The EnduroCross Awards

Another season of EnduroCross is officially in the books, and the explosive young series definitely didn't disappoint. 2009 was packed with wild highs, disappointing lows and six crazy rounds of unbelievable racing. Rather than give you a play by play of the entire season, Dirt Rider decided to take a look back at some of the most memorable riders, moments and events from the '09 Geico EnduroCross Series Presented by E3 Spark Plugs. Read on to see what really went down this season.

Coming into the '09 EX series, Polish superstar Taddy Blazusiak was without a doubt the man to beat. The talented Red Bull/ KTM rider had an enormous target on his back from the very start of the series, yet he still managed to find his focus and dominate the first three races on the schedule, followed by a strong second place at round four. By the time Taddy continued his winning ways at round five, his points lead was too big for anyone else to touch and the Championship was all Blazusiak. The trials rider-turned-extreme-enduro-star went into the final round of the series with hopes of taking home the $50,000 Geico Triple Crown, but it just wasn't meant to be. A hard third-turn crash left Blazusiak limping to a fifth place finish while rival racer Ricky Dietrich bagged the win and prevented Taddy from taking home the big check. But even with a relatively disappointing end to the series, Taddy had one heck of a year: Between the 2009 Geico EnduroCross #1 plate and his huge wins at the Erzberg Rodeo, Hells Gate and The Tough One hard enduros, Blazusiak surely can't help but smile when he thinks back on 2009.

Created as a "series within a series," the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Junior Championship honored the younger stars of the Geico EnduroCross series and recognized the top rider between the ages of 16 and 21. Going in, nobody predicted that this simple championship would turn into one of the closest battles of the entire series. Lucas Oil's Colton Haaker and Canadian Cory Graffunder duked it out until the very last main event, but it was Haaker who was able to find the extra speed needed to secure the Pro Junior Championship. In addition to the honor of top Junior rider, Haaker also secured an impressive fourth place overall in the series, making him a serious podium threat and a major pain in the neck to some of the older guys.

Everyone knows that being consistent is essential to doing well in the EnduroCross series, but only five riders were actually able to achieve this goal in 2009. Taddy Blazusiak, Geoff Aaron, Damon Huffman, Colton Haaker and Cory Graffunder were the only riders to make every single main event in the 2009 series, and it comes as no surprise that they also took the top five respective spots in the final point standings. A note to all you aspiring EnduroCross racers out there: You can't win the war unless you're at the front of every battle!

By the time the series made its fourth stop in Columbus, Ohio, Red Bull/ KTM's Taddy Blazusiak was feeling pretty good about himself. Needless to say, Taddy must have been shocked when Christini-mounted Geoff Aaron officially put it to him in the main event, ending the win streak and stealing valuable overall points. Aaron, who is best known for his ten AMA Trials Championships, rode a great race to secure the win, which was his first victory in five solid years of trying.

Trials rider and EnduroCross regular Phil Smage is usually one of the smoothest riders on the track, but he managed to scare the crap out of everyone with an enormous crash in Florence, South Carolina. Smage was charging hard towards the always-treacherous boulder field when he took "carrying your momentum" a little too far. Generally, the boulder section is NOT a spot you want to whiskey throttle into-especially when the safest landing zone is littered with the square timbers of the Matrix obstacle. Needless to say, his ride made for a wild photo and a scary moment. Luckily, DR's Executive Editor Jesse Ziegler was on hand to grab the shot, and Smage walked away with only minor bumps and bruises.