Jonny Walker has delivered a spectacular winning performance for Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team by dominating the proceedings at the inaugural Indoor Enduro of Champions event in Newcastle, England. Competing in his first event aboard the TF 250, Walker produced a commanding ride, showcasing both his skill and the bike’s capability, to top the result sheets in every race inside the Utilita Arena.
With Walker signing for Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team less than one month ago, the Indoor Enduro of Champions in Newcastle provided the perfect opportunity for the 33-year-old to make his competitive debut for the team. The Brit, who has been testing the TF 250 in the United States over recent weeks, wasted no time in demonstrating his speed on the technical obstacles laid out on the Utilita Arena floor.
Going fastest in time practice, Jonny then backed it up by dominating Superpole and securing first gate pick for the event’s three Prestige class finals. However, the start of race one didn’t all go his way. After getting caught up in the first rock garden, Walker found himself in third place behind Harry Edmondson and multiple world champion Steve Holcombe.
Taking his time and carefully choosing his lines, Jonny picked off the two competitors ahead of him before opening up a comfortable margin. Taking the chequered flag in style, over seven seconds ahead of second-placed Taddy Blazusiak, Jonny secured his first race win on the Triumph TF 250.
Race two was a carbon copy of the first. Managing his time and energy perfectly, Walker stayed out of trouble on the opening lap before increasing his pace on lap two to move into the lead. From there, the reigning AMA EnduroCross Champion controlled the race from the front, avoiding any trouble to make it two wins from two races.
Completing the hat-trick, Jonny delivered another masterclass of indoor enduro racing in race three. Although it took Jonny a little more time to pick his way through the chaos of the opening laps, the Englishman made his way through to the front and began opening up his lead.
Crossing the line with another win, Walker made it a perfect night in Newcastle with pole position and three race wins, which ensured a historic victory for Triumph on their first competitive enduro outing with the TF 250.
Jonny Walker: “I’m super happy with how the night has gone here in Newcastle. Obviously, we’ve only had a few weeks on the bike in total, and we’ve only really done a little suspension work in that time – we’ve not even touched the engine yet. The advantage of having a good team around you is massive and even in this short time we’ve set up a bike that can win races. There is still plenty of work to do, but we’re off to the best possible start. I’ve been testing a lot in America, but there’s no substitute for racing, and that’s why I flew back to the UK for the Indoor Enduro of Champions. I knew it would be a good race, and we’ve shown how competitive we are with three wins from three races, but we’ve learned a lot too, and that’s super important. The bike is so good, and the team have been great, I’m so excited now to look ahead to the future and what we can do together.”
Paul Edmondson – Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager: “It’s been a great day for Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team. What a debut for the bike, especially racing against the level of riders here at the Indoor Enduro of Champions. It’s been the perfect warm-up race for us here, and both Jonny and the bike have performed perfectly. From my point of view, it’s just work, work, work now. We’re already looking ahead to the first round of EnduroCross over in the States, and with that event, we’ll continue to develop the bike and fine-tune the whole package. I’m excited to head back to America as a team manager and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do as a team over there. For now, we’re provisionally just doing a couple of rounds, but it’s promises to be a really good test for the bike. Following that, of course, it’s back to Europe for SuperEnduro – definitely exciting times!”
Results – 2024 Indoor Enduro of Champions, Newcastle, UK
1. Jonny Walker (Triumph)
2. Taddy Blazusiak (Stark)
3. Brad Freeman (Beta)
Words and Images by Triumph Racing
