02.08.2020
Round 4 - AMA National Enduro Series - August 2, 2020
WELLSTON, Ohio – FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Josh Toth swept all six tests at Sunday’s Little Raccoon National to claim his second win of the season at Round 4 of the AMA National Enduro Series in Wellston, Ohio. His teammate, Ben Kelley, rode consistently to finish just off the overall podium in fourth.
Rainfall leading up to race day made for slippery conditions, especially in the early parts of the day. Toth, a Connecticut native, used the slick conditions to his advantage as he kicked things off with a test-win, despite having a crash early on. On test two, Toth continued to push through the slick Ohio clay to secure the test-win by a whopping 12 minutes, where he carried a sizeable lead into the next “Pro and A class only” section. Although there were less riders to navigate through in test three, Toth found himself down on a steep hill early on and he was forced to dig deep and climb his way back to the top, where he salvaged the test-win by 22 seconds. As the day progressed, the track began to dry up and Toth continued to put forth a solid performance with minimal mistakes in the final three tests to secure the overall win by just over one-minute.
Josh Toth: “The track really suited my style today, it was pretty slick but it wasn’t super muddy. I had a few small mishaps earlier in the day trying to get around lappers and going down on my own but overall, I was able to minimize the mistakes and end the day with a clean sweep. It feels good to get another win and continue fighting for the championship.”
Kelley came into the weekend fresh off an ongoing stomach bug that prevented him from getting any riding in since the previous round. He started off strong with a fourth-place finish on the opening test and he remained around the top-five throughout the rest of the day. On test two, he crashed while attempting to get around a lapped rider but he pushed his way to a sixth-place finish. He continued to click off consistent test-times with a pair of fourth-place finishes in tests three and four. On test five, he came upon a downed rider that was blocking the bridge so he took the long way through the creek to salvage a top-five finish in the test. He rounded out the day with a sixth-place finish in the final test, where he ultimately secured fourth overall for the day.
Ben Kelley: “The course was mostly tight single-track with some field sections and bits of technical hills and creeks. I had a good first test and I was right on pace with the leaders but then I had a small crash in test two and found myself a little off pace the rest of the day, finishing fourth.”
KTM-supported rider, Mackenzie Tricker, finished runner-up in the Women’s Elite class, where she holds the overall championship lead after four rounds.
Next Round: August 23 – Grassman National Enduro in Chandlersville, Ohio
NE Pro1 Results
1. Josh Toth, KTM, 1:55:00.262
2. Steward Baylor Jr., KAW, +1:03.636
3. Grant Baylor, SHR, 20.605
OTHER KTM
4. Ben Kelley, KTM
NE1 Pro Championship Standings
1. Grant Baylor, 97 points (1 win)
2. Josh Toth, 85 (2 wins)
3. Ben Kelley, 84 (1 win)