ENDURO & OFF-ROAD RACING COVERAGE

RACING NEWS

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

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

Read More

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.

Read More
Racing, Enduro, EnduroGP, Race Previews Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Enduro, EnduroGP, Race Previews Noel Flatters / Editor

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.

Read More
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).

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor

Holcombe Edges Out Verona For Day Two Victory in Valpacos

Day two at round two of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship delivered an incredible battle for victory with Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe taking the win. Going head-to-head with GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona, Holcombe secured the top step of the EnduroGP podium by just one second. Day one winner Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia was third.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor

Winning Ride for Garcia on Day One at Round Two of EnduroGP

The opening day of racing at round two of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia rule supreme. The Spaniard saw off multiple challenges from his rivals to take the overall EnduroGP win in Valpacos, Portugal.

Fantic Racing Team’s Axel Semb eased his way to victory in the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, while Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Francesca Nocera secured a debut win in the FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship.

  • Riders face long day of racing on day one in Valpacos

  • Josep Garcia tops EnduroGP podium

  • Debut victory for Francesca Nocera in Enduro Women

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor

Portugal’s Valpacos Welcomes Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship For Round Two

The 2024 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship picks up speed as it heads to Valpacos in Portugal for round two this weekend. After last weekend’s exciting and explosive opener in nearby Fafe, the battle for a place on the podium is set to be equally fierce in Valpacos.

At the head of the EnduroGP classification it’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia who holds an early lead, while in the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, Fantic Racing Team’s Axel Semb leads the way.

  • EnduroGP arrives in Valpacos, Portugal for round two

  • Akrapovic Super Test to get racing underway on Friday

  • Josep Garcia & Rachel Gutish aim to extend their EnduroGP championship leads

Offering little time to rest, the 2024 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship keeps momentum high as it arrives in Valpacos for round two. Marking the second leg of back-to-back racing weekends to open the 2024 season, the stage is set for a challenging, physical, and fun GP of Portugal.

Read More
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.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, EnduroGP Noel Flatters / Editor

Steve Holcombe Takes Day 2 Win at Opening Enduro GP Round in Portugal

The final day of racing at the opening round of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Portugal saw Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe take victory. In what proved to be an incredible day of action at the ACERBIS GP of Portugal, Holcombe shone through to claim a hard-fought win over day one winner Josep Garcia (KTM), with Nathan Watson (Beta) close behind in third.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Rally Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Rally Noel Flatters / Editor

W2RC BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal Stage 3

Monster Energy Honda Team rider Tosha Schareina began the longest day of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal with a 2min 56sec cushion over Hero Motorsports Rally Team rider Sebastien Bühler.

The Spaniard was able to fend off the German’s challenge as the event crossed the border into Spain. Both riders were the class of the field but Schareina clocked the quickest time and extended his lead to 3min 40sec. The win marked his third of the campaign after the Prologue and stage one successes.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Rally Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Rally Noel Flatters / Editor

W2RC BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal Stage 2

Sebastian Bühler, the most Portuguese of the German riders, was born on German soil but moved to Portugal when he was three months old. Boasting dual nationality, he now lives in Relíquias, in Grândola, the epicentre of the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Where better to toast his first W2RC victory? Dominating stage 2 from flag to flag, the Hero MotoSports factory rider cashed in on his home advantage to become the twentieth rider to clinch an FIM stage win since the 2022 season. This makes him the fourth stage winner for the Indian maker, following in the slipstream of Joaquim Rodrigues, Ross Branch and Aaron Mare.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, US Sprint Enduro Series Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, Race Recaps, Enduro, US Sprint Enduro Series Noel Flatters / Editor

Girroir & Richards Take US Sprint Enduro Round 3

It wasn’t easy, especially on Saturday, but Johnny Girroir remained undefeated in the 2024 US Sprint Enduro Series after the FMF KTM Factory Racer won both days of this weekend’s Warrior US Sprint Enduro on a beautiful Easter weekend in Semora, North Carolina. With AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper nipping at his heels (and FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Angus Riordan waiting in the wings), Girroir eked out Saturday’s win by 16 seconds over Draper.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Rachel Gutish Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Rachel Gutish

GNCC Round 4 Race Recap

The XC1 class finally saw a new face on top of the box, with Dante Olivera (FMF KTM Factory Racing) taking his first-ever GNCC win! The California native has only raced a handful of GNCCs in his career, typically pursuing west coast series such as the AMA West Hare Scrambles and the National Grand Prix Championship, but is currently a fill-in rider for the injured Ben Kelly (FMF KTM Factory Racing). Gus Riordan (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) became the first repeat winner in XC2 this season, and teammate Brandy Richards (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) also became the first WXC repeat winner on the year.

Read More

Bolt Undergoes Knee Surgery, Will Likely Miss First Half of 2024 Hard Enduro Championship

Husqvarna Factory Racing announced today that Billy Bolt underwent surgery yesterday to repair knee damage sustained in practice at Round 3 of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in early January. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that this will have a major impact on the Hard Enduro championship. Bolt was almost certainly going to be 2x defending champion Manuel Lettenbichler’s (FMF KTM Factory Racing) biggest threat this season. With Trystan Hart’s (FMF announcement at King of the Motos that he would likely only be racing three rounds of FIM series this season, there is a very clear path for Lettenbichler to three-peat.

Read More
Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Rachel Gutish Racing, Race Recaps, GNCC Rachel Gutish

GNCC Round 2 Recap

The Wild Boar GNCC (or any GNCC that’s ever been held in Florida, honestly) has a reputation for being tough. The sand whoops are unforgiving, and even for riders who are in good shape and enjoy sand, the race is a physical and mental challenge. Adding to that, when you’re racing at a place called “The Hog Waller Mud Bog” you know mud and deep water holes are going to be involved – especially when you have a rainy weekend like this past one. There are several long sections of thick, black mud, and a few other spots with water crossings. The water here is so murky that it’s impossible to guess how deep it is. Many spots are shallow, only ankle-deep… but since the place is used by ATVs and utility vehicles, there are occasionally random chest-deep holes and trenches. This makes it critical that you carefully walk the course beforehand, or else leave yourself to the whims of fate, chance and line-pointers who may or may not have your best interests at heart.

Read More
Racing, SuperEnduro, Race Recaps Noel Flatters / Editor Racing, SuperEnduro, Race Recaps Noel Flatters / Editor

SuperEnduro Championship - Bolt is Unbeatable!

Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Factory Racing) came home to Newcastle on Saturday having effectively clinched the FIM SuperEnduro Championship, and in front of his hometown fans he sealed the deal with another 1-1-1/P1 victory. As we wrote last week after Bolt won GP Bulgaria, “With a maximum 63 points available (in Newcastle) it’s still mathematically possible for (Jonny) Walker to win, but over here in the real world… That ain’t gonna happen.”

Read More