2O22
RACE EDITION
STRONG START Thirteen-year-old Murphy Aaron won the Junior Trials class on his GasGas in his first-ever EnduroCross event in Prescott, AZ. Main photo: Murphy (GasGas #44) battles Jack Williford (GasGas #85b) and Dylan Lozano (Sherco #714). Inset photo: Murphy with his dad, Geoff Aaron, 10-time AMA
National Trials Champion.
PHOTOS BY DIAHANN TANKE
DOMINATION FMF/KTM Josh Toth takes the final win of the 2021 NEPG National Enduro series. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to take the overall series win, but still, five wins is an impressive feat. PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
Photo: Shann Moore
NEWLY CROWNED CHAMPION BEN KELLEY TAKES GNCC PREMIER CLASS TITLE Ben Kelley battled his way to the top despite hostile terrain and immense rainfall. While racing at the GNCC Ironman finale, Kelley won his first premier XC1 Pro class title and was crowned the 2021 GNCC XC1 Pro National Champion. Congratulations to Ben Kelley and the entire KTM Factory Offroad Racing team for their consistency and perseverant mindset.
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicle may vary selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
CONTENTS FEATURED ARTICLES
US SPRINT ENDURO - pg 56 BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON
SUPERENDURO RD 1 POLAND - pg 78
X-TRIAL ROUND 1 - pg 64
NEPG GOBBLER GETTER ENDURO- pg 94
ENDUROCROSS - RD 4 - pg 112
TORCS SEASON FINALE - pg 146 ON THE COVER AmPro Yamaha's Steward Baylor takes this month's cover for earning the 2021 AMA National Enduro Championship. photo by Shan Moore
SEER SEASON FINALE - pg 126
"MIGHTY RORR" DUAL SPORT - pg 160
DEPARTMENTS World News 14 Local News 18 Product Spotlight 47 Trials Australia Podcast 50 GasGas Guides 52 No Boys Allowed 134 Good Old Times Blog 166
Observing the Trials and Enduro community with a single-track mind.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR Steph Vetterly
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WORLD NEWS
2022 FIM ISDE - 96TH EDITION courtesy of FIM
T
he 96th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) will take place at Puy-en-Velay – France, the capital of the Haute–Loire department in the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, from Monday 29 August to Saturday 3 September 2022.
Le Puy en Velay
The first edition of the ISDE in France dates back to 1920 in Grenoble, in the same region as the next edition. The event was then called the “ISDT” for “International 6 Days of Trial”, enduro did not yet exist. 60 years later, in 1980 and for the third time in its history, France hosted the ISDE in the Haute
Loire in Brioude, the area where the first enduro competition in the country had been organised 8 years earlier. More recently, the last French edition of the FIM ISDE was organised in 2017 in Brive.
Velay) and 2019 in Ambert (seventy kilometres from Le Puy-en-Velay), these two Grand Prixs enjoyed a lively success in particular from the point of view of the crowd, and the enthusiasm they brought to the event.
The FIM by entrusting the organisation of the event to the FFM and the Organising Committee is allowing a return to the roots of the event in France. More recently, this same region hosted the final round of the 2021 Borilli FIM Enduro GP World Championship in Langeac (just forty kilometres from Le Puy en
The Organising Committee (COISDE–2022) is made up of three motorcycle clubs specialising in the discipline, the Moto Club du Puy en Velay, the Moto Club de Saugues and the Moto Club Moto Verte Haute Lozère, which will benefit from the full support of the FFM and the Regional stakeholders.
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 15
WORLD NEWS
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he COISDE–2022 has been working for more than six months on the creation of the course by being focused on two main points: to propose a course as the riders like them, varied with breath–taking landscapes and a certain technical level specific to the DNA of the ISDE. The route will be organised around three completely different loops each of around two hundred kilometres, which will take the competitors on a journey to the heart of the region and beyond, with no less than thirteen different special tests and five timed tests per
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day, 5 service time checks per day, including 2 double ones, so only 3 separate spots in order to limit the logistics for the teams. DAYS 1 AND 2 Loop 1:. Haute Loire – Haut Allier – Gévaudan DAYS 3 AND 4 Loop 2: Haute Loire – Lozère – Langogne DAY 5 Loop 3: Haute Loire – Puy en Velay – Emblavez DAY 6: Final Cross Test Haute Loire – Puy en Velay, in the immediate vicinity of
the Paddock. Always with the aim to reduce costs for all the teams, pro and amateur alike, the FIM wanted to reduce the length of stay by one day by eliminating the day between the last day of checks and the first day of racing. So, the timing of the event will be as follows: 8/23 TUESDAY: Opening of the Paddock 8/26 FRIDAY - 8/28 SUNDAY LATE MORNING: Administrative and technical controls 8/27 SATURDAY EVENING: Opening ceremony at Le Puy-en-Velay, ten kilometres from the paddock 8/29 MONDAY - 9/3 SATURDAY: The race
2017 FIM ISDE Brive - France
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 17
LOCAL NEWS
ANTTI KALLONEN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF OFFROAD RACING FOR KTM GROUP NORTH AMERICA words KTM USA photos SIMON CUDBY KTM North America, Inc. is pleased to announce that Antti Kallonen, longtime Team Manager of the world-class FMF KTM Factory Racing program, has been appointed Director of Offroad Racing for KTM Group in North America. Kallonen’s new role will allow him to retain a more strategic and senior position in all of KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and GASGAS North America’s offroad, flat track and trials racing activities. Furthermore, FMF KTM Factory Offroad Racing is pleased to welcome Tim Weigand as Team Manager as he makes the transition from overseeing Husqvarna Motorcycles’ highly successful factory offroad team for the last seven years. Kallonen joined the KTM family in 2004 to work as a mechanic, before taking over KTM’s factory offroad racing program in 2006. He built a strong foundation for not just the factory racing efforts, but also for KTM’s industry-leading support program that has later produced many champions with the brand. Since 2006, Kallonen has successfully led KTM to 94 National and World Championships, ON THE PEGS // PAGE 18
as well as 11 X-Games gold medals with KTM-supported athletes. Additionally, since stepping into the role of U.S. ISDE World Trophy Team Manager in 2012, Kallonen and the American squad have amassed five ISDE gold medals in all three trophy divisions. Building upon the synergies already in place within the KTM Group, Kallonen will continue to work closely with Weigand and the group’s other managers to continue delivering the most successful offroad racing program in the country. ROGER DE COSTER – Director of Motorsports, KTM Group North America: “As our company continues to expand, first with the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand and then GASGAS, our entire offroad racing program has followed suit. From Offroad to Flat Track and now Trials, someone was needed to guide the program. Antti has so much experience in all forms of offroad competition and no one has won more championships, so the decision was very clear. In this new position, Antti’s knowledge will benefit all aspects of our commitment and presence in offroad competition.”
ANTTI KALLONEN “I’m looking forward expanding my support and time across all three brands, five teams and all the 10 different disciplines. With our many racing activities across North America, I see it important for the company to be able to support each Team Manager and their teams with an overall strategy and direction to further strengthen each of the teams in the right areas. We’ve been fortunate to enjoy a great amount of success and I’m looking forward to continue the same path with even stronger teams.”
TIM WEIGAND “The transition from Husqvarna to KTM is a bittersweet one. As one chapter closes, a new one begins and I can’t help but be excited to tackle new challenges. I will undoubtedly miss the many individuals within the Husqvarna family and I am thankful to still be able to see them within the racing community. The team has become a second family to me and I will always be proud of the work we accomplished together. Looking forward, I’m excited to continue the legacy of winning with KTM. I want to thank the KTM Group as a whole for entrusting me with this great honor.” VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 19
LOCAL NEWS
2022 KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES RULE CHANGES words & photo KENDA TIRES
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t's that time of year, when organizations meet to discuss the previous season and seek continuous improvement opportunities to give you, the racer, the best possible racing experience. What follows are changes that will be going into effect for the 2022 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series. •
The 60+ class will now be broken into two groups. 60+A class and 60+ B/C class. Any rider over the age of 60 at the time of the event is eligible for one or the other of these classes but not both. An A rider over the age of 60 is eligible for the 60+ A Class. Any rider that is a B or C caliber that is 60 years or older is eligible for the 60+B/C class. Both of these 60+ classes will still have scores counted on the short course length of each event.
•
The 60+ A, 60+ B/C, 65+, and Enduro Futures class will no longer be eligible for the C Overall Championship.
•
NE PRO1 Classifications: • It is now any rider that has finished in the top 10 twice in the past 3 years that has at least one year in the NE PRO2 class. This is instead of the top 12over the past 5 years. • Any NE PRO2 champion over the past 3 years. This is instead of ANY NEPRO2 champion. • Any rider that has finished inside the top 3 overall at any National Enduro event of the past 3 seasons.
•
NE PRO2 Classifications: • Top 11-30 twice in the past 3 seasons that have raced at least one year in the AA Class. This is instead of the top 13-30 twice in the past 5 seasons. • Any rider that has finished inside the Top 10 over the past 3 years that has not yet participated in the NE PRO2 class. This is instead of the top 12 in the past 5 years.
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•
Spark Arrestors will not be mandatory at all events. This will not be left up to the property owners requirements and if mandatory for that event it will be posted ahead of time before the event.
•
The NE PRO1 class will remain $85, the NE PRO2 class will remain $75, and the Women's Elite Class will move to $75.
•
You must complete the first timed section to be eligible for points. This replaces the rule of must start the event to receive series points.
•
Women's Elite Class Championship will now only have 1 drop score. The Women's Elite class being a women's pro class will now be concurrent championship points wise with the NE PRO2 class will 1 single drop. The NEPRO1 class will continue to count all scores throughout the season, and all other classes will remain dropping the 2 lowest scores of the season.
•
The NE PRO1 Pay scale. Any NE PRO1 rider must fi nish the event within the Top 15 overall to be eligible for the individual event pro purse. The new payscale is as follows: 1st- $900 5th- $300
2nd- $500 6th- $300
3rd- $350 7th- $250
4th- $325 8th $250
CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.NATIONALENDURO.COM
VOL.Enduro; 7 ISSUE - JANUARY NE PRO 1 FMF KTM's Josh Toth @ Muddobbers National pc 1Shan Moore 2022 // PAGE 21
LOCAL NEWS
FMF KTM FACTORY RACING ANNOUNCE A SOLID OFFROAD LINEUP FOR 2022, LED BY NEW TEAM MANAGER TIM WEIGAND words KTM USA photos SIMON CUDBY
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ith a veteran five-rider roster for 2022, the FMF KTM Factory Racing team is ready to race into the new year with a total of four No. 1 plates – and two runnersup – across the country’s premier national and regional offroad championships. Additionally, the FMF KTM Factory Racing team is pleased to welcome accomplished offroad racer and experienced Team Manager, Tim Weigand, to the team for 2022 and beyond. In 2022, three KTM riders will proudly defend their No. 1 plates from coast to coast as three firsttime champions emerged in 2021 with Ben Kelley clinching the GNCC title, Dante Oliveira taking the WORCS title – along with his
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second NGPC title – and Trystan Hart emerging victorious in the AMA Extreme Championship. For Kelley, his championshipwinning season was all-but-easy but the Connecticut native is more than ready to back it up in 2022, once again racing aboard the KTM 350 XC-F in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series and AMA National Enduro Championship. He will be joined by teammate Josh Toth in both east coast series, also racing aboard the KTM 350 XC-F. Toth finished a close runner-up in the 2021 National Enduro Championship and he will set his sights on a championship bid this upcoming season.
BEN KELLEY KTM 350 XC-F
“I’m really looking forward to the 2022 racing season. We’ll be riding the same bikes as 2021, so I am happy and confident that I will be coming into the new season with even more comfort on the bike. I’m hungry to defend the No. 1 plate at the GNCC Series and just ready to put in the work for a strong, consistent year.”
JOSH TOTH KTM 350 XC-F
“I’m very excited to continue working with the entire KTM team for the 2022 season! My KTM 350 XC-F is working awesome and I’m super comfortable with this proven setup and already looking forward to fighting for the No. 1 plate in both the GNCC and NEPG series!”
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 23
LOCAL NEWS
O
n the west coast, it was a breakout year for the young Dante Oliveira, who came out on top in WORCS after an exciting head-tohead battle with teammate and multi-time champion, Taylor Robert. For 2022, Oliveira will return to defend his WORCS title on the KTM 450 XC-F, while also competing in the NGPC Series, where he is the reigning Pro Champion. Robert, a three-time WORCS Champion, is excited to explore new terrain in 2022 as he lines up for the AMA National Hare & Hound Series, as well as AMA West Hare Scramble Series aboard the KTM 450 XC-F. As the team’s most decorated rider ranging from WORCS to ISDE Overall Champion, X-Games gold medalist
and more, the 31-year-old Arizona native looks to give himself – and KTM – a new set of goals to conquer on the west coast. Trystan Hart rounds out the team’s lineup, defending his AMA Extreme Championship aboard the KTM 300 XC-W TPI, in addition to competing in the AMA EnduroCross Championship on the KTM 350 EXC-F. Hart had a standout season in the hard enduro scene, defeating some of the world’s best hard enduro racers and the almost-25year-old Canadian plans to hit the ground running once again in 2022. Hart’s EnduroCross season was cut short due to injury but he will be fully recovered and ready to contest the title next season.
DANTE OLIVEIRA KTM 450 XC-F
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“I’m looking forward to an awesome year racing WORCS and NGPC and I’m hoping to follow up with two championships again. My goal is to go out and get as many wins as I can and destroy the west coast offroad. I’m stoked on the bike, it’s pretty much the same as last year and I’m super comfortable on it, so we don’t really have too many changes. We’re going to buckle down and go get after it!”
TAYLOR ROBERT KTM 450 XC-F
“I’m excited to go back and do some desert racing and some hare scrambles next year. I really enjoy real offroad races with technical single-track and having to read the terrain, so I’m really looking forward to my two series next year and hopefully we can get KTM a National Hare & Hound title, which they haven’t had for a little while, and have fun doing it. It will be a change of pace for me but all-inall, it should be fun to change it up. I’ve been racing WORCS for over 20 years now and I’m ready for something different.”
TRYSTAN HART KTM 300 XC-W TPI
“I’m super excited to start my third year with the team. I will just be getting back on the bike in the new year after eight weeks off from my thumb injury, but I will be energized and ready for a great year ahead!”
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 25
LOCAL NEWS
GASGAS NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2022 OFFROAD AND TRIALS LINEUP words GASGAS NORTH AMERICA photos SIMON CUDBY GASGAS North America is fired up to announce its 2022 lineup for offroad and trials competition in the U.S.
OFFROAD Returning for its second year, the Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing team will field two riders on the east coast with defending XC2 250 Pro Champion Johnny Girroir at point, and teammate Ricky Russell rounding out the talented rider duo in XC1. The Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing team had a stellar season in 2021, taking the Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) by storm with Johnny Girroir’s championshipwinning season aboard the EX 250F. Girroir doubled his success in 2021, sweeping all six rounds of the U.S. Sprint Enduro Series to claim the Pro 2 title, as well. For 2022, Girroir will defend his XC2 title in the GNCC Series, while making his Pro debut in the U.S. Sprint Enduro Series aboard the EX 350F. Back for his second season with the team, Ricky Russell is ready to GET ON THE GAS in 2022, racing in ON THE PEGS // PAGE 26
the GNCC Series and National Enduro Championship on the EX 350F. The Washington native had some major highlights in 2021, including a second-place finish at the Tiger Run GNCC, plus three additional top-fives and a pair of sixths, in the series. With a proven backing of the Coastal GASGAS team in 2022, Russell will aim to consistently put himself up front in both series.
RICKY RUSSELL - #212 “I’m really excited to enjoy another year with the Coastal GASGAS team. Towards the end of the year, everything was really starting to click and our speed was back up to par, so I can’t wait to start the year out strong and healthy ready to battle for wins.”
JOHNNY GIRROIR - #1 “I’m really excited to go racing this year with the Coastal GASGAS team after a successful 2021 season. My confidence is high, my mind is in a great place and I’m in the best shape of my life.”
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LOCAL NEWS
BARRY HAWK 8-TIME GNCC NATIONAL CHAMPION, COASTAL GASGAS FACTORY RACING TEAM MANAGER “I am really excited and looking forward to the upcoming season with the Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing team. We had a lot of fun in 2021 and we’re looking for 2022 to be an even better year. I expect Johnny to continue with his success carried over from last season, he’s in a very good place mentally and physically and that is a very good recipe for another fantastic year. As for Ricky, I think we’ve found some things he’s been missing with riding technique and he made big improvements late last year. I think he’s going to have the season that we know he’s capable of, which is consistently running up front and winning races.”
ANTTI KALLONEN DIRECTOR OF OFFROAD RACING, KTM GROUP NORTH AMERICA “We’ve had a great partnership with Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing team last year and it’s been fun working with them. They’ve been a great partner representing our brand well and keeping it fun and I’m looking forward to continuing into the 2022 season with them and building their program together with them.” ON THE PEGS // PAGE 28
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 29
LOCAL NEWS
TRIALS Continuing our commitment to top-level trial competition, GASGAS Trials will once again field a toplevel squad to compete at the highest level in the MotoTrials USA National Championship. Unofficially kicking off with Trials Training Days on Saturday, March 26 in Sequatchie, Tennessee, the national competition will get underway with the first two rounds on Sunday, April 3 at the same iconic location.
GASGAS Trials newcomer, Josh Roper, is a welcomed addition to the team in 2022 as he makes his national debut on the TXT Racing 300. Finishing top-five in the Pro Championship as a rookie, Roper quickly progressed into a title contender in 2021, finishing runnerup in the Pro class. Now, Roper is ready to take on the 2022 season with the backing of GASGAS and he’s got his eyes on the prize as he battles for the top spot.
In the premier Pro class, team rider Daniel Blanc-Gonnet is back for year two aboard the TXT Racing 300 and he’s aiming to be a permanent fixture on the podium this upcoming season. Finishing fourth in 2021, Gonnet is more motivated than ever as he continues to put the final touches on his successful offseason preparations. Following a perfectly-executed 2021 season, four-time AMA NATC Women’s Pro Champion Maddie Hoover returns to the GASGAS Trials team to defend her Women’s Pro title in 2022. Competing aboard the TXT Racing 300, Hoover continues to perfect her craft as she aims for another dominant season at the national level, while challenging herself in TrialGP competition again in 2022.
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MADDIE HOOVER “My sights are set high for 2022! The new bikes feel great and are giving me the confidence to go win the championship again! GASGAS and Geoff Aaron have put an awesome team together for next year. I’m excited to see the team take a bunch of podiums and go win some races!”
DANIEL BLANC-GONNET "I am motivated to make the 2022 season one of my best years yet! Between the proven GASGAS trials platform, the experience from team manager Geoff Aaron and the chemistry between our teammates, I am in an environment conducive to delivering results. Focusing my efforts to improve upon where I struggled in seasons past, I am confident that I can be on the podium in each of the eight round AMA/NATC MotoTrials series."
JOSH ROPER “I just signed with GASGAS for the 2022/23 trials season and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such an awesome team! I am fully adjusted to the new bike and feeling better than ever! With the support of GASGAS, I think it’s going to be an awesome season fighting for the AMA NATC MotoTrials Championship! Our team manager, Geoff, is a 10-time National Champ so he knows what it takes and I get the opportunity to learn from his successful past. GET ON THE GAS!” VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 31
LOCAL NEWS
GEOFF AARON
10-TIME AMA NATIONAL TRIALS CHAMPION, TEAM MANAGER “I’m looking forward to the 2022 competition season with our Trials team. Josh Roper is a great new addition and riding very well on the new GASGAS TXT Racing 300. We are looking to push for the top spot in National Trials. Daniel BlancGonnet will take on a new role by working directly for R&D but also competing at
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the Pro level. His skills both on and off the bike will be a strong asset for the team and help refine our machinery and produce results. Once again, Maddie Hoover will fly the flag for U.S. Women’s Trials, she will be shooting for another National Championship and will continue to compete in the FIM TrialGP Series. The 2022 season is shaping up great. I’m excited to see GASGAS wins and podiums from all our Trials riders!”
ANTTI KALLONEN DIRECTOR OF OFFROAD RACING, KTM GROUP NORTH AMERICA “We’ve been able to assemble a strong team for 2022 Trials, growing from a two-rider team to a threerider team and the addition of Josh Roper will only validate and
strengthen our team. With the great leadership of Geoff Aaron, multitime champion, I have no doubt we will be a top contender in 2022 in both divisions Men and Women. Looking forward to fighting for the championship with all three riders.”
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LOCAL NEWS
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING ANNOUNCES 2022 OFFROAD TEAM LINEUP words HUSQVARNA photos SIMON CUDBY Coming into the 2022 season with a No. 1 plate proudly displayed aboard his FX 350, five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Colton Haaker will look to defend his title and attempt to become the most decorated champion in the series with a sixth-career championship. Haaker is already off to a solid start for 2022 as he secured a third-place result at the opening round of FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Poland over the weekend. The threetime World Champion will contest the entire series once again as he looks to re-mount the No. 1 plate aboard his TE 300i. Also returning to the team is veteran Thad Duvall, who is looking to build upon his strong finish to the 2021 season where he claimed victory at the final round of the GNCC Series. DuVall battled injury earlier in the season but with a clean bill of health, the 32-year-old is ready to continue his title fight aboard the FX 350. DuVall will also compete in the AMA National Enduro Championship this season, where he is set to ON THE PEGS // PAGE 34
contest his first title in that series as well. After a successful championship-winning run in the Pro2 division, Craig DeLong will fully make the jump into the premier class in 2022, racing aboard the FX 350 in both GNCC and National Enduro. He made a
COLTON HAAKER “I am excited for another couple years with the team. We’ve had a lot of success since joining in 2015 and that comes from each member truly enjoying the process. It is fun and rewarding to work together towards a goal and whether achieved or not, the effort and the journey are the parts we look back most fondly on!”
THAD DUVALL “I think 2022 will be a great year and I’m really looking forward to racing GNCC and getting back to the National Enduro Series!”
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 35
LOCAL NEWS strong effort to defend his GNCC XC2 250 Pro title last season with a runner-up finish in the championship, while also putting a strong foot forward with fourth overall in his rookie season of NE Pro1 competition. For 2022, DeLong will set his sights on being a consistent front-runner alongside the sport’s elite racers. Trevor Bollinger heads into the 2022 season healthy and fully recovered from a long road of knee injuries. Bollinger will join his teammates DuVall and DeLong in the GNCC and National Enduro series this season, racing both aboard the FX 350. Bollinger came on strong towards the end of the 2021 season, claiming a podium finish in the National Enduro series, along with fifth overall in the championship standings. For 2022, Bollinger aims to be a consistent podium contender in both series. Austin Walton will represent the team’s efforts on the west coast once again in 2022, competing in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) and the AMA National Grand Prix Championship on the FX 450. Walton missed a large portion of the season in 2021 due to injury but he came back strong at the final rounds to show great potential for the 2022 season. ON THE PEGS // PAGE 36
Together with the announcement of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s 2022 off-road racing team lineup, Husqvarna Motorcycles North America, Inc. is pleased to also welcome Anthony DiBasilio as Team Manager of the highly accomplished program. DiBasilio started working under the KTM Group umbrella in 2008, taking on many roles within the company’s off-road racing division including rider mechanic, chief engine builder, assistant race-team manager and service technician/manager at the Husqvarna Motorcycles’ dealership level. With nearly 15 years of trusted experience in the off-road motorsport world, DiBasilio looks forward to accepting a new challenge with the familiar Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.
AUSTIN WALTON “I am happy to have some time off from the races to be able to work on my bike skills and fitness, as there were some things that could be better towards the end of the 2021 season. I am looking forward to progressing some key details of my program and to be ready for the 2022 season and to hit it even harder this year! I’m also very happy to be working with the same team this year as their help is huge in my success and I look forward to paying it back with championships!”
CRAIG DELONG “I’m really looking forward to jumping up to GNCC’s XC1 class and racing the big names of the sport right now. Being back with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is awesome, too, and I’m really excited to be working with all the guys again!”
TREVOR BOLLINGER “I’m excited to be coming into the 2022 season healthy. Last season was challenging but I’m ready to come out swinging and make myself a regular on the podium.”
LOCAL NEWS
ANTHONY DIBASILIO TEAM MANAGER
“I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to be with the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand. Both professionally and personally, I am forever inspired by my time and work as a mechanic with Kurt Caselli. Being a Team Manager for the offroad race team has long been a goal
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of mine and I am excited to now bring my experience and knowledge to the table. I feel confident stepping into this role and know together we can continue to build on the already successful platform and keep pushing boundaries.”
ANTTI KALLONEN DIRECTOR OF OFFROAD RACING, KTM GROUP NORTH AMERICA “The 2022 season is looking to be strong for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and I’m looking forward to seeing what our new Team Manager, Anthony DiBasilio, can do and contribute with his expertise and a fresh set of ideas for the team to advance to even higher levels. They will have a full powerhouse on the east coast with a three-rider lineup for GNCC XC1. Thad, Trevor and Craig are all
championship contenders and we’re looking forward to having the team up on the podium regularly in GNCC and National Enduro. On the west coast, Austin has been a proven race-winner and we look forward to continue working with him on the WORCS and NGPC series. Colton Haaker, who is the veteran on the team and the most accomplished rider, will round out the team’s effort in extreme off-road and I’m expecting him to carry the torch to guide and lead the team to more championships in 2022.”
VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 39
LOCAL NEWS
JAY LIPSCOMB SIGNS WITH BETA RACING words & photo BETA RACING
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eta Racing is excited to announce the signing of Jay Lipscomb. Jay resides in Parkersburg, WV. He will compete in the XC3 class at the GNCC aboard a Beta Factory 125 RR. Jay really started to find his groove towards the end of his 2021 GNCC campaign. He reached the podium 3 out of the last 4 races in the XC3 class. He'll look to build on that momentum going into the 2022 season.
CARLEN GARDNER JAY LIPSCOMB "I’m really excited to have the opportunity to ride for the Beta Factory team in 2022. The team has been super helpful and I’m looking forward to racing with them next year."
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RACE TEAM MANAGER "Jay has had some very impressive rides towards the end of the season which really caught my eye. He did not have much support, but that never slowed him down from proving himself. I'm very excited for him to join our strong line up for the 2022 racing season, and looking forward to the future with him and all Factory Beta USA racers."
JAY LIPSCOMB SIGNS WITH BETA RACING words & photo BETA RACING
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eta is pleased to announce that Dare DeMartile has signed a two-year deal to race for the Factory Beta USA team. The Lincoln, CA resident raced a partial schedule in 2021 and put Beta on the podium a couple of times during that stint. DeMartile will compete aboard a Beta Factory 480 RR in the Pro class of both the WORCS and NCPG series. He got a taste of racing in both series this year by competing in a few rounds. That experience will only help with his 2022 campaign.
CARLEN GARDNER - RACE TEAM MANAGER "I have known Dare for a while growing up racing motocross. I knew he had an Offroad background from local races, and grew up riding various types of events. When I had the opportunity, I knew he would fit perfectly with the team and make a statement in west coast offroad racing."
"I’m very excited to make history with Beta for the next two years. I'm very grateful for the opportunity and just excited to go racing." VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 41
LOCAL NEWS
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AGUS PASCAL TO FACTORYONE SHERCO photo WIN.PIC PHOTO The FactoryONE Sherco team will be adding a fresh face to their roster. The 17-year old will set his focus on the US Hard Enduro series and Endurocross. With a technician like Cody Richelderfer in his corner, Pascal is definitely set up for success in the coming season. "I'm extremely happy and grateful for this opportunity and for being part of this amazing brand. Huge thanks to Sherco USA and Ron Sallman for believing in me, and to my sponsors and family for making this happen!"
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LOCAL NEWS
2022 SEER HARD ENDURO SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED Some exciting changes are in store for the South East Extreme Riders Association. Crowd-favorite, the Groundhog enduro, has returned to the schedule for another season. The Nightmare Extreme enduro will now be held at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, TN instead of Hale Mountain OHV Park in Alabama. SEER has also added a new venue to the schedule: Circle E Shootout in Winchester, TN. Registration for rounds 1-3 opens January 1, 2022.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.SEER-RACING.COM
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LOCAL NEWS
KENDA PROMOTES NEW POWERSPORTS DIRECTOR words & photo KENDA TIRES REYNOLDSBURG, OH – Kenda Tires has announced the promotion of Dave Komoroski to lead its growing powersports division. Komoroski is no stranger to the Ohio-based tire brand, having worked with Kenda for the past three years. Prior to the director role, Komoroski served as OEM Sales & New Products Manager. Previous to Kenda, Komoroski served the powersports industry in several roles spanning sales and marketing, category management, and new product development. “What an opportunity,” said Komoroski. “It’s a real honor to be tapped for this position. We’ve worked through some challenges over the past year and a half with the pandemic and we’ve also identified some significant opportunities. I can’t say enough about the team that’s in place here in Ohio, and about the mentorships that led me to this role.” Kenda is on a roll and looks forward to continued momentum with Komoroski at the helm of the Powersports division. ON THE PEGS // PAGE 46
Kenda Powersports continues to grow and is actively seeking new talent. The latest job opportunities can be found on ZipRecruiter and Kenda’s Careers page.
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Call: (541) 772-4161 VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 47
Photo: Harlen Foley
FIGHT TO THE FINISH DANTE OLIVEIRA WINS WORCS CHAMPIONSHIP After a season-long fight for the championship, Oliveira and the FMF KTM Factory Offroad Racing Team secured the 2021 World Off-road Racing Championship Series title at the season finale in Primm, Nevada. Congratuations Oliveira and team for your outstanding accomplishment. Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated may vary selected from the production ON THEvehicle PEGS // details PAGE 48 models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
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Ep 94: Cody Webb
Leading the USA's Hard Enduro Charge The podcast has been on a bit of theme of late as we have discussed riders who have transitioned from Trials to Hard Enduro. Today is a continuation of that theme as we chat with Trials champion and the USAs lead Hard Enduro rider: Cody Webb. Cody is an unbelievably easy to talk to guy which makes this interview all the more special. I think were able to get below the surface and find out what makes him tick. Cody's accomplishments in trials in the USA culminated in his 2010 win of the NATC Pro Class Championship after a number of years of 2 place. He's also won gold at the TdN and the ISDE putting in
him rare company. This chat goes into reflections on the difficulties with making Hard Enduro events suitable for Pros & amateur riders; dealing with injuries; his thoughts on the next generation of Hard Enduro riders in the USA; trying to build parity between Hard Enduro in the USA and Europe; and what is getting him excited next. Just a heads up that at about 45 mins into this chat there is some background noise that I did my best to supress, but some of it trickled through. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you my chat with the USAs leading Hard Enduro rider Cody Webb.
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- David Grice
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DAVID & CODY
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GasGas has released a full selection of trial riding videos, all designed to help riders of all skill levels become more confident at their favorite sport. Hosted by GasGas Factory Racing Team Manager Albert Cabestany, the tutorial videos will cover everything from bike setup, to basics, to the most advanced maneuvers. Follow along as we showcase a new video each month, or check out the full series on GasGas.com.
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CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.GASGAS.COM
CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO
In this must-watch video for trial competitors of all abilities, Cabes explains the importance of walking, inspecting, and deciding upon the best line in a section in order to complete it cleanly and efficiently.
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US Sprint Enduro - Bac
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ck for Another Season interview with Billy & Nancy Schlag, founders of the series
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words STEPH VETTERLY 2021 serie photos SHAN MOORE After a successful six-round series in 2021, the folks at US Sprint Enduro are signing up for another year of fun, bringing some new venues with them as well as expanding to eight rounds. ON THE PEGS met with Billy and Nancy Schlag, founders of the series, to talk about the 2021 season and what changes have taken place for 2022. GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE 2022 SEASON. We're really excited for the 2022 season coming up here. We’ve been pouring a lot of time into it. We have some new venues for 2022 that we'd like to talk about. We're also continuing our series as a twoday format which we feel is the right way to do sprint enduro. Spreading the event out over two days is the closest or most feasible way that we can give you, the racer, the same feel as the ISDE. You're taking your competition over two days; you go and compete as hard as you can on Saturday, rest Saturday night, and have to get up Sunday morning and do it all again, whereas if you do just a one-day format, it's just competing for that one day. It's a big difference competing one day versus two days. In the sprint format, you completely exhaust yourself; that's the goal ON THE PEGS // PAGE 58
when you go out and do your special tests - you want to give everything you have every time you're on the course and so to go through that on Saturday and then again on Sunday, I think it's a better test. Saturday night gives you a chance to try figuring out everything that you can do to get that tenth of a second. I’ve been off podiums or lost overalls by tenths of a second or less. CAN YOU GIVE ANY DETAILS ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND NEW VENUES? Our first round is going to be outside of Seller’s South Carolina at Moree's Paradise; it’s a completely virgin piece of ground, a dirt bike has never been ridden on it. It's a neat venue because it's a go-kart track venue so there's amenities like electric and water; they have somewhere around 180+ sites available. The track is going to be awesome; it's going to be a firm sand with lots of virgin woods and just a really massive grass track for the cross test. We're going to South of the Border MX for our second round, which will also be our ISDE qualifier round. We’re looking really forward to that; it’s a neat venue. The dirt is a sandy clay mix which is my favorite type of surface to ride on. It'll be a lot of big mature pine trees that we'll be routing the course through for the enduro test and the cross tests will run out through a mix of fields and motocross tracks.
ABOUT BILLY SCHLAG • • •
Trail Pro Trail & Track Designer/Builder SXCS Founder/Promoter Off-Road/MX Racer #50
Since he was 6 years old, Billy has been on dirt bikes. He quickly took to motocross, rising in competition ranks and winning multiple titles and awards along the way, including the Steve McQueen Award in the Mid-Atlantic Motocross Association series. He won the GNCC 40+A championship in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and after winning the Open A class in the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series (FSGE), self-promoted to PRO 2, and took third in the championship. After FGSE added a Pro-Am class in 2019, Billy moved over and won the Number One plate. Needless to say, Billy is interested in continuing to support off-road riding, especially the sprint enduro format.
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We will go in-between most of the jumps on the track; there will still be a few jumps that we hit but not too many. For the third round, we’ll be at Dreamville MX in North Carolina which will be another kind of firm sand type of surface. That will be a new venue as well; they have trails there now but we’ll lay out a new course in the woods. We’ll do a similar type of thing there as well where we run out on motocross track a little bit but we’ll mostly do grass track there. Our fourth round will be at the same site where they have the Cherokee National Enduro in Greensboro Georgia. A lot of that is familiar to many of our riders. We can’t make the announcement on our fifth round just yet; we're still waiting on a couple of details to get worked out. The sixth round will be at a newer track and trail facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, called Track 93 just north of Morgantown. Finally, we’ll wrap up the season down at Harleywood, in Bristol, Virginia, on Father’s Day weekend. It’ll be the same location where we went for the 2021 season. All eight rounds will be held between January and June. We're excited because we were only six rounds
last year only had about five weeks to put it all together. All of our properties this year are very unique, which is awesome. It keeps it interesting. BEING A NEW SERIES, HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTRACT SO MANY BIG-NAME RIDERS TO YOUR SERIES? I think they really wanted to make sure they saw a sprint enduro series continue because they love the format as well. I know these guys; i competed with them at the previous sprint enduro series, and at times ran some pretty decent times. They knew who I am and what I’m about and I think they probably understood that here's a chance to go out and race on a course that a racer similar to us is putting together. I think they probably appreciated that. YOU'RE AN AMA ELEVATED REGIONAL SPRINT ENDURO SERIES NOW. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS? We are now going to give out an AMA regional Number One plate at the end of the year. Right now, if you want to race at the highest national level in sprint enduro, you come race US Sprint Enduro. The AMA is really happy with the way we did things this past year; 2021 was our probation year, and we knew right away that we wanted to be at the top. We’ve been doing sprint VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 61
enduros since 2019 with our other series, the Sprint Cross Country series (SXCS), which is also an AMA featured series. For that series, we do three different formats; we're the only ones that we knew of doing that in off-road for one championship. We do an equal number of GPs, sprint enduros, and cross countries for one championship. Our SXCS crew came with us to US Sprint Enduro, so it just felt like an extension of what we had already been building. We're also able to co-sanction our two sprint enduros, so when we run a sprint enduro in SXCS, we're running SXCS and US Sprint Enduro together. I think it's really awesome for our Sprint Cross Country riders; they're elevating themselves because they're riding with a new crop of racers that are
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following more of the national caliber series. It mixes them together and gets them to mingle and then be part of that bigger series. It's a series that's run by racers; everyone that helps has been involved in racing on a top level and has put their racing on hold to do this. The thing with our series is you're gonna get a really top-notch experience.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.USSPRINTENDURO.COM
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BOU:
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE ROUND 1 - ANDORRA
words STEPH VETTERLY photos FUTURE7MEDIA ANDORRA LA VELLA November 6, 2021 Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou kicked off the 2021 X-Trial season with a “rip-roaring” triumph at the season opener in Andorra. After 20 long months off, the FIM X-Trial series returns for the shortest season the series has ever seen. With an ever-changing schedule that started off as nine rounds as of November 2020, the series was shortened to five rounds earlier this year, finally culminating in only two rounds in the month of November. Starting in Andorra la Vella, nine riders lined up to compete at the 180th edition of the biggest indoor trials. For those not familiar with the competition format, the first ride of the day seeks to limit the field to only six riders through a series of man-made sections. Each rider has a limit of six minutes to complete all sections. In the second ride of the day, the top six riders are broken into two heats. The top rider from each heat moves on to the grand final to compete for first and second place. The second-place rider in each of the heats move to the runners-up final to compete for third place overall.
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MATTEO GRATTAROLA VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 67
With regards to scoring, while competition in the United States allows for unlimited dabs after a score of three points is achieved, in the X-Trial format, any more than three dabs would constitute a failed section and earn the rider a full fivepoint score. As a new rule, should riders tie on points in the first ride, the rider who attempted the sections first is awarded the better position. The opening round was held in Andorra’s capital, Andorra la Vella. The first rider of the event was TRRS’s Toby Martyn. After making short work of the first three sections, Martyn was thrown off his game in section 4, which proved to be one of the deciding sections. Following an unfortunate five-point penalty, he followed that with failures in each of the final sections, landing him at a total of 16 points. Section 4 continued to challenge both GasGas’s Miquel Gelabert and Montesa’s Gabriel Marcelli, with Vertigo’s Jaime Busto the first rider to clear. Section 5 was the most difficult section, with riders navigating a downward-sloping obstacle onto a high splatter. Every rider, including Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou, took a failure on the obstacle, except for one: Beta’s Matteo Grattarola. Not only was Grattarola the only rider to clear the section with less than five points, he walked away with a clean ride! That ride also helped ON THE PEGS // PAGE 68
JAIME BUSTO
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to earn him the top position overall with only four points. Three riders were tied with seven points, but due to the new rule, Busto would take the second-place position followed by TRRS’s Adam Raga in third, and Bou in fourth as a result of riding order. Sherco’s Jeroni Fajardo and Gelabert would take fifth and sixth place, respectively. Marcelli, Martyn, and GasGas’s Jorge Casales would not continue to the heat races. Competing in the first heat were Gelabert, Raga, and Fajardo. The same sections were used, but riders rode them in reverse, with the end gate serving as the start gate. First out on the course was Gelabert; after starting the round with a failure in the first section, the GasGas rider took an enormous fall from the highest point of section 2, landing face-first on the stadium floor, bike in tow. Unfortunately, the way the obstacles were positioned, there was no good place for Gelabert’s minder to have helped in the situation. Medics rushed in, and after a moment, Miquel was able to stand and limped off the course to sit out the rest of the event. Raga would take the heat win with a total of five points to Busto’s seven. In the second heat, the “Bou Show” returned to the crowd’s pleasure, with Toni cleaning all six sections and moving on to go head-tohead against Raga. Grattarola and Fajardo both had an unfortunate ON THE PEGS // PAGE 70
GELABERT'S CRASH - SCREENSHOT FROM OFFICIAL FIM X-TRIAL FOOTAGE VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 71
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start to the sections, but Grattarola was able to save enough points to move on to the Runners-Up final against Busto. The Runners-Up final consisted of only a single section; competitors were given a one-minute time limit to attempt the section in both directions. Both Grattarola and Busto had clean rides, so a tiebreaking section was added. Busto was able to clean both directions, while the Beta rider failed the section in the reverse direction, losing out on the final step of the podium. In the final ride of the event, all six sections were used with Bou and Raga each attempting one section at a time with a one-minute time limit. Raga was first out on the course, and took an unfortunate failure in the first section, putting him off to a rough start against the 14-time X-Trial champion. It all came down to section 5; to help stabilize the bike and clear the section, Raga made a strategic decision to rest his skid plate on the highest obstacle, earning him a single point. Bou was able to clean the section in both directions, securing the win in the opening round in his home country.
ADAM RAGA
“I'm very happy with this victory,” said Bou. “After 20 months without participating in X-Trial the sensations were strange today. To be back competing in front of the fans and, on top of that with an VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2022 // PAGE 73
Andorran crowd that was incredible. We know that Barcelona - which is also my home trial - will be very tough and that's why it was so important to win here today. At the start, I managed to pick up some points and I made some mistakes. But on both the second lap and the final one, things went spectacularly, not only because I didn't pick up any marks, but also because I was feeling very comfortable with my riding and felt confident and aggressive. I am very pleased with my riding, but above all with the team. I want to thank them for all the work they have done this last month after winning the outdoor world championship, to get the bike ready for the indoor championship.” “I’m satisfied to have started the season like this because it keeps my options open for the title in Barcelona,” said Raga. “I rode very well throughout, but a mistake in the first section of the Final really left me with little chance of victory. The battle against the stopwatch, knowing I needed to do it in both directions, made me rush.” “This podium is a satisfactory result for me because I’m back on the podium and because I think it’s a fair reflection of how good I feel on the bike,” said Busto. “I’m in a good position to fight in Barcelona.” The final round of the 2021 season will take place in Barcelona. ON THE PEGS // PAGE 74
CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.X-TRIAL.COM