Claiming a career-first overall victory, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt has ended the 2018 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship as runner-up in the final championship standings. Delivering arguably the best performance of his career, series rookie Bolt raced his way to two wins from three starts at the final round of the championship in Sweden to secure the top step of the podium. 

Entering the fifth and final stop of this year’s SuperEnduro series in Lidköping on top form following a victory at last weekend’s British Extreme Enduro Championship, the Husqvarna rider was determined to end his first season of indoor enduro racing on a high.

Proving fast from the off, the 19-year-old put in a fantastic opening heat race to place a close second behind rival Taddy Blazusiak. Making the best of the reversed start order for heat two, Bolt put his FE 350 out front at the end of lap one. Despite slipping back to second on lap three, he continued to apply pressure on race leader Manuel Lettenbichler before retaking the lead with four laps to go. Upping his pace, he broke clear of the chasing pack to win by almost eight seconds. 

Knowing the chance of winning his first overall podium was within his grasp entering the third heat of the night, Bolt kept his composure and remained focused on the job in hand. Making a near-perfect start, the Husqvarna rider took control on lap one and was never headed, despite early pressure from Blazusiak. Going on to secure a comfortable margin of victory, Bolt claimed the top step of the podium while also ending the 2018 series as runner-up.

For out-going champion Colton Haaker, the final round of the championship in Sweden was another difficult outing. Starting things off positively with a third-place result in heat one, Haaker finished fourth in heat two. In contention for a possible podium result, numerous mistakes in heat three saw him finish seventh, dropping him back to sixth overall on the night.

With the 2018 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship complete, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team now look forward to the opening round of the World Enduro Super Series in Portugal May 11-13. 

Billy Bolt: “It’s been the perfect end to the series — winning my first round overall and then ending the championship as runner-up. I couldn’t ask for more than that, especially in my rookie season. Tonight was a great night and I felt my riding really came together to take the overall victory. We’ve worked tirelessly as a team to improve little by little and the end result has paid off with the top step of the podium here in Sweden. My speed wasn’t any better or worse than previous rounds, but my mistakes were fewer and that’s made the difference. I felt much more consistent in my riding and was able to handle the intensity better, taking two race wins tonight. Regards the final championship standings it was a shame for Taddy Blazusiak to have an issue like he did and it definitely swayed the end result in my favour, but I guess that’s the luck of racing sometimes. Finally, I just wanted to say a huge thanks to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for their support and belief in me to get this result.” 

Colton Haaker: “Overall, it’s just been a strange season for me in SuperEnduro. Finishing sixth overall tonight and fifth in the final standings is not the results I wanted to end my second consecutive title defence on. I need to take stock of how things went this season, of course they weren’t what I wanted but I need to look at why. Definitely starting the season coming off an injury wasn’t ideal but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. At every round I felt fast and my lap times were always strong. But through a combination of bad luck and situations out of my control, the results weren’t there to put together an overall result that I know I’m capable of.” 

Results — FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 5 

Prestige Class — Overall
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 57pts; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM) 41pts; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 40pts; 4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 39pts; 5. Cody Webb (KTM) 38pts; 6. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 34pts… 

Prestige Race 1
1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 10 laps, 7:22.231; 2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 7:26.764; 3. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 7:29.421; 4. Cody Webb (KTM) 7:32.650; 5. Jonny Walker (KTM) 7:50.702… 

Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:19.234; 2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 7:27.188; 3. Cody Webb (KTM) 7:40.248; 4. Jonny Walker (KTM) 7:55.227; 5. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 9 laps, 7:31.958… 

Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:12.810; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 7:27.718; 3. Jonny Walker 8:00.623; 4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 9 laps, 7:15.765; 5. Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha) 7:26.143… 7. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 7:57.784… 

2018 SuperEnduro World Championship Standings (Final) 

1. Cody Webb (KTM) 240pts; 2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 226pts; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 225pts; 4. Jonny Walker (KTM) 194pts; 5. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 180pts… 7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 105pts…

The post Billy Bolt Claims Rookie Season SuperEnduro Victory in Sweden appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

With some exciting racing over the five-round series, it was Webb and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak who were separated by 17-points going into the closing event of the championship. Blazusiak set a blistering pace for the Akrapovič SuperPole lap in qualifying and won the opening race of the night in impressive style, closing down on the points gap to fellow KTM-rider Webb and certainly turning up the heat on the championship battle.

Unfortunately, after an initial battle between the two contenders, a technical issue ruled Polish-star Blazusiak out of the second moto, and Webb took third position, which was enough to award the KTM-star the World Championship title with a race to spare aboard his KTM 350 EXC-F. On the night Jonny Walker finished runner-up on the podium and fourth in the standings, with six-time SuperEnduro World Champion Blazusiak, who only recently returned to racing following a short retirement, taking a podium third for third overall in the championship.

Adding the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship to his 2017 AMA EnduroCross title, American-ace Cody Webb is undisputedly the man to beat in indoor enduro. Despite a tough final round, the 29-year-old from Watsonville, California was overjoyed with his first ever world title.

For the KTM Factory Enduro riders all attention is now focused on the outdoor World Enduro Super Series championship (WESS), which combines a variety of enduro disciplines throughout the seven-event series, and kicks off with its opening round at the Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal on May 11.

Cody Webb: “I am so happy, I can’t tell you what this means to me. Of course, I feel bad for Taddy, he was riding really well tonight. The championship has been great and for it to come down to the wire shows how high the quality really is – I have so much respect for every single rider in this series. I was riding really tight tonight – I think because of my nerves – and Taddy was pushing so hard. He had some bad luck tonight, but I’ve had a couple of bad rounds too. After having a year out of racing in Europe, to come back and be World Champion is amazing – this is definitely the most important title I have won so far. After my riding tonight, I know there are still some things I have to work on so I’ll go away now, regroup and prepare for the WESS this summer.”

Fabio Farioli (KTM Enduro Team Manager): “It is great for KTM to take another SuperEnduro World Championship. It was a good championship for us and Cody (Webb) was consistently strong. In the first half of the series he certainly put the hammer down, and in the second half of the championship we saw a more conservative rider; he of course was then the target for all and it was not an easy position to be in. I’d like to congratulate Cody on his win, as this is certainly a special victory to add to his impressive achievements and it represents a lot of hard work from the team, from KTM and the success story of our KTM 350 EXC-F. It was unfortunate for Taddy (Blazusiak) in some respects; he also had some bad luck, and was very competitive this year, despite having some time out from competition. But this is racing, and it was great for us to see a real battle and the duo fighting for the title right until the last race of the season – of course, although I know he is disappointed, it was good for Taddy to take third in the championship in the end. Now we are looking forward to the forthcoming World Enduro Super Series, in which we expect some really exciting racing.”

Final Standings SuperEnduro 2018 after 5 of 5 rounds
1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 240 points
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 226 points
3. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 225 points
4. Jonny Walker (GBR), KTM, 194 points
5. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 180 points
Other KTM
6. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 171 points

The post FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Cody Webb Is The 2018 SuperEnduro World Champion appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Featuring reigning SuperEnduro World Champion Colton Haaker, last year’s runner-up Alfredo Gomez and promising rookie Billy Bolt, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing enter the five-round 2018 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship firmly focused on defending Husqvarna’s status as a key player in the prestigious indoor enduro series.

As for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker, the American returns to the series set on claiming the third World Championship title of his career. Recovering from a recent elbow injury, which stopped him from defending his AMA EnduroCross Championship, Colton is highly motivated and looking forward to a positive return to SuperEnduro competition.

“I love the SuperEnduro series and I’m really looking forward to the start of the coming series,” Haaker said. “Defending the SuperEnduro championship is going to be tough, but I am really motivated to give my best. It might not be ideal going into the championship following injury, but as long as everything goes to plan I should be in with a good chance of the title. With the series being spread out over a few months, I’m hoping to build momentum as time goes on, ready to challenge for the title during the closing rounds.”

Further strengthening the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team is 2017 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship runner-up Alfredo Gomez. Winning half of the rounds contested during last winter’s series, the TE 300i powered rider will be a favorite for race wins in the upcoming championship.

“I am excited about getting my SuperEnduro campaign started,” Gomez said. “Winning half of the rounds last year, I proved I can consistently fight for the title. I learned a lot during the championship last year, and I can’t wait to make use of that experience. I am also really happy to have Colton and Billy as my teammates. We have a strong team, and this gives some extra motivation to do well. Going into the championship my goal is clear–I want to start the season on a high in Poland and keep fighting for the World Championship all the way until the last round in Sweden.”

Completing the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing SuperEnduro team is 20-year-old Billy Bolt. Following a strong season of Hard Enduro competition, the young Brit is all-set to make his SuperEnduro debut aboard Husqvarna’s FE 350 machine.

“This is going to be my first season of SuperEnduro, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Bolt said. “I’ve been following the series for many years and always wanted to do it. I’ve been training hard and improving in every little detail. It’s good that there will be lots of good riders this year. I think we’re going to have some good battles and I can’t wait to be part of them. My goal going into Poland is to see where exactly I’m at so that I can then gradually improve. I am confident that after Poland I’ll know what to work on so that I can keep pushing and, all being well, challenge for podium results.”

Contested over five rounds in four different countries, the 2018 FIM Superenduro World Championship starts on December 9 in Krakow, Poland.

The post Rockstar Husqvarna: SuperEnduro World C’ship-Ready appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

ONTARIO, CA. (November 18, 2017)–Cody Webb took his sixth straight AMA EnduroCross main event win, this one inside the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The FMF KTM Factory Racing backed rider also earned his third AMA EnduroCross championship in four seasons. RPM KTM-backed Ty Tremaine put up a good fight and finished second on the night. And Team SRT’s Cory Graffunder finished the season strong with a third.

The Super EnduroCross Junior championship, a championship within a championship, recognizes Super EnduroCross riders twenty-one and under; Team SRT’s Trystan Hart held off Tremaine to take the title by a single point. The two also finished second and third respectively in the overall championship.

In the Women’s class, Canada’s Shelby Turner, took her second championship in a row. The Canadian won five of the seven races and finished second in the two races she did not win.

Webb started the night with the fastest hot lap during the afternoon and then also took the win in the gate pick qualifier. Tremaine was second in the hot laps and kept Webb honest with a second-place finish in the qualifier. Cooper Abbott held off Hart for third in the gate pick qualifier.

The gate pick qualifier also determines the match ups for the bracket races and the final came down to Webb and Tremaine. Tremaine put up a good fight, but Webb managed to take the lead out of the first turn and take the win.

Webb did not get a great jump to start the main event but managed to take the lead through the first obstacle, the challenging wood pit. Webb led most of the first lap but then went down in the rock pile and dropped back to sixth position. Webb quickly worked up to third behind Tremaine and Kyle Redmond, but stayed there until the sixth lap when he passed Redmond and Tremaine, who took the No Joke lane. Once in the lead, Webb pushed hard to open enough of a gap to hold the lead when he took the No Joke lane, which he finally did on lap twelve of fourteen. Webb executed it perfectly to hold the lead and take the win.

Tremaine held a relatively close second and finished eleven seconds behind Webb. He also finished third in the championship for the second year in a row, but was a little disappointed to lose out on second position by a single point.

Graffunder put in another great race to take third away from Redmond on the final lap. Redmond held second for the first nine laps, then dropped to third and lost one more position when he took the No Joke lane on the final lap. GasGas backed Noah Kepple rode a steady race to finish fifth, matching his best finish of the season.

Mason Ottersberg rode his Yamaha to a sixth-place finish, a career best. Hart had his worst finish of the season in seventh after a crash pushed him back into the field. Spain’s Joan Pau Segura finished eighth on his GasGas. Ty Cullins finished ninth on a Beta and Geoff Aaron rounded out the top ten on his GasGas.

Cooper Abbott, Jordan Ashburn, Wally Palmer, Eric Rhoten and Gary Sutherlin finished eleventh through fifteenth respectively. For Ashburn, it was only his second ever EnduroCross and for Sutherlin, the 2017 WORCS and AMA Hare & Hound champion, it was his first EnduroCross in several years.

Cody Webb, 1st.:
“The race wasn’t the most stressful race of the year but I sure made it hard on myself. I got a great start and went into the rocks and the bike just disappeared out of my hands. From there I just wanted to be patient and smart and was going fast through the wood pit and the same thing happened and I ricocheted out of the wood pit almost to the concrete. At that point I just paced off Ty Tremaine and Kyle Redmond who were right there and tried not to go crazy. I got past Kyle and then past Ty when he went through the No Joke lane. But right after that, again, I hit a rock or something in the dirt on a flat corner and tucked the front end—almost going down again! Luckily I fought through it all and had a good enough lead that I could take the No Joke and get the win.”

“It’s awesome to get the championship back again. It was a really good year for me. We did a lot of good work with the team and I was just more prepared this year. I’m looking forward to doing it again next year now that we have a great setup and I already have some ideas to fine tune it a little bit more.”

Ty Tremaine, 2nd:
“Tonight was so good. I’ve been struggling with starts all year and I think this is the first race where I’ve started inside the top 10. It was good to finally get out there early. I was right behind Webb and my plan was to just stay with him as long as I could. Then he went down and I took the lead and ran up front for a while. I went through the No Joke lane and Webb got around me, but I think I came out in third or something, which wasn’t bad. I ended up getting around Redmond for second and held on to the finish. I’m super happy with how I ended the season.”

Cory Graffunder, 3rd:
“Well, the night was horrible. The first race of the night was really bad and that gave me a bad gate pick for the main. But, I somehow managed to get a pretty decent start from the outside and worked my way through the carnage through the first couple obstacles and corners and think I came out in fourth! That put me in a good place to push forward. I charged the whole race as Trystan (Hart) was pressuring me the whole race and that kept me moving forward. Coming into the last lap, Redmond took the No Joke Lane and I had no idea he hadn’t taken it already. So, once he went in there I thought, ‘That’s it, this is third!’ and I just pushed through the last couple turns and crossed the line in third.”

2017 Ontario, California AMA EnduroCross main event results:
1. Cody Webb, KTM
2. Ty Tremaine, KTM
3. Cory Graffunder, Husqvarna
4. Kyle Redmond, Husqvarna
5. Noah Kepple, GasGas
6. Mason Ottersberg, Yamaha
7. Trystan Hart, Husqvarna
8. Joan Pau Segura, GasGas
9. Ty Cullins, Beta
10. Geoff Aaron, GasGas
11. Cooper Abbott, Yamaha
12. Jordan Ashburn, Beta
13. Wally Palmer, KTM
14. Eric Rhoten, Yamaha
15. Gary Sutherlin, Yamaha

Shelby Turner took the Women’s class win on her KTM. Kacy Martinez rode her KTM to second and Tarah Gieger piloted her Honda to third. This was the same order for the 2017 AMA EnduroCross Championship in the class.

Destry Abbott took the Vet class win to lock up a perfect season on his Purvines DA8 Yamaha. Some have questioned why he has not competed in the pro class, but he is still undergoing Chemo treatments and said the fatigue is too much to compete at the top level. Dan Hayakawa finished second and David Stirm finished third. Abbott, Stirm and Hayakawa finished the Vet championship in first, second and third respectively.

In the Amateur class, Josh Greco took the Ontario win on his KTM. David Kamo, a fellow KTM rider, finished second and Kevin Dupius rounded out the podium on his Husqvarna. Dupius took the Amateur championship over Greco. Carter York rounded out the top three in the Amateur class championship.

In the Amateur B class, Jared Prosser took the win on his Yamaha. James Flynn rode a Husqvarna to second and Dan Hayakawa rounded out the podium on his Husqvarna.

Anthony Johnson won the TrialsCross main event. Richard Larsen and Kyle Larsen took second and third respectively.

The Ontario event also had two special classes for the local AMA District 37 racers. Brad Goolsby took the win in the Pro Invitational. Jordan Gamboa and Travis Damon finished second and third. In the District 37 Amateur race, Hayden Hintz took a close win over Jordan Gamboa. Ryan Kudla finished third.

Complete results can be found at http://endurocross.escoremx.com/class.asp?s=&c=&e=89

The post Cody Webb Takes 2017 AMA Endurocross Title appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

IRVINE, CALIF. (November 17, 2017) —Gary Sutherlin, the 2017 WORCS and National Hare & Hound champion and Jordan Ashburn, one of the top AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series racers will both cross over to test their skills at the AMA EnduroCross season finale this weekend.

The final round of the AMA EnduroCross series will take place in Ontario, California this Saturday, November 18, and these two riders will jump into the deep end of Super EnduroCross class.

Sutherlin, a Montana native that now lives in California, has had a great season already with two major championships. He was a regular EnduroCross rider for several years before changing his focus to chase other championships. The Purvines DA8 Yamaha rider has had little time to practice EnduroCross, so he will be digging deep into his memory bank to shoot for a good result in Ontario.

Ashburn is a Tennessee native who has raced the GNCC series for several years. With the support of Beta USA, Ashburn put in several top five GNCC XC1 class finishes in 2017. He also took multiple wins in the Full Gas Sprint Enduro series and finished second in the championship. This will be Ashburn’s second ever EnduroCross race, but he is motivated to learn quickly and earn a spot in the Super EnduroCross main event.

These two riders will join a stacked field of EnduroCross regulars that always put on a great show. The pits are open to the public all day and there will be a Pit Party starting at 5:00 pm. You can get up close to meet the riders and see their bikes. Opening ceremonies will start at 7:30 pm.

The Ontario EnduroCross will also include a Friday night Destry Abbott, DA8 training session on the track. The two-hour EnduroCross training session is very hands-on, with several of the top pro riders assisting Destry in providing instruction on how to tackle the obstacles. The class is open to all riders (even those not competing at the Ontario event). For the $100 entry fee, participants will learn how to tackle the difficult obstacles found on tough trails and EnduroCross tracks. The training session will be limited to 20 entries.

EnduroCross has a class for everyone with Amateur, Vet, TrialsCross, Women’s and Super EnduroCross (Pro) classes. And for 2017, there is an Amateur B Main, which allows more riders to make it into the night show.

Riders can enter to race and/or the Destry Abbott training session at https://secure.tracksideprereg.com/endurocross/

The post Sutherlin, Ashburn to Contest AMA EnduroCross Finale appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Not many people really know the world of dirt bike racing. Less care at all. For instance, the underground racing circuit we now know as the AMA National EnduroCross Series is, even to the motorcycling community, an underappreciated endeavor. So much so that champions on an international level are presented, within the glamorous confines of a spotlight, to speckled rows of seats more empty than full. They know their circumstance and are gracious despite it. Athletes who dedicate their lives to succeeding in a sport which most Americans don’t know exist. Like the underground prize fighter – passionate and determined and poor.

Our hero started strong. Practice was the first test and Geoff Chain, nervous as he was, sailed past formidable riders by the boat-load. Not bad for two weeks’ notice. Justin Coffey – co-creator of the multi-media company WESTx1000 – got the call. Then he called Matt Scott who then called his brother-in-law Geoff, the only capable Trials racer we collectively knew. There were new opportunities in EnduroCross with the coming of new owners and a new season. And we, Geoff and the WESTx1000 team, were on the ground floor ready to hit the penthouse.

It was a good opportunity for Geoff as a rider to grow. And WESTx1000 as team to come to fruition. So, we jumped at the offer to send a local dirt track enthusiast to try their luck, and test their lungs, against every range of rider. Plus, he’d been itching to hop on an EnduroCross track, never thinking the inaugural tournament would be among the Big Boys, in a full-size arena… “in two Saturdays.” The Amateur and Vet classes are seeded with pro-level talent. The Average Joe often better a lawn ornament than a contender.

Because still, however good, you’re not as good as the really good guys. Even the best of the average is chum floating in dark sharky waters. Geoff is associated with the AJ’s, not by choice or merit. He’s got gumption, but nonetheless, he’s chum. And knowing that, Geoff said yes anyway, proving to his friends and loved-ones once and for all that his balls are in fact bigger than his brains. Kudos. Geoff’s a seasoned mountain biker, AMRA competitor and, of course, trials rider. His day job keeps him braaping along the Arizona backcountry as a GID and Remote Sensing Technician–whatever that means.

And now, he was looking for a challenge. Somehow he finished seventh out of 13 from dead last at the Amateur Qualifying round, one away from being plucked and placed into the Amateur Open Main–the last obstacle to overcome before riding with the pros in the Super EndurCross main event. His second wave (the LCQ), well, it was mayhem out there. Bikes and bodies lay in front of him like Mayan slaves draping over the dirt and mud to keep the pristine sandaled tootsies of their golden Prince immaculate. But the combo of man and machine shoved between rocks and slumped over logs, coming from here… There… Everywhere! was cumbersome and bulky. And the riders were less than appreciative when tread would stamp their limbs.

It looked like a slaughterhouse and until now, after several grueling waves, Geoff had gingerly lifted and spun his YZ250. But this round, he was exhausted. Enduro is aptly named. Because endurance is the true key to success on an amateur level. That, or maybe four Baja 1000 titles, an ISDE podium and some notable stints in motocross. This round, Geoff didn’t do so hot. A nut slap on the first lap sealed his fate,

“I swear this is the reason cups were invented!” he said.

Luckily, under new management and a smattering of Hard Enduro visionaries, EnduroCross welcomed idiots like Geoff and his comrades to the starting line every race this season to aim high again and again. Each time a slightly different course–a different pace. This track was fast. It was more geared toward the big air junkies. And those who could take advantage did. Geoff’s a technical guy. He maneuvers the dreaded log “Matrix” like an English gentleman stepping over fallen peasants. The precarious rock piles have a hard time tipping him over, as they intend to. Though it doesn’t hurt his inseam is 38-inches. To add to the debauchery, some genius in the Fun Department added bracket racing to the mix so we can witness even more rivalry with three-man and one-on-one single lap shoot outs. Again, mayhem. You’ll never see such a pissed off pro rider so up-close. There’s no one to conceal his frustrations.

EnduroCross, like I’ve said about Rally Raid (Flat Track is too popular these days to include), is an unsung hero of a sport. Tractor tires loom like castle walls waiting to be scaled. Heaps of boulders, big and small, especially followed by a wet log or two, produce the best view in the house. Conquering riders better than all of us. Literally, all of us. The familiar MX style jumps and whoops bounce and buck and launch the men and women in a way most Americans understand. Even the start is exciting. A swarm of hungry dirt bikes buzz around corner one, fighting for a clear line. Position is key. And many eat shit. And those who lead the pack tend to own the pack, so the wasps must dominate the bumble bees in what looks like 50 feet.

Colton Haaker and Cody Webb battled all-out for first from Practice to Main. According to the crowd, Haaker had pulled a slick and jeer-worthy move on Webb in Qualifying. A move that clinched first and secured him ‘boos’ with every podium speech. Long-story short, Webb had snuck into first and an aggressive Haaker gave him a close shave from the inside of a shifty berm. It led to a crash [Webb’s] and the aforementioned ‘boos’ [Haaker]. Evermore reason to watch EnduroCross. It’s intimate. We can see the entire track at one time. The track can make an absolute animal like Destry Abbott look greenhorn. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. Done “right,” the course looks easy. Like a ballerina with her graceful prose.

Geoff had outdone his expectations, though his heavy old Yamaha and lack of proper training took him out of the race sooner than he’d hoped. What he and the team learned from this experience was invaluable. Jumping into a competition of this caliber may tell a good story, but it takes a toll on a grassroots competitor, his gear, the bike…

But it didn’t break his spirit. Months have passed, and he still recalls those arduous moments. What he could have done different–training, prepping, using gadgets and a machine better suited for the task. He talks about the race not with disappointment, but with hope for the future. To show respect to the many demands of EnduroCross and homage to those who spend their lives pursuing this passion. Giving himself a year to become ready for the 2018 season. The only real obstacle he’s not well-equipped to overcome is funding, which is what WESTx1000 is so adamant to obtain on his behalf. Maybe for Geoff, racing EnduroCross won’t become a career or lucrative, or maybe he’ll never even qualify for a Main Event. But what’s certain is his love for an unlikely sport. One which revealed his limits as well as his strengths. An event that offered him new goals. Forging a romance, to quote Kate from Titanic, he’ll “never let go.”

The post WESTx1000’s EnduroCross Amateur Hour, a Grassroots Perspective appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Webb took the win in the Super EnduroCross gate pick qualifier to get the night show started off right. His only problem was that he smashed his fingers on a course marker and was concerned about how that might affect his grip as the night wore on. The SRT Racing backed trio of Kyle Redmond, Cory Graffunder and Hart finished second, third and fourth respectively. In addition to the main event gate picks, this race sets the match ups for the bracket races.

The top 12 riders face off in the single lap brackets races, and the crowd was treated to a great show in the second round when Hart beat Webb to the first turn and the two battled all the way to the finish with Webb making contact to push Hart out and take the win. That put Webb in the final against Redmond and Webb, again, took the win for his second bonus point of the evening.

The short start straight made for a hectic first turn during the Scottsdale EnduroCross main event, and Webb came away with the lead. He was closely followed by Hart and those two had a race of their own for the win. Hart kept Webb honest for most of the main but started to lose touch and ultimately finished nineteen seconds behind Webb. For Webb, it was his fourth straight win, and he opened a large lead in the championship due to Colton Haaker missing the Scottsdale event due to injury.

“I still want to charge hard, and it is a bummer Colton could not be here because we were putting on a good show for the fans,” Webb said. “In the main, I really wanted to sprint right away, but then Hart kept holding the gap the same, so everyone is stepping it up.”

The Scottsdale EnduroCross marked Hart’s third podium in five races and he took over second from the absent Haaker in the series points standings.

“I really wanted to get second since the last race was a big confidence boost,” Hart said. “I didn’t get the greatest start but tucked into inside in the first two turns and came out with second. I could see that Ty was staying close the whole way and I’m just happy that I was able to get back up here for second again.”

The battle for third was intense as Redmond held the spot early but he was passed by a charging Tremaine on lap three. Tremaine finished lap one in seventh, so his podium finish was an impressive result. Redmond held on for fourth and Graffunder put in a good ride to round out the top five.

“I had a bad start, mid pack and just put my head down and fought for it on those first few laps,” Tremaine said. “I tried to chase Trystan down but he was riding really good. I have been working really hard and I am really happy with third.”

Spain’s Joan Pau Segura rode his GasGas to sixth position. Fellow GasGas rider, Noah Kepple, moved to seventh after completing lap one in eleventh position. A broken foot peg in the qualifier race put him on row two for the main event. Beta’s Max Gerston and Ty Cullins finished in eighth and ninth. Cooper Abbott rounded out the top ten on his Purvines DA8 Yamaha.

Eric Rhoten, Spenser Wilton, Wally Palmer, Quinn Wentzel and Geoff Aaron rounded out the Scottsdale Endurocross main event finishers in 11th to 15th respectively.

Webb now has a 28-point lead over Hart, who took over second from Haaker. Haaker held onto third but will likely miss the remainder of the season. Redmond and Tremaine round out the top five.

Shelby Turner took her fourth win of the season in the Women’s main event on her KTM. The defending women’s EnduroCross champion finished ahead of Beta’s Morgan Tanke and KTM’s Kacy Martinez.

Destry Abbott, an Arizona native, took another Vet class win on his Purvines DA8 Yamaha. David Stirm rode his Husqvarna to another solid second place and Jason Gitchel finished a close third on his KTM.

Josh Greco took his first ever Open Amateur class win on a KTM. Kevin Dupuis finished second on his Husqvarna and Zane Roberts rounded out the podium on a Kawasaki.

In the Amateur B class, Shelby Turner took the win prior to taking the Women’s class win later in the evening. Alec Peronnard (Kawasaki) and Noah Tidball (Yamaha) rounded out the podium.

Brian Stull took the TrialsCross main event win. Cole Cherick and Shaun Stuck took second and third respectively.

Round six of the 2017 AMA EnduroCross series will take place inside the Ford Idaho Center in Boise, Idaho, on Saturday, November 4.

2017 AMA EnduroCross Series
WestWorld of Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Results: October 28, 2017 (Round 5 of 7)

Pro Main
1. Cody Webb-KTM
2. Trystan Hart-Hus
3. Ty Tremaine-KTM
4. Kyle Redmond-Hus
5. Cory Graffunder-Hus
6. Joan Pau Segura-GG
7. Noah Kepple-GG
8. Max Gerston-Bet
9. Ty Cullins-Bet
10. Cooper Abbott-Yam
11. Eric Rhoten-Yam
12. Spenser Wilton-Hon
13. Wally Palmer-KTM
14. Quinn Wentzel-Hus
15. Geoff Aaron-GG

Complete results can be found at http://endurocross.escoremx.com/class.asp?s=&c=&e=87

The post Scottsdale EnduroCross Results: Webb Grabs Fourth Straight Win appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker will be relinquishing his fight for the 2017 Endurocross Championship. Due to an injury sustained at the beginning of the Endurocross season, Haaker will undergo a minor surgery to remove the bursa sac in his elbow and clean up the remnants of an existing staph infection. Doctors are unsure of the recovery time needed, but Haaker stated “I am looking to be 100% in time to defend my 2017 SuperEnduro World Championship title.”

The bursa is a sac filled with lubricating fluid, located between such tissues  as bone, muscle, tendons, and skin. The fluid is effectively a cushion that decreases rubbing, friction, and irritation of the skin over these tissues.

Haaker got off to a good defense of his AMA EnduroCross crown at the series opener in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he won the main event after a bar-banging battle with former series champion Cody Webb. However, since then the Husqvarna man has had a tough time finding the top of the podium again. Haaker grabbed the early lead at round two of the series in Reno, Nevada, only to crash and drop back into the pack. He would fight his way through to third place. He once again struggled at round three in Denver, Colorado, although he improved to second place while Webb streaked to his second consecutive round win. At round four in Everett, Washington, Haaker ran second for much of the main event, but the decision to wait until the final lap to take the joker lane dropped him back to third place behind winner Webb and runner-up Trystan Hart.

The post Colton Haaker Out of AMA EnduroCross Series appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

SRT Off-Road-backed Trystan Hart finished a strong second to back up his round one podium and fourth consecutive top five. Rockstar Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker had a tough main event with a costly crash on lap one but managed to come back to finish third.

The top 13 Super EnduroCross riders earned their way into the gate pick qualifier, and Haaker took the win to earn a bonus point. He had a back-and-forth battle with Webb, and just when it appeared that Webb was going to take the top spot, he went down in the river rock section to allow Haaker to take over the lead and win.

The bracket race groups the top 12 riders into single lap head-to-head battles until the final two riders face off. For the fourth consecutive race, Webb and Haaker faced off in the bracket final. Haaker got the jump on the start but Webb made an aggressive pass in the rock pile to take over the lead and held Haaker off to the finish. This gave Webb a bonus point to offset the one Haaker got in the qualifier.

The start of the Everett EnduroCross main event was chaotic as Haaker did a nose wheelie into the first turn when he locked bars with another rider. Hart came out of turn one with the lead ahead of Spain’s Joan Pau Segura and Webb. Haaker’s bad start put him deep into the pack and then he crashed in the wood pit on lap one to drop to the back of the fifteen-rider field.

Hart led the first lap and then Webb worked his way past both Segura and Hart on lap three to take the lead. Webb and Hart both took the joker lane early in the race and held onto the top two spots. This allowed Webb to ride off to his third win in four races.

“I struggled with my starts all day today, and my face was riding Colton’s rear tire going into the first turn,” Webb said. “I am not sure if we locked bars, but he was doing a stoppie. “I tried to put in strong laps because I did not know what was going on with Colton and I know he rides strong all the way to end. It is great to get another win.”

Hart held second until Haaker passed him on lap eleven but Haaker had not yet taken the joker lane setting up a tense final three laps. Haaker waited until the final lap to take the joker lane and Hart stayed close enough to take second back on the final turn.

“This is kind of my home race since it is closest to my house in Canada,” Hart said. “It was so great to have so many of those fans and family come down here to cheer me on. And I got the holeshot and led for a little bit. I knew that Colton had not taken the joker lane yet when he passed me so I stayed as close as possible and got him back on the last lap.”

Haaker said that his third-place finish was the result of having to pass too many riders.

“I was down in the firewood section and stuck in somebody’s bike,” Haaker said. “I got a good start and when I put the brakes on I hooked handlebars with somebody and that put me into a nose wheelie. I rode the best I could and it wouldn’t have mattered (if I took the joker lane earlier).”

Cory Graffunder put in his best result of the season to take fourth position despite sitting in fourteenth at the end of lap one. The tall Canadian thrives on tough tracks and this one fit the bill. Ty Tremaine rounded out the top five on his RPM KTM and he too had to recover from a bad first lap that saw him in 11th.

Beta’s Max Gerston finished sixth while riding with some injuries sustained in a crash just four weeks before. Cooper Abbott rode his Purvines DA8 Yamaha to seventh. A crash pushed him back from a battle for fifth. Kyle Redmond rode his SRT Husqvarna to eighth. GasGas backed Noah Kepple finished ninth after a terrible start. Wally Palmer rounded out the top ten on his SRT backed KTM.

Ty Cullins, Tyler Kinkade, Cody Miller, Quinn Wentzel and Segura finished 11th to 15th respectively. Segura rode in third for half the race and looked solid until he broke a chain.
Webb opened a ten-point lead over Haaker (101 to 91) with three events remaining. Hart holds third with 78, Redmond is fourth with 69 and Tremaine is fifth with 66 points.

Canada’s Shelby Turner took her third win of the season in the Women’s class. This was perhaps her easiest win yet as she led every lap despite one tip over in one of the tricky rock turns. Beta’s Morgan Tanke came out on top of a great battle with KTM’s Kacy Martinez to take second. Martinez had crashed on lap one and recovered to nearly take second.

Destry Abbott took another Vet class win on his Purvines, DA8 Yamaha at the Everett EnduroCros. Canadian Stephen Foord finished second on his Beta and local rider Bill Baldwin rounded out the podium on his KTM. Joel Tonsgard, another Washington local took the Open Amateur main event win on his Beta. Shane Culbertson rode a solid race to take second on his Husqvarna and Kevin Dupuis rounded out the podium on his Husqvarna.

In the Everett EnduroCross Amateur B class, Ryan Middleton took the win on his Kawasaki. Max rokosh (Yamaha) and Nick Buechler (KTM) rounded out the podium.
Anthony Johnson took another TrialsCross main event win. Jake Lackie and Ronald Ringuette, both Washington residents rounded out the podium.

2017 AMA EnduroCross Series
XFINITY Arena
Everett, Washington
Results: October 14, 2017 (Round 4 of 7)

Pro Main
1. Cody Webb-KTM
2. Trystan Hart-Hus
3. Colton Haaker-Hus
4. Cory Graffunder-Hus
5. Ty Tremaine-KTM
6. Max Gerston-Bet
7. Cooper Abbott-Yam
8. Kyle Redmond-Hus
9. Noah Kepple-GG
10. Wally Palmer-KTM
11. Ty Cullins-Bet
12. Tyler Kinkade-KTM
13. Cody Miller-Kaw
14. Quinn Wentzel-Hus
15. Joan Pau Segura-GG

Complete results can be found HERE.

The post 2017 Everett EnduroCross Results: Webb Wins Again, Haaker Third appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

DENVER, CO (September 30, 2017)–FMF KTM’s Cody Webb came into Denver with serious momentum. After a hard-fought win at round two in Reno, Webb rolled into Denver—the city that witnessed his career’s first main event qualification and victory—and he used confidence and some crafty strategy to take an exciting win to stay in front of a charging Colton Haaker on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Maxxis RPM KTM’s Ty Tremaine raced smart and smooth to finish third—his first podium of the season.

The night’s main event came after a stack of qualifying races entertained the crowd inside the National Western Complex. The top thirteen Super EnduroCross racers made their way into a gate pick qualifier where Webb began his winning run. He took the win over Haaker and SRT’s Trystan Hart—who grabbed the podium spot after a last-lap pass over teammate Kyle Redmond.

That qualifier race not only awards Super EnduroCross riders their gate pick order, but it also seeds the racers into the exciting Bracket Races—one-lap sprints that put the top 12 riders in head-to-head battles until the final two riders face off. Once again, Webb and Haaker advanced to the Bracket finals where Haaker gritted his teeth for a clean win.

Haaker came into the event questionable to race, at best. An infection in his elbow has kept him under medical care for the week, and it wasn’t until Friday that he knew he’d make the trip to Denver’s race. While his pace seemed strong, it was clear the injury was affecting him.

When the gate dropped for the main event, SRT’s Redmond took the Holeshot for the second week in a row with Webb, Tremaine, and Haaker tightly in tow. The top four quickly pulled a gap to fifth and by the end of lap one Webb had moved by Redmond in the turn between the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Rock Garden. Webb almost immediately pulled a gap that would be hard to close.

Behind Redmond in second, Haaker made a move into third past Tremaine and in lap two the top five were Webb, Redmond, Haaker, Tremaine and Purvines Racing DA8’s Cooper Abbot out to a great start sitting in fifth.

By the third lap, Haaker had moved into second position after a Matrix bobble by Redmond, but the defending champion was nearly 11 seconds behind race leader Webb. Redmond and Tremaine stayed tight in third and fourth with Hart charging from a few mistakes to keep the top three in sight.

Lap four saw the race settle into its own as Tremaine moved by Redmond and stayed in third the entire race. Redmond’s teammate Hart moved into fifth on the same lap. From here, there were no changes in the top three until lap 10.

The first No Joke Lane move by the top racers came on lap seven when Tremaine made it cleanly, and without loosing a position, through the challenging short lane that each rider in the main event must do once. Webb would take his turn on lap nine, allowing Haaker to catch up and latch on to the front-runner. Here, Haaker put on a charge and caught and passed Webb. Webb returned the favor on the same lap with a good move inside the rock turn. In the following straight, Haaker moved inside and Webb held up, deciding to let Haaker have the line instead of bumping through the sand turn. Webb continued to race behind Haaker for another two laps until Haaker had to take the No Joke Lane. The move allowed Webb to get by on the main track with a five second lead over Haaker—enough to keep him in the lead to the checkers.

Webb now holds a five point lead in the championship points over Haaker.

“It was a great race,” Webb said. “The No Joke Lane finally paid off in a race. It took three races for it to make a difference in the final outcome. I had a good start and got into the lead quickly and built that gap. I was actually kind of gaping Colton but when I took the No Joke Lane, I could tell the fire lit up in him. I had a few issues with lappers and I got splashed in the water so bad I couldn’t see out of my left eye. Colton passed me and I had to just let him get by and do all the hard work. He was pushing really hard at the end. I gave him one block pass since I was there and checked up in the next corner because I knew he’d give it right back. A couple small mistakes I wish I could take away but overall, I’m really glad strategy worked out for me. That college degree finally paid off.”

Haaker held on for second.

“This is my third race and my third injury as I’ve come into each race this season with something,: Haaker said. “I was lucky and happy to be here as I didn’t 100% commit until even Friday morning before my flight. Today in practice I felt it out and adrenaline kicked in and I was alright for the most part. I’m glad we have a break before Everett so I can get a full recovery. I had a good result considering and I had to get a good ride in here. I’m looking forward to Everett.”

Tremaine stayed in third.

“It was a good race,” Tremaine said. “I struggled the last couple weeks and had a practice crash that set me back so I’ve been kind of just throwing it back to basics and getting back to where I was riding at the end of last season. Tonight I got out front early and held the pace the whole time and it felt great to finally be up front with these guys and end up on the podium.”

Fourth place went to Trystan Hart after he passed his teammate on lap 11. GasGas’ Noah Kepple rode a solid race from a poor start, going from 13^th to sixth by the end. Another GasGas rider, Spain’s John Pau Segura charged from 10^th to seventh and Geoff Aaron, on yet another GasGas, finished in eighth after racing as high as sixth. Cooper Abbott finished inside the top 10 in ninth after starting in fifth. SRT-backed Husqvarna pilot Cory Graffunder rounded out the top 10.

In the Women’s class, Kacy Martinez took her FMF KTM to the top step of the podium after an intense battle with JCR Honda’s Tarah Geiger and defending champion Shelby Turner. Beta’s Morgan Tanke got into the mix as well during the main with the final podium rounding out with Geiger taking second and Turner finishing third. The entire field was mixed up at multiple points in the race making it an exciting race.

In the Vet class, Destry Abbott, took his third win in a row and was joined on the podium by David Stirm in second, for the second time in a row, and Derek Raycraft, from Colorado, taking third in his home-state race.

Kevin Dupius took the Open Amateur class win on his Husqvarna for the second race in a row. Josh Greco came in second and James Flynn grabbed third.

In the Amateur B class, Alec Peronnard took his first win in front of Tanner Killmer. Cole Wilton brought home third.

In Trialcross, the young guns stole the show with 14-year old Elliot Key, 14-year old Anthony Johnson and 16-year old Nigel Parker going 1-2-3.

2017 AMA EnduroCross Series
National Western Complex
Denver, Colorado
Results: September 30, 2017 (Round 3)

Pro Main
1. Cody Webb-KTM
2. Colton Haaker-Hus
3. Ty Tremaine-KTM
4. Trystan Hart-Hus
5. Kyle Redmond-Hus
6. Noah Kepple-GG
7. Joan Pau Segura-GG
8. Geoff Aaron-GG
9. Cooper Abbott-Yam
10. Cory Graffunder-Hus
11. Mason Ottersberg-Yam
12. Wally Palmer-KTM
13. Mitch Carvolth-KTM
14. Max Gerston-Bet
15. Austin Schiermeister-Hon

Complete results can be found at http://endurocross.escoremx.com/class.asp?s=5&c=all&e=84

The post 2017 Denver EnduroCross Results: Webb Strikes Again appeared first on Dirt Bikes.