Two-Time defending AMA EnduroCross champion FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart holds off relentless Jonny Walker on the Triumph Racing machine for overall victory at round two, the first night of the double-header in Idaho Falls.

 

EX PRO: Hart and Walker in a League of Their Own

Hart showed championship resilience, bouncing back from a second-place finish in Moto 1 to capture wins in Motos 2 and 3. The battle intensified throughout the night, with Hart and Walker making an incredible charge from the back of the pack in Moto 2 to finish first and second - a feat Hart noted they  although it is common in SuperEnduro. Walker applied constant pressure throughout Moto 3, with the two riders pulling away from the field in what Hart described as being “in our own league tonight.”

“The nerves, no matter how much I said they didn’t get to me, they obviously got to me last week,” Hart admitted in his podium interview, referencing his struggles from the previous round. “I still got second last weekend, which I’m super proud of. And then tonight, Jonny was really fast. I was really fast, and we were doing that crazy split line. Me and Jonny clearly got something going on, and it’s gonna be a tough series. Nothing’s gonna be easy about this one.”

Hart battled through significant arm pump late in the race while navigating lapped traffic, including a moment with five-time champion Colton Haaker. “I had such bad arm pump, and Haaker didn’t do me many favors for like two laps,” Hart said. “It was pretty chaotic, but I didn’t back down, and that’s kind of what I wanted to do this year – not back down under pressure.”

Walker, who finished second, acknowledged the close battle: “We were close to the win. We had good speed, so I feel like tomorrow we need to change a few things. I didn’t feel super comfortable on the track with the way the dirt was, and the arena’s super small.”

Abbott back on the podium for Kawasaki

Cooper Abbott delivered an impressive performance, securing third place overall for the night. Abbott’s podium finish marked a significant rebound from a disappointing seventh-place finish last week. Ryder Leblond finished third in Moto 3, while Braxton Hintze rounded out the top five overall.

“I was really upset at myself for that seventh last week, and I knew I was a lot better than that,” Abbott said. “It’s not a win yet, but it’s a step in the right direction, and we’ll keep building off this. Tomorrow night, we can battle more with Trystan and Jonny.”

Track Conditions and Notes

As the night progressed, the track deteriorated significantly with multiple classes taking their toll on the racing surface. The challenging conditions added an extra element of difficulty, particularly in the technical sections where line choice became increasingly critical.

The arena’s compact layout produced short lap times and intense, close-quarters racing that kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the night. Lapped traffic played a significant role in several races, particularly in the Pro class where Hart and Walker had to navigate slower riders while battling for the lead.

With another night of racing on Saturday, riders will look to build on night one’s performances and make adjustments to improve their results. The championship battles are heating up across all classes, with the Pro class showdown between Hart and Walker shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.

EX PRO Final Results:

Championship Standings: Walker and Hart share red plate 

Through two rounds of the 2025 Slavens AMA EnduroCross Series presented by Progressive Insurance, the championship battle couldn’t be any tighter. Jonny Walker and Trystan Hart are deadlocked at 47 points apiece and will share the red plate heading into Round 3, though Walker holds the official championship lead thanks to the series tiebreaker system.

Under the 2025 points structure—which mirrors AMA Supercross with 25 points for a win, 22 for second, and decreasing by one point per position—both riders have delivered nearly identical results. Each has one overall victory and one runner-up finish through the opening rounds. However, according to EnduroCross tiebreaker rules, when riders are tied in points, the championship leader is determined first by overall wins, then by second-place finishes, and finally by the ranking order of individual moto finishes in the Pro class.

With both riders tied at one overall win each and one second-place finish each, the tiebreaker comes down to their individual moto performances. Based on the ranking order of their moto finishes across both rounds, Walker edges out Hart for the top position, making both riders red plate holders but with Walker listed first in the official standings.

EX Pro Championship standings after Rnd 2:

Jonny Walker – 47 points (1 win, 1 second) holds tiebreaker

Trystan Hart – 47 points (1 win, 1 second)

Ryder LeBlond – 38 points (two podium finishes: 3rd and 4th)

Cooper Abbott – 35 points (3rd at Round 2, holds tiebreaker over Haaker)

Colton Haaker – 35 points (4th at Round 1)

Cody Webb – 32 points

Max Gerston – 31 points

Tim Apollé – 28 points

Braxton Hintze – 27 points

Nick Thompson – 20 points

New points structure

Implemented for the 2025 season, the new points system was designed to keep more riders in championship contention deeper into the year while still rewarding wins. “This change keeps the championship battles alive longer,” said Tod Hammock, President of Cycle City Promotions. “Fans will see more riders in contention deeper into the season. Wins still matter, but consistency will now play a bigger role in who comes out on top.”

The standings prove the system is working as intended. With Walker and Hart separated only by a tiebreaker and LeBlond just nine points behind, the championship battle is wide open heading into the remaining rounds. Another tie in the standings exists at fourth position, where Abbott edges Haaker by tiebreaker despite both carrying 35 points. The margin for error is razor-thin, with even a single moto result potentially swinging the championship lead.

As Hart noted in his podium interview, “It’s gonna be a tough series. Nothing’s gonna be easy about this one, and you’re just gonna have to fight for the whole way, and stay first and second when you can, and you gotta win when you can’t, you gotta be second.”

Walker acknowledged the tight battle as well: “We were close to the win. We had good speed, so I feel like tomorrow we need to change a few things.”

The series continues Saturday night, October 25, with Round 3 at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls, where both Walker and Hart will wear the red plate as co-leaders, each looking to break the tie and seize sole possession of the championship lead.

EX JUNIOR: Last-Lap Heroics Deliver Stunning Finish

The EX Junior class provided the most dramatic finish of the night, with Cole Clarkson executing a perfectly timed last-lap pass to claim overall victory. Max Eppelmann, who had finished second in the EX Intermediate class earlier, appeared to have the Junior win locked up after leading most of the race. However, a costly mistake in the rock garden on the final lap changed everything.

Eppelmann chose the inside line through the technical rock garden section and got hung up, allowing Clarkson to take the outside line and make the decisive pass for the win. It was a textbook example of race craft and line choice making the difference when it mattered most.

Ben Grohmer finished second overall with consistent 2nd-place finishes in both motos, while Kael Widdicombe rounded out the podium in third. Eppelmann’s mistake dropped him to fourth overall despite his earlier dominance.

EX Junior Overall Results:

Cole Clarkson (#319) - Paradise, CA

Ben Grohmer (#55) - Wörth am Rhein, GER

Kael Widdicombe (#47) - Billings, MT

Max Eppelmann (#344) - Stadecken-Elsheim, GER

Ethan Surry (#419) - Parksville, BC

EX EXPERT: Fernandez Takes Command

The international flavour of EnduroCross 2025 extends to Marc Fernandez from Barcelona who dominated the EX Expert class, taking the victory ahead of Branden Petrie and Niko Piazza. The Expert class featured tight racing throughout the field, with just seconds separating the podium finishers.

EX Expert Final Results:

Marc Fernandez (#56) - Barcelona, NA

Branden Petrie (#99) - Tomahawk, AB

Niko Piazza (#10x) - Dalton Gardens, ID

Nick Thompson (#575) - Goshen, UT

Anthony Johnson (#521) - Rathdrum, ID

EX INTERMEDIATE: Stevens Holds Off Eppelmann

Cooper Stevens from Lake Stevens, Washington, captured the EX Intermediate victory in a competitive field. Max Eppelmann finished second despite racing double-duty in both Intermediate and Junior classes. Kael Widdicombe secured third, ahead of Shandon Millett in fourth.

EX Intermediate Final Results:

Cooper Stevens (#12) - Lake Stevens, WA

Max Eppelmann (#344) - Stadecken-Elsheim, NA

Kael Widdicombe (#47) - Billings, MT

Shandon Millett (#60) - Ephraim, UT

Cole Clarkson (#319) - Paradise, CA

EX NOVICE: Grover Dominates Debut Class

Karver Grover from Rigby, Idaho, took control of the EX Novice class, finishing ahead of Ethan Surry and Tyler Landon. The Novice class featured several riders making their mark in the competitive EnduroCross series.

EX Novice Final Results:

Karver Grover (#794) - Rigby, ID

Ethan Surry (#419) - Parksville, BC

Tyler Landon (#56) - Idaho Falls, ID

Kaden Landon (#44) - Ucon, ID

Tyler Coles (#818) - Blackfoot, ID

EX CLUB: Stevens Doubles Up

In an impressive display of versatility, Cooper Stevens swept both the Intermediate and Club classes, proving his dominance across multiple competition levels. Karver Grover backed up his Novice win with a second-place finish in Club, while Mathew Baumann rounded out the podium.

EX Club Final Results:

Cooper Stevens (#12) - Lake Stevens, WA

Karver Grover (#794) - Rigby, ID

Mathew Baumann (#81) - Coquitlam, BC

Mason Rutledge (#522) - Rigby, ID

Shandon Millett (#60) - Ephraim, UT

EX VETERAN: Curtis Claims Top Honors

Keith Curtis from Dillon, Montana, topped the EX Veteran class, holding off Ray Amos and Gavin McCarthy. The Veteran class showcased experienced riders still competing at a high level.

EX Veteran Final Results:

Keith Curtis (#71) - Dillon, MT

Ray Amos (#78) - Athol, ID

Gavin McCarthy (#514) - El Cajon, CA

Bobby Prochnau (#24) - Salmon Arm, BC

TJ Scrupps (#218) - Stanwood, WA

 

 

More information: www.endurocross.com