Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green Comes Out Swinging at the AMA Thor Spring Classic

2011-03-16 15:41
Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ kicked off the first amateur national event of the year at the AMA Thor Spring Classic at Mill Creek MX Park in Pell City, Ala., taking home 11 championships. The event’s debut at a new track in Alabama was well received by the whole team, although the weather threw curveballs throughout the week. The first couple days the team was inundated with torrential downpours, but the skies cleared up in time for the championship racing on Saturday. When the final race was complete, Kawasaki tied for the most championships at 11, including 18 additional podium finishes.
Full Speed Ahead
Adam Cianciarulo has gained a reputation for being one of today’s fastest amateur riders on the track. He came to the Spring Classic determined to live up to his reputation of getting the holeshot on almost every start, and he didn’t disappoint. He took home the championship in the Supermini 1 (12-15) class with an overall result of 1-1. Even with the adverse weather conditions changing the track dynamic by the hour, he battled his way to the top of the podium.

“In the Supermini class I did exactly what I wanted to do,” said Cianciarulo. “I got a good start and stretched the lead out. After that I just tried to ride smooth and not make any mistakes. It was a good ride for me. I’m happy I rode well and was able to finish out the week on top.”
Fastest Turtle in Town
Chase “Turtle” Bell’s nickname can be deceiving, because this turtle is fast. He is a seasoned racer who knows how to get out front from any position. Taking home two championships, he was Team Green’s most successful rider of the event. Bell earned championships in both the 85 (12-13) Stock and the 85 (12-13) Mod classes.

“It was a sketchy ride,” said Bell. “I got a bad start so I was trying to pass people as fast as I could. I found some good lines, rode consistent, and didn’t fall. I tried my hardest to get out front and passed the leader right at the finish line.”
Stacking the Wins
Earl May has been winning championships for the last couple of decades. A seasoned veteran of the sport he knows what it takes to get his KX™450F across the finish line first. He took home the 45+ championship at the Spring Classic, which brought him to 91 total career championships, edging him closer to his goal of 100 career championships.

“It went good,” said May. “I started off in second but got past the leader the first lap. I was able to ride smooth and not make any mistakes. The track was really good from all the rain we got a few a days ago, and the track team has worked on it a lot, so it’s about perfect right now. I’ve been riding for Team Green since 1995. They’ve been great helping me out all along the way with bikes, sponsors, and technical help. They really are second to none; I couldn’t imagine riding for anyone else.”
Veteran Warfare
Mike Treadwell is another seasoned racer who knows how to get on top of the podium. He took home the championship in the 40+ class, followed closely behind by May who would take second. The two veteran riders battled the elements, and the rest of the field, to claim podium spots in the veteran races.

“It was another good moto,” said Treadwell. “I started out in second, and there were three of us really battling for the lead. I got out front, tried to ride my own race and ride smooth. Earl and I have been doing this together for 25 years, and we’ve battled the whole time. We always keep it clean though. I’m confident he’s not going to cut over in the air and that’s what makes it fun.”
Lightning Strikes
Lance “Lightning” Kobusch lived up to his nickname at the Spring Classic. Already a master at grabbing the holeshot at age nine, he could frequently be seen out front leading a pack of what sounded like angry bees. His great starts and consistent riding netted him the 65 Modified (7-9) class championship and second place in the 65 Stock (7-9) class.
Road to Recovery
Zachary Bell came to the Spring Classic after being out of action last year. He returned with a vengeance winning the Schoolboy B/C Division 2 (13-16) moto and taking a close second in the 250 B Mod class championship. During the championship race for the Schoolboy B/C (13-16) class, he grabbed the holeshot and was out front when he got tangled with another rider in the air over a step-up. The resulting crash unfortunately took Bell out of the race with an injured leg and his return is still unknown.
Good To Be Green
Kawasaki’s riders nabbed a total of 11 championships over the course of the Thor Spring Classic, and came very close to scoring several more. Jacob Hayes scored moto wins on both his KX™450F and KX™250F. Many other racers were also very close to coming out with a championship, including Tanner Stack who went 1-2 in the 85 Stock (9-11) class, Thomas Covington who went 3-1 in the Schoolboy (13-16) class, and Nick Gaines who finished second and third in the Supermini (12-13) and Schoolboy B/C (12-16) classes, respectively. Clark Stiles, who is part of the Kawasaki dealer-assist program, took back-to-back wins in both the Vet 25+ and 35+ classes to take home two championships.

“The event was really challenging due to the weather issues,” said Team Green Supervisor Ryan Holliday. “Even though it was rainy and muddy in the beginning, the track dried up and turned out excellent. It was a rough, rutted, and really challenging track, which is good for competition. Each of our riders managed to win a moto or overall, so I think that shows that everybody rode well. Overall the event went pretty good, and the promoter did a good job, so we’re looking forward to coming back next year.”
Headed West
After scoring several championships at the AMA Thor Spring Classic, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green packed up and headed west for the GNC Nationals at Oak Hill Raceway in Decatur, Texas. In attendance at the GNC Nationals will be the rest of Team Green, looking to collectively dominate this national amateur event. With the Team Green riders ready to race, the expectations are high going into Texas.
Results
AMA Thor Spring Classic
Millcreek MX - Pell City, Ala.
March 7-13, 2011

Championships
Lance Kobusch- 65 (7-9) Modified
Chase Bell- 85 (12-13) Modified
Chase Bell- 85 (12-13) Stock
Adam Cianciarulo- SuperMini 1 (12-15)
Matt Griggs- 25+
Eric Elam- 30+ B/C
Clark Stiles- 35+
Clark Stiles- Vet 25+ Expert
Mike Treadwell- 40+
Earl May- 45+
Norman Hebert- 50+

Second-Place Finishes
Lance Kobusch- 65 (7-9) Stock
Tanner Stack- 85 (9-11) Stock
Nick Gaines- SuperMini 2 (13-16)
Thomas Covington- Schoolboy 2 (13-16) B/C
Jacob Hayes- 250 A
Jacob Hayes- 450 A Pro Sport
Jeffrey Lewis- Open Amateur
Blake Savage- Four Stroke Open
Mike Treadwell- 35+
Earl May- 40+

Third-Place Finishes
Mitchell Harrison- 85 (12-13) Stock
Nick Gaines- Schoolboy 1 (12-16) B/C
Jacob Hayes- 250 A Pro Sport
Zach Bell- 250 B Stock
Max Tannenbaum- Open Amateur
Paul McClellan- 40+ B/C
John Camelio Jr. – 45+

Source: KMC

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