FIM HEWC Heads Stateside For Red Bull TKO

Heading across the pond for round five of the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, the world’s best hard enduro riders are set to take on Red Bull Tennessee Knockout this coming weekend. Regaining his championship lead at round four after missing one round due to injury, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler will have his eyes on the prize at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee.

• KTM’s Manuel Lettenbichler leads the championship

• Red Bull TKO makes welcome return to Hard Enduro calendar in 2024

• Follow along daily with the AKRAPOVIC Live Experience

 After a three-week summer break, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship resumes in Tennessee, USA, for the highly anticipated Red Bull TKO. With the fight for this year’s championship title really heating up, plenty of action and entertainment is expected at the event’s 14th edition. Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young and Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman lie behind Lettenbichler in the standings, both on 62 points, and will be looking to close the gap this weekend in Sequatchie.

Kicking off the action in Tennessee, downtown Nashville will play host to the straight rhythm-style Red Bull Tennessee Knockout prologue on Lower Broadway Street. Promising an epic start, with riders launching out of a bar onto the course, the demonstration prologue will see 16 of the best hard enduro racers including Lettenbichler, Cody Webb, Carson Brown and more, battle it out on the city’s streets.

Heading to the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, it’s then time for Red Bull TKO to really get down to business. Friday afternoon and Saturday will see a series of qualifiers for the 500 amateur riders set to compete, followed by the PRO Hot Lap which determines the starting position for Sunday’s TKO Race #1. Championship points are awarded to the top three qualifiers. 

One of the most unique races on the calendar, Red Bull TKO’s intense format is in stark contrast to the previous two races in the championship. Sunday presents riders with a full-on day of hard enduro, featuring three knockout-style races where only the toughest riders make it through each leg.

After the first two knockouts are complete, the 20 fastest riders go into the 35-minute-plus-one-lap final. The goal is simple – to complete as many laps of the demanding course as possible. The rider who completes the most laps takes the win and with it, 20 valuable HEWC points. After battling through multiple races, a grueling and technical course, and the intense heat and humidity of the southern state, the Red Bull TKO crown is undeniably one of the most coveted titles in hard enduro. 

The title fight continues in Tennessee

Victorious at all but one round so far in 2024, which he missed due to a knee injury, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler will be looking to extend his championship lead even further at round five. The German has a five-point advantage over both round three winner Red Bull Leader Tread’s Wade Young and Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman, who are both on 62 points. 

Finishing as runner-up at Red Bull TKO in 2021 and 2022, Lettenbichler will no doubt be aiming to go one better this weekend and add another win to his hard enduro collection. Until he was forced to miss round three, Lettenbichler had a 10-race winning streak in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Returning to action with a win as if nothing had changed at round four’s Red Bull Romaniacs, the 26-year-old will be looking to continue his strong run of form in Tennessee.

 With one win under his belt already in 2024, Wade Young is on top form and will certainly bring the heat in the USA to challenge Lettenbichler for the victory. Lying second in the championship standings, just five points stand between the South African and the leader heading into round five. Finishing on the Red Bull TKO podium in the past, Mario Roman has experience in Sequatchie and will need to use that to his advantage throughout the weekend if he wants to fight for the top spot.

Sherco’s Teodor Kabakchiev lies in fourth overall in the standings, a mere five points behind Roman. The Bulgarian cannot be counted out of the title race, however, having finished on the podium three times already in 2024.

Rounding out the top five is TTR Squadra Corse’s Mitch Brightmore, who has brought the fight to the top riders all season. The British youngster fares well in head-to-head racing and should enjoy the intense knockout-style format of Red Bull TKO. Constantly progressing, Brightmore is closing the gap to the seasoned professionals every race.

Behind Brightmore in sixth and seventh, Matthew Green (KTM) and Francesc Moret (Sherco) are close together with 36 and 35 points respectively.

AKRAPOVIC Live Experience

You can keep up with all the action from round five at Red Bull TKO on the AKRAPOVIC Live Experience on iridehardenduro.com. Filled with information, it will feature all the official results, event coverage and schedules to help you stay up to speed with the action. 

Round five of the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship gets underway in Tennessee, USA, with Red Bull TKO on August 22-25. 

Provisional Standings (After Round Four)

 FIM HEWC
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 67pts
2. Wade Young (GASGAS) 62pts
3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 62pts
4. Teodor Kabakchiev (Sherco) 57pts
5. Mitch Brightmore (Husqvarna) 50pts