racing in the US Hard Enduro Series, FMSQ, USSE, NGPC, and more. Trystan Hart (FMF KTM Factory Racing) and Cody Webb (FactoryOne Sherco) battled hard at the Keystone Challenge in what will likely be one of the toughest hard enduro weekends you’ll ever see.

Alex Gougeon (Husqvarna Canada / MVM Motosport) opened up his FMSQ title defence with a dominant win in La Touque, Quebec, with Véronique Pellerin-Chainé (Sherco Canada / Fox Racing Canada / FC Suspension) taking the Pro Women win. Over in the US Sprint Enduro Series it was Johnny Girroir (FMF KTM Factory Racing), Gus Riordan (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers), and Brandy Richards (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) winning the Pro1, Pro2, and Pro Women.

Out in the west Dante Oliviera (FMF KTM Factory Racing) and Mikayla Nielsen (SLR Honda / Monster Energy / Fly Racing) were your overall winners at NGPC Round 5. Jason Schrage (Honda Canada / Fox Racing Canada / Riders Edge) and Shelby Turner (Enduro Engineering / GasGas / FXR Moto) took the wins at Round 1 of the Western Canadian Off-road Championship. Let’s get into it a little bit!

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Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, Sprint Enduro Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, Sprint Enduro Noel Flatters / Editor

Trystan Hart and Shelby Turner Win Round 2 of Canada’s Premier Sprint Enduro Series

Round 2 of the 2024 SOR Enduro Series went off this weekend at the foot of the Canadian Rockies, and it was Hard Enduro superstar Trystan Hart (FMF KTM Factory Racing) and Canadian Off-Road queen Shelby Turner (Enduro Engineering / GasGas / FXR Moto) who took the wins on a day that featured wild weather extremes at what is arguably one of the most beautiful sprint enduro venues in the world.

Hart took the win out over a tough Pro Men field that included P2 finisher and current Canadian ISDE World Trophy Team member Owen McKill (GasGas Canada / Riders Edge / TLD Canada), along with previous ISDE World Trophy members Phillipe Chainé (KTM Canada / Fly Racing Canada) in P3 and Jared Stock (KTM Canada / Leatt / SOR Enduro) in P4. Kale Cuthbertson (BFD Moto / Husqvarna Canada / Rad2.0) rounded out the top 5. Chainé retains the overall series lead ahead of Stock and Cuthbertson.

Canadian World Trophy Team rider Shelby Turner made the trip back to Alberta during a break in her GNCC campaign to take her second win in two starts over her ISDE teammate Lexi Pechout (BFD Moto / Husqvarna Canada / Fox Racing Canada) and Destiny Slingerland (HC Forest Products / EnduroTek / Team Mountains Edge). Former ISDE team member Kristen Broderick (Cycle Works Calgary / KTM Canada / Fox Racing Canada) and Harley Lawson (BFRMotoCrew / Fox Racing Canada) rounded out the top 5 in P4 and P5, respectively.

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Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, Race Recaps, Weekly Noel Flatters / Editor

Weekly Round-Up #2 - 2024-05-21

With the kick-off of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship this past weekend in Wales we’re fully into the swing of the 2024 season! It was a big weekend of racing with the start of the FIM HEWC, EnduroGP Round 3 in Romania, and GNCC Round 7 in Ohio all going off. Let’s dive in and take a look at what went down!

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Racing, Enduro, Sprint Enduro, Race Previews Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, Sprint Enduro, Race Previews Noel Flatters / Editor

SOR Enduro Championship - Round 2 Preview - Sprint Enduro in the Rockies!

After an exciting first round just under a month ago the SOR series returns with another stacked pro field racing at what has to be one of the most beautiful race venues in the world at the foot of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

This weekend we’ll be seeing Phil Chainé (KTM Canada / Fly Racing Canada) back out west to defend his series leader plate against 2nd overall Jared Stock (KTM Canada / Leatt / SOR Enduro), and we’lll also see the addition of Canadian ISDE World Trophy Team member Owen McKill (GasGas Canada / Riders Edge / TLD) to the mix before he heads East for Round 1 of the iconic FMSQ Cross-Country series. We’re also going to be seeing Kevin Dupuis (BFD Moto / Husqvarna Canada / Fox Racing Canada) taking the start following his strong win at the first round of the Alberta Provincial Off-Road Championship last weekend, and a P66 overall at Hoosier GNCC two weeks before that. To top it all off, Canadian Hard Enduro legend Trystan Hart (FMF KTM Factory Racing) has confirmed that he plans to be racing this weekend, too, as prepares for the next round of the US Hard Enduro Series and his primary season goal at Erzberg Rodeo coming up at the end of the month.

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Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC, Race Analysis, North America Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC, Race Analysis, North America Noel Flatters / Editor

GNCC Round 6 Race Recap - The Hoosier

The AMSOIL Hoosier, Round six of the 2024 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship went off on Sunday at the famed Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

The approximately 10 mile course was in great shape by the midway point of the morning Womens’ Pro (WXC) race, following heavy rain showers Friday night, through the day on Saturday, and again on Saturday night. Strong winds and large fields throughout the day turned the vast majority of the track into a grippy and physically demanding beast.

Steward Baylor Jr. (Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki) took home his second consecutive win, coming from behind to beat series leader Johnny Girroir (FMF KTM Factory Racing) and Craig DeLong (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) to the line. Girroir would be relegated to P3 behind DeLong after pitting outside of the designated Pro pits, however.

Rachael Archer (Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki) also took her second consecutive win of the series, ahead of Shelby Turner (Enduro Engineering GasGas) and Rachel Gutish (Sherco USA) in what was a very eventful WXC race that saw both Korie Steede (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Brandy Richards (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) finishing off the podium.

Gus Riordan (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) was on the top step of the podium in XC2 for his third win of the season, finishing in front of teammate Grant Davis and Liam Draper (AmPro Yamaha).

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Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, Sprint Enduro Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, Sprint Enduro Noel Flatters / Editor

Phil Chainé and Shelby Turner take Round 1 of Canada’s Premier Sprint Enduro Series

Stacked Pro Fields highlight the First Round of Canada’s Premier Sprint Enduro Series.

The 2024 SOR Enduro Series got underway in Brooks, AB, this weekend in a race that saw some of Canada’s top Pro riders battling to the finish with Phil Chainé (KTM Canada) and Shelby Turner (Enduro Engineering/GasGas/FXR) bringing home the checkers. Round 1 of the series also highlighted emerging Canadian sprint enduro talent on both the men’s and women’s sides and showed a bright future for the discipline in Canada. 

Round 1 of the series honoured the memory of Jason Slingerland. Jason was a talented young Albertan off-road and motocross athlete who passed away last fall after a tragic accident at the Wild Rose MX Fall Super Series in Calgary. Jason, along with his family, was a mainstay at races and is missed terribly by the moto community.

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Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Noel Flatters / Editor

GNCC Round 5 Race Recap

The 2024 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued yesterday, April 14, with the inaugural Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Old Gray GNCC event. Racers and fans from across the world converged in Monterey, Tennessee to witness Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor claim his first win of the 2024 season. Baylor’s teammate Rachael Archer took home the WXC win to solidify her overall lead in the series.

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Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, NEPG Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, NEPG Noel Flatters / Editor

NEPG ROUND 2 CAJUN CLASSIC RECAP

Josh Toth is adding to his impressive resume by riding a schedule of multiple disciplines and proving that he can win at whatever event he is racing on any bike. Riding different brands and size bikes throughout his busy schedule, National Enduros being his only full time series grabbing a win on his 350 GasGas sponsored by Enduro Engineering will help him enter the points battle for the 2024 season. Having a bit of a rough start with a bent front brake rotor in the first test, Josh came on strong by test 3 and winning the 4 final tests of the day en route to a 38 second win.

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