The 12-round 2025 AMA Arenacross Championship Series wrapped up on Friday evening at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, with Vince Friese and the SmarTop/MotoConcepts Racing team securing their first Arenacross series championship. Friese, who had clinched the title at the prior round in Prescott, Arizona, did not compete in the finale. Teammate Mike Alessi rode in his place.
Friese’s championship marked the seventh consecutive title for Honda-supported teams in the AMA Arenacross series. The Missouri native kicked off the season with a sweep of both races at the Reno opener in mid-November. Over the three-and-a-half-month season, Friese notched 17 race victories and eight overall wins on his CRF450R, never placing lower than P5 in a single race or missing the overall podium.
“We looked at the schedule before Arenacross started, and it just made sense to campaign the championship,” Friese said, referring to his dual career as a veteran racer in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series.
“The level at the top was high,” Friese said about the Arenacross series. “Those guys have the tight tracks dialed! The team gave me such a good bike that I knew my starts would be dialed. Luckily, we were able to take the pressure off and wrap up the championship.”
Though Friese faced competition from teammate Ryan Breece throughout the season, his early lead and consistency kept him ahead in the points race. The championship was the first for both Friese and the Mike Genova-owned Tony Alessi-run MotoConcepts team in the AMA Arenacross series.
MotoConcepts’ victory broke a run of six consecutive Arenacross titles for the Phoenix Racing Honda team, thanks to Jace Owens winning in 2019 and Kyle Peters taking the crown from 2020 through 2024.
Peters started this season strong; however, he suffered an injury at round 4, ending his title defense. At that point, Friese had already built a significant lead in the points standings.
American Honda Manager of Racing and Advertising Brandon Wilson said, “On behalf of everyone at American Honda, congratulations to Vince Friese on a well-deserved championship. Honda riders have been strong in the AMA Arenacross series for years, but Vince and MotoConcepts came into a new series and performed exceptionally well.”
Friese and MotoConcepts are expected to defend the Arenacross Championship next year. Friese’s aggressive riding in the Supercross series has made him a controversial figure.
Photography by Phil Lambert
2025 AMA Arenacross Final Standings
- Vince Friese, Honda, 339 points
- Ryan Breece, Honda, 331
- Michael Hicks, Yamaha, 323
- Austin Politelli, Yamaha, 285
- Kyle Bitterman, Honda, 177
- Brandon Ray, Honda, 170
- Aaron Siminoe, Kawasaki, 123
- Chandler Baker, 117
- Carton Millikan, GasGas, 100
- Noah Viney, Honda, 93
