Press Release

AMA Arenacross Notebook: Perception isn’t Always What it Seems in the AMA Arenacross Series







AURORA, Ill. (February 5, 2010) – The
unpredictability of the AMA Arenacross Series once again reigned true last
Saturday night, proving that control of the series is just a perception of
reality. As the AMA Arenacross class main event blasted out of the gates inside
Kansas City’s Kemper Arena, Series points leader Tyler Bowers carried in a
five-race winning streak into the evening, but left the venue with his worst outing
of the 2010 season.





As the 16-rider AMA Arenacross class main
event entered the first turn, Bowers made contact with another competitor and
had his front brake line severed. The Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLube Kawasaki
rider continued to soldier on, relying solely on his rear brake, but eventually
was forced to pull off for repairs. Thanks to quick work from his mechanic,
Bowers re-entered the race at the tail end of the field and was able to rebound
for an eighth-place finish. The ride could end up being what saves his season
over the next eight rounds.







The way Bowers has run the past month, it’s
hard to not think that he will be the rider to beat each and every night. While
teammates Chad Johnson and Josh Demuth along with Spinechillers/Storm Lake Honda’s
Nathan Skaggs have been right there at the front of the pack on a consistent
basis, Bowers has been able to capitalize on great starts and builds a somewhat
comfortable advantage before anyone has the chance to pose a formidable
challenge.





However, to expect perfect starts and avoid
misfortune in the AMA Arenacross Series is pure myth. Even last season’s
champion Jeff Gibson found trouble on a few occasions en route to one of the
most impressive seasons in history. With 16 riders trying to stake claim to
just 20 feet of space in each lane, something is bound to happen at some point
and most of the time it will be in the first corner when all 16 riders converge
in one spot. If Bowers can steer clear of such incidents, he will surely be the
rider to beat based on this season’s trend, but last Saturday proved that no
one is immune to bad luck.



While the advantage still stands at a
comfortable 15 points atop the standings, the momentum has shifted to the other
pair of riders, who are coincidentally teammates that have managed to take the
checkered flag this season. Johnson and Demuth have done their best to keep
Bowers honest up front. It’s hard to argue that they have been the best riders
on the track beyond Bowers and now that they’ve have seen a sign of weakness in
their teammate, it’s time to make the move while the season is still young.
Additionally, the trio shouldn’t overlook another threesome of riders that will
make their presence felt in the near future. Skaggs has had several
opportunities to shake things up, but has just missed out while the Tuf Honda
duo of Gibson and Brock Sellards has been alarmingly quiet so far. Gibson is
the reigning champion and has transitioned seamlessly into arenacross and as he
continues to acclimate himself to the 450 bike, expect him to be challenging
for wins. Sellards has traditionally been a slow starter, but as the season
approaches the halfway point his comfort level and aggressiveness appears to
pick up. With the sixth round of 2010 just around the corner, expect last
year’s championship runner-up to be a regular face on the podium.





The BOK (Bank of Oklahoma) Center is a state
of the art, premier arena in Tulsa, Okla. Designed to host arena football,
hockey, basketball and concerts, the BOK cut the ribbons with its first event
on August 30, 2008.





The 19,199 max seating, multi-purpose
facility serves as the centerpiece of Tulsa County’s Vision 2025 development
initiative. Operated by SMG, one of the nation’s leading arena management
companies, the BOK Center is the permanent home to the Tulsa Oilers CHL hockey
team and Tulsa Talons arena football team. It also hosts NBA preseason games,
college basketball games, and continues to welcome additional national/regional
sporting events like the AMA Arenacross Series.







The first gates drop on the Tulsa Arenacross
Saturday, February 6 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The action concludes with Amateur
Day on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m.



Advance
tickets are available for this weekend’s Tulsa Arenacross at the BOK Box
Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone and ticketmaster.com. Tickets cost $2 more
the day of the race.





Fans in attendance also can take part in the
Track Party on Saturday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for the chance to meet the riders
and get autographs. Simply recycle any MONSTER ENERGY can at the gate
entrance for FREE admission. Must have valid
Saturday event ticket to enter.





Tickets
for all rounds of the 2010 season can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com
and www.arenacross.com.







For more
information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.arenacross.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, Inc. productions include Monster Jam®, SuperBull
, Monster Energy
Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz
℠, Gravity Slashers, and IHRA®
Nitro Jam®.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld
Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. 
For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit
www.feldentertainment.com.



 


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