VOL. 53 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 4, 2016 P27
ing champ hit the deck hard in
the first few feet of his heat race.
He was bruised but not broken
and managed to fight his way
into second to get into the main.
Gerston finished second in his
heat race behind Tremaine.
When the main event gate
dropped, Haaker took his
momentum straight to the first
corner and the $500 Nexen Tire
Holeshot Award and an early
lead. The speedy points leader
looked like he wanted to run
away. Close behind was Brown
with Webb following in third. By
the time the group was finish-
ing the first lap, the treacherous
matrix showed its teeth and
grabbed Haaker, allowing Webb
to move into the lead with Brown
coming out in third.
In the first few laps it became
clear Webb was clearing the
track's obstacles more cleanly
and consistently than the rest
of the field. Haaker was fast, as
usual, but the nasty matrix was
his nemesis and slowed him
numerous times as he fought to
gain ground on the defending
champion. At one point, Webb
made a mistake on the large
tractor tires, hitting his kill switch
with his hip and actually going
backwards down the tires to
make another attempt. Haaker
closed the gap and was poised
to make a move only to have the
matrix stop him again.
During laps two through 14,
Webb and Haaker held their 1-2
positions and simply decimated
the rest of the field. It wasn't until
the second-to-last lap that Haak-
er was once again in position
to make a move, and Webb left
the door wide open. After the
firewood, Webb wasn't cleanly
jumping into a corner where
Haaker was. On lap 14, Webb
went extra wide into the corner
after getting off-line through
the firewood. The stumble and
extra room in the corner were all
Haaker needed to put a wheel in
and secure the first-place posi-
tion. From there, the 2016 points
leader raced to the finish while
Webb gave it all he had to finish
a close second.
"This one was hard," Haaker
said. "I kept messing up the
matrix and Cody was nailing it.
Soon, I got over making mis-
takes in the beginning and start-
ed racing smoother and kept on
it through lappers. Then, Webb
had a mistake after the firewood
and I got in there. I just needed
to get in front on the last lap and
I'm glad I made it happen."
"It was a great race," Webb
said. "Honestly, it was a rough
day for me after going down
really hard in the heat race and
had to ice both my wrists, my
shoulder and tailbone and take
some Advil to get out here. I got
an okay start in the main and
knew I was nailing the matrix so
when Brown and Haaker had
trouble in there I made it to the
front. It was really crucial to jump
out of the firewood tonight and I
just couldn't quite commit while
I was in the lead. I knew right
away Haaker jumped it and had
a line on me for the lead. I was
riding at the top of my game and
know I could have had it tonight.
After the two-week break I know
I'll be ready to be back."
"I am super stoked," Gerston
said. "I got off to a rough start
but I was able to find some cool
lines through the firewood pit
and get by some guys. At that
point I was in fifth and had to
Colton Haaker pulled off
another EnduroCross win,
this time in Denver.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
IAN
REID
