Cycle News Staff | October 16, 2017
2017 Zink National Enduro Results – Stewart Baylor made up for a slow start to win the second-to-last round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, October 15. The win also put him atop the leaderboard in the race for the 2017 championship, overtaking former leader Thad Duvall.
2017 Zink National Enduro Results
Baylor, on the SRT Racing KTM, got off to a rocky start, crashing a couple of times in the first test, putting him in a hole right off the bat. He emerged from the first test in 12th and trailing fast starter Duval by a long ways. But Baylor got down to business and got faster as the day went on, saving his best for the final two tests, which sealed the deal for him.
“Giving the field a 15-second head start after the first test is starting to be my M.O.,” said Baylor. “It seems I have a habit of starting off my weekends with a bad test. But I slowly worked my way back towards the front and then in the sixth test I was able to get the win and gap those guys a little. It was anybody’s race going into the final test and I’ve always ridden my best in the last test and I just nailed all my lines and came away with the win.”
Duvall, on the other hand, struggled in the later tests and not only did he all but hand over the win over to Baylor but second place to Baylor’s brother, Grant, as well, making it a Baylor 1-2 sweep.
2017 Zink National Enduro Results
“I felt like I gave 100 percent all day and it was some unreal close racing, but it was a little tighter and rockier than I was expecting,” said DuVall (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna). “I was way off in the sixth test, and then in the seventh I stalled the engine and had trouble getting it started. I’m super happy with how I rode and I felt like I laid it on the line all day. Even if I had of won, it would still come down to the final round in Alabama, so I’m not disappointed at all.”
Grant Baylor let it all hang out in the final test, which put him ahead of Duval at the end of the day. “I know I’m not my best in slippery conditions and after last night’s rain that grass track was pretty slick so I just took it easy and got through it the best I could,” said Grant (KR4 Arrive-n-Ride Husqvarna). “I was a little bit down the standings after that first test, but I was pretty much top-three the rest of the day. Thad had six seconds on me going into the last test and I just hung it out for the last eight miles and I was able to edge him out for second by about three seconds.”
Thorn Devlin was ninth overall but that was good enough to get the victory in the Rekluse Expert AA class.
Ashlee Applewhite beat fellow KTM rider Kerrie Swartz for the win in the Women’s Elite class.
Yamaha-mounted Sam Mattingly took the win in the Open A class over Ryan Overton (KTM) and Trent Whisenant (Yam).
Former AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies suited up for something a little different for him and was fourth. CN
2017 Zink National Enduro Results
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Zink Ranch
RESULTS: October 15, 2017
OVERALL
- Steward Baylor (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (Hus)
- Thad DuVall (Hus)
- Evan Smith (KTM)
- Cory Buttrick (KTM)
- Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
- Jesse Groemm (KTM)
- Josh Strang (Hus)
- Thorn Devlin (Hus)
- Andrew DeLong (Hus)
