RND 2 Race Report
Baylor Wins Shoals Sprint Enduro
Donald, SC (March 20-21, 2021) – Steward Baylor came
from behind to win round 2 of the Kenda US Sprint
Enduro Series held at The Shoals MX complex in
Donalds, South Carolina, beating out AmPro Yamaha
teammate Layne Michael by 17 seconds to complete a
Yamaha 1-2 sweep of the event.
The competition was close on Saturday, with the top
four riders finishing within 1.7 seconds of each other
after six tests (3 Cross tests and 3 Enduro tests).
Tely Energy Racing KTM’s Liam Draper won two
Enduro tests and finished Saturday’s event in first
overall, .250 seconds ahead of Michael, with Baylor in
third, another .7 seconds back. Top Pro 2 rider, Johnny
Girroir (Coastal Racing GasGas), was fourth overall.
Meanwhile, Babbitt’s Online Team Green Kawasaki’s
Lyndon Snodgrass was the wild card, winning two of
the Cross tests and finishing the day fifth overall.
Baylor was surprised to be sitting fourth, since he owns
the Shoals MX facility.
“I thought I had a good advantage here, since this is my
track, but the guys proved me wrong,” said Baylor. “I
don’t know if it was more mental or physical, I just
wasn’t riding my best yesterday. I felt like I was riding
really well and I was just getting beat.”
Perhaps riding angry, Baylor came out swinging on
Sunday, winning the first Enduro test by eight seconds
ahead of Girroir, and then backing that up with a win in
the second Enduro test by nine seconds over Michael.
He added a win in the final Enduro test and in two of the
Cross tests.
In the end, Baylor won the combined overall by a little
less than 17 seconds ahead of Michael, with Girroir in
third, another 13 seconds back.
“I spent a lot of time walking the Enduro test this
morning, which is where I was struggling,” said Baylor.
“I pedaled that track and really over-analyzed
everything and it paid off. I guess it goes to show
nobody has an advantage at these things. It’s just who
the fastest rider is at the end. Those guys were faster
than me yesterday.”
Michael was second on both days and second overall,
having won an Enduro test on Saturday and a Cross test
on Sunday.
“I rode really well all weekend, stayed off the ground
and just tried to be smooth,” said Michael. “I came in a
little banged up from the Georgia GNCC and didn’t feel
the best, but we made due. Actually, my riding was
really good this weekend, and I was close to Stew going
into today, but Stew just obliterated us in the Enduro
test today. I was riding pissed off about it. I was trying
everything I could, but he just definitely had the edge
out there today. Got better as we went on and got a little
closer, but, overall, I just didn’t really have much for
him.”
Girroir was third overall for the weekend and first in
the Pro2 class.
“I had a good day yesterday and I was in the mix,” said
Girroir. “But the track changed drastically overnight and
today it was super dry and slippery so you just had to
kind of drift it and tip-toe around and that made it
tricky. I’m usually better in the ruts and softer stuff.”
Draper was on the gas on Saturday, winning two of the
Enduro tests. However, a mishap on Sunday put the
New Zealander in a hole he couldn’t climb out of and he
wound up finishing fourth overall for the weekend and
third in the Pro 1 division.
“On Saturday, I just hit my marks all day, no mistakes,
no crashes or bad lines and I ended up winning the last
two Enduro tests. And that’s the closest I’ve ever been
to Layne and Stew in cross tests, so it was just a good
day; I was stoked to win my first Sprint Enduro in Pro 1
class,” said Draper. “Today I started off okay in the Cross test, but in the first Enduro test I had a good crash
and had to come back down a hill and go up again. So, I
lost 19 seconds to them there and that kind of set me
back for the rest of the day.”
Snodgrass was extremely fast in the Cross test, but
inconsistent in the Enduro test. The Aussie off-roader
finished the weekend in fifth overall and second in the
Pro 2 class.
“I was kind of up and down,” admitted Snodgrass. “I was
struggling with the Enduro test. It had a lot of tight
woods in it and that’s not something I’ve done much
riding in. The Cross test was kind of what I’m used to
riding and I really enjoyed it.”
760 Husqvarna’s Ben Nelko was running strong on
Saturday in the Pro 2 class, however, a crash in the final
Enduro test cost the Pennsylvania rider considerable
time. Nelko was sixth overall and third in the Pro 2
division.
“I started out strong on Saturday. I was running second
place for most of the day,” said Nelko. “I had a bad crash
on the last Enduro test, which kind of shook me up a bit.
I have a bad hip and I tweaked it pretty good, so I kind
of just rode for third. On Sunday, I started out really
strong all the way until the second Enduro test, where I
had another crash. Me and Lyndon were swapping back
and forth from second and third. It was a good weekend
all in all, but I’m still learning these things. It takes time
to get that speed in the woods and being consistent. But
it’s going up from here.”
Massachusetts rider Bubz Tasha was the best of the Pro-
AM riders, finishing in seventh overall on his Husqvarna
and winning the Pro-Am division. Trail Jesters Racing
KTM’s Simon Johnson was eighth overall and fourth in
the Pro 2 class.
Forrest Player (KTM) and Dalton Seals (Yam) rounded
out the top 10. Player was second in the Pro Am class
while Seals was third.
The Women’s Pro class was an exciting race down to the
wire, with AmPro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer taking the
win over Babbitts Online Team Green Kawasaki’s Kori
Steede by .23 seconds. Magna1 Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones
was third.
“I wasn’t really expecting to come out on top today,”
said Archer. “I was losing a bit of time on the Cross test
and then today I just sorted my stuff out and was doing
well in the woods and it paid off.”
Raines Racing Yamaha’s Preston Raines was fourth,
with Brooke Cosner (GG) in fifth.
The Kenda US Sprint Enduro Series resumes on April
10-11 for round three of its series at Moree’s
Sportsmen’s Preserve near Society Hills, South Carolina,
which also doubles as an ISDE Qualifier. For more
information on the Kenda US Sprint Enduro Series go to
www.ussprintenduro.com.
OVERALL RESULTS
- Steward Baylor (Yam)
- Layne Michael (Yam)
- Johnny Girroir (GG)
- Liam Draper (KTM)
- Lyndon Snodgrass (Kaw)
- Ben Nelko (Hsq)
- Bubz Tasha (Hsq)
- Simon Johnson (KTM)
- Forrest Player (KTM)
- Dalton Seals (Yam)
Media Contact:
Shan Moore
shan@tandenews.com
918-625-2899
