Webb Wins Salt Lake City EnduroCross

From an EnduroCross press release:

Factory Beta and Stillwell Performance-backed Cody Webb took a decisive win tonight in Salt Lake City’s inaugural AMA GEICO EnduroCross event. The win was Webb’s second after taking the first round victory in Las Vegas and puts him and his Beta two-stroke 300 into the points lead.

The race fans in attendance at the Energy Solutions Arena saw a night go almost perfectly for GEICO-supported Webb. He took the holeshot and win in his Heat Race and put down the fastest Hot Lap for gate pick during the night program (both earning him a bonus championship point and essentially tying the points going into the main event).

The final race wouldn’t be easy for Webb. Factory Husqvarna’s Mike Brown started strong, grabbing the Nexen Tire $500 Holeshot award in front of the pack. Brown began to pull away early, taking Webb, Factory Red Bull KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak, and Factory FMF KTM Offroad’s Taylor Robert with him. Last week’s winner, and co-points leader going into the race tonight, Rockstar/JCRHonda/Lucas Oil’s Colton Haaker went down and started the first full lap of racing in dead last.

By lap four, Webb was applying serious pressure to Brown, waiting for a mistake. His chance came quickly with just a slight bobble from Brown in the Wood Pile. Webb attacked and went to the front by lap five. At the same time, Robert moved past Blazusiak and all of the front-runners came into lapped riders. The battle became serious for the third podium spot as KTM teammates Blazusiak and Robert kept it close. Meanwhile Haaker had charged all the way back to fifth place where he would eventually finish.

Taddy Blazusiak kept the points chase close with back-to-back second place finishes.

Going into the second half of the race, Blazusiak had passed Robert for third and began putting pressure on Brown for second. The top four had a clear track for a brief moment after moving through the entire field of lapped riders. Webb managed to pull out a 10-second lead going into the final laps only to get stuck and fall over in the elevated rock turn. Luckily, he got moving again quickly and kept it on the gas.

It seemed the race for third was going to be where the action was until Blazusiak turned up the pace and put serious pressure on Brown and moved past on lap 12. Robert would follow and get the third podium spot on the final lap.

After an inadvertently flown white flag causing some final-lap confusion, the final checkered flag went to Webb in first, Blazusiak second and Robert third.

Taylor Robert made it to the podium and feels 100% going into the second half of the season.

The GEICO AMA EnduroCross, fueled by Monster Energy and presented by Lucas Oil championship standings stand with Webb in the lead at 143, Blazusiak settles in second three points back with 140 and Haaker fell 10 points back after sharing the lead to 133.

Cody Webb was thrilled with his second win of the season. “My race was awesome,” Webb said. “I felt great, and I got into the lead and pulled a big gap. The white flag was thrown and then not thrown, I was the winner and then not done yet. So it did not make sense but I got the win and the points lead so I am happy.”

Blazusiak continues to take a long-term look at the season. “I made mistakes but then towards the end of the race I got that rhythm going again and started working on the guys,” Blazusiak said. “In the end, I am happy with second. It’s a good second looking towards the championship.”

Robert feels 100% taking third. “The track was really nasty but I got a decent start and passed Taddy for third but then got stuck trying to get around Brownie and Taddy got me back and eventually, I got Brown to get on the podium,” Robert said. “I kind of had a slow start to the season due to the injury that I had setting me back but now I am feeling 100% so I am back up there battling for the top spots.”

Pro Main Event Podium

Salt Lake City, Utah GEICO AMA EnduroCross Expert Main Event results:
1. Cody Webb  Beta
2. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
3. Taylor Robert KTM
4. Mike Brown Husqvarna
5. Colton Haaker Honda
6. Max Gerston Beta
7. Ty Tremaine KTM
8. Nick Thompson KTM
9. Bobby Prochnau
10. Geoff Aaron KTM
11. Noah Kepple KTM
12. Cory Graffunder KTM
13. Wallace Palmer Christini

The Women’s class had the fans in Salt Lake City cheering as first-time winner Sandra Gomez from Spain took an exciting win after early leader and holeshot winner Rily Ellinger battled with Tarah Geiger. Ellinger would drop back from her early lead with Gomez putting the pressure on Geiger, eventually making the pass stick. With the top two settled in, the race action came to third with teammates Chantelle Bykerk and Rachel Gutish battling. It seemed Tarah Geiger’s EnduroCross luck had finally turned as she made the final rock turn to the finish line. Then she got stuck. It was a heartbreaking stall in an otherwise great race. Defending champion Bykerk would take second with Gutish rounding out the top three.

Sandra Gomez claimed her first EnduroCross victory in Salt Lake City

Gomez enjoyed the win. “I am happy to be here and need to say thanks for Husqvarna, Miki Keller and the family Tremaine for helping me,” Gomez Said.

GEICO AMA EnduroCross Women’s Main Event results:
1. Sandra Gomez Cantero Husqvarna
2. Chantelle Bykerk KTM
3. Rachel Gutish KTM
4. Tarah Geiger KTM
5. Lexi Pechout Sherco
6. Rily Ellinger KTM
7. Morgan Tanke KTM
8. Melissa Harten Gas Gas
9. Nicole Bradford Kawasaki
10. Veronica Whitesell Beta
11. Megan Blackburn Kawasaki
12. Brittney Gallegos Kawasaki

The evening also included a host of support classes for amateur, vet and trials competitors. In Open Amateur Ty Cullins took the win with Trystan Hart in second and Dalton Dietz in third. The Vet class went to Kurt Nicoll with Jason Gitchel grabbing second and third going to Rich Black. And the Trialscross win went to a two-time winner on the evening! 15-year-old Ty Cullins took the win with Shad Petersen grabbing second and 62-year-old Keith Adams took the final podium spot in third.

Women’s Class Podium

The next round of the 2014 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship will take place inside the XFINITY Arena in Everett, Washington on Saturday, October 18th.

Tickets are on sale now for all of the 2014 events at www.EnduroCross.com/buy-tickets/.

By Troy Siahaan