US Sprint Enduro Series Round 1 - January 28/29, 2023
Hamer, South Carolina
words and photos: Shan Moore
FMF/KTM’s Johnny Girroir dominated the first day of competition at the opening round of the 2023 US Sprint Enduro Series held at the South of the Border MX facility in Hamer, South Carolina, topping FXR GasGas’ Layne Michael by nine seconds. AmPro Yamaha’s Zach Osborne, who came out of retirement after hanging it up at the end of the 2021 motocross season due to a back injury, came on strong the following day, winning Sunday’s event by a mere .005 seconds over Girroir.
After the times from the two days were combined, Girroir claimed the overall win, beating out Osborne by 11 seconds, thanks to his strong performance on Saturday. Enduro Engineering GasGas’ Josh Toth, who was third on each day, also finished third overall.
Girroir looked in control of Sunday’s event until a slight hiccup in the final cross test allowed Osborne to close in.
“I can’t believe how tight it was on Sunday,” said Girroir. “It was just five-hundredths of a second separating us going into that last test. I knew Zach had a problem there on Saturday and got stuck in the mud. But overall, he was flying. He won a woods test and then he took all three cross test wins in the Pro 1 class (Angus Riordan actually had the fastest time in the first cross test from the Pro 2 division). So, I knew Zach was going to be tough today. I just put my head down and got that first cross test win and then clicked off the first woods test win. Then the battle was on. We were kind of yoyo-ing back and forth all day. We went into the last test (on Sunday) five-hundredths of a second apart and were fivethousandths of a second apart at the finish. I think I got him by fifteen seconds for the weekend, but it was fun, close racing. That’s what sprint racing is all about.”
Girroir might have won Sunday’s event, as well, but a slipup in the third cross test cost him valuable time.
“I just got sideways a couple times and was over-riding the bike,’ said Girroir. “Just trying to get on the gas too soon. I guess it’s just a personal error or mistake and I need to learn from it and do better next time.”
Osborne was excited to win Sunday’s event with such little experience in off-road racing.
“I’m learning the format, learning how to do everything,’ said Osborne. “The start procedure, the time in- between, just the whole gamut of what sprint enduro is here in the USA. To have the weekend that I had, I feel like I was pretty successful. I won five of the six cross tests. Was second in one of the enduro tests, plus won another one, which wasn’t even on my radar for this weekend against guys like Jonny and Layne and Josh. So, that was huge for me.”
Osborne hadn’t raced professionally since the Thunder Valley Motocross in Colorado in 2021.
“I was extremely nervous about this first race,” added Osborne. “So, to be back at a professional level, it means a lot more to me to race this weekend than most people will ever know, just from where I was in the last year and a half as far as my health and stuff goes. It’s just a huge, huge shot in the arm for me.”
Toth is the defending US Sprint Enduro Champion and came into the event with strong hopes, despite being on a new team and a new bike.
“It was a pretty stacked pro class this week,’ said Toth. “The course had very moto-like tests, although the enduro test got gnarly and rooty and rough and it was pretty onelined and fast so there was nothing to separate all of us, so that made for super tight racing. I had some decent crashes just trying to make up time in the last two enduro tests on day one, but usually enduro tests are my strong point. Those boys were laying it down, even Zacho. So, props to him. I just tried to keep him honest. It was cool trying to defend off Zacho on the full-blown moto track for just a wide-open sprint. Overall, it was a pretty solid weekend.”
Layne Michael, who was the 2021 US Sprint Enduro Champion, was fourth overall after making some impressive rides. Like Toth, he too was coming into the year on a new team and a new bike. Michael looked strong on Saturday and was in contention most of the weekend, but one of the early tests on Sunday did him in.
‘That first enduro test really stings right now,” said Michael. “A little mistake and I kind of went into the trees and got hung up. It just took me too long to get out. I lost probably fifteen, twenty seconds. So, I knew it was kind over there. I kind of had a faint shot there heading into the last test to snag a podium and I was close but came up probably a second and a half, two seconds shy. So, it sucks.”
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Cody Barnes won the Pro 2 class with a fifth overall finish, despite getting off to a slow start.
“Day one started off pretty rough,’ said Barnes. “In the cross test, I came into it a little bit too cold and I just made a couple mistakes. The same thing happened in the enduro test. I managed to turn things around by the end of the day, but I was digging myself out of a hole, which is never good. Finally, I had some good test scores and was right there with the Pro one guys for the second half of Saturday’s event. Then I started slow again today and I lost some time to Angus (Riordan). He was riding really good. I made it up in the enduro test, but the guys were really on it in the Pro one class, and I was hoping to be right up there with them.”
Sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class was RPM KTM’s Angus Riordan, who surprised everyone by turning in the fastest time of all class on the cross test to kick off the weekend.
‘Me and Cody (Barnes) was on a roll the first couple of tests on Saturday and then the big boys didn’t like that and they showed us how it’s done,’ said Riordan.
Coastal Racing GasGas’ Thad DuVall, who is still feeling the effects of a hip injury, was seventh.
“I was just pretty far off on some of the tests,’ admitted DuVall. “I’m just kind of getting that sprint mentality back. I had some really good tests, I just need to get better on Saturdays and just kind of learn that sprint speed a little bit. I still favor my hip a little bit in the ruts, so I haven’t really rode ruts since the big injury, especially ruts like on the moto track today. Once I get comfortable on the ruts with my leg I can go from there.”
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Ruy Barbosa was eighth and third place in the Pro 2 division.
“Today was difficult for me,” said Barbosa. “The race was perfect conditions. The woods and the cross test were really nice. But I was really struggling. I was really slow in the whoops. I need to get better. It’s my first race in the season and I had a small problem with my wrist, so I didn’t ride too much these last three months. But I will get better.”
Bubz Tasha (KTM) finished ninth overall and fourth in Pro 2, while Dominik Morse (Hsq) won the ProAm division in 10th overall.
The Women’s Elite class, Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Kori Steede split day wins with AmPro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer, with Steede taking the overall win by 11 seconds over Archer at the end of the two-day event after a 1-2 performance.
“Saturday, I had a really solid day,” said Steede. “I ended up winning the day by 25 seconds. But then the track started to get a little rough on Sunday. I made a few adjustments to my suspension during the day and I ended up winning the last cross test. Then in the enduro test, I was feeling really good but I made a couple mistakes and Rachel ended up grabbing it. But I’m pretty pumped to start the season like this.”
Engineering/Fly Racing KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker finished third, with Rachel Gutish and FLY Racing/ KTM’s Shelby Turner rounding out the top five.
MENS OVERALL:
1. Johnny Girroir (GG)
2. Zach Osborne (Yam)
3. Josh Toth (GG)
4. Layne Michael (GG)
5. Cody Barnes (Hon)
6. Angus Riordan (KTM)
7. Thad DuVall (GG)
8. Ruy Barbosa (Hon)
9. Bubz Tasha (KTM)
10. Dominik Morse (Hsq)
WOMENS OVERALL:
1. Korie Steede (KTM)
2. Rachael Archer (Yam)
3. Mackenzie Tricker (GG)
4. Rachel Gutish (GG)
5. Shelby Turner (KTM)
6. Jamie Astudillo (KTM)
7. Prestin Raines (Yam)
8. Elizabeth Perez (Hsq)
