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Steward Baylor on the Box at the Barbed Wire National Enduro
Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Steward Baylor fought through mechanical issues and an early crash to salvage a podium finish at Round 6 of the American National Enduro Championship in New York. Baylor finished third in the Pro 1 Class and fourth overall after what he described as one of the toughest races of the season. Teammate Josh Toth faced similar challenges after colliding with a tree in Test 1, causing him to cross the finish line seventh in Pro 1 and ninth overall.
Baylor came into the rocky New York terrain expecting it to play to his strengths, but his day changed almost immediately after the opening test.
"I was riding really, really well to start the day. These woods suit my style, and I knew this would be a good day to capitalize," Baylor explained. "Then we ran into some issues after the first test, and from there it just kind of snowballed."
With mechanical issues early on, Baylor admitted the team's focus shifted from chasing the win to salvaging the best result possible. After pushing too hard to make up time, he suffered a hard crash that forced him to settle into damage-control mode for the remainder of the event.
"I think I tried to ride just a little too fast to compensate for what we had going on, and it bit me," Baylor said. "After that, it was just about riding a consistent race, keeping the RPMs down, and making sure we got to the finish."
Despite the setbacks, Baylor credited the entire Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green crew for keeping him in the race.
"Doug, Cody, and everybody under the Kawasaki tent worked together all day to keep the bike running as smooth as possible. On a day like today, getting to the finish and standing on the podium feels like a win."
Toth endured an uncharacteristically challenging day after striking a tree with his left shoulder in Test 1. Despite the setback, he battled through the remaining tests to salvage a seventh-place finish in the Pro 1 Class.
