Imagine having to use a zipline to get your bike to another part of the course! Wade Young during the first offroad day of Round 4 of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship - Red Bull Romaniacs photo credit Future7Media
CONTRIBUTORS
Pep Segales
Brian Pierce
Future7Media
Douglas Kauffman
Heather Wilson
Mack Faint
Shan Moore facebook.com/
6,100 miles, 3 weeks, 3 oil changes - that’s how long my latest trek was, driving from my home in Pennsylvania out to the Next Gen Mototrials Youth and Women’s Regional Championship in Colorado followed by the NATC National MotoTrials round at the Donner Ski Ranch in California the following weekend. Let me tell you, that trip is not for the faint of heart, and I am impressed by the many who have done it before me (and probably done it numerous times, too). Part of the trip I at least got to share in the company of my friend, Abigail Buzzelli, who many of you trials folks know. If not, we feature her later in this issue.
For those of you who know me and know I suffered from altitude sickness and
STEPH VETTERLY Editor-In-Chief
dehydration the last time I was out in Colorado, let me assure you, this time I did everything right!
I also decided to take a few days during my trip to do some sightseeing and act the tourist, getting to see the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Arches National Park, which really helped break up the 10+ hour daily drives.
During that trip, I also got to clear my head on a few things, one of them being the nature of this magazine. Since I became the Editor-in-Chief in 2021, I’ve been able to meet so many of you wonderful fans and subscribers. I’ve also had more and more folks ask if I had any plans of offering a print version.
check out www.on-the-pegs.com
As you’ll notice in this issue, there’s been a bit of a design change. That’s because I’ve found a way to set this magazine up for purchase, so you can get a physical copy! Don’t worry, the magazine will continue to be free for the digital version, but like many of you, I enjoy sitting down with an actual hard copy.
Until I can get enough people interested in the print version, I’ll only be offering a per-issue print option, but hopefully I’ll soon be able to offer a full subscription plan, just like all your other favorite magazines.
If you’re reading this in hard copy, thanks so much for supporting my vision for the future of this publication.
see you on the track!
• The T-18 Dragonfly is directdrive from the motor to the rear wheel
• An easy-pull diaphragm clutch for maximum control and traction
• New M4 39mm Aluminum AIR FORKS are the lightest on the market
• Linkless Ohlins shock direct to the swing arm
• 5 hour+ quick change and fast charge battery
• new 6.5-hour interchangeable battery also available
• Weight 132 pounds
• Seat can be added for trail riding comfort
The second shipment of Mecatecno Dragonflies has recently arrived with two very helpful features added to the bike’s controller to assist in the performance of the rider: An “Anti-Roll back” feature, which prevents the back wheel from rolling backwards as soon as backward movement is detected by the controller
and an “Inertia” feature, which is similar to the flywheel action on a gas powered trials bike. These new features can also be downloaded by the factory to all previous customer’s bikes to bring them up to date with the present models. This is a tremendous advantage of this controller in that any new changes or upgrades can easily be done with a connection to the factory electronics team. Now your Dragonfly will always be as up to date with the newest revisions as you desire. There will be more exciting additions to come in the new year, such as an extended range battery with a 6.5 hour running time, interchangeable with the present 5 hour battery.
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» New headlight mask, shrouds, & rear fender
» Coolant Recovery tank reduces coolant lost in extreme riding conditions
» frame which has improved turning Stability and reduced flex under load
» updated nissin rear brake Cylinder
Sam Sunderland announces retirement
Sunderland, two-time Dakar Rally champion, recently announced his retirement from professional motorcycle racing. Having joined the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team back in 2022, Sam immediately made racing history for GasGas by taking the brand’s first-ever win at the world’s toughest rally-raid. Keeping momentum throughout the Championship series that year, he was also able to secure his second world championship title, his first title being in 2017 with the KTM Factory team.
“It is with gratitude, humility, a bit of sadness, but without regret, that I announce my retirement from motorcycle racing after having a career that I dreamed of once upon a time,” said Sunderland. “From winning two world championships to my two Dakar victories, it’s been an incredible run. I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this chapter and I’m looking forward to staying close to the team and playing a part in supporting their race efforts in the future.”
TrialGP to Return to USA in 2025
The AMA and North American Trials Council (NATC) announced that TrialGP will be returning to the USA in 2025. Although the FIM has not officially announced the 2025 season calendar yet, the event is scheduled to take place July 12-13 in Exeter, Rhode Island. Hosted by the Rhode Island Trials Club (RITC), this will mark the 50th anniversary of the Wagner Cup, where the RITC hosted the first World Championship Trial in the USA in 1975.
Stay tuned to the NATC website as more information becomes available.
www.mototrials.com
USA
Jorge Casales at the last
TrialGP round, hosted in Kingman, AZ.
photo credit Pep Segales
CPD Announces Agreement with One Gripper
Central Powersports
Distribution (CPD) is proud to announce an agreement with One Gripper out of Sweden to distribute the grippiest, one of a kind seat covers in the United States. One Gripper, is a Swedish brand with a great vision for the future being led by former Swedish Enduro Champion Jimmie Allen! Started by dirtbike riders and ran by dirtbike riders, One Gripper makes changing your seat cover easier than changing your oil.
ONEGRIPPER® is a revolutionary seatcover for motocross, enduro, supercross and supermoto. Their product is developed by the world’s elite to perform in the toughest conditions. Onegripper is 100% waterproof, guarantees extreme grip in all weathers which saves your energy, long durability
and great feeling on the bike. Each seat cover is a universal sheet to fit all brand and models on today’s market.
One Gripper is a leading seat cover in Europe and has began making a push in the United States market. Freddie Norén, Josh Cartwright, Bubba Pauli, and Matti Jorgensen are a few Supercross racers that One Gripper has supported through the 2024 racing season. One Gripper has not let us down with the colorways and level of grip. You have the option to choose between 3 levels of grippiness, ribbed or not ribbed, and 45 different colors. They did not want any OEM to miss out on these seat covers, so they made them all universal. The rectangle design makes it easy to fit over your seat, and a quick 10 minute installation.
CPD’s Mark Berg is pleased with the new partnership, stating:
“CPD is beyond excited to be introducing One Gripper seat covers into the USA for distribution and sales! One Gripper is at the forefront of quality seat covers and they deserve to be in the USA with a strong effort. We can’t wait to work with them as a partner for the USA.”
CPD currently imports and distributes notable OEM motorcycle brands such as Rieju, Electric Motion, SWM, and AJP, all while continuing to add more aftermarket off-road-specific brands to their growing portfolio. One Gripper is a great addition to the CPD family of brands already in distribution, including X-Grip, FunnelWeb Filters, S3 Parts, Viral Brand Goggles, R-Tech, and Trick Bits Protection parts.
USA Trials des Nations Team Announced
The 2024 FIM Trials des Nations is set to take place September 21-22 in Pobladura de las Regueras, Spain. Team USA was announced at the recent AMA/NATC MotoTrials USA National Championship Series rounds at Donner, CA.
The team, now being managed by Daniel BlancGonnet, former GasGas USA Pro rider and numeroustime TdN competitor, will consist of Josh Roper, Alex Myers, and Alex Niederer (not pictured) for the TdN International Men’s team, and Maddie Hoover, Kylee Sweeten, and Louise Forsley (not pictured) for the TdN Women World Championship Team.
Team USA will be sending their first-ever FIM Challenge des Nations team. Rules state that the Challenge team must be made of one female rider of the Trial2 class and a male rider of the Trial3 class. In order for the team to receive points/ ranking, both riders must finish the competition. This year’s team will be comprised of Hailey Glueck and Murphy Aaron.
Those looking to support Team USA can do so by donating directly to the TdN team, purchasing Team USA t-shirts and sweatshirts, and/or by entering a giveaway for a chance to win a GasGas Moto1 Electric
Beach Cruiser among many other great prizes.
Check out www.mototrials. com/tdn for more information. For readers of the digital magazine, click any of the links below. CLICK
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FINALLY RACING THE LEADBELT ENDURO | RACE RECAP
The 2024 Leadbelt Enduro wasn’t a National Enduro this year, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an epic race. The terrain changes drastically, the rocks are unforgiving, and the waterfall is SLIPPERY!!!!
The Leadbelt Enduro has been on a pedestal for me for YEARS. I’ve watched race footage of Mike Lafferty sending the waterfalls, Russell Bobbitt shredding the singletrack, and Grant Baylor sasquatching the
sasquatch. As a huge fan of enduro racing, the Leadbelt Enduro is an icon event that I’ve always wanted to race. Now that I’ve raced it, it’s lived up to the hype.
The Leadbelt Enduro is held in the St. Joe State Park in Pine Hills, Missouri. Due to the old mines in the area, the terrain changes EXTREMELY quickly from rooty to rocky, sandy to off-chamber, and everything in-between. The elevation changes were the most fun for me coming from Texas. They reminded
me a lot of Hard Wood Hills, but with less small marbly rock, though it did exist to mess with your front tire.
Due to the heat in Texas, and training for an Ultra Marathon later this year, I haven’t been riding as much. Unfortunately the lack of riding bit me as the day wore on. My shoulders wore out quickly on the day, and I didn’t feel like I fueled well enough for the energy expenditure due to the heat and humidity. I had some wins during the race as well,
BRIAN PIERCE
WORDS & PHOTOS
attacking from the beginning in each test and charging to stay with Brandon Atchley when he passed me from row 24.
A few mishaps on the trail included smashing my foot in Test 3, later to find out I broke my pinkie toe, enjoying one of the craziest highsides I’ve ever experienced in Test 5, and then washing out my front tire in Test 6 on the waterfall. I’m a bit more beat up from this enduro than I have been in awhile, but it’s all part of learning and grow. I’ve very thankful my foot injury was only as bad as it was. It felt like I was going to have a few missing toes.
The trek to Missouri was long, but it was worth it to enjoy the Leadbelt Enduro.
www.seattime.co
BOU& BRISTOW
EXTEND SERIES LEAD
WORDS PHOTOS
TRIALGP
FUTURE7MEDIA
Toni Bou (Montesa) took another step towards an unprecedented eighteenth straight TrialGP title and Emma Bristow (Sherco) was back on top in TrialGP Women as the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship traveled to Belgium. In Trial2, Arnau Farré (Sherco) claimed his third win of the season while Euan Sim (Sherco) upset the formbook with victory in Trial3 and Sara Trentini (TRRS) came away with maximum points in the FIM Women’s Trial2 World Cup.
Returning to the fantastic facility at Comblain-au-Pont for the TrialGP of Belgium for
ROUND 5 - BELGIUM
the first time since 2022, the world’s leading Trial riders knew Sunday’s single day of competition would provide a suitably tough challenge, but torrential rain on Friday resulted in extremely testing conditions – especially on the second half of the course that was under tree cover and never really dried out.
Bou, of course, is in his element when the going gets tough and the Spanish superstar took the lead halfway around the opening lap before opening up an unassailable advantage, although the second half
Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou finishes the event with only 39 points dropped
of the lap accounted for fourteen of the twenty marks he lost on observation. A single mark on time boosted Bou’s first-lap total to twenty-one which put him ten clear of his compatriot and closest challenger Jorge Casales (TRRS) who in turn was two ahead of Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) whose total included two time penalties.
It was Marcelli who set the pace on lap two as he powered his way through the sections based in and around a quarry and wooded hillside overlooking the town with the twenty-four-yearold Spaniard adding another seventeen to his score – one
less than Bou – to make sure of second as Adam Raga (Sherco) completed the podium with a total of fifty-four.
“It’s been a nice day for the championship,” said Bou. “I rode pretty good in some sections and made a few mistakes in others, but I’m very happy with the win.”
Casales’ hopes of a podium finish disappeared on lap two when he picked up an additional twenty-six marks and he ended the day in fifth after Jaime Busto (GASGAS) pulled level on the final section of lap two before winning the tie-break for fourth.
In her retirement season, British lioness Bristow recovered from the disappointment of finishing third on day two at the TrialGP of Germany with a commanding performance to make it four wins from five starts as she bids to sign off with her tenth title in eleven years.
Parting with just nine on her opening lap, Bristow led her Spanish rival Berta Abellan (Scorpa) and compatriot Alice Minta (Scorpa) by seven before her second lap total of ten plus one time penalty put the result beyond doubt.
“I’m super-happy with the way I rode today,” said Bristow. “I didn’t make too many silly mistakes and felt like I was in control for most of the day.”
Abellan – who won on day two in Germany – could not find an answer to Bristow’s brilliance, although her lap-two score of fourteen allowed her to break free of Minta who ended the day on thirty-five to equal her career-best finish at this level after taking third on a tie-break with Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta). Great Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS) recorded her best
finish of the season in fifth another five marks behind.
Heading into Comblain-auPont with the Trial2 series lead on the back of three consecutive wins, Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) produced another consistent performance, although he – along with the rest of the field – could not find an answer to Farré who was in fantastic form.
It was British rider Harry Hemingway (Beta) who held a narrow lead following the opening lap with his score of eleven giving him a two-mark advantage over his fellow countryman and defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa). However, while his rivals tried – and failed – to keep their second lap totals in single figures, Farré reeled off a score of just six that when added to his first-lap total of twelve plus three on time gave him a three-mark winning advantage.
“I made a few mistakes on the first lap,” said Farré, “but
TOP: Sherco’s Emma Bristow wins the TrialGP Women’s competition, finishing with 20 points to Scorpa’s Berta Abellan in second with 30.
BOTTOM: Repsol Honda’s Gabriel Marcelli ends the event with 50 points, in second place behind teammate Bou.
my second lap was very good and I had a great feeling with the bike.”
Hemingway’s hopes of a first Trial2 win ended with a maximum on his second attempt at section ten, where Farré went clean on lap two, but he still finished three clear of Peace who now heads into the sixweek summer break with an extended nineteen-point championship lead from Farré after Alex Canales (Sherco), who was second at the start of the day, struggled to eighth.
Following the first three rounds and six days of competition, defending Trial3 champion George Hemingway (Beta) was unbeaten, but his compatriot
BOTTOM:
LEFT: Beta’s Harry Hemingway secured his second Trial3 title in Belgium
Sherco’s Adam Raga rounds out the podium with 54 points
Sim – in just his first year of FIM World Championship competition – produced an incredible opening lap of seven to take an eightmark lead at the halfway point from Norway’s Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) as Hemingway sat outside the top ten on twenty-two.
Adding another eleven to his score on lap two, Sim booked his place on the top step of the podium as Hemingway – who was riding with a suspected broken finger following a training crash on Saturday – staged an incredible comeback with his final total of twenty-nine giving him second on a tie-break from rising French star Romeo Piquet (Beta). The runners up spot was enough for Hemingway to clinch the Trial3 title for the second year in a row with one counting day still remaining in France.
SARA TRENTINI CLAIMS CAREER-FIRST WIN
Trentini is one of the best Italian trials riders, boasting an impressive 5 Italian Women’s Trial Championship titles. In Belgium, she took her first-ever TrialGP career win, moving her up into third place overall in the series.
Only seventh in the points table after a disappointing start to the FIM Women’s Trial2 World Cup in Germany, Trentini looked a different rider in Belgium and she ended the opening lap on ten, two ahead of last weekend’s double winner Martina Brandani (Sherco) as the Italian pair pulled clear.
Dropping her score to seven on lap two, Trentini ended the day four clear of Brandani with Spain’s Laia Pi (Beta) coming home third on thirty.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Trentini. “The sections were more old style which is what I like.”
Sara with minder, Valter Feltrinelli
NEW FROM THE SKID
New
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COMPLETE REDESIGN FOR 2025
New look, new side entry air filter access, new chassis, new cooling system, new handguards, new fork protector, new skid plate, new side stand, new electrical harness, and additional model-specific updates to make each machine perform at its highest
New Braking discs
New Akrapovic headers on 250/300/450/500 SEF
side entry air boxes
Akrapovic silencers on 250/300/450/500 SEF
SKID PLATES UP.
Braking discs, new CNC triple clamps, new dashboard support, new harness, new fuel tank mount, new axle linkage, improved access to the muffler highest level.
New side stands
New frame protector with built in gripper
New higher ground clearance SPES3
Exhaust for 2 stroke models
New brighter LED taillight
Lettenbichler Back on Top
ROUND 4 - ROMANIACS
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler takes victory at round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Romania. The German leads home Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev and Mario Roman to secure the top step of the Red Bull Romaniacs podium and retake the overall championship lead.
After four exciting and challenging days of racing at round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Red Bull Romaniacs finally concluded with Offroad Day 4 in Romania. Although a shorter day than the previous two, the 100-kilometre course still provided plenty of action as weary competitors battled their way across the finish line in Gusterita.
Beginning Offroad Day 4 with an insurmountable lead of 40 minutes and 45 seconds, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler held a firmbut-virtual grasp of the winner’s trophy. Already a four-time winner of the event, the experienced KTM rider set about making it five.
With the Sherco Factory Racing pairing of Teodor Kabakchiev and Mario Roman locked in a battle for the runner-up result, Lettenbichler opted to shadow them home today. Finishing third on the day, he ultimately ended round four as the overall winner.
Despite missing round three due to injury, the defending world champion has clearly demonstrated this week that he remains the rider to beat in this year’s championship
fight. Regaining control of the points lead, he now heads the standings entering round five at Red Bull TKO next month.
While Lettenbichler’s victory was almost a forgone conclusion starting Offroad Day 4, the fight for the remaining podium spots between Kabakchiev and Roman was anything but. Both riders had pushed themselves to the limit during each of the Offroad Days so far, and starting out this morning, only 45 seconds separated the duo.
The advantage was in Roman’s favour, but Kabakchiev was determined to overhaul it. With Roman starting out first on the road, Kabakchiev was the fourth rider to begin, eight minutes
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler (1)
later. For the duration of the day, each rider attacked every signature section with total commitment.
In the end, the advantage turned in Kabakchiev’s favour. The Bulgarian won the day by three minutes over Roman and with it, secured a hard-fought runner-up result.
Despite giving it his all, and leaving nothing on the table, Roman couldn’t keep his
teammate at bay. Ending the day in second, he had to be content with his place on the final step of winner’s podium.
For Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young, Offroad Day 4 saw him deliver a solid and consistent ride with fourth. However, the South African was again unable to bridge the gap to the leading trio and finished just off the podium in fourth.
Signing his week off with fifth today, Michael Walkner (GASGAS) secured fifth overall. Getting stronger as the week progressed, another impressive performance saw Sonny Goggia (KTM) place sixth today, for seventh overall.
The Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award supported by 24MX saw Zona Paddock’s Sandra Gomez claim the winner’s trophy. The Spaniard put
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Alfredo Gomez Cantero (RIE, 8th), Mario Roman (SHR, 3rd), Graham Jarvis (HSQ, 24th), Jonny Walker (BET, 23rd)
in a heroic week to finish a brilliant 25th overall in the Silver class after 23 hours and 19 minutes of racing.
After what’s been a huge week in the Carpathian
Mountains for round four, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship now looks forward to round five in the United States at Red Bull TKO, August 22-25.
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
2. Teodor Kabakchiev (SHR)
3. Mario Roman (SHR)
4. Wade Young (GG)
5. Michael Walkner (GG)
6. Mitch Brightmore (HSQ)
7. Sonny Goggia (KTM)
8. Alfredo Gomez Cantero (RIE)
9. Matthew Green (KTM)
10. Francesc Moret Clota (SHR)
www.iridehardenduro.com
BUZZELLI AND MARTINSON MAKE IT TWO IN TURKEY ROCK
The AMA/Next Gen Western Youth and Women’s Regional Championship was held at the Turkey Rock Trials Area in Howard, CO, on July 19-21 hosted by the Rocky Mountain Trials Association.
With pop-up rain showers interspersed throughout the three-day competition, scores were tight amongst the top-level riders. The terrain had plenty of grip to give, despite some east-coast riders not fully trusting the rocks would hold.
In the Youth A 15 and Under Expert class, Thomas Keady, who calls the property his backyard, took the win on day one, but it was Adam Martinson, overall winner of the Eastern Regional Championship, who found his groove, winning the Pro Shootout on day two, as well as the overall on days two and three to take home the Championship win.
“[The weekend] started off a bit rough,” explained Martinson. “I didn’t make it up a STEPH VETTERLY
rock and broke my throttle. It feels good [to win the ram] and to make it two trophies in one year.”
In the Women’s Advanced class, Team STRA’s Abigail Buzzelli was a dominating force throughout the weekend, taking home the win each of the three days as well as the overall against Team Trial Store USA’s Kylie Glueck and ROK Trials’ Olivia Cunningham.
“The weekend went great,” said Buzzelli. “I think the terrain was something all of us W1 riders weren’t used to. It was a really good competition. I’ve been excited about this trophy since it was announced. There’s a huge tradition around the iconic trophies of these events, and I’m really happy to take it home.”
www.nextgenmototrials.com
LEFT TOP: Abigail Buzzelli with minding help from Josh Owens
LEFT BOTTOM: Adam Martinson; Thomas Keady; Canyon Tidmore takes a water break in the shade; Josh Glueck makes the catch of the weekend as he minds for his daughter Kylie Glueck; Will Owens and minder Max Glueck talk line choice
RIGHT: Abigail Buzzelli and Adam Martinson take home the overall trophy
SMAGE VS MARTYN
LEADERS SPLIT WINS AGAIN...
YSTEPH VETTERLY WORDS & PHOTOS
ROUNDS 5/6 - CALIFORNIA
et again, the 2024 AMA/NATC MotoTrials USA National Championship Series, presented by Trial Store USA, saw the top-
level riders split wins, with FactoryONE Sherco’s Pat Smage and US Montesa Honda-backed Toby Martyn both seeing the top box this past weekend at the Donner Ski Ranch in Truckee, CA.
Over the past few decades, the Donner Ski Ranch has played host to a variety of trials events, both on national and international levels as well as showcasing hard enduro races. Over 120 riders showed up to check out this infamous facility.
Saturday’s Pro class was extremely tight on points. Sections were designed a bit on the easier side, to balance the difficulty of
FactoryONE Sherco’s Pat Smage with minder, Luke Littlefield.
INSET: US Montesa Honda-backed Toby Martyn with minder Richard Knott
the Pro Shootout sections that would be the focus of the riders’ third loop. The opening sections were easily cleaned, but it was section 3 that made riders work for their score. Not only was the section long, but it featured a wide, flat rock face that riders had to traverse multiple times. The final offcamber uphill turn left riders taking a dab to help pivot the bike, as they were already finding themselves tight on time. Smage was the only rider to take less than two points in the section, with none of the riders making it through cleanly. Going into the afternoon’s shootout, it would be Smage (3) with
ABOVE: The wheel placement on the final turn of the final section cost Martyn 5 points and helped secure Smage’s victory on Saturday.
a single-point lead over Martyn (4), with FactoryONE Scorpa’s Alex Myers in third (7), GasGas’s Josh Roper tied with Beta USA’s Alex Niederer and FactoryONE Sherco’s Will Myers with 11 points, and Beta USA’s Cole Cullins with 46.
Three Shootout sections were designed to showcase and test the capabilities of rider’s skill, with two rides through each section. Spectators crowded around to watch the riders navigate sections comprised of very technical turns and splatters. The final turn of the final section was tight, with riders having to float their front wheel up and around to avoid the boundary. Unfortunately, one of Martyn’s attempts saw his front wheel land outside the ribbon and he took full marks. With Smage only taking a single dab throughout the six sections, he was able to take the win on the day with a
RIGHT: FactoryONE Sherco’s Will Myers in section 1 of Saturday’s competition.
total of only four points to Martyn’s nine. Roper was able to make an outstanding comeback, dropping only eight points over the six rides, moving him up into the third-place position. With only a few seconds left in his second ride through the first section, Will Myers had an unfortunate crash coming off the last rock of the section and crashed. Despite initial appearances of a soft landing, Will suffered an injury to his arm, which was later determined to be a broken ulna, was taken to the hospital, and was unable to complete the competition. On the Pegs wishes him a speedy recovery.
“The morning sections were on the easy side, except for [section 3], which was really hard,” explained Smage. “I don’t think anybody figured out how to clean it. Luckily, I had a 1 and a 2 in it. For the first time in a long time, I planned to at least take at least one of those points each time. Going into the shootout there was a lot of
MAX GLUECK CLAIMS CAREER-FIRST JR EX WIN
FactoryONE Sherco developmental rider, Max Glueck, scored his first win in the Junior Expert class against long-time rival Beta’s Sherman Smith III. Saturday saw Glueck take 38 points to Smith’s 42.
Max with dad/minder, Josh Glueck
Beta USA’s Alex Niederer goes almost full vertical in the opening section of the Pro Shootout on Saturday afternoon with multiple minders (Mitch Littlefield-left and Tom Fraserright) ready to catch if anything went wrong.
RIGHT:
pressure. Sections looked really difficult when I was walking them. I didn’t think I was going to ride them as well as I did. I felt pretty good; had a few shaky moments, but overall rode well and kept my feet up for the most part. I had one [dab] in the last section in a really tricky corner out of a groove that was really tough to figure out. To end on a clean and hear the crowd cheer that much was pretty awesome. I really appreciate that.”
“Today started off pretty solid,” said Alex Myers. “It’s always a bit of a challenge coming out west, especially for me and my riding style. It’s something that I’ve been working on. I put together a pretty solid first two loops. Going into the shootout, which is something I’ve never really excelled in, I thought I was riding pretty well up until my brother had a pretty gnarly crash. That got in my head a bit for a couple rides. I cleared that out of my head, but it was too little too late. I lost third [place] by three points. But I was right there with Josh [Roper].”
“Today started off awesome,” explained Alex Niederer. “We got to section 1, nobody wanted to go, we went and we cleaned it. I ran out of time in section 3, but ended up cleaning the rest of the loop. Next loop, I took a dab
in section 9. It was a needed dab, but I’m still furious about it because I cleaned it the first loop. After all the Experts and ES riders went through, the constant pressure on the ground pushed out some moisture, and it put me in a position I didn’t want to be in. Going into the shootout, I was tied on 11 points with Will [Myers] and Josh [Roper]. I ended up beating them on the tiebreaker, so I got to watch them ride ahead of me, which made me really happy - it’s been a while since I’ve been able to fight with those guys. Made me feel pretty good. None of us are used to this elevation . I think we’re all in pretty good physical shape, but it was a tough day. Even though it wasn’t a hot day, the sun is brutal, and the wind really takes it out of you.”
LEFT-TOP: GasGas’s Josh Roper takes a dab to pivot back up the rock face in section 3 on Saturday, coached by minder Nigel Parker.
LEFT-BOTTOM: FactoryONE
Scorpa’s Alex Myers riding through section 12 of Saturday’s competition, guided by minder Lewie Bolopue.
RIGHT-TOP: Beta USA’s Cole Cullins taking it one rock at a time, helped by teammate Jay Gregorowicz, who competed in the Expert class.
RIGHT-BOTTOM: GasGas’s Maddie Hoover working her way towards double podiums against Kylee Sweeten.
The second day of competition was just as tight, but section difficulty was increased. Martyn would take the win with seven points to Smage’s 11. GasGas’s Josh Roper would round out the podium each day.
“It was a lot harder day today,” said Martyn. “We had to really concentrate in a lot of the sections. I’m happy to take the win. I went a bit safe in some places, which is the main thing, trying to stay away from big scores.”
“Today felt like it was an interesting day,” said Roper. “Sections were a whole lot harder and I was still a little tired, a little fatigued, from yesterday’s event. I felt off and on the entire day; I had some good rides, had some bad rides, some unfortunate calls, but in the end, Alex
Myers and I both tied with 27 points and I beat him out with two cleans. I barely escaped that one. I had some goon mistakes out there like knocking a marker off a rock and just a silly point here and there. I don’t really feel like I deserve this third place, but somehow I managed into it. We’ll continue to look positive and look forward from here.”
“Today was rough,” said Cole Cullins. “I am definitely much closer to those guys on the more technical kind of trials. Yesterday was big hits, but it was easy; a lot of it was ‘showy.’ Today was much much harder, but just as big. It was pretty rough. I definitely need to work on my aggression, especially on my first loop - my first loop on both days was just awful; I was just being too timid on stuff. I still have the problem
of not being confident that I can do these things. At the end of the day, I feel like I’m capable of cleaning most of the stuff out there. I just need to get my head right.”
In the Women’s Pro class, GasGas’s Maddie Hoover and Trials Superstore’s Kylee
TOP: Trials Superstore’s Kylee Sweeten
LEFT: Trials Superstore’s Murphy Aaron takes a flying leap to dad/ minder Geoff Aaron in section 5 of Sunday’s competition. Aaron would finish fourth on the day in the Expert class.
SATURDAY
PRO
1. Pat Smage (SHR) - 4
2. Toby Martyn (MON) - 9
3. Josh Roper (GG) - 19
4. Alex Myers (SCO) - 21
5. Alex Niederer (BET) - 35
6. Cole Cullins (BET) - 76
7. Will Myers (SHR) - DNF
WOMEN’S PRO
1. Maddie Hoover (GG) - 12
2. Kylee Sweeten (TRS) - 16
Sweeten would push each other, with Hoover able to keep a slight edge and take the win both days.
“We had a little bit of a change-up [today],” explained Hoover. “Daniel [BlancGonnet] ended up being my minder today, which was pretty fun; we never get to work together like that. I was pretty consistent all day with loop scores. I had one section like normal that had my number. I managed to shave some points off on the other ones. I think the level was really good; they did a great job at this event giving the ES (Expert Sportsman) a little bit more of a challenge. Because Kylee [Sweeten] kept me on my toes yesterday, so today I knew I had to come out swinging,
SUNDAY
PRO
1. Toby Martyn (MON) - 7
2. Pat Smage (SHR) - 11
3. Josh Roper (GG) - 27
4. Alex Myers (SCO) - 27
5. Alex Niederer (BET) - 69
6. Cole Cullins (BET) - 123
7. Will Myers (SHR) - DNS
WOMEN’S PRO
1. Maddie Hoover (GG) - 23
2. Kylee Sweeten (TRS) - 36
and that’s what we did. I’m pretty proud of what we put together today. I definitely could have had more cleans, but we’re working on it for Florida.”
The series will continue October 26-27 at Promise Ranch in Center Hill, FL. With the current points standings, Smage will need to win both days to take the overall championship, finishing only a single point ahead of Martyn. It’ll be a nailbiter down to the very last ride of the very last section.
www.mototrials.com
SERIES STANDINGS
PRO
1. Toby Martyn - 175
2. Pat Smage - 164
3. Josh Roper - 127
4. Alex Myers - 102
5. Alex Niederer - 92
6. Cole Cullins - 84
7. Will Myers - 70
8. Bryan Roper - 28
9. Sam Fastle - 13
WOMEN’S PRO
1. Maddie Hoover - 180
2. Kylee Sweeten - 168
2024 SCHEDULE
March 1-3: Downhill Southeast Mountain Bike Race
March 16-17: Trials Training Days
June 22-23: NATC Mototrials National Rd 3 & 4
June 24-27: Family Camp
June 28-30: AMA/NextGen Mototrials Youth & Women's Regional Championship
August 2-25: TKO: 14th Annual Red Bull Kenda Tennessee Knock Out Extreme Enduro
October 12-13: 32nd Annual 58K Fall Trial (STRA)
December 7: Toy Trial
* All dates are subject to change
DOUGLAS KAUFFMAN
TEAM STRA AT THE NATIONALS
STEPH VETTERLY WORDS PHOTO
DOUGLAS KAUFFMAN
The main reason I decided to compete in the NATC’s National Rounds 5 and 6 at Donner Ski Ranch in Truckee, CA, this year was to step outside my riding comfort zone and make new life memoires.
Coming from eastern Tennessee where mossy rocks have intermittent traction, wet logs reliably have no traction, the air is full of oxygen and summer humidity hovers around 80%, the event at Donner
Ski Ranch was like nothing I’ve endeavored before. The altitude, no humidity, and sheer volume of granite was initially intimidating.
The first five sections of the twelve-section layout on both
Doug
finish in fourth
days were 100% on a granite mountain side! Nothing but rock to ride on, jump over and navigate around. After those sections there was a meandering loop through forest and transversing the Donner Ski Ranch slopes. The terrain was varied from the rock mountain side, to loamy soil of the forest floor, to soft powdery dirt and deep, quickly rutted, fine sand. This variety along with its accompanying landscape made the loop
very interesting and at times breath-takingly beautiful. The remaining sections each day were mainly granite, granite, and some more granite. I found them to be well set up and appropriate for my Clubman skill level with some challenging turns, climbs and downhills with no ominous features. I must admit I found comfort on Saturday when I encountered a log jump in one of the sections. It made some riders uncomfortable because it was so foreign to the terrain but, to me, it was familiar and reassuring.
While the terrain was very different from what I am accustomed, the camaraderie with other riders, checkers and officials was familiar. National events are a couple of days a year but year over year, riders I only see at these events raise their hand in greeting, give a head nod or smile and are quick to share a laugh or story about their past year. That camaraderie extends to manual support in the pits and with the bikes. I had to change a rear shock on Friday afternoon (while the tech inspection clock was ticking) and no less than four people jumped in to help.
Section 11 on Sunday had a turn in deep sand transitioning to a steep climb on a flaky face, peaking to a steep downhill
turning decent. Some of the Pro riders were walking the section prior to their ride. Their presence in itself is always intimidating for me, but in this instance, as I peaked the crest of the hill climb and had to slow my speed, I heard a voice with an accent from the UK in essence reminding me to “relax, slow, balance – you got this.” Way cool.
My goal for riding this event was to challenge my riding comfort zone and make new life memoires. I accomplished both in spades. Riding in an environment that was the antithesis of what I am accustomed to is a memory in itself (and my riding improved because of it). More important are the memories I made of adventure of the travel, the venue, its sounding landscape and the camaraderie of the people involved in this event. These will be everlasting.
This year I hope to further the venture that took me to Donner by riding the final NATC National Round in a Center Hill, FL, at Promise Rance October 26 & 27. If you have not participated in an NATC event or are on the fence about riding, I encourage you step outside of your comfort zone and do it. You won’t regret the memories you make.
would
place on Saturday (17) with a clean second loop, and seventh place on Sunday (22)
TOTH TAKES WIN TH 5
HEATHER WILSON MACK FAINT
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.
ROUND 6 - CROSS FORK, PA
The event saw more than 515 riders take to the trail. The first test was laid out at Quiet Oaks Campground, while the remaining sections utilized state forest land. The Brandywine Enduro Riders club gave riders 4 miles of trail to savor for Test 1, before a 6.5-mile second test. The third and fourth sections were each 5.5 miles, and the day ended with longer sections at 8.5 and 8 miles.
Top competitors in NE Pro1, NE Pro2 and Women’s Elite swapped back-and-forth throughout the nearly 67-mile course, making for close competition all day.
PREVIOUS: Enduro Engineering-backed Josh Toth on his way to his fifthconsecutive victory.
RIGHT: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Racing’s Steward Baylor Jr (36A) ahead of Owen Luzier (36F)
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 secondplace 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.”
When the day was complete, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Racing Kawasaki’s
TOP TO BOTTOM:
Max Motorsports’ Evan Smith (37A), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Trevor Bollinger (39A), FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir (34A)
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 fourthplace 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.”
Notching his sixthconsecutive 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.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing Team Landers rider Grant Davis (23A)
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.
Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer, who had dominated the season thus far with wins at the first five rounds, rounded out the podium aboard her Kawasaki. She noted that she struggled to stay off the ground most of the day and encountered a few bike issues.
Beta rider Kyle McDonal in the AA class secured top amateur, finishing 14th overall. Third in class through the first section, McDonal took second in Tests 2, 3, 5 and 6. He
TOP: Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner (20A)
BOTTOM: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer (18A)
RIGHT: Sherco USA-backed Rachel Gutish (19A)
captured the test win in the fourth section.
Chase Landers topped the A classes mounted on his KTM. The 250A rider finished 19th overall. He was the fastest 250A rider through all but one test in Cross Fork, Pennsylvania.
NE PRO 1
1. Josh Toth (GG)
2. Steward Baylor Jr (KAW)
3. Evan Smith (HSQ)
4. Trevor Bollinger (HSQ)
5. Johnny Girroir (KTM)
6. Grant Baylor (KAW)
7. Ricky Russell (YAM)
WOMEN’S ELITE
1. Rachel Gutish (SHR)
2. Shelby Turner (GG)
3. Rachael Archer (KAW)
4. Brooke Cosner (KAW)
5. Carly Lee (KTM)
NE PRO 2
1. Grant Davis (KTM)
2. Jason Tino (HSQ)
3. Will Sievenpiper (KAQ)
4. Hunter Bush (KTM)
5. Nathaniel Tasha (YAM)
6. Thorn Devlin (GG)
7. Ryan Piper (KTM)
8. Nicholas Defeo (KAW)
9. Jason Lipscomb (BET)
10. Jhak Walker (BET)
“It was a good day,” Landers said. “I started slow but was able to pick up as the day went on. I missed signup, so I was a later row and didn’t make it easy on myself. I had a crash in test one that ripped my glove completely off! Other than that, the tests were epic and the conditions were perfect.” www.nationalenduro.com
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2024 Sprint Enduro World Championship
WORDS & PHOTOS
This year’s three-day 2024 Sprint Enduro World Championship race was a scorcher, both on the track and off, as FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir was virtually unstoppable, grabbing a dominate overall win on what turned out to be a long hot weekend, winning seven of eight tests on Saturday; five of eight on Saturday and four of eight on Sunday to claim the overall win.
Trying to stay in touch with Girroir were Rockstar Energy Racing’s Craig DeLong, Phoenix Honda’s Cody Barnes, Enduro Engineering’s Josh Toth and
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliveira, which is how the standings stood after the first day of racing. Although Girroir shut down the field by winning seven of eight tests on Saturday; all but one of the enduro tests, which was won by Oliveira, on Sunday, DeLong won an enduro test, while Toth won two, putting a little pressure on Girroir.
“I didn’t have many mistakes on Saturday and kind of rode smooth,” said Girroir. “A couple of tests, they were getting a little beat up and little fresh silt dust berms started developing. But, yeah, it was a good weekend these (FIM) tires are working
pretty good in this dry dusty stuff so I’m looking forward to six days. This was a great opportunity to get back to the ISDE format. These (FIM) tires are working pretty good in this dry dusty stuff so I’m looking forward to six days.”
The event in Harleywood, Virginia, also doubled as an ISDE training camp, led by US ISDE Team Manager Antti Kallonen, who will oversee the 10 Trophy team riders that will represent the United States at the 98th FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), which takes place in Galicia, Spain on Oct. 14-19.
SHAN MOORE
Looking to defend their 2023 title, this year’s U.S. World Trophy Team includes Dante Oliveira (KTM), Johnny Girroir (KTM), Craig Delong (Husqvarna) and Josh Toth (GAS GAS) in the Trophy division; Brandy Richards (KTM), Korie Steede (Husqvarna) and Rachel Gutish (Sherco), who are also looking to repeat last year’s Women’s Trophy Cup.
This year’s Junior Trophy Team, who are looking to improve last year’s runnerup finish, consists of Mateo Oliveira (KTM), Grant Davis (KTM) and Jason Tino (Husqvarna).
DAY TWO
Day two was shaping up to be a carbon copy of Day
one, however, DeLong, who was still running a strong second at the time, suffered a mechanical problem in the third enduro test and lost over 10 minutes making repairs, dropping him out of the hunt and moving Barnes up to second, Toth to third and FMF KTM Factory Rider Dante Oliveira to fourth. As a consolation, DeLong won the third enduro test. Meanwhile, Toth won the final two enduro tests, leaving Girroir with five wins.
“I had some good tests going and I think I was still second for the weekend,” said DeLong. “I was just doing some bike work in between tests and just made a bonehead move and didn’t get my fuel line connected all the way and halfway through the enduro test it
disconnected so I was stuck out there with a bike that didn’t run so I lost a bunch of time and that just pretty much ruined my weekend.”
The Pro 2 class was a battle between Husqvarna-backed Jason Tino, FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis and Cooper Jones (KTM). At the end of Day two, Tino held a 30-second lead over Davis, with Jones sitting third in the class.
In the Pro Women’s division, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards swept all eight tests on Saturday, but gave up one on Sunday, finishing second in the
LEFT: Phoenix Honda’s Cody Barnes (99)
RIGHT: Rockstar Energy Racing’s Craig DeLong (342)
opening cross test of the day to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Kori Steede. Richards remained in control of the standings heading into the final day, with Steede second and Sherco USA’s Rachel Gutish sitting third.
“The cross test and the enduro cross test were super grippy at first,” said Richards. “I mean some spots were a little slick with the loose grass but with the six days tires didn’t seem like much of a difference I actually kind of liked them because it was a more consistent drift than in the enduro test,” said Richards. “I sheared my foot peg off in the first enduro on Sunday and got lost and just lost a minute there so after that I was just kind of being consistent making up time. The enduro test is a
perfect six days test because it’s super silty and you kind of have a couple lines but it’s not super tight or super slow it’s like a good mix of everything and same with the cross test with all the off cambers and some high speed stuff but also a little bit of tight stuff too.”
DAY THREE
Like DeLong on Saturday, Dante Oliveira’s day was equally bad, after his engine quit when he landed from a jump during the second cross test, knocking him out of the hunt.
Up front, Toth was a man on a mission, winning three of the enduro tests and moving into second ahead of Barnes for the day and the overall, with top Pro 2 finisher Justin
Tino (Hsq) in fourth on the day and fourth overall.
The title was Girroir was on point once again, winning three cross tests on the day and two enduro tests to claim the overall win for the weekend.
“I made a couple mistakes today but it got really loose and dusty out there,” said Girroir. “I was fighting Josh, he was crushing the enduro test. Actually I wasn’t fighting much but I got him that last Test other than that he handed it to me in the enduro test today. But I was feeling good out in the field laying it down out there so it was a good weekend day.”
Toth used his national enduro experience to finish second overall.
“Today was much better than the rest of the weekend,” said Toth. “It’s been steady progress, getting better and getting closer to the top and now grabbing a few test wins, most of them today, just missing out on the last one. I’m stoked on the progress on the new bike chassis and I want more practice on it some more before Spain.”
Barnes ran second for Saturday and Sunday, but a few mishaps, including a
crash in one of the enduro tests, dropped him to third.
“I’m happy to be competitive with those boys in the cross tests and even in the enduro test,” said Barnes. “Josh was really fast in the enduro today and I just couldn’t hold him off. I was pushing the limits then I had one small crash at the end of the day and that really sealed the deal for a second overall so hats off to him hats off to johnny it was a good weekend and I’m just happy to be in the mix.”
Pro 2 winner and fourth overall, Tino was impressive, turning lap times equal to some of the pros.
“I was having a lot of fun out there and was able to keep
it on two wheels the second and third day so no problem today today,” said Tino. “I had like four or five on day one but it’s because I was a little anxious, but I backed her down and kept her on two and stayed consistent and that’s what we’re looking for.”
The Pro Women’s class stayed pretty much the same
Watch all the action at this year’s event by clicking on the video above (DIGITAL version), or by scanning the QR code (PRINT version)
all weekend, with Richards winning, Steede in second and Gutish in third.
