E3 Spark Plugs News

The 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs proved an exhaustingly fun trip this year. KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak dominated the tracks for much of the season, winning all but one round A piece of track debris took out his front brake caliber in Round 5, forcing him to watch Geoff Aaron beat him to the finish line. It was Aaron’s first EnduroCross win.

Despite his undeniable on-track rule, Blazusiak admits that winning didn’t come easy this season.

“It seems everybody’s gotten better this year, the whole field,” he told reporters just after his Round 4 win.

This season also saw a rare female competitor when Oklahoma’s Kerrie Swartz took to the tracks at the Laze E Arena in August, and welcomed veteran racer Kurt Nicoll back to the track in Denver in October.

But as they say, there’s no rest for the weary. With the smoke barely cleared from the 2010 season, the 2011 season schedule is already set. Next years’ GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, again presented by E3 Spark Plugs will rev up August 13 at the Comcast Arena in Everett, Washington and finish at the favored Las Vegas venue, the Orleans Arena. A new venue also is in the lineup this year. Round 3 will be hosted at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, CA in September. All six rounds will air on the Versus Network as part of the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour. Check the schedule below to make your travel plans and be sure to visit the E3 Spark Plugs blog for all the particulars as they develop, plus news on other racing events and helpful automotive tips.

2011 GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E Spark Plugs:

August 13 Comcast Arena, Everett, WA
August 26 Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN (Friday)
September 17 Citizens Bank Arena, Ontario, CA
October 1 National Western Complex, Denver, CA
October 22 Idaho Center, Boise, ID
November 19 Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Racing the GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs is tough enough. Now, the toughest guys on wheels must face a new competitor with a strong track record and something to prove. Kerrie Swartz is the latest of just a handful of female riders with enough talent and gumption to make an EnduroCross attempt over the years, and will do just that this Saturday in the Amateur Open class at Guthrie OK’s Lazy E Arena. But the petite 33-year-old mom and ICU nurse ain’t no novelty rider. She’s also a US ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) team member set to rep the states in the 85th annual competition in Morelia, Mexico Nov. 1-6.

US ISDE and EnduroCross competitor Kerrie Swartz. Photo by Lauren Durbin Photography.

“As a female in a male dominated sport, it is even more prestigious due to the fact that we are given no special treatment and are required to ride the same course, follow the same time schedule, and perform our own maintenance just as the men,” Swartz said of her ISDE invitation in a letter to fans on her website. “Women are finally getting recognition as not only racers, but serious racers.”

The “serious” in Swartz’s racing no doubt will be in full-on mode at Saturday’s event.

“I think I’ll be alright, just try to ride clean,” Swartz told reporters. “My husband’s raced EnduroCross, so I’m familiar with it. I do a lot with log crossings and that, but that Matrix has me a bit worried. And the rocks in the corners – man, I wish I could just ‘Taddy Blazusiak’ that!”

Racing is, indeed, a family affair. Husband Allan and son Alex race as well.

“We eat, sleep and breathe dirt bikes,” says Swartz. “We’re all seriously addicted.”

“Given the rough and rugged nature of GEICO EnduroCross we don’t usually get women competitors. In fact, it’s quite rare,” adds Mike Karsting VP of Events for Source Interlink Media, which produces the GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs. “However, when we do have a woman sign up she’s usually pretty darn good.”

We at E3 Spark Plugs give serious props to Swartz and all women who have what it takes to make their racing goals realities despite the gender barrier. We’re looking forward to seeing Swartz in action Saturday. For rules and race information, visit www. EnduroCross.com. For TV airing dates and times, visit www.motorsportshour.com. And to boost your own ride, make sure you get a set of E3 motorcycle spark plugs.