Shan Moore | March 22, 2021
Steward Baylor came from behind to win the second round of the Kenda US Sprint Enduro Series held at The Shoals MX complex in Donalds, South Carolina, beating AmPro Yamaha teammate Layne Michael for 17 seconds to complete a Yamaha 1-2 sweep .
The competition was fierce on Saturday, with the first four riders finishing 1.7 seconds apart after six tests (three Cross tests and three Enduro tests).
Tely Energy Racing KTM’s Liam Draper won two Enduro tests and finished Saturday’s event in first place overall, 0.25 seconds ahead of Michael, with Baylor in third, another 0.7 seconds behind. Top Pro 2 driver Johnny Girroir (Coastal Racing GasGas) was fourth overall.
Lyndon Snodgrass, from Babbitt’s online team, Green Kawasaki, was the wild card, winning two of the Cross tests and ending the day in fifth place overall.
Baylor was surprised to be fourth at the time, as he owns the Shoals MX facility.
“I thought I had a good advantage here, as this is my track, but the guys proved that I was wrong,” said Baylor. “I don’t know if it was more mental or physical, I just wasn’t doing my best yesterday. I felt that I was riding very well and I was just getting beaten ”.
Perhaps walking angrily, Baylor swayed on Sunday, winning the first Enduro test by eight seconds ahead of Girroir, and then backing it up with a victory in the second Enduro test by nine seconds over Michael. He added a victory in the final Enduro test and in two of the cross tests.
In the end, Baylor won the overall set by just under 17 seconds ahead of Michael, with Girroir in third, another 13 seconds ago.
“I spent a lot of time doing the Enduro test this morning, which is where I was fighting,” said Baylor. “I cycled on that track and really analyzed everything too much, and it was worth it. I think it shows that no one has an advantage in these things. It’s just who is the fastest driver in the end. These 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, I got off the ground and I just tried to be smooth,” said Michael. “I came a little hurt from the GNCC in Georgia and I didn’t feel well, but we did our due. In fact, my riding was very good this weekend, and I was close to Stew entering today, but Stew just destroyed us in the Enduro test today. I was really upset about that. I was trying everything I could, but he was definitely at an advantage today. It improved as we went along and we got a little closer, but overall, I just didn’t have much for him. “
Girroir was the third overall at the weekend and the first in the Pro2 class.
“I had a good day yesterday and I was in trouble,” said Girroir. “But the track changed dramatically overnight and today it was very dry and slippery, so you just had to skid and tiptoe around and that made things complicated. I am usually better at the grooves and the softer things. “
Draper was gasped on Saturday, winning two Enduro tests. However, an accident on Sunday put the New Zealander in a hole from which he was unable to get out and he ended up finishing fourth overall at the weekend and third in the Pro 1 division.
“On Saturday, I hit my marks all day, without errors, without crashes or bad lines and ended up winning the last two Enduro tests,” said Draper. “And this is the closest I’ve ever been to Layne and Stew on the Cross tests, so it was just a good day; I was happy to win my first Sprint Enduro in the Pro 1 class. Today I started well in the Cross test, but in the first Enduro I hit well and had to go down a slope and go up again. So I lost 19 seconds for them there and it kind of hindered me for the rest of the day. “
Snodgrass was extremely fast on the Cross test, but inconsistent on the Enduro test. The Australian off-road finished the weekend in fifth overall and second in the Pro 2 class.
“I was kind of going up and down,” admitted Snodgrass. “I was struggling with the enduro test. He had a lot of tight woods and it is not something that I have done much. The Cross test was more or less what I’m used to doing and I really liked it. “
Ben Nelko of the 760 Husqvarna was racing hard 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 in second place for most of the day, ”said Nelko. “I had a sharp drop in the last Enduro test, which shook me up a bit. I have a hip problem and I adjusted it very well, so I kind of went to third place. On Sunday I started very strong until the second Enduro race, where I had another fall. Lyndon and I were switching between second and third. Overall it was a good weekend, but I am still learning these things. It takes time to get that speed in the forest and be consistent. But it will go up from here. “
Massachusetts rider Bubz Tasha was the best of the Pro-Am riders, finishing seventh overall with his Husqvarna and winning the Pro-Am division. Simon Johnson, of the Trail Jesters Racing KTM, was eighth overall and fourth in the Pro 2 class.
Forrest Player (KTM) and Dalton Seals (Yam) completed the top 10. The player was second in the Pro-Am class, while Seals was third.
The Women’s Pro class was an exciting race to the end, with Rachael Archer from AmPro Yamaha beating Babbitts Online Team Green Kawasaki’s Kori Steede by 0.23 seconds. Tayla Jones, of Magna1 Husqvarna, came in third.
“I really didn’t expect to come out on top today,” said Archer. “I was wasting a little time on the Cross test and today I just sorted out my stuff and it was going well in the forest and it was worth it.”
Preston Raines of Raines Racing Yamaha was fourth, with Brooke Cosner (GG) fifth.
Kenda US Sprint Enduro Series
The Shoals MX complex
Donalds, South Carolina
RESULTS (March 20-21, 2021)
GENERAL
| 1 | Steward baylor | (Yam) |
| two | Layne Michael | (Yam) |
| 3 | Johnny Girroir | (GG) Pro 2 |
| 4 | Liam Draper | (KTM) |
| 5 | Lyndon Snodgrass | (Kaw) Pro 2 |
| 6 | Ben Nelko | (Hus) Pro 2 |
| 7 | Bubz Tasha | (Hus) Pro-Am |
| 8 | Simon Johnson | (KTM) Pro 2 |
| 9 | Forrest Player | (KTM) Pro-Am |
| 10 | Dalton Seals | (Yam) Pro-Am |
Click here for the complete Shoals Sprint Enduro results.