The following press release is from the AMA U.S. Hard Enduro Championship:
Hart Lock-N-Loads Another Victory
The Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scramble was Round 6 of the AMA National Hard Enduro Championship, Presented by IRC Tire this weekend, and had some of the closest racing action of the 2026 season. Located at the Red Rock Lodge in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, the High Mountain Dirt Riders are the host club and have been running this race for five years. The property is littered with rock gardens, technical trails, fern-covered canyons, and steep hills, making it an ideal US Hard Enduro race venue for all skill levels. Trystan Hart has been the dominate force here, winning the previous four years handily in a variety of conditions.
The format consisted of Saturday’s 5-hour Race 1 on a shortened course from previous years, which was a 3-lap race for the B/C Amateur Classes and a 2-lap race for the Pro/A Classes. The top-50 finishers from Saturday’s Pro/A classes qualified for Race 2 on Sunday, which was a 3 mile short course in a lush and stunning section of the property named “Dark Hollow.” The weather became the wild card obstacle of the weekend, with a cold storm soaking the course all day Saturday and creating some wild race conditions! The terrain here is a bit of an anomaly, as the rocks and trails actually had more traction and became easier to ride in the rain.
A traditional hard scramble start in a corn field kicked off Race 1. Rockstar Husqvarna’s Ryder Leblond had the holeshot of the first row, with 25 other Pros chasing him into the drenched woods to commence the battles. Even though the rain provided some traction on the rocks, there was no shortage of flowing water and deep mud, all while the temperatures were dipping into the 40s, making a tough race course even tougher. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart and Bullet Proof Designs KRD’s Kamakana Waiwaiole-Kahelpuna, Ryder Guest, and Kawelo Huddy made the pass on LeBlond during lap one, causing a bit of a shake up. On lap 2, LeBlond gained time and finished Race 1 in 2nd place, with Ryder Guest following in 3rd place. Kamakana went down on lap 2, hurting his elbow and not being able to finish off the weekend. Another notable was Rocky Mountain ATV Yamaha’s Cody Webb, who finished in 15th place after struggling in the cold conditions and losing a front brake.
The Amateurs had a great time during Race 1, as the B/C splits were an ideal level of difficulty and got their money’s worth in those conditions during the five hour race. Bentlee Bredekamp continued his dominance in the B Class, doing three laps in 3 hours and 22 minutes.
Before Race 2 on Sunday, the High Mountain Dirt Riders hosted a Mini Hard Scramble race on a one mile track through some small rock gardens near the Race 1 course. Nearly 20 young hard enduro stars pushed their 50cc’s, 65cc’s, and 85cc’s through the wet rocks and mud holes. The future is bright with the next generation of hard enduro racers, as this was the fourth
USHE event of the season to host a Youth-only race. Race 2 was totally different from past Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scambles, as track designer and USHE Scoring Director, Mike Soudas, built a 3-mile short course in Dark Hollow,
the most scenic part of the property. This new short course allowed for great racing and even better spectating. The course was centered around rushing creek with plenty of waterfalls, went up into very slick boulder gardens, launched racers into rocky hill climbs, and saw no shortage of bikes being pushed up steep black dirt hill sides. The club shuttled spectators down below, as there were nearly a dozen great spots for fans to watch the action up close. The top-50 from Saturday’s Race 1 qualified into Sunday’s Race 2, leaving the start line five athletes at a time, 30 seconds apart. On Lap 1, the racers bunched up with each other until they approached an all-new hill called “Chaise Lounge.”
Hart was the first to attempt this hill, and cleaned it on his first try, which ended up being the only time it was cleaned all day long. LeBlond, Guest, Huddy, Webb, and the remainder of the pack hit the hill, either having to push up the remainder of the way or take the longer go-around. After this steep hill was a very technical downhill, covered in roots and leading right into the creek. LeBlond made a mistake on this downhill, leading to the bike tumbling down and damaging the throttle tube. Guest and Webb capitalized on LeBlond’s misstep, and overtook the second and third positions.
Hart continued to add time to his lead each lap and limited his mistakes, eventually having to pass lappers and get creative on the quickly changing course. Huddy suffered from bad arm pump on lap 1 and was sitting in the fifth spot, but cranked it up on the second lap, getting himself into a battle against Ryder Guest for the second position on lap 3. Webb had a mechanical, setting him back outside of the top-5. A new hill called “Not Ryan’s Hill” was the home to many position changes, as the extremely steep hill required careful execution from the Pros, while some Amateurs were spending over an hour getting up. Ryder Leblond and Champion Brick Racing’s Braxton Hintze, were battling in the 4th and 5th positions, but a tactful Cody Webb came through, passing both of them at the same time to regain some lost time. It didn’t take long for Webb to catch up to the next group, battling Ryder Guest for two laps for that final podium spot.
Hart came into the finish with a comfortable lead and no issues in 2 hours and 12 minutes, winning his fifth Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scramble. Huddy, the winner of the Ultimate Hawaiian Hard Enduro back in February, held off a charging Guest and Webb to secure an impressive 2nd place, his first-ever AMA National podium on the mainland. Guest and Webb entered the final climb right before the finish tire to tire. Guest took the main line and got hung up on a root, while Webb took a more technical go-around line, passing Guest right at the final couple hundred feet of track for the third place spot. Guest finished in 4th, and Ryder Leblond rounded out the top-5.
Ayden Marinchek was the top A-Class finisher of Race 2, which had some serious battles amongst the A Class. Makana Barger and Boogie Rivera rounded out the A Class podium. Get Dirty Dirt Bikes TM Racing’s Katie Hall-Leah was top Pro Women’s class finisher, winning on Saturday’s Race 1. The new format for the Locked-N-Loaded Hard Scramble was well-loved by the racers and spectators alike, as it provided enthusiasts a chance to have a longand technical hard enduro race, while the top talent was showcasing their talents on a short-course style race.
The AMA National Hard Enduro Championship, Presented by IRC Tire, has a bit of a break before the Hollow Point Hard Enduro on August 8-9, in Wellsville, Ohio. The AMA West Hard Enduro Regional Championship, Presented by Bullet Proof Designs, continues on June 12-13 at the Donner Hard Enduro in Norden, CA. The AMA East Hard Enduro Regional Championship, Presented by Klim, will have another round at the River Monster Hard Enduro in Glen Lyn, Virginia, on July 18-19.
Website: www.ushardenduro.com.
