(NEWS RELEASE)
Broadcast Coverage To Be Shown Sunday on SPEED
AURORA, Ill. (January 15, 2013) – The new AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, heads to the Great Lakes region this weekend for two nights from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Van Andel Arena. After two rounds and four nights of competition, a battle atop the Arenacross Class standings is brewing between Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki, presented by Maxxis rider Tyler Bowers and Mosites Motorsports Kawasaki’s Michael McDade.
The new racing format featuring two Main Events during every night of the championship has proven to be a catalyst for dramatic competition, which reached a historic milestone last weekend in Baltimore. The second round of the season resulted in a three-way tie for first on Saturday night as Bowers, McDade, and Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Zach Ames each earned the same amount of points at the conclusion of each Main Event. In the end, the Head-to-Head Bracket Racing proved to be the tiebreaking element as the championship point earned by McDade’s triumph in the eight-rider showdown gave him the edge to capture his first career Arenacross Class overall victory.
“Last Saturday night showed the kind of excitement that this new format was intended to produce,” said AMSOIL Arenacross Director of Operations Mike Muye. “The competition this season has been better than ever, even after just two rounds, and I think we all got a glimpse of what the future holds for AMSOIL Arenacross.”
In total, three different riders have stood atop the overall podium in four nights of action.
After winning the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Championship last season, McDade’s move into the Arenacross Class has been a successful one and he’s emerged as one of this season’s biggest surprises. McDade has two Main Event wins this season to compliment his overall victory last weekend and sits just seven points out of the lead behind Bowers.
Coming into the 2013 season, Bowers was seen as the top contender in the championship after claiming back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. He’s continued his strong performances this season, winning five of eight Main Events, with a pair of overall victories.
Ames is the third rider to claim an overall win this season and sits third in the championship standings, 14 points out of the lead. Ames was in position to capture his second victory this season in Baltimore last Saturday, but was unable to withstand the pressure of his teammate in the end. His runner-up finish in the race helped him tie McDade and Bowers in points for the evening, ultimately placing him third overall.
With this trio leading the way, the third round of the season from one of AMSOIL Arenacross’ longest-running stops in Grand Rapids is sure to add to the exciting start to the season, especially with two nights of racing in store.
Another intriguing element that has influenced the outcomes of the races has been the inversion selection that takes place in between the first and second Main Event. With zero, eight, or the entire 16-rider field potentially being inverted, truly anything can happen once the gate drops. So far this season, each inversion possibility has occurred and the outcomes have produced incredible results in regards to competition.
The season-ending Race to the Championship is now five rounds and seven nights of racing away, meaning there is still a lot of laps remaining to potentially shakeup the championship standings. While Bowers, McDade, and Ames have done well to solidify their spots in the early portion of the season, anything can still happen.
In the Arenacross Lites Class, KTM rider Scott Zont currently holds a 10-point lead over Fun Cycle Centers KTM’s Michael Willard in the Eastern Regional Championship. This weekend’s stop in Grand Rapids will serve as the penultimate round of the four-round battle for the title, with the final round set to take place in Wilkes Barre, Pa., three weeks later.
The action inside Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena kicks off on Friday, January 18, at 7 p.m. ET. A second night of racing brings the third round of the season to a close on Saturday, January 19, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Broadcast coverage of Saturday night’s competition can be seen via tape delay on Sunday, January 20, beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Previous Round Results:
1st Mariner Arena – Baltimore, Md.
January 11-12, 2013
Round 2 of 10
Arenacross Class Results – Night One (Main Event Finishes)
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (2-1)
- Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki (4-3)
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM (6-4)
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM (5-5)
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM (9-2)
- Robby Marshall, Stow, Mass., KTM (3-8)
- Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki (1-10)
- Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki (7-6)
- Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM (11-9)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (14-7)
Arenacross Class Results – Night Two (Main Event Finishes)
- Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki (1-3)
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (3-1)
- Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki (2-2)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (5-8)
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM (9-5)
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM (7-7)
- Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM (12-4)
- Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki (6-12)
- Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM (8-11)
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM (10-10)
Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results – Night One
1. Jim Neese, Jamestown, N.C., Kawasaki
2. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
3. Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM
4. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM
5. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
6. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki
7. TJ Phillips, New Castle, Pa., Yamaha
8. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
9. Nick Hardacre, Dayton, Ohio, Kawasaki
10. Vaughn Mays, Genoa City, Wis., KTM
Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results – Night Two
- Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
- Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
- Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki
- Jim Neese, Jamestown, N.C., Kawasaki
- Jacob Knable, North Chesterfield, Va., Kawasaki
- Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda
- Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
- Ryan Shonyo, Rougemont, N.C., Kawasaki
- Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Kawasaki
- Davey Sterritt, Athens, N.Y., KTM
Arenacross Class Points (After Race 4 of 16)
- Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki – 122
- Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki – 115
- Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 108
- Robby Marshall, Stow, Mass., KTM – 79
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 73
- Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 73
- Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki – 72
- Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM – 68
- Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 67
- Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM – 56
Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 4 of 8)
- Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 41
- Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM – 31
- Jim Neese, Jamestown, N.C., Kawasaki – 29
- Travis Delnicki, Woodstock Valle, Conn., Suzuki – 18
- Vaughn Mays, Genoa City, Wis., KTM – 18
- Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM – 17
- Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki – 16
- Derrick Barnaby, Sterling, Conn., Honda – 13
- Fredrik Noren, Perris, Calif., KTM – 13
- Nick Hardacre, Dayton, Ohio, Kawasaki – 13
2013 Head-to-Head Bracket Winners:
Worcester Night One – Tyler Bowers
Worcester Night Two – Jeff Gibson
Baltimore Night One – Robby Marshall
Baltimore Night Two – Michael McDade
Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMSOIL Arenacross season returns for the 2013 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.
For more information on the 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross season, log on to www.Arenacross.com. For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.
Never miss out on the latest news! Follow the AMSOIL Arenacross on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Monster Energy Cup, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.
About AMSOIL®
AMSOIL® manufactures premium synthetic lubricants for all automotive, diesel and power sports applications. AMSOIL is formulated specifically for equipment life, maximum power and optimal all-weather performance and have been tested and proven for over 40 years and billions of miles of service. For more information on AMSOIL, visit www.amsoil.com or www.amsoilracing.com.
Rider Files 