IRVINE, Cal. (February 26th) – EnduroCross fans will be in for a real treat when the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship kicks off in Daytona Beach, Florida during Bike Week. A large list of riders will be lining up to claim the first win and kick of their season with maximum momentum. For 2015, many of the top contenders have made changes to their program looking for an edge. Below is your 2015 GEICO EnduroCross Series Preview:
Cody Webb
Webb outdueled Taddy Blazusiak to take the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross title. He did so on a factory Beta 300 two-stroke and surprised everybody when he announced that he would switch to the FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis ride for 2015. He is currently planning to compete, again, on a 300 two-stroke. Webb has been competing in the SuperEnduro World Championship events in Europe to get comfortable on the new KTM and looks ready to fight to hold the number 1 plate as he gets comfortable on his new team.
Colton Haaker
Haaker has been racing EnduroCross for several years now and, if the EnduroCross Hot Laps sessions prove anything, he certainly has the speed to outrun anybody. In 2014, he gained consistency and took two wins to keep the battle close with Webb and Blazusiak to the finish. Like Webb, he too has switched bikes and teams for 2015 and will be riding a Husqvarna TC 350 with backing from Husqvarna as well as longtime sponsors Lucas Oil and Rockstar Energy. Haaker won a brutal the King Of the Motos extreme Enduro in California in January, showing he is fit and comfortable on the new bike.
Taylor Robert
The FMF KTM Factory rider took his first GEICO AMA EnduroCross win in Everett, Washington in 2014 and looked to be on his way to a serious 2015 title run. Unfortunately, a wrist injury is going to require surgery and a few months of recovery. Robert hopes to be back in time for round three in Las Vegas where he’ll have plenty of races left to impress.
Mike Brown
The former AMA Motocross and WORCS champion continues to ignore his birthdays and focus on training and racing. After narrowly missing out on the 2013 EnduroCross Championship, Brown switched to the Factory Husqvarna team for 2014 and struggled with a few nagging injuries and bad luck. He has had a successful off-season, even taking a win at an Enduro X event in Australia, and looks to be a contender again in 2015.
Max Gerston
Gerston has climbed the ranks of EnduroCross by winning the Amateur Grand Championship and then following that up with the Junior EnduroCross title in 2012. He finished a career best fifth in the 2015 championship and looks poised to become a regular podium contender on his Factory backed Beta. Gerston, who historically raced a 350cc four-stroke has indicated a switch to the Beta two-stroke machine.
Cory Graffunder
The tall Canadian is a veteran of EnduroCross and has stood on the podium several times but is still itching for his first win. The more difficult the track is, the more likely it is that you will see Graffunder at the front. He has joined the SRT Racing team for 2015 and has already had a few race wins aboard his KTM two-stroke.
Bobby Prochnau
Prochnau is another tall Canadian that has competed in EnduroCross for several years now on the FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis. He will race alongside new teammate Cody Webb in 2015 and looks to find a little more speed to move up from his eighth place in points in 2014.
Geoff Aaron
The ten-time US Trials Champion has raced EnduroCross since the first one in 2004 and has two main event wins to his name. The Red Bull backed Aaron puts on amazing Trials shows across the country and still finds the time to compete in a full EnduroCross season. He has made a switch to a Gas Gas two-stroke enduro machine for 2015 and seems to be rejuvenated and ready to get back up to the front of the pack.
Ty Tremaine
Nineteen-year-old Tremaine is a name to watch for and the Nevadan looks to be leading the future of EnduroCross. He earned the Junior EnduroCross title in 2014, which is a championship within a championship for riders 21 and under. Past EnduroCross Junior Champions include Colton Haaker, Taylor Robert and Max Gerston, who all finished in the top five in 2014. Tremaine backed that up by going to compete in the SuperEnduro events in Europe and taking multiple wins in the Junior class and currently leads that championship. The hard working FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis rider could very well compete for Pro Class podiums in 2015.
Wally Palmer
Wild Wally Palmer has become an EnduroCross crowd favorite because he shows absolutely no fear or apparent regard for his body’s well being. Even so, his experience in EnduroCross events is deep and his speed and consistency has improved dramatically. Once again, Palmer will be riding a Christing All Wheel Drive motorcycle and if you’re looking for a wildcard for podiums, Wild Wally is a solid choice.
Destry Abbott
The five-time Hare & Hound champion and off-road racing legend still competes in EnduroCross while running his DA8 Training services, which trains a lot of the top racers on the circuit. He said that 2014 would be his last season of racing but his ability to continue to compete with the younger riders has him coming back for more.
Kyle Redmond
Redmond has stood on the EnduroCross podium multiple times and is often among the fastest riders on the track. So the Beta Factory team was quick to pick him up to replace the departing Cody Webb for 2015. He will have big shoes to fill but will have the best support of his career in his quest to become a consistent podium contender.
Other notable riders to watch include Cooper Abbott (Destry’s son), the teenager won the EnduroCross Open Amateur Championship in 2014 and is rapidly improving in the pro class. Fellow teenager, Noah Kepple, has amazing bike handling skills and is quickly improving his race speed. He qualified for his first pro main at the Salt Lake City event in 2014. Utah’s Nick Thompson burst onto the EnduroCross scene in 2014 and qualified for several main events to close out the year.
And what about Taddy Blazusiak, the five time EnduroCross champion and all-time winningest EnduroCross racer? After several years of flying back and forth to the US, the Polish rider that lives in Spain has reportedly tired of the grueling international travel schedule. He has indicated he will stay in Europe this year to focus on winning the FIM SuperEnduro title as well as compete in other off-road and extreme enduro events closer to home. If Taddy does, in fact, not come back, the riders above will be quickly fighting to fill the void in the field. | |
