E3 Spark Plugs News

Taddy Blazusiak sweeps the final two events of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championships for a perfect season. Phot by Drew Ruiz via EnduroCross.

The final rounds of the 2011 GEICO AMA EnduroCross series might as well have been dubbed the “Taddy Blazusiak Show.” The Polish phenom won both main events, making it a perfect season. But Taylor Robert came with his A-game as well, earning his first ever EnduroCross podium and claiming the E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship for top drivers under age 21.

In the afternoon Hot Laps, it looked like Blazusiak had some real competition. Beta’s Cody Webb claimed the fastest lap time in the battle for heat race gate picks. Blazusiak settled for second, followed by KTM teammate Mike Brown, Husqvarna’s Cory Graffunder and Monster Kawasaki’s Justin Soule. Blazusiak, Brown and Webb proved strong enough in the Hot Laps to earn a direct shot to the double main events.

In the first main event, Blazusiak shot to the front right away, winning the $1,000 Girardi Wealth Management Holeshot award. He kept that lead all the way to the finish line, though Soule remained close enough to make the race an exciting one for both the competitors and the fans. Graffunder also rode an impressive race, making it to the podium in his second race after a broken wrist kept him off the tracks for most of the season.

GEICO Honda’s Kyle Redmond claimed the holeshot in the second main event, but Blazusiak was hot on his trail. Blazusiak quickly took the lead – and took it in a big way. He led by a long shot throughout the remainder of the race. Robert, Brown, Soule and Redmond crossed the finish line behind, him. Keith Sweeten and Jacob Argubright finished second and third, respectively, behind Robert for the E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship.

Visit the EnduroCross website for full results and mark your calendars for the 2012 championship kickoff in Las Vegas May 4. To all the winners this weekend, congratulations from E3 Spark Plugs!

Taddy Blazusiak lands his sixth win this season in the GEICO AMA EndroCross Series main event in Boise, Idaho this weekend. Photo via www.endurocross.com.

Taddy Blazusiak remains the man to beat in the 2011 EnduroCross season. Before a packed crowd at the Idaho Center in Boise Saturday, he took his sixth win of the season in the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by Lucas Oil. And young Taylor Robert continues his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Jr. Championship within a Championship.

Blazusiak started the race with a bang, securing the lead out of the first turn and launching completely over the first pool on the first lap. Mike Brown trailed closely behind, knowing he had to finish third or better to have any chance at nabbing the championship from Blazusiak. He temporarily lost his second place position to Justin Soule, who passed him in the rock section – a tough section for even the toughest competitors. But Brown won it back when Soule and Cody Webb collided in the pond section. That collision allowed Geoff Aaron to take third place behind Blazusiak and Brown. Soule managed an impressive comeback sans visor or goggles to take fourth place and Gary Sutherlin finished fifth.

Blazusiak remains the series points leader with a perfect 180. Brown follows with 127, then Aaron with 118. Webb and Seoule tie with 103 points.

Taylor “The Threat” Robert continued his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship within a Championship for riders age 21 and younger. His 41 points are enough to beat Keith Sweeten’s 34 and Ryan Sandoval’s 30. Taylor competed in his first race at just four years old and got serious about a pro-racing future when he began racing in amateur nationals at age 10. After sitting out most of the 2010 racing season with a torn ACL, Robert is impressing competitors and fans in both EnduroCross and the WORCS series this year.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all the winners this weekend. Next up: the double main event EnduroCross season finale at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas November 19.

GEICO AMA EnduroCross, Presented by Lucas Oil – Boise, ID Expert Main Event Results

1. Taddy Blazusiak – KTM
2. Mike Brown – KTM
3. Geoff Aaron – Honda/Christini
4. Justin Soule – Kawasaki
5. Gary Sutherlin -Kawasaki
6. Bobby Prochnau – KTM
7. Keith Sweeten – KTM
8. Kyle Redmond – Honda
9. Cody Webb – Beta
10. Max Gerston – KTM
11. Eric Rhoten – Kawasaki

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

The stands were packed this weekend for the final round of the 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs – and the audience was on its feet when KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak crossed the finish line for both the race win and another year as the championship title holder. But it wasn’t easy. Blazusiak barely edged out Monster Kawasaki’s Justin Soule to set the fastest time during the Pioneer hot laps, a feature that puts riders on the track one-by-one for a single lap against the clock. Blazusiak, Soule and Geoff Aaron, respectively, won the first picks for the heat races, then each won their heats for a quick trip to the main event.

Taddy Blazusiak (with team manager Antti Kallonen, right) wins the 2010 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series championship presented by E3 Spark Plugs. Image by KTM Racing.

On the main event track, Aaron proved particularly aggressive, pushing past Blazusiak to claim the Girardi Wealth Management $750 Holeshot Award. That got Blazusiak fired up and the two were neck-and-neck for much of the race. At the finish line, however, it was Blazusiak who dominated, with Aaron running a close second. Cody Webb fought hard for third place and almost lost it to Colton Haaker, who successfully defended his title as the E3 Spark Plugs EnduroCross Pro Junior champion during round five of the series, raced at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO. An ugly trip over the handlebars pushed Haaker back to fifth behind KTM’s Mike Brown instead. Soule, Kyle Redmond, Jamie Lanza, Cory Graffunder, Kevin Rookstool and Destry Abbot rounded out seventh to 11th place finishes.

Also taking home coveted prizes were Ty Davis, Luke Reynolds and Patrick Smage. Each landed an AMA No. 1 plate, up for grabs by the top finishers from the five previous rounds and the Vegas daytime qualifiers. Davis took the 35+ vet class win; Reynolds won the Open Amateur class plate despite a last-lap crash in the rock pile; and multi-time AMA Trials champ Smage added another when he won this year’s TrialsCross championship.

If you couldn’t make it to Vegas for the EX finals action, catch the replay on the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hours on the Versus network December 19 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 23rd at 5 p.m. The Denver round also airs December 12th and 15th at 5 p.m. (All times Eastern.)

E3 Spark Plugs racing congratulates all the winners and finishers and looks forward to another action-packed year of EnduroCross.

2010 Las Vegas, NV GEICO EnduroCross Expert Class results:

1. Taddy Blazusiak, KTM
2. Geoff Aaron, Christini KTM
3. Cody Webb, Gas Gas
4. Mike Brown, KTM
5. Colton Haaker, Kawasaki
6. Justin Soule, Kawasaki
7. Kyle Redmond, Kawasaki
8. Jamie Lanza, Kawasaki
9. Cory Graffunder, Husqvarna
10. Kevin Rookstool, KTM
11. Destry Abbott, Kawasaki

2010 GEICO EnduroCross Expert Class final points:

1. Taddy Blazusiak, KTM
2. Geoff Aaron, Christini KTM
3. Justin Soule, Kawasaki
4. Cory Graffunder, Husqvarna
5. Kyle Redmond, Kawasaki
6. Gary Sutherlin, Kawasaki
7. Colton Haaker, Kawasaki
8. Kevin Rookstool, KTM
9. Cody Webb, Gas Gas
10. Mike Brown, KTM

The GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs is giving racing fans a chance to meet the superstars of EX before they hit the tracks for the 2010 series championship rounds. Pro pits open at noon on Saturday, Nov. 20th. Riders will greet fans and sign autographs before booting up for the 3 p.m. pro practice and Hot Lap qualifying session. It’s all free to the public until the finals round begins later that evening at the Las Vegas Orleans Arena, with tickets starting at $37.

Among the riders looking forward to meeting fans are current GEICO EnduroCross series points leader, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak; defending series champion, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich; and 10-time AMA National Trial champion, KTM’s Geoff Aaron, who landed his first EnduroCross win in round five.

Reps from the American Motorcyclist Association will pay a visit to the EX finals Saturday evening. In town for the annual AMA Legends & Champions Weekend, they’ll hand out four coveted AMA No. 1 plates to winners in the Expert Pro, TrialCross, Amateur Open and Vet classes.

“The AMA’s very excited with the EnduroCross series and what their team has done to promote the sport of off-road motorcycle racing,” said AMA’s Director of Racing, Joe Bromley. “The crossover aspect with EnduroCross is especially interesting. In addition to the great international off-road racers like Taddy Blazusiak, you have Mike Brown from motocross, Geoff Aaron from trials and guys like Destry Abbott who compete on the AMA’s Hare & Hound, National Enduro, along with racers from the GNCC series. And, with all the AMA championships on the line, we’re definitely looking forward to being in attendance this Saturday at the Orleans.”

Got your tickets yet? They’re available at the venue. Doors open at 6 p.m. and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Can’t make it? Be sure to check the E3 Spark Plugs blog for race results and watch the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour on Versus.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all the racers whose hard-driving ambition and skill got them to the series finals. Best of luck to you all.

Defending champ Taddy Blazusiak got off to a fast and furious start in round five of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs at Denver’s National Western Complex this weekend. But when the dust settled, it was 10-time AMA National Trials champion Geoff Aaron of KTM who would cross the finish line, taking his first win of the year and keeping his title hopes alive. Kawasaki riders Justin Soule, Colton Haaker and Kyle Redmond would take second, third and fourth places with Blazusiak taking a hard-fought, but disappointing fifth.

Geoff Aaron, round five winner of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series Presented by E3 Spark Plugs.

Blazusiak and Aaron both hit the tracks hard early in the day, winning their respective heat races. And Blazusiak made an aggressive start to the main event, handily winning the Girardi Wealth Management $750 Holeshot award. But things soon went downhill for the defending champ, as he fought off a quick-starting Redmond who snatched the lead for half a lap. Once Aaron caught up and took the lead, it looked as if he and Blazusiak would battle it out for the win – until a piece of debris lodged in the front brake caliber of Blazusiak’s ride, rending the brake useless and allowing

“I knew as soon as I lost my front brake that I was in trouble, Blazusiak told reporters.

Meanwhile, Aaron kept his eyes on the blocking the battles behind him and his sights on the finish line.

“I knew that Taddy was not directly behind me,” he told media just after the race. “I had a small fall and was able to remount quickly, but I knew that I didn’t have a ton of breathing room. Luckily, I kept charging while Soule and Colton kept Taddy at bay, and I was able to take the win.”

From the Podium, second-place rider Soule revealed a pre-race jab that prove his motivation for a strong round five ride: “My team manager told me that I was riding around like a girl at the last round, I I had to prove him wrong.”

Aaron no doubt will be jacked up on confidence when he revs up at the starting line of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship race set for Nov. 20 in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. But Blazusiak will show up with an intensified resolve to defend his championship title. And with both Soule and Haaker proving legitimate threats themselves, anyone’s guess who the last man standing in AMA GEICO EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs will be.

If you haven’t already, get your tickets for the final race in this year’s EnduroCross season. And if you want to a power and economy boost from your motorcycle, be sure to pick up a set of E3 performance spark plugs.

2010 Denver, CO EnduroCross Expert Class results:

1. Geoff Aaron KTM
2. Justin Soule Kawasaki
3. Colton Haaker Kawasaki
4. Kyle Redmond Kawasaki
5. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
6. Gary Sutherlin Kawasaki
7. Cody Webb Gas Gas
8. Cory Graffunder Husqvarna
9. Kevin Rookstool KTM
10. Jamie Lanza Kawasaki
11. Ryan Sandoval KTM

Perhaps it’s because the view from behind his desk just can’t beat the flinging mud and screaming fans he’s accustomed to that Kurt Nicoll decided to boot up for Round 5 of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs this Saturday, Oct. 30 at Denver’s National Western Complex. Dubbed “the toughest racing on two wheels,” EnduroCross combines elements of off-road racing with supercross-style settings featuring rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, water holes and obstacles such as giant tires.

Motocross veteran Kurt Nicoll will race the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010.

Nicoll, former KTM racing manager and current COO of Godfrey Entertainment (producers of films, TV series and documentaries primarily focusing on action and motorsports), is looking to qualify for the Vet class main event and will go head-to-head against a tough field of fellow EnduroCross vets from the Colorado area. Just shy of his 46th birthday, Nicoll is coming off Pro class win at the Nitro Circus Halloween Grand Prix in Utah, a combination motocross, supermoto, off-road, EnduroCross event and says he’s ready for the next challenge.

“[I] feel I’m better prepared than a few years ago. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be any good,” he says with a laugh. Nicoll also is a top Motocross GP contender and AMA Supermoto championship winner.

The GEICO AMA EnduroCross presented by E3 Spark Plugs promises a hotly contested battle between current series points leader Taddy Blazusiak of KTM and Monster Energy / Kawasaki’s Ricky Dietrich, the defending series champion. The day’s activities start with a free-to-the-public meet-and-greet with the racers and a pro practice and Hot Lap qualifying session.

“Opening the pro pits and afternoon practice session gives those curious fans a chance to see GEICO EnduroCross at no cost,” says mike Kartsting, VP of Events for producer Source Interlink Media.”Should they decide to stay for the night show, we’ve got tickets available at several different price points starting at 13 bucks for kids age three to 12.”

Saturday’s race is the last before the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Grand Championships Nov. 20 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Visit the EnduroCross website to purchase tickets. Meanwhile, get your own ride running like a race winner with E3 motorcycle spark plugs.

Taddy Blazusiak wins Round Two of the GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs. Image courtesy of EnduroCross/Source Interlink.

Round Two of the 2010 GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross series presented by E3 Spark Plugs delivered a dramatic show this past weekend at Guthrie, OK’s Lazy E Arena. Bets were on KTM racer Mike Brown, who dominated much of the race – until the checkers flew. After an exhausting battle across the biggest track of the series, KTM teammate Taddy Blazusiak pulled out all the stops for a spectacular come-from-behind win. After also taking the series opener at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena July 17, Blazusiak thus far has a firm grip on the championship lead.

Brown and Blazusiak traded leads throughout the event, with Brown hitting triples and scrubbing speed in the straights and Blazusiak, true to form, holding the advantage in the technical rocky turns. In fact, it was one rock in particular that ultimately took Brown out of the running for the win. Wet sand had made the river rock 180-degree turn incredibly slick and it was there that Blazusiak made the pass that stuck. Several laps later, Brown’s KTM stalled and never fired back up, saddling its rider with a disappointing DNF.

Taddy Blazusiak wins Round Two of the GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs. Geoff Aaron (right) took second, Justin Soule (left) third. Image courtesy of EnduroCross/Source Interlink.

Brown’s exit handed second place over to GEICO Christini rider Geoff Aaron, a ten-time National Trials champ. For a moment, it looked as if he may take the win when Blazusiak nearly performed an endo across a double jump on the last lap, but held on long enough to finish first. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Justin Soule took third place, making his first podium finish in only his second main event. The turn of events pushed Soule’s Kawasaki teammate Ricky Dietrich further away from regaining his AMA EnduroCross championship. Dietrich raced despite debilitating pain from a compound fracture of his pinky toe suffered just two weeks prior. The pain and a bent shift lever on the opening lap of the main left him with a modest ninth-place finish.

Next up: Round Three of the GEICO EnduroCross series presented by E3 Spark Plugs in Indianapolis, Indiana Friday, August 27 during MotoGP weekend. Be sure to check the E3 Spark Plugs blog for all the latest racing news. And to boost your own racing performance, pick up a set of E3 Powersports Spark Plugs at one of our licensed dealers with stores online and nationwide.
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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.

If you’re as big a moto fan as we are here at E3 Spark Plugs, you’ll want to know about motoXcinema, a one-stop-shop for dozens of films, books and posters on all things moto.  MotoXcinema is the premier source of Motocross and dirt bike films, including action flicks, documentaries, how-to and instructional videos and DVDs starring the all the best on the tracks today.

"Moto: the Movie" is among the top recent documentary films about dirt bike riding and racing.

Our favorites include the recently released “The Great Outdoors: American Summer” with appearances by MX stars Mike Alessi, Christophe Pourcel, Andrew Short, Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey and more. Forget swimming pools, baseball and beaches. For these guys, summer means one thing only – outdoor Motocross. Filmmakers were granted an all-access pass onto the tracks and into the lives of today’s top MX pros throughout the 2009 season, which proved full of surprises. Follow the cameras right into the living rooms of your favorites for a glimpse into life as a motocross racer both on and off the track.

Another E3 Spark Plugs racing favorite is Moto: The Movie, a high-definition journey into the world of dirt bike riding and racing. This film covers the spectrum including big mountain freeriding to Supercross, woods, trials, European Extreme Enduro, FMX and Motocross. This film too covers the 2009 season and features many of the same riders as “American Summer,” plus Trey Canard, Taddy Blazusiak, Nathan Woods and more. The first proved such a wild success that filmmakers immediately launched in to production of “Moto 2: The Movie,” which will feature all the 2010 season action from around the globe.

"The Great Outdoors: American Summer" gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of today's top motocross racers.

Feeling inspired? Boost your bike skills with instructional videos and video series including “DirtWise with Shane Watts,” “OffRoad with Nathan Woods” and “Motocross Skills with Ryan Hughes.” And make sure your bike’s motor can take the beating by using E3 motorcycle spark plugs with our patented DiamondFire technology. See you on the dirt!