Checkpoint | August 20 2020

August 20, 2020

www.mooseracing.com

MEDIA | TKO, Honda, Endurocross

Welcome to Check Point, a new weekly feature that will cover the ongoings in the off-road motorcycle racing world, presented by Moose Racing. Although motocross and Supercross is the center of the SML universe, our staff has massive respect for the varied disciplines of off-road, from SuperEnduro to Rally to GNCC to Big Six, and we always have an eye on what’s happening in the professional racing series. Every week we will bring updates from around the world, including race results, photos, video highlights, and new bike or product debuts.

2020 TENNESSEE KNOCKOUT ENDURO

Hard enduro has been wildly popular overseas for quite some time and it’s starting to gain a cult following here in the United States, thanks in part to events like the Tennessee Knockout Enduro. Held at Trials Training Center in southern Tennessee, the event is known for intensity, as the riders have to quickly clear the technical obstacles or else they face elimination through varied formats of competition, which includes a prologue on Day One that sets part of the field for a pair of qualifying races that happen on Day Two, and then a timed sprint lap, and then a single timed loop around the long course, races against the clock, head-to-head matches, and a Last Chance Qualifier that sets the field for the 30-minute plus one lap Main Event, all of which happens on Day Three. With so much happening in a short time on a tough course, making it through to another round is an accomplishment in itself.

Trystan Hart proved to be the top of the field through the weekend, as the RPM KTM rider posted the fastest lap during Sunday’s mile-long timed sprint lap (5:17.038), was the quickest rider on the 18-mile loop (57:23.237), and won his round of the head-to-head duels. All of that led into the Main Event, which saw Hart take the lead immediately and run at the front of the pack for the full duration of the race, which ended up being eight laps that took Hart 40:35 to complete. This win is the latest big result for Hart, as he’s finished on the podium at other major races and has proven he has the talent to run with the well-known stars.

As a six-time champion of the TKO, Cody Webb came into the race as a contender for the overall and the FactoryOne Sherco rider was high in the running order through every event. Webb was ranked fifth in Sunday’s mile-long sprint lap, thanks to a 5:27.488 time, but a crash during this event haunted him through the rest of the day. A 1:00:08.783 time in the 18-mile ride was the second-fastest of the field and a match win in the knockout events put Webb back into the action ahead of the Main Event. Despite hounding Hart for the full duration of the feature, Webb was unable to take the lead at any point in time and finished the day in second overall.

Beta Factory Racing’s Benjamin Herrera Ried took third overall after an overall solid day of riding. The Chilean really came into his own during the 18-mile loop and a 1:00:50.976 lap put him third-fastest in the competition. He backed that up with a win in his head-to-head battle group, then fought Noah Kepple for the final spot on the podium.

You can click here to read the full race recap and results from the TKO event…

2020 VEGAS TO RENO

The scorching summer months means that most of the off-road racing series on the West Coast take a break, but everyone will get their gear out for big events that happen during the hottest times, like the 2020 Vegas to Reno, which has the distinction of being the longest off-road race in the United States. Racers blasted across the Nevada desert in an 800-mile plus, single-day marathon to the finish line, with classes that included bikes, buggies, UTVs, and trucks.

Ricky Brabec is having a heck of a year. It started when the Monster Energy Honda Team rider became the first American in history to win the Dakar Rally, a feat that earned him international acclaim, and then led to another victory at the Sonora Rally, an event that finished up just as the pandemic hit North America. The rest of the year has been uncertain for long-distance off-road racers, especially those like Brabec that are contracted for the marquee international events, but things are getting back in action as the summer winds down with races like the Vegas to Reno dash, which Brabec won for the third time in his career over the weekend.

It was an eventful day for Brabec, though. He came from deep in the field and battled defending champ Skyler Howes for the top spot for much of the race, until a hard crash in the closing stages put Howes on the ground. Brabec stopped with his fallen rival, remounted his bike after help arrived, and rode towards the finish line. With Howes out, Californians Nic Garvin and Nic Colangeli finished second and third, respectively.

You can click here to read the full race recap and results from the V2R event…

2020 AMA ENDUROCROSS SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

After announcing plans for a six-round schedule for the 2020 AMA Endurocross Series earlier this year, Cycle City Promotions has confirmed their plans to run the schedule at two venues, Fox Raceway in California and the Ford Idaho Center in Idaho. The series is slated to begin with four rounds held over six days at what will be a specially-built track at Fox Raceway, running from October 15 to October 21, will have a short break, and then conclude with a two-day doubleheader at the arena in Idaho on November 6-7.

At this time, there is no confirmation regarding crowds or general admission ticket sales, but that’s something the series will determine soon. Per the series website, “The goal for all six events is to allow spectators to attend in a safe way that ensures social distancing can be maintained. We will release additional details on spectator attendance and ticket purchasing options, if we determine we can safely accommodate spectators at these events.” The 2020 Endurocross Racing Series will be broadcast live through a to be announced pay-per-view subscription service, and will then be shown at a later date on network television. Details will be announced regarding how you can watch as soon as they are finalized.

2020 AMA ENDUROCROSS SCHEDULE