SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
003
WELCOME TO AMSOIL ARENACROSS FEATURING RICKY CARMICHAEL’S ROAD TO SUPERCROSS
W
elcome to AMSOIL Ar-
Be sure to watch out for these fast young
enacross featuring Ricky
kids—they are the future of the sport! The exciting Race to the Championship
Carmichael’s Road to
returns for 2014 with an additional round.
Supercross. The 2014 sea-
Following the first eight rounds of competi-
fields of riders ever assembled. The tracks’
tion, the points for the top ten riders will be
intimate layouts will be a perfect showcase
wiped clean as they compete for the cham-
and battleground for the world’s most
pionship through the final four rounds. With
Sit back, relax, and enjoy tonight’s racing.
action-packed form of motorcycle racing.
this structure in place, the only sure thing is
Reigning three-time AMSOIL Arenacross
that the championship battle will be more
ENJOY THE SHOW!
Champion Tyler Bowers will be fending
unpredictable than ever! The most significant change is the
off an onslaught of the world’s best rising stars, who are definitely ready to bring ev-
introduction of the Road to Supercross pro-
erything they’ve got throughout the winter.
gram. All riders will be required to hone their
It’s going to be wild!
skills in AMSOIL Arenacross, earning their
We have restructured the successful
required Road to Supercross points and a
new race format by adding three more laps
Professional Supercross License endorse-
to both Arenacross class main events while
ment before they make their transition to
restructuring the head-to-head bracket rac-
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM
ing points structure. Both amateur classes,
World Championship.
CUDBY
son will feature one of the most talented
Sincerely,
I am proud to be a part of AMSOIL
arguably the most popular and exciting races of the night, return with new names
Arenacross as the next generation of riders
#4 Ricky Carmichael
this year, the Arenacross.com 50s class and
develop their skills before transitioning to
Five-Time Monster Energy
the AMSOIL Dominator Super-Minis class.
Monster Energy Supercross.
Supercross Champion
Feld Motor Sports
Vice President, Production/Marketing Services
Mike McFarlin
4255 Meridian Parkway
Sr. Director, Finance
Mark Thompson
Aurora, IL 60504
Sr. Director, Track Operations
Dan Allen
Sr. Director, Merchandise Operations
Scott Decker
Sr. Director, Merchandise Production
Mark Crouse
Sr. Director, Strategic Alliances
Dave Muye
(630) 566-6100 Feld Entertainment Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Kenneth Feld
Sr. Director, Licensing
Allison Lort
Executive Vice President
Alana Feld
Sr. Director, National Sales
Scott Mendel
Executive Vice President
Nicole Feld
Sr. Director, Safety and Compliance
Rico Hawkes
Executive Vice President
Juliette Feld
Sr. Director, Regional Sales
Bill Renick
Director of Operations, Arenacross
Mike Muye
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. President
Charlie Mancuso
Director, Graphic Design
Jay Laws
Chief Operating Officer
Ken Hudgens
Director, National Sales
Suzanne Wilkenfeld
Vice President, Two-Wheel Operations
Todd Jendro
Director, National Sales
David Thompson
Vice President, International Touring
Eric Cole
Director, National Sales
Tom Wyatt
Vice President, Booking
Bob Boggess
Director, Public Relations
Denny Hartwig
Vice President, Television
Michael Prince
Director, New Media
Linda Leludis
Vice President, Sales
Tim Murray
Director, Marketing Services
Mark Larson
Vice President, Sales
Ryan McSpadden
Director, Commercial Production
Kelly Guerin
Assistant Director, Strategic Alliances
Aaron Anderson
Vice President and General Manager, Sponsorship and Strategic Alliances
Jason Bitsoff
Assistant Director, Strategic Alliances
Rian Tipton
Vice President, Merchandising
T.D. Lovett
Sr. Manager of Digital Media
Ryan Tychsen
Arenacross Event Manager
Bill Heras
Arenacross Coordinator
Lisa Kurowski
Vice President, Licensing and Business Development
Mark Abernethy
PUBLISHED BY RACER X ILLUSTRATED
ARENACROSS.COM
004
TABLE OF
CONTENTS HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE 2014 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SOUVENIR PROGRAM
3 WELCOME
32 CONTENDERS
… to the 2014 AMSOIL Arenacross championship
Who to watch in 2014
8 ARENACROSS 101
The basics of Arenacross
12 REPEAT SUCCESS
RUD
Learn more about the championship and tonight’s racing format
20 NEW RULES RULED
37 THE COMPETITORS
Revisiting the revolutionary and thrilling 2013 season
58 FUTURE STARS
Who’s who in AMSOIL Arenacross
AMSOIL Dominator Super-Minis race to be next in line
RC CONTINUES TO LEAD WAY 24 THE
RUD
Ricky Carmichael gives back with his Road to Supercross
60 ARENACROSS QUIZ
TRACK WALK FEATURING ZACH AMES
Fifteen questions to test your Arenacross knowledge
Zach takes you for a hot lap
64 TRACK PARTY
Everyone loves a party
COURTESY FELD
26
A look back at the 2013 AMSOIL AMA Amateur National Arenacross Championships
RUD
CUDBY
52 OPENING DOORS
66 AXTRAS
Bonus information overload
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ARENACROSS.COM
008
ARENACROSS
101
THE ESSENTIALS OF AMSOIL ARENACROSS
If you’re new to AMSOIL Arenacross, or if you’re not completely up to speed on all the series latest innovations, then you’re in the right place. This section will show you all the ins and outs of the most exciting event you’ll see all year. Who are the riders? The riders are made up of the world’s fastest indoor racers as well as future stars of Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, looking to earn their Pro Licenses through the Ricky Carmichael Road to Supercross.
Why is one rider using a red number plate? In both classes (Arenacross and Arenacross Lites), the current championship points leader is required to run a red plate to signify his status at any given round.
How do amateurs get involved? At all AMSOIL Arenacross rounds, which normally run on Fridays and Saturdays, amateur riders are invited every following Sunday to showcase their talent in the same arenas as their professional counterparts. Many of today’s top Arenacross pros spent their winters racing in the amateur classes.
PHOTOS BY JOSH RUD
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
009
What bikes do they ride?
utilize everything these bikes offer, but
and maintain that pace for the same
Full-sized motocross bikes come in three
at the top level of AMSOIL Arenacross,
amount of time required to complete
main engine sizes (measured in cubic
some serious tuning is needed to build a
an Arenacross main event. Most riders
centimeters): 125cc, 250cc, and 450cc.
championship-caliber machine. Suspen-
use weight training to add strength and
There are also two engine types: two-
sion setup is the most critical aspect of
prevent injury as well, but the best train-
stroke and four-stroke. In the AMSOIL
a bike’s performance, and teams literally
ing, of course, comes from accumulating
Arenacross and Arenacross Lites class-
spend months testing parts and settings
seat time on a dirt bike.
es, the 250 four-stroke and 125 two-
to find the right balance for whoops,
stroke are the only motorcycles eligible
jumps, and turns. Engine modifications
Why do the riders train so hard?
to compete; 450cc machines are used
help too—a lot of riders try to boost low-
The bikes are so fast and the tracks are
primarily in the premier Monster Energy
end power so the bike will launch out of
so demanding that riders are constantly
Supercross class. With the tight confines
corners, clear big jumps, and explode
tugging with their arms and legs to keep
of Arenacross racing, most riders choose
out of one of the most important track
the machine underneath them. Steer-
the more agile 250cc four-strokes.
sections: the start.
ing, maneuvering, and hanging on after landing big jumps is a lot of work. Factor
How do you prepare a bike for AMSOIL Arenacross?
What types of training do the riders do to prepare?
in the nerves and adrenaline of racing,
The motocross bikes on your local show-
Cardiovascular fitness is a critical ele-
maximum heart rate in just a few laps.
room floor are state-of-the-art machines
ment in a racer’s arsenal, so most of
with fuel injection, aluminum frames,
the riders train with rowing machines,
How far do they jump?
and highly advanced suspension and
bicycles, or by jogging. The key is to
Top Arenacross riders can handle 100-
brake components. Few riders can fully
push hard enough to hit max heart rate
foot jumps all day long while practic-
and even a super-fit athlete can reach
How does the race start? The riders line up behind a backward-falling metal starting gate designed to “trap” any riders who attempt to start early. Before the gate drops, a girl stands in the middle of the start holding a 30-second board to signal that the race is about to begin. When she turns the card sideways, all focus shifts to the gate, which will drop momentarily. The 30-second girl sprints for cover and the riders pull in their clutches, put their bikes in gear, and rev their engines. When the gate drops, they open the throttle and rocket down the start stretch.
ARENACROSS.COM
010
“
THE EDGE-OF-YOURSEAT HEAD-TOHEAD BRACKET RACES RETURN FOR 2014 AS WELL.” ing. There’s not quite that much room inside an arena, but the finish-line jump launches a rider roughly 60 feet.
Which races will I see tonight? A night of AMSOIL Arenacross consists of racing from two professional classes and two amateur classes. The amateur classes include 4- to 8-year-old riders on 50cc machines and 9- to 15-year-old riders on Super-Minis, while the professional races consist of the Arenacross and Arenacross Lites Classes. All classes have heat races and last-chance qualifiers (amateur qualifying takes place in the afternoon) in order for riders to advance to the main events. The Arenacross Class—the night’s main attraction—features two fifteenlap main events. A new feature last season was the random-draw method to determine the starting order for the second Arenacross main event. The edge-of-your-seat head-to-head bracket races return for 2014 as well. The top four finishers from the Arenacross Class
in the head-to-head races. Each rider
When the Race to the Championship
heat races will be placed into an eight-
competing in the head-to-head races
resumes at the ninth round, in Tulsa,
rider bracket, using individual lap times
will earn one championship point. After
Oklahoma, the previous points leader
to determine seeding. Riders will then
riders are eliminated via two-lap head-to-
begins the rest of the series with six
be eliminated via two-lap head-to-head
head match-ups, the final surviving racer
points, second with five points, third
match-ups until only one is left standing.
earns one additional championship point.
and fourth with four, fifth and sixth with three, seventh and eighth with two, and
How does a rider earn points?
ninth and tenth with one. (All previous
Championship points are awarded to
How does a rider win a championship?
each rider at the conclusion of each main
At the conclusion of the eighth round,
reset.) For the ten eligible racers, cham-
event based on finishing position. A rider
in Reno, Nevada, the top ten riders in
pionship points are earned and tallied
earns 16 points for a race win; second
championship points will be eligible to
normally for the four remaining rounds.
place earns 15 points, and so on down
compete for the title. (Riders in positions
The rider with the most points at the
the line, with sixteenth place earning a
eleven or higher will continue to race for
conclusion of the final round is the 2014
single point. Points can also be earned
the purse and season-ending bonuses.)
AMSOIL Arenacross Champion!
championship points are otherwise
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ARENACROSS.COM
012
REPEAT
SUCCESS ARENACROSS CHARGES CONFIDENTLY INTO 2014
Last year saw the arrival of a number of massive changes in AMSOIL Arenacross, Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross. In fact, just about everything except a tight racetrack conducive to hard racing was scrapped in order to produce a bigger and wilder night of racing for the fans. The result was an electrifying season of
plate with a 0, 8, or 16 on it. A random
racing that stayed close and unpredict-
drawing is held, and if a 16 is picked,
able all the way through to the finale. Not
the entire field is inverted for race two,
surprisingly, very few changes have been
with last place getting first pick and vice
made to AMSOIL Arenacross’ winning
versa. If an 8 is drawn, the top eight
formula for 2014.
riders from the first race pick first, with eighth place going first. If a 0 is selected,
separate points-paying main events for
the gate is loaded based on straight
the Arenacross Class, a format that intro-
results from the first race. Since AMSOIL
duces an element of strategy, adds par-
Arenacross features two-row starting
ity, and increases the number of chances
gates, a good pick is especially impor-
a rider has to earn points throughout the
tant. Nobody wants to start from the
season. That makes it easier to bounce
back row!
back and stay in the championship hunt
It’s a system that provided plenty of
should a rider encounter bad luck. The
thrills in 2013, and it served up an extra
only change is the number of laps, which
dose of drama at the season finale. With
increases this year from twelve to fifteen
the first main event already completed, Tyler
for each Arenacross Class Main Event.
Bowers still hadn’t clinched the champion-
Also coming back is the unique gate-
RUD
Returning this season are the two
ship. After getting a back-row start due to
(Above) Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers overcame a broken collarbone late in 2013 to clinch the premier-class title in the final race of the season.
pick selection process for the second
the inversion, he began fighting through the
main event. Gate pick for race one is
pack—but his main rival, Jeff Gibson, was
dictated by heat-race and LCQ results,
doing the same. The championship picture
able as it is loud, the start of an AMSOIL
but after that, three closed suitcases are
was literally changing with every pass
Arenacross race is also one of the most
brought out, each containing a number
each rider made! Gibson won the race, but
(Opposite) As exciting and unpredict-
important elements of the entire sprint.
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
RUD
013
“
ON THE HEELS OF A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL REVAMP OF AMSOIL ARENACROSS, 2014 PROMISES TO BE BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER, AND EVEN MORE FUN.”
Bowers—thanks to a late pass on Mike
style head-to-head races, which always
McDade—charged up to third, earning
provide some of the night’s best action.
his third consecutive AMSOIL Arenacross
The top four racers from each heat race
Championship by a mere three points.
(eight racers in total, with each earning
In many other motorsports, cham-
a championship point for competing in
pionships are won by tallying up points;
the head-to-head races) will do battle in
whoever has the most at the end of the
two-lap races. The fastest rider from the
year takes the title. This is not the case
heat races will race against the slowest
in AMSOIL Arenacross, which features
of the group, second fastest will take on
a much different and less predictable
seventh fastest, and so on. The elimina-
system called The Race to the Cham-
tions continue until one rider remains,
pionship, which helped last year’s hunt
earning an additional championship
stay exciting all year long.
point—which could be a deciding factor
Here’s how it works: After the first eight rounds, the points are reset. The
at the season’s end. Fans will also have the opportunity to
top ten riders at that point are the only
get a look at the sport’s up-and-coming
ones eligible to win the championship,
stars when the country’s best amateur
and they continue to race for points in
4-to-8-year-old 50cc riders and 9-to-15-
the Championship Rounds, which begin
year-old Super-Mini riders do battle in
on March 1 in Tulsa. The eliminated rid-
the Arenacross.com Super 50 and the
ers continue to race for contingency and
AMSOIL Dominator Super-Mini races.
purse money. Basically, the first eight
On the heels of a wildly successful
races are the regular season, with the
revamp of AMSOIL Arenacross, 2014
final four acting as the playoffs.
promises to be bigger, better, faster, and
Adding even more excitement, riders will once again be competing in bracket-
even more fun. For more information, please visit www.arenacross.com.
ARENACROSS.COM
014
2014 AMSOIL ARENACROSS
SEASON SCHEDULE January 3-5
DCU Center
Worcester, MA
East
January 10-12
Baltimore Arena
Baltimore, MD
East
January 18-19
Freedom Hall
Louisville, KY
East
January 25-26
Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro, NC
East
U.S. Cellular Arena
Milwaukee, WI
East
Sleep Train Arena
Sacramento, CA
West
February 14-16
Idaho Center
Nampa, ID
West
February 21-23
Livestock Events Center
Reno, NV
West
March 1-2
BOK Center
Tulsa, OK
East
March 7-9
Tingley Coliseum
Albuquerque, NM
West
March 14-16
State Farm Arena
Hidalgo, TX
West
March 29-30
EnergySolutions Arena
Salt Lake City, UT
West
South Point Arena
Las Vegas, NV
ANAC
January 31 - February 2 February 8-9
May 2-4* *2014 Amateur National Arenacross Championship
EVENT SCHEDULE 10:00am – 11:30am
Rider/Mechanic Registration and Tech Inspection/Contingency Verification
11:30am – 11:45am
Track Walk
11:45am – 12:00pm
Pro Riders’ Meeting – Mandatory
12:00pm – 12:15pm
Chapel Service
12:30pm 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Practice Track Party – Saturday Only
6:00pm
Doors Open to General Public
7:15pm
Opening Ceremonies
7:30pm
RACES
ARENACROSS.COM
016
THE POINTS SYSTEM AND
PURSE BREAKDOWN POINTS SYSTEM
POINTS TS FUND
1st
16 Points
1st
$25,000
2nd
15 Points
3rd
14 Points
2nd
$17,000
4th
13 Points
3rd
$12,000
5th
12 Points
4th
$8,500
6th
11 Points
7th
10 Points
5th
$7,500
8th
9 Points
6th
$6,500
9th
8 Points
7th
$5,500
10th
7 Points
11th
6 Points
12th
5 Points
9th
$4,500
13th
4 Points
10th
$4,000
14th
3 Points
15th
2 Points
11th
$3,000
16th
1 Point
12th
$1,500
8th
$5,000
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Main Event Purse Breakdown: $16,500
SATURDAY ONLY Main Event Purse Breakdown: $11,000
ARENACROSS:
ARENACROSS LITES:
ARENACROSS:
ARENACROSS LITES:
1st
$2,000
1st
$200
1st
$3,000
1st
$200
2nd
$1,250
2nd
$150
2nd
$2,000
2nd
$150
3rd
$750
3rd
$100
3rd
$1,250
3rd
$100
4th
$500
4th
$90
4th
$550
4th
$90
5th
$450
5th
$80
5th
$500
5th
$80
6th
$400
6th
$70
6th
$450
6th
$70
7th
$350
7th
$60
7th
$400
7th
$60
8th
$300
8th
$50
8th
$350
8th
$50
9th
$250
9th
$50
9th
$300
9th
$50
10th
$200
10th
$50
10th
$250
10th
$50
11th
$100
11th
$50
11th
$125
11th
$50
12th
$100
12th
$50
12th
$125
12th
$50
13th
$100
13th
$50
13th
$125
13th
$50
14th
$100
14th
$50
14th
$125
14th
$50
15th
$100
15th
$50
15th
$125
15th
$50
16th
$100
16th
$50
16th
$125
16th
$50
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
017
THE RACE TO THE
CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON ROUNDS RE
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS
1st
6 points
January 3-5 Jan
Worcester, MA
March 1-2
Tulsa, OK
2nd
5 points
Jan January 10-12
Baltimore, MD
March 7-9
Albuquerque, NM
3rd
4 points
Jan January 18-19
Louisville, KY
March 14-16
Hidalgo, TX
4th
4 points
Jan January 25-26
Greensboro, NC
March 29-30
Salt Lake City, UT
5th
3 points
6th
3 points
Jan January 31-February 2
Milwaukee, WI
7th
2 points
Feb February 8-9
Sacramento, CA
8th
2 points
Feb February 14-16
Nampa, ID
9th
1 point
Feb February 21-23
Reno, NV
10th
1 point
After the final regular season round in Reno, the points will be reset, with only the top ten riders eligible to win the championship—but their points won’t be completely erased. The chart to the right shows how many points each rider will start the Championship Rounds with.
FFACE-OFF: HEAD-TO-HEAD ACTION
heat race—eight racers in total—race two-lap one-on-one
Some of the most exciting racing of the night takes place in S
sprints until there’s only one rider standing. All participants
the head-to-head races. The four fastest racers from each t
earn a championship point, with the winner earning one extra.
1 8
Winner Earns Additional Championship Point
2 7
3
4
6
5
CLASSES
the number of their finishing position (or their AMA career number,
AMSOIL Arenacross is comprised of two professional and two
if they have one). All other numbers are reserved on a first-come,
amateur classes. The premier Arenacross Class features the sport’s
first-served basis. Arenacross Class competitors have white num-
biggest names, such as reigning champ Tyler Bowers, Mike McDade,
ber plates with black numbers, and Arenacross Lites racers have
Kelly Smith, and more. It’s without a doubt the main attraction of the
black number plates with white numbers. A red number plate
night. The Arenacross Lites, while thrilling in its own right, is a step-
signifies the current class points leader.
ping-stone into the premier class, and often includes local experts who are ready to take the next step in their careers. On the amateur
QUALIFYING
side are the Arenacross.com Super 50s (riders aged 4-8 on 50cc
Riders qualify for the night program via two timed afternoon
bikes) and the AMSOIL Dominator Super-Minis (ages 9-15 on Super-
practice sessions. The field is whittled down further in two eve-
Minis). The amateur classes give fans a glimpse into the future of the
ning heat races and the DC Shoes Last-Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
sport while showing just how far the pro riders have progressed.
Riders who avoid elimination advance to the main events.
RACE NUMBERS
MAIN EVENTS
AMSOIL Arenacross numbers allow fans and competitors to keep
The Arenacross Lites Class main event consists of a single
track of who’s who, of course—but they’re also a ranking system
eighteen-lap race. The Arenacross Class features two separate
for the sport’s elite. The previous season’s top twenty riders use
points-paying fifteen-lap mains.
ARENACROSS.COM
020
NEW RULES
RULED
A WILD NEW FORMAT LED TO A WILD AMSOIL ARENACROSS SEASON
The names were the same, but the game was completely different. AMSOIL Arenacross, Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, took on a significant revamp for 2013, including a new main-event structure (featuring two twelve-lap races), inverted starts, and even a new race to the championship format within the points structure. The idea that every rider was starting the season with a clean slate was more true here than ever. And yes, when it ended, a familiar name was still carrying the #1 plate. But getting there sure wasn’t easy!
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY From the very first night of the season in Worcester, Massachusetts, the new format mixed up the results. In the first twelve-lap main event, defending AMRUD
SOIL Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers romped to victory on his Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki, but the
Mike McDade. The Mosites Motorsports-
last gate pick. Worse, his team discov-
new rules called for a random selection
backed rider hounded Ames and then
ered an engine problem after the first
of either a 0, 8, or 16-gate inversion for
pulled the trigger on a late pass to steal
main, sending them into scramble mode
the second main event. Bowers drew the
the race victory. Without even winning a
to prep a new motor for the second
8 inversion, then stalled his bike on lap
main event, Ames collected the night’s
main. Incredibly, the Kentucky native
one, putting him in fifteenth place. Bow-
overall victory with 2-2 scores. The sea-
raged past the entire field en route to the
ers’ teammate Zach Ames finished sec-
son was off to a flying start.
main-event win.
ond in the first main and led early in the
Bowers fought back the next night,
Ames would break his teammate’s
second; however, with the new format
again winning the first main, and the
momentum in the second weekend of
came a new contender in Pennsylvania’s
second-race inversion sent him the dead
racing in Baltimore, Maryland, when
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
(Opposite) When the 2013 season kicked off, it signaled a whole new era in AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring a revised rulebook, points structure, and start format.
he held Bowers at bay to take the first main. Ames led again early in the second race, only to crash and open the door for another Bowers win. McDade made things crazy again on the second night in Baltimore, outlasting Ames in a spectacular battle for the win in the first main. The random selection called for no inversion of gate spots in
RUD
RUD
RUD
021
(Above, clockwise from upper left) Mike McDade (16) took little time to establish himself, capturing a main-event win on night one of the season; Michael Willard (9) makes a move through traffic; McDade and Nathan Skaggs (6) show there’s always a battle to watch in Arenacross.
the second main, and McDade jumped out to the lead, only for Bowers to get by
like Jeff Gibson and Nathan Skaggs
sion for the final main. But he crashed
him for the victory. Incredibly, McDade,
were heating up and bumped Ames and
away his good fortune on lap one, al-
Ames, and Bowers were left tied for the
McDade off of the podium.
lowing Gibson to take the main—and his
night’s overall win, and results of the
Ricky Carmichael visited the next
first overall of the season, via 3-1 scores.
head-to-head bracket races were used
race in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and watched
Surely that didn’t sit well with the champ,
to break the tie. McDade had beaten
Bowers romp to the win in main event
and he came back to sweep Saturday’s
Bowers in that two-lap sprint and was
one. Carmichael picked the gate inver-
racing in Pennsylvania. All was looking
thus awarded his first AMSOIL Aren-
sion for the second race, and Bowers
good for him, except one more AMSOIL
across victory in the premier class.
was relegated to the second row. He
Arenacross wrinkle remained: the Race
followed McDade across the finish to
to the Championship.
snag the overall win with 1-2 scores over
THE BATTLE RAGES ON
McDade’s 3-1. The next weekend, Bowers took both main-event wins on Friday night
BROKEN BONES
Bowers emerged from the first few week-
in Cedar Park, Texas. On night two, Bow-
ends with a slim points lead, but Ames
ers sealed another overall victory, while
Series points were reset for the final five
and McDade were right on his heels. The
Gibson continued to surge forward by tak-
nights of the season, leaving Bowers with a
champion gained ground with an amaz-
ing the second main event win. Gibson’s
slim lead heading into the first race in Little
ing weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
Team Faith/Fly Racing KTM teammate
Rock, Arkansas. He struggled at that event
sweeping all four main events despite
Kelly Smith was finding his old form, too,
while Ames scored the win on a crazy
various gate inversions, coming from
and that squad was hungry for wins.
night—with 5-1 scores! McDade won the
behind on Friday, and even grabbing the
They got one in Wilkes-Barre, Penn-
first main but struggled in the second, while
holeshot despite the eighth gate pick on
sylvania. Bowers won the first main event
Bowers looked off en route to 4-8 finishes.
Saturday. Meanwhile, established names
and randomly selected a zero gate inver-
Was the pressure pressing the champ?
ARENACROSS.COM
022
“
HIS BACK END BLEW OUT SIDEWAYS, AND IN THE AIR HE WAS COMPLETELY BACKWARDS LOOKING RIGHT AT ME. I KNEW THIS WASN’T GOING TO BE GOOD.” No—there was something much
from me, but when it hit, it bounced into
ally broken his collarbone at the prac-
my line and when I landed my front tire
tice track a few days earlier. The timing
went right between his front tire and the
couldn’t have been worse, since the
frame and I stopped instantly.
points were about to be reset. (Above) With two main events con-
be good. He tried to ditch his bike away
worse to deal with. Bowers had actu-
“Zach and I do sprint motos together,
“It threw me over the bars into the face of the next triple, and I kind of
sisting of just twelve laps, starts be-
and it helps for our overall speed,” Bow-
rolled out of it, but I felt a bee sting in my
came even more critical. Jeff Gibson
ers explained of the day that nearly did
shoulder and knew my collarbone was
(2) made a late surge for the title.
him in. “He’ll lead and I’ll lead, and this
done,” Bowers added. “He was gasping
time he was leading and I went to pass
for air and I was asking if he was okay,
him on the outside of a corner.... His
and he was just grunting so I asked
back end blew out sideways, and in the
again and he said yeah. Luckily, I have a
air he was completely backwards looking
great friend and teammate in Zach, and
right at me. I knew this wasn’t going to
he kind of felt bad about the whole deal,
(Opposite) Tyler Bowers (middle) overcame a variety of obstacles to emerge as champion for the third straight season.
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
023
(Left) Bowers (1) and Steven Mages show just how tight the action gets in Arenacross. Inverted starts meant many fast guns were forced into comefrom-behind mode. (Below) Gibson edges Tyler Villopoto (61) for a holeshot. The new Race to the Championship points format left the title hanging until the final race of the season.
so he took me to the hospital, took me
considering the collarbone break, “I kind
through traffic, then Bowers did too, al-
to surgery the next day, and drove me
of lucked into it.”
lowing McDade to win the race and Smith
home from surgery too. I made my flight
With another week to heal and re-
to snag the overall with 4-2 finishes. Gibson was a solid second, cutting Bowers’
on Thursday to Little Rock, kind of dizzy
freshed confidence that he could power
on anesthesia, made it to the event, and
through the injury, Bowers put together
points lead down to just five with the final
had Friday to recover. I just wanted to
a perfect night in Kansas City, Missouri,
night of racing remaining.
salvage the weekend.”
winning both races. Gibson and Ames
Gibson, a former AMSOIL Aren-
fought for the rest of the podium spots,
across Champion, knew how to perform
solid finishes in Little Rock, but he’d
but now Bowers was back in control
under pressure. He held off Bowers to
have to continue digging deep to win the
of the championship. The series took a
win the opening main event, and when
title. That’s exactly what he did, tak-
weekend off, and now it was on to the
Carmichael again selected the full 16-rid-
ing 3-1 scores to a victory in Wichita,
final set of races in Denver.
er inversion for race two, the Ohio vet-
Bowers somehow gutted out those
eran shrugged it off and charged all the
Kansas, although he admitted later that,
way through the pack to win again. Now
ONE LAST GASP
it was on Bowers to follow him through, and he did, making a late pass for third.
With Bowers still fighting an injury and
His 2-3 finishes gave him second overall
the new rules still in place, anything could
on the night, enough to edge Gibson by
happen in Colorado. And it did. Bow-
a mere three points in the final standings.
ers won the opening main event without
New rules, stiff competition, and
drama, but things got crazy in race two,
even an untimely injury worked to upend
as Carmichael was on hand to select the
Bower’s attempt at a third straight
gate inversion. He selected 16 at random,
AMSOIL Arenacross Championship.
sending Bowers, Ames, and Gibson to the
Ultimately, though, the determination of a
back row. Ames crashed trying to come
champion would not be denied.
ARENACROSS.COM
024
RC CONTINUES TO
LEAD THE WAY RICKY CARMICHAEL GETS ON BOARD WITH AMSOIL ARENACROSS
Significant thought went into last season’s dramatic changes to AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, and many of the ideas came from the man they call the GOAT— the Greatest of All Time—Ricky Carmichael. The record fifteen-time AMA National
Arenacross and qualify for the night show
Champion (including five Monster Energy
on three separate weekends before they
Supercross Championships) retired from
can race supercross. It’s a move even
racing in 2007, but when he stepped away,
Carmichael, who enjoyed a stellar ama-
he always planned to give back to the sport
teur career, wishes he had made. “I was extremely successful as an am-
so have been plentiful, but the contributions
ateur, but even with all of my off-season
to AMSOIL Arenacross are the richest yet.
testing with Pro Circuit for supercross, I
AMSOIL Arenacross tracks are now
felt like a fish out of water at my first race
built with Carmichael’s influence, and last
in Indianapolis,” Carmichael says. “It’s
year he made guest appearances at select
just different. And I don’t care how much
rounds to ride those tracks during practice
testing you do—nothing can simulate be-
and opening ceremonies as well as visit
ing out there in a supercross. The closest
with fans and sign autographs. The big-
we can get is Arenacross. You’re just so
gest move is the Ricky Carmichael Road
nervous out there. There’s a lot of hype.
to Supercross, which will feed the na-
It’s so tight. You get that out of the way at
tion’s top amateur riders through AMSOIL
an Arenacross—and that’s extreme, be-
Arenacross before they try Monster Energy
cause it’s even tighter than a supercross.
Supercross, an FIM World Championship.
You get that out of the way, and you’re
In the past, riders jumped straight
ready to go.”
from traditional amateur racing on mo-
Tomorrow’s supercross stars will now
tocross tracks to jam-packed stadiums
get their start in AMSOIL Arenacross. It’s
and technical supercross circuits—a
the future of the sport, brought to you by
huge leap. Now, riders will race AMSOIL
one of its greatest legends.
RUD
where he made his name. His efforts to do
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
I WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AS AN AMATEUR, BUT EVEN WITH ALL OF MY OFF SEASON TESTING WITH PRO CIRCUIT OFF-SEASON FOR SUPERCROSS, I FELT LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER AT MY FIRST RACE IN INDIANAPOLIS.”
CUDBY
“
025
ARENACROSS.COM
026
TRACK
WALK
HOW SUPERSTAR ZACH AMES BREAKS DOWN THE BATTLEGROUND
Holding a race inside an arena promises plenty of amenities for fans, but the riders’ entire weekend is focused only on the floor space down below. The rest of the building? They probably don’t even see it! Here’s Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki rider Zach Ames’ view of an AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross track.
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
027
THE START The key for a short start is getting a good practice lap time and a top-three gate pick for your heat race. Gate pick is always important, but with a short start, it’s even more so. If you’re not in the top three on the inside, you’re going to get pushed out in the first turn. Now we have the inverted start with the briefcases, so even if you have a good first race, you might end up with an outside gate pick—or even start in the back row—for the second race. Sometimes we’d rather start on the back row than one of the two outside spots on the front row. This way you can follow a guy to the inside and still be top-five, instead of being outside and having to wait for everyone inside of you to clear the corner. In Arenacross, if your starts aren’t very good, you’re in for a long night. We do a lot of testing and bike work for starts and a lot of practice with body positioning and technique.
BOWL TURN For the 180-degree bowl turn, you try to get a better run in the section before it, then get next to the guy and not get off the gas as soon as he does. You can beat him to the corner—not necessarily slam the guy, but just get a handlebar in front of him so he has to shut off. You can still use the berm to jump into the next rhythm section, but you can really slow the guy behind you down and mess him up so he can’t jump the same rhythm. With Arenacross tracks being so small, being out front and having clean air is huge. If you’re battling two or three guys into one corner, someone is going to miss a rhythm section and you’re going to lose time—you’ll have to work that much harder to make it up.
FINISH LINE JUMP The finish-line jump is huge. You can’t see the landing—it just looks like it’s going to shoot you to the moon! Whether you get through the corner good or not, it’s just second gear and hope you make it to the other side. If you’re battling someone and a block pass goes bad, you might not be able to hit the jump, and the guy behind will jump it and get right back around you. You basically wasted a pass.
ARENACROSS.COM
028
RHYTHM LANE The basic rhythm would be triple-triple or doubledouble-double. When you come into the rhythm section, the face of the first jump is pretty steep, kind of like the finish-line jump. You’ve got to seat bounce it hard to get over it. On some of the tracks, they’ll put a tabletop in there. You can triple onto the tabletop and jump off, or you can jump all the way over it and then double and single into the corner. Considering how small the track is, we have quite a few options. Ruts are a pretty big factor in some of the states we go to, depending on the dirt. Sometimes we’re dragging handlebars in every turn and dragging pegs on the jumps. It gets crazy sometimes!
WHOOPS
RUD
Whoops are probably my favorite part of the track. They’re huge, sometimes even bigger than supercross whoops. People get down there on the track and see them up close and they’re surprised we can skim across them. I feel like I’m one of the best in the whoop sections, and if I don’t get a good start, I can use the whoop section to maneuver around people. I’m glad they build the whoops big—it’s pretty fun.
SWEEPER Sometimes we’ll have the finish-line jump right before the sweeper, and the downside of that jump is really steep, so you’ll have a lot of momentum coming into the corner. Usually, the start gates are in this corner, so you can’t build a berm. You’ve got to get on the binders, get straight, and try to be smooth. If you blow this corner, someone is going to get inside of you and put you into the wall. It’s a really fun game to play. With Arenacross, you have to be perfect. If you mess up one section, it will mess you up for the next three sections. It’s a chess game, and the best players will be up front!
ARENACROSS.COM
032
THE
CONTENDERS NAMES OLD AND NEW MAKE FOR FANTASTIC SHOWDOWNS EVERY NIGHT
Motorcycle racing is now a game of specialists. In the early days, a motorcycle was a motorcycle, and it was up to the end user to adapt a bike designed for the street into one that could be raced on a track or on the dirt. The market continued to focus, however, until each form of two-wheeled racing in the U.S. featured its own unique riders and machines. AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmi-
more needs to be said of the
chael’s Road To Supercross is no different,
Kentucky-born, California-based
as the best riders in the game have grown
Tyler Bowers than “three-time and
up learning the craft of indoor racing. It might
defending AMSOIL Arenacross
look similar to other forms of dirt bike racing,
Champion.” However, Bowers’
like Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World
success is more multi-layered
Championship, but the strategy and skills
than that, as a wide variety of
needed to win in the arenas is much different.
skills have allowed him to reach
“It’s so different, and we have guys that have it figured out—guys like Zach
the top. It starts with race craft and
Ames, Nathan Skaggs,” AMSOIL Aren-
strategy, and that comes from
across Champion Tyler Bowers explains.
experience. As a youth, Bowers
“It’s almost more of a chess game than a
was one of the nation’s outstand-
race, and supercross guys wouldn’t know
ing amateurs, but he spent a lot
that coming in.”
of time racing local indoor circuits
Who are today’s specialists in the are-
instead of traditional outdoor
nas? What does it take to win? A study of
motocross. From that, he learned
the top names reveals all.
how to make things happen in tight confines. Arenacross is about more than getting holeshots
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
and checking out, and Bowers, one of the bigger, heavier rid-
If you’re looking for the blueprint to win
ers on the circuit, knows starts
in this sport, start at the top. Not much
may not always play to his favor
PHOTOS BY JOSH RUD
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
033
(especially with today’s inverted gate-pick
Arenacross a perfect match for his skills.
format). He’s a master at making the most
Smith will forever hold a place in history as
from the least, turning bad starts into good
the first rider to win an AMA National Moto-
track position within a few corners.
cross event on a KTM motorcycle, and he
Bowers uses his size and strength to,
could pull a holeshot on anyone, on any
He’ll line up his Kawasaki on the inside and
type of track.
bang others around, and sometimes the
When Smith began chasing the
pins will drop, the track will open up, and
Arenacross title, he brought that starting
he’ll find himself near the front. Also, he’s
skill with him. And, of course, those come
cognizant that battling one rider early can
in very handy in short races. In addition,
leave the door open for a third competitor
Smith’s experience racing the best in
to stick in a wheel. Often, Tyler will bide his
the world means he’s not intimidated by
time early to try to pull a gap on the riders
anyone, and he can slice and dice and
behind him. Then, when he has more room,
make passes if the need arises. Because
he’ll attack the leader.
he’s locked up so far north in the winter, the
Of course, strategy is nothing without
chase a little behind, but by midseason he’s
style ensures blistering lap times. His size
almost always a contender. Adapting his
allows him to manhandle the bike through
game to the competition around him is one
the whoops, one of the key sections where
of Kelly’s greatest strengths.
(Opposite): You’d think the best rider is the best
really breaks down and the race turns into
starter, but Tyler Bowers
a block-passing slam-fest, Bowers has no
how to pass. (Clockwise above) Kelly Smith (5) brought his
trouble dishing out some aggression. There’s more than one way to win at
Willy Browning is a main-
Another Ohio-based master of the indoor wars, Zach Ames has always had a
of least resistance the most effective trail to
penchant for the arenas. Along with other
the front.
Buckeye threats like Nathan Skaggs, there’s a chance on any given night that a
supercross to the arenas; to run with anyone; Ohio’s
BORN INTO IT
this game, though, and others find the path
holeshot prowess from Zach Ames has the speed
Michigander often starts the championship
speed, and Bowers’ picture-perfect riding
a rider can make up time. And if the game
won three titles by learning
built his reputation around great starts—he
as he calls it, “go bowling” in the first turn.
new rider is about to take a win.
THE ADAPTERS
Ames and Tyler Bowers form a 1-2 punch for the mighty Babbitt’s/Monster
Kelly Smith first made a name for himself
Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki team. In fact,
stay among the elite of the
in Monster Energy Supercross and outdoor
this duo goes even further back than their
AMSOIL Arenacross pack.
motocross but has recently found AMSOIL
current run in the same team truck. They
ARENACROSS.COM
034
(Left) Mike McDade (16) is the newest Arenacross star, taking experience from an Arenacross Lites title and a mastery of the new format to get wins in 2013. He’s now expected to be a frontrunner every week.
his name. Cook’s foray into the premier class in 2013 was thwarted by injuries, but expect him to visit the podium in 2014. The Oklahoma area covers the veteran angle, too, with Cory Green. Known as “The Booty Shaker” for his podium dances, Green is a fun personality but also knows how to get the job done when the gate drops.
“
McDADE IS AGGRESSIVE AND FAST, AND IN A FIFTEEN-LAP SPRINT, HE CAN TURN THOSE TRAITS INTO VICTORIES.”
grew up racing together, became friends,
these seasons holding the AMSOIL Arenacross #1 plate. There are lots of other Ohio contenders
THE NEW GUYS
as well, like Skaggs, who has starts and
Bowers, Ames, Skaggs, and Smith are
sprint speed to match up with anyone—and
well-established front-runners in this sport,
Nathan has a few AMSOIL Arenacross wins
each with multiple main-event wins. But
to show for it. Gavin Gracyk was once a
Mike McDade became the new face at the
top American amateur prospect and has
front in 2013, capitalizing on the momen-
spent the last few summers chasing points
tum of an Arenacross Lites Championship
in the Canadian motocross nationals. He
to tackle the world’s top riders.
joins Smith on the powerful Team Faith/Fly
McDade grew up racing in the Pitts-
Racing KTM team and has the experience
burgh area, earning a reputation for his
to win races. “Wild” Willy Browning is an-
incredible style and speed marred by
other Ohio threat who’s always in the mix. It
inconsistency. It’s taken a while for McDade
seems like Ohio just keeps growing stars!
to round out his game, but AMSOIL Aren-
and even embarked on their first profes-
across, especially in its new format, has be-
sional racing seasons in a partnership.
come the perfect fit. McDade is aggressive
Today, they ride and train together almost daily in California. As tight as they can be
THE OK BOYS
and fast, and in a fifteen-lap sprint, he can turn those traits into victories. He did so
AMSOIL Arenacross serves as the per-
plenty of times in 2013, proving he belongs
fect training ground for Monster Energy
at the sharp end of the field. Now that he’s
contenders, Ames is a lighting-quick
Supercross, so many young riders are here
established himself, he’ll only get stronger.
starter, and he’s also a master at making
banging bars every weekend, learning the
quick, early passes in traffic. His speed is
craft of professional racing in a high-pres-
hoping to duplicate. North Carolina’s Jacob
always impressive, but on some nights he
sure environment. The powerful Babbitt’s
Hayes, a former top amateur prospect,
seems to go to an even higher level—one
Kawasaki team not only houses superstars
suffered through an injury-plagued run last
few, if any, riders can keep up with.
in Bowers and Ames, but also a pro rookie in
year in Monster Energy Supercross. He’ll
Consistency used to be a bit of an
Oklahoma’s Colt Nichols. A frequent training
turn to AMSOIL Arenacross this year to
issue for Ames, but he stepped up his
partner of Monster Energy Supercross stars
rebuild himself and learn the professional
game quite a bit last season racing for
Trey Canard and Justin Bogle, Nichols hopes
trade. On the other end of the spectrum
Babbitt’s. Weekly, Ames was there to
to learn the ropes and make his name in the
comes veteran Dave Ginolfi, a likable New
challenge his teammate and friend for
arenas before heading to stadiums.
Jersey native who has long been a con-
on the track, they’re even closer off of it. Like most top AMSOIL Arenacross
the title, and in the anything-goes Race
Nichols also rides and trains with fellow
McDade’s leap is one many others are
tender in the arenas. In a set of races that
to the Championship format, it wouldn’t
Oklahoma rider Chad Cook, who has a
change so quickly, you never know where
shock anyone if Ames ends one of
pair of AMSOIL Arenacross Lites titles to
the next winner is going to come from.
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SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
037
MEET THE
COMPETITORS THE TEAMS AND RACERS OF AMSOIL ARENACROSS
AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross requires a multitude of dedicated people to function properly, but none of it would be possible, of course, without the teams and athletes.
RIDER NUMBERS
PHOTOS BY JOSH RUD
1
Tyler Bowers
3
Zach Ames
4
Mike McDade
5
Kelly Smith
6
Willy Browning
8
Nathan Skaggs
9
Dave Ginolfi
10
Gared Steinke
11
Kyle White
12
Steven Mages
13
Michael Willard
15
Robby Marshall
16
Michael Lang
17
Maxx Malatia
18
Steve Roman
20
Chad Cook
ARENACROSS.COM
038
TEAM BABBITT’S/
MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL KAWASAKI
www.teambabbits.com
H
aving won the last three Arenacross Class Championships with superstar
THE SPONSORS
Tyler Bowers, and still under the guidance of veteran manager Denny Bartz, Babbitt’s Kawasaki is without a doubt
the most powerful team in AMSOIL Arenacross. And with Bowers rejoining the team this year in search of a fourth consecutive title, the Muskegon, Michigan-based team has no intention of showing the competition mercy in 2014. Also competing for the team are Zach Ames, who logged strong results to finish third overall in the AX Class last year, and Colt Nichols. With an experienced staff and three very talented riders, Babbitt’s Kawasaki is in it to win it once again.
• Team Babbitt’s • Monster Energy • AMSOIL • Kawasaki • Pro Circuit • Moose • Vortex • Wiseco • Shoei • Spy
• Cycra • D.I.D. • Dubya Wheels • Fusion Graphics • KG Clutches • Hinson • Motion Pro • Works Connection • Matrix
SOUVENIR YEARBOOK
039
THE RIDERS
ZACH AMES
COLT NICHOLS
MONSTER ENERGY
TYLER BOWERS
ARENACROSS.COM
040
TEAM FAITH/FLY RACING KTM
www.teamfaith.com
E
ntering its fourteenth season of competition, Team Faith is another of AMSOIL Arenacross’ powerhouse teams. Recipient of the prestigious 2013 Team of the Year Award, it finished second overall in
THE RIDERS KELLY SMITH
GAVIN GRACYK
the AX Class by a mere three points. And with Brian O’Rourke returning as manager and veteran racers Kelly Smith (who won a race and finished fifth overall in 2013) and Gavin Gracyk piloting the bikes, the Nashville, Tennessee-based team is poised to fight hard for a championship yet again in 2014. Team Faith has a clear passion for racing and winning, but unlike other teams, its primary goal isn’t success on the racetrack; it’s representing Jesus Christ and his message to everyone at the races.
THE SPONSORS • Team Faith • Fly Racing • Western Power Sports • Pilot Flying J • Pirelli Tires • KTM • KTM Factory Services
• WP Suspension • RAD MFG • DZ Graphics • Silkolene Lubricants • Sunstar Sprockets and Chains • Shorai Batteries
• Liquid Performance • K&N Filters • Cycra Plastic • FMF Racing • Renegade Racing Fuels • JetLift • Dragon Optics
• Tubliss • Jet Dynamics • EBC Brakes • Guts Racing
Winning teams need winning techs.
BRIAN KRANZ GEICO Honda Eli Tomac’s Tech 2003 MMI Grad
Where will MMI training take you? For Brian Kranz, MMI training led him to become a top tech in Supercross. MMI students learn hands-on from certified instructors on today’s hottest brands, gaining the professional skills that set them apart from the competition. Check out Brian’s story on Facebook then get started on your own.
SEE THE MMI TOP TECHS OF SUPERCROSS AT
/MMImotorcycle
MMI IS THE OFFICIAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF
CALL 800-314-9887 MMITech.edu MSC 600/6067
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, visit our website at www.uti.edu/disclosure.
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MOTOSPORT.COM/SPINECHILLERS RACING www.spinechillersracing.com
W
ith a pair of Arenacross Lites titles to its credit, Ohio-based Spinechillers
Racing is no stranger to winning in AMSOIL Arenacross, and this year, with team manager Dallas Avery at the helm, it will be looking to add more championships to its already impressive list of achievements. Competing for the team will be Nathan Skaggs, Tanner Sisson, Willy Browning (who won an Arenacross Class race in 2013), and 2012 Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Champion Mike McDade, who finished fourth overall in the Arenacross Class with six wins.
THE RIDERS MIKE MCDADE
WILLY BROWNING
NATHAN SKAGGS
TANNER SISSON
THE SPONSORS • MJM Express • Verdegaal Brothers • Race Tech • Dunlop • Williams MotoWerx • One Industries • DZ Graphics
• Nuetech • Works Connection • Yoshimura • Vertex • Rekluse • Hot Cams • Mika Metals
• Cycra • Guts Racing • Ride E • Excel • Pivot Works • Cylinder Works • Cometic
• Bell • PnR Communications • ODI Grips • Engine Ice • Complete Motorsport Graphics
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TEAM BWRENGINES.COM
www.bwrengines.com
THE RIDERS
M
MAXX MALATIA
KYLE WHITE
MALACHI MESSENGER
LOGAN SKAGGS
anaged by Brian White and based out of Orangeville, Illinois, Team BWREngines.com formed in 2010 as a way for riders to split travel costs. Since then, its has
progressed at a remarkable pace, receiving the 2012 Team of the Year Award. Last season they dominated the Western Regional Arenacross Lites division, winning the championship with Maxx Malatia and taking the runner-up spot with Kyle White. Clearly, “up-and-coming” no longer accurately describes this team; they’ve arrived and are in the thick of it. Goals for 2014 include putting two riders in the top ten by the end of the year and at least one rider in the top five in both the Eastern and Western Arenacross Lites divisions.
“
‘UP-ANDCOMING’ NO LONGER ACCURATELY DESCRIBES THIS TEAM; THEY’VE ARRIVED AND ARE IN THE THICK OF IT.”
THE SPONSORS • BWREngines.com • FHK • SSI Decals • Fly Racing • Ride Engineering
• Tubliss • Hinson • Yoshimura • EVS • RK Excel America
• Void Clothing • Ki Tracks • Works Connection • Renthal • Leatt
BRANDON MARLEY
BUILDING CHAMPIONS TOOLS
T-HANDLES
The original thin wall deep well socket T-handles. Limited life time warranty.
CABLES
T3 SLIDELIGHT
The ultimate connection between rider and machine.
CONTROLS
THE REINING ARENACROSS CHAMPION
TYLER BOWERS
TITAN THROTTLE TUBE
Designed for the rigorous demands of motocross.
TEAM BABBITT’S/MONSTER ENERGY/AMSOIL/KAWASAKI
ENGINEERED
FOR YOU MOTION PRO, INC I 867 AMERICAN STREET I SAN CARLOS, CA 94070 TEL: 650-594-9600 I FAX: 650-594-9610 I WWW.MOTIONPRO.COM I ©2013 MOTION PRO, INC.
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TEAM DIRTBIKEMIKE
www.dirtbikemike.com
THE RIDERS DAVEY STERRITT
BRANDON GLENN
JEREMY PRONOVOST
FERRITER
BRIAN ALQUIST
T
eam DirtBikeMike has a unique approach to AMSOIL Arenacross competition. Instead of seeking out riders with wins and championships to their credit, team manager Mike Lambert says the team’s
mission is to support unknown riders by giving them the opportunity to compete at the professional level. The team’s five riders are competing in both classes, although the squad’s focus is on the Arenacross Lites class. “All five riders have Arenacross experience— they just need to ride smart, make every Lites main, and be at every round,” Lambert says. “If their qualifying times put them on the front row in the heats and they can master the whoops, we’ll have some good results.”
“
PATRICK DELOWERY
THE TEAM’S MISSION IS TO SUPPORT UNKNOWN RIDERS BY GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.”
THE SPONSORS • KTM Sportscenter of Little Rock • Wheel Works Plus • FMF • Silkolene
• Ankle Savers • Rekluse • Dunlop • K&N • Southern Tag & Label
• Pro Signs & Graphics • Fly Racing • Works Connection • 100% • Renthal
• Braking • Acerbis • Motion Pro • GoPro • Mayflower Ink
• DirtBikeMike MX Schools • Lost Creek MX Park
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TOM ZONT RACING/WOODSTOCK KTM
www.tomzontracing.com / www.woodstock-ktm.com THE RIDERS
E
ntering its first season as an multi-rider team, Illinois-based TZR/Woodstock KTM is one of the largest teams in the pits, supporting Scott Zont, Travis Sewell, Josh Osby, Josh Struebig, and
Erik Utech. While Sewell and Zont are no strangers to racing (Zont finished third overall in the 2013 Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites division), AMSOIL Arenacross is relatively new for the rest of the team’s riders. Sewell will represent the team’s Arenacross Class effort, while Zont will headline the team’s championship foray in the Lites division.
TRAVIS SEWELL
SCOTT ZONT
JOSH OSBY
JOSH STRUEBIG
“
WHILE SEWELL AND ZONT ARE NO STRANGERS TO RACING, AMSOIL ARENACROSS IS RELATIVELY NEW FOR THE REST OF THE TEAM’S RIDERS.”
THE SPONSORS • TZR • Woodstock KTM • Fly Racing • DeCal Works
• Club 57 • Lucas Oil • Ryno Power • Gaerne
• 100% • Novik • Williams MotoWerx
ERIK UTECH
MORE RACERS DEPEND ON THAN ALL OTHER BRANDS COMBINED.
Oversize Wave® rotors: Available in four different styles to fit any riders needs from Supercross and motocross to the Baja 1000. Each kit comes complete with a light weight billet aluminum, CNC machined mounting bracket. Superlight Series: T-Sunami Superlight oversize kit • Wave® Superlight oversize kit Original Series: T-Sunami oversize kit • Wave® oversize kit
Rear Wave® rotors Galfer solid mount and laser cut, rear Wave® rotors offer increased performance when compared to stock or any competitors stamped brake rotor.
Brake pads Brake pads are offered in Ceramic HH or Semi Metallic compounds to fit any riding condition. Pads offer reduced fade and long life with amazing feel and performance.
Stainless steel brake lines Galfer offers front and rear stainless steel brake line kits for most models. Get rid of that spongy feeling stock line. Stainless brake line kits have a lifetime warranty.
QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE Proudly distributed by:
/GalferUSA
Phone: 805 988.2900 Fax: 805 988.2948 Web: www.galferusa.com
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KMS/MANDINGO PICKLES/CERNIC’S DAVE GINOLFI
THE SPONSORS
CUDBY
A
fter the team’s debut AMSOIL Arena-cross season saw rider Dave Ginolfi make the Race to the Championship, the Knorr Motorsports/Mandingo Pickles crew is back again and looking to improve upon their solid ninth overall in 2013. In order to prepare for 2014, Ginolfi spent the off-season racing in a Canadian arena series (which he won) and training at the famed Georgia Practice Facility. He’s confident that the work he’s put in will help take him, and his team, to the next level this season.
• KMS • Mandingo Pickles • Cernic’s • Scott • FMF • AirMX Suspension • KB5 Industries • Twin Air • Pro Taper • Shift
• Fox • KSR Wheels • Dunlop • EVS • Black Heart Graphics • ZTR • Jim Knorr • Big Nasty
MOTOSPORT HILLSBORO TEAM DIRTY CANDY
O
ne of the ten elite riders to earn a spot to compete for last season’s prestigious AMSOIL Arenacross Race to the Championship, this team’s sole rider, Gared Steinke, finished the season tenth. This year, the Northern California native plans to return to the championship rounds and hopes to be in the hunt for a title at the end of the season.
GARED STEINKE
THE SPONSORS • Motosport Hillsboro • Team Dirt Candy • Luevanos Racing • Fly Racing • Scott • Lauerman MX • Airemx • No-Toil • Ankle Savers • Garner Motosports
COOK RACING CHAD COOK
THE SPONSORS
CUDBY
A
fter making his premier-class debut in 2013, AMSOIL Arenacross’ 2011 and 2012 Western Regional AX Lites Champion, Chad Cook, looks to continue his chase for a championship in the AX Class in 2014. Cook’s father, Craig, serves as manager for the Oklahoma City-based team, with Thad Merz spinning wrenches and keeping Cook’s bikes in race shape. With a pair of championships to the talented trio’s credit, it won’t be surprising to see them meet their goal of being in the hunt at the end of the season.
• Shawnee Honda • Fly Racing • Scott • Factory Connection • Silkolene Oils • Dunlop • Turfs Up Seats • Yoshimura • DT1 Filters • Dirt Candy Graphics
• Mika • Works Connection • Cycra • Hinson
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OPENING
DOORS
THE AMSOIL AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
AMSOIL Arenacross features racing like no other series, with
The ANAC takes place on May 2 and 4, 2014, and pits the nation’s
amateurs riding the same tracks as the pros at every stop.
best amateur Arenacross riders against each other, with each class
The biggest race, though, is the AMSOIL AMA Amateur Na-
champion scoring an AMA national championship and #1 plate—and
tional Arenacross Championships held at South Point Hotel
serious bragging rights. The next time AMSOIL Arenacross visits your
and Casino in Las Vegas at the conclusion of the season.
town, consider racing on amateur day. Along with racing the track,
The top-five finishers in each class from each of the nation’s
you’ll also get to meet stars like Ricky Carmichael, Tyler Bowers, and
four amateur qualifying regions get invited to the big show
many other elite AMSOIL Arenacross riders. You never know—you
every year.
might see your photo on these pages in years to come.
SUPERMINI 9-15 1. JUSTIN COOPER
YAM
2. Hunter Budd
KAW
3. Dustin Kennedy
SUZ
4. Caden Florence
KTM
5. Conner Richardson
KAW
PHOTOS BY RICK VIERKANDT
PIT BIKE 1. CODY SPENCER
KAW
2. Brandon Dooley
KAW
3. Gene Einspahr
KAW
4. Joshua Sheffer
OTH
5. Josh Sopko
YAM
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50cc 4-8 1. COLE BADER
COB
2. Ty Freehill
COB
3. Tucker Nelson
KTM
4. Reed Cooper
OTH
5. Gavin George
COB
EXPERT 1. CHEYENNE HARMON
HON
2. Patrick Delowery
HON
3. Billy Carpenter
HON
4. Brian Burns
HON
5. Colt Keeling
KAW
SUPERMINI JUNIOR 9-15 1. JUSTIN COOPER
YAM
2. Hunter Budd
KAW
3. Wesley Banks
SUZ
4. Caden Florence
KAW
5. Broc Hart
KAW
PRO SPORT
AX LITES INTERMEDIATE 1. JACOB KENNEDY
SUZ
2. Kyler West
HON
3. Caton Hill
KAW
4. Dylan Rouse
HON
5. Justin Hernandez
HON
1. CHEYENNE HARMON
HON
2. Brian Burns
HON
3. Patrick Delowery
HON
4. Colt Keeling
KAW
5. Cody Church
KAW
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65cc 7-9 1. REED COOPER
OTH
2. Henry Wright
KTM
3. Chandler Jones
COB
4. Blayze Broughman
KTM
5. Hunter Morris
KTM
AX LITES NOVICE 1. ZACH THINGER
KAW
2. Travis Partch
HON
3. Colton Taylor
HON
4. Cade Thronebury
KAW
5. Dillon Vaughn
YAM
OVER 35 1. MATT CLEVELAND
SUZ
2. Steve Thinger
KAW
3. Jamas Stiber
KAW
4. William Guthrie
HON
5. Jeremiah Degraff
KAW
GIRLS 7-13
50cc 4-6 1. DANE MORALES
COB
2. Ryder Cooper
COB
3. Nicholas Stefancik
KTM
4. Nate Freehill
COB
5. AJ Wright
COB
1. KAYCE HOLMGREN
KAW
2. Lily Pauley
KAW
3. Alanna Joplin
YAM
4. Makayla Ritchie
KTM
5. Taryn Valdez
KAW
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SUPERMINI SENIOR 13-16 1. JUSTIN COOPER
YAM
2. Chase Evans
YAM
3. Hunter Budd
KAW
4. Jacob Lancaster
KAW
5. Conner Richardson
OTH
AX INTERMEDIATE 1. JACOB WILLIAMSON
YAM
2. Trevor Conover
KAW
3. Dylan Rouse
HON
4. Justin Hernandez
HON
5. Jacob Banta
YAM
BEGINNER 1. BRIDGER SEAY
KTM
2. Wesley Messick II
HON
3. David Wilcox
KAW
4. Chantz Syddall
KAW
5. Adam Carr
KAW
SCHOOLBOY JUNIOR 12-16
85cc 7-11 1. ZACH EASTER
KTM
2. Kaleb Carman
KTM
3. Tanner Whipple
KAW
4. Alex Dodd
KAW
5. Tracey Hill
OTH
1. JUSTIN COOPER
YAM
2. Hunter Braun
YAM
3. Dillon Cloyed
YAM
4. Jonah Locks
KAW
5. Chase Evans
YAM
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AX NOVICE 1. ZACH THINGER
KAW
2. Colton Taylor
HON
3. Travis Partch
HON
4. Donathan Gregory
KAW
5. Dillon Vaughn
YAM
50cc 7-8 1. REED COOPER
COB
2. Ty Freehill
COB
3. Mitchell Zaremba
KTM
4. Cole Bader
COB
5. Preston Masciangelo
KTM
OVER 30 1. MATT CLEVELAND
SUZ
2. Steve Thinger
KAW
3. William Guthrie
HON
4. Nicholas Sigafoos
KTM
5. Jason Skudrna
KAW
85cc 12-15
COLLEGEBOY 16-24 1. TREVOR CONOVER
KAW
2. Deven Sorensen
HON
3. Sheldon Root
KAW
4. Donathan Gregory
KAW
5. Dylan Rouse
HON
1. HUNTER BUDD
KAW
2. Caden Florence
KAW
3. Jacob Lancaster
KAW
4. Justin Allen
YAM
5. Wesley Banks
SUZ
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OVER 25 1. CHARLIE BUFFUM
KAW
2. Steve Thinger
KAW
3. Mark Brader
KAW
4. Joseph Smutny
HON
5. Jay Wetzel
KAW
65cc 10-11 1. KALEB CARMAN
KTM
2. Tanner Whipple
KAW
3. Chase Osborn
KTM
4. Conner Burger
KTM
5. Ronny Paeper
KAW
WOMEN 1. AMANDA BROWN
HON
2. Alyssa Haling
HON
3. Kacey Bell
HON
4. Abby Davignon
SUZ
5. Brittanie Daigle
KAW
SCHOOLBOY SENIOR 13-16
OVER 40 1. STEVE THINGER
KAW
2. Billy Morehead
KAW
3. Larry Bank
HON
1. JACOB WILLIAMSON
YAM
2. Caton Hill
KAW
3. Zach Thinger
KAW
4. Justin Hernandez
HON
5. Jake Mckinney
HON
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FUTURE
STARS
THE DEEP TALENT POOL OF AMATEUR RACING IN AMSOIL ARENACROSS
AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross has become a staple in American racing. Whether it’s Tyler Bowers chasing another championship or a wide-eyed youngster debuting in the tight Arenacross confines, no form of racing allows kids so young to share the spotlight with their heroes.
PHOTOS BY JOSH RUD
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059
(Opposite) Getting a good start in Arenacross—like Caleb Carmen (201) is here—can make or break any rider’s night. (Clockwise) Ashton Hayes enjoys a moment on the podium in front of thousands of fans; these kids will never forget standing next to the Monster Energy girls after winning an AMSOIL Arenacross race; nervousness, excitement, and anticipation all collide when the gate drops; whoops are built to be difficult for the pro riders—just imagine what they must be like for the Super-Minis!
With the Arenacross.com 50cc riders (aged 4-8) and the AMSOIL Dominator Super-Mini class (aged 9-15), kids across America get the chance to race in front of thousands of fans every weekend. “Having these young competitors is very important to what we are trying to accomplish,” AMSOIL Arenacross Director of Operations Mike Muye says. “Now, young riders can race from age 4 all the way through the ranks and eventually become the next star of Monster Energy Supercross, thanks to Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross.” Many of the 50cc racers will just be
“
MANY OF THESE RACERS WILL LOOK JUST LIKE THE PROS OUT THERE, AS THIS IS THE STEP BEFORE THE REAL DEAL.”
from 79cc to 112cc and four-strokes from 75cc to 150cc, it’s truly competition at the highest level these kids will see. SuperMini engine displacement rules allow the racers to push the envelope with their machines with some true works of engineering art. Many of these racers will look just like the pros out there, as this is the step before the real deal. This year they may be out there on a Super-Mini and next year they could be a part of the Road to Supercross program with their heroes. AMSOIL Arenacross offers something truly unique for both fans and athletes, and Muye expects even more participation for 2014: “I think we will see even
starting their days of Arenacross racing.
more talent on the track this year in the
What a great experience it must be to go back to school on Monday and
This race is easily one of the most
AMSOIL Dominator Super-Mini class as
tell their friends they were cheered on
popular of the night!
young riders attempt to get their feet wet
by such a huge crowd. These are the
In the AMSOIL Domintaor Super-Mini
and prepare themselves for the Road to
youngest riders you’ll find in this kind of
class, the intensity is turned up quite a bit.
Supercross program that lays ahead.”
environment, and most are still learning.
Some of the brightest young stars will be
As you watch these classes tonight,
Don’t let that fool you, though, as some
displaying their skills on highly modified
remember the names you see—they’re
of these kids are incredibly talented.
equipment. With the two-strokes ranging
tomorrow’s superstars!
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ARENACROSS
QUIZ
TEST YOUR AMSOIL ARENACROSS RACING KNOWLEDGE
1. TEAM BABBITT’S/MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI’S TYLER BOWERS: A. Is the reigning AX Class Champ B. Won the final race of the 2013 Eastern Regional 250SX Championship in Las Vegas C. Has three AMSOIL Arenacross Cham pionships to his credit D. All of the above
2. AN AMSOIL ARENACROSS MAIN EVENT IN 2014 IS: A. B. C. D.
12 Laps 25 Laps 15 Laps 18 Laps
3. THE FINISH-LINE JUMP, AND LARGEST JUMP ON THE ARENACROSS TRACK, IS OFFICIALLY CALLED: A. B. C. D.
The Booter The Catapult The Sky Shot The Leap of Faith
4. THE 2013 ARENACROSS CLASS TITLE WAS DECIDED: A. B. C. D.
By a panel of judges Two races before the end of the season Via disqualification In the final race of the year
5. HOW MANY RIDERS START ON THE FRONT ROW OF AN AMSOIL ARENACROSS RACE? A. B. C. D.
8 16 10 5
6. WHO IS KNOWN AS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (GOAT)?
A. B. C. D.
Josh Demuth Bob Hannah Buddy Antunez Ricky Carmichael
C. Maxx Malatia D. Kyle White
7. HOW MANY CITIES WILL HOST AMSOIL ARENACROSS IN 2014?
12. FIVE-TIME AMSOIL ARENACROSS CHAMP BUDDY ANTUNEZ HOLDS THE CURRENT ALL-TIME WINS RECORD, WITH A TOTAL OF:
A. B. C. D.
A. B. C. D.
8 10 12 15
8. WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE FINISH LINE FLASHES? A. B. C. D.
The leader is crossing The race is being red-flagged The race is ending Someone is being lapped
9. WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF THE NUMBER 16 IS SELECTED IN THE RANDOM DRAW BEFORE THE START OF THE SECOND AX MAIN EVENT? A. Riders will race for sixteen laps B. The gate pick for race two will be inverted, with first place getting last pick C. Riders will race for sixteen minutes D. The winner earns an additional six teen points
10. WHO IS THE 2013 EASTERN REGIONAL AX LITES CHAMPION? A. B. C. D.
Jacob Knable Michael Willard Scott Zont Steve Roman
11. WHO IS THE 2013 WESTERN REGIONAL AX LITES CHAMPION? A. Michael Lang B. Tanner Moore
97 88 111 99
13. LAST SEASON, REIGNING CHAMP TYLER BOWERS DID WHAT SHORTLY BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAMPION SHIP ROUNDS? A. Purchased a professional sports franchise B. Got engaged C. Broke the motorcycle land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah D. Broke his collarbone
14. HOW MANY POINTS DOES A RACER EARN FOR WINNING A RACE? A. B. C. D.
25 16 18 26
15. THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS BEGIN IN: A. B. C. D.
Tulsa, Oklahoma Worcester, Massachusetts Sacramento, California Reno, Nevada
To see how you did, turn to page 74 in Axtras for the answers. Good luck!
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TRACK
PARTY EVERYONE LOVES A PARTY
AMSOIL Arenacross Featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross is one of the very few sports that allow fans to literally experience it on the ground level. During the AMSOIL Arenacross Fueled by Monster Track Party, which takes place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every Saturday, fans are given the exclusive opportunity to set foot on the actual track the pros will race later that night. Want to get a feel for just how steep the jump faces are or just how deep the whoops are? Want to make your friends jealous by taking a selfie atop the massive finish-line jump? The track party is your chance. And the pre-race festivities aren’t limited to just walking the track—the stars of AMSOIL Arenacross will be on hand to mingle and sign autographs. It’s sure to make for a memorable night.
PHOTOS BY JOSH RUD
Getting into the party is easier than you think: Just bring an empty can of Monster Energy with you to the race and trade it for a pass at an onsite exchange center. Just like that, you’re in! If you forgot a can of Monster Energy, don’t worry—a pass can still be purchased for $5 on the day of the show. See you there!
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063
ARENACROSS.COM
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ARENACROSS
AXTRAS WES KAIN When you meet announcer Wes Kain oneon-one, he’ll introduce himself the same way he’ll introduce himself to the masses on hand tonight—by screaming “Hey, I’m Wes Kain!” very, very loudly. He is, indeed, Wes Kain, and it’s impossible to separate the persona from the person, as he is a living and fire-breathing character of the finest order. Wes doesn’t ever turn the volume down or the personality off. Luckily for us, Wes, an ex-military man, has deep roots in the sport, having coached his sons through the amateur ranks and into the pro world,
meeting and greeting many industry heavy hitters, and then parlaying that personality into announcing gigs at amateur and professional races around the world. He could do anything, but loves what he does here, pumping fans up first and then pumping them full of knowledge and information. On the side, Kain appears on the Vanilla Ice Project television show alongside his longtime friend (and fellow motocross enthusiast), Robbie “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle. Aside from that, he just likes to hang at his Florida home. He’s full of energy, full of fun, and full of the crazy ideas you’ll see in action tonight. The only time Wes Kain isn’t being Wes Kain is when he’s being Elvis.
RUD
BONUS INFORMATION OVERLOAD
The 2014 season of AMSOIL Arenacross travels all over the country, stopping in twelve different cities, and unless you’re traveling with the series, you probably won’t be able to make it to every single one. That doesn’t mean you have to miss any of the crazy starts, aggressive passes, or down-to-the-wire finishes. Beginning in 2014, Fox Sports 1, the nation’s newest 24-hour sports network, will air every round of AMSOIL Arenacross. Fox Sports 1 made its official debut in August of 2013 in over 90 million homes, making it the biggest sports network launch in history. At its new home on TV, AMSOIL Arenacross will be broadcast alongside other mainstream sports such as NASCAR, UFC, Major League Baseball, and more. It’s yet another step forward for a unstoppable sport that’s growing at an unprecedented pace. Check your local listings for air times.
RUD
AMSOIL ARENACROSS PARTNERS WITH FOX SPORTS 1
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068
AXTRAS ARENACROSS.COM If you want access to a constant flow of information on the 2014 AMSOIL Arenacross Season, you need to head over to the sport’s official home on the web, Arenacross.com. This is where you’ll find a gold mine of exclusive content, such as videos, interviews, news, photos, schedule, race results, and current point standings. Visitors to the site can also get ticket information, and purchase merchandise from an online store fully stocked with AMSOIL Arenacross gear for men, women, and kids of all ages. Fans can also follow the action live at Arenacross.com by checking out live timing and scoring during the races. Arenacross.com is optimized for mobile users, too, so whether you’re on a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, you’ll be able to stay up to date with the action.
PAST AMSOIL ARENACROSS CHAMPIONS 2013
Tyler Bowers
Kawasaki
1999
Buddy Antunez
Suzuki
2012
Tyler Bowers
Kawasaki
1998
Buddy Antunez
Suzuki
2011
Tyler Bowers
Kawasaki
1997
Buddy Antunez
Honda
2010
Josh Demuth
Kawasaki
1996
Jimmy Gaddis
Kawasaki
2009
Jeff Gibson
Honda
1995
Jimmy Gaddis
Kawasaki
2008
Chad Johnson
Honda
1994
Grayson Goodman
Honda
2007
Danny Smith
Honda
1993
Robbie Reynard
Kawasaki
2006
Chad Johnson
Yamaha
1992
Cliff Palmer
Suzuki
2005
Darcy Lange
Kawasaki
1991
Jason Langford
Yamaha
2004
Darcy Lange
Kawasaki
1990
Dennis Hawthorne
Kawasaki
2003
Josh Demuth
Yamaha
1989
Dennis Hawthorne
Kawasaki
2002
Josh Demuth
Yamaha
1988
Dennis Hawthorne
Kawasaki
2001
Buddy Antunez
Suzuki
1987
Dennis Hawthorne
Kawasaki
2000
Buddy Antunez
Suzuki
1986
Dennis Hawthorne
Kawasaki
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AXTRAS CROSS CLUB
INSIDE DIRT
Hooked on AMSOIL Arenacross featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross? You’re not alone! Cross Club membership takes fans a step further inside the exciting sport of AMSOIL Arenacross by granting them exclusive privileges, including advance ticket purchases, deep discounts, and more. The best part? Club membership benefits aren’t limited to AMSOIL Arenacross. Members also receive exclusive benefits for Nuclear Cowboyz and Monster Energy Supercross. On top of that, the accompanying newsletter also provides insider news, special discount offers, local promotions, discounts on merchandise, and plenty more. Head over to Arenacross.com and become a member today!
Between AMSOIL Arenacross featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross racing, the outrageous Nuclear Cowboyz Tour, and the action at Monster Energy Supercross, there’s a lot to keep track of. Good thing there’s Inside Dirt, the official email newsletter of all three! This is where you can find ticket information, merchandise discounts, rider information, and of course the latest news for AMSOIL Arenacross, Nuclear Cowboyz, Monster Energy Cup, and Monster Energy Supercross, all in one convenient location. Best of all, it’s free and is delivered to you via email every week. Be sure to head over to Arenacross.com and sign up for Inside Dirt, your best source of inside information on the planet’s most exciting sports and entertainment.
January 4-5
Lexington, KY
Rupp Arena
January 11-12
St. Louis, MO
Scottrade Center
January 18-19
Hartford, CT
XL Center
January 25-25
Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Arena
Providence, RI
Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Indianapolis, IN
Lucas Oil Stadium
February 15-16
Denver, CO
Pepsi Center
February 21-23
Tampa, FL
Tampa Bay Times Forum
March 1-2
East Rutherford, NJ
IZOD Center
March 8-9
Orlando, FL
Amway Center
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Arena
San Jose, CA
SAP Center
April 5-6
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Dome
April 12-13
Houston, TX
Reliant Stadium
April 26-27
Duluth, GA
The Arena at Gwinnett Center
January 31-Feb. 1 February 8
March 15 March 29-30
Dates and locations are subject to change
MILAN/MCG
2014 NUCLEAR COWBOYZ EVENT SCHEDULE
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072
AXTRAS 2014 MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS AN FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE January 4
Anaheim, CA
Angel Stadium
West
January 11
Phoenix, AZ
Chase Field
West
January 18
Anaheim, CA
Angel Stadium
West
January 25
Oakland, CA
O.Co Coliseum
West
February 1
Anaheim, CA
Angel Stadium
West
February 8
San Diego, CA
Qualcomm Stadium
West
February 15
Arlington, TX
AT&T Stadium
East
February 22
Atlanta, GA
Georgia Dome
East
March 1
Indianapolis, IN
Lucas Oil Stadium
East
March 8
Daytona, FL*
Daytona Speedway
East
March 15
Detroit, MI
Ford Field
East
March 22
Toronto, ON
Rogers Centre
East
March 29
St. Louis, MO
Edward Jones Dome
East
April 5
Houston, TX
Reliant Stadium
West
April 12
Seattle, WA
CenturyLink Field
West
April 26
East Rutherford, NJ
MetLife Stadium
East
Las Vegas, NV
Sam Boyd Stadium
East/West
May 3
CUDBY
CUDBY
*Not a Feld Motor Sports event
SCAN ME FOR MORE
INFORMATION
RK EXCEL AMERICA INC TEL 760.732.3161 INFO@RKEXCELAMERICA.COM WWW.RKEXCELAMERICA.COM
ARENACROSS.COM
074
AXTRAS 2014 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SPONSORS
AMSOIL
WWW.AMSOILRACING.COM
MONSTER ENERGY
WWW.MONSTERENERGY.COM
RACER X ILLUSTRATED WWW.RACERXONLINE.COM
DC SHOES
GOPRO
WWW.DCSHOES.COM
MOOSE RACING
PARTS UNLIMITED
WWW.UTI.EDU/MOTORCYCLE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV
WWW.PARTS-UNLIMITED.COM
THOR
WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINATVMC.COM
Whether it’s the television partnership with Fox Sports 1, the wealth of information at Arenacross.com, or in Inside Dirt, there are lots of ways to stay informed about what’s going on in AMSOIL Arenacross. But if you prefer to get your information through social media, don’t forget to Like us, Follow us, and share with us too! Get live updates, photos, videos, and race information at Facebook.com/AMAArenacross, watch videos from current and past races at YouTube.com/arenacrosslive, follow us on Twitter (@Arenacross or Twitter.com/Arenacross), and check out AMSOIL Arenacross photos with the world on Instagram. Don’t forget to include #AMSOILAX too!
WWW.KNFILTERS.COM
MMI
WWW.MOOSERACING.COM
SOCIAL MEDIA
K&N
WWW.GOPRO.COM
VP RACING FUELS
WWW.THORMX.COM
WWW.VPRACINGFUELS.COM
QUIZ ANSWERS (From Page 60) 1.
D
4.
D
7.
C
10.
B
13.
D
2.
C
5.
A
8.
A
11.
C
14.
B
3.
B
6.
D
9.
B
12.
C
15.
A
AD INDEX AMSOIL
2, 76
Monster Energy
75
Arenacross Merchandise
65
Monster Energy Cup
71
Dubya
67
Motion Pro
45
EBC Brakes
29
Motosport
43
Fly Racing
18
Pro Circuit
11
Fox Sports
15
Racer X Illustrated
30
Freestone
51
Rocky Mountain
35
Galfer
49
Supercross Finals
61
GoPro
5
Thor
6
K&N Engineering
36
Uni Filter
47
Marvel
64
VP Fuels
69
MMI
41