Colton Haaker holds off series champion Cody Webb in a nailbiting GEICO AMA Endurocross main event at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Rockstar Energy/Lucas Oil Husqvarna rider Colton Haaker claimed a wire-to-wire win during round three of the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross series inside the Orleans Arena on a busy weekend of National-level motorcycle competition in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series and the AMSOIL Arenacross Series both hosting season finales the same weekend, there was plenty to do and see for motorcycle racing fans in Sin City, and Haaker made sure to turn in a masterful performance when the endurocross boys put on their show on Friday night.
Haaker led the main event from the start, but he had to defe pressure from Cody Webb. The FMF/RPM/Team Maxxis KTM rider had set the fastest lap time during both the afternoon and nighttime sessions, earning a bonus championship point and the top gate pick. But when the main event left the starting line, Haaker was out first to claim the Nexen Tire $500 Holeshot award with fellow Husqvarna rider Mike Brown in tow. Brown held second place for the first few laps before maing a mistake in the firewood pit and yielding second place to Webb.
Webb kept the pressure on Haaker for most of the rest of the race, showing Haaker a wheel on a couple of occasions. However, Webb was unable to make a pass even as both riders went on to lap the entire field. Haaker was able to make his way through the lappers cleanly enough, and he pulled clear of Webb in the final two laps to secure the win. GasGas rider and former AMA National Trials Champion Geoff Aaron finished third.
“I didn’t get the hot lap but I knew if I could get the holeshot I could control the race from there” Haaker said. “But because of the lappers, the wood pile and [the fact that] it was a difficult track, it wasn’t easy”.
The win leaves Haaker with the series points lead as the series heads to Austin, Texas, for the X Games Enduro X, which counts toward the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship. Webb will undoubtedly be looking to make up the ground he lost in Las Vegas, and he will be looking forward to a clearer track ahead of him in Austin. That was something he didn’t have in the Vegas main event.
“It was really tough to get around the lappers” Webb said. “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’s third-place finish helps to make up for a rough start to the season, in which he failed to make the main events at the first two rounds.
“I have been working really hard this year, riding with Colton [Haaker] a lot, and I 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 KTM rider Cory Graffunder finished fourth, and Ty Tremaine earned a personal best of fifth on his FMF/RPM/Team Maxxis KTM. Kevin Rookstool finished sixth on a Suzuki. Max Gerston finished seventh on a Beta. Nick Thompson was eighth on a KTM, and Brown dropped to ninth after getting a piece of wood stuck in his wheel. Kyle Redmond completed the top 10 on a Beta.
GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series
Orleans Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
Results: May 1, 2015 (Round 3 of 8)
Pro Main Event
1. Colton Haaker-Hus
2. Cody Webb-KTM
3. Geoff Aaron-GG
4. Cory Graffunder-KTM
5. Ty Tremaine-KTM
6. Kevin Rookstool-Suz
7. Max Gerston-Bet
8. Nick Thompson-KTM
9. Mike Brown-Hus
10. Kyle Redmond-Bet
11. Jamie Lanza-KTM
12. Destry Abbott-Kaw
13. Noah Kepple-KTM
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