The American National Enduro Championship presented by MSR delivered one of the biggest moments in series history at the Barbed Wire National Enduro in Pine City, New York, on July 12, when Liqui Moly Beta’s Jhak Walker became the first Pro2 (250cc) rider to claim an overall victory in a National Enduro. The Southern Tier Trail Riders laid out a course with dry, rocky, and technical conditions that challenged riders all day but played to Walker’s strengths.
Photos by Art Pepin
Walker carried the momentum from his first career overall podium at the previous round into a smart, consistent ride that earned both the Pro2 victory and the overall win. The Illinois rider kept mistakes to a minimum throughout the day and even overcame a transfer crash late in the event to make history.
“I got third overall last round and figured I needed to go up,” Walker said. “I just rode smooth all day, let the bike do what it needed to do, and tried not to let the track bite me.”
FMF/Red Bull KTM’s Grant Davis returned to National Enduro competition in impressive fashion, taking the Pro1 victory and finishing second overall in his first enduro in two years. Racing on familiar terrain, Davis quickly found his rhythm and admitted the performance may have convinced him to race a few more rounds this season.
“I was happy with it all day. I haven’t raced an enduro in two years, so I’m pretty pumped with my riding,” Davis said. “If I ride like this, I might as well keep coming back.”
AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper continued his consistent championship campaign with second in Pro1 and third overall. While the New York terrain kept everyone on edge, Draper stayed in contention throughout the day and extended another valuable point finish as the series heads into the final stretch with three races remaining.
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor Jr rounded out the Pro1 podium after overcoming mechanical issues that threatened to end his day early. Baylor was forced to manage problems from the opening test and even suffered a crash while trying to make up time, but he and his team persevered to salvage a podium finish and important championship points.
“We didn’t know if we were going to make it across the finish line after the first test,” Baylor said. “The whole team worked together to keep the bike running, and on a day like today, finishing is a win.”
The Pro2 podium was completed by FMF/Red Bull KTM’s Jason Tino and Solid Performance KTM’s Thorn Devlin. Tino recovered from a slow start with a strong final test to secure second in class, while Devlin opened the day by setting the fastest overall time in test one before ultimately finishing third.
“I had a slow start, but we cleaned it up by the end and had a really good last test,” Tino said. “It was probably my favorite enduro of the year so far.”
Devlin, making one of his limited appearances in the National Enduro this season, was pleased with his return despite giving up ground late in the day. “I knew I did good in the first section and kind of got nervous because that’s not usual for me,” Devlin joked. “I ended up paying for it in the last test, but it was an awesome day, and I’m happy to be back.”
In the Women’s Pro division, Rockstar Husqvarna’s Korie Steede remained undefeated in 2026 by earning her sixth consecutive victory. Despite admitting the rocky New York terrain wasn’t her strongest, Steede won the final five tests of the day to extend her perfect season.
“Rachel [Gutish] got me fired up after that first test,” Steede said. “The rocks definitely aren’t my favorite terrain, but all in all it was a really solid day.”
Rieju Factory Racing’s Rachel Gutish claimed second after making significant bike setup changes leading into the weekend, while Enduro Engineering Triumph’s Shelby Turner returned to ANEC competition following international racing duties to complete the podium.
Turner continued to build speed as the day progressed and enjoyed her first experience racing in New York.
“It took me a little while to get warmed up today, but I got going at the end,” Turner said. “It was a fun day, and they put on an awesome course for us.” CN
2026 American National Enduro Round 6 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Jhak Walker (Bet)
- Grant Davis (KTM)
- Liam Draper (Yam)
- Steward Baylor Jr (Kaw)
- Craig Delong (Hus)
- Ryder Lafferty (Hon)
- Grant Baylor (Kaw)
- Jason Tino (KTM)
- Josh Toth (Kaw)
- Thorn Devlin (Bet)
