| August 13, 2024
The Enduro Engineering Grassman National Enduro in Chandlersville treated more than 450 riders to Ohio single-track for round seven of the 2024 Red Line Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles. The Ohio Woods Riders laid out the longest national enduro in recent years, at 81 miles, but that didn’t faze championship leader Josh Toth, as he chalked up his sixth consecutive win.
Josh Toth made it six consecutive wins at the Grassman National Enduro in Ohio. Photos: Mack Faint
Heather Wilson | Photos: Mack Faint
Race-day temperatures couldn’t have been any better, starting off in the low 50s and working into the mid-70s. Unfortunately, it’s been a dry summer in the state, so the racecourse was extremely dry. Dusty conditions on the trail made visibility a challenge at times.
Following that, riders jumped into a 4.5-mile test at the beginning and then tackled a seven-mile-long section. Test three provided riders with 8.5 miles of trails to test their abilities. The day finished with longer sections—7.5-mile, 7-mile and 10-mile tests—to round out the day. With 36 miles of transfer throughout the day, riders had some time to recover between tests.
Enduro Engineering’s Toth got off to a rocky start initially, taking fourth through the first test after a fall, but the GasGas rider quickly turned up the heat. He went on to win all the remaining tests. At the end of the day, the NE Pro1 rider had bested the runner-up by more than 53 seconds to earn a unique trophy—a Grassman wooden carving.
“I’ve been second place in this series three or four times now, and I’m sick of losing,” Toth said. “So, I don’t plan on stopping what I’m doing now. So, hopefully I’ll finish the rest of the year out strong and keep it going. [This race] didn’t go very smooth for me at all. A little mishap—I ran over some ribbon in test one and lost my rear brakes. I was kind of overriding and pushed the corner. A big branch caught my throttle and threw me down. test two or three, I broke my shifter off, like, first mile. It was just stuck in third gear, and I think it honestly helped me. I was just frustrated and mad the whole time, thinking I was behind. I was just hammer down and just trying to roll all the tight spots. Trying to keep my momentum up and keep the rpms up—not smoke the clutch by the end of the test, hopefully. I ended up winning that test. Overall, good riding and just a few mishaps here and there.”
Johnny Girroir kept Toth honest en route to second overall.
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir captured second overall. He opened the day with a win in test one. The next four tests saw him in the runner-up spot. The day concluded with Girroir taking third through the sixth section. He was excited about putting it on the box for the fourth time in 2024.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Trevor Bollinger claimed third overall. The Georgia-based rider took second through the first test, before taking fifth in test two. He then collected a trio of third-place results before wrapping up the day with a fourth-place result in the final test.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Trevor Bollinger claimed third overall.
“I went home and did some different stuff on the bike,” Bollinger said. “I went back to the fundamentals, and it seems to be helping a lot. It feels good to put it on the box here, and my goal is to try to keep it on the box the rest of the year. I enjoy riding these things and have a lot of fun at them. It was easy to make a mistake out there today. I was trying to be aggressive, but you had to be patient coming into the turns and stuff. I didn’t hit the ground, but maybe two or three times. Kept it solid. Nothing too crazy.”
Entering this round, KTM’s Grant Davis was the NE Pro2 points leader. Unfortunately, a crash in test four resulted in a shoulder injury and withdrawal from the race, which could have a profound impact on his championship chase this year.
Nathaniel “Bubz” Tasha was the NE Pro2-class winner in sixth overall.
Yamaha’s Nathaniel “Bubz” Tasha has been lurking behind Davis this season and was able to top the NE Pro2 overall podium for the third time. The day started off with a test win for him in his class. He followed it up with no less than a second- or third-place finish in each of the rest of the tests.
Hunter Smith grabbed the runner-up spot aboard his KTM. A third place in the NE Pro2 class through test one set a good foundation for the day. He went on to collect a test win in the second section, as well as the final test. In tests three and four, he put his machine in second place, while dropping to fifth in test five. Ultimately, he finished the day just three seconds behind Tasha.
The Enduro Engineering Grassman National marked the fourth time this year that Red Bear Racing’s Will Sievenpiper has put himself on the podium.
The Enduro Engineering Grassman National marked the fourth time this year that Red Bear Racing’s Will Sievenpiper has put himself on the podium. While he had hoped a solid start to the day with a second-place class finish in the first test would set the trajectory for the next few tests, he would walk away with a fourth and seventh through the next two sections. It wasn’t until test four that his momentum picked back up, taking the test win. He followed it up with third-place finishes in the final two sections.
Rachael Archer topped the Women’s Elite class for the sixth time this season.
After taking third at round six, Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer rebounded to the top of the podium again, notching her sixth Women’s Elite win of the season aboard her Kawasaki. She set a phenomenal pace, even after a crash in the first test. By day’s end, she had bested second-place rider Shelby Turner by almost five minutes on the day.
Shelby Turner collected third and second through the remaining sections to bring home a second-place overall finish in Women’s Elite.
Turner, aboard her Enduro Engineering GasGas, has put together a consistent season and has yet to finish off the podium. A crash a week ago left her with a partially separated shoulder, but the Canadian fought through the pain. Although she earned a fourth-place class finish in test one, she collected third and second through the remaining sections to bring home a second-place overall finish in Women’s Elite.
Beta rider Emma Hasbell landed third overall on the day, after clicking off strong results all day.
Beta rider Emma Hasbell landed third overall on the day after clicking off strong results all day. It marked the first-ever pro podium for last year’s Beta Cup winner. She collected a trio of third-place test finishes and two runner-up performances as well.
Canada’s Emma Sharpless didn’t let her first ever national enduro intimidate her. She showcased her skills to claim fourth in Women’s Elite on her KTM.
Cole Whitmer clinched his second class win of the year on his GasGas. The Pennsylvanian dominated by taking every test win for the AA class.
250A rider Chase Landers has yet to lose a National Enduro this year. The KTM rider conquered his class, capturing every test win and finishing one minute and 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
The next race, the Wiseco Flying W National, will occur on September 8 in Cherryville, Missouri. CN
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Josh Toth (GG)
- Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
- Trevor Bollinger (Hus)
- Evan Smith (Hus)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (Kaw)
- Nathaniel Tasha (Yam)
- Hunter Smith (KTM)
- Will Sievenpiper (Kaw)
- Nicholas Defeo (Kaw)
- Cole Whitmer (GG)
