Russell Bobbitt 2016 AMA National Enduro Champion
When round nine of the 2016 AMA National Enduro Championship was complete Sunday in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Russell Bobbitt secured the title—the fifth of his career.
The FMF KTM Factory Racing Team pilot had a comfortable 17-point lead over KTM-supported rider Steward Baylor heading into the season finale. During the Zink Ranch National Enduro, there were seven tests and race day started and ended with a three-mile grass track section with technical obstacles in between.
[Visit our Motorcycle Racing Page]
KTM reports that Bobbitt maintained a conservative pace throughout the day aboard his KTM 250 XC-F. He began the round with a top-five finish in test one. He crashed in tests three and four, but come race day he had a smooth ride. He would finish sixth overall, allowing him to secure his fifth Enduro title, which was also his first since 2011.
Winning the race was SRT/KTM’s Cory Buttrick, who claimed his first-ever win. He led a KTM-filled podium, finishing ahead of Jesse Groemm and Baylor.
After the race, Bobbitt said: “I’m really pumped to get five National Enduro Championships and to get this one 10 years after my first! The track was technical and difficult but we did what we needed to do to make it happen.”
KTM Team Manager, Antti Kallonen, said: “It wasn’t the best result for Russell today but he got it done under big pressure and that’s what matters in the end. The team is pleased that he was able to win his fifth championship and we were also happy to see a KTM sweep on the overall podium.”
Watch the video above for all the highlights on Bobbitt’s fifth AMA Enduro Championship.
