Shan Moore | May 31, 2023
FMF/KTM’s Johnny Girroir dominated the High Voltage U.S. Sprint Enduro in Dilliner, Pennsylvania, May 28-29, round seven of the U.S. Sprint Enduro Series Championship Presented by Moose Racing. Girroir won 11 of 12 tests and topped RPM Racing’s Angus Riordan by 51.5 seconds to get the win.
Story and Photos by Shan Moore
“Definitely the Pro 2 guys were ripping,” said Girroir. “I made a little bonehead suspension adjustment today and went backwards. That was my bad. That’s why I’m a rider and not a mechanic. But we straightened it out and ended the day good. I crushed the last cross test and crushed the last woods test. Good weekend. Wish I could have gone 12 for 12, but that’s racing.”
Barbosa was the lone rider to take a test win away from Girroir but finished the weekend in fourth overall and third in the Pro 2 division after having an off day on Saturday. The Chilean came back and finished second on Sunday behind Girroir and first Pro 2 rider.
RPM Racing’s Angus Riordan took advantage of Barnes’ and Barbosa’s mistakes to take second overall behind Girrior and win the Pro 2 class, stealing the class victory when Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes threw away Sunday’s class win in the final test. Barnes ended up third overall and second Pro 2 rider.
“I was able to win yesterday and then I got second today by 0.9 to Ruy,” said Riordan. “It would have been good to get the win just for the championship points, but it is what it is. I crashed today in the enduro test in the woods. That threw it away for me. That hurt me. Didn’t even see it coming. Just washed the front.”
The Pro 2 class was a real dogfight and there was a lot of back and forth between the top three riders. A simple slip of the front wheel in the final test cost Barnes enough time to lose the runner-up slot.
“Day one, I struggled with the cross test,” said Barnes. “Angus and Ruy were going really good out there. Just tried to learn kind of what to do. I was able to make up some time in the enduro test, but Angus got me on day one. Then was looking good going into the final enduro test today. I was leading. I had like a two-second gap, or something like that, and threw it away like an idiot. Tucked the front out there. So, really frustrating. Today would have been a good points day if I would have been able to hang onto that, but no one’s fault but my own. We’ll take it into the last round.”
After a tough day on Saturday, Barbosa was on his game on Sunday.
“The weekend was difficult,” said Barbosa on Sunday. “Yesterday I had two small crashes, one in the cross test and another one in the enduro test. So, I lost a lot of seconds, and I finished third. Today I woke up with a different mentality. I rode a little bit better, especially in the enduro test because yesterday I was really struggling with the enduro test. Today my times in the cross test were really good. Today I get the win. Overall, I finished third in Pro 2, which is not the result that I want, for sure, because I always want to win, but today I win. So, I am happy about that.”
Top Pro-Am rider, Precision Offroad Racing’s Dominik Morse, beat out Magna1 Racing Husqvarna’s Jason Tino to win the class and finish fifth overall, while Tino was sixth overall.
“I was going really fast, just made a few mistakes. Dropped the bike. Had a fuel line come unplugged, but it was overall a really good day, good weekend,” said Morse.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Mike Witkowski made a rare visit to the sprint series since he was staying nearby and wanted to get used to the local dirt to prep for a race next weekend.
“It was slick. Made me push my limits, which I haven’t done. It’s a way different form than I’ve raced in a while,” said Witkowski.
Top Amateur Levi Elliott was first in the 250A division and eighth overall.
To say that Honda had a good day might be an understatement as Phoenix Honda Racing team manager Heath Harrison finished ninth overall ahead of local rider Peyton Feather (KTM). In all, Honda had four of the top 10 positions. Phoenix Honda Racing also has a Supercross team so the off-road team benefits from those resources.
“I had a much better day on Sunday than I did on Saturday,” said Harrison. “I guess it took me a day to get used to the track.”
Tyler Braniff (Yamaha) won the 250A division.
In the Pro Women’s division, AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer topped Over and Out GasGas-backed Rachel Gutish and her teammate Anna McKelvey, winning 11 of 12 tests. Gutish edged Archer by one second in the final test on Sunday when Archer ran off course and got tangled up in vines.
“It was a really good weekend out at the High Voltage U.S. Sprint,” said Archer. “I ended up going 11 for 12 test wins. I almost got 12, but crashed in the last test and lost one second. So, that was a little bit gutting, but I felt like I rode good. I was in 17th overall today, so I’m pretty stoked for that.”
Gutish was second with McKelvey in third.
OVERALL
- Johnny Girroir (KTM)
- Angus Riordan (KTM) Pro 2
- Cody Barnes (Hon) Pro 2
- Ruy Barbosa (Hon) Pro 2
- Dominick Morse (Hus) Pro-Am
- Jason Tino (Hus) Pro-Am
- Mike Witkowski (Hon) Pro 2
- Levi Elliott (GG) 250 A
- Heath Harrison (Hon) Vet A
- Peyton Feather (KTM) 250A