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

The weather could not have been more ideal, with the sun shining and temperatures in the 60s. Sandy terrain and tight trees made for a technical course, which Delong took to with ease on his TXC310. “I was ‘on rails’ through test one with that fourth-place finish,” Delong said. “I stalled it a few times in the other test but hit the electric start and off I would go again. But my last two tests cost me today.” Delong went on to finish a respectable eighth place – a good jumping off point in such a competitive series.

The day was a bit more challenging for Enduro first-timer Jason Thomas. The GNCC regular finished in 17th place after battling through the trees. “I need to train more in the tight trees,” Thomas admitted. “Some spots you had to stop and turn your bars just to get through. I will be better next race.”

The FAR Husqvarna team will head to Greensboro, Georgia in three weeks for round two of the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Series on February 19.
See the TXC310 and the entire 2012 Husqvarna Motorcycle lineup click

RIDERS:  BRAD BAKKEN 5^th

                JASON RAINES 9^TH

TEAM: OBERMEYER YAMAHA/RAINES RIDING UNIVERSITY/OFFROADVIKING.com

^{The Obermeyer Yamaha/Raines Riding Universtiy/Offroadviking.com team was on hand for the first round of the National Enduro Series in Sumter, South Carolina on Sunday. The day started out as a cool South Carolina morning with blue skies and no rain in sight.  With many of the sport’s top riders on hand, Brad and Jason would be put to the test. Brad would have an excellent day on his YZ250 running in the top 5 nearly the entire day where he would come home with the finish. Jason was well back in the pack riding from the 89th row. Although he would encounter slower riders and some of South Carolina’s finest sand whoops Jason managed to pull off a top 10 overall finishing 9th for the day! With the rides Jason has had the last two weeks the competition should be extremely happy that he is “retired” and not racing fulltime anymore.}

^{Brad: “The day started off good, the first section was part of the hare scramble course from last week so I knew most of that section. I had set my suspension up to stiff which hurt me thru that section. So at the stop I made some adjustments that allowed me to push on thru. I was able to catch Cole Kirkpatrick later in the day which made me feel really good! It was great to kick the year off with a top 5 finish and felt great to be the top Yamaha for the day!”}

^{Jason: “I was on row 89 so I started way back today. I had a pretty good day and had some really good sections. In those sections my times were consistent with the guys running in the top 5.  At the end of the day I came home 9th overall and beat Grant Baylor for the  top A class honors! All in all it was a great day and I was proud to be one of the top 3 Yamahas at the finish!”}

Top 5

1^st – Steward Baylor KTM

2^nd – Mike Lafferty HSB

3^rd – Charlie Mullins KTM

4^th – Corey Buttrick KTM

5^th – Brad Bakken YAM

Baylor has been setting records throughout his teenage years in the GNCC Series and he was most recently crowned the GNCC XC2 Lites Champion in 2011. He took the past two and half months that made up the off-season and trained hard to come out to the opening round of the AMA National Enduro Series in Sumter, SC and make himself and his Ride PG/KTM Team a threat for the championship.

The South Carolina native was impressive from the start to the end of the race. He took three of the six special test wins in order to claim his first victory. He was strong in each section only making a mistake in the fourth test where he hit his head on a tree branch that he wasn’t able to duck under. Luckily, he was okay and came back to finish second fastest in the fifth special test and first in the final test.

“It feels great to come out to the first round and get the win,” remarked Baylor. “I have been training really hard over the past year to increase my sprint speed and I think it shows today. I’d like to thank my team and my family for their help to get me to this level in my racing.”

Joining Baylor on the podium was 8-time National Enduro Champion Mike Lafferty finishing in the runner-up position and fellow KTM rider Charlie Mullins who put his FMF/KTM on the final podium step.

Mullins, who finished second overall in the 2011 championship, struggled at the beginning of the race but came on very strong in the second half taking a section win in the fourth test. His second half charge was just strong enough to knock his teammate Cory Buttrick off the podium. Buttrick put in a great race just finishing 12 seconds off of Mullins in the overall times.

The final member of the Factory FMF/KTM Team and the reigning National Enduro Champion, Russell Bobbitt, had a rough start to the season. Bobbitt, who was injured in mid-November, has only been back on the bike for three weeks and suffered from a lack of endurance in the longer tests.

“I broke my wrist in November and it is still really sore when I ride for a long distance,” stated Bobbitt. “There were a few long tests today and it was hard for me to maintain the race pace. I have a few weeks before the second round and I think that will really help me build up my endurance to be competitive for a podium position from here on out.”

Factory FMF/KTM Team Manager, Antti Kallonen, was very excited with the outcome today, “We are excited for Steward to get his first win. He has been riding very strong over the past year. We are also excited that our FMF/KTM riders Charlie and Cory were battling for the podium throughout the day. We know Russell suffered some endurance problems but he always bounces back and we will help him over the remainder of the season to get back to race speed. Overall it was a great start to the weekend for our KTM riders.”

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

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

New FLY 2012 Gear at the Start. | Photo: Heather Avery

By Brian Temple… SR A Class

It was a last minute decision to head south for the 2^nd weekend in a row and race in South Carolina at the Burnt Gin National. I headed south on Saturday and it was pouring down rain in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. When we finally hit South Carolina the rains seemed to come to a stop and I was thinking this would be a good thing. We got checked in to the hotel and then the rain decided it would come on in. It rained and then it rained some more. Most of the time the rain doesn’t bother me at all as I normally do good in extreme weather and conditions but this much rain in sandy soil can mean there can be bottomless ruts that can swallow an entire bike. As night fall came there didn’t seem to be any let up on the rain and I figured the race was going to be a survival race.

Sunday morning came the rains had stopped and we headed to the track. As we arrived at the track, other than the normal water standing here and there, the road in and the parking didn’t look that bad. I was watching the morning riders and they seemed to be doing just fine getting around. Race time came and it was time to head to the line. It was cooler than normal for South Carolina so I was in no hurry to get to the line and sit. When I did finally get there my line was full of riders. It was the largest SR A row I had seen in a very ling time. There were past GNCC National Champions on the line and past Factory Pro Riders (retired) on the line as well. I would have to line up way to the left just to get on the line. Randy Hawkins would join me on the outside. I knew with all the competition I would have to ride very well to do good today.

They threw the yellow flag, I’m guessing a green flag couldn’t be found or they were telling the riders what to look forward to out there on the course…CAUTION! Everybody kicked their bikes to life, minus me, as mine decided to make me work harder and give everyone in the field a 100 yard head start. When she did finally decide to get out there and get in this fight I was off. Did I mention earlier that this was the largest field of SR A riders I had seen in years? With the start that I got I threw caution to the wind and dropped the hammer. I began to pick guys off the best that I could. The course was actually very good and there didn’t seem to be any bottomless ruts. I would catch a group of riders and slowly start working my way thru. When the course got in the woods it was very difficult to get by guys. Most guys aren’t willing to just “let you by” on the 1^st lap of a race.

At the end of the 1^st lap I had worked my way up to 11^th place. This was not going to work. I had driven 8+ hours to get to the race and I would not be happy with an 11^th place finish. As I started the 2^nd lap I knew I need to pick up the pace. I would push hard and there were lines starting to open up in the woods sections to allow for better passing and faster times. The Cheapcycleparts.com KTM 350 was running like a champ and seemed to enjoy getting pushed to the limit. I made a couple of mistakes in the 2^nd lap but as a whole a good lap. I would finish the lap and had worked my way up to 5^th. I kept the hammer down and kept trying to make quick work of any riders I would catch. Lap after lap I would be in 5^th. I figured the front 4 had pulled such a gap on me in the first 2 laps that it was going to be very difficult to make up another position. I kept the hammer down and my last lap was with in 5 seconds of my fastest lap of the day. I would end the day in 5^th.

The track would end up getting very rough and had hundreds of multiple lines in the woods. Sometimes it was luck if you picked the fastest line. All in all not a bad day and I had a lot of fun. Casey Nelson, Randy Hawkins, Ivan Haynes and Robert Blalock were the top 4 guys in the SR A class. Congrats to them. It was the first 3 hour race of the year and my fitness was very good. My winter training program has been changed up a little and it seems to be working very well. My program and sponsors as a whole for 2012 are as good as they ever have been. With out all this support going south and racing as much as I have this year wouldn’t have happen with out them.

Thanks to

CheapcycleParts.com, FMF, FLY Racing, Clockwork KTM, Renthal,

WP Racing USA, Ride PG, WMR, Nihilo Concepts, Motorex

LUCERNE, Calif. –  Factory FMF/KTM rider Kurt Caselli got off to a great start at the opening round of the AMA National Hare & Hound Series taking a dominating win over the rest of the field.

Caselli, the reigning Hare & Hound Champion, came into the series opener looking quite confident on his KTM 450 SX-F. “I feel very comfortable on my bike. I am lucky to be riding the same model we raced last season so we have a pretty good set-up already and had to make minimal changes during the off-season,” stated Caselli.

With little rainfall hitting the southern California desert area this winter, each rider was concerned with getting a good start to avoid the dust clouds that would follow the start of the race. As the riders launched down the start straight, it was the KTM machine of Caselli that earned the holeshot and headed into the desert with a clear line of vision.

“Getting a great start was definitely the key to winning this race,” remarked Caselli. “My bike fired up right away and I was able to get a good jump off the line and was out front early as we set out on the first loop,” remarked Caselli.

The event included two different 40 mile loops in the desert of Lucerne Valley. Caselli had pulled out to a 45 second lead at the end of the first loop over the 2^nd place ride of Destry Abbott and the 3^rd place ride of David Pearson. “Once I was out front, I just concentrated on riding my own race and keeping it on two wheels. I had no issues and was able to pull to a nice gab early in the race,” reported Caselli.

At the end of the final loop, Caselli crossed the checkers 3 minutes ahead of the competition. David Pearson would go on to finish 2^nd, while David Kamo rounded out the podium in 3^rd.

Factory FMF/KTM Racing Team Manager, Antti Kallonen, commented, “This was a great way to kick off the Hare & Hound Series. Kurt had a great race and suffered no problems. We are very excited with this result and looking forward to the second round.”

Overall Results –

1. Kurt Caselli – KTM

2. David Pearson

3. David Kamo

4. Destry Abbott

5. Justin Morrow

6. Gary Sutherlin

7. Ricky Russell – KTM

8. Skyler Howes

9. Max Eddy

10. Axel Pearson

RACE: National Hare Scramble Burnt Gin

RIDERS:

• BRAD BAKKEN 4^th PRO CLASS
• JASON RAINES 5^th PRO CLASS
• JEDEDIAH HAINES 10^th PRO CLASS
• LEEANN BANGE 1^st WOMENS CLASS

TEAM: OBERMEYER YAMAHA/RAINES RIDING UNIVERSITY/OFFROADVIKING.com

^{The Obermeyer Yamaha/Raines Riding Universtiy/Offroadviking.com team was on hand for the first round of the National Hare Scramble Series in South Carolina on Sunday. With a huge turnout on pro row the guys really made a good showing! Brad and Jason both ran in the top 5 all day while Jed who was learning his new YZ250F would make his way into the top 10 where he would finish on the day.}

^{Brad: “The bike started great and I got a really good start. I was able to race with Charlie Mullins for a while until my rear brake issues. Once I got the issue fixed I was able to move up from 12th to 5th on the fourth lap. From there I was able to catch Jason (Raines) and make the pass to move into 4th where I finished for the day. I was really happy with the end results and the ride I had today! My YZ250 worked great today and gave me plenty of confidence heading into the season!”}

^{Jason:”Started in the midpack and stayed there for the first couple laps. Then I was able to start working my way back up. I battled back and forth with Baylor for a while. I made it up to fourth place until Brad was able to pass me. This was the first three hour race I had ridden since 2009 so I had to pace myself the last two laps. I was pretty stoked to finish where I did at the end of the day.One of the funny things that happened today was people kept asking me if I was going to ride Vet A today? I told them no I was going to ride the front row because I felt that I still had a little something left in me.  This ended up giving me that extra motivation I needed at the end of the day. I’m real proud of the team riders that attended this race! We had a great day today and I fell that we are ready for the upcoming 2012 season! ”}

^{Jed:”My start wasn’t as good as I’m usually used to but I just put my head down and kept going. With the newness of the bike I wasn’t real sure of the fuel mileage so I pitted early on, which put me a little ways back. As the race went on I worked my way thru traffic until I made my way into 10th place at the end. I had a pretty good day I rode hard and felt good on the new YZ250F!”}

^{Leeann:”My YZ250F started on the first kick and put me in a position where I felt comfortable. The suspension worked great all day on the bike and I was able to put it up front. Later in the race I took a line thru a rutted rooted section and went down which allowed 2nd place Mandi Mastin to get around me. Once I came back thru the barrels I seen that I was back in first place but I never seen what happened to Mandi. I never had to pit during the two hours which was great! My YZ250F worked great today while trying some new stuff and I’m really happy with the win!”}

Pro Class Top 5

1^st – Charlie Mullins KTM

2^nd – Jordan Ashburn YAM

3^rd – Steward Baylor KTM

4^th – Brad Bakken YAM

5^th  – Jason Raines YAM

6^th – Nate Kanney HON

7^th – Chris Bach BET

8^th – Nick Davis KTM

9^th – Grant Baylor KTM

10^th – Jedediah Haines YAM

^{The Obermeyer Yamaha/Raines Riding University/OFFROADVIKING.com team will make their way to Sumter, SC next week to compete in the first round of the National Enduro Series.}

Obermeyer Yamaha is a Pro Yamaha Dealer Based in Jasper, Indiana. They Pride themselves on their commitment to customer service and their involvement in the offroad racing community.

Raines Riding University is the Premier Offroad Riding / Racing School. Owned and Operated by 6 Time AMA National Champion Jason Raines. RRU Guarantees results or your money back!

OffroadViking.com started as a group of friends that loved to film riders doing what they do best… Racing! Over the past couple years the company has turned into one of the leading video publication websites in the offroad industry