SIPES SQUEAKS OUT VIRGINIA
SPRINT ENDURO WIN
I
t was a close one, but Ryan
Sipes (Rockstar/Leatt/Maxxis
Husqvarna) pulled out the overall
win at the Harleywood Sprint
Enduro, round two of the Kenda
Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series in
Bristol, Virginia, April 28-29, edg-
ing Tely Racing's Grant Baylor
by a mere 1.5 seconds for the
victory.
A large crowd turned out for
the Harleywood event, as Sipes
showed his dominance, once
again, on the cross test. At the
conclusion of two days of rac-
ing and 12 tests, the former
supercross star won all six of the
cross tests. At the series opener
in Georgia back in February,
Sipes was able to supplement
his cross-test wins by running a
fast enough pace in the enduro
tests to carry the overall. That
almost didn't work in Virginia,
as Grant Baylor managed to
win just enough of the enduro
tests (three) and stay consistent
enough in the cross tests to give
Sipes a run for his money. A pair
of sixths in the enduro test almost
cost Sipes the overall.
As usual, Sipes' saving grace
was the cross test. On Saturday,
the Kentucky rider was winning
the cross test by 5-7 seconds.
On Sunday, when the course
was much drier (and ran back-
wards), he was winning it by 11-12
seconds.
Despite Sipes' speed in the
cross test, Grant Baylor man-
aged to beat Sipes to win Satur-
day's proceedings by less than a
second. On Sunday Sipes went
into the final test of the week-
end with a 14-second advantage
over Grant. However, a couple
of mistakes wiped all but 1.5
seconds of that lead away, and
Sipes escaped by the skin of his
teeth to claim his second win in a
row in 2018.
"I made way too many mis-
takes in that last test," said
Sipes. "It was an emotional
rollercoaster for me this week-
end. I would kill 'em in the cross
test, and then they would get me
back in the enduro test. I was a
little upset about Sunday's race,
losing eight seconds in the last
test. But overall, it was a good
weekend. I've got two overall
wins in two races and I think I'm
IN
THE
WIND
P54
Ryan Sipes was all
but unbeatable in the
cross test en route to
the overall win at the
Full Gas Sprint Enduro
round in Virginia.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
DARIN
CHAPMAN
