Being from Texas, I thought I knew what a dusty race was like, but the 2025 Leadbelt National Enduro proved me wrong. Even though the 2024 Leadbelt Enduro was dusty, it was NOTHING compared to the haze that hung in the air of the St. Joe State Park singletrack this year! The race was a true test of off-road racing. Hans Neff was 100% right about it being a “Feast or Famine” event due to what row you were on, and who was on that row with you.

Leadbelt Enduro Race Recap

The adjustments I made to the GasGas EX350 over the break since the Rattlesnake Enduro were very helpful toward having a more stable, rideable four stroke. Brady Meador from TBT Racing worked his magic on the suspension, and the DDC Racing 51 tooth rear sprocket allowed me to ride more comfortably in 3rd gear in the rolling hills of Missouri. The two times I rode after getting the suspension done were on an AT82 tire that I knew I was going to replace before Leadbelt. The new Dunlop AT82 for Leadbelt, and an added mousse ball, stiffened up the front end feel more than I expected. I had to do some clicker tweaking, with help from Morgan and Brady, to get the front end to stop twitching around so much.

The temperatures on the day reached upwards of 95 degrees. Mix that in with the dust and challenging terrain, and we had a true enduro on our hands. I knew the only way I was going to be able to attack by the end of the day was if I stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration. I added a few new gels (SIS Beta Fuel Gel) into the mix of my normal UCAN, and I also tried to get water into my body any chance I got between test sections. It was certainly a day of attrition.

I believe the fact that I couldn’t push at 100% during the beginning parts of each test helped my energy levels toward the end of the day. As I’ve mentioned before this year, I have been trying to attack more at the beginning of the day, instead of only coming on strong as the day wears on. With the A racers on my row kicking up a wall of dust at the start of each test, I was forced to ride at 75% until I could see, which was about a mile into the test. I do believe this played a factor on the day when it came to attacking as much as I did in the last two test sections.

I finished 2nd in the 45+ A class behind Hans Neff and I secured my first-ever Top 50 Overall finish at a National Enduro with 38th Overall placement. During my AA days in TSCEC, and throughout more years of getting back to racing Enduros, I’ve crept my way close to the top 50, I just never could break into it. This is a huge accomplishment for me to do this at 46 and due to all struggles on the four-stroke as we’ve gone to different regions of the United States.

Perhaps the second biggest win on the day, the clutch didn’t boil over! During the break, I replaced the clutch plates and installed a Tusk fan. Of course I had been bleeding the clutch between races, but the plates were blue, showing they were well beyond cooked. It seems I hover over the clutch lever a bit too much, probably keeping it lightly disengaged. This is something to work on, but also tells me to check the clutch plates every 10 hours to make sure they’re not showing signs of over-heating again.

I’m going to keep the EX350 as she is right now, fan and all as we head to the Indiana National Enduro in October. I feel I have FINALLY found a comfortable setup for me on the EX350, just in time for the year to end. It’s been hella fun though, and I hope you’ve taken away a few nuggets of learning as well.

A Only Test – Full Section

Thanks for following along with my Leadbelt Enduro weekend with me! I look forward to more racing at the penultimate round in Indiana. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and say hi if we see each other at the races!