The following press release is from the AMA U.S. Hard Enduro Championship:
Round 3 of the AMA National Hard Enduro Championship, Presented by IRC Tire, returned to the iconic Grinding Stone Hard Enduro in Page, Arizona. The Championship flipped the script by going from the Hawaiian jungle to the sandstone mesas above Lake Powell, forcing racers to adapt to the diverse range of terrain that US Hard Enduro stops at. The Grinding Stone course, only minutes from Downtown Page and Horseshoe Bend, remains one of the world’s most unique motorcycle courses. The sandstone will provide ultimate traction, and then all of a sudden feel like ice if sand is mixed in, creating a challenge when traversing near-vertical cliffs and loose sidehills. This race was won by Rockstar Energy’s Husqvarna Ryder Leblond last year, but FMF KTM’s Trystan Hart and Rocky Mountain ATV Yamaha’s Cody Webb both have two wins each here. This was the sixth year of the Grinding Stone Hard Enduro, which is hosted by the Rockstars Motorcycle Club, and the first time they added a third day of racing with a revised format. This knockout format included a new Amateur race on Friday, which attracted a record turnout of racers, getting over 300 entries for the first time ever. In addition to the massive increase in Amateur competitors, the Grinding Stone is gaining international attention, with Mario Roman, Alfredo Gomez, and Matt Green all showing up to try their hand at this unique race.
Race 1 kicked things off on Friday, with all Amateur classes racing three laps on an advertised “B/C Class” level course. This race would be the first knockout race, where about 260 Amateurs would dwindle down to 200 for the following race. The features of this race were more flowy, with several challenging sections added. A Class racer, Boogie Rivera of Team Bullet Proof Designs KRD, won Race 1. Race 2 was Saturday morning, and the top 200 finishers of Race 1 lined up for a two lap race that increased in difficulty. This was advertised as a “A/B Class” level course and gave the majority of Amateurs a full weekend of ride time. The top 50 would move onto Race 3 in the afternoon. A Class racer, Makana Barger of Champion Brick Racing, won this race. Race 3 was Saturday afternoon and was the first race for the Pro Class racers, where 20 would qualify for Sunday’s Race 4. This two lap race had even more increased difficulty with a course that had “Pro/A Class” level courses. What made it even more challenging was the scorching sun, with 90-degree temperatures beating down on the racers. Trystan Hart finished this race in first, which gave him first gate pick for the Main Race on Sunday.
Before Race 4 on Sunday, the Rockstars MC hosted a Kid’s Hard Enduro race, with ages 6-11 trying their hand at the sport on a course with smaller sandstone obstacles. The future of this sport is bright, as these young kids showed a lot of passion going through the tough sections on their mini bikes!
Race 4 of the Grinding Stone Hard Enduro is one of the most prestigious races of the year, with the top Pros racing around an extremely technical short course in front of a lot of spectators. The mass started on a mesa and went right into a steep hill climb on the side of a mesa, going into a desert section, then jumping onto Mesa 3. Trystan Hart grabbed the holeshot but made an error on one of the first obstacles, letting Mario Roman take the lead going into Stairway to Heaven. The field started to spread out after a few sections, with 2025 winner Ryder Leblond taking the lead from Trystan Hart on Lap 2, after Hart derailed his chain. The steep ups and downs on Mesa 3 make it a high-consequence race, where one mistake can make or break a race. Hart and LeBlond battled for several laps, averaging 17-minute laps around the 3-mile course, with Mario Roman close on their heels. Cody Webb and IRC Beta’s James Flynn were about 10 minutes behind but were battling back and forth throughout the race. The moment of the race was when Hart derailed his chain for a second time on Stairway to Heaven, with Ryder Leblond waiting below to make a pass for the lead. While Hart was fixing his chain, LeBlond had two chances to make it over the hill clean for the lead, which would have set him up for another win, but he could not make it on both attempts. Hart fixed his chain, reset himself on the bottom of the hill, and climbed over without putting his foot down, securing his lead and not looking back on the field. After that, Mario Roman gained significant time, eventually passing LeBlond and settling into the second position.
Hart won the 2026 Grinding Stone Hard Enduro for the third time with a 7-minute lead over Roman, with LeBlond finishing in third. Webb and Flynn rounded out the top five. In the A Class division, Ayden Marinchek battled Makana Barger throughout the race but eventually came out on top for the win. In the Pro Women’s class, Get Dirty Dirt Bikes TM Racing’s Katie Hall-Lead won for the first time this 2026 season.
The AMA National Hard Enduro season returns to the Moab Hard Enduro in Moab, Utah on April 18-19.
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