Cycle News Staff | August 28, 2016
Colton Haaker fired the first shot in the 2016 AMA EnduroCross Championship. The Husqvarna rider took the opening-round win at the Infinite Energy Arena in Deluth, Georgia, August 27.
The championship welcomed back five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Taddy Blazusiak who took a year off from racing in the U.S., but even he couldn’t stop Haarker, nor Cody Webb, who finished out the evening in second place. Blazusiak rounded out the podium in third.
Colton Haaker Wins Atlanta EnduroCross Opener
(Left to right) Defending champ Cody Webb, winner Colton Haaker and Taddy Blazusiak celebrate on the Georgia podium at the Atlanta AMA EnduroCross Opener. Photography by Future7Media
All three riders won their respective heat races, though Haaker was docked a position (and lost the heat-race-win point that went with it) for re-entering the track at the wrong spot after a short, mistake-induced detour off the racecourse. Haaker earned that point back, however, after winning the Hot Lap later in the evening.
In the single Main event, Blazusiak nailed the $500 Nexen Tire Holeshot Award on his Red Bull KTM but lost the lead to Haaker on the second lap. A few laps later, Blazusiak bobbled in a rock pile section, giving way to both Webb (FMF KTM) and Max Gerson (Beta).
From the second lap, one Haaker dominated the race and kept the mistakes to a minimum. At one point, he held a seven-second lead over Webb but backed it off a bit on the last lap to take the win by three second over Webb.
Blazusiak make a late-race pass on Gerston to take third.
Gerston held to take fourth ahead of Mike Brown (Husqvarna).
“First place, first round so it is a good start to the season,” said Haaker. “When it comes to the main, I know how to get it done. I proved that at SuperEnduro and I want to be champion here.”
“It was a positive start to the season,” Webb said. “I gave it my all to try to reel him [Haaker] in but I had a few bad laps that allowed him to gap me but second is good and we will move forward.”
Blazusiak said he was satisfied with third (at least for now).
“I’m pretty happy with third for the first race back,” he said. “I wasn’t really happy with my flow today but I can improve from here.”
Shelby Turner made the long trip from Canada pay off to win the Women’s Main event. Rachel Gutish finished second and Morgan Tanke finished third.
In the three support classes, Quinn Wentzel took the win in the Amateur class over Christopher Venditti and Jojo Bowden. In the Vet class, Wayne Dickert took his first ever Main-event win over David Stirm and Craig Thompson.
Christopher Venditti won the TrialsCross class over David Ige.
Deluth, Georgia
Infinite Energy Arena
2016 AMA EnduroCross Championship
Results: August 27, 2016
- Colton Haaker, Husqvarna
- Cody Webb, KTM
- Taddy Blazusiak, KTM
- Max Gerston, Beta
- Mike Brown, Husqvarna
- Kyle Redmond, Beta
- Ty Tremaine, KTM
- Geoff Aaron, Gas Gas
- Cory Graffunder, KTM
- Noah Kepple, KTM
- Wally Palmer, KTM
- Mason Ottersberg, Husqvarna
- Nick Thompson, KTM
Click HERE for more EnduroCross news
