Round six of the 2026 Ohio Hard Enduro Championship Series, presented by Lancaster Sportcycles, brought the championship to Lightning Raceway in Tippecanoe, Ohio, on September 19-20, for the third running of the Lightning Strikes Hard Enduro.
Story & Photos by Steph Vetterly
Designed by Quinn Wentzel, the penultimate round blended the event’s flowing, fast character with familiar technical features, including “The Wall,” the EnduroCross section, and, for the Pro/A field, the barn jump.
Saturday’s amateur race ran mostly dry, with only a few muddy areas left behind from rain earlier in the week. Bentlee Bredekamp quickly settled into the conditions and used his strength in the faster woods to take the overall Amateur win. Even a crash on Chicken Hill that knocked his throttle loose could not derail his race; without the proper tool, Bredekamp improvised with a rock and kept going.
Graham Kobak finished second after working through arm pump and a loose triple-clamp bolt, while Cory Jones completed the Amateur podium. Jones ran near the front early before traffic and a loop-out in a creek cost him time and energy late in the three-hour race.
Conditions changed dramatically before the Pro/A start. Unlike the dry, dusty conditions that defined the 2024 race, rain fell just before the field left the line, turning Lightning Raceway’s hard-packed clay slick almost immediately.
Maverik Thaxton’s race nearly went wrong in the opening corner when he washed the front end and blocked Hayden Mosa and Coran Calvert, leaving Thaxton and Mosa at the back as they entered the woods. Both recovered quickly, with Thaxton moving into the lead and Mosa settling into pursuit.
For much of the race, the pair traded the advantage without ever running together. Thaxton would stretch the gap, only for Mosa to reel him back in. Another shower late in the race made the fast trails increasingly treacherous, and the decisive moment came on a rain-soaked off-camber Pro split. Thaxton slid off the trail and struggled to recover, allowing Mosa to slip past and take control.
Mosa held on for the Pro victory, calling the result one that “means the world” to him. Thaxton recovered for second, moving into the championship points lead heading into the season finale, while Mark Fortner completed the Pro podium.
Jacob Lesko topped the A field, with Donnie Alborn and Jared Fortner following, while Georgia Eversole took the Pro Women victory.
With one round remaining, Lightning Strikes once again delivered a race that could reshape the Ohio Hard Enduro Championship fight. The final round will be held at Wildwood Lake Raceway in Little Hocking, Ohio, on October 3.CN
2026 Ohio Hard Enduro Round 6 Results
OVERALL
- Hayden Mosa (Rie) 2:46:16 (4 laps)
- Maverik Thaxton (KTM) 2:50:37 (4 laps)
- Mark Fortner (Bet) 3:06:47 (4 laps)
- Chase Confer (She) 3 laps
- Justin Remley (KTM) 3 laps
- Coran Calvert (Hus) 1 lap
