Founder of enduro-x, Eric Peronnard to visit Australia to witness final round of InSureMyRide Australian enduro-x nationals at Calder Park 14th March 2015
The founder of enduro-X Eric Peronnard is coming down under for the final round of the InsureMyRide Australian enduro-x nationals at Calder Park on Saturday 14th March 2015.
In 2004, French-born, U.S.-based promoter Eric Peronnard invented Endurocross, a new indoor sport that required the skills of motocross, off-roading and trials to win.
Shortened to Enduro X for its X Games debut, this hybrid motorcycle sport incorporates dirt, water, logs, boulders, giant tractor tires and 18- to 24-inch wide rocks, to make up the race track.
The concept condenses the obstacles that could be found on a three-hour off-road enduro course and slams them into a track that is the length of an arena cross race. Instead of racing the clock like in enduro, riders start on a backward falling gate, like in Supercross, and race a predetermined number of laps. “I thought that Endurocross would do for off-road racing what Supercross did for motocross,” Peronnard said of moving enduro from spectator-unfriendly forests to the cushy seats of air-conditioned arenas.
Enduro-x has been relatively slow to catch on in Australia. The promoters of the current series were washed out by 120 mm of rain at their first attempt in Melbourne in 2011. They returned the following year in 2012 to run a single event and then another single event at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne in 2013. The event proved so popular that it then went to a three round series in 2014 incorporating events at Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne over a 4 week period. The Sydney event was conducted at night time and proved to be so successful that from 2015 onwards all events are held at night time.
The short evolution of the sport has proved that the fastest lap time doesn’t always produce a winner but neither does the calculated ability to cleanly clear obstacles. “It takes the most well-rounded rider to win a series,” Current Australian enduro-x promoter Dave Robbins said, “In 2014 overall winner Chris Hollis, proved that you have to consistently finish high in the order and gain points at every round to be in the best position to win the series.”
The most popular one-word descriptions of the sport are “unpredictable” and “difficult.” The latter is Peronnard’s favourite. “You ask a guy like Mike Brown (2001 AMA Motocross champion), and he’ll tell you it’s the most difficult 10 minutes of racing he’s ever done,” Peronnard said.
Mike Brown has been a regular visitor to Australian enduro-x and has proved very popular with the crowds with his unique riding style.
The Australian enduro-x national’s series is conducted on:
Brisbane Speedway – Archerfield – Saturday Night 7th February 2015
Sydney Dragway – Eastern Creek – Saturday Night 28th February 2015
Calder Park Raceway – Melbourne – Saturday Night 14th March 2015
The series is aimed to give riders an off season over November, December and January. The Australian off Road Championships commences around late March so the enduro-x series has to fit into that small 7 week window.
Tickets for the Melbourne enduro-x at Calder Park are available either on line or at the gate. Eftpos and cash. Go to www.enduro-x.com.au for further details. Spectator gates open at 3.pm
