GEICO Honda's Rookstool fights uphill battle at Endurocross opener

GEICO Honda's Rookstool fights uphill battle at Endurocross opener

LAS VEGAS (May 4) – It was a difficult enough time for GEICO Honda rider Kevin Rookstool to make the main event of the first race of the GEICO AMA Endurocross season, but fortune forced Rookstool to race the night's 12-lap feature without a functioning rear brake.

"I was looking forward to the main," Rookstool said. "I got hit in the first turn and bent my (rear brake) rotor. I had no rear brakes from the very first turn."

To even get to the main, where he ultimately finished ninth, Rookstool had to win the Last Chance Qualifier race after just falling short in the heat and semifinal races.

It proved to be a lot of laps on a challenging layout. The back half of the track consisted of the rock garden followed by a tricky matrix section that nabbed just about everyone who took to the Orleans Arena track.

"I wasn't even very tired from having to run all those races," Rookstool said. "I just tried to keep my head down and just ride smooth and make as few mistakes as I could. At least I salvaged some points."

Rookstool was battling from behind all day; he took a scary spill during his qualifying hot lap that saw him get pinned between boulders below him with his motorcycle upside down on top of him.

"I'm with a new bike with a new team" Rookstool said. "The GEICO Honda was awesome today, just working great. I'm hoping I'll be able to make progress as we go into the next round."

GEICO Honda's other rider Keith Wineland had his share of struggles as well. He also raced the heat and semi races, but did not have a strong enough finish in the semi to advance to the LCQ.

Up next for the GEICO Honda team is a June 9 stop at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif.