IN
THE
WIND
P50
SIPES
RETURNS
FOR THE WIN
AT BIG BUCK
SPRINT
ENDURO
A
fter missing the previous
round to be introduced as a
member of Puerto Rico's Mo-
tocross of Nations team during
last month's Unadilla AMA Pro
Motocross, Ryan Sipes returned
to action in the Kenda Full
Gas Sprint Enduro Series with
an overall win over Labor Day
weekend at the Big Buck Sprint
Enduro in Union, South Carolina,
September 2-3.
The Rockstar Energy/Leatt/
Maxxis Husqvarna-backed rider
won seven tests en route to his
fifth overall victory of the season.
In addition to winning all six of
the Cross tests, Sipes won the
first Enduro test of the weekend,
a rare feat for the Kentucky rider.
"The track was dusty at the
start of the day on Saturday so I
knew if I won the first Cross test
it would make me the first rider
out on the course for that first
Enduro test, which gave me a
big edge," admitted Sipes.
Sipes went on to win Sunday's
event by 14 seconds over Tely
Energy Racing's Grant Baylor,
with Coastal Racing Husqvarna's
Layne Michael, Steward Baylor
and Rockstar Energy Husqvar-
na's Josh Strang rounding out
the top five in a close formation.
On Monday, Steward Baylor
took the win, followed by Mi-
chael, Grant Baylor, Sipes and
SRT Racing Husqvarna's Evan
Smith. However, the times were
so close that Sipes still managed
to take the overall win ahead of
Grant.
Grant Baylor edged Layne
Michael by two seconds to claim
the overall runner-up position.
Grant won one of the Enduro
tests on Sunday, but it was his
consistency that landed him in
second.
The Big Buck marked Mi-
chael's second overall podium
in a row. He finished third in
Sunday's results and second in
Monday's, managing to edge
Baylor for third overall by two
seconds.
Steward Baylor rode a 2019
KTM 450 SX-F for the first time
at the Big Buck and took four
test wins, including all three
Enduro tests on Sunday. The
South Carolina rider reclaimed
the points lead from Strang with
his fourth overall finish.
Evan Smith rounded out the
top five, 30 seconds ahead of
Beta USA's Jordan Ashburn.
Strang had an off weekend in
seventh, while KR4 Husqvarna's
Liam Draper won the Pro2 class
with an eighth overall finish.
KR4/Husqvarna's Tayla Jones
won the Women's Pro division by
nearly two minutes over Bonanza
Plumbing/Trail Jesters KTM rider
Mackenzie Tricker. Jones won
every test except for one, topped
by Tricker. Brooke Cosner fin-
ished third. CN
Overall
1. Ryan Sipes (Hus)
2. Grant Baylor (KTM)
3. Layne Michael (Hus)
4. Steward Baylor (KTM)
5. Evan Smith (Hus)
Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna's Ryan
Sipes made his return
to the Full Gas Sprint
Enduro Series a
victorious one.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
DARRIN
CHAPMAN
