AMA Arenacross Notebook: Ohio Serves as the Hotbed of Arenacross Competition

AURORA, Ill. (February 11, 2010) – Through five
rounds and eight races of the 2010 AMA Arenacross Series season, Babbitt’s
Monster Energy/Ti Lube Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers has been the rider to beat in
the premier AMA Arenacross class, posting six victories – including a five-race
winning streak. This weekend, the series heads to Youngstown, Ohio and the
Covelli Centre for the first time since 2008.

 In recent years, Ohio has served as a hotbed
for the sport of arenacross. In a state known as the birthplace of aviation
pioneers, it is no wonder that so many high-flying riders in the AMA
Arenacross Series hail from the Buckeye State. With hard winters and sparse
riding opportunities during most of the year, dirt-bike riders in Ohio go
indoors for competition and learn a heightened sense of bike control that
translates into every discipline in motocross.

 This season, five of the series’ top riders
call Ohio home but many more possess Ohio roots. The Ohio army is led by
reigning series champion Jeff Gibson, who hails from Thornville. A veteran
motocross competitor for many years, Gibson joined the AMA Arenacross Series
for the first time last season and he quickly acclimated himself to the
intimate, technical competition, recalling the many indoor events he competed
in when he was younger.

Another veteran rider who grew up in Ohio is
Gibson’s Tuf Honda teammate Brock Sellards, from Sherrodsville. A perennial
front-runner and championship candidate, Sellards is a name synonymous with the
sport. His ability to make a late-season push is uncanny and now that the
season is reaching its halfway point, eyes will be on Sellards as he prepares
for his annual charge in the second half.

Another well-known face and past champion
Josh Demuth may call Texas home these days, but his blood is in Ohio, born and
raised in Dover. Demuth is one of the most successful riders in the history of
the AMA Arenacross Series and a significant contributor to his success is that,
like so many of his peers, he grew up competing indoors during the winter
months, honing his craft on small, technical tracks.

Perhaps the biggest commonality between all
three of these competitors is that each possessed the dream and the passion to
become successful at the supercross level, competing for a number of years at
the pinnacle of the sport but only achieving moderate success. Now, each rider
is writing their own legacy in the discipline that kicked-off their careers,
capturing numerous race wins and accolades along the way. For each rider, the
AMA Arenacross Series has served as somewhat of a homecoming and each has found
a place in the heart of the sport and a genuine appreciation for the high level
of competition the series provides.

In addition to the veterans, the Ohio youth
movement in the AMA Arenacross Series is led by the up-and-coming
Spinechillers/Storm Lake Honda trio of Nathan Skaggs, of Chillicothe, Willy
Browning, of Pleasantville, and Zach Ames, of Prospect. Each rider is a
representative of not only the youth movement within Ohio, but the surge in the
AMA Arenacross Series as well. Each rider holds the potential to be future
stars in the sport with both Skaggs and Browning achieving early success while
Ames is on the verge of breaking through into a consistent challenger.

The Covelli Centre is the state-of-the-art
home of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantom’s and is a short drive from Pittsburgh.
The arena opened in 2005 and has played host to several entertainment acts
since, including the AMA Arenacross Series back in 2008.

The arena has an occupancy of 5,700 and is
seen as the center point of the rejuvenation of the Youngstown area.

The first gates drop on the Youngstown
Arenacross Friday, February 12 beginning at 7:30 p.m. followed by another night
of action on Saturday the 13^th 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 Youngstown Arenacross at the Covelli Centre
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 5:00-6:00 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.

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