With three rounds remaining in the 2025 season, the Red Line Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles, headed to Missouri, where intense heat and dust were the theme of the day, as racers struggled to maintain a clear line of sight. When the dust settled, Ricky Russell scored a historic win, giving Triumph its first AMA National Enduro win in decades.
Story by Heather Wilson Schiltz | Photos by Mack Faint
The Missouri Mudders put together six sections, totaling nearly 44 miles, for competitors at the Red Line Oil Lead Belt National Enduro to tackle. Two 6.5-mile tests opened the day. Racers then took on two eight-mile sections. Nearing the end of the day, racers carved their way through a 7.5-mile section before concluding with a seven-mile test.
After a podium finish at the prior round boosted his confidence, Enduro Engineering Triumph Off-Road Racing Team’s Russell claimed the overall in Missouri after dominating the day aboard his Triumph 250-X. He won all but the last test, taking second to finish out the day. It marked the NE Pro1 rider’s first-ever National Enduro win and also signaled the first individual race win for Triumph in the series since the early 1970s.
“I finished the Rattlesnake [National] with a good win on that last test,” said Ricky Russell. “I just knew that if I could just do that today and just ride like I know how, we’ll be good. I got out there, and it was definitely dusty and tricky. So, you got to know where to push and where to kind of back off and not take the chances. I got sketchy a few times, but I held on to her. No crashes until the last test, where I crashed twice. Almost had the sweep on the day, but Grant [Baylor] snuck in there and got that sixth test win. I’m happy to get this done, though. It’s my first-ever NEPG win, so I can’t really complain. I’ve been on the podium here and there quite a bit but was never able to click off that win. So, I’m happy to do it the way we did today.”
Grant Baylor of Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green went 4-4 in NE Pro1 through the first two tests. He then picked up the pace and collected a pair of second-place results through the next two sections. He went 3-1 to round out the day, taking away Russell’s chance of a clean sweep on the day.
“Ricky was on rails all day today, and it was a battle for second place between me, Ben [Kelley] and my brother [Steward Baylor Jr],” said Grant Baylor. “I’ve come here over the years, and I know this place is sketchy, and it’s one of those that can jump up and bite you quick. So, my goal today was just to get through in one piece. Hadn’t won a test in one of these in a couple years. So, I’m excited to be back in the mix with the guys and get up here on the podium again.”
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Ben Kelley opened the day with a strong second-place finish. He followed it up with 2-3-4-2 results before taking third in the last test of the day in Missouri.
“The first half of the day, I was pretty solid,” said Kelley. “I was right there in the fight. I was sitting second a lot. Then in test four, I had a pretty big crash. I’m lucky to be okay. I had another solid test five. Then test six, I was, I think, eight seconds down on Grant for second. So, we were having another close battle for that second-place spot, and I think I just overrode it a little bit.”
NE Pro2
With the NE Pro2 win at the Red Line Oil Lead Belt National Enduro, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Nicholas DeFeo secured his fifth podium of the year while also taking fifth overall. He kicked the day off with a test win before going 2-4-2-2-1 on the day, as he battled visibility issues amid the dusty conditions.
Beta USA’s Jhak Walker also collected his fifth podium of the season, taking second in class with 5-4-2 results through the first three tests. He snatched the NE Pro2 wins in tests four and five before rounding out the day with a runner-up result.
Kawasaki-mounted Will Sievenpiper of Georgia rounded out the NE Pro2 podium. Fifth in the opening test, he went on to earn fourth in test two. He pushed his pace in the third section to take a runner-up finish, then claimed wins in the next two tests. He capped the day with a second-place result in the final test, despite experiencing a loss of braking power after he sheared off his rear master cylinder.
Women’s Elite
Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer never fell below second on the day. The Women’s Elite reigning champion went 1-1-2-2-2-1 to earn her third win of the year. She swapped places with Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner throughout the day.
Although Turner has yet to collect a win this year, she’s been close. She was just 17 seconds off of Archer on the day. The Canadian has notched five podiums this year, including this round, aboard her GasGas.
Brooke Cosner (Kawasaki) rounded out the Women’s Elite podium. Consistency was key, even while she battled the scorching heat, as she took third in every test in Missouri.
Notching his fifth 250A class win of the year, Missouri’s James Jenkins (Kawasaki) also claimed 13th overall. After taking third in class for the first test, he went on to top every test for the remainder of the day.
TJ Gould of Arkansas won the AA class and secured 14th overall. The Sherco rider went 2-1-1-1-2-1 on the day in his class.CN
2025 Lead Belt National Enduro Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Ricky Russell (Tri)
- Grant Baylor (Kaw)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Steward Baylor Jr (Kaw)
- Nicholas DeFeo (Kaw)
- Jhak Walker (Bet)
- Evan Smith (Yam)
- Will Sievenpiper (Kaw)
- Hunter Smith (KTM)
- Toby Cleveland (Hus)
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