Draper Ends Girroir's 22-Race Win Streak
F
ans of sprint enduro knew
it was just a matter of time
before AmPro Yamaha's Liam
Draper would get his overall win
in the U.S. Sprint Enduro Series.
But most didn't expect it to come
at the expense of FMF KTM Fac-
tory rider Johnny Girroir, who, up
until this race, had amassed 22
straight day wins going back to
his defeat by Zach Osborne in
2023 at South of the Border MX
in South Carolina.
Though it was by the narrowest
of margins, Draper won both days
of the event to take the overall by
6.394 seconds after two days of
racing at Outback Raceway in Lau
-
rinburg, North Carolina. Sunday's
win came by a whisker—by just
over one second.
In all, each rider won six tests
over the two days. However, it
was Draper's brilliant ride in Sat-
urday's final test that made the
difference.
"That last enduro test, I did
the best I could and laid it all out
there," said Draper. "I was going to
die trying to beat Johnny. It was
some of the closest racing I think
I've ever had. We went into the
last test seven-tenths of a second
apart, so super close, and I got
into the lead at one point, and then
he got it back from me. But, yeah,
I just rode the last test the best I
could and laid it all out there."
Girroir was disappointed at his
streak coming to an end, but the
practical KTM rider knows that
all things must come to an end.
Phoenix Honda's Cody Barnes
battled FMF KTM Factory Racing
Team Landers' rising star, Grant
Davis. In the end, Davis came out
on the final step of the podium,
proving the 19-year-old's recent
successes in U.S. Sprint Enduro
and GNCC weren't just flukes.
Davis also won the Pro 2 class.
"I'm happy with how I rode,"
said Davis. "The entire course
was deep sand, and I need to fix
WIND
IN THE
P44
AmPro Yamaha's Liam Draper
did what no one has been able
to do in a long, long time—beat
Johnny Girroir in a U.S. Sprint
Enduro race.
PHOTOS: ART PEPIN
