It was a jammed packed weekend for FactoryONE Enduro and Trials teams.
Page, AZ and Center Hill, FL – The AMA Mototrials season kicked off this weekend in Florida with Pat Smage going p2 and p1 on the weekend. Alex Myers of sister brand Scorpa had great results going p3 and p3. Younger brother Will Myers finished p6 and p4 on the weekend. On the opposite side of the country, Cody Webb and Cooper Abbott were in Arizona for the second round of the AMA Hard Enduro series where Cody Webb took p2 honors with Cooper Abbott finishing p7.
Saturday’s round one of the AMA Trial season kicked off on a course that wouldn’t prove too difficult for the top finishers. A single dab was all that separated first from second with scores of one for winner Josh Roper and two for Pat Smage. Alex Myers on a Scorpa would go 3-4-2 for a total of nine points on the day, good enough for p3 on the podium. Smage and Roper were tied on one point each going into the last loop. Smage taking a point on loop one and Roper on loop. It would all come down to the final. Smage would be the first on the loop and would finish first with one unfortunate dab which would drop him to p2 as Roper came through the third loop clean.
Sunday’s round two would challenge the country’s top riders not only from a course standpoint, but also with 100 degree temperatures with extremely high humidity. This would test the pilots mentally and physically. Pat Smage would come away with the win with 16-6-2 for a total of 24 on three loops. He was followed by Josh Roper with 29 then Scorpa pilot Alex Myers with 44 and Will Myers with 47.
Over in Page, AZ, Cody Webb and Cooper Abbott were taking on round two of the AMA Hard Enduro Series, the Grinding Stone Hard Enduro. The format of the race for 2023 changed to a knockout-style event with multiple races that would ultimately pare down the field to the top 30 riders. Saturday’s race one would see Cooper Abbott rocket to a hole-shot from a unique starting style. The riders were required to stand behind their bikes, jump on, then start and go. Meanwhile, Cody Webb did not have the start he was hoping for allowing the entire front row to have a :10-second head start. He would turn that around however and would pass the field to finish p1. Cooper Abbott managed his ride knowing it was essentially a warm-up ride, coming in p5.
Race two would have the top 100 riders from the day before lineup for a one-loop race with added challenges along the way. This time Cody Webb would be the first over the starting hill, but would get wedged at the first climb, coming out dead last in his row at the crest of the first climb. Cooper Abbott managed another strong start and would be in the top three over the first climb. Trystan Hart and Ryder LeBlond would have a minute-plus lead on Webb and Abbott, who were riding in a group of five early on. Webb would eventually close the gap to second but would run out of track settling for p3. Abbott would stay in the group and finish p6.
The final race would be a two-hour endurance race on a four-mile loop with the most technical terrain the Grinding Stone course could throw at the riders. Cody Webb would get out to a quick start behind Trystan Hart and would push hard through the first lap. Cooper Abbott had a good jump off of the line, but made mistakes throughout the first loop that set him back in 10th place after one complete loop. Near the front, Webb would continue to put together consistent laps, but he would have to settle for p2. Abbott would ride much better throughout the rest of the race and would finish p7.
Supported Rider Hallie Marks finished p2 in Pro Women.
Supported team DC Racing Sherco competed in their first National Hare and Hound. Mason Ottersberg finished p2 in Pro2 with Jack Anderson finishing p5. Cayden Chidester finished p3 in amateur C class.
Results Link Trials
Results Link Hard Enduro
Photo Link Hard Enduro (@banta.visuals)
Photo Link Trials (@stephanievetterly_moto)
About FactoryONE Sherco: FactoryONE Sherco is a multi-time United States AMA championship observed trials team and multi-discipline Championship enduro team led by some of the top riders in the business. The Enduro team is led By Cody Webb who is a multi-time champion that competes in Extreme Off-Road, EnduroCross and FIM SuperEnduro. He is also the 2010 AMA Mototrials Champion. The Trials team is led by 13x AMA Champion Pat Smage (Smah-gee) on the men’s side; and 6x AMA Champion Louise Forsley (fours-lee) on the Women’s side. The trials team consists of four professional riders and two development riders.
