Mark Fortner claimed the overall victory at the Coal Cracker Smacker, the final round of the 2026 AMA East Hard Enduro Regional Championship, presented by Klim, at Rausch Creek Off-Road Park in Good Spring, Pennsylvania, October 24-25.
Story & Photos by Steph Vetterly
The Reading Off-Road Riders hosted the second annual event, featuring a 12-mile course with rocky climbs, creekbeds, steep hillsides and faster single-track sections.
Maverik Thaxton took the early lead before Tobin Miller moved to the front. Fortner, who started third, passed Miller on a hillclimb on the opening lap and held the lead for the rest of the race.
“Tobin and I were on a hill and I was able to get around him. After that, I just went as fast as I could,” Fortner said.
Despite dealing with a steaming motorcycle and loose skid plate during the second lap, Fortner completed the race in two hours, 57 minutes and five seconds, finishing four minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Logan Bolopue.
“I haven’t had a win in years. I’m stoked for it,” Fortner said. “It was a perfect day.”
Bolopue finished second despite racing with a borrowed stock rear shock after his own shock failed the day before the event. He completed the race in 3:02:01.
Miller recovered from an opening-lap mistake to finish third, 58 seconds behind Bolopue. Coran Calvert took fourth, followed by Ayden Marinchek and Jarrett Mohn.
Alex Myers, a National MotoTrials competitor making his third hard enduro appearance, finished seventh. Drew Fortner was eighth, while Leiber Ponce finished ninth as the top A-class rider.
Thaxton, who recently secured the Ohio Hard Enduro Championship, ran near the front early before losing his rear brake shortly after the first-lap checkpoint. He continued on, though, and despite numerous crashes was rewarded with 10th overall.
“I’m definitely a little disappointed,” Thaxton said. “Coming into this, I felt like I had a good shot at winning. I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to win this thing,’ and then like 30 seconds later, I lost my rear brake and just had nothing for the whole second lap.”
In the amateur race, Karsen Fulton won overall, ahead of Geiner Cordero and Kevin Soltys. Taylour Grossmann and Alexander Badilla Arias completed the top five.
The event also concluded the AMA East Hard Enduro Regional Championship, with Trystan Hart taking the overall Pro title with 115 points. Cody Webb finished second in the standings with 82 points, followed by Ryder LeBlond with 75. Kawelo Huddy and Ryder Guest rounded out the top five. Among the Coal Cracker Smacker competitors, Miller finished 10th in the championship with 44 points, Fortner 12th with 43 and Calvert 13th with 42.CN
2026 AMA East Hard Enduro Results
Overall (Top 10)
- Mark Fortner (Bet) 2:57:05
- Logan Bolopue (She) 3:02:01
- Tobin Miller (KTM) 3:02:59
- Coran Calvert (Hus) 3:07:53
- Ayden Marinchek (KTM) 3:15:48
- Jarrett Mohn (KTM) 3:27:07
- Alex Myers (She) 3:27:37
- Drew Fortner (Bet) 3:30:14
- Leiber Ponce (KTM) 3:38:28
- Maverik Thaxton (KTM) 3:40:18
