Reigning Kenda AMA National Enduro Champion Andrew DeLong and the boys kick the 2015 season into gear in Sumter, South Carolina, this weekend.
Blame it on the close competition that the 2014 series showcased, or perhaps how America’s off-road stock has risen in the international arena by virtue of Team USA’s back-to-back runner-up finishes in the past two ISDEs. Whatever the case, the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series presented by Moose Racing is poised to have a breakout year.
No less than 760 entries—a record turnout—have signed up for this weekend’s opening round in Sumter, South Carolina, the first of 10 events on the 2015 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series calendar.
Super Bowl, shmuper bowl… The real heavy hitters will be in South Carolina, as a tough pro field will be led by reigning AMA National Enduro Champion Andrew DeLong, who returns to defend his title aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. To keep his title, DeLong will face a heavy-duty line of top American off-road talent, including the Baylor brothers (Steward and Grant), Russell Bobbitt, Charlie Mullins, Jesse Groemm, Cory Buttrick, Brad Bakken and Ryder Lafferty. If that isn’t enough competition, the series will also be contested by a pair of capable invaders from the Land Down Under, Australians Josh Strang and Daniel Milner. The series will also boast an unprecedented level of factory involvement in 2015, as Husqvarna, KTM, Yamaha, Beta, Suzuki, and Gas Gas will all be represented with some form of manufacturer-supported team.
Racing begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, but the event holds a lot in store for spectators on Saturday, including a trials demonstration featuring top US Trials pro Logan Bolopue. Multi-time AMA National Enduro Champion Mike Lafferty will be in charge a spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m., which will be hosted by KTM. This is one of the many new duties Lafferty will have at the enduro series this year. There will also be plenty of opportunities to meet riders and get autographs.
The Sumter course will feature 10-miles of brand new trail cut specifically for the AMA National Enduro opener. Even so, it is a practical certainty that Grant and Steward Baylor will take advantage of their local knowledge of the area’s sandy terrain and dense pine trees to put themselves in contention for the event win. Mullins will be another rider to watch. Recall that he banked four-straight National wins at the start of the 2014 season before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
A new series feature in 2015 is the Yamaha Power Equipment giveaway. Yamaha will give away one of their top of the line pressure washers to the rider that earns the most series points in one class after the first five rounds of the 2015 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series presented by Moose Racing. In the event that there is a tie, those riders’ names will be placed in a hat and the winner will be drawn. The pressure washer will be presented to the winning rider at the riders meeting of the sixth round in Upton, Wyoming. Eligible riders must be present to win and cannot combine points from multiple classes.
Although Lafferty retired from racing at the end of the last year’s series, after 20 years of competition, the eight-time champ will be working with the National Enduro Promotions Group in 2015 to make sure the course and the race are up to national standards. Lafferty will also make himself available for autographs throughout the day on Saturday.
Also returning for 2015 is the Rekluse Expert-AA class, which is designed as a stepping-stone for riders hoping to move into the highly competitive Pro division. The Rekluse Expert-AA series will pay a year-end purse for the top finishers based on a riders overall final standings in the class.
Your Privacy Choices