All posts by Sean Finley

Pro riders

Rieju Confirms Gomez and Wentzel for 2023 Red Bull TKO; On-site technical support and parts available for Rieju riders

Rieju (@Rieju_USA), the Spanish motorcycle brand, has a long history in off-road motorcycle racing and has attracted some top US and International Hard Enduro riders in recent years. Spain’s Alfredo Gomez (@alfredogomez89) and American Quinn Wentzel (@quinn_wentzel) will be taking on the thirteenth annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout on the Rieju MR300 two-stroke.

Gomez has been one of the top Hard Enduro racers for more than a decade. He has won multiple big Hard Enduro events including the Erzbergrodeo, Hixpania Hard Enduro, and Last Dog Standing in the US. He was the Junior Trials World champion in 2011, and he puts his Trials skills to good use in Hard Enduro.

Alfredo Gomez is one of the top Hard Enduro Racers in the world. The Spaniard joined the Rieju team for 2023 and has continued to put in strong results with top ten finishes at the Xross Hard Enduro and Erzbergrodeo. Photo by Future7Media.

Wentzel also started in Trials competition and won the US Expert championship in 2015 before moving over to the US Hard Enduro scene. The Ohio native has been one of the top American Hard Enduro racers for several years now and he joined the US Rieju team in 2021. He has consistently qualified for the TKO main events over the years.

Quinn Wentzel is now in his third season racing for the US Rieju team. He finished tenth in the AMA US Hard Enduro Championship for 2023. Photo by Adam Sheehan.

Central Powersports Distribution, the US importer for Rieju will be providing technical support at the TKO event. Rieju racers can visit the Rieju pit area for spare parts, tech support, water and snacks. You can learn more about Rieju motorcycles here.

If you are coming to race or coming to watch, check out the Electric Bike demo ride area. Surron and Electric Motion will have electric bikes that you can test ride.

The 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will take place at the Trials Training Center on August 18-20, 2023. There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the ECR eMoto class. Click here to enter.

A separate link will be sent directly to the pre-qualified Amateur and Pro riders.

Pro riders

Sherco Confirms Webb and Smage for 2023 Red Bull TKO; Sherco USA riders gunning for TKO podiums

The FactoryONE Sherco team (@factoryone_motorsports) will have two multi-time championship-winning riders shooting for more success at the 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Cody Webb (@codywebb2) and Pat Smage (@pat_smage) are some of the most talented and versatile riders on two wheels, and they have both won several events at the Trials Training Center.

Cody Webb was unstoppable at the TKO from 2013 to 2018. The Californian faced stiff competition every year but always found a way to win. An injury forced him to miss the 2019 TKO, but he came back for a second-place finish in 2020. The California native that now lives in Colorado has won an AMA Trials Championship, three AMA EnduroCross Championships, and two FIM SuperEnduro championships. The Sherco rider has had a strong 2023 season and should be on the top of the list of riders capable of taking the top step of the TKO podium in 2023.

Cody Webb won an AMA Trials championship prior to moving over to win three AMA EnduroCross championships and countless Hard Enduro events, including six TKO wins. The FactoryONE Sherco rider has had a strong 2023 season so far. Photo by Future7Media.

Pat Smage just wrapped up his fourteenth AMA Trials Championship to extend his record-setting run. The Wisconsin native has been focused on wrapping up the Trials championship so he has not been able to spend much time on his SE 300 Factory 2T enduro bike. But Smage has earned Hard Enduro podium finishes in the past so don’t be surprised to see him showing off some amazing skills on the slick TTC Rocks.

Pat Smage has limited time on his Sherco SE 300 this year as he was focusing on winning his fourteenth AMA Trials Championship but he will still surprise you with his Trials skills applied to a full-size enduro bike. He was impressive at last year’s downtown Nashville TKO prologue. Photo by Andrew Nguyen.

The 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will take place at the Trials Training Center on August 18-20, 2023. There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the ECR eMoto class. Click here to enter.

A separate link will be sent directly to the pre-qualified Amateur and Pro riders.

Pro riders, Sponsors

Fox Racing Confirms 2023 Red Bull TKO Partnership and Contingency Program; One rider can earn a $500 Fox gift card from Mani Lettenbichler

Fox Racing (@foxracing), the apparel brand used for several years by two-time and defending FIM Hard Enduro World Champion Mani Lettenbichler (@m_letti304), has confirmed a partnership with the 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout Hard Enduro.

Mani Lettenbichler has been racing in Fox gear for several years and he will hand over a Fox gift card to the top Fox outfitted amateur rider at the 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout event. Photo by Future7Media.

In addition to having one of the treacherous course sections named the Fox Den, Fox will provide a $500 gift card to the top finishing Fox outfitted amateur rider in Saturday’s AMA Grand Championship race.

To be eligible for the award, riders will need to wear Fox pants, jersey, gloves, and either Fox boots and/or a Fox helmet. Mani Lettenbichler will hand over the Fox gift card to the top-placed eligible rider.

“We have built such an awesome relationship with Mani as a FOX Athlete over the years, and we’re stoked to have him representing our premium level products, including the V3RS Helmet, Instinct Boots & VUE Goggles, said Austin Hoover, Global Director of Sports Marketing for Fox Racing. “We love seeing Mani and the other top hard enduro riders competing on US soil at the TKO. It’s such a cool event and presents so many challenges for riders throughout the field. We’re looking forward to awarding the top FOX-equipped amateur rider with a $500 gift card.”

Mani just wrapped up his fourth Red Bull Romaniacs win to go along with his Erzbergrodeo and Xross Hard Enduro Rally wins so far this season. Photo by Future7Media.

The 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will take place at the Trials Training Center on August 18-20, 2023. There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the ECR eMoto class. Click here to enter.

A separate link will be sent directly to the pre-qualified Amateur and Pro riders.

Pro riders

Beta confirms Walker, Apolle and Lewis for 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout; British, German and American riders representing Beta

The Italian Beta motorcycle brand (@betamotor1905) will have a strong team of three riders competing at the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout on August 18-20 at the Trials Training Center. The UK’s Jonny Walker (@jonnywalker_22), Germany’s Tim Apolle (@timapolle96), and America’s Danny Lewis (@danny_lewis_9) are all capable of top finishes.

Jonny Walker, the current AMA EnduroCross champion and former winner of major international Hard Enduro events, including the Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs, has had a strong 2023 season so far. The Beta rider finished second to Billy Bolt in the FIM SuperEnduro championship and backed that up with a fourth-place finish at the Erzbergrodeo in June.

Jonny Walker was the first of the top international riders to confirm his plans to race the 2023 TKO. He has finished on the podium in Tennessee before and will be aiming to repeat that strong result. Photo by Future7Media.

Tim Apolle has spent a lot of time racing in the US, including a couple of seasons of AMA EnduroCross. The German has earned several podiums in EnduroCross and international Hard Enduro events. He loves to put on a show so he is a fun rider to keep an eye on.

Tim Apolle likes to put on a show and the Beta rider will be one to keep an eye on, especially during the Saturday afternoon straight rhythm event. Photo by Future7Media.

Pennsylvania’s Danny Lewis is a strong up and coming rider that has focused on the AMA US Hard Enduro championship for the past few years. A switch to Beta motorcycles in 2023 has contributed to several top ten finishes including a fifth place at the Snake Bike Hard Enduro in Texas.

Danny Lewis has had a strong 2023 season on his new Beta with several top ten finishes and a fifth at the Snake Bite Hard Enduro. Photo by Ryan McCasland.

The 2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will take place at the Trials Training Center on August 18-20, 2023. There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the ECR eMoto class. Click here to enter.

A separate link will be sent directly to the pre-qualified Amateur and Pro riders.