Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder LeBlond raced to a third-place podium finish at the first round of the 2023 AMA EnduroCross Championship in Everett, WA, with EX Pro Class teammate Colton Haaker finishing one position behind in fourth position.
LeBlond posted the seventh-fastest time in the Hot Lap to begin the opener, before finishing moto one in fifth place. Race two saw LeBlond power his way up the order with a strong, convincing ride throughout the nine-lap affair, which resulted in P3, and set the stage for a solid overall result.
A fourth-place ride in the third and final encounter of the night in Washington saw LeBlond capture P3 overall with a podium result to commence his 2023 campaign.
“I wasn’t the fastest out there tonight, although I put myself in a good position and that’s what’s required in this championship,” commented LeBlond. “We saw how important consistency was last season, so I am really happy to come away from round one with a really strong result on the podium.”
Claiming the sixth-fastest time in the EX Pro Hot Lap dash, Haaker stormed to the opening moto holeshot, leading the field around for the first lap of the race. After nine intense laps inside the Angel of The Winds Arena, Haaker crossed the line in third place, before a difficult start in moto two resulted in P8.
Another holeshot in the third and final race saw Haaker battle his way to a well-earned P2 moto finish, with his cumulative scores across the three races landing him in fourth place overall for the weekend and with an important haul of championship points.
“First round here of the EnduroCross season and we had some first race jitters, for sure,” reflected Haaker. “The night started out rough for me and I really had to rely on the training I’d done entering round one to increase my confidence. I had two good motos, although a fall in race two really hurt my overall position… all-in-all, not a bad way to begin my season.”
The next round of the 2023 AMA EnduroCross Championship takes place inside Findlay Toyota Centre in Prescott Valley, Arizona, which marks round two of the series on October 21.
EX Pro Results – Round 1
1. Jonny Walker, Beta, 1-1-1
2. Cody Webb, Sherco, 7-2-3
3. Ryder LeBlond – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 5-3-4
4. Colton Haaker – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-8-2
