A surprise entry was Steward Baylor , who is just 11 weeks out from breaking a vertebra in his neck . The AmPro Yamaha rider ’ s main plan was to salvage some points for now and then come on strong when he ’ s a little healthier , but he surprised a lot of people with a fifth overall finish .
“ I want to say this is my worst finish at a national enduro in maybe four or five years , or at least tied my worst , so I ’ m not really stoked on it , but given the circumstances and the amount of time on the bike , I think I ’ m happy with it .”
Steward won the first round in Sumter , so he was the point leader coming into the Virginia round .
“ I just threw away the points lead ; I tried everything I could to finish fourth and at least keep it tight , but late in the day I was just really struggling to stay strong through the test ,” said Steward .
In spite of a hard crash in test three , Rockstar Energy Husqvarna ’ s Craig DeLong managed to recover for sixth overall .
BEN NELKO - NE PRO2
“ It was a sub-par day ,” said DeLong . “ I felt like I was riding good , but my times were just a little bit off . I was riding hard and was making mistakes and pushing . Maybe I was trying too hard . I ’ m not usually one to be on the ground , but I was today . So , I don ' t know what the deal was .”
VOL . 7 ISSUE 6 - JUNE 2022 // PAGE 139