The 2026 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) is confirmed for Friday, August 21 to Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. The sixteenth annual TKO will again be part of the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship series and serve as the final round.
TKO is the premier US Hard Enduro event and sells out the 500 amateur entries available each year. The format allows for different levels of riders to enjoy a challenging course that ramps up in difficulty throughout multiple rounds of racing. This allows less experienced riders to develop their skills and watch the best Hard Enduro riders in the world in the later rounds of racing.
The action will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
TKO will include all the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship classes. That includes two eMoto classes for electric motorcycles and there will be electric motorcycle demo rides to add to the fun weekend for racers and spectators.
Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler won the 2025 TKO over Canada’s Trystan Hart and the UK’s Billy Bolt. This was Lettenbichler’s third TKO win, matching Hart with three total wins. Cody Webb is the all-time TKO win leader with six.
Entries will open soon and more details for the event will be announced in the coming months.
Mani Lettenbichler (center), Trystan Hart (left) and Billy Bolt celebrate their podium finishes at the 15th annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout in Sequatchie, Tennessee on August 10, 2025. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.Mani Lettenbichler dominated the 2025 Red Bull TKO to take his third win at the event and second in a row. The Red Bull KTM Factory rider won the hot-lap, TKO race one, TKO race two and the main event. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.Trystan Hart finished second at the 2025 TKO. The three-time winner could not quite match the pace of Lettenbichler this time. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.Billy Bolt finished third at the 2025 TKO. The British rider led the early part of lap one but was overtaken by both Lettenbichler and Hart. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.
The 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) celebrated fifteen years with an epic weekend of action. The three days of racing served as the final round of the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship and attracted 535 entries. For most participants, the goal is to just finish but many are aiming to be one of the top twenty riders that qualify for the Sunday main event.
Mani Lettenbichler won the 2025 TKO on his Red Bull KTM. The German dominated all four rounds of pro class competition and made an early pass of both Trystan Hart and Billy Bolt to take over the lead in the main event and held that to the finish. Hart held on for second position and wrapped up his fifth AMA US Hard Enduro Championship on his FMF KTM. The UK’s Billy Bolt round out the podium on his Husqvarna.
Sherco rider Will Riordan made last lap passes on Yamaha’s Cody Webb and Rockstar Husqvarna’s Ryder LeBlond to secure fourth place. LeBlond finished fifth and Webb finished sixth. Eddie Karlsson came over from Sweden and finished seventh on a Stark Varg electric motorcycle after dominating the electric bike expert class and earning his way into the main event. James Flynn finished in eighth on his Beta. Hawaii’s Kawelo Huddy finished ninth on a KTM ahead of fellow Hawaiian Ryder Guest who was also on a KTM.
The Women’s pro class competed along with the top amateurs on the Saturday race two long course. Rachel Gutish took the win on her Rieju and finished in twenty-sixth overall. Louise Forsley finished second in her first race for the Beta team. Nikki Russell rounded out the podium on a Rieju.
In addition to the pro racing, the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout crowned amateur champions in several classes. Saturday included two rounds of amateur racing with race two serving as the AMA Grand championship-deciding race. During that second race, Idaho’s Niko Piazza was the overall and A class winner with a winning time of 1:04:36 on a Husqvarna. Coran Calvert finished second on a Sherco just under 41 seconds back and Maverik Thaxton rounded out the top three riding a KTM. The top thirty riders also earned the opportunity to compete with the twenty-seven pro riders, which kicked off their racing on Saturday afternoon followed by three rounds of racing on Sunday. All three of the teenagers managed to qualify for the Sunday main event.
2025 Red Bull Tennessee, Knockout Main Event Results
Mani Lettenbichler won the fifteenth annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout on his Red Bull KTM. It was the German rider’s third TKO win at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart finished second. It was the Canadian’s second consecutive runner-up finish at the TKO. The UK’s Billy Bolt rounded out the podium on his Husqvarna:
Mani Lettenbichler (center), Trystan Hart (left) and Billy Bolt celebrate their podium finishes at the 15th annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout in Sequatchie, Tennessee on August 10, 2025. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.
A total of 535 entries kicked off three days of racing on Friday with the amateur hot-laps to set the starting order for two rounds of Saturday racing followed by four rounds of pro-class racing that started on Saturday afternoon and concluded on Sunday afternoon.
The pro class racing started on Saturday afternoon with the hot-laps and Lettenbichler set the top mark with a time of 6:22.339. Hart was just 3 seconds behind, and Bolt was 7.5 seconds behind the fast time. Husqvarna’s Ryder LeBlond finished fourth and Sherco’s Will Riodan rounded out the top five. Cody Webb, Ryder Guest, Jordan Ashburn, Danny Lewis and James Flynn rounded out the top ten respectively.
Mani Lettenbichler dominated the 2025 Red Bull TKO to take his third win at the event and second in a row. The Red Bull KTM Factory rider won the hot-lap, TKO race one, TKO race two and the main event. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.
The top fifty-five riders started the first of three knockout rounds of racing on Sunday morning on the 14-mile “long course” and top 30 earned a trip to the TKO Knockout race two. Lettenbichler kept the pressure on and set the fastest time of 1:02:57. Hart finished second, 56.084 behind and Bolt rounded out the top three just nine seconds behind Hart. Riordan was fourth and Eddie Karlsson earned his way into the pro class with the fifth fastest overall time while racing the ECR eMoto class. Ashburn, Webb, Niko Piazza and Flynn rounded out the top ten.
Trystan Hart finished second at the 2025 TKO. The three-time winner could not quite match the pace of Lettenbichler this time. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.
The next round changes formats and a total of 31 riders (the top thirty plus one rider that earned a spot into TKO two via an LCQ Straight Rhythm Duel win). The riders are split into four groups of six and one group of seven including the LCQ winner and ride another lap on the long course with some additional hard sections added. Only the top four riders in each group qualify for the main event.
Billy Bolt finished third at the 2025 TKO. The British rider led the early part of lap one but was overtaken by both Lettenbichler and Hart. Photo by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool.
Lettenbichler won group one followed by Ashburn, Kawelo Huddy and Ryder Guest. Hart won group two followed by Ryder LeBlond, Quinn Wentzel and Coran Calvert. Bolt won group three followed by Webb, Lewis and Maverik Thaxton. Riordan won group four followed by Niko Piazza, Branden Petrie and Braxton Hintze. Karlsson won group five to become the first rider to make the main on an electric bike. Flynn, Gauge Logan-Key and Creed Kisling rounded out the top four.
The top twenty riders moved on to the main event on the short course for a multi-lap race of 35 minutes plus one lap:
Pro Main start. 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout Red Bull Content Pool Christian Pondella
Bolt launched into the lead at the start and led the riders into the Red Bull Ravine for the first pass at three challenging hill climbs. A small mistake allowed Hart to take the point and he held the lead at the end of the first lap followed by Lettenbichler. On the second lap, Hart made a mistake that allowed Lettenbichler to take the lead. Lettenbichler held a small gap for a few laps until another mistake by Hart allowed him to open the lead to over one minute. Lettenbichler completed a total of seven laps in the main event in a total time of 47:53.3 (His combined time for all three races was nearly three hours and seven minutes). Hart finished 52.769 seconds behind in second. Bolt held third for most of the race despite a crash on the final lap and he finished 2:26 behind the winner.
Riordan finished in fourth on his Sherco after making a last lap pass on Rockstar Husqvarna’s LeBlond, who held on for fifth. The move helped Riordan lock up second place in the AMA US Hard Enduro Premier Championship. Webb finished sixth on his Yamaha. The American held fourth position for most of the race but a crash dropped him back two spots. Karlsson worked his way back up to seventh position on his Stark after a first lap crash had dropped him back to fifteenth. Flynn finished in eighth on his Beta. Hawaii’s Kawelo Huddy finished ninth on a KTM ahead of fellow Hawaiian Ryder Guest who was also on a KTM.
2025 Red Bull Tennessee, Knockout Main Event Results
The Women’s pro class competed along with the top amateurs on the Saturday race two long course. Rachael Gutish took the win on her Rieju and finished in twenty-sixth overall. Louise Forsley finished second in her first race for the Beta team. Nikki Russell rounded out the podium on a Rieju.
In addition to the pro racing, the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout crowned amateur champions in several classes. Saturday included two rounds of amateur racing with race two serving as the AMA Grand championship-deciding race. During that second race, Idaho’s Niko Piazza was the overall and A class winner with a winning time of 1:04:36 on a Husqvarna. Coran Calvert finished second on a Sherco just under 41 seconds back and Maverik Thaxton rounded out the top three riding a KTM. The top thirty riders also earned the opportunity to compete with the twenty-seven pro riders, which kicked off their racing on Saturday afternoon followed by three rounds of racing on Sunday. All three of the teenagers managed to qualify for the Sunday main event.
Other Saturday class winners among nearly 500 participants included Ryan Odom in Amateur B, Neels Uys in A Vet 30+, Drew Kirby in A Senior 40+, Alexander Badilla in B Vet 30+, Chad Evans in A Master 50+, Karol Nasuta in B 40+, Jeffrey Husted in B Super Senior 50+, James Arnold in 4-Stroke Sportsman, Carly Paet in Women’s Amateur and Graham Kobak in Youth Lites 12-15, who also finished in thirty-second overall.
On Saturday morning, the ECR eMoto riders started first with their qualifying race. There were 33 participants (eight expert riders and 25 amateur class riders and the top twenty overall moved to the Sunday main event. Karlsson, who traveled all the way from Sweden, dominated the eMoto Expert class on his Stark Varg. Max Beaupre finished second riding a Surron Ultra Bee. Dustin Foudray rounded out the podium riding a Zero XE. In the eMoto Amateur class, Osvaldo Neto took the winning ride on an Arctic Leopard. Tucker Neary finished second on a Surron and Nathan Bilbrey rounded out the podium on a Surron.
The fifteenth annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) will be back at the Trials Training Center on August 8-10, 2025. TKO will include two ECR eMoto (Electric Motorcycle) race classes: amateur and expert.
Both classes will be eligible for AMA Grand Championship number one plates, and the top three expert riders will be eligible for cash awards. There will also be an eMoto demo course to allow people to test ride electric bikes from a couple of different manufacturers.
The weekend features a multi-round knockout format for both eMoto classes:
Friday: Hot Lap qualifier sets the Saturday starting grid.
Saturday: TKO Race #1 for Pro & Amateur eMoto classes. Top 20 eMoto riders from race one, regardless of class, move to the Sunday final.
Sunday: eMoto main event for both classes.
ECR eMoto Regulations:
Run what you brung. There are no restrictions on bike modifications, power, weight or battery. All electric dirt bikes are free to compete.
Expert (pro) Class Prize Purse (riders must finish Sunday’s TKO 1 final to qualify for any portion of the purse):
1st place: $500
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $200
The Racecourse:
Both classes will race the Saturday morning amateur race 1 course to qualify for the Sunday final. The top 20 eMoto finishers will move to Sunday TKO race 1 on the more difficult pro course.
For the Sunday final race:
The pro riders will race the same course as the pro riders and if they finish in the top 30 overall on adjusted time, they will be eligible to move to the next round of the pro racing against the gas bikes.
The amateur racers will race a slightly modified course to remove some of the extremely challenging sections and shorten the overall loop to be no more than fifteen miles.
Spenser Wilton won the 2023 eMoto race on an Electric Motion and came back in 2024 to win on a Stark. Photo by Future7MediaMax Beaupre was a TKO rookie in 2024 but he impressed a lot of people with his fifth place finish in the eMoto class. Photo by Future7Media
In the TKO pro class, riders like Mani Lettenbichler, Trystan Hart, Billy Bolt and Cody Webb will go head-to-head for the overall win. Sign up to race on the same terrain yourself to see where you stack up or come watch the best in the world battle for the TKO win.
The 2025 TKO will again be limited to 500 participants, which has sold out in the past. Enter now to secure your spot. Riders can enter here.
The three days of racing will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
The best Hard Enduro racers in the world will face off at the 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO). The TKO will take place at the Trials Training Center on August 8-10. This is the 15th annual TKO event and it is fitting that the riders that have won twelve of those fourteen events are still among the top contenders in 2025.
Cody Webb won six consecutive TKO’s from 2013 to 2018. The American won an AMA Trials championship before converting to Hard Enduro and EnduroCross racing and he has earned several championships along the way. With a win and several podium finishes in the 2025 AMA US Hard Enduro series, he is still a threat to take TKO win number seven on his Yamaha:
Cody Webb won six straight TKO’s but the last win came in 2018. He has had a strong year on the Yamaha and aiming for TKO win number seven. Photography Ryan McCasland
Trystan Hart is a three-time winner of TKO. The Red Bull KTM racing rider is also a four-time AMA US Hard Enduro Champion and two-time AMA EnduroCross champion. He is one of the few riders to beat Mani Lettenbichler heads up at a Hard Enduro event and he was angry about finishing second last year. He will be aiming for TKO win number four:
Trystan Hart has won three TKO’s and is hungry for number four in 2025. Photography Ryan McCasland
Mani Lettenbichler is the most decorated Hard Enduro racer in the world. The Red Bull KTM factory rider is a multi-time FIM Hard Enduro championship winner, four-time Erzbergrodeo winner, five-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner and two-time TKO winner. The German achieved an undefeated FIM Hard Enduro championship in 2023 and he will be gunning for a third TKO win in 2025:
Mani Lettenbichler won the 2024 TKO after an epic battle with Trystan Hart. He will be back looking for TKO win number three in 2025. Photography Ryan McCasland
Billy Bolt is one of the most popular Hard Enduro racers in the world. The Husqvarna rider has won five consecutive FIM SuperEnduro championships and has won nearly every race during that five-year span. The British rider won the WESS Hard Enduro championship in 2018 and the inaugural FIM Hard Enduro championship in 2021. Bolt won the 2021 TKO after a last lap pass on Lettenbichler:
Billy Bolt won the 2021 TKO after an epic battle with Mani Lettenbichler. The knockout format and high intensity main event fits well with Bolt’s strengths. Photography Ryan McCasland
The four riders above have combined for twelve TKO wins but there are other riders capable of fighting for the podium. The four riders below are among the favorites to earn a podium at the 2025 TKO.
Jonny Walker has won some of the biggest Hard Enduro events in the world including the Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs. The British rider also has an FIM SuperEnduro championship and an AMA US EnduroCross championship to his credit. Walker is racing the Triumph TF 250 E in 2025 and proved the four-stroke can compete in Hard Enduro by finishing in sixth place at the Erzbergrodeo:
The UK’s Jonny Walker has won the Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs. For 2025, he joined the Triumph team and finished sixth at the Erzbergrodeo on the four-stroke. Photography Red Bull Content Pool Phillip Carl Riedl
Ryder LeBlond has been climbing up the ranks of the US Hard Enduro championship and the Rockstar Husqvarna rider took his first two career wins during the 2025 season. The Pennsylvanian is hungry to prove that he can mix it up with the top riders to earn a TKO podium:
Pennsylvania’s Ryder LeBlond took his first two US Hard Enduro victories in 2025. The Husqvarna rider will be aiming for his first TKO podium . Photography Ryan McCasland
Will Riordan comes into the final AMA US Hard Enduro championship in third place. The Australian has eight podium finishes in nine rounds so far in 2025. The Sherco rider could be the sleeper pick for a TKO win:
Will Riordan has been on a tear in 2025 with a string of podium finishes. The Australian that now lives in the US wants to mix it up with the world’s best at the TKO. Photography Ryan McCasland
Kawelo Huddy won the won the Hawaiian round of the US Hard Enduro championship and is the master of slick conditions. The Kuai based rider has spent the full season racing on the mainland and comes into the TKO in fifth place in the US Hard Enduro Championship. If it rains, Huddy could be a threat for an upset win:
Kawelo Huddy honed his skills in Kuai and he excels in slippery conditions. A full season on the mainland has helped him elevate his game in 2025. Photography Ryan McCasland
The 2025 TKO will again be limited to 500 participants, which has sold out in the past. Enter now to secure your spot. Riders can enter here.
The three days of racing will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
TKO will again include the ECR eMoto championship races with both amateur and expert classes for electric motorcycles and electric motorcycle demo rides to add to the fun weekend for racers and spectators.
AMA Grand Championship #1 Plates will be up for grabs at the 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO). In addition to serving as the tenth and final round of the AMA US Hard Enduro Premier Championship, TKO will again serve as the AMA Grand Championship for Extreme Off-Road. Sixteen of the nineteen racing classes are eligible for AMA Grand Championship awards.
TKO will again serve as the AMA Grand Championship for Extreme Off-Road. Sixteen of the nineteen racing classes are eligible for AMA Grand Championship awards. Photography Future7Media.
Pro
Pro Women
A Amateur
A Vet 30+
A Senior 40+
A Super Senior 50+
4 Stroke Sportsman
Masters 60+
B Amateur
B Vet 30+
B Senior 40+
B Super Senior 50+
C Amateur * Not a Grand Championship class
C Vet 30+ * Not a Grand Championship class
C Senior 40+ * Not a Grand Championship class
Youth 12-15
Women Amateur
eMoto Expert
eMoto Amateur
The 2025 TKO will take place from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10, 2025, here at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee.
The 2025 TKO will again be limited to 500 participants, which has sold out in the past. Enter before July 1st for the Early Bird entry fee. Riders can enter here.
The world’s top Hard Enduro racers have competed in the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout in the past and that is expected to continue in 2025. Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler won the 2024 TKO over Canada’s Trystan Hart and South Africa’s Wade Young. The TKO management team is working on confirming more of the top international riders’ participation for 2025.
Mani Lettenbichler (center) celebrates his 2024 TKO win with Trystan Hart (left) and Wade Young. Photography Future7Media
The multi-round racing format attracts up to 500 amateur entries and the best pro riders. The three days of racing will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
TKO will again include the ECR eMoto championship races with both amateur and expert classes for electric motorcycles and electric motorcycle demo rides sponsored by Surron to add to the fun weekend for racers and spectators.
Racer entries are open for the 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO). The 2025 TKO will take place from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10, 2025, at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. The fifteenth annual TKO will again be part of the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship, serving as tenth and final round of the premier championship and round five of the East Hard Enduro Championship.
Entries are now open for the 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Riders are encouraged to enter early to lock in one of the 500 spots that have sold out in the past. Photography Christian Pondella Red Bull Content Pool.
The world’s top Hard Enduro racers have competed in the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout in the past and that is expected to continue in 2025. Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler won the 2024 TKO over Canada’s Trystan Hart and South Africa’s Wade Young. The TKO management team is working on confirming several of the top international rider’s participation for 2025.
Mani Lettenbichler (center) celebrates his 2024 TKO win with Trystan Hart (left) and Wade Young. Photography Future7Media.
The 2025 TKO will again be limited to 500 participants, which has sold out in the past. Riders can enter here.
The multi-round racing format that attracts up to 500 amateur entries and the best pro riders will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
TKO will again include the ECR eMoto championship races for electric motorcycles (now with both eMoto Expert and eMoto Amateur classes) and the electric motorcycle demo rides sponsored by Surron to add to the fun weekend for racers and spectators.
The 2025 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) is confirmed for Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10, 2025, at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. This will be the fifteenth annual TKO event, and it will again be part of the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship premier series.
The multi-round racing format that attracts over 500 amateur entries and the best pro riders will start on Friday with the amateur Hot Laps to set the Saturday starting positions. Saturday will include two rounds of amateur racing that will allow up to thirty riders to earn the opportunity to race in the Sunday pro competition. The pro riders will kick off their weekend with a Hot Lap on Saturday afternoon. Sunday will include three rounds of pro class racing that concludes with a multi-lap main event that is spectacular for the fans.
Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler came out on top of a great battle with Canada’s Trystan Hart to take the win at the 2024 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Like the past years, most of the worlds top Hard Enduro racers are expected to be back to take on the TKO in 2025. Photography Christian Pondella Red Bull Content Pool.
Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler won the 2024 TKO over Canada’s Trystan Hart and South Africa’s Wade Young. KTM’s Lettenbichler came out on top of an epic battle with Hart to take the win, his second TKO win to go along with his 2019 victory. The 2025 TKO is again expected to attract the top North American and International Hard Enduro racers.
Mani Lettenbichler (center) celebrates his 2024 TKO win with Trystan Hart (left) and Wade Young. Photography Future7Media
TKO will again include the ECR eMoto championship races for electric motorcycles and electric motorcycle demo rides sponsored by Surron to add to the fun weekend for racers and spectators.
Entries will open early in 2025 and more details for the event will also be announced in the coming months.
The top three riders at the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) earn some of the most unique trophies in motorsports. Preston Farabow, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based artist, constructs the trophies on-site during the TKO weekend.
Farabow scavenges the racecourse for rocks with evidence of the race. Rocks with tire marks or scrapes from footpegs, frames, and skidplates get used in the hand-made trophies that he designs each year. See the video here:
Mani Lettenbichler, Trystan Hart, and Wade Young were the lucky podium finishers that could barely lift the trophies overhead for the podium celebration following three rounds of tough racing at the 2024 TKO.
Farabow has made the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout pro rider trophies for the past five years, and he applies the proceeds to his nonprofit organization that teaches welding and metalwork skills to needy teens and adults. The organization is called inSPYRE – the institute of fire.
You can contact Preston at Preston@PrestonFarabow.com or learn more about his design studio at PrestonFarabow.com.
The 2024 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) included four days of Hard Enduro racing action. The event served as round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and the seventh and final round of the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship.
The fourteenth annual TKO started on Thursday, August 22 for the Red Bull TKO Prologue in downtown Nashville where Sherco’s Cody Webb beat Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker in a three-race head-to-head battle on the man-made straight rhythm course on Broadway Street.
On Friday, nearly 500 amateur riders competed in a qualifying Hot Lap to determine starting positions for Saturday.
Saturday had two amateur racing rounds with the second determining the AMA Grand Championship for Extreme Enduro. Tennessee’s Chase Landers was the overall winner of the Saturday race two and he was among the top 31 amateur riders that earned the opportunity to compete with the top Hard Enduro riders from around the world on Sunday. Indiana’s Rachael Gutish won the women’s pro race that took place during Saturday race two.
The pro riders competed in a Saturday afternoon Hot-Lap to set their starting positions for the first Knockout race on Sunday.
Sunday included three rounds of racing for the top 66 riders that qualified for the final day of racing plus the top twenty Electric Cycle Rider eMoto (electric motorcycle) racers from a Saturday qualifying race. The first round of racing was an elimination race for the pro riders and the AMA Grand Championship race for the eMoto racers.
Race two was another Knockout round and only the top twenty riders moved into the final race. Red Bull KTM’s Manuel Lettenbichler won the final race after an epic battle with FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart. Wade Young finished third on a GasGas, Teodor Kabakchiev finished fourth on a Sherco and Ashton Brightmore rounded out the top five. It was a truly international event with seven countries represented in the top ten of the pro class.
2024 Red Bull Tennessee, Knockout Main Event Results
1. Manuel Lettenbichler, KTM, Germany
2. Trystan Hart, KTM, Canada
3. Wade Young, GasGas, South Africa
4. Teodor Kabakchiev, Sherco, Bulgaria
5. Ashton Brightmore, Husqvarna, Great Britain
6. Alfredo Gomez, Rieju, Spain
7. Colton Haaker, Husqvarna, USA
8. Mario Roman, Sherco, Spain
9. Ryder LeBlond, Husqvarna, USA
10. Cody Webb, Sherco, USA
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing backed Mani Lettenbichler came out on top of a race-long battle with FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart to win the 2024 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. This was the fourteenth annual TKO and it was Lettenbichler’s second win at the event and his first since 2019.
The victory allowed the German to increase his lead in the FIM Hard Enduro championship, which has two remaining rounds for 2024. Hart put up a great fight and led multiple times but a mistake on the penultimate lap allowed Lettenbichler to take the lead back. South Africa’s Wade Young rounded out the podium riding a GasGas.
Mani Lettenbichler (center) celebrates his 2024 TKO win with Trystan Hart (left) and Wade Young. Photography Future7Media.
The long weekend of racing kicked off in downtown Nashville on Thursday night where American Cody Webb won the prologue straight rhythm event that took over Broadway Street with a man-made enduro course. Fellow American’s Colton Haaker and Ryder LeBlond rounded out the podium despite a strong list of riders representing seven different countries.
Cody Webb topped longtime rival Colton Haaker to win the Nashville TKO Prologue in downtown Nashville on Thursday night.
The pro racing kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a Hot-Lap on a nearly two-mile “short course” where Lettenbichler set the fastest time of six minutes and five seconds. Young was second fastest with a time of six minutes and fourteen seconds. Canada’s Hart was third fastest with a six minute and fifteen second lap. The UK’s Ashton Brightmore was fourth in six minutes and nineteen seconds and Spain’s Mario Roman rounded out the top five with a time of six minutes and twenty-two seconds. A total of sixty-six riders completed the Hot-Lap to move on to the three rounds of racing on Sunday.
On Sunday morning, the riders took on an eleven mile “long course” with the first knockout round. Only the top thirty riders moved on to the second knockout round. Lettenbichler again topped the results sheet with a time of fifty-four minutes and three seconds. Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev put in a strong ride that was just four hundredth of a second slower on his Sherco. Hart was again third, fifteen seconds back. Young and fellow South African Matthew Green rounded out the top five times. Jordan Ashburn, LeBlond, Will Riordan, David Cyprian and Colton Haaker finished sixth through tenth respectively.
There was a last-chance qualification race on a straight rhythm course among the four riders that just missed the top thirty and pro Trials competitor Josh Roper took that spot to be the last rider to make it to the second round.
The second-round changes format to place the thirty-one riders into five groups that race head-to-head. Four of those groups include six riders while the fifth group has seven riders including the LCQ winner. The riders take on the long loop with another mile of extremely difficult sections added. The top four finishers from each group earn spots in the twenty-rider main event with the winners of each group earning front row starting positions.
Lettenbichler dominated group one to take the win in just under one hour, which was over five minutes ahead of Mitch Brightmore. Ashburn and James Flynn earned the other two qualifying spots from this group.
Kabakchiev topped the second group ahead of LeBlond, Webb and Graham Jarvis, who was making a rare appearance at a race in the US. Kabakchiev and LeBlond battled throughout the entire
Hart won the third group of riders in a time of one hour and one minute. Australia’s Will Riordan finished second and Ashton Brightmore was third. Cooper Abbott took the fourth and final main event qualifying spot from this group.
Young won group four with Mario Roman just over one minute behind. Spain’s David Cyprian finished third and Hawaii’ Kawelo Huddy punched the final ticket to the main from group four.
Haaker won the fifth group to earn a front row starting spot for the main event alongside the other group winners. Spain’s Alfredo Gomez finished second, well clear of Green and Quinn Wentzel.
The twenty riders that qualified for the main event moved back to the short-course for a 35-minute plus one lap race that ended up taking forty-seven minutes and fifty-three seconds for the winner to complete. Hart took the early lead followed closely by Lettenbichler and Kabakchiev. Young was just about five second back in fourth position The order remained the same until Lettenbichler took over the lead on the third of seven laps. Kabakchiev started to drop back from the leading duo, which allowed Young to close in. On the fourth lap, Hart took the lead back and he held it until the penultimate lap when Lettenbichler capitalized on a mistake by the Canadian. Both riders pushed hard on the final lap and the gap between them held at five seconds, which proved to be enough for Lettenbichler to hold on for the win.
Young found his way past Kabakchiev take over third position on the fifth lap and he finished a little less than a minute and a half behind second and nearly a minute ahead of fourth placed Kabakchiev.
Eighteen-year-old Ashton, the younger of the two Brightmore brothers rounded out the top five on his Husqvarna. Colton Haaker came into the finish area in sixth place but mistakenly slowed down and launched his bike for fun just before the finish line, which handed the position to Rieju-backed Gomez, who was close behind. Haaker rolled across the line in seventh. Roman finished eight on his Sherco. LeBlond recovered from a crash on the first lap to finish ninth on a Husqvarna and Webb rounded out the top ten.
The second place finish by Trystan Hart earned him his fourth AMA US Hard Enduro Premier championship ahead of Cody Webb.
“We had a really good ride and Trystan was riding unbelievably good”, Lettenbichler said. “I didn’t do too good this week and got a little sick and was struggling to get the speed up for the intensity and I knew that this was super intense so it was not an easy one. I had a really good line at the hill-climb, but I was dead at the end, so I am definitely stoked to take the win here and get another TKO win.”
Germany’s Mani Lettenbichler came out on top of a great battle with Canada’s Trystan Hart to take the win at the 2024 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. It was the KTM riders second TKO win and first since 2019. Photography Future7Media.
Hart won the AMA US Hard Enduro championship over Webb with his second-place finish but was disappointed to not take his fourth TKO win. “The race win was the goal today and the championship was a side thing because I was counting on that but the race win was my real goal but Mani is such a good rider that you have to be on point to beat him and I was a little off all day,” Hart said. “I was just a little off all day but in the main I took the holeshot and passed Mani a couple of times and we both made mistakes and I made the last one.”
Trystan Hart pushed hard to take the win at the TKO but a mistake on the penultimate lap cost him a chance at taking his fourth TKO win. He still clinched his fourth AMA US Hard Enduro championship. Photography Future7Media.
“The race was good, super intense as always,” Young said. “I kind of just paced myself and got into my own rhythm, controlled my heart rate. I gained momentum and super stoked to get on the podium for the second time here at the TKO.”
South Africa’s Wade Young put in a solid ride to round out the podium on his GasGas. He had to make a pass on Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev to take the position. Photography Future7Media.Colton Haaker was the top American finisher at the 2024 TKO in seventh. An early celebration cost him a spot just before the finish line.
2024 Red Bull Tennessee, Knockout Main Event Results
1. Manuel Lettenbichler, KTM, Germany
2. Trystan Hart, KTM, Canada
3. Wade Young, GasGas, South Africa
4. Teodor Kabakchiev, Sherco, Bulgaria
5. Ashton Brightmore, Husqvarna, Great Britain
6. Alfredo Gomez, Rieju, Spain
7. Colton Haaker, Husqvarna, USA
8. Mario Roman, Sherco, Spain
9. Ryder LeBlond, Husqvarna, USA
10. Cody Webb, Sherco, USA
11. Will Riordan, GasGas, Australia
12. Mitch Brightmore, Husqvarna, Great Britain
13. Jordan Ashburn, GasGas, USA
14. Graham Jarvis, Husqvarna, Great Britain
15. Matthew Green, KTM, South Africa
16. Francesc Moret Clota, Sherco, Spain
17. David Cyprian, KTM, Spain
18. Cooper Abbott, Sherco, USA
19. Quinn Wentzel, Rieju, USA
20. Kawelo Huddy, KTM, USA
The Women’s pro class competed along with the top amateurs on the more difficult Saturday race two and Rachael Gutish took the win over fellow Sherco rider Louise Forsley. Nikki Russell rounded out the podium on a Rieju. All three women chose to take on the Sunday pro course and Gutish and Forsley both managed to complete a lap in the time limit.
In addition to the pro racing, the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout crowned amateur champions in several classes. Saturday included two rounds of amateur racing with race two serving as the AMA Gand championship-deciding race. During that second race, Tennessee’s Chase Landers earned the number one spot with a winning time of fifty-four minutes and forty-six seconds on a KTM. Coran Calvert finished second on a Sherco over seven minutes back and Tucker Miller rounded out the top three riding a KTM. The top thirty riders also earned the opportunity to compete with the forty-six pre-qualified pro riders, which kicked off their racing on Saturday afternoon followed by three rounds of racing on Sunday. Landers managed to finish thirty-third in the first round, just missing a top 30 spot to move to round two.
Other Saturday class winners among nearly 500 participants included Boogie Rivera in Amateur B, Jose Julian Hernandez Rios in Amateur C, Brandon Wakefield in A Vet 30+, Drew Kirby in A Senior 40+, Stephen Thaxton in A Master 50+, Karol Nasuta in B 40+, Jordan Ouzts in 4-Stroke Sportsman, Carly Paet in Women’s Amateur and Gage Hill in Youth Lites 12-15.
The ECR eMoto class was recognized for an AMA Grand Championship and the riders completed three rounds of racing over three days. Thirty-two electric motorcycle racers took on the course and the top twenty earned a spot in the championship deciding Sunday final, which was on course with the pro riders. Canada’s Spenser Wilton took the ECR eMoto AMA Grand Championship number one plate for the second time and was riding a Stark. Australian Conor Hennessy finished less than a minute behind riding a hybrid KTM chassis with custom an electric motor. Canada’s Joshua Long rounded out the podium riding an Arctic Leopard. Noah Kepple finished fourth on an Electric Motion and Maxwell Beaupre rounded out the top five riding a Surron. Five different manufacturers had bikes in the top five showing growing interest in the class. Several hundred people took the opportunity to test ride bikes in the Surron eMoto demo ride area throughout the weekend.
Learn more about the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout event here.
