ENDUROCROSS ROUND 2 - Costa Mesa

Haaker Takes Round Two at Costa Mesa

Round two of the EnduroCross series kicked off in Costa Mesa, California this weekend. The course featured log jumps, log jumps over a rock pit, balancing act on logs, rock pits, tire jumps, and the dread, but entertaining, “No Joke Lane” that every rider must attempt.

Spectators poured in to the arena hoping to see the misfortunes of misplaced tires in rock pits, and log jumps, as they did for the previous race in Prescott, AZ. Are we really that type of spectators? Um…Yes. Unlike other races were the fastest bike wins, EnduroCross is a different bread all together. It pits man against man-made nature, to see who is most agile, the quickest, and who can pick themselves up after crashing over and over again. Only the mental tough survive. Tonight, that person was Colton Haaker (Rockstar Husqvarna), winning a personally special race.

Haaker didn’t start the night particular well. He suffered a major crash in his hot lap, resulting a in 25^th place time. Round one winner, and reigning champ, Cody Webb (Factory KTM) had the fastest hot lap, and won the first of two pro class heat races.

In the second pro class heat race, Haaker fought his way back quickly, despite his second row start, a result from his 25^th place time, earning a bonus championship point along with Webb.

Haaker and Webb came out on top of the head to head bracket races, and then squared off in the final bracket race. Haaker won a close one, giving him the key advantage of gate pick in the main event.

The advantage was short lived as he found himself in 11^th place in the main event following a first lap crash. Ty Tremaine on his electric Alta was the early leader, followed closely by Cody Webb.

Webb over took Tremaine in lap two, but Haaker quickly closed the gap, taking 2^nd by the 5^th lap. He was riding like he couldn’t be denied, as if someone special was watching him intently from the stands. There was. His daughter was at her first race.

Haaker eventually took the lead on the 11^th lap of the 2- lap race, but Webb pushed hard. Haaker crashed going into the rock corner, but managed to regain his composure and hold of Webb for the win.

Webb was not a sure shot to lock down the two spot, as Trystan Hart (Husqvarna) sped up to contest. The two entered the rock pit wheel to wheel, but a costly crash by Webb, gave Hart the 2^nd place podium finish. Webb rebounded and rounded out the top three.

After the race, Haaker said “I started the day off with a full loop out in the hot-lap so that put me on the second for the heat race. So that wasn’t a good start, but I knew I was fast today and somehow, I got into the lead right away in the heat and won that. Then I won the bracket race in a good battle with Cody. In the main, I crashed on the first lap, but I was still calm and worked my way to the front. It was just one of those nights where I knew I could be patient because I had good speed. It’s great to get the win with my daughter here for her first ever race” (EnduroCross).

Rounding out the top 5 was, Ty Tremaine in 4^th, the highest finish for an electric motorcycle, and Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha).

You don’t have to wait long for the next event. Tune in for Round Three in Reno, NV on Sept. 23^rd. In EnduroCross, it literally is anybody’s game, and things are just heating up.