Steward Baylor Jr. moves up to third in the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series with a win in Louisiana.
SRT/KTM’s Steward Baylor Jr. claimed the overall win at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Cajun Classic National Enduro, round three of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Forest Hill, Louisiana, Sunday.
Baylor, who won the AMA National Enduro Championship back in 2012, added the family name to the list of 2016 season winners for the third time this season, as younger brother Grant Baylor carded the first two round wins of the year. However, it wasn’t little brother who challenged Baylor Jr. for the win, it was fellow former AMA National Enduro Champion Russell Bobbitt. At the end of the day, Baylor Jr. topped Bobbitt by just 21 seconds to claim his first AMA National Enduro win of the year.
“I had a pretty good day,” Baylor said. “Things went pretty good for me. It was a close battle between me and Russell [Bobbitt] and Charlie [Mullins], and it just came down to being consistent.”
Bobbitt set the pace early by winning the first two special tests, but his chances for the win were later hurt when he finished fourth in tests three and four. The FMF/KTM Factory Racing rider rebounded to win test five–more than any other rider on the day–but it was the more consistent Baylor Jr.’s win in the final special test was enough to drop Bobbitt to second overall.
“Stew had a great ride in that last test, and I struggled in a couple of tests,” Bobbitt said. “I had a problem stalling my bike today. I don’t think it was the bike, I think I was just stomping on the rear brake and stalling it; I just wasn’t getting the clutch pulled in in time.”
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Charlie Mullins made it an all-former National Enduro Champion podium by turning in his best ride since returning to competition after he suffered a pair of injuries to his wrist. Mullins, who is still on the mend after aggravating the wrist and had to pull out of the the last round of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, was solid all day, and he was in the hunt for the overall win after finishing second in the first two special tests and winning the fourth. Those results helped him to finish third overall after Mullins admittedly got fatigued late in the enduro.
“I definitely felt a lot better today, and it seems each race I’m getting closer to the middle step of the podium,” said Mullins. “I won the fourth test and felt pretty good at that point. I was just going to try to bring it on in, but the last test was tight and my hands got a little tired.”
Beta USA’s Jesse Groemm finished fourth, followed by current series leader Grant Baylor, who managed to hang on to the points lead despite an off day.
“Today was kind of rough,” the Am Pro Yamaha rider said. “We made some adjustments after the first test, and I felt like I was riding okay but my times just weren’t there.”
Josh Strang Brad Bakken Evan Smith, Drew Higgins and Nick Fahringer completed the top 10 overall. Larson’s Cycles/CheckPoint Off-road Yamaha’s Nathan Ferderer won the Rekluse Expert-AA class, and FMF/KTM’s Kacy Martinez claimed her second consecutive Women’s A/B class win.
The Kenda AMA National Enduro Series takes a break until May 22, the Cherokee National Enduro in Greensboro, Georgia.
2016 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Cajun Classic National Enduro
Forest Hill, Louisiana
Results: April 10, 2016 (Round 4 of 9)
Overall
1. Steward Baylor-KTM
2. Russell Bobbitt-KTM
3. Charlie Mullins-KTM
4. Jesse Groemm-Bet
5. Grant Baylor-Yam
6. Josh Strang-Hus
7. Brad Bakken-Yam
8. Evan Smith-KTM
9. Drew Higgins-KTM
10. Nick Fahringer-Hus
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