Maxxis Endurocross: Las Vegas

The Orleans Arena was sold out and packed with excited fans. Click the following link for a 49-photo gallery of action from the Las Vegas round of the Maxxis Endurocross.

While Endurocross isn’t strictly motocross-related, the finals were held at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas last weekend, and we’d always heard that these races were highly entertaining, so we opted for a quick road trip to check out the action. If you’ve never heard of Endurocross, picture a mash-up of Arenacross and an off-road race. But instead of doubles built out of dirt, you might have a pair of jumps that are comprised of logs. There are also boulders, large diameter logs, waterholes, sand, huge tires…you get the idea. This isn’t your average Supercross or Arenacross.

The riders here are a mix of some moto talent (guys like Damon Huffman and John Dowd), off-road champs from a variety of disciplines (David Knight, David Pearson, Geoff Aaron, Mika Ahola, etc.), and some trials guys had also started to infiltrate the ranks at recent events. While trials bikes don’t quite fit the spirit of what the Endurocross events were designed for, they were allowed to compete, though it sounds like they may get moved into a class of their own for next year.

Coming into Las Vegas, GNCC champ David Knight had won the previous two rounds, and was looking to not only wrap up the EX title, but take home a $50,000 triple crown bonus as well. While he did win the number one plate, his shot at the $50K was thwarted by his KTM teammate, Taddy Blazusiak from Poland, who passed Knight on the last lap to take the win. There was even a bit of controversy, when Knight launched his bike after the finish…and whether it was in celebration or frustration is open to some debate. Either way, you can check out all the action in the photo gallery (see the link above).

Originally an annual event, it expanded to three races this year, and next year’s series will feature six races, starting in July in Vegas. They’re definitely worth checking out, and for more info, you can watch for updates here, or visit www.endurocross.com.