Colton Haaker Earns the 2016 EnduroCross Crown While Cody Webb Wins in the Finale

21 Nov 2016

Colton Haaker celebrates his championship with the number 1 plate (Photo: Adam Booth)

As the dust settled in Ontario, California, Cody Webb had won the battle, but Colton Haaker won the season-long war. The sport’s two top stars made 2016 a campaign to remember with a back-and-forth battle, but Haaker’s cushion was enough that he sealed the deal with his second place finish in the final round.

In reality, Haaker only needed to finish seventh or better to capture the #1 plate. But clearly, he is not the kind of guy to play it safe. “Really, nobody would expect me to come out here and charge with so much on the line, but I’m always trying to push myself and I did that tonight,” Haaker said. “It’s what pushes me and it worked out for the championship even though going hard had me crash a few more times than I wanted.” 2016 will sit as a benchmark for the new series champion. This is the first AMA title for Haaker, who had an impressive season with five wins and three second place finishes.

Cody Webb racing in California EnduroCross

Cody Webb takes the win in the final EnduroCross race (Photo: Adam Booth)

Webb had another stellar round in Ontario with a heat win, a win in the Hot Lap competition, and the main event win. However, the season lead that Haaker had amassed proved too great in the end. Webb’s disappointment was evident after the race, but he showed class and respect for his series rival. “A few little things went wrong this year and I let the championship slip away,” Webb said. “Colton was so solid and I couldn’t chip away at his points lead this year. I’m really happy I got a convincing win tonight and look forward to carrying the momentum into next season.”

The battle for third added some drama to the final race weekend. In the end, Cory Graffunder edged out a pair of 'Tys for the final podium spot. Ty Cullins finished in fourth and Ty Tremaine in fifth in the season finale. “The race was pretty exciting tonight because somehow I got a good start from the back row and came out fifth by turn two,” Graffunder said. “And after that I had a good battle with Tremaine back-and-forth a few times.” Graffunder’s podium is especially impressive considering he had just arrived back in the US after competing in the grueling Baja 1000.

Cory Graffunder racing in California EnduroCross

Cory Graffunder races his way to the podium (Photo: Adam Booth)

On the season, Tremaine edged out Mike Brown to finish third in the 2016 standings. Proving that every point counts, Tremaine's heat race win gave him the single point that was the separation he needed to step up on the season podium.

The competitive rivalry between Haaker and Webb, as well as the sport’s hungry up-and-comers bodes well for an exciting 2017 season. K&N is proud of all the racers in the series and we look forward to a continued partnership with the series.

2016 Ontario EnduroCross Main Event Results

1. Cody Webb, KTM

2. Colton Haaker, Husqvarna

3. Cory Graffunder, KTM

4. Ty Cullins, Beta

5. Ty Tremaine, KTM

6. Noah Kepple, KTM

7. Geoff Aaron, GasGas

8. Kyle Redmond, Beta

9. Nick Thompson, KTM

10. Mike Brown, Husqvarna

11. Max Gerston, Beta