Irvine, Calif., (January 21, 2012) - Babbitt’s Monster Energy/Amsoil Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers collected his astonishing eighth win of the AMA Arenacross Series on Saturday night at Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. After a fifth-place start, Bowers cautiously made his way to the front of the field on the rutted, technical track. Bowers would get handed the lead after the leader crashed, giving Bowers his eighth win of the season and a comfortable 15-point lead in the points standings. Bowers’ teammate, Chad Johnson could only manage ninth in the main event, but remains third in the points standings with two wins.

 

Taking Advantage

Bowers is known for hunting down the leaders by pushing the limits, but Saturday night’s track did not allow for that. The dirt in Dayton, Ohio was very soft which made for a very rutted track that was difficult to pass on. Bowers got off to a fifth-place start and slowly made his way to the front of the field. There is a fine line between going fast and going out of control as showed with the technical track claiming riders every lap. Once into second, Bowers was happy with his position until the leader lost the front end in one of the corners, handing Bowers the lead.

“The track was really fun this weekend, but it wasn’t the easiest to race on,” said Bowers. “I got a good start around fifth and wanted to make my way to the front, but it was difficult to find a spot to make a pass due to the ruts. The rhythm sections and corners were so rutted that you had to be on your game or you would end up on the ground. I didn’t want to risk pushing it and jeopardize my points lead, but the leader ended up pushing too hard and going down, handing me the win.”

 

Taking the Punches

After last week’s win in Topeka, Kan., Johnson was ready to carry the momentum into Dayton, Ohio and put his Kawasaki KX™250F back on the podium. A prepared and confident Johnson hit the track for practice, but quickly found himself on the ground in one of the rhythm sections. In the heat race, he would crash in the same rhythm lane which gave him a poor gate choice for the main. Bruised and sore, but never defeated, Johnson pushed through the main event and ended the night in ninth place. Johnson struggled with the track all night, but still sits third in the points and looks forward to next weekend.

“I was excited coming off last week’s win,” said Johnson. “But first thing in practice I went down in a rhythm section and in the heat race I threw myself on the ground again. The track was really rutted and slippery, which made it tough to keep your line in the corners and jumps. I was disappointed there wasn’t much for whoops because I like to make a lot of my passes there. You had to capitalize on other rider’s mistakes in order to make a pass.”

 

Tricky Conditions

The track at the Nutter Center was well received by the riders even though it made racing difficult. The soft, rutted dirt became slippery as the night went on which meant riders had to have their bikes dialed and pay close attention to line choice.

“The track was tricky enough to ride by yourself,” said Johnson. “Making passes was pretty sketchy because the ruts on the jump faces would send you from one side of the track to the other, which made it difficult to say the least. Most of the passes happened when riders made mistakes, so I just tried to stay flawless. A lot of guys struggled with the soft dirt, but my KX250F was a rocket ship out there and pulled so hard in ruts.”

 

Back to the West

Next weekend, the AMA Arenacross Series heads from the East coast back to the West coast at Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Tex., for a double-header weekend. Bowers is looking to stretch out his 15-point lead and tack on another win to his tally, while Johnson will be looking to bounce back to the front of the field and challenge his teammate for the win.

 

Results

AMA Arenacross Series
Nutter Center – Dayton, Ohio
January 21, 2012

Arenacross Class Results
1. TYLER BOWERS, DANVILLE, KY., BABBITT’S MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI
2. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
3. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
4. ZACH AMES, PROSPECT, OHIO, KAWASAKI
5. Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda
6. Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM
7. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
8. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
9. CHAD JOHNSON, RHINELANDER, WIS., BABBITT’S MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI
10. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM

Arenacross Class Points
1. TYLER BOWERS, DANVILLE, KY., BABBITT’S MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI, 260
2. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda, 245
3. CHAD JOHNSON, RHINELANDER, WIS., BABBITT’S MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI, 218
4. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM, 186
5. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda, 173
6. ZACH AMES, PROSPECT, OHIO, KAWASAKI, 164
7. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM, 128
8. JOSH DEMUTH, NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS, BABBITT’S MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI, 127
9. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM, 101
10. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki, 86

 

AURORA, Ill. (January 23, 2012) – Last Saturday, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers extended his lead in the Arenacross Class standings by grabbing his eighth win of the season. This weekend, Bowers leads the world’s best arenacross riders into the eighth round of the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series season with two nights of action slated for the championship’s debut from Cedar Park, Texas, and the Cedar Park Center, on Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28.

 

At the series’ previous stop in Dayton, Ohio, Bowers relied on patience to lead him to victory. FMF Power/Poynt TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson, who currently sits second in the Arenacross Class standings, led the majority of the 25-lap main event, but fell to the ground entering the final five laps of the race, allowing Bowers to take control and extend his championship lead to 15 points, as Gibson was forced to settle for second.

 

With five rounds and seven races remaining in the 2012 season, the championship battle in the Arenacross Class is sure to intensify. Gibson has shown the speed to minimize his deficit to Bowers, but misfortune at the previous two stops has hurt the 2009 champion, who has been on the receiving end of a 15-point swing in Bowers’ favor through the past three main events. Just two weeks ago following the fifth round of the season, Gibson shared the top spot in the standings with Bowers.

 

While the Arenacross Class competitors continue to wage war, the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Championship returns to action following a one-week break. Only three main events have been completed in the nine-race title fight, but at the last round from Topeka, the championship tightened up. Currently, Letko KTM’s Tanner Moore and House of Kawasaki’s Chad Cook share the points lead and will both wear the red number plate this weekend.

 

Additionally, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Vick Golden will continue her comeback from injury, looking to qualify for her first main event of the 2012 season.

 

Both nights of action from the AMA Arenacross Series debut from Cedar Park are set to begin with opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. CT.

 

Previous Round Results:

 

Nutter Center – Dayton, Ohio

January 21, 2012

Round 7 of 12

 

Arenacross Class Results (Dayton, Ohio)

1.       Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki

2.       Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda

3.       Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda

4.       Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki

5.       Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda

6.       Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM

7.       Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM

8.       Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki

9.       Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki

10.    Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM

 

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results (Dayton, Ohio)

1.       Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki

2.       Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM

3.       Michael McDade, Edingburg, Pa., Kawasaki

4.       Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki

5.       Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Honda

6.       Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda

7.       Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda

8.       Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM

9.       Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda

10.    Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., Kawasaki

 

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 12 of 19)

1.       Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (8 wins) – 260

2.       Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda (2 wins) – 245

3.       Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki (2 wins) – 218

4.       Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 186

5.       Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda – 173

6.       Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 164

7.       Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 128

8.       Josh Demuth, North Richland Hills, Texas, Kawasaki – 127

9.       Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 101

10.    Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 86 

 

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 3 of 9)

1.       Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM – 47

2.       Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki – 47

3.       Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 36

4.       Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 19

5.       Cody Church, Grand Junction, Colo., Kawasaki – 18

6.       Aviery Hickey, Southlake, Texas, Honda – 11

7.       Shawn Rife, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, Honda – 7

8.       Devin Reed, Indianola, Iowa, Honda – 6

9.       Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 6

10.    Jeremy Huddleston, Eustace, Texas, KTM – 5

 

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 9 of 10)

1.       Michael McDade, Indiana, Pa., Kawasaki (1 win) – 176

2.       Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM (3 wins) – 159

3.       Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM (2 win) – 150

4.       Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (1 win) – 140

5.       Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM – 102

6.       Travis Sewell, Westfield, Ind., KTM – 91

7.       Austin Coon, Spencer, W. Va., Honda – 77

8.       Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM – 75

9.       Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 72

10.    Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda – 58

 

2012 Dash for Cash Winners:

Des Moines – Zach Ames

Baltimore Night One – Tyler Bowers

Baltimore Night Two – Tyler Bowers

Madison Night One – Willy Browning

Madison Night Two – Jeff Gibson

Wilkes Barre Night One – Tyler Bowers

Wilkes Barre Night Two – Nathan Skaggs

Grand Rapids Night One – Zach Ames

Grand Rapids Night Two – Jeff Gibson

Topeka Night One – Chad Johnson

Topeka Night Two – Nathan Skaggs

Dayton – Jeff Gibson

 

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series returns for the 2012 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

 

For more information on the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, 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 AMA Arenacross Series on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!

 

DAYTON, Ohio (January 21, 2012) – Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers, of Danville, Ky., made a late-race pass to take his eighth win of the season on Saturday night, as the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series hosted its seventh round of action from Dayton’s Nutter Center. In the Arenacross Lites Class, Gateway Cycles Kawasaki’s Steven Mages, of Sardinia, Ohio, grabbed a hard-earned victory.

 

Team Faith KTM’s Kevin Johnson, of Spring, Texas, took the holeshot in the 25-lap main event with FMF Power/Poynt TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson, of Blacklick, Ohio, and Foremost Insurance/Spinechillers/Storm Lake Honda’s Nathan Skaggs, of Chillicothe, Ohio, in tow. It didn’t take long for Gibson to make his move on Gibson, taking over the lead before the completion of five laps.

 

Once out front, Gibson looked to check out on the field, but Bowers was making his move forward from a fifth-place start. By the halfway point, Bowers was in second and proceeded to set his sights on Gibson, his closest rival in the championship. Gibson fended off Bowers for several laps, until he crashed in a rhythm section, allowing Bowers to move into the lead on Lap 20. From there, the defending series champion never looked back.

 

The win extended Bowers points lead over Gibson to 15 points. Gibson secured the runner-up spot, while Skaggs held on for third.

 

In the 18-lap Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, Mages grabbed the early lead, with Dragon Racing Fuels/AG Motorsports KTM’s Michael Willard, of Newark, Ohio, following closely behind. Mages outran his rival throughout the main event and despite Willard’s efforts, he wasn’t able to get close enough to challenge for the win.

 

Mages and Willard finished out the night in the top two spots, while Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Championship points leader Michael McDade, of Oklahoma City, Okla., finished third aboard his Motostar Kawasaki.

 

In the Dash for Cash, Gibson grabbed the win in the exciting four-lap shootout. All proceeds went to A Kid Again.

 

AMA Arenacross Series continues next weekend, with two nights of action from Cedar Park, Texas, and the Cedar Park Center, on Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28. The action kicks off at 7 p.m. CT.

Arenacross Class Results (Dayton, Ohio)

1.       Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki

2.       Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda

3.       Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda

4.       Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki

5.       Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda

6.       Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM

7.       Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM

8.       Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki

9.       Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki

10.    Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM

 

Arenacross Lites Class Results (Dayton, Ohio)

1.       Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki

2.       Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM

3.       Michael McDade, Edingburg, Pa., Kawasaki

4.       Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki

5.       Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Honda

6.       Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda

7.       Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda

8.       Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM

9.       Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda

10.    Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., Kawasaki

 

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 12 of 19)

1.       Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (8 wins) – 260

2.       Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda (2 wins) – 245

3.       Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki (2 wins) – 218

4.       Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 186

5.       Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda – 173

6.       Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 164

7.       Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 128

8.       Josh Demuth, North Richland Hills, Texas, Kawasaki – 127

9.       Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 101

10.    Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 86 

 

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 9 of 10)

1.       Michael McDade, Indiana, Pa., Kawasaki (1 win) – 176

2.       Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM (3 wins) – 159

3.       Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM (2 win) – 150

4.       Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (1 win) – 140

5.       Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM – 102

6.       Travis Sewell, Westfield, Ind., KTM – 91

7.       Austin Coon, Spencer, W. Va., Honda – 77

8.       Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM – 75

9.       Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 72

10.    Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda – 58

 

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series returns for the 2012 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

 

For more information on the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, 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 AMA Arenacross Series on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!