Endurocross: Hart Crowned 2024 AMA Champion with final round win
Angels of the Wind Arena in Everett, Washington sees KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart crowned 2024 AMA EnduroCross Champion with a dominant victory – Colton Haaker and Cooper Abbott complete the series podium.
Heading into the sixth and final round of the 2024 Slavens Racing AMA EnduroCross Series presented by Progressive Insurance Series, Trystan Hart didn’t need to try too hard. Needing just a 14th place finish overall in Angels of the Wind Arena in Everett, Washington, he knew that would be enough for the title.
Did the Canadian settle for an easy points haul for the title? No chance! The Redbull FMF KTM Factory Racing rider charged to a 1-2-1 moto tally to claim his fourth overall win of the season and his second-straight AMA EnduroCross championship.
Abbott hottest in hot laps
On a course that most of the riders considered to be the toughest of the year, FactoryONE Sherco’s Cooper Abbott turned the fastest time in the Hot Laps, the first time he has ever done so, while Hart was second, 0.8-seconds behind. Rieju’s Dominik Olszowy, who was fastest in morning qualifying, turned the third-fastest time while five-time series champ, Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker, stalled his engine during his lap and finished eighth-fastest.
Moto 1
Abbott it was with the first gate pick for the opening moto by virtue of his fastest Hot Lap time, but it was Hart that grabbed the holeshot followed by Haaker with Abbott in third after getting bumped in the first turn.
Max Gerston backed up his fourth fastest Hot Lap in fourth and was soon locked in a race-long battle with Olszowy for third.
On lap four, Haaker made his way to the front when Hart fell off a suspended log, but Hart regained the lead when Haaker bobbled a few turns later.
At the finish, the order for Moto One was Hart, Haaker, Gerston, Abbott and Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder LeBlond.
Moto 2 – first-ever race win for Gerston
To establish gate picks for the second moto, the 16 riders' finish positions from race one are inverted, meaning the top eight start on the second row and that allowed Braxton Hintze to take advantage of a front row start to grab the holeshot. Gerston was quickly in second from the second row with Haaker fifth and Hart was in seventh.
Gerston passed Hintze on lap two to take the lead. The two front-runners were followed by Hart, Haaker, factory Beta’s Tim Apolle and LeBlond on the second lap. Haaker moved to fourth on lap three but had a disastrous fourth lap and dropped out of the top 10.
By lap five, Hart had worked his way up to second behind Gerston but was still eight-seconds down on the leader. Two laps later, Hart was on Gerston’s rear wheel and was setting his sites on the lead when he fell on one of the giant tires and dropped a few seconds to Gerston, allowing Gerston to cruise to his first-ever race win. Hart was second, Hintze third for his best-ever result, Apolle fourth and LeBlond fifth.
Final moto of the season
Haaker was away first to start the final moto in Everett with Hart and LeBlond in pursuit. Hart snuck underneath Haaker in the turn before the firewood section and moved into first, eventually stretching his lead to a considerable margin. Haaker ran second, with LeBlond, Abbott and Webb battling for third.
Hart took the win by five seconds over Abbott, with LeBlond, Webb and Haaker rounding out the top five. The overall results for the night were Hart in first, followed by Gerston, Abbott, LeBlond and Haaker.
At the finisher’s flag, the final point standings for the championship season were Hart in first, Haaker in second and Abbott in third.
“It’s pretty cool to go back-to-back championships and major props to Haaker,” said Hart. “He made this one much more meaningful. He's been a pain in my butt this season and he rides a bike so fast, so he made me work for this one and kind of kept me on my toes the whole time. He didn’t give me an inch so thanks to Haaker for pushing me.”
Seventh title for Turner
In the Pro Women’s division, Enduro Engineering/GasGas/FXR Moto’s Shelby Turner completed a sweep of the four-round season with a dominating win in Everett, leading every lap of the final to claim her seventh EnduroCross title.
Defending Series champ, Team KBS Sherco’s Rachel Gutish, finished second overall with Melissa Harten in third.
“It's years and years of training to get where I’m at,” said Turner. “I've been riding EnduroCross since I was 17 years old and you know it's all about the love of the sport. I'm so happy to have my family here; my parents flew in from Canada and so happy to have my Enduro Engineering team they're all here, I heard them cheering me on so super happy and just an awesome, awesome series this year.”
EVERETT EX PRO CLASS OVERALL RESULTS
1. Trystan Hart (KTM) 1-2-1
2. Max Gerston (Bet) 3-1-7
3. Cooper Abbott (Shr) 4-7-2
4. Ryder LeBlond (Hsq) 5-5-3
5. Colton Haaker (Hsq) 2-8-5
6. Cody Webb (Shr) 6-9-4
7. Tim Apolle (Bet) 9-4-6
8. Branden Petrie (GG) 10-6-9
9. Braxton Hintzie (GG) 11-3-11
10. Jame Flynn (Bet) 7-10-10
More information: www.endurocross.com
Words Credit: Shan Moore
Photo Credit: Jack Jaxson
