2024 AMA National Enduro Round 9 Results

| September 25, 2024

As the Red Line Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles, winds down with two races left on the schedule, it was down to the wire at the penultimate round for many competitors in the championship hunt. More than 325 had the opportunity to advance in the standings as they took on Zink Ranch in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, on September 22. One of those riders was Josh Toth, who took the overall win and wrapped up the 2024 overall Championship.

Josh Toth at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro. Photo: Mack Faint

Josh Toth earned the number-one plate for 2024 after clinching the AMA National Enduro title with a win at the John Zink Ranch.

VIDEO | 2024 KTM Zink Ranch National Enduro // Round 9 Highlights // Tulsa, OK

By Heather Wilson | Photos: Mack Faint

John Zink Ranch was the location of the 1994 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), and the Tulsa Trail Riders organized the ’94 Six Days EnduroFest to coincide with the race weekend. The group hosted a 30th anniversary reunion ride and banquet to recognize and reconnect former ISDE competitors with each other and fans.

The KTM Zink Ranch National brought breezy, moderate temperatures in the mid-70s. However, in the days leading up to the race, the location endured an extreme heatwave, prompting the series to scale back the number of tests. At 58 total miles, riders navigated hard-pack and rocky conditions with some dust thrown in. The first two tests were 7.5 miles each, followed by a 10-mile section. The fourth test was another 7.5-mile trail, and a 9.5-mile test wrapped up round nine.

It’s been a phenomenal season for Enduro Engineering’s Toth, who has secured all but two wins this season. The Connecticut-based rider kicked off the day in Oklahoma with two test wins in NE Pro1. Then, he took the runner-up spot in the final three tests. Toth’s stellar performance throughout the season helped him secure his first-ever AMA National Enduro Championship. The NE Pro1 rider also has the honor of representing the U.S. on the Trophy Team at the ISDE once again, which will take place in Spain in October.

“It was pretty nasty out there,” Toth said. “The terrain is very unforgiving when you get out in the grass and stuff, so I just tried to be cautious and get through the first few tests smooth. And honestly, that was the best thing I could have done. It put me in the lead early. Then, I had a big crash in test four, but other than that, I just kept it up and steady. I’d like to thank my mechanic [Mike “Napper” Napieralski]. He does everything on my bike—rebuilds it between the rounds, does my suspension testing—he knows his stuff. It’s great to have him all year, and it’s been awesome working together. Plus, the whole Enduro Engineering crew, the NEPG crew that puts on these events, NOCO, my trainer, Steve Hatch, for helping out, and my girlfriend, Nicole, for coming out. There are so many people involved in my program this year. I don’t want to leave anyone out, but Bell’s Electric and Enduro Engineering stepped up and let me do what I want to do. So, it’s been awesome.”

After collecting his first win of the season at the prior round, Steward Baylor Jr. was eager to continue that momentum aboard his Red Bear Racing Kawasaki. He fell shy of that, taking the runner-up spot at the KTM Zink Ranch National. Just 22 seconds off Toth’s pace for the day, Baylor Jr. pushed hard from the start. He claimed second in class through the opening test, third through the next three sections, and ended the day on a high note with the test-five win.

Steward Baylor Jr at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro — **Steward Baylor Jr took the runner-up spot at the KTM Zink Ranch National.**

“I felt kind of comfortable all day,” Steward Baylor Jr. said. “The track was a good bit different than previous times in Tulsa. We’ve definitely had everything from mud to dust here, and today was a very good racecourse—a little bit dry in places, but, overall, the dirt was perfect.”

Ricky Russell has had a challenging season. He started the year with a fourth-place finish but was injured for much of 2024. He put his AmPro Yamaha on the box for the first time this year. He began the day with a fifth place in NE Pro1 through the first test. The second test saw him earn fourth. Russell really showcased his talent on two wheels in tests three and four, topping those sections. In the last section, he earned third to secure third overall on the day.

“It just felt good to be back up here battling with the guys,” Russell said. “I haven’t been doing that this year, just been hurt all year and struggling. So yeah, I was happy to get a few test wins.”

Women's Elite Podium at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro — **Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer of New Zealand swept the tests and captured the Women’s Elite win**

Red Bear Racing’s Will Sievenpiper collected his first NE Pro2 win of the season, after finishing in the top five for the prior seven rounds. The Georgian went 3-3-2 in Pro2 through the first three tests. Test four saw Sievenpiper take the win, and he finished out the day with a second-place result in test five.

Nicholas Defeo, backed by Team Babbitt’s Kawasaki, has been vying to get back on the NE Pro2 podium for most of the season after taking third at the opening two rounds. He was finally able to make it happen this weekend.

Will Sievenpiper at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro. Photo: Mack Faint — **Will Sievenpiper won for the first time this year in Pro2.**

Nicholas DeFeo at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro — **Nicholas Defeo concluded the day with a fourth and third.**

Earning his sixth NE Pro2 podium of the year, Yamaha’s Nathaniel “Bubz” Tasha struggled early in the day. A sixth place in section one set him back off of the start, but he hit the reset button to go 2-3-3-4 for the remainder of the day. It was a tight race between Tasha and FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers’ Grant Davis at the KTM Zink Ranch National, but Tasha was able to swipe third in class by just eight seconds.

Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer of New Zealand swept the tests and captured the Women’s Elite win. More importantly, she collected her 2024 AMA National Enduro Championship with one round remaining. She’s notched seven class wins this season aboard her Kawasaki, and has yet to finish off of the podium.

Rachael Archer at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro. Photo: Mack Faint — **Rachael Archer clinched the Women’s Elite Championship with another win in Oklahoma.**

“I loved the race today,” Archer said. “It was fast and flowy, my kind of riding. Awesome to wrap up the championship, and I couldn’t have done it without the team backing me the whole way.”

Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner took the runner-up spot, scoring second through three of the four tests and taking third in one test. The GasGas rider has sustained her podium streak throughout the entire year.

Shelby Turner at 2024 Zink Ranch National Enduro — **Shelby Turner took the runner-up spot in Women’s Elite.**

Prestin Raines of Missouri earned a podium result at the KTM Zink Ranch National, finishing just a minute behind Turner. The Sherco-mounted rider grabbed third through test one. She then picked up speed, taking second in test two. She rounded out the day with two fourth-place test results.

Louisiana’s Trevor Hulin claimed the AA class win. He blasted through the first test, putting himself in the lead to start the day. He went 2-1-1 through the next three tests and wrapped up the day with second in the final section. The KTM rider also clinched the AMA number-one plate for the 2024 season.

The final round of the series—the Gobbler Getter National—will be held on November 3 in Stanton, Alabama.