VOLUME 59 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 13, 2022 P123
J
onny Walker could have felt
down on his luck early in the
season after missing out on
the entire FIM Hard Enduro World
Championship when he elected to
have surgery on a bum shoulder
and an old ACL injury. The privateer
Beta rider from the UK, however,
remained steadfast, played his cards
right, and came up aces late in the
year in Reno to win the GEICO AMA
EnduroCross Championship after
dealing up 3-2-2 moto scores—just
enough to trump Trystan Hart for the
number-one plate. Jackpot!
The 31-year-old hadn't led the
championship all season and came
into the series finale in Nevada
sitting just one point behind Hart.
However, the likeable Brit rode a
steady race and capitalized on a
nod from Lady Luck when Hart
went down in moto one, eclipsing
the factory-backed KTM rider by
three points in the final standings
to walk away with his first U.S. title.
Needless to say, it was a tense and
exciting night.
BATTLING INJURIES AND ENDURING THE LIFE
OF A PRIVATEER, AFTER HAVING ENJOYED
THE ROYAL LIFE AS A FACTORY RACER FOR
MANY YEARS, BRIT JONNY WALKER
SEEMINGLY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE TO
WIN THIS YEAR'S AMA ENDUROCROSS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN
DRAMATIC FASHION
BY SHAN MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK JAXON, RED BULL CONTENT POOL AND MOORE