Winning Streak Continues for Josh Toth at Enduro Engineering Grassman National
CHANDLERSVILLE, Ohio – The Enduro Engineering Grassman National treated more than 450 riders to Ohio single-track for round seven of the 2024 Redline Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles. Ohio Woods Riders laid out the longest national enduro in recent years, at 81 miles.
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 race course was extremely dry. Dusty conditions on the trail made visibility a challenge at times.
Riders jumped into a 4.5-mile test at the beginning, and then tackled a 7-mile long section following that. Test 3 provided riders with 8.5 miles of trail to test their abilities. The day finished with longer sections -- an 7.5-mile, 7-mile and 10-mile test to round out the day. With 36 miles of transfer throughout the day, riders had some time to recover between tests.
Overall Podium
Enduro Engineering’s Josh Toth has been on a winning streak this year, clinching six-straight overall win so far. He got off to a bit of a rocky start at the beginning, taking fourth through the first test after a fall, but the GasGas rider quickly turned up the heat. He went on to win all of 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, really good riding and just a few mishaps here and there.”
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir captured second overall in Ohio. He opened the day with a win in Test 1. The next four tests saw him in the runner-up spot. The day concluded with Girroir taking third through the sixth section. He was unable to attend the podium presentation, as he needed to travel to the airport, but 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 2. He then collected a trio of third-place results before wrapping up the day with a fourth-place result in the final test.
“I really went home and did some different stuff on the bike,” Bollinger said. “I really went back to the fundamentals, and it seems to be helping a lot… It feels really 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 really 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 really 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.”
NE Pro2 Podium
Entering this round, KTM’s Grant Davis was the NE Pro2 points leader. Unfortunately, a crash in Test 4 -- resulting in a shoulder injury and withdrawal from the race -- could have a profound impact on his championship chase this year.
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 1 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 3 and 4, he put his machine in second-place, while dropping to fifth in Test 5. Ultimately, he finished the day just 3 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. While he had hoped a solid start to the day with a second-place class finish in Test 1 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 4 that his momentum picked back up, taking the test win. He followed it up with third-place finishes in the final two sections.
Women’s Elite Podium
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.
Turner, aboard her Enduro Engineering GasGas, has put together a consistent season -- she’s yet to finish off of 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 1, 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. 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.
Top Amateurs
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 1 minute and 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
View full event results and series standings at nationalenduro.com/scoring.
The Wiseco Flying W National will take place on September 8 in Cherryville, Missouri.
Overall Results - Enduro Engineering Grassman National
1. Josh Toth (GG)
2. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
3. Trevor Bollinger (HUS)
4. Evan Smith (HUS)
5. Steward Baylor Jr. (KAW)
6. Nathaniel Tasha (YAM)
7. Hunter Smith (KTM)
8. Will Sievenpiper (KAW)
9. Nicholas Defeo (KAW)
10. Cole Whitmer (GG)
Series Overall Standings
1. Josh Toth (GG) - NE Pro1
2. Steward Baylor Jr (KAW) - NE Pro1
3. Johnny Girroir (KTM) - NE Pro1
4. Evan Smith (HUS) - NE Pro1
5. Grant Davis (KTM) - NE Pro2
6. Grant Baylor (KAW) - NE Pro1
7. Nathaniel Tasha (YAM) - NE Pro2
8. Will Sievenpiper (KAW) - NE Pro2
9. Ryder Lafferty (GG) - NE Pro1
10. Trevor Bollinger (HUS) - NE Pro1
About National Enduro Promoters Group (NEPG)
Established in 2008, National Enduro Promoters Group (NEPG) has operated the AMA National Enduro Series, in collaboration with local off-road motorcycle clubs around the country, to layout fun and challenging single-track trail for both professional and amateur racers to enjoy. For more information, visit NationalEnduro.com.
About High Gear Success
High Gear Consulting LLC DBA High Gear Success is a motorsports communications and marketing strategy company located in Pataskala, Ohio, that helps racers, motorsports event organizers and motorsports companies get noticed and increase revenue. Fueled by passion, Heather Wilson, CEO, focuses strategies on engagement and awareness in order to drive results. Learn more at HighGearSuccess.com.
Photos by Mack Faint