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Taddy Blazusiak wins Indy EnduroCross to kick off MotoGP weekend! Kyle Redmond and Kevin Rookstool beat established stars for the final podium positions! Indianapolis, IN (August 27, 2010) – Round three of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross series presented by E3 Sparkplugs made its inaugural visit to Indianapolis Indiana on Friday night to kick off the MotoGP weekend. The vocal contingent of European fans got to witness one of their own take the win as Taddy Blazusiak showed off his amazing talent. The Polish KTM rider battled early with Mike Brown and had pressure from Geoff Aaron but proved to be the only rider to avoid serious mistakes and slowly left the other riders behind. The battle for the final podium spots was amazing as no fewer than six riders battled hard for the positions. In the end, GEICO backed Kyle Redmond took second for his first ever EnduroCross podium. The California rider has been the top American at Extreme Enduro events such as Erzeberg and Romaniacs multiple times and finally made his skills pay off on the intense EnduroCross course. He was joined by another first time podium finisher as RPM KTM backed Kevin Rookstool, a journeyman motocross racer that has made all three main events this season stole the position from some established stars. Cody Webb, the recently crowned 2010 National Trials champion got the day started by setting the fastest time during the Pioneer Hot Lap that determines the gate picks for the evenings heat races. The Gas Gas rider also earned a $500 bonus from Rekluse clutch by being the fastest rider using their auto clutch. Taddy Blazusiak and Geoff Aaron were the second and third fastest qualifiers. Brown, Blazusiak and Aaron were the heat race winners and Brown used his first gate pick to take the $750 Girardi Wealth Management holeshot award. Brown struggled through the wood pile on the first lap and dropped back to third, which he held until he yard saled in the same section and ultimately finished 9th. Geoff Aaron, the second place finisher at the last two events held second and then third position for most of the race but bent his shifter and finished 11th. Redmond steadily rode his Kawasaki to second position and held it despite several riders breathing down his neck all the way to the checkered flag. Rookstool had to go through the LCQ to make the main event and then rode a solid race to hold off Gary Sutherlin and Justin Soule. Lucas Oil backed Colton Haaker had a legitimate shot at the podium but threw it away in the same log pile that took Brown down and he finished sixth ahead of Cory Graffunder and Jamie Lanza. Brown, Webb and Aaron rounded out 9th to 11th positions. In the support classes, Steve Leivan won the Vet class over Off Road legend Jeff Fredette and Rik Smits, the former Indiana Pacers basketball player that now loves riding dirt bikes. Michael Williams won the open Amateur main event and Patrick Smage won the TrialsCross class. The top four in the Amateur classes battled for $500 in the dash for cash and Smage came back again to take the cash for gas money back to Wisconsin. 2010 Indianapolis EnduroCross Expert Class results: 1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM EnduroCross Security Breach! First spy photo of the Pepsi Coliseum from Indy hits the Internet Sizable footprint allows for near minute lap times … new obstacles abound for Friday’s race IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 27, 2010) – Track’s complete, banners are hung and some of the world’s best off-road racers are on their way to the big triple header motorcycle weekend in Indy – kicked off on Friday night, Aug. 27th, at 7:30 p.m., by round three of GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs.
“It’s a full-on fairgrounds, so they’ve got everything here,” said Karsting. “We had the green light to incorporate anything they had on site to the Pepsi Coliseum EnduroCross track.” Karsting said that something different the track crew found on the grounds that they hadn’t used anywhere else on the EnduroCross circuit was concrete culverts. “We set up a nice little whoop section with these 18-inch culvert pieces. Pretty much just decided to use it on the fly as we didn’t set up the usual Matrix obstacle for this event. And Lance Bryson was quick to dub it the Motion Pro Culvert section.” Another obstacle that’s new to EnduroCross is the “X-factor” – a section of logs arranged in an ‘X’ versus the usual straight across pattern. Karsting added that this will make for some exciting line changes and passing opportunities during the race. As for the building, from hosting the Beatles in 1964 to housing the Indiana Pacers from 1967 to 1974, the Pepsi Coliseum’s has more recently been used for rodeo events – which makes for outstanding dirt conditions for the racers – as long as they remember to keep their mouths shut if/when they hit the floor. “Yeah, you don’t want to find any sort of special horse surprises in the dirt,” Karsting said laughing. Early birds can check out the first hot laps on the track on FOX/Indy’s (FOX59) morning news program running ‘Live’ on the floor of the Pepsi Coliseum EnduroCross track this morning (Friday, Aug. 27th) at 5 a.m. The link to FOX59’s website is: http://www.fox59.com/news/morningnews/ Top Ten reasons for MotoGP and AMA Dirt Track fans to check out EnduroCross this Friday It’s a no-brainer for Europeans traveling here as Poland’s Blazusiak is in town; dirt trackers will appreciate the special section for ‘bikers who walk with a limp’ IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 25, 2010) – GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, came up with a list of ten good reasons for fans in town to catch Saturday’s AMA Dirt Track and Sunday’s MotoGP to check out the action at the Pepsi Coliseum on Friday night, Aug. 27th, beginning at 7:30 p.m.. Top Ten reasons to check out GEICO EnduroCross at the Pepsi Coliseum … 10.) There’s a rumor Valentino Rossi’s going to ceremoniously ghost ride a Yamaha off the giant tires, then run the track on foot waving a massive Ducati flag. 9.) Some of the rock used in the boulder mountains was believed to be cut by locals from the nearby quarries featured in the iconic film “Breaking Away.” 8.) We were just kidding about the special EnduroCross seating section for ‘Bikers who walk with a limp.’ We do have seats where you can get mud splashed on you. 7.) During intermission dirt track riders in attendance at the Pepsi Coliseum are encouraged to strap on their steel shoe and walk – in unison – around the concourse (counter clock-wise, of course). 6.) Off-road champ Destry Abbott, probably still glowing from his recent lightning strike, will take the place of Monster/Kawasaki’s injured Ricky Dietrich at Indy. No joke! 5.) Two words: Guaranteed crashes. 4.) Europeans making the trek over to Indianapolis for the MotoGP can rejoice in the fact that there’s a real good chance one of their own, Poland’s Taddy Blazusiak, will stomp the heck out of all the American riders on the EnduroCross track Friday. 3.) Where else can you sit in a padded seat, with a beer, and see guys race – “Live” - over massive logs from the Pacific Northwest, through mud from rain-soaked rural Ohio, around trees plucked from West Virginia, through the sands of the Mojave, rock piles from the Rockies and fresh water from the Great Lakes? Hey, we’re not kidding here either! 2.) AMA Dirt Track fans can pretty much stumble out of the Pepsi Coliseum and over to wherever they camped for Saturday’s Indy Mile! And the No. 1 reason to check out this Friday’s EnduroCross at Indy’s Pepsi Coliseum … With your help EnduroCross would very much like to match The Beatles’ 1964 sellout (11,000 people) of the Pepsi Coliseum – the group’s only appearance ever in the great State of Indiana. And to show our appreciation, EnduroCross ticket are under $30 – compared to the $3 tickets sold to see the Beatles. Top GNCC racer Chris Bach set to race GEICO AMA EnduroCross in Indy Bach’s currently ranked 5th in the GNCC’s premier XC1 class … will be racing his first-ever EnduroCross IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 19, 2010) – Off-road motorcycle racing enthusiasts are always arguing who’s better – the GNCC and OMA series guys from the East or the WORCS and AMA Hare & Hound guys from the West. Friday night, August 27th in Indianapolis top GNCC racer Chris Bach plans on adding fuel to the fiery debate when he boots up for his first-ever GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at the Pepsi Coliseum, Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Indiana native and current 5th ranked premier XC1 class GNCC racer burst onto the off-road scene in 2009 and was tabbed as the series “Amateur Rider of the Year.” In 2010 Bach’s kept it on the pipe, locking down three GNCC XC1 class podium finishes and three additional top five finishes through nine races this season. But looming ahead is an EnduroCross track that promises to kick the crap out of him. And he knows it, but he is primed for the challenge. “I think EnduroCross is totally unique. I don’t think you can say an East Coast guy will be good, or a West Coast guy will be good, or a trials guy will be good,” explained Bach. “It has evolved into its own sport and style of racing, so much so that I think within the next few years someone is going to be an EnduroCross specialist. That’s it. All they do is EX.” Bach says “No training, no testing” in terms of preparing for next Friday’s event at the Pepsi Coliseum. In fact, Bach won’t even have the advantage of running one of his GNCC-tuned bikes, adding “At this point all I know is that it’ll be orange (KTM).” See Taddy Blazusiak’s come-from-behind EnduroCross win over Mike Brown! Free video on our home page shows you what everybody in the off-road racing community’s talking about! IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 17, 2010) – The highlights of this past weekend’s spectacular come-from-behind win at round two of the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, is up and running on www.endurocross.com & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zS-TivIJM KTM racers Mike Brown and Taddy Blazusiak went at it in Guthrie (Okla.), with Brown dominating all of the racing – except for the checkers! Check out what went down on this free Shotmaker Productions video exclusive to GEICO EnduroCross fans. Taddy Blazusiak survives a brutal GEICO EnduroCross to win in Oklahoma! Geoff Aaron and Justin Soule rounded out the podium
Geoff Aaron, the ten time National Trials champion got the day started by setting the fastest time during the Pioneer Hot Lap that determines the gate picks for the evenings heat races. The GEICO, Red Bull backed KTM rider also earned a $500 bonus from Rekluse clutch by being the fastest rider using their auto clutch. This was Aaron’s second consecutive fast lap and he topped Muscle Milk KTM’s Mike Brown and defending EnduroCross champion, Taddy Blazusiak. Blazusiak, Brown and Aaron were the heat race winners and earned the best gate picks for the main event. Then Blazusiak used that good gate pick to take the $750 Girardi Wealth management holeshot award. Mike Brown was on a mission and took the lead away and battled with Blazusiak for half of the race but then slowly lost touch and then a fall in a technical rock turn took him out of the podium spots. Geoff Aaron got a slow start but steadily moved through the field to take second away from Justin Soule, who held on for his first ever EnduroCross Podium. Cody Webb, the recently crowned U.S. Trials Champion won the battle for forth ahead of Zip Ty Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder.
In the support classes, Oklahoma’s own Guy Cooper won the Vet class in front of the partisan crowd. The former Motocross and Supercross star faced stiff competition from several riders but ultimately took the win. Zip Ty Husqvarna mounted Nick Burson won the open Amateur main event and Josh Nutsch won the TrialsCross class. The top three in the Amateur classes battled for $500 in the dash for cash and that was taken by Mathew Henderson who came all the way from California.
2010 Oklahoma EnduroCross Expert Class results: 1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM The GEICO EnduroCross series presented by E3 Spark plugs now heads to Indianapolis Indiana for round three of the series. The event will take place on Friday, August 27th during the MotoGP weekend. A female to race EnduroCross? Not just ‘any’ female, Kerrie Swartz is a US ISDE team member! The Oklahoma resident is also an ICU nurse and mother that will boot up for this weekend’s race in Guthrie
That’s entirely possible this weekend given Oklahoma’s Kerrie Swartz has signed up to contest the Amateur Open class at Guthrie’s (Okla.) Lazy E Arena on Saturday, Aug. 14th. “Given the rough and rugged nature of GEICO EnduroCross we don’t usually get women competitors. In fact, it’s quite rare,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “However, when we do have a woman sign up she’s usually pretty darn good.” And such is the case of Swartz. The 33-year-old mother and professional ICU nurse picked up on the thrill of dirt bikes a little over a decade ago and has been WFO on the Oklahoma and Texas enduro scenes ever since “We eat, sleep and breathe dirt bikes,” said Swartz, whose son, Alex, and husband, Allan, both race as well. “We’re all seriously addicted!” Admittedly, Swartz points out that you won’t see a lot of 1st place finishes on her race resume. The reason? “I ride a lot with the guys,” she says. Still, Swartz’ efforts caught the eye of the AMA’s International Six Days Enduro selection committee and Swartz was tabbed as a 2010 team member to compete for the United States when the 85th annual ISDE comes together in Morelia, Mexico (Nov. 1-6). “It’s been a dream of mine to compete in the ISDE and an honor to be selected to represent the United States in Mexico this year,” said Swartz. First things first, though, as this weekend Swartz will face a uniquely tough event in its own right – GEICO EnduroCross at Guthrie’s Lazy E Arena. Swartz is pumped for sure, but also cautiously optimistic regarding her chances in her first-ever EnduroCross at placing well in the all-male Amateur Open field. “I think I’ll be alright, just try to ride clean,” says Swartz in a guarded tone. “My husband’s raced EnduroCross, so I’m familiar with it. I do a lot with log crossings and that, but that Matrix has me a bit worried. And the rocks in the corners – man, I wish I could just ‘Taddy Blazusiak’ that!.” To check out more on Kerrie Swartz, hit up her website at: http://www.kerrieswartz.com/ MX legend Guy Cooper is “in” for Guthrie EnduroCross round Pushing 50, Cooper is signed up for the Vet class – says the only thing he did to get ready for Guthrie was ‘dust’
A former 125cc AMA MX National champion, ‘Coop’ last competed seriously in 2002 – at age 40 – on the outdoor national MX tour. Running what could best be described as a Man’s bike, the KTM540SX, Cooper was always a fan favorite where ever he showed up. His pancaked whips were a predecessor to the freestyle movement and his raw speed – and spectacular wrecks – endeared him to two generations of motocross race fans over his long career. GEICO EnduroCross: Coop! What are you like 50 now? Guy Cooper: (laughing) 48 going on 60! Everything on me feels older than 50. I fell off a lot in my day! GEICO EnduroCross: What have you been doing these days? Guy Cooper: I’m pretty much retired right now. I’ve got a four-year-old daughter and once she’s off to school I’ll probably have to go back to work. My interest’s still in motorcycles, so it’ll no doubt be something within the industry. GEICO EnduroCross: You been riding much? Guy Cooper: I’ve ridden about three times in the last year. The knobbies on my ’09 KTM still have the factory mold nubs on them … I might have to run my bike up and down the street a few times to get those off – so nobody laughs at me at Guthrie. I did get out and ride some single track with my brother last week in Colorado. Shook the cobwebs out a bit there. It was nice to get back on a bike and ride. That got me fired up for EnduroCross, so Lance (Bryson) didn’t have to twist my arm much to come out to the Lazy E. GEICO EnduroCross: You raced Guthrie a few years back, got banged up a bit if we remember right. Caught the bug for the sport, though? Guy Cooper: You know, I really used to enjoy trials and trail riding back in the day. EnduroCross – had it been invented 30 years ago – would have been right up my alley. When someone told me it was so brutal you couldn’t make a lap, that got me hooked. I love the concept for the sport. Love to ride it. Love to sit in the stands and watch it. Two years ago I was in over my head a little bit. Last year I just sat in the stands, watched and learned. This year I’ve decided to ride the Vet class. GEICO EnduroCross: You going to break out the 540? Guy Cooper: That bike had some horsepower, didn’t it? Funny, I just picked up some J.C. Penny glass display cases off Craig’s List and that bike’s all cleaned up and behind glass in my garage now, along with a dozen others I’ve raced over the years. Looks real nice. GEICO EnduroCross: Right on. Hey, good luck this weekend at round two of GEICO EnduroCross in Guthrie! Guy Cooper: Thanks. Look forward to seeing everyone out at the Lazy E on Saturday. Stop by and say ‘Hello!’ GEICO EnduroCross’ pre-race bash set for Oklahoma City’s Pole Position Raceway Friday, August 13th will prove lucky for fans of EnduroCross with tickets, prize give-aways and karting IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 6, 2010) – Just a quick reminder to fans attending next weekend’s (Aug. 14th) round two of GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at Guthrie’s (Okla.) Lazy E Arena - Friday’s annual racer get together at nearby Pole Position Raceway in Oklahoma City is open to the fans “Everyone had a great time when we opened the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross season at Pole Position Raceway in Vegas – our Oklahoma City event at Pole Position Raceway should prove to be just a fun,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales and Marketing, GEICO EnduroCross. “Everything’s casual and friendly – until the GEICO EnduroCross racers get behind the wheel, then all heck breaks loose.” What: GEICO EnduroCross round two party at Pole Position Raceway When: Friday, Aug. 13th Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Where: 2905 N.W. 36th Street, Oklahoma City, OK Phone: (405) 942-2292 Who: Top racers from GEICO EnduroCross presented By E3 Spark Plugs
Guthrie’s Lazy E Arena…maybe the most demanding stop on the GEICO EnduroCross tour Legendary Oklahoma arena’s a who’s who of tough guys, from bull and bronco riding to dirt bikes IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 4, 2010) – Man, would it be cool to live close by the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., or what? One weekend the world’s largest indoor rodeo arena is hosting the Sooner Nationals BMX finals, then arenacross, followed by cowboy mounted shooters, big belt buckles and buckin’ broncos. Then the next week you get to see wild men riding bulls – dubbed “Bullnanza.” But on August 14th arguably the toughest and most physically demanding of all the high-danger sports at the Lazy E – GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs - will roll into town, transforming the facility’s remarkably sizable floor (440’ by 160’) into a virtual motorcycle off-road paradise complete with water crossings, boulder mountains, log jams, rock gardens and loads of other features one might encounter on their bike while trail riding in any one of a number of regions throughout the United States. “The GEICO EnduroCross track built at the Lazy E offers up some interesting obstacles for us,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “With the largest floor plan on the series circuit, Lazy E allows us to be highly creative with our track layout. Need more space for a run-in on a larger obstacle? Boom! – we’ve got it. Need more dirt? Boom! – that’s there as well.” Just how tough is GEICO AMA EnduroCross? 2008 overall champion Ricky Dietrich and defending ’09 Pro Junior champ Colton Haaker fail to make main
IRVINE, Calif., (July 28, 2010) – High hopes heading into the opening round of GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at Vegas’ Orleans Arena were dashed for two former EnduroCross champions – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich, the 2009 overall Pro class champ, and Colton Haaker, last year’s E3 Spark Plugs Pro Junior champion – both of whom failed to transfer to the main out of their qualifiers. Tough luck? Sure was. But if we revisit comments from both Dietrich and Haaker leading up to the Vegas EnduroCross opener, it’s not that surprising that something like this would happen – as both admitted. Dietrich, from MonsterEnergy.com: Monster Energy: Who are some of the other riders in EnduroCross that fans should keep an eye on this year? Ricky Dietrich: There’s definitely a large pool of talent out there. That and some random dudes will pop up, always do. Shoot, a couple years ago, in ‘05 when I did good nobody really knew who I was. Got 3rd and kind of put my name on the map, so there’s always new kids that can come up and do something like that – as well as all the favorites that are there. So you never know. And Haaker, from EnduroCross.com: GEICO EnduroCross: We’re fortunate to have here in the States the world’s premier indoor off-road racing series. That said, what do you feel is the most difficult aspect of GEICO EnduroCross? Colton Haaker: The most difficult part is staying out of trouble. It’s such a small track and there’s so much that can go on with other riders … just staying clean and getting some luck on your side will go a long ways in EnduroCross. You could be having a great night and some guy falls in front of you and you have nowhere to go. So the most difficult part is actually racing it. A lot of people can ride EnduroCross, but to race it is a LOT different. So with Dietrich and Haaker out of the points picture in the first round, Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) and Geoff Aaron (KTM) took charge in the overall Pro class points chase, going 1st/2nd, respectively, while Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder grabbed the overall Junior Pro championship points lead when he joined Blazusiak and Aaron on the podium (3rd). Summing the whole EnduroCross main event qualifying saga the best – also in a pre-Vegas interview – was defending champ Blazusiak: “It’s nice to win races, but you have to remember that to win the race you have to qualify for the race. And it’s really easy not to do that.” Both Dietrich and Haaker are looking forward to getting back to their winning ways when GEICO EnduroCross returns to action Aug. 14th at Guthrie’s (Okla.) Lazy E Arena. Taddy Blazusiak Opens 2010 GEICO EnduroCross Series with a win in Las Vegas! Geoff Aaron and Cory Graffunder rounded out the podium Las Vegas, NV (July 17, 2010) – Taddy Blazusiak, the defending EnduroCross champion rode his Red Bull KTM to a hard fought victory over Geico, Christini backed Geoff Aaron. Zip Ty Husqvarna mounted Cory Graffunder came out on top of a dog fight for the final podium spot over FMF KTM’s Mike Brown and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Justin Soule. Aaron, the ten time National Trials champion got the day started by setting the fastest time during the Pioneer Hot Lap that determine the gate picks for the evenings heat races. He also earned a $500 bonus from Rekluse clutch by being the fastest rider using their auto clutch. Mike Brown and Cody Webb, one of the top American Trials riders showed that he is quickly learning how to race EnduroCross by posting the third fastest time. Blazusiak, Brown and Graffunder were the heat race winners and earned the best gate picks for the main event. The biggest surprise of the night was the fact that Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich, the 2008 EnduroCross champion, did not qualify for the main after crashing while in a qualifying spot during the Last Chance Qualifier. He was joined on the sidelines by Lucas Oil backed Colton Haaker, last year’s E3 Spark Plugs Junior Champion that also had a very rough evening. Blazusiak earned the $750 Girardi Wealth management holeshot award but was quickly passed by Geoff Aaron. The two riders swapped the lead several times during the first half of the race until Aaron made a small mistake and fell over in the GEICO rock garden. That gave Blazusiak a small lead that he managed hold for the remainder of the race. The battle for third included Graffunder, Brown, Soule, Gary Sutherlin, Kyle Redmund, and Cody Webb. Webb appeared to have the final podium spot under control before crashing in the Monster water hole and then Graffunder temporarily handed the position away but fought back to get on the podium. Brown rode a steady race to earn forth position ahead of Soule. All of these riders had a shot at the podium and provided some great racing action for the enthusiastic crowd. 2010 Las Vegas EnduroCross Expert Class results: 1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM The GEICO EnduroCross series presented by E3 Spark plugs now heads to Guthrie Oklahoma for round two on August 14th. GEICO EnduroCross Interview: 2009 overall EX Pro class champion, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak The consummate showman, Blazusiak’s poised to defend his championship beginning this Saturday in Las Vegas IRVINE, Calif., (July 16, 2010) – Fun-loving and incredibly fast on a dirt bike, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak’s on-the-edge riding style definitely dials up the excitement to level eleven at GEICO AMA EnduroCross events, presented by E3 Spark Plugs. The sport’s premier showman, the European has established a loyal following here in the States as he gets set to defend his 2009 EnduroCross title beginning this Saturday, July 17th, at Vegas’ Orleans Arena.
This was never more evident than last year’s opener at the Orleans where Blazusiak and Monster Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich put on what’s been called the greatest race in EnduroCross’ relatively short six-year history. And Rather than try to paint a picture of the event, one with all the flashy adjectives and keen superlatives imaginable in an attempt to do the Blazusiak/Dietrich battle justice, take a couple minutes and check it out for yourself. Then come back and read what Taddy has to say about this year’s EnduroCross season, his rivalry with Ricky and what it’s going to take to defend his title. Here’s the highlight video GEICO EnduroCross: Hey, you got up this morning and pulled on the 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross’ champion’s pants, didn’t you? Taddy Blazusiak: (Laughter) Yes, I guess I did, didn’t I? Well, I’ve been trying to win this championship for a while and last year everything went well. It was a big accomplishment for me. GEICO EnduroCross: You had about eight months here to bask in the glory of your first EnduroCross title. Were your buddies back in Europe, and namely your home country of Poland, into hearing the stories of your 2009 season? Taddy Blazusiak: Well, pretty much all the people I know in lots of countries back home that actually ride and stuff knows that the AMA title is huge. It’s a good championship and I’ve been very busy since then. Won the enduro championship back home and have done well in number of other races. So yeah, the season goes around and here we are back again in Las Vegas to see if we can’t win it again. GEICO EnduroCross: Did your training go well during the off-season? Battling any injuries, or are you entering 2010 at the Orleans in as good or better shape as in 2009? Taddy Blazusiak: Well … at the beginning of the year right after the World Indoors I was getting ready for the World Enduros and I broke my shoulder – broke my shoulder blade and some other stuff, messed it up pretty bad. So I was off the bike for a long time trying to get it fixed. Before Erzberg (XVI Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria this past June, which Blazusiak won) I was back on the bike, but I have since been off it now again for a long time. But hey, it’s not perfect. I hope I can hold onto the bars just as good. GEICO EnduroCross: How does GEICO EnduroCross stack up against some of the other great events you race, like Erzberg and some of the indoor European enduros? Taddy Blazusiak: I don’t know, it’s hard to tell. When you compare it to the indoor enduros back home it’s a little bit different. Our tracks back home are more … faster. And here because the arenas are quite small they end up being more technical. So it’s hard to compare one to the other. If you want to win the championship, no matter what type of race it is or where it is it always comes down to the work you have to put in to do it. GEICO EnduroCross: We couldn’t have opened the 2009 season at the Orleans any better than we did with the battle between you and Ricky Dietrich setting the stage for the season. Tough act to follow for all the other races for sure. Are you expecting a similar charge from Ricky this year? Taddy Blazusiak: Yeah, for sure. Ricky’s a good guy and he knows how to ride a bike. That’s it – you know? He’s all about going fast on the bike. For me, I don’t have to look around for the other racers. I just know what I have to do to be there and that’s it. Concentrate on a good hot lap so I can have a good gate pick. Then think about ripping the holeshot and racing my own race. From there we’ll see, but that’s my thing. GEICO EnduroCross: Who are some of the other GEICO EnduroCross racers that, if you were in the stands, you’d keep an eye on? Taddy Blazusiak: I would see how the riders look in qualifying then I would make up my mind. It’s a new season and you’ll never know what will happen next. GEICO EnduroCross: You won your first-ever GEICO EnduroCross race at the Orleans in 2007, but didn’t get to defend that title on account of getting hurt in a WORCS race before the 2008 Vegas opener. Then, of course, you won last year. Is Vegas one of your favorite crowds to race in front of? Taddy Blazusiak: Vegas is a cool place to race at. It’s always a good crowd and it represents the opening race and the finals. So yeah, it’s good. GEICO EnduroCross: Talk about your bike. You’re one of a few riders still running a two-stroke, in your case a KTM 250. That seems to do the trick for you, doesn’t it? Taddy Blazusiak: It’s pretty much the same bike I rode last year. It’s a competitive bike, a good bike. We’ve done a few things to get it ready for this year, but not much. GEICO EnduroCross: EnduroCross is going to a couple new venues this year – the Pacific Northwest, which is prime WORCS country, and we’ll be racing the same weekend the MotoGP is running at Indy. You pumped on those new locations? Taddy Blazusiak: Yeah, for sure. It’s always good to go to new places. I’m looking forward to seeing the MotoGP the weekend after our race. Good to see that our championship is growing and expanding to new areas. I would love it to be even some more locations and make it eight rounds! GEICO EnduroCross: Last question … what’s it going to take to defend your 2009 GEICO EnduroCross title? Taddy Blazusiak: You know, it’s racing … anything can happen so it’s hard to tell. I guess like stay healthy the whole season, not make any stupid mistakes, try and stay consistent in keeping it always on the podium and score points when you’re riding around. This is it I guess. It’s nice to win races, but you have to remember that to win the race you have to qualify for the race. And it’s really easy not to do that. So it’s all about staying consistent and not pushing yourself too hard because you can end up not qualifying. So we’ll see! GEICO EnduroCross: Thanks, Taddy. How do you say “EnduroCross kicks ass” in Polish? Taddy Blazusiak: (Laughter) Uh, well let me think … EnduroCross Jon-gee! GEICO EnduroCross announces this weekend’s EX Pro lineup at the Orleans 2009 champ Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) and ’08 champ Ricky Dietrich (Kawasaki) headline the EX season opener in Vegas IRVINE, Calif., (July 15, 2010) – The attention of the world’s off-road community will zero in on Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena this weekend for the opening of the 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs. Many of the best off-road racers on the planet – including defending EnduroCross champion, Poland’s Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) and 2008 champ, American Ricky Dietrich (Kawasaki) – will line up for an EnduroCross main event in what’s considered by many to be the most technically demanding and aggressive test of man and motorcycle that’s ever been laid out on an arena floor. “As we set out on the sixth year of racing GEICO EnduroCross, the field of racers competing reads like a Who’s Who from the pages of the industry’s off-road magazines,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “Along with Taddy and Ricky you’ve got a former AMA Outdoor National champion and 2009 WORCS champion (Mike Brown/KTM), Colton Haaker/Kawasaki - the 2009 E3 Spark Plugs Pro Junior EnduroCross champion and Pro Junior EnduroCross runner-up, Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder. You’ve got five-time AMA Hare & Hound national champion Destry Abbott and a six-time WORCS champion Justin Soule with the factory Monster Energy/Kawasaki team doing battle with last year’s runner-up Round 4 winner and series runner-up Geoff Aaron on the revolutionary all-wheel-drive Christini/KTM and 2004-’05 WORC champions and ’08 ISDE Gold Medalist Nathan Woods (Husaberg). Add to the mix young lions Kyle Redmond (Yamaha) and Jamie Lanza (Kawasaki) and there isn’t much room for any newcomers to squeeze into the 11-man main event – though with the 1st-to-last nature of GEICO EnduroCross, a couple certainly will. “Have you ever seen six lead changes in one lap? Nobody’s invincible in this sport,” says Haaker. “Taddy was the best guy last year, but a lot of guys are going to have it for him this year. Pumped to get things going in Vegas this weekend.” The Pro EX class lineup for the 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series opener, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at Vegas’ Orleans Arena:
StillwellPerformance.com and Thumpertalk.com Bring You Behind the Scenes at Round 1 of the GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs! Las Vegas, NV, (July 15th 2010) – The stakes are high as the best off-road riders from around the world compete in the opening round of the GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs this weekend at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. StillwellPerformance.com together with ThumperTalk.com and Alliance Motorsports Marketing (AMM) will be bringing you behind the scenes and getting you up close and personal with the riders of EnduroCross. Join all the action as the crew at Alliance Motorsports Marketing takes you out of the stands and onto the floor with live updates, photos and rider interviews, available exclusively through www.ThumperTalk.com and presented by StillwellPerformance.com. “Bringing EnduroCross to the fans is what it’s all about,” says AMM owner Brian Elliott. “The guys at ThumperTalk were looking for a way to give their viewers the ultimate EnduroCross experience, so we met up with ThumperTalk owner Bryan Bosch and came up with a plan that really gives the site visitors a backstage pass to all things EX.” “It is just a great fit for us,” says Alan Stillwell owner of StillwellPerformance.com “The core of our business is off-road suspension and EnduroCross is the ultimate testing grounds for our performance products. We are excited to sponsor this unique opportunity!” Fans of GEICO EnduroCross can meet the racers this Friday @ Vegas’ Pole Position Raceway Many of the top EnduroCross racers will be at Pole Position, battling for top go-karter bragging rights! IRVINE, Calif., (July 13, 2010) – Just a quick reminder to fans attending this weekend’s (July 17th) GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, season opener at Vegas’ Orleans Arena - Friday’s annual racer get together at Pole Position Raceway is open to the fans. Come out and race go-karts with the world’s top off-road motorcycle racers, sit in on some bench racing sessions and grab a few autographs – all in Vegas’ coolest motosports enthusiasts’ hangout and just steps away from the Orleans – Pole Position Raceway. “We’ve been holding the season kick-off party for GEICO EnduroCross at Pole Position Raceway for some time now and it’s always a hoot for the racers and fans alike,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales and Marketing, GEICO EnduroCross. “Everything’s casual and friendly – until the GEICO EnduroCross racers get behind the wheel of Pole Positions’ rippin’ race karts, then all heck breaks loose. Karting bragging rights last an entire year here, even for the fans that get in on the racing!” What: GEICO EnduroCross preseason party at Pole Position Raceway When: Friday, July 16th Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where: Located adjacent to the Orleans Arena, Pole Position Raceway is at 4175 South Arville, Las Vegas 89103 Who: Top racers from GEICO EnduroCross For more information link to: www.polepositionraceway.com GEICO EnduroCross Interview: ’09 E3 Spark Plugs Pro Junior Champ Colton Haaker One of America’s top young off-road racers is back to defend his EX title beginning this weekend in Las Vegas IRVINE, Calif., (July 12, 2010) – When dreams of being a professional motocross racer are cut short for whatever reason – as they are for the vast majority of kids that choose that path – most seem to slowly gravitate away from the competitive side of the sport, eventually becoming motocross dads themselves down the road.
Opting for the equally aggressive sport of Trials, with a somewhat lesser of a chance of being injured due to another rider’s mistake, Haaker turned pro at 16 and won his first AMA national Trials title – 125 Expert – two years later. Joining the GEICO EnduroCross Series in 2007, Haaker would contest all the rounds on a Montesa Trials bike and wrapped up the season with a 4th place finish at the Vegas finals, often times competing against guys upwards of a decade older than him. While continuing to hone his off road skills in 2008, Haaker would eventually land on Lucas Oil’s radar and the EnduroCross-friendly lubricant giant would back Haaker so that he could travel to a mixture of off-road events, including Trials Nationals, WORCS, EnduroCross and the ISDE Qualifiers – where Haaker was named to the ’08 America’s Junior Team. Rallying back from a 2008 season-ending injury in Spain (collarbone), this past year’s efforts would culminate with Haaker being named the 2009 E3 Spark Plugs EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship overall winner. GEICO EnduroCross caught up with Haaker at his home in Murietta, Calif., as he was getting things ready for the Orleans Arena season opener this Saturday, July 17th. GEICO EnduroCross: Yeah, Colton. You back on the Kawi this year? Colton Haaker: Yep, with Lucas Oil Racing. GEICO EnduroCross: Do you get a chance to defend your E3 Spark Plugs EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship? Colton Haaker: Yeah, it’s 21 years and younger. GEICO EnduroCross: What have you been doing during the off-season to get ready for EX? Colton Haaker: I moved to Murietta, moved out of my parent’s house, to fend for myself – grow up a little bit. Been riding some WORCS races, then raced the AMA Motocross round up at Hangtown – which was my first-ever pro motocross. I was able to qualify for the day program and ended up like 30th overall. GEICO EnduroCross: How’d you do in your WORCS race? Colton Haaker: I got 2nd in the Pro 2 class at round four. GEICO EnduroCross: You had to be pretty pumped with Hangtown, qualifying on your first try and all. Colton Haaker: Yeah, I wish I could have done a bit better. My bike was pretty stock. GEICO EnduroCross: Did it still have the price tag on it from the dealership? Colton Haaker: Just about (laughter). Basically just pulled it out of my garage and went racing.
Colton Haaker: I’ll probably do Washougal, run a 450 there though. EnduroCross is only six rounds, so I could fit in some more motocrosses. If I had some more help from the Kawasaki factory I think I could do a lot better. GEICO EnduroCross: Your dad’s a two-time ISDE medalist (Bronze in Holland ’84 and again in Spain in ’85). Do you hope to match his accomplishments some day? Colton Haaker: I figure that’s probably in my future, yeah. It’d be pretty cool to go there and represent your country, know that you’re one of the best off-road riders out there. Hopefully at some point of my career I can achieve that. GEICO EnduroCross: We’re fortunate to have here in the States the world’s premier indoor off-road racing series. That said, what do you feel is the most difficult aspect of GEICO EnduroCross? Colton Haaker: The most difficult part is staying out of trouble. It’s such a small track and there’s so much that can go on with other riders … just staying clean and getting some luck on your side will go a long ways in EnduroCross. You could be having a great night and some guy falls in front of you and you have nowhere to go. So the most difficult part is actually racing it. A lot of people can ride EnduroCross, but to race it is a LOT different. GEICO EnduroCross: Last year you placed 4th overall in the premier class in GEICO EnduroCross, just four points back of Damon Huffman for an overall podium spot (115-111). That and the E3 Spark Plugs EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship under your belt, do you feel you’ve got a pretty good shot at the overall title this year versus guys like Taddy Blazusiak and Ricky Dietrich? Colton Haaker: Yeah, for sure. As a matter of fact Ricky Dietrich lives right down the street from me and his old mechanic is my mechanic this year. I’ve never really had anybody help me a lot, outside my dad, so that’s been a lot of help having Tanner there already. I’m going into this year with more experience and I’m as good as I can be right now. I know Taddy and those guys are the same, so I’m going to give it my best and race like I came to win. GEICO EnduroCross: Last question. How would you explain EnduroCross to your buddies that don’t ride – but are into action sports. Colton Haaker: I’d just say ‘Have you ever seen six lead changes in one lap?’ Nobody’s invincible in this sport. Taddy was the best guy last year, but a lot of guys are going to have it for him this year. We’ve got two new venues, Indy and Washington, with new locations bringing out new people to watch EnduroCross. Pumped to get things going this week in Vegas. GEICO EnduroCross: Right on. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Colton, and good luck next Saturday, July 17th, at the Orleans. Colton Haaker: Thanks. Gonna be a great race to open the 2010 EnduroCross season in Vegas. Place is always packed and the racing’s unreal. Look forward to seeing everyone there next Saturday! ShotMaker Productions returns for 2010 to document GEICO EnduroCross racing action California-based production company captures all the action of EnduroCross and puts it online for fans to see IRVINE, Calif., (July 7, 2010) – ShotMaker Productions, GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs’ official series documentation company, returns for the 2010 season to capture all of the pre and post-event video of EnduroCross, as well as producing the popular season-ending “EnduroCross: The Movie.” ShotMakers’ GEICO EnduroCross’ video footage is posted on a timely basis on EnduroCross’ website – www.endurocross.com. All the wire-to-wire racing action, interviews with the racers, and perspective from the experts helps keep EnduroCross fans connected to the world’s most grueling indoor off-road motorcycle racing competition. To check out EnduroCross’ 2009 season-recap trailer, catch the aforementioned link on EnduroCross.com’s main page. ShotMaker Productions, a progressive web presence offering high quality tools for small and large businesses, was founded in 2006 by off-road rider Dillon Lesovsky. Kenda Tire rolls out new Triple for GEICO Endurocross K781 is the perfect fit for the slick and treacherous obstacles that dot the EnduroCross courses IRVINE, Calif., (July 6, 2010) – Kenda Tire – the official tire of the GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs – has rolled out a new off-road series tire, the “K781 Triple,” that’s sure to give the riders running it an advantage on the unique traction conditions associated with the sport of EnduroCross. Developed and tested for AMA Arenacross and Supercross, Kenda’s Triple features a low profile sidewall for improved cornering stability and cornering traction. With dimpled knobbies designed for quick warm up and extra traction, the Triple’s tread pattern is engineered to handle hard packed and slippery surfaces – an added benefit when navigating EnduroCross’ boulder mountains and log crossings. “The Triple has received high marks thus far in 2010,” said Kenda’s Gus Niewenhous. “Yamaha’s AmPro team has won four national enduros in a row – five total – three GNCCs and three OMAs in just the first half of the competition season. So we are excited to show off the Triple in Vegas at the EnduroCross opener.” For more information on GEICO EnduroCross’ official tire, check out Kenda’s website at: www.kendatire.com
GEICO EnduroCross announces 2010 series’ TV schedule Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour coverage begins on 10/10/10 on the Versus Network IRVINE, Calif., (June 24, 2010) – GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, announced today the live-to-tape TV schedule for the 2010 EnduroCross season on Versus. The Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour presents round one of 2010 GEICO EnduroCross on Sunday, Oct. 10th, beginning at 6 p.m. (EST). From there a steady stream of EnduroCross racing will be piped into homes all over the world through the months of October, November and December – complete with original air dates and re-air dates. “We’ll no doubt be seeing some of the best racing in EnduroCross’ seven-year history this season,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “From the highly anticipated opener in Vegas through our new rounds in Indianapolis and Everett, Washington, fans of off-road – and motorsports in general – will enjoy a front row seat to all the action beginning October 10th.” GEICO EnduroCross on the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour on Versus: Event / Date / Arena Air Date / Time Re-Air Date / Time Las Vegas, NV 07/17/10 - Orleans Arena: 10/10/10 6:00 PM 10/14/10 5:00 PM Guthrie, OK 08/14/10 - Lazy E Arena: 10/31/10 5:00 PM 11/3/10 5:00 PM Indianapolis, IN 08/27/10 – Pepsi Coliseum: 11/7/10 6:00 PM 11/11/10 5:00 PM Everett, WA 9/11/10 – Comcast Arena : 11/14/10 5:00 PM 11/17/10 5:00 P Denver, CO 10/30/10 - National Western Complex: 12/12/10 5:00 PM 12/15/10 5:00 PM Las Vegas, NV 11/20/10 - Orleans Arena: 12/19/10 6:00 PM 12/23/10 5:00 PM Note: All times are Eastern Girardi Wealth Management posts GEICO EnduroCross Holeshot cash A cool $500 in the EX Pro Main Event IRVINE, Calif., (June 21, 2010) – GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, welcomes back Mike Girardi of Girardi Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors and the popular $500 Girardi Holeshot Award for all six 2010 EnduroCross rounds. As with all racing, arriving at the initial turn first is important and Girardi, himself a dirt biking enthusiast, will reward those riders who pull that all-important holeshot. “It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be associated with this great series,” said Girardi. “One of my greatest passions is off road riding and racing, so it’s very thrilling for me not only to be a sponsor, but especially so to be offering the holeshot award at every event this year. Endurocross is by far and away the most exciting off road venue in the country!” “Passion and the love for off-road racing describes Mike Girardi” says Lance Bryson, Director of Sales & Marketing for GEICO EnduroCross “Girardi has been involved with the EnduroCross for the last four years. He wanted to do something for the riders and what better way than dangle cash in turn one.” GEICO EnduroCross announces Pioneer Pro Hot Lap One lap against the clock for gate pick, bragging rights and a Pioneer Prize Package IRVINE, Calif., (June 16, 2010) – GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, today announced the Pioneer Electronics Hot Lap – a timed lap to determine the heat race gate picks and bragging rights at each of the six EnduroCross Series events beginning July 17th at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena. Following the daytime qualifiers, the racers making the GEICO EnduroCross Pro Class night program will complete one timed “Hot Lap”. One rider at a time, one lap against the clock for the all-important top gate selections, bragging rights and the confidence that comes with knowing that you are the fastest rider. “The Pioneer Hot Lap adds another layer of excitement to GEICO EnduroCross’ already insane program,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales & Marketing for GEICO EnduroCross. “This really gives the riders and fans a clear view of which racers have the track dialed – and what lines they’re utilizing to get around the track faster than the other competitors.” As additional incentive, the winner of the Pioneer Hot Lap at each round will receive a Pioneer prize. Pioneer will also award the overall 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Pro Class series points champion – a full-blown Pioneer car entertainment system. “EnduroCross is such a cool and unique event that Pioneer is proud to be involved in the GEICO EnduroCross Series,” said Ted Cardenas, Director of Marketing for the Car Electronics Department, of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “We are looking forward to the opener in Las Vegas July 17th.” Off-road racing’s Cameron Steele named as the live event announcer for GEICO EnduroCross Joins Laurette Nicoll as Co-Announcer IRVINE, Calif., (June 11, 2010) – A familiar name to the sport of off-road motorcycle competition will be at the helm of the announcing duties for the 2010 GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs as longtime MX/SX/FMX television announcer Cameron Steele has been tabbed as this year’s master-of-ceremonies for the six round EnduroCross tour that kicks off July 17th at Vegas’ Orleans Arena. Steele, 39, himself and accomplished off-road motorcycle racer and, as of late, Baja Trophy Truck competitor arrives to GEICO EnduroCross with a solid pedigree in off-road sports. From a young age Cameron’s father, Mark, had him in-tow during the 1970s to all the major (and not-so-major) desert racing events. Mark Steele then strapped Cameron into his first Baja Bug ride in 1984 and the second-generation off-roader hasn’t let off the gas since. Joining Laurette Nicoll (now in her fourth year as EnduroCross announcer) on the floor, Steele is no doubt known more by the action sports generation for his vocal cords (supercross, MX Nationals, Summer and Winter X Games and the TV voice of GEICO EX last year on Versus) than his documented desert racing skills as he’s pretty much been the voice of freestyle motocross since the sport’s inception – an energy he’ll no doubt apply to the live events of GEICO EnduroCross. GEICO EnduroCross: Cameron, how did this EX announcer deal come about? Steele: Honestly, Eric (Perronard, inventor of EnduroCross) was hanging out at my house and just asked me if I wanted to do it and I was like ‘Alright.’ I wanted to be part of it. I was the TV announcer this past year, which is kind of interesting because usually you start as a live announcer and then get a chance at being a TV announcer – which is how I got my very first TV job. So I did it backwards. GEICO EnduroCross: When did you break into motorcycle announcing on TV? Steele: TV-wise, then first real thing I did was in 1998. I was going to be a competitor at ESPN’s first freestyle motocross event. At the time they didn’t have an announcer and I guess my name came up a couple times with the promoter. Before practice started he came up and asked me if I wanted to be the announcer. I asked him what that paid and he said ‘Better than 10th place.’ With 47 riders entered, and it was the first ever event with metal ramps, I was like ‘Alright, I’m in.’ Costa Mesa Fairgrounds, the Freeride Moto-X World Championships. GEICO EnduroCross: So you pretty much lucked out last year with your debut, the great race between Taddy (Blazusiak) and Ricky Dietrich. Steele: Yeah, that was unreal. But to be honest with you I wanted to come and compete in EnduroCross at the very beginning. But a lot of the races clashed with the Baja races, particularly the 1,000 in November. GEICO EnduroCross: How does your experience in the desert help with you announcing EnduroCross? Steele: My desert racing experience, both on bikes and in Trophy Trucks, gives me good insight into the obstacles. I’ve spent a lot of time in Baja on my dirt bike and in the truck, so I have some clarity in areas where others may not and I hope to be able to convey that to the fans this year at the live EnduroCross events. In Baja we really have to be able to pick our way through things, logs, rocks, washes, riverbeds – correlate all that information and being ‘The Guy’ that has to whip up the crowd. It’s a different venture, yeah, but I like that energy associated with blowing the house up. That can be a bigger rush than just knowing your efforts are going to show up on TV. GEICO EnduroCross: As the TV color man on Versus last year for EnduroCross you’re no doubt highly tuned-in on what’s happening with the sport. What aspects of your TV experience will be best applied to the live events? Steele: The unknown quality of EnduroCross is what really drives the sport. I mean, how many dirt bike sports are there where, prior to the event, the winner is really unknown? Supercross and motocross you’ve got two-to-three guys that really have a shot at winning a heat. But with EnduroCross there’s so many obstacles and so many lead changes every lap it just builds the excitement even more. GEICO EnduroCross: Did the officials a Source Interlink Media talk you into taking the fans on a mic’d lap of the tracks? Steele: Not unless they want a comedy routine. (laughter) GEICO EnduroCross: Ha, ha. Right on. We look forward to seeing you in just over a month here in Vegas, Cameron. Steele: Thanks. I’m really looking forward to the Vegas opener for GEICO EnduroCross. It’s going to be an unreal season. GEICO EnduroCross champion Taddy Blazusiak dominates Erzebergrodeo for the fourth time Blazusiak runs away with the 2010 “Iron Giant” victory, topping a field of 500 competitors and the 2nd place racer by 11 minutes IRVINE, Calif., (June 9, 2010) – GEICO EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, defending champion Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) dominated this past weekend’s XVI Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria – one of the world’s premier “extreme enduro” events. So he is certainly in top form as he prepares to come back to the US to defend his title against a strong field. The Erzbergrodeo is the event that Taddy, a world championship trials competitor at the time, borrowed a bike four years ago and then won the event to put him on the map for extreme events like this. KTM immediately signed him up and brought him to the EnduroCross final that season where he created a controversy by beating David Knight to take away his chance for a $50,000 pay day by winning the triple crown. Added Blazusiak: “I’m really happy to be coming back for EnduroCross and to defend my title. It’s going to be fun and good racing again. Looking forward to seeing my fans in the U.S.” It should be said that the win for Blazusiak this past weekend was his fourth straight victory at the Erzbergrodeo. And so convincing was the victory the second-place racer, Germany’s Andreas Lettenbichler, stated: “Taddy was riding in his own class.” Also noteworthy, Corey Graffunder from Canada placed 6th at the Erzbergrodeo on his Husqvarna. He was the 2009 E3 Spark Plugs Junior EnduroCross Championship (for riders 21 and under) runner up and has his sights set on not only winning that crown this year but also challenging Taddy for the wins and the overall championship. EnduroCross series on track for another great season GEICO Powersports and E3 Spark Plugs return as title and presenting sponsors, respectively. IRVINE, Calif. (June 4, 2010) – Thanks to support of some of the finest companies in the Powersports market, the six event 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross series is poised for another great season. New events in Everett Washington and Indianapolis Indiana (during the Moto GP weekend) will showcase some of the most exciting racing in the world to new markets. GEICO Powersports is back as the title sponsor and E3 Spark Plugs will again be the presenting sponsor of GEICO EnduroCross. “For the past couple years EnduroCross has enjoyed a very stable sponsorship base, anchored by GEICO Powersports,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales & Marketing for GEICO EnduroCross. “This has allowed EnduroCross to show marked increases in prize money and benefits to the riders, in addition to the all enhancements with the world-famous GEICO EnduroCross track that makes for some unreal racing and brings fans – and their friends – back to the events year after year Other top-tier sponsors for 2010 GEICO EnduroCross include: Monster Energy, Kenda Tire, Moose Racing and Lucas Oil. Equally as important to the GEICO EnduroCross series are: Pioneer, FMF, KTM, Scott USA, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Traxxas RC cars, Rekluse, Pro Taper, Girardi Wealth Management, RideNow Powersports, UNI Filter, Motion Pro, Sidi, Vertex Pistons, Cylinder Works, Thumper Talk, All Access Sports and Cycle News. All six rounds of the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross series, presented by E3 Sparkplugs will air on the Lucas Motorsports Hour on the Versus Network. To confirm the latest schedule, log onto www.motorsportshour.com. GEICO Powersports introduces EnduroCross “Travel Dollars” program Riders will be rewarded for first through 21st positions ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 25, 2010) – With travel budgets tight already and the usual summer gas price increase looming, officials at GEICO Powersports have decided to spread the wealth to help riders compete in all six rounds of the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, season. Gone is the GEICO Triple Crown of EnduroCross – a $50,000 three-race sweep prize that was never claimed in the three-year history of the program. And in its place is the new GEICO Travel Dollars program, which pays cash money all the way down through the standings to the 12th place finisher in the LCQ, which is effectively the 21st position for the event. “In traveling to the EnduroCross events and meeting the racers, getting a chance to speak with them for a bit, we learned that there’s a definite need for additional support for the non-factory racers,” said Mike Karsting, VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “So we looked at the prize money structure for GEICO Powersports EnduroCross and decided to make some adjustments – coming up in the end with the GEICO Powersports Travel Dollars.” So in addition to the already over $10,000 up for grabs in purse money at each event, GEICO is kicking in with an additional $3,000 in cash prize money that goes to the non-podium, no-factory racers in the main event and LCQ. GEICO AMA EnduroCross welcomes Sidi Boots as series sponsor Premier Italian off-road/MX boot manufacturer began producing moto boots in 1969 and caps off their 40th-anniversary year by aligning themselves with GEICO EnduroCross ANAHEIM, Calif., (Jan. 20, 2010) – Officials at GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, welcomes Sidi boots to the list of great sponsors backing the 2010 series that opens this summer at Vegas’ Orleans Arena. Evolving from a then highly-innovative approach to hiking boot construction, Sidi Sport entered the motocross field some 40 years ago – sold as the “Full Bore” brand in the States to all you old schoolers. Since 1969 Sidi has continually strived to create the most innovative, functional and best-fitting MX boots on the market, backing and testing its product with legendary names like Joel Robert while putting the Sidi brand name on the map. Since then off-road greats such former GEICO EnduroCross champ Ricky Dietrich, along with international off-road stars such as Stefan Everts, Juha Salminen, Kurt Caselli and Destry Abbott all run the recognizable Italian boots in the harshest conditions possible for man and machine. Sidi’s are at home on the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) battlefields, torturous Baja, the GNCCs WORC series’ and, of course, holding up through the mind-bending obstacles that make up GEICO EnduroCross. “With the jagged rock crossings, massive boulder mountain, loose logs, felled trees, water hazards, mud, sand and all things slippery, grippy, wet and muddy, EnduroCross should prove to be the optimal test grounds for the Sidi off-road boot line,” said Sidi’s Bill Berroth. “EnduroCross is like a laboratory for off-road equipment with a house packed full of the most discerning enthusiasts. Sidi welcomes the challenge and looks forward to again proving the worthiness of our boots through our partnership with EnduroCross.” Added Lance Bryson, Director of Sales & Marketing for GEICO EnduroCross: “Sidi has been around forever and with good reason – they make some of the best boots in the world with attention to quality and workmanship unsurpassed in our industry. We’re pumped to have Sidi on board this year with GEICO EnduroCross and look forward to working as a team to help further the great reputation of their boots through EnduroCross’ live events and widespread industry interest.” GEICO EnduroCross announces 2010 schedule Two new venues, including a trip to the Pacific Northwest and a race in Indianapolis during MotoGP weekend, highlight the upcoming 2010 GEICO EnduroCross series ANAHEIM, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2009) – After an incredible conclusion to the 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, here recently in Las Vegas – one that saw Monster/Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich snatch 50 grand out of KTM/Red Bull’s Taddy Blazusiak’s hands – officials with Source Interlink Media are pleased to announce the 2010 schedule. Headlining the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross campaign are two new venues that will introduce the sport of EnduroCross to off-road fans in the Pacific Northwest (Everett, Wash.) as well as fans of MotoGP racing when EnduroCross aligns with the USGP weekend in Indianapolis. “The 2009 season started with a bang and didn’t let up through the final race at the final round,” noted Mike Karsting, VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. And our studies suggest the two new markets – Seattle and Indianapolis – will be key in helping further develop the already solid following for the sport of EnduroCross. Off-road riding and racing is huge in the northwest and aligning GEICO EnduroCross with the USGP in Indianapolis will put EnduroCross in front of a new and sizeable group of two wheel motorsports enthusiasts for us.” 2010 GEICO EnduroCross schedule:
Date Venue City/State
July 17 The Orleans Arena Las Vegas, Nev. Aug. 14 Lazy E Arena Guthrie, Okla. Aug. 27 Pepsi Coliseum Indianapolis, Ind. Sept. 11 Comcast Arena Everett, Wash. Oct. 30 National Western Complex Denver, Colo. Nov. 20 The Orleans Arena Las Vegas, Nev. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich Wins Vegas EnduroCross Final Colton Haaker wins E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship Photos by: Tony Scavo LAS VEGAS, NV (November 21, 2009) – After a close second place finish at the opening round, Ricky Dietrich, the defending EnduroCross Champion suffered an injury at round two of the 2009 Geico EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs and was not a factor in the championship. But tonight, Dietrich played the role of spoiler. KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak had the $50,000 Geico Triple Crown bonus on the line if he could win the Vegas final. But Blazusiak did not get a great start and went down hard while trying to make up time on the first lap. Muscle Milk KTM’s Mike Brown set the fastest hot lap to get the day started. Blazusiak had the second fastest time ahead of Sherco mounted Graham Jarvis, a top trials rider from the UK that is proving his ability at EnduroCross type events on both sides of the pond. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Destry Abbot competed in the Baja 1000 the day before and made the long drive to Vegas pay off by collecting the $500 Girardi Wealth Management Holeshot award to start the main event. His lead was short lived however as there was a lot of bumping and banging during the first lap and most of the field got stuck in the in the large rock pile. Christini KTM mounted Geoff Aaron took the lead and appeared to be on his way to his second main event win of the season but Dietrich pushed hard to close the gap and made a pass for the lead on lap six. Aaron held onto second while Damon Huffman won a race long battle with Lucas Oil backed Colton Haaker for the final podium position. Taddy Blazusiak recovered from his first lap crash to finish fifth but has an extremely sore knee. Blazusiak had already clinched the 2009 Geico Powersports EnduroCross championship and Geoff Aaron finished second ahead of Huffman. By finishing fourth overall in the series, Colton Haaker won the inaugural E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship, the series within a series that allows riders aged 16-21 to compete for an AMA number one plate. Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder finished fifth overall and second in the chase for the Junior Championship. The Las Vegas EnduroCross final also played host to three classes of Amateur Grand Championships. Riders qualified by finishing in the top two at the previous five rounds to earn a place in the Amateur finals in Las Vegas. Geico backed Eric Rodgers won the Open Amateur title. Sixteen year old Ryan Sandoval won the TrialsCross title and Joe Kopp, the former Grand National Dirt Track champion won the Vet Grand Championship. Las Vegas, NV, Geico Powersports AMA EnduroCross Expert Main Event Results 1. Ricky Dietrich Kawasaki All six rounds of the 2009 Geico AMA EnduroCross will air on the Lucas Motosports Hour on the Versus Network starting in October. For more information and air times, check www.motorsportshour.com. World’s fastest indoor off-road motorcycle racer, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak, could be 50K richer on Sat. ’09 GEICO EnduroCross champ Blazusiak, the GEICO Triple Crown of EnduroCross and FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS all come to a boil Nov. 21st at Vegas’ Orleans! ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2009) – Reigning 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, champion – KTM/Red Bull’s Taddy Blazusiak – has a shot at pretty substantial payday this weekend. Simply put, should he win the Vegas EnduroCross round at the Orleans Arena he’ll be 50 grand richer courtesy of GEICO. By winning the GEICO EnduroCross rounds at Guthrie, Okla., and Denver, Blazusiak set himself up for the richest three race prize in American off-road racing. Of course this is certainly “All good,” according to Blazusiak, but first and foremost the overall GEICO EnduroCross title was paramount to this season’s goals – especially coming off an injury during the WORCS last year that cost him a shot at the ’08 GEICO EX title. GEICO EnduroCross caught up with the well-traveled Blazusiak, who’s based for part of the year close by the KTM offices in Murietta, Calif., via Andorra (between France and Spain) while calling his home country Poland. GEICO EnduroCross: Earlier this year you were involved in what many are calling the most exciting indoor off-road race of all time when you and Ricky Dietrich battled to a photo finish at the checkers of the opening EnduroCross round at the Orleans. Looking back, how important was the win that night? Taddy Blazusiak: “Well, it’s always good to start a championship with a win, right? Gets your confidence going into the second race. A pretty big deal for me, yes. A really crazy race. That night I had a good race, the holeshot and pretty much led the whole race before I made a mistake in the pool. Almost cost me the race but somehow I recovered. And it gave me so much motivation for the rest of the year.” GEICO EnduroCross: Not that an opening round can be considered a turning point, but did the Vegas opener top all of the other GEICO EnduroCross rounds in terms of importance for you? Taddy Blazusiak: “To be honest I don’t think there was any turning point races for me this season. I knew coming into the first round that I had been practicing hard and was comfortable with my KTM, so I knew I had a good shot at winning the title. There wasn’t a special race – I was really focused on every single moto of every race. But I did, again, get that extra confidence after the first round.” GEICO EnduroCross: Was your confidence level the highest it’s ever been in the history of your GEICO EnduroCross racing career? Taddy Blazusiak: “For sure this year was really special for me. Last year after I got hurt and I was out of racing for a few months, going back then in September and pushing as hard as I could … because of that this year I changed my approach to racing a little bit, tried to have some more fun with it. It worked out, really. Overall my speed has been better, my obstacle speed, everything has been really good this year. And for sure my starts have been my strong point, so hopefully I can have all that with my last race here in Vegas this weekend. I’m at the top of my game right now and this is the form I’ve been looking for all year.” GEICO EnduroCross: What do you feel is the main thing about you that gives you an advantage over other riders in the sport of EnduroCross? Taddy Blazusiak: “I don’t know exactly over the rest of the guys, but for me the most important thing was to try and have fun. That was the key. We set our goal to win the championship and to be on the podium – not to go over my head. At the end of the day that paid off well. I had lots of confidence going into every race – knowing I could win, but didn’t have to. Not so much pressure and having more fun. I tried everything I could to win, but if I didn’t it was no big deal. And that was my key this year.” GEICO EnduroCross: You’ve got a pretty solid record at the Orleans in recent years. Taddy Blazusiak: “Yeah, I won the final in Vegas in ’07, but I was injured in ’08. I break most of my face bones, eye socket, cheek bones, upper jaw in practice before WORCS race in Washington. One of those things that happened for no reason.” GEICO EnduroCross: So this weekend … you pretty pumped on that 50 grand? Taddy Blazusiak: “For sure. 50 thousand is a good bonus, good money. My main focus, like I said, was winning the EnduroCross championship. And now that we’ve won that it takes a lot of pressure of us at this last round. Yeah, I’d like to have 50 thousand bucks. It’ll buy a lot of toys! But I already have a lot of toys, so I don’t know (laughter). It adds a lot of drama to the last race, which is good for the fans. But with me, no pressure. I’m going to go out there and have fun, ride smooth, try to get the holeshot and we’ll see at the end of the night.” GEICO EnduroCross: Right on. Best of luck to you this weekend, Taddy. And again, from everyone at GEICO EnduroCross, congratulations on your 2009 title. Taddy Blazusiak: “Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing everyone in Vegas this Saturday night!” Fastway Performance Teams Up with Off Road Support! Las Vegas, NV – Fastway Performance announced today that they will be teaming up with Off Road Support this weekend to provide pit support for Fastway/Pro Moto Billet racers at the final round of the AMA/GEICO Powersports EnduroCross Series in Las Vegas, Nevada. With products right in the pits available for rider use all weekend, racers and fans will have the opportunity to experience the Fastway/Pro Moto Billet way of racing firsthand. Fastway Performance Offers Up Vet Class Bonus! Fastway Performance, the official handgaurd sponsor of the 2009 Geico EnduroCross Series, announced today that it will award $250.00 to the top placing Vet Class rider using Fastway Handguards at the final round of EnduroCross in Las Vegas. Rekluse Motor Sports announces $1000 payout to top Rekluse rider at 2009 GEICO EnduroCross final in Vegas (Nov. 21) ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2009) – As a series sponsor since the inaugural GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, event in 2004, Rekluse Motor Sports is again stepping up to award $1000 to the top Rekluse rider at the final round of the 2009 EnduroCross Series this weekend at Vegas’ Orleans Arena (Nov. 21). Last year Bobby Prochnau took home the $1000 Rekluse contingency, but must battle even more Rekluse riders if he wants to take home the 2009 prize. Currently, five Rekluse riders sit in the overall top ten of the 2009 EnduroCross series: • Cory Graffunder These riders, as well as notables Jason Raines, Bobby Prochnau, Ty Davis and Destry Abbott will be vying for the $1000 prize on November 21. "The GEICO EnduroCross is an excellent venue to demonstrate the value of Rekluse’s z-Start Pro,” stated Al Youngwerth, President of Rekluse Motor Sports. “Our addition of the all-new Rekluse Core EXP clutch provides even better manual control of the clutch while retaining the anti-stall capability that is critical for EnduroCross racers. We want to add to the excitement of the final round, by creating even more competition amongst the riders who have supported Rekluse throughout the 2009 series.” Final 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross round features all-star lineup of both U.S. & global top off-road racers The Nov. 21st EnduroCross finals at Vegas’ Orleans may be the greatest indoor off-road field ever assembled – just making the main event will be a victory for some! Photos courtesy of: Tony Scavo
The list of riders scheduled to compete reads like a veritable who’s who of today’s top professional off-road motorcycle pilots. Descending on Vegas from all points of the globe – and led by newly crowned ’09 GEICO AMA EnduroCross champion, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak – the Orleans Arena contest is just a week-and-a-half away in what should prove to be a thrilling test of man, machine and those insane obstacles set to separate man and machine! “In the six-year history of GEICO EnduroCross I don’t think we’ve ever assembled a field quite like this,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “You’ve got a former AMA Outdoor National champion and current 2009 WORCS champion (Mike Brown/KTM), two former AMA Supercross champions (Damon Huffman/Kawasaki and Ty Davis/Husqvarna), a ten-time U.S. AMA Trials champion (Geoff Aaron/KTM), the current E3 Spark Plugs’ Pro Junior EnduroCross Championship points leader (Colton Haaker/Kawasaki), the defending 2008 GEICO EnduroCross champion (Ricky Dietrich/Kawasaki), a five-time national AMA Hare Scrambles champion (Jason Raines/Yamaha), the five-time AMA Hare & Hound national champion (Destry Abbott/Kawasaki) and a six-time WORCS champion (Justin Soule/KTM). And that’s just the Americans! Coming from overseas and Canada are former FIM Trials champion Graham Jarvis (UK), along with Canadian off-road greats Bobby Prochnau (KTM) and Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna) – who’s currently running 2nd in the Spark Plugs’ Pro Junior EnduroCross Championship points chase. “In order to just qualify for the main event you’re going to have to beat a number of champions,” added Karsting. Working to elevate their names a number of younger racers like Jamie Lanza (Kawasaki) and Kyle Redmond (Yamaha), both of whom are ranked in the top ten overall in points – and top five in points out of the 16-to-21-year olds. And, if the aforementioned racers weren’t enough, word on the trails is that 2007 GEICO EnduroCross champ, two-time GNCC champ and multi-time FIM Enduro champ David Knight (KTM) is planning on racing the final GEICO EnduroCross round. If he does, Knight would have a shot at wrecking the $50,000 payday Blazusiak has set himself up to win by taking the first two (of three) rounds of the GEICO Triple Crown of EnduroCross! Note: This would be a MAJOR payback for the 2007 GEICO Triple Crown where Blazusiak came in won the third round after Knight had won the first two! Colton Haaker leads the chase for the E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship finals in Vegas The Nov. 21st GEICO AMA EnduroCross finals in Vegas will crown the first-ever E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship victor with Haaker leading the charge
With a podium finish at the Columbus (Ohio) round, Haaker overtook Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna) for 1st place in the E3 Junior Championship standings and has since increased that lead to a solid ten points heading into Vegas (93-83). “Things have been going really well for us this year. The plan is to finish out GEICO EnduroCross strong and put ourselves in the best position to win the E3 Spark Plugs’ Pro Junior Championship,” said Haaker. Noteworthy: Graffunder, riding Husky’s new ultra light TC250, is the only other rider in the Pro Junior class to podium along with Haaker. Joining Haaker and Graffunder on the overall podium through five rounds of GEICO EnduroCross is Kyle Redmond (Yamaha) with 72 points, while Kawasaki’s Jamie Lanza (61 points) and Serco’s Patrick Smage (40 points) rounding out the top five. “We’ve got one more pro title to decide in Vegas – E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “Colton’s got a solid lead, but as we’ve seen with GEICO EnduroCross in the past, anything can happen. We’re looking forward to seeing our younger competitors, the future of the sport of GEICO EnduroCross, for one last big event here in Vegas at the Orleans on the 21st. Rounding out the top ten in the E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship points chase are: 6th – Eric Rodgers, 23 points … 7th – Nick Brozovich, 22 points … 8th – Ronald Commo, 19 points … 9th – Matt Crouch, 14 points … 10th – Cody Webb, 11 points. Monster Energy EnduroCross Grand Championship to award AMA No. 1 plate to three racers in Vegas The field of top amateur EnduroCross racers is nearly complete and the victors in Vet, Open Am and TrialCross will be crowned at Vegas’ Orleans Arena, Nov. 21st Photos by: Tony Scavo
Qualifying in 1st or 2nd position at each of the five rounds leading up to the GEICO EnduroCross finals at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena (Nov. 21), racers from all points of the map in the United States will represent at next month’s Monster Energy EnduroCross Grand Championship finals, ten each in the Vet and Open Am classes and nine – with another racer to be named soon – in the TrialCross class. In addition, qualifying will also take place to fill two more spots (three for TrialCross) for the night program finals – filling out each class to 12 racers battling for the Monster Energy EnduroCross Grand Championship’s AMA No. 1 plate. Here are the racers that have qualified and their home state:
“These riders make up the best-of-the-best in terms of amateur competitors that contested the five GEICO EnduroCross rounds this season and earned the right at shot at Monster Energy EnduroCross Grand Championship’s AMA No. 1 plate in their respective class,” Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “Taddy Blazusiak may have wrapped up his title a race early, but there are still three very important amateur titles on the line in Vegas next month – which will make for some unreal racing Saturday evening, November 21st.”
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The first-ever EnduroCross event ever at Pepsi Coliseum is located in the middle of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Mike Karsting, VP of Events for Source Interlink Media, said that the move-in was smooth and the Fairgrounds and Family Events/The Promotion Company that runs the nearby Indy Mile as well, have been nothing but accommodating.
Oklahoma, OK (August 14, 2010) – Round two of the 2010 GEICO Powersports EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Sparkplugs challenged the riders with a long, tough track combined with brutal heat and humidity. Red Bull KTM backed Taddy Blazusiak faced a serious challenge from Muscle Milk KTM backed Mike Brown who took the lead away from Taddy and looked like he was on track for his first EnduroCross win but ultimately gave up the lead and then tipped over in a very technical rock turn and finished 11th. The multi rider battle for second was taken by Geoff Aaron and the final spot on the podium went to Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Justin Soule. 
Kevin Rookstool rode his RPM KTM to sixth position after showing the speed to run third early in the main event. Lucas Oil backed Colton Haaker finished seventh ahead of Gary Sutherlin, Ricky Dietrich and Kyle Redmond. Dietrich, the 2008 EnduroCross Champion twisted his shifter around his footpeg early in the main and had to stop to straighten it. Although Taddy controlled most of the main event, a few mistakes in the final laps, including a big endo made the victory uncertain and kept the large crowd on their feet all the way to the finish. 
IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 11, 2010) – As if GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, isn’t tough enough – think if you showed up to race and ended up getting smoked by chick!
IRVINE, Calif., (Aug. 10, 2010) – The gloves are off … rather, the cobwebs are off and Oklahoman Guy Cooper is “Goin’ Racin’” this weekend when round two of the 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, headlines at the legendary Lazy E Arena.
“Taddy brings it, that’s for sure,” said Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media. “He’s one of those riders where at least a few times a night you turn to your buddy seated next to in disbelief and go ‘Did you see that?’”
For GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs’ Colton Haaker, 20, the journey was no different. A promising young MX talent with fine dirt bike pedigree (his father’s a two-time ISDE medalist), Haaker was considered one of the top ten national amateur prospects five years ago. But a series of wrecks and subsequent TBIs forced the Haaker’s to pull the plug on Colton’s pro motocross dreams – though that’s not to say he quit dirt bikes altogether.
GEICO EnduroCross: Are you running any more MX Nationals this summer?
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2009) – You’d be hard-pressed to find a more impressive all-star off-road lineup that’s getting set here to boot up for the final round of the 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, series at Vegas’ Orleans Arena (Nov. 21st).
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2009) – Nineteen year old Kawasaki pilot Colton Haaker is poised to take top honors in the newly-formed E3 Spark Plugs’ EnduroCross Pro Junior Championship – featuring the nation’s top up-and-coming 16 to 21-year-old GEICO AMA EnduroCross racers – when the GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, series culminates with the final round at Vegas’ Orleans Arena on Nov. 21st.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2009) – Throughout the GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, season the nation’s top off-road amateur racers in the Veteran, Open Amateur and TrialCross classes have fought hard to qualify for the upcoming Monster Energy EnduroCross Grand Championship and the AMA No. 1 plate that goes along with each of the three classes.
