Cycle News Staff | August 10, 2021
Hart Wraps Up AMA Extreme Overall Championship
Winner Trystan Hart (center), runner-up Cody Webb (left) and Ryder LeBlond (right) made up the Battle of the Goats podium.
Photos by Brandon Krause
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart sealed up the 2021 Kenda AMA Extreme Off-Road Overall Championship after capturing the win at the season finale in Taylorsville, North Carolina, August 7-8.
The Battle of the Goats marked the final round of the East version of the Championship and the overall Championship, which combines both the West and East rounds. FactoryONE Sherco’s Cody Webb had already clinched the West title.
Saturday kicked off the racing with a prologue that determined the starting position for Sunday’s final. Hart, riding his KTM 300 XC-W TPI, earned the pole position in dry and dusty conditions for Sunday’s race. Ryder LeBlond was second, followed by Webb, Jordan Ashburn and Will Riordan.
Overnight rain added a new element to Sunday’s race in the morning, but the sun dried things out as the day progressed.
Hart never looked back en route to victory and with it both the East and Overall Kenda AMA Extreme Off-Road Championships.
Hart saved his best for last. The KTM rider dominated Sunday’s racing after jumping out to an early lead and then steadily pulled away from the pack in each of the two 18-mile loops. By the end of the three-hour race, Hart had built up a comfortable 18-minute lead to claim both the East and Overall Extreme Off-Road Championships.
“I had a great weekend at Battle of the Goats,” Hart said. “Rain made the track a bit slippery on Sunday, but after I got the holeshot, I just put my head down and focused on cleaning the hill climbs, which helped me maintain my lead. I’m happy to come out on top and win the championship!”
A win would have given Webb the overall championship, but things got off to a bad start when Webb ran into the back of another rider near the top of the first hillclimb, Chicken Fight Hole, which sent Webb flying off his motorcycle. By the time he got going again, he was mixed in with the second wave of riders. However, Webb made a charge and soon found himself in second place. At one point, he was within approximately three and a half minutes of Hart, but would later struggle up some of the hills, including the newly added “Little Romaniac.”
The hill climbs proved to be Webb’s Achilles heel for the race. “I rode way better this year, but I struggled on some of the hill climbs,” said Webb. “Overall, it was a pretty good day. The first lap went pretty well, but I had a few small mistakes. I was down on time, but I knew I could make it up. The second lap I pushed hard to get first for the day, and I was making up time, but I got hung up really bad on three hill climbs that basically ended any chance at a win.”
West Extreme champ Cody Webb struggled with some of the hillclimbs and lost sight of Hart. He finished second in the overall championship.
Husqvarna-mounted LeBlond finished another 10 minutes in back of Webb which was good enough to get him on the podium for the day.
Riordan finish more than an hour back in fourth.
In the East Championship, Hart finished on top with 145 points, followed by Webb with 135 and LeBlond with 99.
In the Extreme Championship Overall standings, Hart stands atop with 255 points, followed by Webb (245), Colton Haaker (169), LeBlond (162) and Taylor Robert (150).
