Ontario EnduroCross Podium (Left to right) Justin Soule, Taddy Blazusiak and Cody Webb. Photography By: Kit Palmer
Taddy Blazusiak out-dueled Cody Webb to win round four of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, Saturday, September 15. Justin Soule rounded out the evening’s podium.
The victory makes Blazusiak the first double winner so far this year.
Blazusiak, who was the quickest in qualifying, got off to a fast start again in the main event, but he soon had his hands full when Webb came calling early in the race.
The Beta-mounted Webb latched on to Blazusiak’s KTM, setting the stage for flat-out race for the win between the two former trials stars. Webb was riding strong and smooth and eventually passed Blazusiak just past the halfway when the defending EnduroCross champ bobbled. Webb quickly opened up a small gap.
Blazusiak, however, reeled him back in only to bobble again and drop back, which, in fact, happened a few times.
With a four laps remaining, Webb looked to have a good chance to win his very first EnduroCross, but a small mistake by the 2011 Trials champ allowed Blazusiak back by him – this time for good.
The rider from Poland, Blazusiak, held on to take the win by five seconds over Webb.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Soule got around teammate Taylor Robert and Husqvarna’s Kyle Redmond late in the race to take third, crossing the finish line about 20 seconds behind Webb.
Redmond edged out Robert for fourth, while opening-round winner Colton Haaker finished sixth.
KTM’s Mike Brown struggled on night with bad starts and small mistakes. Brown squeaked into the final via the LCQ but got pinched off and stuck behind fallen riders in the first turn of the main. Brown completed the first lap in eight but could only move up one position.
Former Hare & Hound champ Destry Abbott finished eighth, followed by Ryan Rodgers, Gary Sutherlin and Jamie Lanza.
Other winners on the night included Chantelle Bykerk of Canada who won the Women’s main event of Nicole Madsen and Louise Blackburn.
Sixteen-year-old Ty Tremaine won both the Open Amateur class and the TrialsCross main event.
Kurt Nicoll won the 35+ Vet class over Tod Sciaqua and Colby Begin, while Ryan Sandoval made a last-turn pass to win the Baja Designs night race and with it the $500 winner-take-all purse.
After four rounds, Blazusiak leads Webb by 17 points, with Brown in third, seven points in back of Webb.
PRO OVERALL
1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM)
2. Cody Webb (Beta)
3. Justin Soule (Kaw)
4. Kyle Redmond (Hus)
5. Taylor Robert (Kaw)
6. Colton Haaker (Kaw)
7. Mike Brown (KTM)
8. Destry Abbott (Kaw)
9. Ryan Rodgers (Hon)
10. Gary Sutherlin (Kaw)
11. Jamie Lanza (Hon)
