Hart Wins King Of The Motos
T
rystan Hart of the FMF
KTM Factory Racing Team
clinched victory at the Monster
Energy King of the Motos (KOM)
held on January 25-26, mark-
ing the start of the 2025 U.S.
Hard Enduro season and the
multi-week King of the Ham-
mers event. The KOM took place
on the trails of Johnson Valley,
California, and is considered
one of the longest-standing hard
enduro competitions in the USA,
attracting a record number of
participants this year. This event
served as the first round of the
Bullet Proof Designs U.S. Hard
Enduro Series, presented by IRC
Tire, featuring a total of 10 races
nationwide. The weekend was
filled with excitement, highlight
-
ed by Cody Webb's new collabo-
ration with Yamaha and several
other prominent riders joining
different teams.
Justin Leineweber, the race
director, adjusted the format to a
four-lap GPS-based race, total-
ing approximately 40 miles with
a new finish-line hill that was on
display for all of the spectators
at Chocolate Thunder.
More than 170 racers lined up
for the race on Saturday, which
was a faster paced two-lap com
-
petition, that seeded the racers'
row position for the main race
on Sunday. Australia's Will Rior-
dan, who recently joined Sherco
USA, won the first race.
The other big news in the
pits was Cody Webb's Yamaha
debut. His new Rocky Mountain
Yamaha Team was officially an-
nounced on Friday; he's the first
Yamaha-sponsored hard enduro
athlete in the USA. He serves as
the team owner, manager, and
racer and signed with IRC Tire.
Red Bull brought their full
activation rig in the pro pits,
where everyone at the event was
looking at his three custom-built
Yamaha YZ250Xs. He's had less
WIND
IN THE
P52
(L-R) Will Riordan, Trystan Hart and Ryder
LeBlond made up the King of the Motos podium.
PHOTO: RYAN McCASLAND