Colton Haaker scored an important win at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho. Photography Lyttleton Carter
Rockstar Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker scored a hard-earned come-from-behind win at the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series round in Nampa, Idaho, November 7. And when we mean come from behind, we really mean from way behind. Haaker recovered from a first-lap fall that put him in dead last, but the Husky rider, who is very much in contention for the 2015 title, dropped the hammer and worked his way up through the pack.
Late in the race, Haaker caught race leader (and points leader) Cody Webb, on the FMF/RPM/Team Maxxis KTM, and made the pass for the lead that he kept to the finish.
Webb, knowing a second-place finish would still keep him somewhat comfortably ahead of Haaker in the race for the championship with one round to go, didn’t put up much of a fight at the end, not wanting to risk a fall on what was another challenging EnduroCross track.
Haaker took the win ahead of Webb, while FMF KTM’s Taylor Robert out-dueled Rockstar Husqvarna’s Mike Brown for third place. (Brown dropped a few positions right at the end and finished out the race in seventh.)
With one round to go in two weeks in Ontario, California, Webb still controls the championship with a 10-point lead over Haaker, but when it comes to EnduroCross racing, the reality is that the race for the title is far from over.
KTM rider Cory Graffunder and Beta’s Kyle Redmond rounded out the top five overall.
The Women’s class was another great battle with multiple lead changes and back-and-forth racing courtesy of a fast class and a challenging track. Rachel Gutish took the win after Sandra Gomez grabbed the holeshot and led early in the first lap. After five laps of racing, Gomez finished up in second with defending champion Lexi Pechout rounding out the top three.
The women’s points are tight heading into the final round with a one-point margin separating Sandra Gomez from Rachel Gutish.
2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series
Ford Idaho Center
Nampa, Idaho
Results: November 7, 2015
MAIN EVENT
1. Colton Haaker (Hus)
2. Cody Web (KTM)
3. Taylor Robert (KTM)
4. Cory Graffunder (KTM)
5. Kyle Redmond (Beta)
6. Max Gerston (Beta)
7. Mike Brown (Hus)
8. Ty Tremaine (KTM)
9. Tyrstan Hart (Hus)
10. Wyatt Hart (Hus)
