Shan Moore | October 29, 2024
Despite getting shut out at the Idaho Falls EnduroCross doubleheader, Red Bull FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart still managed to extend his lead in the championship with a pair of consistent runner-up finishes at rounds three and four of the Slavens Racing AMA EnduroCross Series in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Defending EnduroCross Champion Trystan Hart (1) leads the field at the Idaho Falls EnduroCross doubleheader. Photography by Jack Jaxson
Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker claimed a dominant but contentious overall victory Friday night, while Triumph Factory rider Jonny Walker won the “winner-take-all” final moto to claim the overall win on Saturday night.
The tight and technical course delivered an exciting and competitive weekend of racing in the Mountain America Center. Most of the passing took place in a very tricky rock garden, providing a spectacle of mishaps, crashes and passes that thrilled the crowd.
FRIDAY
Because of the tight nature of the course (including its short straightaways), the start was all important. Walker came away with the fastest Hot Lap for Friday night, topping Haaker by half a second, giving the Brit the first pick on the start gate. However, Haaker was the clear leader when the field exited the first turn of the opening moto, followed by Ryder LeBlond, James Flynn (Beta) and Hart. Haaker quickly gapped the field, leading Hart by nearly seven seconds heading into lap five.
Earlier, on lap two, LeBlond had a mishap in the rocks and dropped off the pace, allowing GasGas Factory Racing’s Will Riordan, Walker and FactoryOne Sherco’s Cooper Abbott past him and into the top five.
Walker also bobbled in the rocks but eventually passed Riordan for third, while Haaker took the win by 10 seconds ahead of Hart. Riordan and Abbott rounded out the top five with LeBlond rebounding for sixth.
To establish gate picks for the second moto, the 16 riders’ finish positions from race one are inverted, meaning the top eight riders from race one start on the second row.
Colton Haaker (10) got back to his winning ways, topping the field Friday night. Rieju’s Dominik Olszowy took advantage of a front-row start to lead the field into the opening lap for the second moto. Of the top riders, Abbott was fourth, Haaker seventh, Walker ninth and Hart 10th.
Haaker meticulously worked his way to the rear wheel of Olszowy by the race’s midway point and waited patiently before overtaking the Polish rider in the rock section a few laps later to take the lead, which he held to the finish.
Haaker took another comfortable win at the checkers, followed by Olszowy, Abbott, Hart and Walker.
Sherco’s Cooper Abbott got on the podium Friday night. In the third and deciding moto, Haaker beat out Hart for the holeshot, as the two rivals were followed by LeBlond, Abbott, Factory Beta’s Max Gerston and Walker into the first lap. Haaker once again pulled a slight gap on the field. However, Hart was determined not to let the Husqvarna rider sweep the night and slowly reeled in Haaker until he was right on Haaker’s rear wheel.
On the final lap, Hart block-passed Haaker in the turn before the rock garden to take the lead, but almost immediately got hung up in the rocks, allowing Haaker to retake the lead. Haaker crossed the finish line just two-tenths of a second ahead of Hart as the two riders collided in the air, causing Hart to hit the dirt.
Haaker claimed the overall win for the night with three points, followed by Hart with eight points. Abbott was third overall with 12 points, while Walker (13) and LeBlond (16) rounded out the top five.
Triumph’s Jonny Walker pulled through Saturday evening to get the win. SATURDAY
Having finished fourth overall on Friday, Walker came into Saturday’s race looking for redemption and set the fastest qualifying time in practice to set the tone for the race. The Hot Lap results would tell the tale of the tape.
Haaker turned an impressive 00:30.450-second lap time to top the Hot Lap charts. Walker was second at 00:31.957, with Abbott (00:32.006), Hart (00:32.085) and LeBlond (00:32.334) finishing third through fifth.
Hart was first out of the first turn to start moto one, with Haaker and Abbott in tow.
The rock garden was the most technical part of the course, and most of the passing occurred there. On lap two, Hart snuck around Haaker through the rock garden to take the lead, and Abbott followed suit, dropping Haaker to third.
Walker eventually passed Haaker for third, again in the rock section, and a short time later displaced Abbott for second.
Hart didn’t get a win in Idaho Falls but still padded his championship points lead. At the finish, the order was Hart, Walker, Haaker, Abbott and Olszowy.
Starting in reverse order for moto two, Haaker was the first of the top riders out of the first turn in fourth. Abbott was seventh, with Walker and Hart in eighth and ninth, respectively.
By lap four, the cream had risen to the top, and Haaker, Walker, Hart and Abbott occupied the top four positions.
Walker pulled to within striking distance of Haaker on the final lap, but Haaker was able to hold on for the win, with Walker second, Hart third, Olszowy fourth and GasGas-mounted Braxton Hintze in fifth.
Haaker, Walker and Hart entered the final moto tied in points for the overall win, all three with four points, meaning moto three would be a “winner-take-all” affair.
Walker was quickest off the line, with Haaker and Hart moving into second and third, respectively, by the end of lap one, setting up the big showdown.
Walker pulled away and rode a steady race to the finish, while Haaker and Hart battled over second. Haaker got jammed up between two logs midway into the race and dropped to sixth, moving Hart into second.
At the finish, Walker got his second moto win of the season, with Hart second and Abbott in third.
(L-R) Hart, Walker and Haaker celebrate on Saturday night’s podium. Overall, it was Walker who won, his first of the season. Hart was second overall and Haaker third overall. Abbott and Olszowy were fourth and fifth overall.
“I made a deal with myself, I didn’t want to finish worse than second this year, and I’ve gone 1-1-2-2 so far. I’m happy with the consistency,” said Hart. “I had a chance to win that one, for sure. In that last moto, Jonny got a great start, and he got away quickly. By the time I got into second, he was already long gone, so that was that was all she wrote.”
The Women’s Pro class Championship got underway in Idaho Falls, with Shelby Turner winning both nights. The Women’s EX Pro class returned to action in Idaho for its four-round series. Since most of the top championship contenders were competing in Spain at this year’s ISDE, the series promoter waited until the Idaho round to get their championship started.
Enduro Engineering/GasGas/FXR Moto’s Shelby Turner dominated both nights of racing, winning all four motos and taking a step closer to a sixth EnduroCross title.
FactoryOne Sherco USA’s Hallie Marks went 3-2 for second overall on Friday, with defending Series champ Team KBS Sherco’s Rachel Gutish, who struggled in the rock section, taking third overall, and KTM rider Melissa Harten fourth.
On Saturday, Turner dominated again. This time, Gutish was second overall, with Marks third and Harten, again, in fourth. CN
OVERALL
FRIDAY (Top 10)
- Colton Haaker (Hus) 1-1-1
- Trystan Hart (KTM) 1-2-2
- Cooper Abbott (She) 5-3-4
- Jonny Walker (Tri) 3-5-5
- Ryder LeBlond (Hus) 6-7-3
- Dominik Olszowy (Rie) 11-2-9
- Will Riordan (GG) 4-12-7
- Tim Apolle (Bet) 7-11-6
- Max Gerston (Bet) 8-10-8
- Braxton Hintze (GG) 9-6-11
SATURDAY (Top 10)
- Jonny Walker (Tri) 2-2-1
- Trystan Hart (KTM) 1-3-2
- Colton Haaker (Hus) 3-1-4
- Cooper Abbott (She) 4-7-3
- Dominik Olszowy (Rie) 5-4-5
- Ryder LeBlond (Hus) 6-9-6
- Branden Petrie (GG) 10-6-8
- Braxton Hintze (GG) 11-5-9
- Tim Apolle (Bet) 13-8-7
- Max Gerston (Bet) 7-11-12
