New venues, revised racing format and beIN Sports TV coverage
IRVINE, CA – August 22, 2018 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – The 2018 AMA EnduroCross series is ready to kick off this coming weekend in Prescott Valley, Arizona. FMF KTM’s Cody Webb, the defending champion will be back to defend his number one plate and Rockstar Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker, the 2016 champion, will likely be his primary challenger. Sparks often fly when these two engage on the track as they both want the same number one plate. Between them, they have won the last three AMA EnduroCross championships and last two FIM Super Enduro World championships, so they are arguably the two best indoor off-road racers in the world.
Although Webb and Haaker are heavy favorites, there is a strong contingent of veteran and young talent aiming to upset that dominance. SRT-Husqvarna’s Trystan Hart proved a quick study last year as he had several podium finishes, won the Junior Championship for riders twenty-one and under and finished second to Webb in the title chase. And multi-time Junior Champion Ty Tremaine finished third in the championship for the second year in a row and will now be competing on an Alta Redshift MX Electric bike. Other youngsters to watch include GasGas backed Noah Kepple, who has had several top-five finishes and Cooper Abbott, who finished the season in the top ten in 2017 and has joined the RPM KTM team for 2018.
As for the veterans, Kyle Redmond has multiple podium finishes to his credit and wants to get his first win. Beta USA has two strong contenders with Max Gerston and Mason Ottersberg flying the Italian brand colors. And the ageless Geoff Aaron, a multi-time main event winner will be back for another year on his GasGas. And Wild Wally Palmer is always a crowd favorite no matter where he finishes.
There will be a few tweaks to the evening racing format to keep things exciting. The pro class will go back to two heats (each with a bonus point on the line) and a single LCQ qualification process and the riders will now be required to use the “No Joke Lane” one time during the heat and LCQ rather than just during the main event. The head-to-head bracket racing will be back, now with just the top 8 riders, to determine the first gate pick and earn a bonus championship point.
The evening show will still include support classes for the Amateur, Vet 35+, Women, and TrialsCross classes. These provide opportunities for all riders to compete and they put on a great show for the fans.
And if you can’t make it in person, all six events will have TV coverage on beIN Sports. The shows will air on the Thursday following each event at 9 pm EST. Check www.beinsports.com for info.
Riders can sign up here: https://secure.tracksideprereg.com/endurocross/
Mark your calendars to see one of these events in person and get tickets here: https://www.endurocross.com/buy-tickets
2018 AMA EnduroCross Championship Schedule
August 25, 2018 | Prescott Valley, AZ | Prescott Valley Event Center |
September 15, 2018 | Costa Mesa, CA | Racetrack at OC Fairgrounds |
September 22, 2018 | Reno, NV | Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center |
October 20, 2018 | Denver, CO | National Western Events Center |
October 27, 2018 | Everett, WA | XFINITY Arena |
November 3, 2018 | Nampa, ID | Ford Idaho Center |
* Subject to Change |
Visit www.endurocross.com for more information and the latest news.
Cody Webb will exchange his number 2 for a number 1 for 2018 and be aiming to keep it. Photo: Tanner Yeager.
Colton Haaker will be back looking to reclaim the number one place in 2018 after a disappointing 2017 season. Photo: Tanner Yeager.
The women’s class often provides some of the most exciting racing of the night and Canada’s Shelby Turner (1) and California’s Kacy Martinez will again be the favorites for the 2018 title. Photo: Adam Booth.
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Source: Bonnier Motorcycle Group
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