Trystan Hart fourth in AMA EnduroCross opener; Ben Kelley eighth at Mason-Dixon GNCC
FMF KTM Factory Racing's Trystan Hart opened the AMA EnduroCross season with fourth overall in Las Vegas, while Ben Kelley finished eighth in class at the Mason-Dixon GNCC.
- 42.219s
- 4th
- 8th
- 30 points
What Happened
Two-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Trystan Hart opened his 2026 EX Pro Class campaign with a fourth-place finish inside Las Vegas' Orleans Arena on Saturday night, banking consistent points out of Round 1. Riding a KTM 350 XC-F, the Canadian set the fastest lap time of the Hot Lap session at 42.219 seconds, then finished second in the opening EX Pro Class race of the evening and third in Race 2. A chaotic final race saw him caught in an incident on the start straight and come back to eighth, so his 2-3-8 scorecard earned him fourth overall on the night. Round 2 of the 2026 AMA EnduroCross Championship takes place inside the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, on October 17.
“Sometimes you're the nail, and sometimes you're the hammer – tonight, I was the nail! I felt like I had a moto win in me, but we ended up fourth overall, which is my lowest finish in four years. We'll come out swinging at the next one!”
- 1. Jonny Walker, Triumph
- 2. Ryder LeBlond, Husqvarna
- 3. Cooper Abbott, Kawasaki
- 4. Trystan Hart, FMF KTM Factory Racing
The Mason-Dixon GNCC in Pennsylvania was Round 11 of the 2026 Grand National Cross Country Series, and defending XC1 Open Pro Class Champion Ben Kelley was FMF KTM Factory Racing's sole rider competing there, on a KTM 350 XC-F FACTORY EDITION. With Johnny Girroir, Grant Davis, Jason Tino and Brandy Richards all selected to represent the United States at the FIM Enduro of Nations (6DAYS) in Grândola, Portugal, from October 12-17, organizers made the Mason-Dixon round non-points-paying so riders could race for their country without compromising their title chances. The 30-year-old completed the opening lap in fifth position, pressed on over the remaining five laps at the technical Mathews Farm venue, and ultimately took the checkered flag in eighth place in class. Kelley is currently fourth in the GNCC standings, 30 points from the lead, heading into the Ironman GNCC from October 23-25, while Tino is third in the XC2 250 Pro category, Richards is tied at the top of WXC, and Davis sits seventh in XC1 after winning at The John Penton GNCC last month.
“I had a mid-pack start going into the woods, and tried to make my way forward, but was not overly comfortable here at Mason-Dixon. I pitted at the beginning of Lap 4 in eighth and tried to make another push, but it just wasn't to be today. Thank you to the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team – we will come back stronger for the next one.”
- 1. Craig DeLong, Husqvarna
- 2. Michael Witkowski, Honda
- 3. Josh Strang, Beta
- 8. Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
Trystan Hart finishes fourth overall in the AMA EnduroCross Championship Round 1 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ben Kelley takes eighth place in class at the Mason-Dixon GNCC in Pennsylvania, a non-points-paying round.
FIM Enduro of Nations (6DAYS) in Grândola, Portugal, with Johnny Girroir, Grant Davis, Jason Tino and Brandy Richards on the United States team.
Round 2 of the 2026 AMA EnduroCross Championship at the Ford Idaho Center, Nampa, Idaho.
The Ironman GNCC, with Ben Kelley fourth in the standings and 30 points from the lead.
Why this matters
These results set the early tone in two U.S. off-road championships where KTM fields factory riders and bikes. Hart, a two-time AMA EnduroCross champion, called fourth his lowest finish in four years, while Kelley now sits 30 points off the GNCC lead with the non-points Mason-Dixon round behind him.
Terms in This Story
- EnduroCross
- Off-road motorcycle racing held on an indoor or arena course that combines motocross-style jumps with enduro-type natural obstacles.
- Grand National Cross Country Series
- A U.S. off-road motorcycle racing championship made up of long, multi-lap races run over woods and open terrain.
- Hot Lap
- A timed session, usually held before the racing begins, in which riders try to set the single fastest lap.
- EX Pro Class
- The top professional category in AMA EnduroCross competition.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.