Spragueville, IA – The Iowan Hard Enduro made its debut on the Kenda AMA Extreme Off-Road series calendar. The event saw the first setback for FactoryONE Sherco’s Cody Webb as he had to settle for a P2 behind Trystan Hart of FMF KTM. Colton Haaker of Rockstar Husqvarna would round out the men’s podium. FactoryONE Sherco women’s pilot Louise Forsley would take the top step over Shelby Turner and Kristina Smuda, both backed by KTM, and extend her points lead in the championship.
“I Really wasn’t too happy with how the day went.” Said Cody Webb. “It was a pretty simple course for a hard enduro and the conditions weren’t on our side. In moto one, I got a bad start and just couldn’t get around those guys. I tried a few times, but just couldn’t make it happen and settled for fourth. In the final moto, I rode angry and charged hard. I rode a little tight with the other guys right on my tail for the first half before opening up a nice lead. I then suffered some issues and lost all the time I gained and fell back. I charged hard and was aggressive which allowed me to take back the lead right before the finish and get the win in moto two. I was happy with how I rode overall, just not how I executed that first moto, which ended up costing me.”
The hot lap that set moto one rows saw Sherco pilots Webb, Pat Smage and Nick Fahringer seeded fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Louise Forsley would edge out Shelby Turner by 3 seconds to land as the top female.
Moto one would feature a rather timid course comparably speaking. The one loop course would see the top riders finishing in under 30 minutes. (Most hard enduros have motos of 60 minutes or more) This didn’t suit the riding styles of Cody Webb or 11-time AMA mototrials champion Pat Smage. With that, Webb would finish 4th, Smage 7th, and Fahringer 8th. Louise Forsley would win moto one and finish a very respectful 21st overall out of more than 100 riders.
For moto two, race directors added more technical sections to challenge the final 32 riders. With that, Cody Webb was able to charge to a lead early in the race, only to suffer some issues mid race, which allowed for the chasers to close the gap and make it a race. Cody put his head down and charged hard once again, throwing down a blistering pace during the latter half of lap two to take the moto win by 6 seconds over Tyrstan Hart. Pat Smage would finish sixth in the moto, one place better than Nick Fahringer. Louise Forsley would be the only female to make it into the final 32 finishing 27th overall in the moto.
Women’s Champ Louise Forsley: “Yesterday’s races went really well for me. I stayed patient and was able to make passes when the opportunity was there. Then I just focused on riding a smooth race and making minimal mistakes. Luckily it all came together! “
Pat Smage: “I am happy to have gained some valuable experience in Iowa. While I couldn’t run the pace of the top 5, I did get a good feel for it early in moto 1 and even had the lead for a very short time until a course marking caught me of guard. It was fun and impressive to ride behind those guys for a few minutes as they pulled away. There were a few short hard sections in the final race that I really liked but I was not comfortable or willing to risk it on the faster parts of the course. Once again I just tried to find a pace I could manage without pumping up too bad or letting my heart rate get too high. That put me in 6th which I am happy with but I know what I need to work on to be better. “
Nick Fahringer: “My ride was relatively clean on the hot lap Sunday morning. Starting on the front row there was no traffic to contend with but navigating an unestablished track was the challenge.
I finished 6th, one spot off the front row for moto one. Moto one was a slightly longer and more technical version of the hot lap while moto two was a much more challenging modification, racing for 3 laps. Moto 1 I scored a 7th place keeping the competition within sight. Off the line in moto 2, I ended up getting squeezed out and had to make some passes. The course was very rideable due to the fair traction, which led to everyone carrying a pace that elevated the intensity. I would finish 7th for my final position on the day. Not the most challenging track on the schedule but an enjoyable race.
My bike worked flawlessly and I am beginning to find my stride for the year.”
Men Overall Results:
Trystan Hart – FMF KTM – P1
Cody Webb – FactoryONE Sherco – P2
Colton Haaker – Rockstar Husqvarna – P3
Taylor Robert – FMF KTM – P4
Ryder Leblond – DRT Husqvarna – P5
Pat Smage – FactoryONe Sherco – P6
Nick Fahringer – FactoryONE Sherco – P7
Ezra Prine would win the A class on his Enduro31 Sherco.
Women Pro Podium:
Louise Forsley – FactoryONE Sherco – P1
Shelby Turner – KTM – P2
Kristina Smuda – KTM – P3
