Mitch Brightmore - A Rising Talent In Hard Enduro

Wels, Austria - 20 June, 2023 — Lying second overall in the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM, TTR Squade Corse’s Mitch Brightmore is fast becoming a rider to watch out for.

The young Brit caught everyone’s attention earlier this year when he won the FIM SuperEnduro Junior World Championship indoors, and now he’s hoping to add an outdoor title to his tally.

At the series opener in Serbia, he battled all the way with Rigo Racing’s Matthew Green to take a well-deserved second place. Now, with another runner-up result at round two – Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – he sits just five points behind in the championship chase.

One of the 17 finishers in this year’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the TTR Squade Corse rider came home in 16th overall, squeezing inside the four-hour time limit with just over one minute to spare. For his debut finish in just his second visit to the Iron Giant, it was a memorable ride for Mitch.

“It was an unreal feeling to see the finish,” tells Mitch. “Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is such a big race, so to cross that finish line for the first time with only 16 other people out of the 500 starters is unbelievable.”

As with most Red Bull Erzbergrodeo stories, his was one filled with many memorable moments…

“Exiting Carl’s Dinner, I knew I had only 40 minutes to spare. I felt that it was going to be tight, but I was riding well enough to finish. But then I snapped my rear brake caliper off and that made life super hard.

“All I could do was chip away at each section and try my best. People at the side of the track kept telling me how long was left and I knew I was getting closer and closer to the end. To get to the finish line with just one minute to spare was wild.

“Overall, I made a big step forward over last year. I’m happy with how I rode Carls Dinner too. I think I was much stronger there this time. I didn’t have to stop too much, really only stopping for water or if my line was blocked.”

Riding for the experienced TTR Squade Corse team, Mitch is enjoying being part of the Italian family. Long-time regulars in Hard Enduro, they are able to keep focused on helping Mitch grow as a rider.

“The guys in TTR Squade Corse are great,” he says. “They are super professional and are strong people to be around. From a rider’s perspective I don’t have to think about too much. They have my bike working great and everything organised. I just need to ride it as hard as I can!”

While not a race in the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM, round three at Red Bull Romaniacs is next on the young Brit’s to-do list. Eager to gain as much experience as he can, spending a week in the formidable Carpathian Mountains should prove invaluable.

“I really want to do Red Bull Romaniacs next. It’ll be my first time too. I enjoyed Xross a lot and this will be similar, but maybe even harder. I seem to enjoy the rally style races and spending long days on my bike.”

So, with the Junior title set to go down to the wire at the season finale at the 24MX GetzenRodeo, can Mitch win indoors and out in the same year?

“It would be unbelievable to win the SuperEnduro and Hard Enduro Junior world titles in the same year. Right now, I’m second in the championship and chasing Matt Green. He’s five points ahead, so it’s still pretty tight.”

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round three at Red Bull Romaniacs on July 25-29.