RK Excel America

Upton, WY – Factory FMF/KTM rider Russell Bobbitt earned an impressive 2nd place overall result at the sixth round of the AMA National Enduro Series put together by the Inyan Kara Motorcycle Club.

The course conditions were quite dusty given the dry weather and created a problem for many riders as they fell upon lappers late in the tests. Luckily, Bobbitt was able to avoid many of them in the first three special tests where he finished with a top three lap time each test.

“I was happy to get good test scores in the first three tests but wish I could have picked up a few more seconds. I feel like I lost a lot of time in those first sections and that is what kept me from challenging for the win,” remarked Bobbitt.

Bobbitt only fell outside of the top three in special tests scores once throughout the day during the 4th test; however, his test score was still strong enough to keep in the podium hunt. In the fifth test Bobbitt picked up the pace and put together an impressive ride in the most challenging test of the day to finish with the 2nd fastest time. Heading to the sixth test, only 1 second separated Bobbitt from Nick Fahringer whom he was battling for 2nd position. Bobbitt laid the hammer down and turned the fastest time in the final section to claim the runner-up spot on the podium.

“I really like this race and I tend to do well at this event. I am happy to be on the podium and glad I could get that last section win. That section is where I was able to win the race last year so I am glad I was able to use my speed in that section to my advantage again to help secure my 2nd place finish,” reported Bobbitt.

Bobbitt’s 2nd place finish improves his position in the overall point standings. He now sits in 3rd place overall in the championship points.

Series point leader, Steward Baylor, returned to racing this weekend after having wrist surgery only a few weeks back. Despite having some pain from his wrist, he was able to finish inside the top five. His 5th place finish allowed him to maintain his points lead heading to the next round.

Next Event: July 29, 2012 – Cross Fork, PA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2012

Kurt Caselli Injury Update

MURRIETA, California – After recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained in May, Factory FMF/KTM rider Kurt Caselli announced he will be taking the rest of the summer off to have minor arthroscopic knee surgery to repair his meniscus.

“My shoulder is getting better, but the summer is the best time to take a few weeks off to fix the tear in my meniscus. I’m bummed to be missing X-Games, but I look forward to getting back to racing after the summer break,” commented Caselli.

Caselli plans to return to his regular racing schedule at the conclusion of the summer break.

S. BAYLOR 4 for 5 in National Enduro Overall Wins; G. BAYLOR Continues 250A Win Streak…
5-6-12, AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Series Round 5, “Cajun Classic,” Forest Hill, Louisiana

After seventy-three miles of hot and humid Louisiana racing, Steward Baylor comes away with yet another Overall Win at the Cajun Classic, Round 5 of the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Series, held in Forest Hill, Louisiana. The KTM/WP USA/Ride PG/Fly Racing/Leatt backed rider won the opening test before a technical difficulty in Test 2 caused him to lose some time where he was temporarily edged out by eight-time Champion Michael Lafferty. Baylor returned to competitive speed in the middle tests, and then hammered down on Test 5 to regain the lead. After a soak in an ice-filled cooler and a gear change at the Test 5 Reset, the 17-yr-old laid down a sprint in the last section of the race that earned him a 33 second lead over Lafferty. In 5 races, Baylor has 4 Overall Wins, and a 32 point lead over 2nd place in Series Points Standings.
Younger brother Grant continued his 250A win streak with his 5th consecutive win of the season. Grant continues to lead the Overall A/Top Amateur Points in the Series for the year.
This week, the brothers return home to South Carolina where they will first celebrate Grant’s 15th Birthday (today,) followed by preparation for this weekend’s GNCC Round 6 in Indiana this Sunday, where the reigning XC2 ProLites Champion [Steward] has swept the class for a 45-point lead after five rounds. Grant defends the 2011 250A Title paired with the Top Amateur Title, and maintains the 2012 points lead for both. Grant continues to be the only amateur rider inside the GNCC Series Top 20 for the year.

Cycle News Article Titled: New-Kid Baylor Wins Again; Steward Baylor Jr.’s Making the Vets Nervous… pp 91-96 http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120501?#pg91
Most recent GNCC article, Cycle News pp 80-85 http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120501?#pg79

OVERALL RESULTS
1 STEWARD BAYLOR JR
2 Michael Lafferty
3 Andrew Delong
4 Andrew Groemm
5 Russell Bobbitt
6 Nick Fahringer
7 Shane Hufford
8 Brad Bakken
9 Cole Kirkpatrick
10 Kyle McDonal
11 GRANT BAYLOR

2012 SERIES POINTS STANDINGS
1 STEWARD BAYLOR JR – PRO
2 Michael Lafferty – PRO
3 Russell Bobbitt – PRO
4 Cory Buttrick – PRO
5 Jesse Groemm – PRO
6 Nick Fahringer – PRO
7 Brad Bakken – PRO
8 Jordan Ashburn – PRO
9 Charlie Mullins – PRO
10 Andrew Delong – PRO
11 Shane Hufford – PRO
12 GRANT BAYLOR – 250A

* KTM * WPUSA * Powersport Grafx * Fly Racing *
*FMF * St. Lawrence Radiology * KTM Hard Parts * KTM PowerWear *
* Leatt * Glory Hog * Silkolene * Renthal * BulletProof Designs * Scott-Sports *
* Shoei * Sidi * Asterisk * EBC Brakes * V-Force * IMS * Fastway * Evans Waterless Coolant *
* Cycra * Dunlop * Twin Air * TM Designworks * BaxTek QuickStands *
* Motion Pro * Ankle-Savers * Hinson Clutches *

WEST POINT, Tenn. – Husaberg Factory rider Mike Lafferty earned 3rd overall at the fifth round of the AMA National Enduro Series. Fellow Husaberg rider, Nick Fahringer, also put in a decent ride for 5th overall – marking his fourth top five finish of the season.

Lafferty suffered a crash in the first section that had him fighting to make up time the remainder of the day. He rode strong in the remaining five tests and was able to consistently finish within the top three to eventually nab 3rd overall.

“I felt really good today and my Husaberg performed great on this course. I am just down on speed from the leader. I will focus on picking up my speed over the next few weeks and see where we end up at the next round. I really enjoy the next location and look forward to performing better and hopefully jumping ahead in points,” commented Lafferty who now sits second in points just 1 point shy of the current leader, Russell Bobbitt.

Fahringer really came alive in the second half of the race and closed the gap between him and KTM rider Cory Buttrick. “I started the day a little bit too relaxed and didn’t perform where I needed to be competitive. I really picked up the pace in the fourth test, riding a bit over my head. I crashed twice in that section,” stated Fahringer. “I improved significantly in the fifth test, winning the section and then rode decent in the final test to finish just short of 4th place.”

NEXT RACE: Round 6 – Park Hills, MO – May 16, 2010

West Point, TN – FMF/KTM rider Russell Bobbitt earned 2nd overall at the fifth round of the AMA National Enduro Series to remain in the points lead over rival Mike Lafferty.

Bobbitt had a rough start to the day when he went wide in a corner slamming into a rock breaking his front brake caliper in the first test section. “I had to ride the second half of the first test with no front brakes. It was pretty sketchy and I am glad I was able to salvage as much time as I did.”

The remaining tests went better for Bobbitt as he maintained 2nd place throughout the duration of the day. His win at the final test section secured him the 2nd spot on the podium behind winner Charles Mullins.

FMF/KTM rider Cory Buttrick, whose main focus has been the XC1 GNCC Series, made an appearance at the West Point National Enduro. Buttrick remained consistent throughout the day and finished in 4th position. Buttrick now sits 4thin overall points.

Bobbitt will head back to the southeast to train for the next event. “I need to work on my sprint speed during this break,” stated Bobbitt. “I plan to ride near my home and focus on riding motocross tracks to work on my speed.”

Next Event: Round 6 – Park Hills, MO – May 16, 2010

KALGARY, Tex. ─ Husaberg Factory riders Mike Lafferty and Nick Fahringer finished 3rd and 4th at the fourth round of the AMA National Enduro Series.

The first of six sections proved to be challenging for both riders as Lafferty rode tight in the first section losing some seconds to the leaders. Fahringer reported, “I had a novice rider pull out in front of me on the section and I lost time trying to get around him.”

After the halfway point both riders picked up the pace and began to gain back precious seconds. Fahringer turned the fastest time in the fourth section and remained competitive with his times through the fifth and sixth section to finish 4th overall. Lafferty finished 3rd in the fourth section, had a strong showing in the fifth and won the final test section of the day to move himself onto the podium with a 3rd place finish.

“It feels good to land on the podium today. This course was definitely challenging and helped open my eyes to some things I need to work on so that I can hopefully get back on the top of the box at the next event,” remarked Lafferty.

NEXT RACE
Round 5: April 18, West Point, TN

OVERALL RESULTS –
1) Charles Mullins
2) Cory Buttrick
3) Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
4) Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
5) Russell Bobbitt

OVERALL POINTS –
1) Mike Lafferty – 90
2) Russell Bobbitt – 87
3) Cory Buttrick – 80
4) Charles Mullins – 78
5) Nick Fahringer – 70

Daytona Beach, FL – FMF/KTM rider Russell Bobbitt earned 2nd overall at the Alligator National Enduro and took over the points lead.

Fellow KTM support rider David Knight was in attendance for the third round of the National Enduro Series. Knight started well earning the fastest lap time in the first two tests, followed by Bobbitt and Husaberg rider Mike Lafferty.

Bobbitt shined in the third test tying with Nick Fahringer for the best overall time and came into the gas stop with a 4 second lead over Knight. The fourth test was the most talked about all day. The rains earlier in the week had saturated the course resulting in a 4th special test that was all mud. The ‘mud test’ had its toll on Knight’s bike and dropped him from the competition allowing Bobbitt and Lafferty to move up a position.

Bobbitt suffered a few problems in the mud and allowed Lafferty to finish 30 seconds ahead in that section. Both riders entered the final test tied for the lead. The fifth test of the day was deemed the hardest by most of the riders as it was over 10 miles long and had thick palm leaves that blocked vision on the trail. “I got pretty scraped up in the last test from the branches but still had fun today,” commented Bobbitt. In the end, Bobbitt finished a few seconds off of Lafferty’s time and dropped to second place, still earning enough points to move into the points lead.

Overall Results –
1) Mike Lafferty
2) Russell Bobbitt – KTM
3) Nick Fahringer
4) Brad Bakken – KTM
5) Wally Palmer
6) Glenn Kearney
7) Jimmy Jarrett
Fred Hoess
9) Josh Gaitten – KTM
10) Cole Kirkpatrick – KTM

March 5, 2010
Lafferty Earns First U.S. National Win for Husaberg at the Alligator Enduro

Daytona Beach, FL – Husaberg Factory rider Mike Lafferty finished 1st at the third round of the National Enduro Series earning his first win of the season and the first U.S. National win for the Husaberg brand. Fellow Husaberg rider Nick Fahringer finished 3rd to round out the podium.

Lafferty had a slow start to the day, falling twice in the first section and getting stuck behind a few slower riders in the third test section. “I was down 30 seconds after the first three tests and knew I was going to have to put in a tremendous ride at the end to catch the leaders,” remarked Lafferty.

The fourth test, which was the most talked about of the day, was where the race was won for Lafferty. “The fourth test was all mud, and I just went right down the middle of it. In the end, just charging up the middle was a better line than staying to the outside because it wasn’t as deep and I was able to make up a lot of time.”

Lafferty finished 30 seconds up on Bobbitt in the fourth test and the two riders went into the final test tied for the lead. The fifth test was the longest of the day and was filled with thick brush and palm leaves. “The final test was brutal but I was able to make up the time I needed and put my Husaberg on the top of the podium. It feels great to get my first win of the season and the first National win for Husaberg.”

Fahringer also raced his best round of the season, tying for the fastest overall time in the third test and eventually finishing in 3rd place for the day. “I have been practicing in Florida the past two weeks and all of my sand riding paid off. I felt really comfortable today and am happy to finish on the box.”

Overall Results –
1)Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
2)Russell Bobbitt
3)Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
4)Brad Bakken
5)Wally Palmer

Buttrick and Bobbitt Top the Podium
KTM Race Report – National Enduro Round 2

Greensboro, GA – FMF/KTM Factory riders Cory Buttrick and Russell Bobbitt finished 1st and 2nd respectively at the second round of the AMA National Enduro Series.

Both KTM riders rode a strong race finishing each special test within seconds of one another. Charles Mullins started the day out with the lead but mechanical problems kept him from finishing the race and allowed Buttrick and Bobbitt to pull ahead.

“I am from Georgia, so this is definitely one of the rounds where I felt most comfortable,” commented Bobbitt. “I wasn’t as fast and aggressive as I needed to be to get the win today. I know what I need to work on and I plan to come back stronger for the third round.”

Buttrick, who has been using the first two National Enduro rounds as a warm-up to the GNCC Series was thrilled to take home a win. “I am really excited to win this enduro. Earning a win here definitely helps my confidence as I head to Florida for the first GNCC round. I had fun these first two rounds and hope to return to the National Enduro Series in a few weeks.

Two rounds into the series Buttrick holds the points led with Bobbitt 9 points behind in third.

Next Round: Alligator Enduro, March 4, 2010

Overall Results –
1. Cory Buttrick – KTM
2. Russell Bobbitt – KTM
3. Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
4. Charles Mullins
5. Glenn Kearney
6. Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
7. Nate Kanney – KTM
8. Brad Bakken – KTM
9. Cole Kirkpatrick – KTM
10. Andrew Delong – KTM

Lafferty Podiums at Cherokee National Enduro
Husaberg Race Report – National Enduro Series Round 2

Greensboro, GA – 8-time AMA National Enduro Champion, Mike Lafferty finished 3rd overall at the second round of the AMA National Enduro Series hosted by the Cherokee Enduro Riders Club.

Georgia courses are known for being tight and technical with mostly hard-packed clay sections, and of course, roots. This round was no different. “The course was typical of Georgia,” commented Lafferty. “It was tight woods for miles. The weather was perfect and there were no problems with dust, it was a great day for a race.”

Lafferty’s results stayed consistent throughout the day. He remained within the top three through most checks and finished the race in 3rd place approximately 20 seconds behind the 2nd place finisher, Russell Bobbitt.

Fellow Husaberg rider Nick Fahringer had a solid finish just missing 5th position by 4 seconds. “I struggle a little bit to ride this type of terrain. I had been practicing the past few weeks on softer dirt and it hurt my results today,” stated Fahringer. “Overall, I felt pretty good and my result was decent. I am heading to Florida now to prepare for the next round and hope to improve my result at the Alligator.”

Next Event: Round 3 – Alligator National Enduro – March 4, 2010

Overall Results –

1. Cory Buttrick
2. Russell Bobbitt
3. Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
4. Charles Mullins
5. Glenn Kearney
6. Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
7. Nathan Kanney
8. Brad Bakken
9. Cole Kirkpatrick