Cycle News

ROUND 6/NOVEMBER 9, 2013 IDAHO CENTER/NAMPA, IDAHO OFF ROAD P80 GEICO AMA ENDUROCROSS SERIES, FUELED BY MONSTER EN (Left) The fans in Idaho packed the house for the event's third year. Seventh-place finisher Kyle Redmond heads out for his evening Hot Lap. (Middle) It wasn't a good night for Team Husqvarna. Neither Cory Graffunder (shown) nor Jamie Lanza qualified for the main. Graffunder missed a transfer by one. (Right) The firewood turn gave everyone fits. Instead of splitting the logs as usual, the organizers left them big. Max Gerson was one of many who struggled over the logs. My Own Race: 10 COLTON HAAKER 3RD PLACE "I qualified first in the [evening] Hot Lap - again - then Brownie just pinched me off in the first turn," said Colton Haaker of his podium ride. "I was so far inside when he pinched me off that I just came out, like, fifth or sixth. I went into the firewood corner and I went down trying to keep the position; I heard someone come around the outside of me so I'm like, 'Oh man, I'm going to lose a spot!' So I tried getting aggressive and I went down myself, so then I went back to second to last - that was just the first lap." Amazingly, by the ninth of 12 laps, he'd clawed his way up to third, but by then, of course, Blazusiak and Webb were too far in front to catch. "It just kind of bummed me out because I'm seeing them every lap. I wasn't pushing hard - I was just being smooth and just trying to keep it together, just keep moving forward because I knew whoever mini- Taylor Robert, and privateer Kyle Redmond were next to the finish and to complete all 12 laps. Behind them came Geoff Aaron, Rookstool, Gary Sutherlin, Max Gerston, Keith Sweeten and Ricky Dietrich. In the other mains, FMF/RPM Racing KTM's Chantelle Bykerk clinched the Women's-class title by winning that race over Shelby Turner and Sarah Whitmore after falling in the first turn. Speaking of falling, a lot of that took place just on the final lap of mized their mistakes was going to be up there. I felt good; I wasn't even breathing hard after the race." 3 MIKE BROWN 4TH PLACE Early leader Mike Brown dismissed speculation that Baja pre-running hurt his EnduroCross skills. "I'd like to say, yeah, but I don't think so," he said. "I'm doing good in the Hot Laps and I'm riding good. It's not that; I know I've got the speed - it's just my arms. My arms just tighten up on me. I've had it all year, but the last few races it's killed me. I've never had it this bad in my life. So I can't use the clutch the last few laps; I can't even pull the clutch in. You can't ride like that. I don't understand it - it's me; it's in my head. I'm just riding tight worrying about the points and now it's even so the last race, it's all-out now." But Brown insisted he's confident in that situation: "I feel like going down to the last race is better for me. I feel like I'll be strong; I feel like that track's good for me there."

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