After losing nearly twenty seconds from getting tangled up in some logs at this year’s opening EnduroCross race, Tadeusz Błażusiak managed to pass enough racers to take a place on the third podium step after the end of the race.

 

The first of the eight races of the Geico AMA EnduroCross series took place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Tadeusz Błażusiak, last year’s champion and definitely one of the top favorites to win the event, began the race by getting the front wheel of his 350 cc KTM stuck between some logs. After nearly twenty seconds he continued the race and managed to pass enough racers on this technically extremely difficult terrain to finish third despite losing all that time at the start. This means he also won a podium step for Akrapovič, which provides his motorcycle with a robust, lightweight exhaust system.

 

Of course Błażusiak wanted to win, but given the situation he was still happy with the outcome: “It was an eventful night to say the least and unfortunately didn’t quite go how I planned. But generally I’m pleased with the outcome. Initially I found the course to be a bit of an issue—it was quite slow and technical. It didn’t really suit my style and I ended up missing out on a direct transfer to the main. After a couple of changes to the bike I felt more comfortable on the track and easily made it into the main through the semis, which gave the fifth gate pick for the main event. My front wheel got wedged between them and it took almost 20 seconds to get going again. By that time I was half a lap behind. I charged as hard as I could and was able to work my way up to third by the end of the race. My riding was good in the final and I posted the fastest lap of the race while working my way through traffic.”

 

The Polish racer will have another opportunity to improve his results on 9 June in Sacramento, California.

 

Photo: Drew Ruiz