Category Archives: Pro riders

Team SRT racing the 2017 TKO; Six riders gunning for the podium

The SRT Off Road team (@srtoffroad) includes over twenty riders competing in the top off-road racing series in the US. The team has become a force to be reckoned with as many of those riders are taking wins and competing for championships. For the 2017 Tennessee Knockout, team SRT will have six riders competing with five of those riders pre-qualified for the Sunday program.

Kyle Redmond (kyleredmond777), Cory Graffunder (@corygraffunder), Wally Palmer (@wildwallypalmer), Ron Commo III (commo3), Mark Heresco Jr (heresco24) and team owner Craig Thompson (@srtoffroad) will all be riders to watch at the 2017 Kenda Tennessee Knockout.

Kyle Redmon
Kyle Redmon

Redmond finished a career best third at the 2016 TKO to join Cody Webb and Wade Young on the podium. He has joined team SRT for 2017 and will be aiming for another podium finish.

Cory Graffunder

Cory Graffunder is now in his third season with SRT and has been a top finisher in Extreme off-road races for years now. He will be looking for his first TKO podium finish.

Wild Wally Palmer

Wild Wally Palmer is a fan favorite that is capable of top results but seems to favor impressing fans with creative lines over results.

Ron Commo III

Ron Commo III is a former top trials rider that has transitioned to off-road racing and will look to put those skills to use at the Trials Training Center.

Mark Heresco

Mark Heresco Jr. excels at tough off-road events and will be aiming to qualify for the fifteen rider main event.

Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson will be competing during the Saturday amateur competition in the 40 plus Vet class with the goal of qualifying for the Sunday competition. You have to love a company owner that is out there testing products himself in the most extreme conditions and then helping to get some of the top riders to the races to test and showcase SRT products.

Quinn Wentzel confirmed for 2017 TKO

Quinn Wentzel (@quinn_wentzel) is confirmed for the 2017 Kenda Tennessee Knockout. Wentzel, 23, a Pro Mototrials rider, Pro Extreme Enduro rider and Pro EnduroCross rider, of Canfield, Ohio has been a consistent front-runner at the TKO. He has qualified for the elite, fifteen-rider main event three of the past four years.

Wentzel will be aboard a Beaver Creek Cycle/Husqvarna-sponsored 300cc two-stroke for this year’s race. He is looking forward to the ever-present challenge the Tennessee Knockout offers and hoping to top his 2016 10th place finish.

Look for more top riders to be confirmed in these last few weeks before the event.

Beta USA riders confirmed for 2017 TKO; Gerston, Ashburn & Tanke aiming for podiums

Beta USA (@betausa) has built up a solid race team to showcase the Italian marque’s full range of bikes and they will have three of their factory backed riders competing at the 2017 Kenda Tennessee Knockout at the Trials Training Center on August 12-13. Max Gerston and Jordan Ashburn will be aiming for top finishes on Sunday while Morgan Tanke will be aiming to top the women’s class on Saturday and then see how far she can go against the pros on Sunday.

Max Gerston has multiple EnduroCross podium finishes to his credit and will be aiming to put his Beta on the podium at the Kenda Tennessee Knockout.

Max Gerston (@maxgerston) has competed in all six previous Kenda Tennessee Knockout events and always seems to have some kind of problem that takes him out of contention for top spots. The Arizona rider is a top EnduroCross racer that has the skills necessary to compete for a top TKO finish.

Tennessee’s Jordan Ashburn joined the Beta Factory team for 2017 and has had a great season. He will be aiming for a podium at the TKO.

Jordan Ashburn (@jashburn7) is a Tennessee native that has had some top ten finishes in the TKO in the past. He joined the Beta USA Factory team for 2017 and is having his best season in years taking wins in the popular Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro series and currently leading the points chase. He will have local support as he chases a top finish.

Morgan Tanke has been racing a Beta XTrainer with amazing results against the men in several tough off-road races. This will be her first attempt at the TKO.

Morgan Tanke (@mtanke31) has multiple EnduroCross Women’s main event wins on her resume so she certainly has the skills necessary to tackle tough obstacles. Tanke will be aiming for the Women’s win but don’t be surprised to see her make it through at least a few rounds on Sunday as well on her Beta XTrainer.

Look for more top riders to be confirmed in these last few weeks before the event.

Wade Young back for 2017 TKO; South African Sherco rider is one of the World’s top Extreme Enduro racers

Wade Young (@wadeyoung55) is one of the top Extreme Enduro racers in the world right now. The South African rode his Sherco (@sherco_racing_factory) to an impressive second place at the 2016 Kenda Tennessee Knockout despite having to stop to replace a broken clutch lever during the main event. Young has confirmed that he will be back for the 2017 TKO, taking place at the Trials Training Center on August 12-13, to battle for the win.

Young is one of the few riders that has straight up beat Graham Jarvis, taking the win at the 2016 Hells Gate in Italy. He also won the tough multi-day Roof of Africa in his home country two times in addition to taking a podium finish at the 2016 Red Bull Romaniacs. And he just had another solid ride at the Erzberg Rodeo, taking fourth place. All of this and he is just twenty-one years old.

Young will be facing off against a tough field that already includes Cody Webb, Graham Jarvis and Colton Haaker confirmed but should be up for the challenge.

Look for more top riders to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Wade Young had an impressive second place finish in his first attempt at the Kenda Tennessee Knockout in 2016. He will be looking to knock off Cody Webb for the 2017 win. Photo: Robert Lynn / Future 7 Media