25.07.2021
Round 5 - AMA National Enduro Championship
CROSS FORK, Pa. – FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Josh Toth raced his way to a second-straight victory in the 2021 AMA National Enduro Championship with a consistently dominant performance at Sunday’s Rattlesnake National Enduro. Ben Kelley battled alongside his teammate up front all day, ultimately landing another orange spot on the podium with third-overall at the fifth round.
With the exception of the first test, Sunday’s course featured traditional enduro terrain with slick rocks and technical sections, which felt right at home for New England natives Toth and Kelley. In the opening grass test, conditions were a bit slick from the overnight showers so Toth eased his way in with a conservative top-five to begin the day. While track conditions remained on the slick side, he was able to up the pace throughout the day while maintaining poise and consistency to remain on two wheels through all six tests. He overtook the lead about halfway through the day and he finished strong with 1-1-2 finishes to claim a solid 34-second victory over championship points leader, Steward Baylor Jr., by the end of racing.
Josh Toth: “I rode great today, pretty conservatively and just tried to stay off the ground, I never went down once. I just focused on staying smooth and off the ground, the trails were great and it was a blast! I felt like I rode good in the first test but all the times were super close in the top-10 so from then on, it kind of got spaced out. The rockier it was, the better I got, so it was a great day.”
Kelley also put forth a strong performance in Pennsylvania, mixing it up inside the podium battle for most of the day. He had his work cut out for him early on with a ninth-place finish in test one but he settled into a nice groove that would ultimately bring him to the front with a solid test-win in the third section. He maintained a smooth and steady pace through the last three tests, where he found himself in a close battle for second overall heading into the sixth and final test. Kelley finished third in test six but it wasn’t enough to best Baylor’s test-winning time, so he rounded out the overall podium with a hard-fought third.
Ben Kelley: “Overall, today was good. I stayed off the ground and I felt good, other than being a little stiff in the first test, but I felt like I loosened up and rode really good in the next two. I was right there battling with Josh for the lead and then in the last three tests, I still felt good, they just got a few seconds on me there. I was going into the last test in second but Stew crushed that one and ended up sneaking by me, so I’m a little bummed on that but third overall on the day is okay. It’s the best one so far this year, so I’m happy with it.”
Trail Jesters KTM Racing Team’s Jesse Ansley extends his winning streak to five-in-a-row in the NE Pro2 class with another impressive win in the class. Additionally, KTM-Supported rider Mackenzie Tricker finished second in the Women’s Elite class with a solid performance throughout the day.
Round 6: August 22, 2021 – Bergholz, Ohio
NE Pro1 Results
1. Josh Toth, KTM, 01:41:56.458
2. Steward Baylor Jr., YAM, +34.2
3. Ben Kelley, KTM, +11.2
NE Pro2 Results
1. Jesse Ansley, KTM
2. Vincent Smith, Kawasaki
3. Ryder Leblond, Husqvarna