Kelly Smith Becomes Third Different Winner of 2012 Season to Give Team Faith Friday-Night Sweep in Cedar Park
. By Bikeland Staff
The AMA Arenacross Series kicked off its eighth round of the season on Friday night with its debut from Cedar Park, Texas. The inaugural night of action from the Cedar Park Center resulted in the first win of the season for Team Faith KTM’s Kelly Smith, of Ludington, Mich., leading the way for a sweep for the veteran Team Faith squad. Earlier in the evening, Smith’s teammate Kevin Johnson, of Spring, Texas, grabbed his third win of the season in front of his hometown crowd.
Foremost Insurance/Spinechillers/Storm Lake Honda’s Nathan Skaggs, of Chillicothe, Ohio, took control of the early lead in the 25-lap Arenacross Class Main Event, with FMF Power/Poynt TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson, of Blacklick, Ohio, and Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers, of Danville, Ky., close behind. On Lap 2, Gibson made his way past Skaggs while Bowers was hit with misfortune and fell to the ground.
While Gibson looked to pull away and potentially gain considerable ground on his championship rival, Smith moved into second and set his sights on the lead. Bowers remounted in 14th place and instantly began to work his way through the field.
Three laps later, Smith’s pressure on Gibson was rewarded, as he made the winning pass. Gibson tried to keep pace, but couldn’t get the gap below a second. Meanwhile, Bowers set a torrid pace in his climb through the pack, working his way into podium position in the final handful of laps.
Smith pulled away to win by almost three seconds over Gibson, while Bowers battled up to third, losing only two points to Gibson in the championship standings.
In the 18-lap Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, Johnson had the opportunity to make the most of a tough night after bike issues forced him to miss qualifying for the Arenacross Class Main Event earlier in the evening.
Hansen Racing Kawasaki’s Nick Myers, of Collinsville, Texas, grabbed the holeshot and hoped to grab a big win in front of his hometown crowd. As the field reached the halfway point, Johnson made his move and began to pull away.
Myers helped make it a 1-2 finish for home state riders, while Reed & Reese KTM’s Dave Ginolfi, of Lake Hopatcong, N.J., rounded out the podium in third after a hard-fought battle with BWREngines.com Honda’s Kyle White, of Freeport, Ill.
The Cedar Park Arenacross continues tomorrow night, with a final evening of action from the Cedar Park Center. The action kicks off at 7 p.m. CT.
Arenacross Class Results (Cedar Park, Texas)
Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda
Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM
Brad Ripple, Cypress, Texas, Honda
Arenacross Lites Class Results (Cedar Park, Texas)
1. Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM
2. Nick Myers, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki
3. Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM
4. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
5. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
6. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM
7. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki
8. Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki
9. Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda
10. Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Honda
Arenacross Class Points (After Race 13 of 19)
Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series returns for the 2012 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.
For more information on the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, log on to www.Arenacross.com. For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.
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