ENDURO & OFF-ROAD RACING COVERAGE
RACING NEWS
Weekly Round-Up | 2024-07-02
It was a great week for Enduro, especially here in North America with Silver Kings Hard Enduro, FMSQ, NEPG, and more, all going down. Let’s get into it!
Trystan Hart dominates Silver Kings Hard Enduro, Sandra Gomez Tops Pro Women
Canada’s Trystan Hart (FMF KTM Factory Racing) came to the 2024 edition of the Silver Kings Hard Enduro with only one mission: win. By the time the dust settled he had put on an exhibit of hard enduro riding that put an exclamation point on his reputation as one of the top three riders globally in the discipline. Likewise, Sandra Gomez returned to Silver Kings and showed the Pro Women field that she is currently the gold standard in hard enduro.
Weekly Round-Up | 2024-06-24
No joking around this time out of the gates, the past week was a great one in the Enduro/Off-Road world! From a wild Italian round in Enduro GP to one of the biggest GNCC races of the year in West Virginia, to a very interesting Hard Enduro World Championship in Serbia, there was a ton of great action going down. Also, we recently had Aussie GNCC and USSE rider Gus Riordan (FMF KTM FACTORY Racing Landers) on the podcast, be sure to check it out. Let’s get to it!
WADE YOUNG WINS ROUND THREE OF FIM HEWC AT XROSS HARD ENDURO RALLY
Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young has claimed victory at round three of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Serbia. Young took the overall win at Xross Hard Enduro Rally ahead of Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev in second, with Michael Walkner (GASGAS) completing the podium. TTR Squadra Corse’s Mitch Brightmore fought back on Offroad Day Three to claim victory in the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM.
Josep Garcia & Mireia Badia Claim EnduroGP Day One Wins At POLISPORT GP Of Italy
The opening day of racing at round four of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia charge to victory in the POLISPORT GP of Italy. The Spaniard headed Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman in second, with GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona third in Bettola. Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Max Ahlin secured a commanding win in the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship.
Hamish MacDonald & Rachel Gutish Top AKRAPOVIC Super Test At EnduroGP Italy
Round four of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship roared into life with CH Racing Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald fastest in the AKRAPOVIC Super Test at the POLISPORT GP of Italy.
POLISPORT GP of Italy gets underway with AKRAPOVIC Super Test
Thousands of spectators turn out to watch an exciting evening’s racing
Hamish MacDonald sets the fastest time of the night
Already living up to its reputation as one of the most exciting rounds on the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship calendar, the POLISPORT GP of Italy saw thousands of spectators turn out to enjoy the Friday AKRAPOVIC Super Test in the centre of Bettola.
Wade Young Extends Race Lead On Offroad Day Two At Xross Hard Enduro Rally
Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young has increased his lead at round three of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Serbia. The South African placed a close runner-up to Jarvis Racing’s Graham Jarvis on Offroad Day Two at Xross Hard Enduro Rally.
Wade Young continues to lead FIM HEWC round three
Graham Jarvis tops Offroad Day Two at Xross Hard Enduro Rally
Junior class lead changes hands with three-way fight for victory
Wade Young Leads The Way At Xross Hard Enduro Rally With Offroad Day One Win
Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young has taken control of the race lead at round three of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship by winning Offroad Day One at Xross Hard Enduro Rally.
Riders begin the first of three tough Offroad Days in Serbia
Wade Young rides to victory on Offroad Day One
Fight for podium placings remains tight
David Walsh Chases Record-Equalling 5th Straight Finke Desert Race Crown
The 48th edition of the Tatts Finke Desert Race will be held in the Northern Territory over the King’s Birthday long weekend (June 8-10), as Alice Springs powerhouse David Walsh attempts to win a fifth successive crown. If the four-time defending champion gets the job done on his KTM, Walsh will match the record of Randall Gregory who dominated the event from 1991 until 1995 on his booming Honda CR500. Toby Price remains atop the motorcycle winners’ list with six victories, in an event which dates back to 1976.
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.
Manuel Lettenbichler Dominates Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler put on a masterclass at round two of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship to take victory at Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. The German was sensational at Austria’s Iron Giant, claiming a comfortable win over FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart and Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman. TTR Squadra Corse’s Mitch Brightmore won the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM category.
Manuel Lettenbichler takes the win at FIM HEWC round two
Canadian Trystan Hart claims P2 after recovering from a first corner crash that dropped him to 50th place
Mitch Brightmore is best of the Junior class riders
Girroir Takes 5th Overall Win, Richards Top in Women’s Pro
Johnny Girroir has won eight-straight sprint enduro day rounds, accounting for four overall victories: some of them dominating and some of them nail-biters. Saturday’s US Sprint Enduro at High Voltage Raceway was of the nail-biter variety, thanks to Am Pro Yamaha’s Liam Draper. However, Sunday’s more technical event saw Girroir hammer the competition to easily amass his fifth overall victory of the series.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Weekly Round-Up #1 - 2024-05-13
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!
Andrea Verona Takes Day 1 EnduroGp Win at GP Romania
The opening day of racing at round three of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Romania saw GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona claim the win. Fighting hard all day, Verona held firm to secure his first EnduroGP class victory of the season. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia took second, with Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe third.
There was also a season-first victory in the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship with Max Ahlin (KTM) taking the win on day one in Bacau.
Super tight racing on day one at GP of Romania
Andrea Verona tops EnduroGP
Max Ahlin claims Enduro Junior win
Manuel Lettenbichler Takes Win at FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Wales
The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler take a commanding win at the Valleys Hard Enduro. Sherco Factory Racing’s duo of Teodor Kabakchiev and Mario Roman completed the podium in second and third. The FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM saw TTR Squadra Corse’s Mitch Brightmore start his title defence off with a victory in Wales.
EnduroGP Set for Return to Romania
The hotly contested Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship sets its sights on round three this weekend in Bacau, Romania. Making a long overdue return to Romania, this will be the first time in 11 years that the world championship has visited the region.
The opening two rounds of the season in Portugal ended with Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia tied at the top of the EnduroGP standings thanks to two race wins each. With three wins from four starts, Fantic Racing Team’s Axel Semb leads the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, while Manuel Verzeroli (KTM) is out front in the Enduro Youth category.