Category Archives: Announcements

Announcements, Registration

2023 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout date confirmed for August 18-20, 2023. Amateur entries open January 18, 2023

The thirteenth annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) is confirmed for August 18-20, 2023, at the Trials Training Center. It will again serve as the AMA Grand Championship for Extreme Off-Road and is expected to attract the top North American and International Hard Enduro racers.

Amateur riders registration

Entries will open on Wednesday, January 18th at 6:00 PM Central Time. The entry fee will be $100 (this includes a transponder rental fee) for participants that enter before March 31, 2023. The entry fee will increase to $120 after March 31.

Amateur riders can enter at Trackside Registration starting at 6:00 PM Central Time on January 18, 2023:

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

Racing format

The racing format will be like past years with a Prologue on Friday to set amateur racer starting positions followed by two rounds of amateur racing on Saturday and a multi round Sunday competition for the pro riders, which will include the top thirty finishers from Saturday. The ECR eMoto electric motorcycle class that was a huge success in 2022 will be back and a few other exiting ideas are being developed.

TKO will again pre-qualify the top riders to the multi round Sunday competition. This will include top riders from major US and international off-road racing series and events. Any rider that finished in the top 35 on Sunday at the 2022 TKO, as well as riders that have qualified for a previous TKO Sunday main event, will be qualified directly into the 2023 TKO Sunday program.

The Saturday program will include two rounds of racing and will serve as the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship for Amateur riders. The overall Amateur winner will be awarded the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship number one plate.

Classes will be available for A, B, C, Women Pro, Women Amateur, 45+, Youth and eMoto. The top 50 amateur finishers from the 2022 TKO will earn a spot directly into Saturday round two. Amateur riders will also be able to earn spots directly into round two via several AMA Hard Enduro regional championship events.

Riders that do not qualify via one of the AMA regional events can sign up for one of 500 open spots that will compete in a morning qualifying race that can earn a spot in the championship final on Saturday. The top 30 finishers from Saturday will be invited to Sunday’s expert program.

Announcements

Red Bull Tennessee Knockout Confirmed for 2023; Thirteenth annual TKO confirmed for mid-August

The Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) will be back in 2023 as the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship. 2023 will mark the thirteenth consecutive year of the TKO at the Trials Training Center and although it will not be a part of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) in 2023, it will continue to be one of the premier off-road motorcycle races in North America and likely attract many of the top international riders.

The final date in mid-August will be confirmed and entries will be open in the coming weeks.

“We had over five hundred riders competing last year and the feedback was that it was the best TKO yet,” said Eric Peronnard, the co-producer of the Tennessee Knockout. “We will continue to improve the event for the amateur participants and on the pro side, we will have the best North American riders and expect that a lot of the best international riders will be back to take on the TKO again in 2023.”

The thirteenth annual Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will be back at the Trials Training Center for 2023. Canadian Trystan Hart won the 2022 TKO ahead of Mani Lettenbichler and Mario Roman in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Photo: Future7Media

The racing format will be like past years with a Prologue on Friday to set amateur racer starting positions followed by two rounds of amateur racing on Saturday and a multi round Sunday competition for the pro riders, which will include the top thirty finishers from Saturday. The ECR eMoto electric motorcycle class that was a huge success in 2022 will be back and a few other exiting ideas are being developed.

TKO will again pre-qualify the top riders to the multi round Sunday competition. This will include top riders from major US and international off-road racing series and events. Any rider that finished in the top 30 on Sunday at the 2022 TKO, as well as riders that have qualified for a previous TKO Sunday main event, will be qualified directly into the 2023 TKO Sunday program.

The Saturday program will include two rounds of racing and will serve as the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship for Amateur riders. The overall Amateur winner will be awarded the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship number one plate. Classes will be available for A, B, C, Women Pro, Women Amateur, 45+, Youth and eMoto. The top 50 amateur finishers from the 2022 TKO will earn a spot directly into Saturday round two.

Amateur riders will also be able to earn spots directly into round two via several AMA Hard Enduro regional championship events. Riders that do not qualify via one of the AMA regional events can sign up for one of 500 open spots that will compete in a morning qualifying race that can earn a spot in the championship final on Saturday. The top 30 finishers from Saturday will be invited to Sunday’s expert program.

 

Announcements, Pro riders

2022 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout Preview; The world’s best taking on the Tennessee Hard Enduro

The 2022 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout will host most of the best Hard Enduro Riders in the world this week at the Trials Training Center, in Sequatchie, Tennessee.

The event is round six of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and the AMA Grand Championship for amateur Extreme Enduro. Manni Lettenbichler, Graham Jarvis, Mario Roman, and Wade Young will be among the international riders facing off against some of the best North American riders including Trystan Hart, Cody Webb, Ryder LeBlond, and Jordan Ashburn.

Many of those top riders will kick the weekend off at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm Enduro Prologue on Thursday evening on Broadway Street in downtown Nashville. The course will include urban-inspired obstacles on the iconic street. Sixteen male and four female riders will race in an exciting bracket elimination format in head-to-head pairs. This will be free to the public and run from 7:00 to 10:00 PM CST.  

The riders and fans then reconvene at the Trials Training Center on Friday, August 12th for the amateur class AOMC Hot-Lap qualifying before two rounds of amateur class racing on Saturday to determine the AMA Grand Championships for Extreme Off-Road racing. The ECR eMoto (Electric Motorcycle) class will be part of the Saturday morning racing. The top 30 riders on Saturday will earn the opportunity to compete with the top pro riders that are pre-qualified directly to the Sunday racing. 

The Pro Women will be competing for an AMA Grand Championship #1 plate on Saturday and a few may qualify for Sunday.

Sunday will begin with sixty-plus riders competing in four rounds of racing. Riders will be eliminated in rounds two and three to narrow the field to the top 20 riders in the main event. The riders, including the women, will be fighting for their share of a $20,000 purse, making it one of the largest payouts for off-road motorcycle racing. 

Prequalified riders:  
Manuel Lettenbichler, Germany
Trystan Hart, Canada
Mario Roman, Spain
Graham Jarvis, United Kingdon
Wade Young, South Africa
Cody Webb, United States
Alfredo Gomez, Spain
Ryder LeBlond, United States
Taddy Blazusiak, Poland
Teodor Kabakchiev, Bulgaria
Jordan Ashburn, United States
Tim Apolle, Germany
Pat Smage, United States
Cory Graffunder, Canada
Keith Curtis, United States
David Cyprian, Czech Republic
Dominik Olszowy, Poland
Nick Fahringer, United States
Logan Bolopue, United States
James Flynn, United States
Norbert Zsigovits, Hungary
Ramon Bregoli Italy
Moret Francesc, Spain
David Garza, Mexico
Branden Petrie, Canada
Suff Sela, Israel
Mitch Carvolth, United States
David Knight, United Kingdon
Quinn Wentzel, United States
Casey Satterfield, United States
Adam Hartnagel, United States
George Kowalski, United States
Chris Satterfield, United States
Marc Fernandez, Spain

Manni Lettenbichler won the 2019 TKO, and will be aiming to close the points gap with Mario Roman in the Hard Enduro World Championship. Photo: Future7Media.
Sherco’s Mario Roman is leading the Hard Enduro World Championship points standings coming into the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Photo: Future7Media.
Cody Webb won the TKO six years straight. You can’t count him out for a win despite the fact that he is returning from an injury. Photo: Future7Media.
Canadian Trystan Hart earned a podium at Erzberg and a fourth-place finish at Romaniacs. He took his first major US Hard Enduro win at the 2020 TKO. Photo: Future7Media.
The seemingly ageless Graham Jarvis finished second at his one TKO appearance in 2017. A win at the 2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro proved again that he is always a threat to win, especially in tough conditions. Photo: Future7Media.
Announcements, Sponsors

Sur Ron Partners with Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Electric motorcycle brand will have a big presence in eMoto

Sur Ron, one of the most popular electric off-road motorcycle brands in North America, has partnered with the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. The Sur Ron Light Bee X has expanded riding options for people of all skill levels.

The Sur Ron Light Bee X has a large cult following. Several riders will be racing these bikes in the ECR eMoto race at the TKO.

The reduced sound and easy rideability compared to gas-powered motorcycles opens the door to more riding locations and makes it easier for new riders to enjoy the thrill of motorcycling riding. Several of the racers competing in the new ECR eMoto electric motorcycle class at the TKO will be racing Sur Ron motorcycles and the TKO staff will be using a Sur Ron Light Bee X to create the course on the massive Trials Training Center property. Building on the success of the Light Bee, Sur Ron has a full-size motorcycle called the Storm Bee that will be available soon.

“We are thrilled to see electric bikes showcased at a prestigious event like the TKO,” said Graeme Jones, Director of Marketing for Sur Ron / DIAN Motors Inc. “The ECR eMoto class will introduce a whole new audience to the Sur Ron brand and the capabilities of our unique electric bikes. It’s an exciting time.”

Most people are surprised at how capable and fun the Sur Ron Light Bee motorcycles are.

The Red Bull TKO is round six of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship so the best Hard Enduro riders in the world will face off against the best North American riders. The event will kick off with a Thursday evening Straight Rhythm Enduro challenge on Broadway Street in downtown Nashville. The riders and fans will then reconvene at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee on Friday, August 12th for the Amateur class prologue qualifying before two rounds of amateur class racing on Saturday to determine the AMA Grand Championships for Extreme Off-Road racing. The ECR eMoto class will be part of the Saturday morning racing. Sunday will include four rounds of racing for the pro riders.

There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the new ECR eMoto electric motorcycle and Youth Lites 12-15 classes. Click here to enter.

Announcements

eMoto Class Created for 2022 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout Hard Enduro; separate class open to all electric motorcycle manufacturers

The Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) has teamed up with the eMoto content creators at Electric Cycle Rider (ECR) to announce the first-ever eMoto class at the 2022 TKO on August 12-14 in Sequatchie, TN.

“The interest in electric motorcycles is growing around the world and we want to showcase the capabilities of the latest versions from several manufacturers at the premier Hard Enduro event in North America,” said Eric Peronnard, the co-producer of the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout.

The all-electric class, named ECR eMoto, will compete on an approximately 14-mile-long course that features challenging obstacles on Saturday morning, starting immediately following the last of the amateur riders. The single race will decide the ECR eMoto class championship but any ECR eMoto participant that completes the course within the 2.5-hour time limit will be eligible to compete in the TKO Amateur race two on Saturday afternoon (riders will need to compete on the same motorcycle).

The ECR eMoto class will be an open format that will allow production electric motorcycles of all power levels with a minimum rear wheel size of 16 inches. Riders of all skill levels that are 16 years of age and older will be eligible to enter the ECR eMoto class.

Registration is open now and will be limited to the first 40 riders.

Riders will need a current AMA membership to register for any TKO class. Click here to enter.