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10/16/2014
Location
Buda, TX
US
Edited Date/Time
11/12/2018 8:24pm
Race Replay available here:
https://www.redbull.com/int-en/tv/video/AP-1XCD4Q9X51W11/rennen-de?play…
Championship Final Podium
1. Billy Bolt (points leader going in finished 12th)
2. Manuel Lettenbichler
3. Nathan Watson (today's winner moved up from 6th)
Red Bull Knock Out top-three:
1. Nathan Watson (KTM)
2. Glenn Coldenhoff (KTM)
3. Yentel Martens (Husqvarna)
Stupid track that ended up with loads of course cutting,, a beach race doesnt need logs, there have been enough of them in all the other races. If it isnt on the beach before you get there, dont put it in the track.
The Shop
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* There is NO greedy FIM, Series Organizer, WADA involved, I'm glad to see a pirate series lead the way.
* HUGE Amateur entries and HUGE crowds at the events and HUGE online marketing presence and production
* a MAJOR sponsor, Red Bull is willing to get involved under the right circumstances
* MAJOR support from the biggest, wealthiest off road team with the biggest pedigree
* a MAJOR amount spent on creative track designs
* ALL disciplines of riders brought to one series, and some from each able to win rounds
* You actually get to SEE the racing, cameras everywhere, helicopters and drones too
* ALL manufacturers welcome on ALL types of bikes
* ONE class for Pro's
This is good for the sport and I expect it to grow by leaps and bounds. This may be the beginning of the future.
I hope to see a US round soon, maybe a return of Last Man Standing? Maybe a round of the Sprint Enduro series could be part of it? TKO?
Everybody did not get a trophy, and the one that Billy got for the title looks like shit. I guess the KTM car made up for it..
https://dirtbikemagazine.com/2018-red-bull-knock-out-results-watson-win…
https://www.enduro21.com/index.php/40-general/3723-results-feed-red-bul…
Nathan Watson
http://gatedrop.com/results-2018-red-bull-knock-out-watson-wins/
The individual events themselves, for the most part, I've followed for years with much enthusiasm. So, don't, for a moment, think I'm not a fan of most of the events - and, more importantly, the riders.
It's a series largely made up of long (some very very long) standing, stand alone events, with, generally, increasingly, the common factor of Red Bull being the major/ name sponsor of the events.
Most of the events didn't need any sort of 'series' to keep growing / being incredibly popular among riders, teams and spectators.
So, Red Bull, with their manufacture partner - KTM / KTHusky - have set up a 'series'. Basically, their 'own' series.
A 'Red Bull Media House' series.
Red Bull / Red Bull Media House is an absolute juggernaut of publicity. The money they have, is enormous. Their Media power is Stupendous. The amount of money they put into Motorcycle Sports / their backing of KTM, for how Huge it is, is but small change (for them) compared to their F1 and other Promotional efforts.
Red Bull has quite a few 'naming rights' series World wide, such as various Rookies Cups etc, but Monster really seems to have a death grip / ownership on the Biggest series there are. So Red Bull trying to fight back, I'd say
It may also be a protest (manufacturers) against how some things are done in EWC. It's got a bit weird in Blanchards(???) series, over the last few years. But, they have seemed to start to wake up to themselves - perhaps not a small part of it is due to the threat of the WESS.
EWC has become somewhat 'exclusive', but, it is the World Championships. But, for the individual event organizers, they - ABC- need to open it up a bit more for the Organizers financial health - or at least get / give the clubs that run them a decent financial return.
There is the European Enduro Championships (which is great) and any number of National series, Regional series, all the way through to local series that thousands upon thousands of Off Road / Enduro enthusiasts participate in. All around the World.
If the WESS is to be a genuine series, it needs to be less of a mishmash of types of events, I feel. Just the Extreme Events, I reckon.
Pretty much the 'other' style of events they had this year, already have series they belong in, other than the Extreme events.
And, as I wrote, and quite a few others have written in the last few years, they, the Extreme races, as individual
events, have been doing very well for many years, as 'events' in and of themselves. Red Bull is just snaffling them up.
As for the rider attendance - well, there is a lot (well, bloody massive) of amateur rider participation in the WESS / Red Bull events. Good on it / them. It's a hell of a money maker for the (original events) organizers - more power to them.
The recent issue 43 - October 30th Cycle News has an article about EWC / WESS. Check it out, if you haven't already seen it.
Finally, Congrats to Billy Bolt. That car is worth ( or sells for) a fair bit. Sell it (or keep it) and put the money into a bank, or some investment.
Pit Row
The reach the series captured in its first year is impressive. The huge numbers of spectators, participants, and YouTube audience is going to drive bike sales esspecially in Europe. The Enduro disipline is much less intimidating than Moto and regular Joe's will be drawn to the appeal of what what the series represents.
But seeing the winner getting a KTM Crossbow worth more than 100.000 dollar makes interesting for more riders I guess.
I think you mean 2016, it's organized every other year, next time 2020.
I hope they add the Tennessee Knockout next year so I can compete in a WESS event.
As far as WESS in general:
I expect more manufacturers to try to have a legit WESS contender in the future, how can they ignore it? The YouTube views (this matters) and the press it's getting are simply too big of numbers to ignore. It has bar none the best video coverage of any "Off Road Series" in the world, other series aren't even close really...
Yamaha has a perfect suite of bikes for someone to put together a championship run on and I expect them to try to start hiring someone to do it. I'd love to see them cut a big check to Manny Lettenbichler, he's the future of this I think, those Red Bull logos would look great on a blue bike!
Say what you want about it catering to the Extreme Guys, but Nathan Watson ended the series in 3rd and now that he's got a year of the extreme races under his belt, I don't see why he can't up his game enough to contend for the title next year. Same for Josep Garcia. These guys will have an easier time gaining the skills to have decent finishes in the extreme events than the extreme guys will finding the speed to beat them in the more 'traditional' events.
Congrats to Billy Bolt, the dude is a straight up STUD.
Taylor Robert needs a shot at this, he'd be the USA best shot at a title right now I believe. He's got enough technical skill and experience to make it through the Extreme rounds and more than enough speed to be a contender at the other events.
Get more rounds and more guys participating and it will be even better. I watched this a lot more attentively than I did any super cross this year.
I assume if you ride off-road you might appreciate it more...the skills these guys have and tough to gauge as they all make it look easy....sometimes.
And I don't care if they are all riding the same brand (roughly). That's not their fault that the Japanese OEMs haven't figured out how to justify bringing 2-strokes back. And don't forget about Mario and Wade Young on Sherco. Now we need Gas Gas (Damon effing Bradshaw) and Beta to get going on it.
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