Cycle News Staff | September 20, 2022
Five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Taddy Blazusiak looked like the rider of old after winning two of the three main events at the 2022 EnduroCross opener in Salt Lake City. Blazusiak, who won his last AMA EnduroCross title in 2013 after exploding on to the American scene in 2009, ended up the overall winner with 1-2-1 results on his factory-backed GasGas.
Blazusiak beat out Trystan Hart, who is the current AMA Hard Enduro Champion, after winning the tie-breaking final race. Up to that point, both riders had gone 1-2.
Five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Taddy Blazusiak (111) won the opening round in Salt Lake City. His last EnduroCross title came in 2013.
Photos by Jack Jaxson
Hart, on the FMF KTM, settled for second overall, while South African Blake Gutzeit used consistency to get on the podium with 4-5-5 results. Gutzeit was fifth in the 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship and the FIM SuperEnduro Junior-class Champion in 2017.
Blazusiak kicked off his day by setting the fastest hot lap to set the starting order for the first of three motos with a time of 35.61. FactoryONE Sherco rider Cody Webb had the second-fastest time of 35.64. Webb’s Sherco teammate, Cooper Abbott, had the third fastest hot lap with a 36.34 lap time. Gutzeit was fourth fastest while Beta rider Jonny Walker rounded out the top five.
Trystan Hart (84) gave Blazusiak a battle. A 2-1-2 result gave Hart second overall.
Four-time and defending AMA EnduroCross Champion Colton Haaker had a tough time in the hot lap. He went down in the firewood section and pulled up the rear when all was said and done, giving him last choice for starting position in race one.
Blazusiak took the Moose Holeshot and an early lead in moto one ahead of Hart, Webb and Walker. Blazusiak held onto the lead for the duration of the race, though Hart was closing the gap lap after lap until a hiccup in the rock garden slowed him down right before the white flag came out. Walker took third.
Haaker also had issues after starting on the second row. A mid-race fall in the rock garden kept him out of the top five, placing sixth.
South African, Blake Gutzeit, relied on consistency to get him on the box.
The second moto, which inverts the 16 riders’ finish positions from race one for gate picks, so the top eight riders start on the second row. Nick Thompson shot out of the gate for the holeshot with Abbott and Hart right behind him. A few laps in, Thompson had some trouble climbing the tires, and Walker took over the lead with Hart right behind him.
Walker led for a few laps before falling victim to the tires as well, going down after exiting them. From there Hart took over the lead with Blazusiak not too far behind. Hart went on to win moto two ahead of Blazusiak and Abbott.
Defending champ Colton Haaker had a tough night. He could never find his rhythm after stumbling in the hot lap competition.
In the final race, Hart edged out Blazusiak for the holeshot, but Blazusiak quickly gained the lead in the rock garden with Walker and Hart in tow. Hart made a late push to pass Blazusiak for the overall win, but he fell short as he picked a difficult line in the rock garden that allowed Blazusiak to secure the race win and overall victory. Hart was second in the final race, Cory Graffunder third.
Overall, Abbott finished out the evening fourth with 8-3-4 moto finishes, Graffunder rounded out the top five with a 5-8-3 result. Haaker was a disappointed sixth, while German rider Tim Apolle (Beta) claimed seventh. Walker was eighth, followed by Ryder LeBlond, Ty Cullins and Will Riordan.
Louise Forsley won the Women’s class.
In the Women’s Pro class, Sherco rider Louise Forsley took the win ahead of Rachel Gutish who came in second. Four-time Women’s EnduroCross champion Shelby Turner had an early crash in the race and rounded out the podium in the third spot. Newcomer Hallie Marks came in fourth place.
Spenser Wilton won the Expert class main event ahead of Justin Soule and Dustin McCarthy. Agus Pascal topped the Intermediate class, with Coleman Johnson and Gavin McCarthy going 2-3. David Kamo won the Veterans class, while Ray Amos topped the Novice division. CN
Beta rider Jonny Walker (22), who was second in this year’s FIM SuperEnduro Championship, made his AMA EnduroCross debut but, like Haaker, struggled with small crashes. He was also returning from a shoulder injury.
- Taddy Blazusiak (GG) 1-2-1
- Trystan Hart (KTM) 2-1-2
- Blake Gutzeit (KTM) 4-5-5
- Cooper Abbott (She) 8-3-4
- Cory Graffunder (Hus) 5-8-3
- Colton Haaker (Hus) 6-6-6
- Tim Apolle (Bet) 7-4-9
- Jonny Walker (Bet) 3-10-8
- Ryder LeBlond (Hus) 12-7-10
- Ty Cullins (TM) 10-11-11
