It was a positive day for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team at the Rattlesnake National Enduro as team rider Craig DeLong earned a steady fourth overall just ahead of his teammate Trevor Bollinger, who earned a career-first test-win to capture sixth overall at Round 5 of the 2021 AMA National Enduro Series in Cross Fork, Pennsylvania.
A few overnight showers kept the dust down for Sunday’s racing but it added an extra element of slick to the already rocky and unpredictable terrain. With a unique grass section for the opening test, it was Bollinger who came out swinging with the fastest time, while DeLong put himself into the mix with a solid third in the first section. Both riders found themselves slowing their pace in the second test in order to outlast the slick conditions on the fresh trail. DeLong rode smooth and consistent for fourth, a position that he hovered around for the next two tests. He made up some ground in test five by securing a top-three finish and he entered the final test of the day within striking distance of the overall podium. Capturing a top-five finish in test six, DeLong came just short of the box but he secured a strong fourth in his rookie season of NE Pro1 competition.
Craig DeLong: “Today was better than normal. I had a good first test, a couple seconds out of the lead and that set the day up pretty well and I just tried to carry that momentum through the whole day. After the third test, I was in fourth but we were all within less than 10 seconds of each other, so to be halfway through the day and that close was exciting. I tried to maintain it all day but those guys clicked it up another gear and kind of left me in the dust, so I’ve got some things I need to work on but all-in-all I’m happy with being in the mix and being there.”
After claiming the opening test-win, Bollinger eased his way into the slippery woods with a top-10 finish in the second test. From there, he focused on riding more aggressively and he was able to charge his way up to sixth for the rest of the tests and despite a couple crashes later in the race, he came away with sixth overall on the day.
Trevor Bollinger: “The day started out good, I won the first test which was a pretty big accomplishment for me, I’ve never won a test before so I got to check that one off. Once we went into the woods after that I just kind of struggled, I tried to be too smooth at the beginning and then rode too aggressively at the end, I had some crashes, but overall, it was a good day.”
Next: Round 6 – August 22, 2021 – Bergholz, Ohio
Rattlesnake National Results
NE Pro1 Results
1. Josh Toth (KTM)
2. Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
3. Ben Kelley (KTM)
4. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
6. Trevor Bollinger – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
9. Evan Smith (HQV)
