AURORA, Ill. (January 5, 2011) –
With the 2011 AMA Arenacross Series season just days away, the world’s
best arenacross riders are gearing up for 14 weeks of bar-banging
excitement from the most renowned arenas throughout the country.
Reigning
champion Josh Demuth solidified his place in AMA Arenacross Series
history last season by capturing his third career Arenacross class
title for Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLube Kawasaki presented by Maxxis.
He entered 2011 as the favorite to repeat with a potent lineup of
teammates behind him in Chad Johnson, a two-time champion in his own
right, and Tyler Bowers, the winningest rider of 2010. However, just a
few weeks ago, Demuth suffered a championship-derailing injury that
ended any hopes of a repeat.
Assuming
the role of favorite is Johnson, the 2010 Arenacross class runner-up
and close friend of Demuth. With three wins to his credit last season,
Johnson just missed out on his third championship. Now with one less
rival in his way, his path to the 2011 crown is slightly clearer.
Despite everything surrounding the upcoming season, Johnson is as
focused as ever and as one of the veteran riders of the series, is
looking to have some fun while chasing the title.
We caught up with Chad for the first installment of this season’s weekly interview.
As
a result of the unfortunate injury to your teammate and friend, the AMA
Arenacross class title is vacant and you are seen as the favorite based
on your runner-up result last season. What are your thoughts about that?
“I’m
totally bummed for Josh (Demuth). He’s a good guy and puts a lot of
effort into what he does. Me and him are good friends on and off the
track and I wish him the best on a quick recovery and hope he gets back
out on the track as soon as possible. As far as coming into the season
(goes), I’ve been riding and training and I feel good. Tyler (Bowers)
was obviously the guy to beat last year speed wise and I’m sure he’ll
be real fast again with something to prove.”
How has preparation been going for 2011?
“Everything
is going really good. (Babbitt’s) was able to get some testing done
earlier this year and I spent some time at home (in Wisconsin) riding
my arenacross track before the snow started flying. Lately I’ve been
over in Germany doing some races, which was a pretty good time, and in
between that I continued to ride at my house and staying in the gym.
Now I’m down here and Texas over the last couple weeks making sure my
skills are up to par.”
It
seems like since rejoining the Babbitt’s team, you’ve found that
championship drive and form again. Would you say that’s true?
“Yeah,
definitely. We were able to get back to (racing) 450’s last year, which
is what I prefer. Denny Bartz and Eddie Babbitt’s run a great team and
I have a great mechanic in Rob Goodwin. Everyone over there is just on
the same page and we all move forward together.”
What do you think fans can expect this season in the AMA Arenacross Series?
“The
racing is going to be great. A lot of riders that have been around for
a while are coming back and some riders like the Blair brothers who
used to be with (arenacross) before and are making a return. Guys like
Kelly Smith, Kevin Johnson, Tyler Bowers, Gray Davenport, our new
teammate (at Babbitt’s); there’s Jeff Gibson and a lot of other good
riders who will be going fast. I’m sure it will make for great racing.”
How do you think the addition of two rounds to the schedule affect the championship battle?
“It’ll
definitely stretch out the season a little bit more. It’s a tight
schedule – we’re starting in January and don’t have a break until the
season is done – so it’s a good thing. I like just rolling on and going
through. Consistency is going to be key as it always is for us, but
it’s just going to mean that much more.”
Who do you think your biggest challengers will be?
“You
never know which riders will step up. Every season it’s someone. Some
riders are able to get out front early and sprint. Some will be able to
make the whole main event while others will get tired. And you always
have your surprises every year that come in, whether it’s someone new
or someone that was going ok last year and is really fast this year.
You really just never know.”
What are you looking forward to the most?
“You
know, I’m just looking forward to having a good season. I just want to
go out and have some fun on the race track and enjoying myself at the
races. Just riding my dirt bike because I love to ride it.”
How much would capturing that third career title mean to you?
“It
would be awesome. I’d love to capture another title. In racing
arenacross, it really doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.”
The
2011 AMA Arenacross Series kicks off in just a few days from the BOK
Center in Tulsa, Saturday, January 8 starting at 7:30 p.m. ET!
For more information on the 2011 AMA Arenacross Series, log on to www.Arenacross.com. For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.
Never miss out on the latest news! Follow the AMA Arenacross Series on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!
Feld Motor Sports®,
Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor
sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include
Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz℠, 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.
1/5/2011 9:11am
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