Taddy Blazusiak capped off his stellar endurocross season with a dominant win at the final round of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship, presented by E3 Sparkplugs, at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 20. The win was his fifth of the six-round series and it also solidified the 2010 championship for the Red Bull-KTM rider from Poland.
Once Blazusiak had qualified for the main event via his heat-race win earlier in the evening, he had essentially wrapped up the 2010 title. All that was left was for him to do at that point to make it official was to just show up on the start line of the final and the number-one plate would be his. So it came as little surprise that he rolled up to the starting gate with the number-one plate already affixed to his factory 250EX KTM two-stroke. Still, he had some unfinished business to take care of.
When the gate dropped for the finale, Blazusiak’s closest rival throughout the year, Christini/KTM-Red Bull’s Geoff Aaron, forced his way into the lead, capturing the Girardi Wealth Management $750 Holeshot award, but the multi-time National Trials champ couldn’t hold back the newly crowned EnduroCross champ for long. Aaron gave Blazusiak a bit of a fight before giving way to the former world-class trials rider. On an extremely challenging and unforgiving race course, Blazusiak quickly opened up a comfortable but cautious lead and rode a near-flawless race to take the win with room to spare over Aaron, who wrapped up second place in the championship.
Third on the night went to Gas Gas rider and 2010 AMA Trials Champion Cody Webb, who landed on the endurocross podium for the first time of his career. Webb held control of that position for much of the race but was passed by Colton Haaker, who then crashed and handed the spot back to Webb.
Fourth place went to KTM’s Mike Brown, who spent much of the race battling with Kawasaki rider Justin Soule before settling into the number-four position.
Haaker ended up fifth and Soule sixth. For Soule, sixth was enough to give him third place in the championship.
Seventh place went to Kawasaki rider Kyle Redmond, followed by Jamie Lanza (Kawasaki), Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna), Kevin Rookstool (KTM) and Destry Abbott (Kawasaki).
Other championships were decided on the night as well. Top finishers from the support classes through out the year, as well as daytime qualifiers, earned the right to compete for AMA number-one plates on the night.
Husqvarna’s Ty Davis scored the 35+ Vet-class win over Todd Sciacqua and former GP motocross star Kurt Nicol. Luke Reynolds captured the Open Amateur class number-one trophy, while multi-time National Trials Champion Patrick Smage took the TrialsCross Championship over Bryan Roper and Shad Petersen.
Destry Abbott, a crowd favorite, and Matt Crouch were also honored with Spirit of EnduroCross awards for their contributions and commitment to the sport.
Blazusiak had little time to celebrate his first AMA EnduroCross Championship, as he hopped on a flight to Italy the next morning to compete in the opening round of the 2011 FIM World Indoor Enduro Championship this weekend.
Results:
EXPERT FINAL
1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
2. Geoff Aaron Christini KTM
3. Cody Webb Gas Gas
4. Mike Brown KTM
5. Colton Haaker Kawasaki
6. Justin Soule Kawasaki
7. Kyle Redmond Kawasaki
8. Jamie Lanza Kawasaki
9. Cory Graffunder Husqvarna
10. Kevin Rookstool KTM
11. Destry Abbott Kawasaki
12. Gary Sutherlin Kawasaki
13. Matt Oppen Kawasaki
14. Jacob Argubright Kawasaki
15. Dennis Sweeten KTM
16. Rory Sullivan Kawasaki
17. Homero Diaz KTM
18. Keith Sweeten KTM
19. Taylor Robert Kawasaki
20. Nick Burson Husqvarna
VET 35+
1. Ty Davis Husqvarna
2. Jimmy Lewis KTM
3. Josh Adams KTM
4. Adam Booth Kawasaki
5. Tod Sciacqua Yamaha
6. Rich Black KTM
7. Oakley Lehman Kawasaki
8. Joe Kopp Honda
9. Mike Evans Hon
10. Jeremy Deming Yam
11. Ryan Bradish Honda
12. Danny Cooper Honda
TRIALSCROSS
1. Bryan Roper Sherco
2. Shad Pedersen Beta
3. Zach Sweeten Montesa
4. Billy Burgener Gas Gas
5. Keith Adams Gas Gas
DNF Jimmy Lewis KTM
OPEN AMATEUR
1. Travis Coy Honda
2. Mark McGregor KTM
3. Luke Reynolds Kawasaki
4. Steven Miller Honda
5. Colby Begin Kawasaki
6. Craig Sanders Yamaha
7. Carl Miller Honda
8. Dustin McCarthy Yamaha
9. Jacob Thompson Suzuki
10. David Broderick Kawasaki
11. John Achey Kawasaki
DNF. Jesse Canepa Yam
DASH FOR CASH
1. Patrick Smage Sherco
2. Bryan Roper Sherco
3. Ty Davis Husqvarna
4. Ryan Sandoval Gas Gas
5. Shad Petersen Beta
6. Luke Reynolds Kawasaki
7. Travis Coy Honda
8. Zach Sweeten Montesa
9. Kurt Nicol KTM
DNF Mark McGregor KTM
DNF Josh Adams KTM
DNF Tod Sciacqua Yamaha
NIGHT RACE
1. Jacob Argubright Kawasaki
2. Matt Oppen Kawasaki
3. Homero Diaz KTM
4. Keith Sweeten KTM
5. Dennis Sweeten KTM
6. Nick Burson Husqvarna
DNF Gary Sutherlin Kawasaki
DNF Taylor Robert Kawasaki
DNF Ian Blythe KTM
DNF Rory Sullivan Kawasaki
EXGC OPEN AMATEUR
1. Luke Reynolds Kawasaki
2. Mark McGregor KTM
3. Ryan Sandoval Gas Gas
4. Travis Coy Honda
5. Caleb Wohletz Kawasaki
6. Matt Crouch Kawasaki
7. Michael Williams Kawasaki
8. Nick Burson Husqvarna
9. Ian Blythe KTM
10. Steven Miller Honda
1. Patrick Smage Sherco
2. Bryan Roper Sherco
3. Shad Petersen Beta
4. Zach Sweeten Montesa
5. Christy Williams Gas Gas
6. Keith Adams Gas Gas
7. Chris Green
DNF Phil Smage Sherco
DNF Billy Burgener Gas Gas
EXGC VET
1. Ty Davis Husqvarna
2. Tod Sciacqua Yamaha
3. Kurt Nichol KTM
4. Josh Adams KTM
5. Steve Leivan Yamaha
6. Dennis Sweeten KTM
7. Martie Wells Kawasaki
8. Adam Booth Kawasaki
9. Dean Nail Suzuki
10. Shane Doncaca Yamaha
DNF Jimmy Lewis KTM
2010 GEICO ENDUROCROSS FINAL STANDINGS
1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
2. Geoff Aaron Christini KTM
3. Justin Soule Kawasaki
4. Cory Graffunder Husqvarna
5. Kyle Redmond Kawasaki
6. Gary Sutherlin Kawasaki
7. Colton Haaker Kawasaki
8. Kevin Rookstool KTM
9. Cody Webb Gas Gas
10. Mike Brown KTM
