AMSOIL Arenacross Kicks Off Festivities for Opening Round of Race to the Championship in Ontario, California

2016-04-03 08:27
The countdown to the AMSOIL Arenacross Race to the Championship has begun and on Thursday the racing community converged in Southern California to welcome the world's most intense racing to the heart of the motocross industry. To kick off the weekend festivities, members of the media joined the 10 riders who will do battle for the Ricky Carmichael Cup over the final five rounds for Press Day at Citizens Business Bank Arena, before making the short drive to Pole Position Raceway in Corona for a special pre-race party dubbed "#MoreIntense Go-Karting."

Broadcast Alert:
The opening round of AMSOIL Arenacross' Race to the Championship will air Monday, April 11,
at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12 Noon PT on FS1.


Travis Sewell and the other Race to the Championship competitors took to the track inside
Citizens Business Bank Arena.
Photo: ShiftOne Photography

The participants in the Race to the Championship were given an early look at the track inside Citizens Business Bank Arena on which they will go bar-to-bar on Friday and Saturday night. After conducting interviews with the media in attendance, championship leader Gavin Faith, his Team Babbitt's/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki teammates Jacob Hayes and Chris Blose, and the rest of their rivals took to the track to provide a sneak peek for the press.

While much of the attention heading into the Race to the Championship has centered on the collective success of Team Babbitt's, including three sweeps of the overall podium, there's intriguing storylines with the breakout season of TZR/Woodstock KTM's Travis Sewell and the return of a healthy reigning champion Kyle Regal, who missed multiple races earlier this season due to injury.


Kyle Regal is ready to defend his AMSOIL Arenacross title.
Photo: ShiftOne Photography

"I'm ready for the Race to the Championship to get underway. I feel better than I have all season and I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity to defend my title," said Regal, a Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory Racing presented by FMC and OTSFF rider. "Anything can happen in the Race to the Championship and if I focus on being consistent, I think I'll be in a position to win the title in Las Vegas."

As night fell on Southern California, AMSOIL Arenacross' biggest names joined Monster Energy Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael at Pole Position Raceway. Fans filled the indoor go-kart facility to race against the riders and get their autographs, as well as take photos with the Ricky Carmichael Cup. It provided a fun and loose atmosphere for the riders to turn some laps on four wheels and interact with the fans that will be cheering for them on Friday and Saturday night. In true AMSOIL Arenacross fashion, the riders' competitive spirit came out on the track and intense battles ensued.


Ricky Carmichael (#1) joined the stars of AMSOIL Arenacross for #MoreIntense Go-Karting
at Pole Position Raceway.
Photo: ShiftOne Photography

"It's great to have an opportunity to come out and have some fun doing something a little different. We get to hang out with all our fans and a really cool environment, racing with them and the other AMSOIL Arenacross riders," said Team Babbitt's Jacob Hayes. "We have two big nights of racing ahead of us, so it was good to wind down a little bit and just have fun."

"It's awesome to have AMSOIL Arenacross in Southern California. I've had a lot of great success racing here in supercross and the fans are some of the best, so it was fun to race some go karts with them and the riders," said Carmichael. "The Race to the Championship is going to be really exciting and I can't wait to see who makes the first statement in Ontario."


Carmichael and AMSOIL Arenacross riders hung out with the fans and raced against them.
Photo: ShiftOne Photography

The opening round of AMSOIL Arenacross' Race to the Championship from Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena will kick off at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.

Never miss out on the latest news! For more information on AMSOIL Arenacross, please log on to www.Arenacross.com. To follow AMSOIL Arenacross on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, long on to www.facebook/com/AMAarenacross, www.twitter.com/Arenacrossand www.instagram.com/Arenacross. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/ArenacrossLive.

About Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 75 countries and on six continents to date and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt, Disney Live! Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt and Marvel Universe LIVE! More information about Feld Entertainment is available online at www.feldentertainment.com.

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 Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, and AMSOIL Arenacross. Feld Motor Sports is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world's largest producer of live family entertainment. Official Monster Truck Series only at Monster Jam. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join

Source: Feld Motor Sports

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