Category Archives: TKO

Event Updates, TKO

One week to go: the 2015 Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO)

TKO flyer 2015

The 5th Annual 2015 Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO) is next weekend here at the TTC.   The Amateurs race on Saturday to see who gets to join the Pros on Sunday.

Here are links to the TKO blog posts announcing some of the top pros confirmed thus far:

See the page that has all the TKO spectator-related information, prices, and schedule.

2015-KENDA-TKO-Spectator-Schedule-and-Information-300x193

Need more?

Tennessee Knockout Enduro

Competition, Enduro, TKO

Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro featured in January Dirt Rider magazine

TKO feature in Dirt Rider magazine Jan. 2012

The January 2012 issue of Dirt Rider magazine has a feature on the inaugural Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro held this past August here at the TTC.  (See a pattern here?) Sean Finley at Digital Throttle put this PDF together to give you a glimpse. Here’s an excerpt:

Given the worldwide popularity of hard enduro, the Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro was proof that with the right organization, a good format, a difficult course and support from the top riders such an event can successfully be held on American soil. The rocky terrain surrounding the Trials Training Center was on par with the difficulty level of most hard enduros, and almost as soon as the event was over, the riders, teams and spectators were buzzing about a future edition of the race.

The article is available via a print or digital subscription to Dirt Rider magazine here.

Competition, Enduro, TKO

Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro featured in Dec. Dirt Bike magazine

TKO feature in Dirt Bike Magazine Dec. 2011

The December 2011 issue of Dirt Bike magazine has 3 pages devoted to the inaugural Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro held this past August here at the TTC.  Sean Finley at Digital Throttle put this PDF together to give you a glimpse.  Excerpt:

When you think about extreme enduros and nasty off-road racing, Europe usually comes to mind. Here in the United States we’ve seen events like Last Man Standing and some National Enduros get pretty brutal, but for years the U.S. extreme off-road race scene has been dead. The inaugural Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO) in Sequatchie, Tennessee, brought extreme off-road racing right here to the States. It was rocky, it was brutal and we hope it is here to stay.

The article is not available online but you can get it by subscribing to Dirt Bike magazine here.

Enduro, Media coverage, TKO

Cycle News features the Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro

Last week’s Cycle News (Sept. 7 issue) featured the Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro (TKO) in a 6-page feature titled TKO for Brown (pages 102-107) with many photos. An excerpt:

Cycle News TKO article 2011Brown led every lap of the final. He blasted to the front right off the start and opened up a small lead. Knowing any small mistake could mean disaster Brown rode conservatively and chose his lines carefully every lap.

Webb, however, had nothing to lose and went after Brown. The Beta rider had fallen in the first turn and was hammering it around the course. His aggressive riding style carried him right up to Brown late in the race. But when he was within striking distance on the last lap, Webb tipped over, which was just enough to give Brown some breathing room and eventual win.

After nearly 40 minutes of racing, Brown was happy to see the checkered flag. “Was tougher than anything I have ever done,” Brown said. “At the halfway mark, I thought I would not be able to finish, but I was leading so I kept pushing.”

Enduro, TKO, Video

A stunning Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro video by the crew at DigitalOffroad.com

Rob Mitchell at DigitalOffroad.com emailed us this last week:

Rob MitchellHey There, I just wanted to send you a quick note and thank everyone for putting together such a great event in the Tennessee Knockout.

Here’s a video that we at digitaloffroad.com put together. I hope you enjoy!

Follow Rob’s link to see a large version of the video embedded in their TKO page. Or view it here/on Vimeo. It’s very well done and includes some slo-mo sequences that are amazing. Props to both Rob and Jared Bolton.

2011 Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro Edit from Rob Mitchell on Vimeo.

Enduro, TKO

A big thanks from the TTC to all who helped put on the Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro

Kenda-Tennessee-Knockout-Extreme-Enduro-logoWe here at the TTC would also like to send out a HUGE thank you to all who helped us put on the First Annual Tennessee Knock Out Extreme Enduro.

We know it was a lot of hard work and we sure appreciate everyone’s special effort to make it happen. This event was a great success and we could not have done it without these people:

Sponsors:

Gate

  • Liz and Paige Thompson, Hailey Tarply

Parking

  • James Thompson, Jimmy Thompson, Darian Scott

Check Point

  • Greg and Wendy Clark, Wendy Roberts, Sadie Thompson

O.B.

  • Gary Smith, Jamie Gourley

Road Guards

  • Paul and Aaron Thistle, Cathy Priest, Barbara Ganley, Darrell Davis, Troy Roberts, Ian (Fro Man), Burke Breneman, Becky Melton, Alex Bedley, Austin Brown, Marisa Sinz, Papa Joe Terry, John Sipos, and Fast Eddie Faulkner.

Course Marshalls

  • Steve Glinski, Tim Cash

Layout

  • Becky Melton, Doug Caldwell, Kim Murrell, Mike Hathaway, Burke Breneman

First Responders

  • Griff and Alan Shirley

Scoring

  • Nathan Glinski

Shop

  • Angela Brown, Crystal Kee

Sean Finley Eric Peronnard
And a very special thanks to Sean Finley, Digital Throttle, and Eric Peronnard, EPCN, for their help with organization, promotion, and all around everything!

From all of us at the TTC:

L to R: Alex Bedley, Charlie Roberts, Ashley Jackson, Catherine Bedley, Sadie Thompson, Dan Brown
L to R: Alex Bedley, Charlie Roberts, Ashley Jackson, Catherine Bedley, Sadie Thompson, Dan Brown

Enduro, Media coverage, TKO

Media coverage of the TKO

We’re compiling a list of media coverage of the Kenda Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro.  Here’s what we have so far:

Mike Brown, TKO winner - Cycle NewsCycle News

Dirt Rider

Some excerpts from the Dirt Rider article:

The weather was expectedly hot and sticky, and the brutally rocky terrain and dust made for a tricky course in and around the surrounding canyons and hills of the TTC. The format for the race was creative, with both a long loop and a shorter course being utilized to pre-select a field of amateur racers and narrow down the stacked field to 25, and then finally ten, top racers.

…

TKO6After multiple rounds of qualifiers, the TKO main event took place on the unbelievably difficult short course, which was approximately five minutes in length.

…

With ten laps of racing for the victory, the final was extremely hot, brutal and according to Brown “way tougher than an outdoor motocross national.”

…

Overall, the first-ever TKO was a huge success, and the buzz has already started about next year’s event

Other publications ran the press release of the results, including Trials and Enduro News, Dirt Bike, and Digital Offroad.

If you know of other coverage, let us know!