SUMTER, S.C., (Jan. 29, 2012) – PowersportGrafx-RidePG.com riders Steward Baylor and Michael Lafferty smoked this past weekend’s Sumter Enduro – the opening round of the AMA National Enduro Series in Sumter, South Carolina. Baylor and Lafferty swept the top two podium positions, with the 17-year-old Baylor taking a surprising win over the veteran Lafferty, who has eight national titles to his credit.

Baylor’s win marked his first-ever national victory and came despite a mid-race crash that could have easily derailed the South Carolina rider’s effort. “I just shook it off and kept my head down and kept pushing,” said Baylor, who went on to win three of the six tests. “It was a tough race but I was able to jump into the lead off the start and hold onto it to the end. I couldn’t have done it with out the help of KTM, PowersportGrafx-RidePG.com, Genuine Dirt Racer/WP Racing USA, Bart Hayes and the rest of my sponsors.”

Lafferty turned some heads as well, the 36-year-old putting in a stellar performance to finish second, exactly a minute ahead of the third place finisher. After getting off to a relatively slow start, the factory Husaberg rider won the third and fifth tests ahead of Baylor and looked extremely comfortable in the rough and whooped out Sumter sand.

“This was a good race for me,” said Lafferty. “I felt good on the bike and I felt like I really flowed on the trail. Baylor was on it today, and once I saw he had a good lead I just settled into my own pace. For sure, I want to thank Husaberg, PowersportGrafx-RidePG.com, and the rest of my sponsors for helping to make this happen.”

Both Baylor and Lafferty will try to maintain their momentum when the AMA National Enduro Series resumes in Greensboro, Georgia, on February 19^th for the Cherokee Enduro.

For more info about Powersport Grafx LLC, go to www.ridepg.com.

About PowersportGrafx LLC:
Powersport Grafx/RidePG.com is an industry leader of custom graphics and decals for the powersport industry.

Founded in 2003, PG has built its business on quality and service. PG’s patented GripZ product is the only fully functional graphics system. PG is also an officially licensed manufacturer for KTM and Husaberg. Beware of imitations!

PG supports riders, series and clubs all across the World. We Support the Sport!

Bart Hayes

PowersportGrafx LLC

313 9th Street

North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

Phone:336-903-0303

Fax:336-667-7618

www.ridepg.com

Riding against the top national enduro riders in the country, Steward Baylor jumped into the lead from the get-go, winning three of the six tests on the extremely rough and whooped out Sumter course. Relying on suspension by WP Racing USA, Baylor steadily pulled away from the competition to take the overall win by a whopping 40 seconds over the runner-up finisher, despite suffering a mid-race crash which threatened to derail his efforts.

“We went out to a local riding area the day before the race with Bart Hayes of WP Racing USA and we got my suspension dialed in perfectly for the local terrain and it made all the difference in the race on Sunday,” said Steward. “The race got pretty rough but my WP Racing USA suspension was spot on the entire distance.”

Younger brother Grant rode a phenomenal race considering his age, beating several of the top Pros and finishing as the second highest finishing non-pro behind multi-time national hare scrambles champ Jason Raines. Grant also relies on suspension by WP Racing USA, and credits Bart Hayes for much of his success.

The Baylor brothers will try to maintain their momentum when the AMA National Enduro Series resumes in Greensboro, Georgia, on February 19^th for the Cherokee Enduro.

For more info about WP Racing USA, go to www.wpracingusa.com.

WP Racing/PG team support riders:
Husaberg
Nick Fahringer
Jesse Robinson

KTM
Steward Baylor
Grant Baylor
Josh Strang

About WP Racing USA:
Based in North Carolina, WP Racing USA has established itself as the leader in KTM and Husaberg suspension services. Winning GNCC, National Enduro and regional championships as the representative for WP Suspension in the United States.

WP Racing USA and Genuine Dirt Racer products are part of the RidePG group and Kudzu Project LLC.

For more information go to wpracingusa.com or call 336-903-0363.

Bart Hayes
PowersportGrafx LLC
313 9th Street
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone:336-903-0303
Fax:336-667-7618

www.ridepg.com

Click here for complete results.

SUMTER, SC – Husaberg Factory rider Mike Lafferty put together a strong showing at the opening round of the AMA National Enduro Series with a 2^nd place finish.

Lafferty rode strong throughout the entirety of the race. He finished 3^rd and 2^nd in the first two special tests respectively and came out on top with a win in the third test. “The course conditions were decent and suited my style,” remarked Lafferty. The race was comprised of six special tests which mostly consisted of sandy terrain. Luckily, rain the week prior to the event had kept the ground rather moist and helped control potential dust problems.

In six tests, Lafferty only fell outside of the top three on one test. He made a brief mistake in the fourth test and finished 4^th fastest in that section. He rebounded quickly and took the win in the fifth test and finished 2^nd in the sixth test. His consistency paid off and awarded him the runner-up position at the opening round.

“I am very excited with my result today,” stated Lafferty. “It’s great to know that my hard work has paid off and I was running the lead pace.” Lafferty finished 40 seconds behind race winner Steward Baylor and a minute ahead of the 3^rd place rider, Charlie Mullins.

Lafferty’s teammate, Nick Fahringer, finished the opening round in 13^th position after struggling with his fitness throughout some of the longer test sections. Fahringer has been off the bike for four months recovering from an ACL injury. His strongest test was the third test where he finished 8^th. “I am definitely upset that I wasn’t closer to the top runners,” mentioned Fahringer. “But I am glad to get through the first round and finish without injury. I have a few weeks before the next round and I know everyday on the bike will help my progress. It’s going to be a long road to recovery but I am excited to work toward the goal of getting back on the podium.”

Next Round: Greensboro, GA – February 19, 2012

Overall Results –

1) Steward Baylor – KTM

2) Mike Lafferty – HSB

3) Charlie Mullins – KTM

4) Cory Buttrick – KTM

5) Brad Bakken – YAM

6) Russell Bobbitt – KTM

7) Jordan Ashburn – YAM

Andrew Delong – HSQ

9) Jason Raines – YAM

10) Jesse Groehm – KTM

11) Jesse Robinson – HSB

12) Grant Baylor – KTM

13) Nick Fahringer – HSB

14) Chris Bach – BET

15) Cole Kirkpatrick – KTM

Rider: Jordan Ashburn 2^nd Place (Pro Class)

Every year it seems as if the Burnt Gin Hare Scramble in Sumter, South Carolina is the unofficial season opener for the East Coast Offroad Racing scene.  The field is always stacked with the best and brightest racers, ready to show the world how much work they put in during the off season.

As the riders sat on the line eagerly awaiting the drop of the green flag, AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn remained calm and collective aboard is Factory prepped Yamaha YZ250 Two-Stroke. In the blink of an eye, the flag was down and Jordan was off, grabbing the holeshot and charging into the woods with the first place position locked in. From there, Jordan would lead the race for the next four laps before engaging in a demanding battle for the lead with 2011 GNCC Champion Charlie Mullins. With a three minute lead over the field, the two riders would trade places several times. Pit stops and lapped riders would prove to play a key role in the races outcome, as the blue and orange bikes continued to swap positions. Suddenly, without warning, a lapped rider pulled onto the track right in front of Jordan, causing him to veer off the course, crashing into the woods. Unscathed, Jordan got up and assessed the extensive damage on his machine. The front wheel was more square shaped then round and the triple clamps were facing a different direction then the handlebars. Banging the bike against a tree and straightening it out as much as possible, Ashburn remounted and charged his bike into the pits holding on to his second place position. After a quick wheel swap and a slight but not complete front end alignment, Jordan headed back out into the field. Unfortunately, 2011 GNCC XC2 Champion Steward Baylor had closed up the gap and made a quick pass on the AmPro rider but Jordan quickly recovered, getting back around Stew and setting his sight on Charlie Mullins in first. With only a lap and half to go, Jordan was unable to catch Mullins for the win but still held a solid lead over third, taking the checker flag in the second place position.

“This was a big race for me,” says Ashburn. “I have been training harder than I ever and I was confident in my ability to run with the competition next to me. When that flag dropped, the YZ250 fired to life and I just pinned it!!! I’d really like to thank Randy and Dale for getting the bike set up perfectly. Having confidence in the machine is so important and I had no doubts that the bike was exactly where it needed to be.”

Team owner and AMA Hall of Fame Member, Randy Hawkins even decided to the throw a leg over a pristinely prepped Yamaha YZ450F for the day. Randy dominated the Senior A Class for most of the afternoon. However, as Randy entered the woods on his fourth lap, he witnessed team rider Jordan Ashburn’s brutal crash. Quickly switching into Captain-Mode, Randy stopped to make sure everything was copasetic, following Ashburn into the pits. Unfortunately, this brief detour allowed another rider to sneak by for the win and Randy finished up the day in the second place position.

“Today was all about having fun,” Says Hawkins. “We set up the YZ450F I was riding to replicate Paul and Jordan’s GNCC bikes. This way, when we start testing I know exactly what the boys are talking about when we need to make changes and adjustments. As the owner of the team, I like to know exactly what’s going on with the machines my guys are riding and what better way to know, then to go out and race one! I had absolute blast today that’s for sure. Jordan gave me a bit of scare when he crashed but we got him fixed up and back out on the course in a hurry. To be honest, I’m so proud of Jordan. His results proved that he can run with the big boys and I’m confident in his abilities as we head into next weekend’s National Enduro Opener.”

CLICK HERE to watch video coverage of the race to you by DigitalOffroad.com