2012 AMA Arenacross
Following are separate reports for the Topeka round of the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, which was held Friday and Saturday inside the Kansas Expocentre.
Topeka AMA Arenacross: Friday Report
Even though it was Friday the 13th, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers, of Danville, Ky., didn’t let the idea of bad luck get in the way of a third consecutive victory inside the Kansas Expocentre.
The reigning AMA Arenacross Series champion grabbed his seventh win of the season, and took over the championship points lead in the process. Meanwhile, in the Arenacross Lites Class, Team Faith KTM’s Kevin Johnson, of Spring, Texas, broke through for his first victory of the season.
Much like a week ago, the battle for the win in the premier Arenacross Class came between championship co-leaders Bowers and FMF Power/Poynt TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson, of Blacklick, Ohio. Out of the gate of the 25-lap main event, Gibson raced to the holeshot and attempted to check out on the field. Bowers wasn’t far behind, and began pacing his rival in second.
On Lap 12, Gibson made a slight bobble entering the whoops, allowing a waiting Bowers to capitalize and assume control of the race. Once out front, Bowers refused to relinquish the lead and carried it through the finish, giving him three straight dating back to his sweep of last weekend in Grand Rapids, Mich. Gibson minimized the damage to finish second for the third consecutive race, while Bella’s Cupcakes/Club MX Kawasaki’s Zach Ames, of Prospect, Ohio, finished third.
The impressive win by Bowers now gives him sole possession of the coveted red number plate heading into Saturday’s action, signifying him as the current leader in the quest for the championship.
Arenacross Lites Class competition signified the return of the Western Regional Championship, back in action for the first time since the opening round in October. Reigning Western Regional Champion Chad Cook, of Oklahoma City, Okla., grabbed the holeshot aboard his HOK Racing Kawasaki, but was quickly pressured by Johnson.
The pair trailed one another throughout the first half of the 18-lap main event before Johnson made his winning move. From there, Johnson pulled away to grab a popular win. Behind him, Dragon Racing Fuels/AG Motorsports KTM’s Michael Willard, of Newark, Ohio, fought his way from a mid-pack start to take over the runner-up spot in the final corner, while Cook held on to round out the podium in third.
In the Dash for Cash, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Chad Johnson, of Rhinelander, Wis., grabbed the win in the exciting four-lap shootout. All proceeds went to Teens Taking Action.
2012 Topeka AMA Arenacross Class Results, Friday:
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
- Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
- Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
- Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
- Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM
- Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
2012 Topeka AMA Arenacross Lites Class Results, Friday:
- Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM
- Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
- Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki
- Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM
- Dalton Carlson, Dayton, Minn., KTM
- Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM
- Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM
- Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda
- Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
- Tony Archer, Waldorf, Md., KTM
Topeka AMA Arenacross: Saturday Report
Just one night after taking over the AMA Arenacross Series points lead, Bowers was hoping to grab his fourth straight win on Saturday night inside the Expocentre.
Instead, it was his Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki teammate Chad Johnson, of Rhinelander, Wis., who prevailed, racing to his second win of the 2012 season. In the Arenacross Lites Class, Team Faith KTM’s Kevin Johnson, of Spring, Texas, made it a clean sweep of the weekend, dominating en route to his second victory of the season.
Foremost Insurance/Spinechillers/Storm Lake Honda’s Nathan Skaggs, of Chillicothe, Ohio, grabbed the early lead in the 25-lap main event, but was quickly pressured by Gibson.
Gibson made his move for the lead on Lap 8, but he and Skaggs made contact, with Gibson getting the worse end of it.
While Skaggs and Gibson attempted to recover, Johnson assumed the lead and never looked back. Skaggs soldiered on in second, but was quickly passed by Bowers. Gibson fell six spots to eighth and never recovered. Out front, Johnson took the win, with Bowers in second and Skaggs holding on for third.
Bowers maintains control of the red number plate as the championship leader, gaining nine points on Gibson and extending his advantage in the point standings to 12 over Gibson.
In the 18-lap Arenacross Lites Class main event, Johnson took control out of the gate, securing the holeshot and leading wire-to-wire. While the veteran pulled away out front, the battle for second kept the fans on their feet. BWREngines.com Honda’s Maxx Malatia, of Itasca, Ill., and reigning Western Regional Champion Chad Cook, of Oklahoma City, Okla., went bar-to-bar throughout the main event, but on the final lap, Cook made the move aboard his HOK Racing Kawasaki to steal the spot and cap off his weekend with back-to-back podium efforts.
In the Dash for Cash, Skaggs grabbed the win in the exciting four-lap shootout. All proceeds went to Teens Taking Action.
AMA Arenacross Series continues next weekend, with an exciting night of action from Dayton, Ohio, and the Nutter Center, on Saturday, January 21. The action kicks off at 7 p.m. ET.
2012 Topeka AMA Arenacross Class Results, Saturday:
- Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
- Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
- Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
- Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
- Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM
2012 Topeka AMA Arenacross Lites Class Results, Saturday:
- Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM
- Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki
- Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda
- Dalton Carlson, Dayton, Minn., KTM
- Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM
- Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Honda
- Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM
- Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
- Theodore Pauli, Edwardsville, Ill., Kawasaki
- Michael Thacker, Fort Worth, Texas, Kawasaki
2012 AMA Arenacross Class Points (After Race 10 of 19)
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (7 wins) – 235
- Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda (2 wins) – 223
- Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki (2 wins) – 206
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 172
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda – 153
- Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 146
- Josh Demuth, North Richland Hills, Texas, Kawasaki – 127
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 117
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 101
- Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 73
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 3 of 9)
- Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM – 47
- Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki – 47
- Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 36
- Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 19
- Cody Church, Grand Junction, Colo., Kawasaki – 18
- Aviery Hickey, Southlake, Texas, Honda – 11
- Shawn Rife, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, Honda – 7
- Devin Reed, Indianola, Iowa, Honda – 6
- Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 6
- Jeremy Huddleston, Eustace, Texas, KTM – 5