ROUND 6 RACE REPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
PRESS RELEASE
Layne Michael Tops Wassell Works Sprint Enduro
Westernport, MD (July 17-18, 2021) – With the title
already secured, and an eye towards the upcoming
International Six Days Enduro in Italy, AmPro Yamaha’s
Layne Michael topped off a spectacular year of sprint
racing with an impressive victory at the Wassell Works
Sprint Enduro, the final round of the Kenda US Sprint
Enduro Series in Westernport, Maryland.
Though Michael had already wrapped up the title at the
previous round in West Virginia, the AmPro Yamaha
rider held nothing back at the series finale, winning four
of six tests on Saturday and all six tests on Sunday. The
two tests that Michael didn’t win were topped by
Coastal Racing GasGas’ Johnny Girroir, who finished
second overall on the weekend and first in the Pro2
division.
Michael was especially spectacular in the Cross test,
winning all six, despite just coming off a nasty ankle
injury.
“This was a perfect springboard for the ISDE in Italy,”
said Michael. “This is by far the best series to bring that
intensity up and staying in-between the ribbon. It’s just
so similar to Six Days. It’s crazy how it has brought my
intensity up. I was solid all weekend and my ankle is
feeling better. This week was the first I’ve ridden other
than Snowshoe, so it felt good to get back on the bike
and into the swing of things. I felt like I didn’t miss a
beat. I’m definitely looking forward to Six Days. I think
it’s going to be really good this year and we’ve got a
great team.”
Girroir, who wrapped up the Pro2 title at the previous
round, giving GasGas its first major off-road title in the
US, was just four seconds off of Michael heading into the
final test on Saturday, but a crash in test four on Sunday
cost him an additional five seconds, leaving him nine
seconds down going into Sunday’s round.
“Going into today, I was pushing pretty hard,” said
Girroir. “I really wanted to battle Layne for that
number-one spot and it bit me. I think it was the fourth
test in the woods. I hit a little stump with my front tire
and it kicked it out of the rut and hit a tree and went
over the bars. I lost a lot of time there. I’m just glad to
come away from the weekend with another win in Pro
2.”
Girroir was undefeated in 2021 in the Pro2 class.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thad DuVall got off to a
slow start on Saturday, but came on strong on Sunday to
secure third overall and second in the Pro division.
“I just wish I could ride as well on Saturday as I do on
Sunday,” joked DuVall. “Yesterday we started pretty
rough. I don’t know where I was at or what was going
on, but I just struggled all day. Then finally towards the
end of the day I finally figured some stuff out. We
changed some stuff on the bike and got it really good.
So, I was excited coming into today. I felt like I rode
really good today. Just Layne is on it, for sure. Me, Liam,
and Johnny were kind of battling over second for the
day. Layne was kind of in his own world.”
Tely Energy KTM’s Liam Draper was in the mix with
DuVall and Girroir all weekend and ended up fourth
overall, less than six seconds behind DuVall.
Seven-Sixty Husqvarna’s Ben Nelko and Trail Jesters
Racing KTM’s Jesse Ansley spent the weekend locked in
a tight battle over second in the Pro2 division and
second overall in the championship chase behind
Girroir. The battle came down to the final test of the
weekend with Nelko getting the nod by just half a
second, giving him second overall for the weekend in
the Pro2 division and second overall Pro2 rider in the
series championship. His finish was also good enough
for fifth overall.
“Day one, I think I was up four seconds on Jesse. I had
good cross tests all day Saturday,” said Nelko. “In the
woods I was all right, but I was a little bit off of the pace
from Johnny and Jesse. Then today we did some
suspension changes and I ended up running my fastest
time in the cross test, the last one, which put me right in
front of Jesse. Then the last enduro test, I don’t even
know what I did. I just kind of shut my brain off and just
let it go.”
Ansley settled for third in the Pro2 class and sixth
overall.
“It was kind of cat and mouse all day,” said Ansley. “To
ultimately lose second place points today by a half
second, and then ultimately lose second place in the
championship by half a second, it sucks. The way it went
down, I’m a little bit bitter about it. Honestly, I’m going
to take the energy and just put it into focusing on it
should never happen again.”
Always consistent, Evan Smith put his Max Sports/FXR-
back Husqvarna into seventh overall and fourth in the
Pro2 class.
Austin Walton made the trip from Nevada to get some
sprint-racing experience. The Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna rider, who will be representing the country
on the US Junior Trophy Team in Italy, got faster on the
unfamiliar terrain as the weekend progressed.
“We picked up a lot of time,” said Walton, who finished
eighth overall. “Just getting through all those trees and
the tight stuff, and learning how to… It just felt like it got
tighter the faster I went going through those trees. I
started feeling a lot better today, more like myself and
riding just more comfortable out there. Hitting my
marks and making little mistakes, but those little
mistakes weren’t even close to what it was the day
before. So, a lot of progress today.”
Ninth overall went to Pro2 rider Brenden Poling (Kaw).
Meanwhile, Jason Tino totally dominated the Pro-Am
division, winning all 12 tests, which was also good
enough for 10 th overall.
FMF/KTM’s Brandy Richard topped the Pro Women’s
championship. Like Dalton, Richards was at the event to
prepare for the ISDE in Italy, and even competed on eco
tires, which didn’t stop her from taking eight test wins.
“It took me a couple tests to get comfortable running the
Six Days tires; it’s slick out there,” said Richards. “The
end of yesterday I started feeling really good on the
cross test, but I couldn’t quite figure out my lines in the
enduro test, so after yesterday I actually went and
walked the enduro test and found a bunch of lines.
Today in the enduro test I felt a lot stronger, and also a
lot stronger on the cross test. Just a lot more
comfortable getting used to that Six Days tire. So, it was
a pretty good day.”
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer was a strong second on
Saturday, finishing just four seconds behind Richards,
but Richards, becoming more accustomed to the eco
tires, picked up the pace on Sunday and outdistanced
Archer by just over 22 seconds in the overall results.
“Brandi was ripping in the cross test and I couldn’t quite
pull enough time in the woods on day one, but it came
down to just one second,” said Archer. “Then day two,
she just annihilated me, but I enjoyed it.”
Rachel Gutish rode a privateer Husqvarna to third
overall.
Tyler Braniff (Yam) topped the Open A (122cc-Open)
division over Evan Earl (Kaw) and Trale Henderson
(GG), while Cade Henderson (Hsq) took top honors in
the 250A division, beating out Alex Patterson (GG) and
Lane Whitmer (GG). Tyler Braniff was also top Amateur rider.
Results can be found HERE
US Sprint Enduro looks forward to the 2022 Season as they gear up for 8 Rounds of Sprint Enduro Racing with Trail Pros
Race Action and Championship Shout Outs to Come!
