Fayetteville native Russell Bobbitt recently claimed victory in the 81st Annual International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in New Zealand, as the U.S. Junior Trophy Team won for the third time in history. Considered the Olympics of off-road motorcycling, this year’s ISDE challenged over 600 riders from 31 countries, who rode more than 750 miles of challenging terrain in ever-changing weather over six consecutive days.

Team USA included 40 riders including a six-person Trophy Team, four-person Junior Trophy Team (younger than 24 years old), and ten three-person club teams. Members of the U.S. Junior Trophy Team included Russell Bobbitt, Kurt Caselli, Ricky Dietrich, and David Pearson who not only individually won gold medals but also won by an impressive margin, leading the second place French Jr. Trophy Team by over eight minutes at the end. Riding in the E-2 class of 278 riders, Bobbitt finished in 27th place.

“What a way to end the year,” said Bobbitt, recently crowned the American Motorcyclist Association National Enduro Series champ. “In my wildest dreams, if you would have told me a year ago that I was going to be on the winning ISDE Junior Team and win a national (Enduro) championship, I would have said, ‘No way.’ This feels awesome!” This was 20-year-old Bobbitt’s third ISDE, having competed on the U.S. Junior Trophy Teams in Brazil and Slovakia in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

More challenges were yet to come. Bobbitt, a KTM factory rider, competed in the Red Bull Last Man Standing race on the Texas/Oklahoma border last Saturday. Of the 300 registered riders, the fastest 100 that qualify will line up and blast toward the first corner of the ultra-demanding 40-mile loop which will feature car-sized boulders, dirt, loamy sand and high-speed straights, in addition to technical elements that will test even the top riders. The field will be reduced after the first round. The second lap will include only riders who finish within one hour of the first finisher. The second and final lap will take place when the sun goes down, and this time, with the course reversed.

Bobbitt ended up finishing fifth overall, having been eighth during the morning and third at night.

When he’s not racing, Bobbitt pursues his studies at the University of Tennesee at Chattanooga, where he is studying business.
For further information about the ISDE or the Red Bull Last Man Standing, go to www.isde06.com and www.redbulllastmanstanding.com.

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