by Jojo Toole

RACE REVIEW for hardenduroraces.com

What’s your name? 

• Jojo Toole

How old are you?

• 20

Where are you from?

• Fort Smith, AR

When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?

• I started racing/riding hard enduro when I was 15, and I’ve been riding since I was 3. 

What bike do you ride?

• 2020 Sherco 300

What team do you ride in (if any)

• Factory One/Sherco USA

How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?

• 15+

If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro? 

• I’d consider myself semi-pro since I’m more of a top 10 guy versus a top three guy in SEER.

What race are you going to talk about and what year did you do it?

• Nightmare on Hale Mountain 2021

What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?  

• The race was 3 hours, starting at 6pm so about half of it was in the dusk/dark. 

What excited you the most about this race? Was it the terrain, the grip, the camaraderie, the organisation, the weather, your own performance or something entirely different?

• A mix of all these things is what gets me excited for SEER races. This was a new venue for me so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but seeing that it had not rained there all week got me excited, but that excitement dwindled on lap 2 when the moisture came out…

What kind of tires/mousse/tubeless/tube did you use and why? More importantly – would you recommend your setup or did you learn that something else would have been better?

• For this race I ran a Kenda Ibex paired with a pretty worn out Nitro Mousse bib. I wish I would have ran a Kenda gnarly since it seems to do better in the hard packed slick stuff, but I only had them in a 140 and I was worried my mousse was too worn out for that. The Ibex still performed well. 

Was there anything bike setup-wise that you discovered to work great and that you’d like to share?

• This one is for all the Sherco riders. I run my sag pretty low so I can get my feet to the ground easier when I’m maneuvering the bike around. I found this pretty useful since the bike seemed to sit a little taller than my old bike. It does give me a different feel on normal single track, but it’s easy to get used to. Worth a try!

How tough did you find the track physically and mentally?

• I started getting some leg cramps on the last lap which was probably the worse physical part. I was definitely more tired after this race than previous ones though. A few other guys and I ran a pretty fast pace the whole time and none of us were letting up. 

Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS) and was the difficulty level of the track what you expected, easier or harder?

• Course markings were fantastic. This race was much harder than I expected because I did not think so much moisture would be drug onto the rocks, but I enjoyed it. I’m a very big advocate for making all races harder though.

Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)

• I slept in my Ford Econoline, my favorite place to sleep!

What result did you get and are you happy with it?

• I got 8th OA. I’m pretty happy with it considering all the talented guys in my class, but I always want to do better. 

Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?

• I always get my money’s worth when I race SEER. 

What would be your best piece of advice, to a person who is considering entering this race for the first time?

• Full send, no half sends. 

What (if anything) would you like to see changed in the event to improve it?

• The SEER crew does a great job in all aspects of putting on these events. My only complaint is that I’d like to see more gold lines, and harder gold lines. 

Finally, would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?

I will definitely be back next year! I highly recommend all dirt bike riders out there to come race. Bronze and Iron classes really cater to the entry level guys, and when they’re ready, the Silver/Gold lines will offer a good challenge every time.