ROUND 1 SOBMX 2023 RACE REPORT
For Immediate Release –
Girroir tops Osborne For South of the Border US Sprint Enduro Win
US Sprint Enduro Series
Round 1
January 28-29, 2023
Hamer, South Carolina
FMF/KTM’s Johnny Girroir dominated the first day of competition at the opening round
of the 2023 US Sprint Enduro Series presented by Moose Racing held at the South of
the Border MX facility in Hamer, South Carolina, topping FXR GasGas’ Layne Michael
by nine seconds. AmPro Yamaha’s Zach Osborne, who came out of retirement after
hanging it up at the end of the 2021 motocross season due to a back injury, came on
strong the following day, winning Sunday’s event by a mere .005 seconds over Girroir.
After the times from the two days were combined, Girroir claimed the overall win,
beating out Osborne by 11 seconds, thanks to his strong performance on Saturday.
Enduro Engineering GasGas’ Josh Toth, who was third on each day, also finished third
overall.
Girroir looked in control of Sunday’s event until a slight hiccup in the final cross test
allowed Osborne to close in.
“I can’t believe how tight it was on Sunday,” said Girroir. “It was just five-hundredths of a
second separating us going into that last test. I knew Zach had a problem there on
Saturday and got stuck in the mud. But overall, he was flying. He won a woods test and
then he took all three cross test wins in the Pro 1 class (Angus Riordan actually had the
fastest time in the first cross test from the Pro 2 division). So, I knew Zach was going to
be tough today. I just put my head down and got that first cross test win and then
clicked off the first woods test win. Then the battle was on. We were kind of yoyo-ing
back and forth all day. We went into the last test (on Sunday) five-hundredths of a
second apart and were five-thousandths of a second apart at the finish. I think I got him
by fifteen seconds for the weekend, but it was fun, close racing. That’s what sprint
racing is all about.”
Girroir might have won Sunday’s event, as well, but a slipup in the third cross test cost
him valuable time.
“I just got sideways a couple times and was over-riding the bike,’ said Girroir. “Just
trying to get on the gas too soon. I guess it’s just a personal error or mistake and I need
to learn from it and do better next time.”
Osborne was excited to win Sunday’s event with such little experience in off-road
racing.
“I’m learning the format, learning how to do everything,’ said Osborne. “The start
procedure, the time in-between, just the whole gamut of what sprint enduro is here in
the USA. To have the weekend that I had, I feel like I was pretty successful. I won five
of the six cross tests. Was second in one of the enduro tests, plus won another one,
which wasn’t even on my radar for this weekend against guys like Jonny and Layne and
Josh. So, that was huge for me.”
Osborne hadn’t raced professionally since the Thunder Valley Motocross in Colorado in
2021.
“I was extremely nervous about this first race,” added Osborne. “So, to be back at a
professional level, it means a lot more to me to race this weekend than most people will
ever know, just from where I was in the last year and a half as far as my health and stuff
goes. It’s just a huge, huge shot in the arm for me.”
Toth is the defending US Sprint Enduro Champion and came into the event with strong
hopes, despite being on a new team and a new bike.
“It was a pretty stacked pro class this week,’ said Toth. “The course had very moto-like
tests, although the enduro test got gnarly and rooty and rough and it was pretty one-
lined and fast so there was nothing to separate all of us, so that made for super tight
racing. I had some decent crashes just trying to make up time in the last two enduro
tests on day one, but usually enduro tests are my strong point. Those boys were laying
it down, even Zacho. So, props to him. I just tried to keep him honest. It was cool trying
to defend off Zacho on the full-blown moto track for just a wide-open sprint. Overall, it
was a pretty solid weekend.”
Layne Michael, who was the 2021 US Sprint Enduro Champion, was fourth overall after
making some impressive rides. Like Toth, he too was coming into the year on a new
team and a new bike. Michael looked strong on Saturday and was in contention most of
the weekend, but one of the early tests on Sunday did him in.
‘That first enduro test really stings right now,” said Michael. “A little mistake and I kind of
went into the trees and got hung up. It just took me too long to get out. I lost probably
fifteen, twenty seconds. So, I knew it was kind over there. I kind of had a faint shot there
heading into the last test to snag a podium and I was close but came up probably a
second and a half, two seconds shy. So, it sucks.”
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Cody Barnes won the Pro 2 class with a fifth overall finish,
despite getting off to a slow start.
“Day one started off pretty rough,’ said Barnes. “In the cross test, I came into it a little bit
too cold and I just made a couple mistakes. The same thing happened in the enduro
test. I managed to turn things around by the end of the day, but I was digging myself out
of a hole, which is never good. Finally, I had some good test scores and was right there
with the Pro one guys for the second half of Saturday’s event. Then I started slow again
today and I lost some time to Angus (Riordan). He was riding really good. I made it up in
the enduro test, but the guys were really on it in the Pro one class, and I was hoping to
be right up there with them.”
Sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class was RPM KTM’s Angus Riordan, who
surprised everyone by turning in the fastest time of all class on the cross test to kick off
the weekend.
‘Me and Cody (Barnes) was on a roll the first couple of tests on Saturday and then the
big boys didn’t like that and they showed us how it’s done,’ said Riordan.
Coastal Racing GasGas’ Thad DuVall, who is still feeling the effects of a hip injury, was
seventh.
“I was just pretty far off on some of the tests,’ admitted DuVall. “I’m just kind of getting
that sprint mentality back. I had some really good tests, I just need to get better on
Saturdays and just kind of learn that sprint speed a little bit. I still favor my hip a little bit
in the ruts, so I haven’t really rode ruts since the big injury, especially ruts like on the
moto track today. Once I get comfortable on the ruts with my leg I can go from there.”
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Ruy Barbosa was eighth and third place in the Pro 2 division.
“Today was difficult for me,” said Barbosa. “The race was perfect conditions. The woods
and the cross test were really nice. But I was really struggling. I was really slow in the
whoops. I need to get better. It’s my first race in the season and I had a small problem
with my wrist, so I didn’t ride too much these last three months. But I will get better.”
Bubz Tasha (KTM) finished ninth overall and fourth in Pro 2, while Dominik Morse (Hsq)
won the Pro-Am division in 10 th overall.
The Women’s Pro class, Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Kori Steede split day wins with
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer, with Steede taking the overall win by 11 seconds over
Archer at the end of the two-day event after a 1-2 performance.
“Saturday, I had a really solid day,” said Steede. “I ended up winning the day by 25
seconds. But then the track started to get a little rough on Sunday. I made a few
adjustments to my suspension during the day and I ended up winning the last cross
test. Then in the enduro test, I was feeling really good but I made a couple mistakes and
Rachel ended up grabbing it. But I’m pretty pumped to start the season like this.”
Engineering/Fly Racing KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker finished third, with Rachel Gutish and
FLY Racing/KTM’s Shelby Turner rounding out the top five.
In the Youth Divisions, Canyon Richards, Austin Tsakanikas and Jacob McPherson
went head-to-head in the Super Mini Senior (14-15) class. Richards won both days with
Tsakanikas and Caleb Johnson getting second and third on Saturday. On Sunday,
McPherson finished second while Tsakanikas was third.
Brayden Baisley topped the Super Mini Jr. division overall, with Caleb Wood in second
and Kamden Krause in third.
Jayden Riley took the win in the 85 Senior class with Lucas Skelton in second and Nash
Peerson in third.
The 85 Jr class went to Hayden Dupuis, with Nolan Hudson second ahead of Brody
Boland.
Rylan Roberts won the 65 (10-11) over Brooke Brower and Brody George.
There was a good battle in the Girls 10-16 class, with Addison Harris, Zoey Kimble and
Nicole Rupert taking the top three spots.
Gage Lane topped the 65 Junior class ahead of Colt Chaney and Brody Haugh.
In the Trail Bike class, Eli Kettering finished first ahead of Lucas Pegram and Maelyn
Engle.
In the 50cc Micro divisions, in the 4-6 year-old class, Paxton Allen was first with Carson
Zink in second and Bennett George in third. In the 7-8 year-old class, Jack Sipes took a
big win ahead of Maura Tsakanikas with Ryder Bower in third.
The US Sprint Enduro Series resumes action on February 11-12 in Hephzibah, Georgia,
for round two of the series. For more information on the series go to
www.ussprintenduro.com.
ADULT OVERALL RESULTS
- Johnny Girroir (GG)
- Zach Osborne (Yam)
- Josh Toth (GG)
- Layne Michael (GG)
- Cody Barnes (Hon)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
- Thad DuVall (GG)
- Ruy Barbosa (Hon)
- Bubz Tasha (KTM)
- Dominik Morse (Hsq)
Media Contact:
Shan Moore
shan@tandenews.com
