Friday:
Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLUBE
Kawasaki’s Chad Johnson went into Friday night’s race needing a win if he had any hopes of catching teammate Josh Demuth, who went into Friday night’s race with a 22-point lead. Demuth quashed all competitors’ hopes by winning his sixth race of the
High-flying Chad Johnson needed the victory in Friday night's race in order to keep his championship hopes alive, but teammate Josh Demuth won the race and the title.
season, claiming the 2010 AMA Arenacross title for his efforts. The North Richland Hills, Texas rider, capitalized on a mistake by Tuf
Honda’s Heath Voss in the rhythm section to shoot into the lead and never looked back in securing his third overall AMA Arenacross title.
Voss grabbed the holeshot and looked like he might score the wire-to-wire victory until tipping over heading into the rhythm section. That was all the opportunity Demuth needed. Triple Effect Kawasaki’s Gray Davenport also blasted by Voss and did his best to track down Demuth. Davenport would end up crossing the line in second, while Voss recovered in time to grab the final podium position.
It just wasn’t Johnson’s night as the Kawasaki rider would cross the line in fourth place, handing the title to his friend and teammate Demuth.
Who knows what the outcome might have been if the other Babbitt teammate, Tyler Bowers, would have been able to race the final few rounds. But injuries are a part of the unpredictable world of racing.
Lites:
The AMA Arenacross Lites class also crowned a series champion as GPF/Babbit’s Kawasaki rookie A.J. Catanzaro rode away with the title after finishing second in Denver’s Lites race. Heading into the race with a 20-point lead, Catanzaro played it safe after U Motors Honda’s Tanner Reidman grabbed the holeshot and never looked back in securing his first-career Arenacross victory. Catanzaro wrapped up the title with a second-place finish, with Gnarbars/Colorado Powersports Honda’s Kyle Calderini grabbing the final spot on the podium.
Saturday:
For Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLUBE Kawasaki’s Chad Johnson, it was a case of a day late and a championship title short. Johnson won the final race of the 2010 AMA Arenacross Series to wrap up second place in the overall standings, but if he had won Friday night’s race, Johnson would still have had a chance of winning the title. Instead, his friend and teammate Josh Demuth was crowned the 2010 AMA Arenacross Series champion courtesy of his victory in Friday night’s race. Johnson still rode with great passion Saturday night to claim his third win of the season.
Team Babbitt made it a habit of hogging the podium this season and finished 1-2-3 in the final standings.
Saturday night’s race was a familiar scene. Tuf Honda’s Heath Voss once again grabbed the holeshot and led the early laps. Johnson kept applying the pressure and made a pass on Voss stick just before the halfway point to claim the checkered flag. Rider Jeff Gibson, the 2009 AMA Arenacross champion, wold also get past Voss to claim second place. Demuth grabbed the final podium spot for good measure, knocking Voss back to fourth place.
It was a 1-2-3 series sweep for the powerful Babbit’s Kawasaki team. Demuth won the title by 24 points, followed by teammates Johnson and Tyler Bowers.
Lites:
U Motors Honda’s Tanner Reidman made it two-for-two in Denver, capturing his second victory in successive nights. Reidman grabbed the holeshot and led all 18 laps to win the his second career Arenacross race. Gnarbars Honda’s Kyle Calderini rode hard to finish in second place, while JO Suspension Kawasaki’s Hunter Meyer grabbed the final podium position.
Arenacross Lites’ rookie A.J. Catanzaro had wrapped up his first career Arenacross title the night before, winning the title by 37 points over Cory Green.
AMA Arenacross Class Results (Denver, Colo.) – Night One
1. Josh Demuth, North Richland Hills, Texas, Kawasaki
2. Gray Davenport, Lehi, Utah, Kawasaki
3. Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda
4. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
5. Jeff Gibson, Thornville, Ohio, Honda
6. Dave Ginolfi, Hopatlong, N.J., Suzuki
7. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, Honda
8. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
9. Tanner Reidman, Bismarck, N.D., Honda
10. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Honda
AMA Arenacross Lites Class Results (Denver, Colo.) – Night One
1. Tanner Reidman, Bismarck, N.D., Honda
2. A.J. Catanzaro, Middlefield, Conn., Kawasaki
3. Kyle Calderini, Colorado Springs, Colo., Honda
4. Hunter Meyer, Black Forest, Colo., Kawasaki
5. Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM
6. Ricky Draper, Bellevue, Neb., Honda
7. Travis Smith, Lancaster, Calif., Yamaha
8. Rustin Meyer, Black Forest, Colo., Honda
9. Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Brandon Jones, Denair, Calif., Kawasaki
AMA Arenacross Class Results (Denver, Colo.) – Night Two
1. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
2. Jeff Gibson, Thornville, Ohio, Honda
3. Josh Demuth, North Richland Hills, Texas, Kawasaki
4. Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda
5. Gray Davenport, Lehi, Utah, Kawasaki
6. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda
7. Tyler Bright, Lexington, N.C., Yamaha
8. Dave Ginolfi, Hopatlong, N.J., Suzuki
9. Travis Bannister, Colorado Springs, Colo., Honda
10. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, Honda
AMA Arenacross Lites Class Results (Denver, Colo.) – Night Two
1. Tanner Reidman, Bismarck, N.D., Honda
2. Kyle Calderini, Colorado Springs, Colo., Honda
3. Hunter Meyer, Black Forest, Colo., Kawasaki
4. Rustin Meyer, Black Forest, Colo., Honda
5. Travis Smith, Lancaster, Calif., Yamaha
6. Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Bracken Hall, Rock Springs, Wy., Kawasaki
8. Brandon Jones, Denair, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Travis Merrill, Fowler, Ill., KTM
10. Wayne Appleton, Minden, Nev., Suzuki
