Round 8 of the 2025 Bullet Proof Designs US Hard Enduro Series, Presented by IRC Tire, once again saw FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart at the top of the podium at the second race of the Memorial Day weekend’s Keystone Challenge, the Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scramble, located in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania.
Located just 30 minutes north of Tough Like RORR, the Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scramble is a prime of the terrain that Pennsylvania has to offer. The race consists of three laps, the first being 16 miles in length, while the second and third laps are shorter at only eight miles, but contain more difficult sections. Unlike the RORR venue, Sugarloaf’s terrain drains much slower, and the rain that fell earlier in the week was still evident on the course, adding an extra challenge to the gnarly rock gardens and loose hill climbs in the final laps.
Off the start, it was Trystan Hart and FactoryONE Sherco’s Will Riordan vying for the holeshot. Riordan took a wider line, and Hart was able to take the lead going into the trees. After the first eight miles, it was Rocky Mountain Yamaha’s Cody Webb out front leading into the endurocross section. With an upcoming trip to compete at Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Webb had two different bikes ready to go to help minimize prep time. Webb admitted that the engine he chose to race Tough Like RORR would’ve been a better call, as he found himself spinning out more than he wanted, especially on the first lap when the rocks were dry. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder LeBlond was able to make a pass for the lead going into the latter half of the first lap, but lost time and his advantage in a hillclimb when Hart was able to fly up cleanly.
The second and third laps used the latter portion of the opening lap, and the course deteriorated quickly. Lines were saturated with mud and traction was nowhere to be found. Add in riders on their first lap who tried their best to move themselves and their bike out of the way for the leaders, and the only way to push forward was to search for new and innovative lines. Between the loose hills which had little to no traction, and the rocky climbs where almost every rock was loose and would spin at the slightest twist of the throttle, the race became a grueling fight to the finish, six inches at a time.
Hart was able to start pulling away from Riordan and Webb, extending his lead to almost 30 minutes by the time he saw the checkered flag. Webb was over five minutes behind LeBlond going into the second lap, but used his trials skills to overcome a gnarly rock garden and overtook for third. He repeated this on the final lap, taking a pass on Riordan in the same place and finished over eight minutes ahead for a second-place finish. Riordan would keep a hold on his position to round out the podium.
In the amateur class, it was Niko Piazza from Dalton Gardens, Idaho, with the win on the day, leading from the third checkpoint. Maverik Thaxton would take second, with Jobel Coronado taking the final step in third. Despite taking the win at Tough Like RORR, Makana Barger had difficulty with the loose rocks and lost time figuring out how to get around lap riders and had to settle for a fourth on the day.
In the Women’s Pro class, Canadian Katie Hall-Leah once again established herself as a strong competitor. Rieju USA’s Rachel Gutish was able to pull almost a twenty-minute lead over Hall-Leah despite having broken her finger at the National Enduro round the day before, but dropped back after the rock gardens in the Stairway sections. Katie was able to push one checkpoint further by the end of the five-hour time limit, pushing past the challenging section known as Tombstone and riding through the enduro transfer.
Round 9 of the series will be hosted at the Donner Ski Resort on June 21-22, serving as the final round of the AMA West Hard Enduro Series and the penultimate round of the USHE Premier Championship.
Stay turned to the June issue of On the Pegs for a more in-depth look at this year’s event!
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