ROUND 3 / AUGUST 18-20, 2023
TRIALS TRAINING CENTER / SEQUATCHIE, TENNESSEE
OFF-ROAD I AMA EXTREME OFF-ROAD GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
P98
ing racers to get to the main. If
you race well enough on Satur-
day, you can find your way to the
start
of the final, but it's a long
road to get there for everyone.
While this year's event was
blessed with dry conditions
and almost perfectly timed rain
earlier in the week for primo dirt
traction, it was hot for competi-
tors, with temperatures hitting
90
degrees and a nice dose
of southern humidity. And the
rocks at the Trials Training Cen-
ter are never good for traction.
They
are unpredictable, and the
more they are ridden on, the
worse they get. It's a challenging
place to race, for sure.
The Pro racing kicked off
on Saturday afternoon with a
Hot-Lap on the approximately
two-mile "short course," and
Rockstar Husqvarna's Ryder
LeBlond set the fastest time
ditions provided a lot more trac
-
tion than normal on the rocks,
and
that contributed to quicker
times. 2022 GNCC Champion
Jordan Ashburn turned some
heads with a second-place time
of 48 minutes and 29 seconds
on his Magna1 Husqvarna to
finish second. Lettenbichler
was third, RPM KTM rider Will
Riordan was fourth and Webb
rounded out the top five. Bolt,
LeBlond, South Africa's Mat-
thew Green, Walker and Alfredo
Gomez completed the
top 10.
In the Last Chance Qualifier
race on the Straight Rhythm
course, the four riders who just
of five minutes and 52 sec-
onds. Hart finished second and
Lettenbichler
third. FactoryOne
Sherco's Cody Webb was fourth
and Bolt was fifth.
The top 16 qualifying Pro
riders wrapped up Saturday's
racing with a Straight Rhythm
bracket-race prologue to enter-
tain the fans and to earn some
bonus
cash, and Bolt topped
Lettenbichler for the win, while
Hart beat out Beta's Jonny
Walker to finish third.
Sunday's format consisted of
three rounds of racing for the
56 riders who earned a spot,
and it started with Knockout
round one on the 11-mile "long
course." Only the top 30 from
this round would move on to
Knockout round two on Sunday.
Hart set the fastest time with
a time of 47 minutes and 17
seconds. The relatively dry con
-
(Above left) Great Britain's Billy Bolt
kept Hart honest en route to second
place. (Above right) Germany's Mani
Lettenbichler completed the TKO
podium. (Right) Kirsten Landman won
the Women's Pro division.
