From EnduroCross.com
LAS VEGAS, NV. – Rockstar, Lucas Oil, Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker took an exciting wire to wire win at round three of the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross series inside the Orleans Arena. Although Haaker lead from the start, he withstood steady pressure from Cody Webb on his FMF, RPM Team Maxxis KTM. Geoff Aaron rounded out the podium on his Gas Gas.
Webb set the fast lap time during both the afternoon and night time Hot Lap session to get the bonus point and top gate pick. But Haaker took the Nexen Tire $500 Holeshot award. Fellow Husqvarna rider Mike Brown followed Haaker for a few laps until he made a mistake in the fire wood pit. That allowed Webb to take over second and he pushed Haaker for several laps and even got alongside a couple of times but could never make a pass stick. Both riders lapped the entire field by the last lap and Haaker gained just enough space in the final two laps to take the win by just a few seconds.
“I didn’t get the hot lap but I knew if I could get the holeshot I could control the race from there” said Haaker. “But because of the lappers, the wood pile and it was a difficult track it wasn’t easy”. The win also allowed Haaker to break the tie for the points lead as they head to Austin for the X Games Enduro X, which counts for the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship.
“It was really tough to get around the lappers” said Webb. “I rode really good all night and I caught up to Colton and then I just got hung up in the wood pit a few times and that let him get away”.
Aaron took third to make up for a tough start to the season where he did not qualify for the mains at the opening two rounds. “I have been working really hard this year riding with Colton a lot and felt really prepared but just kept putting myself in the wrong place at the wrong time” Aaron said. “So it was definitely cool to pull off a podium.
SRT Racing-backed Cory Graffunder took a solid fourth position on his KTM. Ty Tremaine took a personal best of fifth on his FMF, RPM Team Maxxis KTM. Kevin Rookstook finished sixth on his Suzuki. Max Gerston took seventh on a Beta. Nick Thompson was eighth on a KTM. Mike Brown dropped to ninth after getting a piece of wood stuck in his wheel. Kyle Redmond rounded out the top ten on a Beta.
Jamie Lanza, finished eleventh on a KTM ahead of Destry Abbott on a Kawasaki and Noah Kepple was thirteenth in the main.
Las Vegas, Nevada GEICO AMA EnduroCross Men’s Main Event Results
1. Colton Haaker Husqvarna
2. Cody Webb KTM
3. Geoff Aaron Gas Gas
4. Cory Graffunder KTM
5. Ty Tremaine KTM
6. Kevin Rookstool Suzuki
7. Max Gerston Beta
8. Nick Thompson KTM
9. Mike Brown Husqvarna
10. Kyle Redmond Beta
11. Jamie Lanza KTM
12. Destry Abbott Kawasaki
13. Noah Kepple KTM
All of the EnduroCross events also include support classes and Canada’s Ryan Graffunder took the win in the Open Amateur class over Austin Schiermeister and Steve Deines. Stephen Foord, another Canadian rider won the Vet class win over Rich Black and Jason Gitchel. Jack Field took the TrialsCross win and threw in a few backflips to keep it exciting. Michael Salsman and Kieth Adams rounded out the podium.
The Vegas event also included a first ever X Games Step Up Qualifier. The crowd witnessed an exciting competition that saw Italy’s Massimo Bianconcini, Bostwa’s Alistair Sayer and Florida’s Tom Parsons earn invites to the Austin X Games.
The X Games Enduro X will be the next points paying event for the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship. That will take place on Friday, May 5th in Austin Texas as the spectacular Circuit of the America’s.
Tickets for all of the 2015 EnduroCross events are available at: www.EnduroCross.com/tickets/
If you can’t be there in person, you can follow the events via the FMF Live Timing and Scoring at: http://endurocross.escoremx.
All eight 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross events will air full one hour shows on CBS Sports Network. The Las Vegas event is scheduled to air on Wednesday, May 13th at 7:00 PM ET. For more information, please visit www.CBSsportsnetwork.com.
