Aaron's second-place finish starts EnduroCross season off strong

LAS VEGAS (July 18) -- GEICO Powersports rider Geoff Aaron started the 2010 GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series off with a strong second-place finish Saturday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. After leading early in the Pro Main, Aaron had a costly fall in the rock garden section of the course that allowed reigning series champion Taddy Blazusiak just enough room to squeeze by for the lead, which he held to the end.
 "I opened the door for him just a crack and he's such a good rider he was able to get past me there," Aaron said. "That was the difference. I felt like I handled the course really well. I just bobbled in the rock garden and it cost me.
 "It was cool battling Taddy and nice to pass him out there because the course is very tight and he doesn't give you many chances. I tried to push it as hard as I could after he got past me but just couldn't close the gap. It was a great race any way."
 Ryan Rodgers missed the Pro Main but he did win the Night Race, where the arena is plunged into complete darkness and riders must find their way around the course solely by their headlights.
 "I had nothing but bad luck up until the Night Race," Rodgers said. "That was a nice way to end a frustrating day."
 Like Aaron, team rider Kyle Redman qualified for the Pro Main in the first heat, but he faded to seventh after a fall early in the race. It was a disappointing result as prior to the fall he had worked his way up to third place.
 Team owner and rider J.T. Bennett got his riding in during the morning sessions when the Open Amateur qualifiers were held. Unfortunately, he came up just short of advancing to the Main Event in both sessions, finishing third and second in his two groups, missing the cut by one spot each time.
 "You could tell it's been six months since I've raced a course like this," Bennett said. "I completely ran out of energy. The starts were great and I felt strong but I faded big time. When you get tired, mistakes start to happen and it compounds your problems. I know what I need to do before the next race and we've got some time to get in better riding shape. I think the heat out in the pits wore me down."
 "Wild" Wally Palmer failed to advance to the Pro Main but was his usual entertaining self throughout the earlier heats.
 The next GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross Series event takes place Aug. 14 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla.