Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Craig DeLong and Thad DuVall put forth consistent performances at the ninth round of the AMA National Enduro Championship, coming away with sixth and seventh-place finishes, respectively, in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
DeLong’s steadiness has kept him inside the top-five of the series standings through the first nine rounds and he further showcased his strength at the Zink Ranch National Enduro. Finishing in the top-six for a majority of the tests, DeLong was able to piece together a smooth performance throughout the day, landing in sixth overall.
“Today was pretty average,” DeLong said.“I felt like I was riding decent and just struggled to get that little extra bit to get out of my comfort zone and ride over that little extra limit that the other guys are riding. I worked on a couple of things today – I’m still trying and trying to get better. I’ve been riding well in the GNCCs and can’t really duplicate it here for some reason.”
Confidence has been growing for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad DuVall since his return to racing from injury. He placed inside the top-10 in Test 1, taking ninth at the end of the section. He then bounced between placing seventh and eighth in the remaining tests. The last test of the day, consisting of more than nine miles of trail, proved to be a challenge for DuVall, as he found himself on the ground after a costly mistake. He was able to recover and finish out the day strong, claiming seventh overall on the day.
“The day started off slow, like normal, but I kind of had some good tests in the middle and learned some stuff,” DuVall said.I felt like I got pretty comfortable throughout the day, and then just made a mistake in the last test when I hit the ground pretty good. But, it was a great day on FX 350. I really enjoyed the tests today and am really enjoying the riding right now.”
Teammate Trevor Bollinger remains out of competition due to a crash sustained during practice last month.
Next Round: Gobbler Getter National – November 6 – Stanton, Alabama
Zink Ranch National – Results
NE Pro1 Class
1. Grant Baylor (GAS)
2. Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
3. Josh Toth (KTM)
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6. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Thad DuVall – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
