Josh Toth continued his run of impressive rides in the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series, the FMF/KTM rider claiming his fifth win of the season at this weekend’s Gobbler Getter National Enduro in Stanton, Alabama. Meanwhile, AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr. wrapped up the 2021 championship title with a runnerup finish at the Alabama race, which served as the ninth and final round of the series. It was Baylor’s fifth AMA National Enduro title.
Baylor came into the race with a huge margin in the points and needed only to score a 14th to nail down the title, but the South Carolina rider was on the gas early in the race and going for the win. However, it was Ryder Lafferty who scored the first test win of the day. The Coastal Racing GasGas rider tripped the timer a second faster than Toth, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong finishing third in the test. Baylor was fourth ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Trevor Bollinger.
Baylor took tests two and three, but Toth found his groove and topped the final three test of the day.
After six tests and 52 miles of racing Toth took the win with just over 29 seconds to spare ahead of Baylor.
“I started off a little bit slow and just kind of a little cautious, but picked up throughout the day,” said Toth. “I knew Stew was pushing and anything could happen, so I was just giving it my best effort and fighting between the lappers and the tight trees.” “It’s kind of a bummer to be on the top step of the podium but not with the number one plate,” added Toth. “I had a lot of wins this year, but consistency is what matters. I suffered through the first round with a broken hand. If it wasn’t for that or drowning my bike while I was in the lead in Ohio… Would have, could have, should have. Can’t change a thing now. I gave it my best. Stew hasn’t beat me in a while, so going into next year I’m pretty confident and I’m coming for that number one.”
Though Baylor started off charging hard, he eventually backed off and played it safe near the end of the race.
“It’s awesome to wrap up the fifth championship,” said Baylor. “Luckily, everything fell into place. The last couple races I really didn’t have to push. I rode well, but I never really rode too aggressive. I think the last test in Oklahoma was the hardest I pushed really since the beginning of the season. I didn’t need to. I came in with no sense of urgency. I knew I really needed to be careful, save the bike, not over-ride, not end up on my head. I think all three of the first tests I crashed within the first ten turns and I was like, what are you doing? At one point I got tangled in barbed wire. When the barbed wire got around my front wheel I was like, well, there it goes. So, after that test, I just cruised.”
Delong switched to Husqvarna’s 350 for the series finale and came away with third overall.
“Kind of all-day there was Trevor and Ryder and I battling together,” said DeLong. “It was a tough day. It was a true enduro. That last test, halfway through it I was starting to feel it, but I had a lot of fun. I wanted to end the year on a good note and I’m happy to be on the podium for the last race. It’s a good winter break at that point.”
Lafferty, who won the first test, missed the podium by seven seconds, finishing fourth.
“Things started off pretty good,” said Lafferty. “I didn’t think I rode well enough to win the test, I just rode smooth and steady and I was looking up and trying to catch some lines and I ended up posting the fastest time. In the middle of the race I fell back into some old habits, but in the last few tests I just started having fun and I was able to finish strong.”
Bollinger, who decided to ride a 350 instead of his usual 450, rounded out the top five just three seconds off of Lafferty.
“I kind of pretty much threw it away the first test,” said Bollinger. “I got arm pump and got tight. I think I lost like twenty seconds to the guys there. The rest of the day, I was inching my way back up in there. Then I think I was about ten seconds out of the podium going into the last test. I think me and Craig were tied in it. It’s hard when you give them that much of a gap in the beginning. But it was a good day to test the 350. I think I’ll be on it next year.”
FXR Husqvarna’s Evan Smith was consistent en route to sixth overall, finishing sixth fastest in five of the tests and fifth fastest in the other.
FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley managed seventh place despite feeling under the weather all weekend. Kelley finished the year in third behind Baylor and Toth.
“I came down with something last night so just kind of didn’t have the energy today,” said Kelley. “I just kind of soldiered on and did what I could.”
KTM privateer Steve Nicholas topped the NE Pro2 division with an eighth overall finish, just edging out Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Jesse Ansley by less than half a second. It was the Nicholas’ first win in the class.
“My dad only lives twenty minutes away from here, so I knew coming into here I kind of was familiar with the terrain, compared to the rest of the rounds,” said Nicholas. “So, I rode more comfortable today. I knew Jesse had a good gap on me going into the last section, but I just kept riding. I didn’t want to give up so I pushed every second of it. I’m happy to get this win.”
Ansley, who wrapped up the NE Pro 2 title two races before, started strong and had a 50-second lead going into the final test, only to clip a tree and go down. After the crash, Ansley finished second in the NE Pro2 class and ninth overall.
“I won the first four tests, but then I had a little mishap in the fifth test and ended up getting second for the test,” said Ansley. “Then the last test, I was going in with a 50-second lead. Halfway through, I just clipped a little sapling tree thing that was cut halfway and messed up my finger pretty good. It was really tough to hang on, pulling the clutch and whatnot afterwards. It kind of sucks to lose by less than half a second, but it’s just part of the game. Excited to wrap up the 2020 year and to be crowned champion.”
KTM rider Zach Hayes rounded out the top 10 and was third in the NE Pro2 class.
The Women’s Elite class was a nail-biter between FXR/KTM’s Shelby Turner and Enduro Engineering/Fly Racing KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker, with Turner coming out on top by just under four seconds.
“There were some tight sections, but for the most part I just kind of found a groove and just kept plucking away,” said Turner. “So, super happy to come away with the win.”
Tricker wrapped up the Women’s Elite championship with her runner-up finish.
“It’s great to wrap up the championship,” said Tricker. “This year started off really rough, obviously coming off a really big injury and taking five months off from riding. Then round two I just kind of had some bad luck. Just had to dig myself out of a hole. Started getting some wins and some seconds and making up some pretty good points on the girls that were in the championship. I’m stoked to get title number three.”
Babbitt’s Online Team Green Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kori Steede rounded out the podium in third with some solid test scores.
Tanner Whipple (Kaw) won the AA class on a Babbitt’s Online Team Green Monster Energy Kawasaki’s, with Logan Kittock (Hon) and Andrew Clark (Shr) rounding out the top three.
Gavin Sievenpiper (GG) took the Open A win, with Josh Monsrud (KTM) in second and Derek Gravitt (Yam) third.
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OVERALL RESULTS
1. Josh Toth (KTM)
2. Steward Baylor (Yam)
3. Craig DeLong (Hsq)
4. Ryder Lafferty (GG)
5. Trevor Bollinger (Hsq)
6. Evan Smith (Hsq)
7. Ben Kelley (KTM)
8. Steve Nicholas (KTM)
9. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
10. Zach Hayes (KTM)
