Cycle News Staff | November 8, 2022
Jonny Walker took a critical win to close within one point of the championship lead with one race remaining.
Jonny Walker pulled off an important win at the penultimate round of the 2022 EnduroCross series in Idaho. The British rider is just a single point behind Trystan Hart with one round to go.
Photography by Jack Jaxson
The UK’s Jonny Walker came away with his second win of the season at the penultimate round of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross championship. The Beta rider had strong 1-1-2 moto scores. It was a critical win for Walker who came into the event trailing FMF KTM factory rider Trystan Hart by 15 points and now heads to the finale in two weeks in Reno, Nevada, just one point behind.
Rockstar Husqvarna rider Colton Haaker finished second overall with 2-3-1 moto finishes. It was the best result of the season so far for the five-time and defending AMA EnduroCross Champion. Fellow Husqvarna pilot Ryder LeBlond rounded out the overall podium with 6-4-4 moto finishes. It was the second podium finish of the season for the 20-year-old from Pennsylvania.
Colton Haaker earned his first podium finish of the 2022 season at round five. His 2-3-1 moto scores earned him second overall. He is mathematically still alive in the championship but is currently fifth.
To kickstart round five, Walker set the fastest hot-lap time to set the starting order for the first of three motos with a time of 44.717 seconds. Haaker was second-fastest with a 45.062-seconds lap. FactoryOne Sherco rider Cody Webb had the third fastest hot lap with a time of 46.639 seconds. The fourth fastest time belonged to LeBlond at 47.736 seconds. Hart rounded out the top five with a time of 47.794 seconds.
Haaker started off moto one strong with the Moose Racing Holeshot and the early lead ahead of Walker. The Boise track proved very challenging. The first moto saw several of the top riders go down, including the series points leader. Hart dropped his bike in the first turn, and GasGas Factory rider Taddy Blazusiak and Webb both crashed hard after a collision on the first lap. Haaker got tripped up midway through the race, and Walker capitalized to take the lead, which he maintained to the checkered flag. Haaker finished second ahead of Sherco rider Cooper Abbott in third.
Max Gerston finished fourth, and Hart recovered from his first-turn crash to finish fifth. Blazusiak, who came into the race tied with Walker for second in the points, finished 16th after multiple crashes.
The second moto inverts the 16 riders’ finish positions from race one for gate picks, so the top eight riders start on the second row. Blazusiak took the holeshot and led for most of the race. Walker, who started in 10th place from row two, charged through the pack to move into second place behind Blazusiak midway through the race. On the eighth lap, Walker passed Blazusiak for the lead and took his second moto win of the evening. Blazusiak held on for second in the moto. Haaker, who started in eighth place, moved up to finish third. LeBlond came in fourth place ahead of Webb in fifth. Hart had another rough start in the second moto and worked his way up to finish sixth.
Twenty-year-old Ryder LeBlond took his second podium finish of the season with a third overall in Idaho.
In the final moto, Webb took the holeshot just barely over Blazusiak. Webb maintained the lead for the first few laps, ahead of Blazusiak, Haaker and Walker. Haaker passed Blazusiak quickly in the first lap to move into second place, with Walker continuing his strong riding to follow Haaker through and into third position. Haaker passed Webb to take the lead on the third lap and rode a solid race to take the moto-three win. Webb and Walker battled for second position for the next three laps before Walker took over the spot on the sixth lap and held the position to the finish. Webb finished third for his best result of the night. LeBlond moved up to fourth place ahead of Blazusiak in fifth. Hart had his worst moto finish of the night in eighth.
For the night’s overall results, Cooper Abbott finished fourth with 3-8-6 moto finishes. Hart came in fifth overall with 5-6-8 moto finishes. Webb finished sixth overall (13-5-3) ahead of Blazusiak who took seventh (16-2-5). Tim Apolle rode his Beta to eighth overall (7-7-9) ahead of GasGas rider Max Gerston in ninth overall (4-10-11). Will Riordan rounded out the top 10 on his KTM (10-9-7).
Bad starts and a few crashes held Trystan Hart back to a fifth-place overall finish in Idaho. His 15-point lead shrank to just one point going into the final round.
Jonny Walker delivered a clutch ride to take the overall. “It’s amazing, I knew coming here that I felt good from the weekend before. I just needed a good night to keep the championship alive. With Trystan not finishing up on the podium, it should be close. All I want is that red plate so we’re going to be fighting for it at that final round.”
Haaker was happy to earn his first podium of the season. “I finally had a breakthrough performance. It’s been a tough season, but I feel like I got the monkey off my back. Looking forward to the final round and ending on the highest note.”
Ryder LeBlond was happy with third overall. “It was a good night of racing. I felt good in practice. Got my best hot lap—got fourth. I kept it consistent and smooth. I don’t think I was the fastest one out there in any of the motos, but I just put myself in good positions and ended up on the podium with a 6-4-4. Solid night of racing. I’m happy.”
Shelby Turner took her fourth win of the season in Boise. The KTM rider looks to be on track for her sixth AMA EnduroCross Championship.
Hart said this of his tough night in Idaho: “Boise is done and dusted. It wasn’t ideal for me but I’m still in one piece and ready to keep pushing. I’m ahead by one point in the championship so it’s going to be a dogfight at the final round in Reno, for sure.”
The championship will be decided at the final round in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, November 19. Hart holds a one-point lead over Walker. Blazusiak is 17 points behind in third. Webb is fourth, 18 points behind the leader, and Haaker rounds out the top five, 23 points behind the top spot.
(L-R) Haaker, winner Walker and LeBlond celebrate on the Boise podium.
In the Women’s Pro class, five-time Women’s Champion Shelby Turner took her fourth win of the season on her KTM. Rachel Gutish finished second on a GasGas and Hallie Marks rounded out the podium on her Sherco. CN
Overall
- Jonny Walker (Bet) 1-1-2
- Colton Haaker (Hus) 2-3-1
- Ryder LeBlond (Hus) 6-4-4
- Cooper Abbott (She) 3-8-6
- Trystan Hart (KTM) 5-6-8
- Cody Webb (She) 13-5- 3
- Taddy Blazusiak (GG) 16-2-5
- Tim Apolle (Bet) 7-7-9
- Max Gerston (GG) 4-10-11
- Will Riordan (KTM) 10-9-7
 
