| June 13, 2023
The 57th Cherokee National Enduro played out in cooler and drier conditions than usual, but imminent rain and thunderstorms played a role in the outcome of the race in Greensboro, Georgia, on June 11. Grant Baylor enjoyed a near flawless race on his Babbits Racing/Monster Energy Kawasaki and won all five sections in the NE Pro1 class after the sixth section was cancelled due to lightning and heavy rain.
Grant Baylor won all five special tests to win the 57th Cherokee National Enduro.
By Logan Densmore | Photos: Mack Faint
Grant Baylor, who is the defending National Enduro Champion and the current 2023 points leader in the Magna1 AMA National Enduro Series, presented by Moose Racing, started the day off strong. “I won all seven tests here in the past when they ran seven tests, so I knew if there was any chance for me to win all of the tests, it would be here at the Cherokee,” Baylor said. “I’ve always had good results here in the past.”
The rain started in the second test. “I was hoping for some drier conditions and the second test got really slimy towards the end, but then section three it soaked in and was pretty good until it really opened up in the final test of the day and it was pretty hairy,” said Baylor.
Baylor was able to stay out of trouble for the most part and was able to grab the overall win over NE Pro2-class winner Liam Draper.
AmPro Yamaha rider Draper got off to a mediocre start to the day before the rain came down. “Test one was kind of slow for me but when the rain came down—I don’t know what it is about this place, but when it is super muddy, I just love it,” Draper said. “From then on it was a super fun day.”
Draper was able to grab an overall test win in test four to propel him into contention for overall podium from the NE Pro2 class. A consistent fifth overall in test five was enough to seal the deal for Draper to get second overall on the day and win the NE Pro2 class.
Liam Draper was second overall and the Pro2-class winner.
Second in NE Pro1 and third overall was Enduro Engineering GasGas rider Josh Toth. Toth is battling Grant for his first career National title. A second-place finish at the midpoint of the season helps keep Toth in the hunt.
“I was hoping for some rain, and I got it for sure,” Toth said. “We got a bit more than I hoped. Vision was a key factor, and it was challenging, but I felt good, and the conditions were fun.”
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Tely Energy’s Steward Baylor Jr. was fifth overall and third in the Pro1 class.
“National Enduros have been home [for me] for the last 10-12 years and this is the longest I’ve ever gone in my career without a podium [in the class],” Steward Baylor said. “I just rode a consistent race and tried to ride the edges and find some smooth lines where I could. I didn’t feel like I was pushing, but this is one of those tracks where you can over push for sure.”
Second in the NE Pro2 class and sixth overall was Bonecutter Off-Road GasGas rider Thorn Devlin. Draper and Thorn have been pretty much swapping wins in the NE Pro2 all season long. Thorn started the day off hot with a third overall and first in NE Pro2 for the first test.
“My first test was good but that was about where I left it though,” Devlin said. “It was a good day, I didn’t ride good, but I didn’t ride bad, just rode consistent and stayed off the ground.”
Josh Toth kept his title hopes alive with third overall.
Third in NE Pro2 was Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Tely Energy’s Nathaniel Tasha. Consistency was key for podium finishes in the NE Pro2 class today.
“You can’t complain when you end up on the box,” Tasha said. “I just went out there and tried to be consistent and it paid off in the end.”
The top Women’s Elite-class rider was Enduro Engineering GasGas rider Mackenzie Tricker. Tricker got off to a bit of a rough start when she said she “gooned it” over a log and ended up in a ravine trapped under her bike, but luckily someone [Mark Hyde] happened to be there to help her and save her race.
“Going into the last test I knew I was down and needed like 45 on Rachel [Gutish], and I ended up having a really good test and getting the win, which was awesome,” said Tricker, who was able to squeak out a win over Gutish by just 22 seconds.
Mackenzie Tricker topped the Women’s Elite division.
Over And Out GasGas rider Gutish, said, “I had a blast all day, whether it was dry or wet, I thought we had pretty good traction. My bike seemed to hooking up good, and I was just out there having fun.”
After experiencing food poisoning earlier in the week, survival was the key for Trail Jesters Racing KTM rider Korie Steede. Steede ended up surviving the day and finished on the box in the third position.
“I woke up Thursday with a gnarly case of food poisoning, so I’ve been on the couch all week,” Steede said. “It was a long day for me out there just trying to get through the tests. I think I won one so that felt really good.”
The top Amateur rider at the Cherokee National Enduro was Gavin Sievenpiper in 17th overall and first AA.
The year’s enduro was dedicated to the longest serving member of the Cherokee Enduro Riders club, James Bransford, who passed away last fall. Bransford put in a lot of hours in the woods of Greensboro, making sure many of the Cherokee Enduros were possible. The Cherokee Enduro Riders put out a bounty to the 3 Pro classes for anyone who could win all sections. Grant Baylor nabbed the $1000 bounty in James’ name for topping all five tests.
The series continues next month in Pennsylvania for the Rattlesnake National Enduro, July 23.
VIDEO | 2023 Cherokee National Enduro Pro Podium Interviews
Cherokee National
OVERALL
- Grant Baylor (Kaw) 96:23.594
- Liam Draper (Yam)
- Josh Toth (GG)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
- Craig Delong (Hus)
- Thorn Devlin (GG)
- Ryder Lafferty (GG)
- Nathaniel Tasha (KTM)
- Trevor Bollinger (Hus)
- Mike Witkowski (Hon)
