2024 Marvin’s Mount US Sprint Enduro round seven sees FMF KTM’s Johnny Girroir take seventh consecutive vicory and with it the overall series title for the season.

FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir remains perfect for the season, picking up his seventh-straight overall victory in the 2024 US Sprint Enduro Series. Winning both days of this weekend’s hot and dusty event at the Marvin’s Mountain Sprint Enduro in Masontown, West Virginia, Johnny claims the 2024 series title.

Won 11 of the 12 tests during the weekend Girroir had yet another rnear-perfect weekend of sprint enduro. Finishing the first day 11.6 seconds ahead of Am Pro Yamaha’s Liam Draper, who was the only rider to top Girroir in the second enduro test, it was another fine display from the factory KTM rider.

“Saturday went well,” said Girroir. “I won the first three tests and then the fourth test I got caught sleeping and Liam got me by about 11 seconds. I tightened it back up and crushed the last cross test and rode smooth in the last enduro test it was a solid first day.”

Meanwhile, Draper finished a little over one minute ahead of Phoenix Honda’s Cody Barnes, with FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Angus Riordan, top Pro 2 rider, another 30 seconds back in fourth.

One of the top contenders in the Pro 1 class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing’s Craig DeLong, went down in the second enduro test on Saturday, costing him over a minute, which dropped the Pennsylvania rider considerably down the standings for the weekend.

Sunday clean sweep

Girroir crushed it on Sunday, sweeping all six tests to top Draper by 58 seconds for the day. Barnes was 13 seconds back in third, while Riordan edged out Husqvarna rider Jason Tino for fourth and top Pro 2 rider.

As far as the overall results, Girroir left no doubts, finishing the two-day event 1:07 seconds ahead of Draper, with Barnes another 1:17 second back. With the win, Girroir wrapped up the series championship one race early.

“I never really change tires, but for this track I brought a gummy and we ran an 81 on the cross test and after Liam blew my doors off in the second enduro test on Saturday we started running a gummy tire on the enduro test since it was so slick and silty,” said Girroir. “It got super rocky out there and it kept you on your toes. I think it tried to bite each of us at one point or another. This is the first time I’ve changed tires all year between the cross test and the enduro test, so it kept you on your toes all the time. I’m happy to get it done and wrap up the championship.”

Draper gave Girroir a good run for his money on Saturday, despite coming back from surgery to have some hardware removed from his knee.

“It was just nice to be back racing,” said Draper. “It's always a little worrying when you come back from an injury how you're gonna do and this weekend I felt like I was straight back to where I was before and super close with Johnny all weekend.”

Cody Barnes was not totally comfortable with the rocky and silty terrain but still managed an impressive third overall.

“I had a third overall both days so I’m happy with that,” said Barnes. “The track conditions were super tough, definitely not my strong suit but I was able to make the most of it and just stay off the ground, that was my main goal this weekend. The enduro test had just a bunch of silt and a ton of loose rocks and I’m not very comfortable in those conditions, so to be able to keep it on two wheels and be somewhat competitive with those guys was good.”

Riordan rips Pro 2 win

Riordan topped the Pro 2 class winner and was fourth overall after a tight battle with Tino.“Me an Tino went back and forth, and since it was a tight battle any mistake could mess up your day, so you really had to be careful out there,” said Riordan. “There was a lot of silt and underneath the silt was rocks so you really didn’t know what was coming up.”

Tino was second in the Pro 2 class and fifth overall. “The racing was very tight and it made it very stressful, especially on a track like this,” said Tino. “It could bite you if you weren’t careful so I just put my head down and went as fast as I could in the conditions.”

Dominic Morse (Hsq) was sixth overall and third in the Pro 2 division. Gavin Simon (Hsq) was the top Pro-Am rider in seventh overall, with Babbitt’s Online Monster Energy Kawasaki’s JoJo Cunningham hot on his heals in eighth overall and second Pro-Am rider. Meanwhile, Cooper Jones (KTM) finished ninth overall and third in the Pro-Am Division.

DeLong never regained his pace after his crash on Saturday and finished 10th while the top Amateur was Tyler DiBartolo who won the Open A class.

Top 20 overall for Brandy Richards

FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s rider Brandy Richards continued her undefeated streak in the Women’s Pro class ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede and Jocelyn Barnes by sweeping all 12 tests and claiming a top 20 results overall.

“This was different from the other races we’ve had this year,” said Richards. “Just because of the drastic differences between the cross and the enduro tests. The cross test was tight and as the race developed you start getting braking bumps, so we would stiffen up the suspension for the cross test and then soften it up for the enduro test since it was so slippery. Once we started doing that it was a lot easier.”

US Sprint Enduro Rnd 7 results:

Full results here: www.moto-tally.com/usse/results.aspx

FMF Fastest Test Awards 

These Specialty Awards will be given to the racer of the fastest Cross Test and fastest Enduro Test on the weekend in the Youth/Amateur and Pro divisions.

YOUTH DIVISION

Super Mini SR Racer, Enduro Test – Levi Wilkins 7:01.7

Super Mini SR Racer, CrossTest – Levi Wilkins 7:28.6

AMATEUR DIVISION

Open A Racer,  Enduro Test- Tyler Dibartolo 6:57.5

Open A RACER, Cross Test – Tyler Dibartolo 7:48.2

PRO DIVISION

Liam Draper (Pro 1), Enduro Test – 7:.08.1
Johnny Girroir (Pro 1), Cross Test – 6:12.9
 

The US Sprint Enduro Series resumes on November 9-10 for its season finale at Roger’s Farm in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. For more information on the US Sprint Enduro Series go to www.ussprintenduro.com.

Words Credit: Shan Moore
Photo Credit: Art Pepin