As was the case in '06, trials bikes were once again allowed to compete in this year's EnduroCross series. This caused a good bit of controversy in the pits, as some believe that a trials machine is too much of an advantage when the going gets rough. Still, it was quite fun to jokingly trash talk to some of the faster trials riders in attendance. Geoff decided to race his KTM 450 in the name of fairness, but rookie trials pro Colton Haaker stuck to his guns for qualifiers, though he quickly had enough with our jeering comments. In a bold move, the kid grabbed Tod's YZ250 and followed me to the start of the Junior class main to prove that his win in Denver wasn't on account of superior equipment. It almost worked, as Haaker finished a close third behind Kawasaki's Jamie Lanza and myself, effectively earning himself a huge heap of respect in the process.
If you have access to the Internet or saw the race on television, you already know how things ended up. Huffman upped his results from the previous week by finishing runner-up, and was again excited as ever to have a spot on the podium. The rest of the racing was intense, with Dave Pearson, Wineland and Nick Brozovich all turning in great rides aboard the long course. Fan favorites John Dowd and Guy Cooper both rode well, though Coop didn't make it all the way to the main event. Yet by the end of the evening, nobody was surprised with who the winner was: David Knight continued his reign of dominance by waxing the field from start to finish, showing that he truly is the man to beat when it comes to off-road riding. While loading up that evening, Damon had nothing but nice things to say about Knight's riding. Yet when asked about the upcoming Vegas round, that same racer's smile crept upon Huffman's face. "I know I can beat that guy."
I took the late shift in the motor home and drove until 6:30 A.M. before turning the wheel over just before sunrise. Climbing into the upper bunk for some shuteye, I listened to the droning sounds of the highway as I tried to force myself to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, though, visions of jagged boulders, looming logs and knee-deep water sections kept reminding me that my mind was still in race mode. EnduroCross is like nothing else on earth, and the overall impact of such a wild form of racing is still familiar to me even as I type this. If you're looking for a good time, I suggest you recruit a few buddies, load up your bikes and drive to the farthest-not nearest-round of the Maxxis EnduroCross series. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
Endurocross: The Stats
What's Hot!
Gnarly obstacles weed out the sissies.
Low speed plus tough tracks equals safe crashes with very few injuries.
A variety of amateur classes provide a chance for everyone to shine.
Feeling fast? If you make the night show, you get to try to qualify with the invited pros!
Racing indoors makes you feel like a champion.
What's Not!
Don't like bashing your bike? Don't race.
You haven't had arm-pump until you've tried EnduroCross.
Short motos favor the sprinters.
With only three rounds in 2007, entries were gone in a hurry. Luckily, there are seven rounds on the '08 schedule.
Overall: EnduroCross is awesome, even if it's hell on your pipe. Think you've got what it takes? Check out www.endurocross.com.