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Tyler Bowers Reclaims Points Lead in Race to the Championship with Victory in Wichita
Maxx Malatia Emerges with Arenacross Lites Class Win

WICHITA, Kan. (February 24, 2013) – The second race of the inaugural Race to the Championship signified another important night in AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, as an enthusiastic crowd welcomed the championship’s return to INTRUST Bank Arena. For the ninth time in 2013, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis rider Tyler Bowers captured the overall victory in the Arenacross Class and reclaimed the top spot in theRace to the Championship by doing so. In the Arenacross Lites Class, BWRengines.com Honda’s Maxx Malatia claimed the win to tighten up the Western Regional Championship.

In the opening Main Event of the evening, former Race to the Championship points leader Zach Ames grabbed the early lead aboard his Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki. Last week’s winner was followed by Bowers and Team Faith/FLY Racing KTM’s Jeff Gibson, in addition to Mosites Motorsports Kawasaki’s Michael McDade.

On Lap 3, McDade made a pass on Gibson for the third position, but experienced misfortune shortly thereafter, dropping him deep inside the top 10. A lap later, Bowers made an impressive move on his teammate for the lead and never looked back. Bowers was followed by Ames across the line, with Gibson in third. McDade fought his way back to sixth.

Bowers selected the inversion for the second Main Event and for the second consecutive week, the entire 16-rider field was inverted.

As the gate dropped on the second Main Event, Team Faith/FLY Racing KTM’s Kelly Smith grabbed the early lead, with Ticketwow Honda’s Michael Lang and BWRengines.com Honda’s Kyle White following in second and third, respectively. Bowers asserted himself in fifth, with Gibson right behind in sixth. McDade began to battle his way from an eighth-place start, while Ames suffered misfortune early and needed to come from outside the top 10.

Smith maintained control of the entire 12-lap Main Event, while Lang rode a consistent race to finish in second. Bowers worked his way into a podium spot in third, with Gibson following in fourth. McDade fought his way into sixth at the end, while Ames had to settle for ninth.

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Bowers’ 1-3 results were enough to land him atop the podium for his ninth overall win of the season. Gibson followed in second overall, while McDade’s pair of come-from-behind efforts were rewarded with the third podium spot, tying Ames in points for the evening but edging him out by virtue of his stronger finish in the second Main Event.

Bowers’ victory helped him reclaim the lead in the Race to the Championship after falling to third one week ago. He now holds a two-point lead over Gibson, while Ames sits only three points behind in third.

Collectively, 27 points separate the 10 riders in the Race to the Championship, with Ankle Savers Kawasaki Gared Steinke holding on to the 10th spot.

In Saturday night’s Head-to-Head Bracket Racing, McDade out-dueled Ames to claim the championship bonus point. That point proved to be pivotal in McDade’s path to finishing third overall for the evening.

The Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Championship has been highly competitive through its first four races this season and that trend continued on Saturday night. Kyle White grabbed the early lead in the 18-lap Main Event, but it wasn’t long before Malatia moved into the top spot.

Once out front, Malatia was given heavy pressure from Eleven10 Mods Honda’s Brady Kiesel and the duo battled bar-to-bar for several laps before Kiesel experienced misfortune. That allowed Malatia to carry his lead through to the finish and take the win. Reynard Mods Suzuki’s Cory Green and White rounded out the podium.

Malatia moved to within six points of Michael Lang in the Western Regional Championship with three races remaining.

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The 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross season and the Race to the Championship continue next weekend from Kansas City, Mo., and the Sprint Center on Saturday, March 2, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Next-day broadcast coverage of next Saturday’s action can be seen exclusively on SPEED, beginning next Sunday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1

  1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
  2. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
  3. Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM
  4. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki
  5. Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM
  6. Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki
  7. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM
  8. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM
  9. Jacob Knable, North Chesterfield, Va., Kawasaki
  10. Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2

  1. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
  2. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda
  3. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
  4. Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM
  5. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
  6. Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki
  7. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
  8. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM
  9. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
  10. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki

Arenacross Class Overall (Main Event Finishes)

  1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (1-3)
  2. Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM (3-4)
  3. Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki (6-6)
  4. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki (2-9)
  5. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda (11-2)
  6. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki (4-10)
  7. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM (8-8)
  8. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM (16-1)
  9. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM (7-11)
  10. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (12-7)

Arenacross Lites Class Results

  1. Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda
  2. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
  3. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
  4. Brady Kiesel, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda
  5. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda
  6. Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM
  7. Colton Hildreth, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Honda
  8. Jacob Knable, North Chesterfield, Va., Kawasaki
  9. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
  10. Travis Merrill, Fowler, Ill., KTM

Arenacross Class Race to the Championship (After Race 2 of 5)

  1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki – 58
  2. Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM – 56
  3. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 55
  4. Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki – 48
  5. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 40
  6. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 39
  7. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM – 37
  8. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki – 34
  9. Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM – 33
  10. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 31

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 13 of 16)

  1. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 165
  2. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM – 156
  3. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM – 88
  4. Robby Marshall, Stow, Mass., KTM – 78
  5. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda – 62
  6. Tyler Villopoto, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki – 56
  7. Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda – 51
  8. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki – 46
  9. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 41
  10. Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM – 23

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 5 of 8)

  1. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda – 71
  2. Maxx Malatia, Itasca, Ill., Honda – 65
  3. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 57
  4. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM – 56
  5. Tyler Villopoto, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki – 45
  6. Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM – 41
  7. Devin Reed, Indianola, Iowa, Honda – 29
  8. Brandon Glenn, Mesquite, Texas, Kawasaki – 24
  9. Travis Merrill, Fowler, Ill., KTM – 21
  10. Zack Williams, Elko, Minn., KTM – 16
  11. Brian Alquist, LaGrange, Calif., Kawasaki – 16

 

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.

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About AMSOIL Arenacross
AMSOIL Arenacross is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association. The AMA sanctions more amateur motorsports events than any other organization, as well as Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. For more information about AMA-sanctioned competition events, see www.americanmotorcyclist.com/racing.

About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross and Nuclear Cowboyz®.  Feld Motor Sports 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 orwww.amsoilracing.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association            
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA honors the heroes and the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visitwww.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.