FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Russell Bobbitt finished a solid sixth at this weekend’s John Zink National Enduro in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, reinforcing his fourth place status in the series standings with just one round remaining on the schedule.

John Zink Ranch offered up its usual menu of tight woods and rocky trail. Meanwhile, rain showers on Saturday night added a bit of moisture to the mix, leaving the 65 miles of test in perfect condition for the nearly 500 riders in attendance. Bobbitt turned the sixth fastest time in the opening test of the day, setting the tone for another top-10 finish. After starting with a grass track, the course moved on to more technical terrain for the final six tests where Bobbitt settled into a steady, but cautious pace.

Other than one small tip-over, Bobbitt stayed clean for the most of the day and ultimately put his KTM 250 XC-F into sixth position overall after turning the fifth fastest time in the final test of the day.

Other KTM riders finishing in the top 10 included SRT Racing’s Steward Baylor, who won the event after getting off the slow start in the opening grass track. In spite of crashing twice in test one, Baylor picked up the pace at the end of the race and after winning the final two tests the South Carolina rider took home the win with a 14-second margin over second.

Fourth overall went to Evan Smith. The Integrity Acquisitions-backed KTM rider crashed in test two and went over the bars, leaving him trapped for about a minute, however, the Georgia rider was able to work his way back into fourth by the end of the day.

SRT Racing KTM’s Cory Buttrick finished fifth, 11 seconds behind Smith, while Solid Performance Racing’s Jesse Groemm finished the day in seventh, 13 second behind Bobbitt.

Bobbitt: “I felt like my bike was working well and I felt that I was riding decent, but my times just weren’t on par with the top five guys. I felt my confidence level increase as the day went on, but there are so many rocks hidden in the soil that it can get sketchy if you’re not on your toes. I just wasn’t riding as hard as I’m capable; I kind of hung out in this moderation mode for most of the day. I tried to let it ride as the day went on and I think my times were improving late in the race.”

Baylor: “The day didn’t start off too well; I crashed twice in the first grass track and was all the way down in 12th after one test. It seems I have a habit of starting off my weekends with a bad test. I slowly worked my way back towards the front and then in the sixth test I was able to get the win and gap those guys a little. It was anybody’s race going into the final test and I’ve always ridden my best in the last test and I just nailed all my lines and came away with the win.”

Smith: “I had a pretty good day, although I crashed in the second test and went over the bars. I was stuck under my bike for about a minute, but I charged the rest of the day and I was able to work my way back up into fourth.”

Next Event: Round 9 – Stanton, AL – November 5, 2017

RESULTS

1. Steward Baylor (KTM)
2. Grant Baylor (Hsq)
3. Thad DuVall (Hsq)
4. Evan Smith (KTM)
5. Cory Buttrick (KTM)
6. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
7. Jesse Groemm (KTM)
8. Josh Strang (Hsq)
9. Thorn Devlin (Hsq)
10. Andrew DeLong (Hsq)

Overall Championship Standings

1. Steward Baylor (201)
2. Thad DuVall (199)
3. Grant Baylor (159)
4. Russell Bobbitt (129)
5. Cory Buttrick (125)
6. Jesse Groemm (112)
7. Evan Smith (97)
8. Josh Strang (86)
9. Thorn Devlin (77)
10. Josh Toth (67)