“I raced that entire race with tinted goggles on and I have no idea how I won.”
Holding up an upside-down #1 plate in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other, you can’t help but cheese along with Logan Leitzel – a Pennsylvania native, pro-dirt biker, and now, the first-ever crowned champ of the AMA Motocross Esports 250 class.
In Round 10 of the championship, Leitzel donned tinted goggles for the epic esports event at Budds Creek MX Park in Maryland, USA on 17th August. Well, the online circuit, that is.
The inaugural AMA Motocross Esports Championship on MX Simulator PC Game features 12 tracks from all over the United States, with riders racing in either the 450 or 250 class for a chance to win the title, which is awarded to each division champion.
After a strong start in the series, Leitzel was geared up to take the crown at Budds Creek, with two races remaining on the season. His biggest challenge came in the form of Cade Methley, who was the only other rider who mathematically had a chance to halt his inevitable feat… in this round, at least.
Methley finishing seventh paired with an incredible performance in Moto 1, where the Pennsylvanian came from the back of the field to take the win, sealed the deal, though. Leitzel credits his calm, cool and collected vibe, along with a passionate group fans who stuck by his side from start to finish.
The entire season seemed to belong to Leitzel actually, given he won the first seven rounds of the championship.
“Last year, I was ripping towards the end of the year. And it was actually really funny,” he laughed during the post-race interview on Init Esports’ YouTube. “But after Supercross in real life, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna go race some nationals and go race in Canada and stuff.’
“And then I told my buddies online, ‘You know, I think I’m going to win the sim title, too.’”
Leitzel says he doesn’t really get flustered mentally, which he believes gave him the advantage over his opponents.
“I always felt like I was the best and I kind of kept that mentality all year.”
When comparing the real deal to the sim event, Leitzel admits that being a pro has allowed him to transition well into the esports version, since he’s able to “hit lines that nobody would even think of.”
Even though the AMA Esports Motocross Championship has found its 250-class king in Logan Leitzel, who even wore his jersey backwards to accept the title, the 450 class is still on the hunt for a champion.
With Payson Johnson in the lead after the 10th round. Both Tyler Lang and Alexis Leclair proved they belong in the race for the top spot. Lang finished 1-1, narrowed the deficit to just 52 points from Johnson, with two races left on the season and 100 points on the line.
Then, in Round 11 at Ironman, Lang won two more times, Leclair bagged two podium finishes and both closed in on Johnson with all three still in contention for the overall crown.
Be sure to follow Init Esports on Twitch or the Start Your Systems YouTube channel to catch the final round of the championship, happening at Fox Raceway National II in Pala, California, 31st August, 2022.
