Have you been wanting to race? Not just race, but compete against the top pros out there on some of the nastiest terrain out there?
Well now is your big chance! Registrations is NOW OPEN. Sign up today to try your hand at the Tennessee Knock Out. This is one competition you don’t want to chicken out on. So come on tough guys…let’s see you in action!
Not interested in racing? Well come out anyway. This unique competition is spectator friendly and great to watch. Check out the race or just enjoy some of the vendors. I can tell you first hand that ” The Tornado Potato” doesn’t disappoint! Bring the family and friends, and come on out. If you miss this event….you”ll be sorry!
Mark your calendar for the third annual American Extreme Enduro
Sequatchie, TN (December 10, 2012) – The KENDA Tennessee Knockout, Fueled by Monster Energy has quickly become one of the top off road motorcycle events in the country. The event will be back at the Trials Training Center on August 17-18, 2013.
Tennessee’s Mike Brown has built on his legendary reputation for toughness by winning the first two TKO events. The 2012 win was particularly difficult as rain added to the difficulty and made one waterfall section nearly impossible for even the best riders in the world. “If it gets any tougher than that, then I don’t want to do it again” Brown joked afterwards. You can expect that Brown will indeed be back to go for his third consecutive win and take the biggest chunk of the $10,000 pro purse.
The large purse and challenging conditions has attracted some of the top off road motorcycle racers in the world and you can expect that again in 2013. Cody Webb, the 2012 EnduroCross Championship runner up has finished second the KENDA Tennessee Knockout the last two years as well and wants to win bad. Four time National Enduro Champion, Russell Bobbitt finished third at his first attempt at the TKO in 2012 and likely learned a lot about how to challenge for the win.
Paul Whibley, the 2009 and 2012 GNCC Champion has competed in the TKO the past two seasons as well as Husqvarna’s Kyle Redmond and Colton Haaker. So you can expect these top riders to be among the likely competitors in 2013.
The top off-road racers from around the world will be invited to compete and amateur riders can race on Saturday with the top finishers earning the opportunity to move on to the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. On Sunday, the riders will compete in a very tough and spectator friendly four round format.
Mike Brown repeated as the winner of the second annual KENDA Tennessee Knockout, presented by Monster Energy but it was far from easy. During the third Knockout round, it appeared that Brown was going to be eliminated from the event. He was hopelessly stuck in one of the special test sections and had his helmet off and steam spewing from his KTM as he tried to find a way up a wet and rocky creak. He needed to finish in the top three in his group and more importantly, finish the loop in time to start the main event.
With the hillsides filled with screaming fans, Brown finally found a way to get through the section and finished out the loop in a qualifying position for the main event. He then took the lead away from Beta’s Cody Webb on the first lap of the 10 lap main event and withstood steady pressure for over thirty minutes before edging away over the last few laps to take the win.
“I thought the race was over for me when I was stuck up in that Creek and I was physically overheating” Brown said after the main event. “But then I realized that most of the other riders were also stuck in the same section so I kept pushing and pulling my bike up the ledges that were slick from the rain that hit just before the start of that third round. The main event was really tough but I managed to keep from making any big mistakes.”
The TKO format automatically qualifies riders from all of the major off road racing series into the Sunday Knockout rounds and there are open slots for non-qualified riders to qualify from Saturday. Forty Four riders started the Sunday program that began with a single hot lap around the “short course”, which took Webb just over three minutes and fifteen seconds to complete. Brown, Kyle Redmond and Colton Haaker were all very close with 3:27, 3:28 and 3:29 runs. Husqvarna’s Andrew Delong was fifth with a 3:36.
The second round would have the riders ride another lap against the clock but this time on the 13.5 mile “long course”. The riders started in 15 second intervals and Brown caught Webb and the two exchanged the lead several times and crossed the finish line with Brown just ahead physically, which meant he beat out Webb by 16 seconds with a time of 44:28. Bobbitt, Fahringer, Delong, Jordan Ashburn, Whibley, Haaker, Brad Bakken, Redmond, Max Gerston, Zach Love rounded out the top ten. Only the top 25 riders would move on and now be placed into groups of five for a head to head race for another lap around the long course but with a few additional “challenge” sections added.
An intense thunder shower hit just at the end of the second round, which made it very difficult for some of the last riders on the loop and would make round three much more challenging. For each group of five riders, only the top three would move on to the 15 rider final. This was the round that would prove extremely difficult as the rain combined with the new challenge sections increased the time to just over fifty minutes for Webb, who set the fastest time to win his group. Haaker, Whibley, Fahringer and Delong each won their groups to take the front row spots for the main.
Brown, Ashburn, Bobbitt and Alex Bedley each finished second in their groups to earn second row starts (no other riders finished from Delong’s group). Hawaii’s Aaron McKnight, Zach Love and Dustin Gibson were the final three qualifiers, which meant that only twelve riders had made it to the final round. Husqvarna’s Redmond dropped out in spectacular fashion after he cleared the most difficult section with the crowd cheering; leaves that had collected in the bottom of the skid plate caught fire and burned through a radiator hose to create a smoky conclusion to his day.
Since Webb and Haaker seemed pretty fresh after the first three rounds, they appeared to have the upper hand going into the final and jumped out to the early lead. Brown started from row three and quickly got into second when several riders got hung up in the EnduroCross section. Webb got stuck attempting the most difficult line up a steep hill, which allowed Brown to take the lead. Webb and Haaker were close behind and with a ten lap main on the short course, it was expected to take about 40 minutes and fitness was going to play a role in the extremely humid conditions.
Haaker stayed close to the leaders for the first three laps before he began to lose touch but was still safely ahead of the intense battle between Bobbitt, Whibley and Fahringer, who all exchanged positions several times. Delong pulled off due to physical exhaustion at the midway point and joined Love, Gibson and Bedley on the sidelines. Haaker pulled over on lap seven when the heat and humidity had him seeing stars. Webb stayed very close to Brown for the first seven laps but then he was the next to crack, which allowed Brown to open up a fifteen second gap that he held to the finish. Bobbit finished just a few seconds ahead of Whibley to take the final podium spot and Fahringer took fifth ahead of Ashburn.
The race featured riders from several different disciplines and in the end, Brown, the 2012 X Games Enduro X gold medalist took the win over fellow EnduroCross regular and former AMA Trials Champion Cody Webb. Russell Bobbit, the multi time National Enduro Champion took third ahead of current GNCC point’s leader Paul Whibley. Nick Fahringer, another Enduro regular, rounded out the top five.
2012 AMA Tennessee Knockout, fueled by Monster Energy results:
Mike Brown, KTM
Cody Webb, Beta
Russell Bobbitt, KTM
Paul Whibley, Yamaha
Nick Fahringer, Husaberg
Jordan Ashburn, Yamaha
Colton Haaker, Kawasaki
Aaron McKnight, KTM
Andrew Delong, Husqvarna
Zach Love, KTM
Dustin Gibson, KTM
Alex Bedley, Kawasaki
The Trials Training Center staff would like to thank KENDA Tires, Monster Energy and Moose Racing for their support of the AMA Tennessee Knockout event.
The second annual KENDA Tennessee Knockout is set to take place this Sunday, September 2nd and the list of top riders set to face off is mind boggling.
There will be an X Games Enduro X Gold Medalist, current GNCC Championship point’s leader, four time National Enduro Champion and 2010 AMA Trials Champion on the line.
Which discipline will prove to be the best when they take on the four round Knockout format at the challenging Trials Training Center facility? If you live anywhere near Chattanooga Tennessee, come see for yourself.
Below are some of the top riders confirmed for the 2012 Kenda Tennessee Knockout (TKO):
Mike Brown, KTM: 2012 X Games Enduro X Champion, 2011 Kenda Tennessee Knockout Champion, 2009 WORCS Champion, 2000 AMA Motocross Champion.
Paul Whibley, Yamaha: 2012 GNCC Championship point’s leader, 2009 GNCC Champion, five time OMA Off Road Champion.
Russell Bobbitt, KTM: Four time AMA National Enduro Champion.
Cody Webb, Beta: 2010 AMA National Trials Champion, 4th at 2012 Hell’s Gate Extreme Enduro, 2011 EnduroCross #5.
Jordan Ashburn, Yamaha: Two time GNCC XC-2 Champion.
Colton Haaker, Kawasaki: Two time EnduroCross Junior Champion and 2012 Las Vegas EnduroCross winner.
Kyle Redmond, Husqvarna: Multi time top American finisher at Erzberg Extreme Enduro, second at 2012 King of the Motos Extreme Enduro.
Nick Fahringer, Husaberg: Multi time National Enduro race winner.
Andrew Delong, Husqvarna: Multi time GNCC XC-2 race winner in 2012.
Wally Palmer, Christini: Always the crowd favorite and a rider that you have to see to believe.
Unqualified Expert/Pro and amateur riders can race on Saturday with the top finishers earning the opportunity to move on to the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. On Sunday, the riders will compete in a very tough and spectator friendly four round Knockout format.
Paul Whibley and Jordan Ashburn are two of the hottest riders in the GNCC series and both have confirmed that they will be back to compete in the 2012 KENDA Tennessee Knockout. Whibley, the current GNCC Championship point’s leader and 2009 champion finished fifth in the 2011 TKO and proved to be a contender in the “Extreme Enduro” conditions found at the Trials Training Center.
Jordan Ashburn, the former GNCC XC-2 Champion from Tennessee rode incredibly strong last year to finish sixth at the TKO.
“The KENDA Tennessee Knockout is a really tough event and Paul’s incredible fitness will allow him to compete for the win and Jordan is excited to compete in his home state again” stated Randy Hawkins, the AmPro Yamaha team owner and off-road racing legend. “They both learned a lot by competing last year and expect to fight for the win”.
Just a reminder! The TKO format includes an Amateur Class on the previous day with the top 25 finishers earning the opportunity to compete in the Expert/Pro class.
Amateur Class registration is limited to 120 riders.
Cody Webb, the 2010 AMA Trials Champion, has made a very successful transition to EnduroCross racing and his silver medal at the 2012 X Games further backed that up. The factory Beta rider finished second at the inaugural KENDA Tennessee Knockout event last year and he is now looking for the win.
When asked about the 2012 TKO, Webb had this to say: “I’m hoping for a more extreme event in this year’s TKO. Last year, the race was difficult, but not comparable to the extreme races I have ridden in Europe. The course was a long and fast paced race similar to an Endurocross race. Coming from a trials background, I prefer a long slow paced difficult course that wears down the competition. No matter what the course offers, I’m excited to return and see the resurgence of extreme races in the US”.
Webb’s Beta teammate, Max Gerston will also be participating in the KENDA Tennessee Knockout.
FMF KTM’s Mike Brown said that the 2011 KENDA Tennessee Knockout was one of the toughest events he has ever raced. And he was the winner so you know it was even more difficult for the rest of the pack. The Tennessee native plans to be back for the second annual TKO scheduled to take place on September 1st and 2nd during the Labor Day holiday weekend. The multi round Knockout format provides for great spectating and tough racing conditions.
The $10,000 pro purse will certainly attract a large list of top riders to challenge Brown and all X Games Enduro X riders have been added to the list of pre-qualified riders.
The pre-qualified riders earn a free entry into the Sunday Knockout rounds. The 50-60 riders will first complete a single lap on the “short” course against the clock. They will then follow that up with a lap around the long course (approximately one hour lap time); again against the clock and only the top 25 riders will move on to Knockout round two. Five groups of five riders will then compete head to head on the long course, with a few more challenging sections added, and only the top three from each group will move on to the fifteen rider main event.
The fifteen riders in the main will compete in a multi lap race in the “Stadium” section of the Trials Training Center facility. Racers and fans can expect some of the most extreme motorcycle racing conditions ever witnessed.
The following X Games Enduro X riders have now been added to the pre-qualified rider list. (See the list of the riders already invited.)
Kevin Rookstool
Cory Graffunder
Graham Jarvis
Andreas Lettenbichler
Steward Baylor
Taichi Tanaka
Alfredo Gomez
Ivan Ramirez
Chris Bruand
Alex Salvini
Max Gerston
Kendall Norman
Fred Crosset
Ben Rego
Ryan Rodgers
Unqualified Expert/Pro and amateur riders can race on Saturday with the top finishers earning the opportunity to move on to the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. On Sunday, the riders will compete in a very tough and spectator friendly four round Knockout format.
Here is a peak at some of the action from the 2011 event:
Top pro riders from all major series get free entry to Tennessee Knockout
Sequatchie, TN (April 4, 2012) – The second annual KENDA AMA Tennessee Knockout, fueled by Monster Energy will take place on September 1st and 2nd during the Labor Day holiday weekend. KTM’s Mike Brown, has already confirmed that he will be back to defend his title and claim the biggest piece of the $10,000 purse. Brown can expect some stiff competition as more top riders are expected to attend in 2012. The top ten finishers from the 2011 TKO and top ten riders from all of the major off-road championship series are all pre-qualified for the 2012 TKO. Those riders get a free entry into the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. Below is the pre-qualification process and list of the pre-qualified riders:
Riders are pre-qualified based on finishing in the top 10 in the following during 2011: Tennessee Knockout, EnduroCross Expert Championship, AMA/NATC National Trials Pro Championship, GNCC XC1 Championship, AMA National Enduro Pro Championship, WORCS Pro-1 Championship, OMA Expert Championship. In addition to the list below, riders in the top five in the above championships on August 1, 2012 will also earn a pre-qualified position. The promoter may also select top riders from around the world as wild card entries with free entries to the Sunday Expert race.
Mike Brown
Cody Webb
Paul Whibley
Jordan Ashburn
Charlie Mullins
Bobby Prochnau
Rory Mead
Justin Soule
Kyle Redmond
Cory Buttrick
Russell Bobbitt
Taylor Robert
Jimmy Jarrett
Pat Smage
Taddy Blazusiak
Kurt Caselli
Gary Sutherlin
Thad DuVall
Josh Strang
Keith Wineland
Nick Fahringer
Scott Watkins
Michael Lafferty
Bryan Roper
Geoff Aaron
Bobby Garrison
Kailub Russell
Wally Palmer
Michael Williams
Nathan Kanney
Shane Klimek
Karl Davis Jr.
Colton Haaker
Adam Banneur
Eric Storz
Shane Hufford Jr.
Robby Bell
Andrew Oldar
Destry Abbott
Andrew Delong
Chris Bach
Shad Petersen
Brett Zofchak
Cole Kirkpatrick
Jededia Haines
Will Ibsen
Ryan Abbatoye
Brad Bakken
Phil Smage
Bobby Bonds
Unqualified Expert/Pro and amateur riders can race on Saturday with the top finishers earning the opportunity to move on to the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. On Sunday, the riders will compete in a very tough and spectator friendly four round Knockout format.
Like last year, the TKO format includes an Amateur Class on the previous day with the top 25 finishers earning the opportunity to compete in the Expert/Pro class.
Amateur Class registration is limited to 120 riders.
Sequatchie, TN (December 13, 2011) – The first ever KENDA Tennessee Knockout, fueled by Monster Energy took place last summer to rave reviews from riders and fans. So the team at the Trials Training Center is excited to confirm that the event will be back for 2012 on September 1st and 2nd during the Labor Day holiday weekend. If you want to compete in or see a true “American Extreme Enduro”, mark your calendar now. Mike Brown, the 2011 winner stated that the multi round event “Was tougher than anything I have ever done. At the halfway mark, I thought I would not be able to finish but I was leading so I kept pushing”.
The top off-road racers from around the world will be invited to compete and amateur riders can race on Saturday with the top finishers earning the opportunity to move on to the Sunday Expert Knockout rounds. On Sunday, the riders will compete in a very tough and spectator friendly four round format.
Given the worldwide popularity of hard enduro, the Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro was proof that with the right organization, a good format, a difficult course and support from the top riders such an event can successfully be held on American soil. The rocky terrain surrounding the Trials Training Center was on par with the difficulty level of most hard enduros, and almost as soon as the event was over, the riders, teams and spectators were buzzing about a future edition of the race.
When you think about extreme enduros and nasty off-road racing, Europe usually comes to mind. Here in the United States we’ve seen events like Last Man Standing and some National Enduros get pretty brutal, but for years the U.S. extreme off-road race scene has been dead. The inaugural Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO) in Sequatchie, Tennessee, brought extreme off-road racing right here to the States. It was rocky, it was brutal and we hope it is here to stay.
Last week’s Cycle News (Sept. 7 issue) featured the Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO) in a 6-page feature titled TKO for Brown (pages 102-107) with many photos. An excerpt:
Brown led every lap of the final. He blasted to the front right off the start and opened up a small lead. Knowing any small mistake could mean disaster Brown rode conservatively and chose his lines carefully every lap.
Webb, however, had nothing to lose and went after Brown. The Beta rider had fallen in the first turn and was hammering it around the course. His aggressive riding style carried him right up to Brown late in the race. But when he was within striking distance on the last lap, Webb tipped over, which was just enough to give Brown some breathing room and eventual win.
After nearly 40 minutes of racing, Brown was happy to see the checkered flag. “Was tougher than anything I have ever done,” Brown said. “At the halfway mark, I thought I would not be able to finish, but I was leading so I kept pushing.”
Mike Brown, KTM
