Championship Battle Between Bowers, Gibson and Johnson Highlights Arenacross Series Return to Rockford

AURORA, Ill. (March 29, 2011) –
The penultimate round of the 2011 AMA Arenacross Series commences this
weekend with a return to Rockford, Ill., and the legendary MetroCentre.
Two nights of action will highlight the festivities and after suffering
his worst outing of the season and watching his eight-race winning
streak come to an end, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLUBE Kawasaki
presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers is determined to return to the top
step of the podium and reassert his control of the championship.

Last
weekend in Little Rock, Team Faith Yamaha’s Kelly Smith broke through
for his first AMA Arenacross Series victory since 2008. Behind him,
Bowers suffered from misfortune and finished outside of the top 10 as
his closest championship rivals, TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson and Babbitt’s
Monster Energy/TiLUBE Kawasaki’s Chad Johnson, both left Arkansas with
top five finishes.

With
three races remaining, Bowers’ advantage over the field sits at 38
points but the addition of Smith as the fifth different winner in 2011
has increased the parity in the class. The rest of the riders in search
of a victory this season are eager for their shot to stand atop the
podium, including past winners Zach Ames, Gray Davenport, Nathan Skaggs
and Kevin Johnson.

“The
final two weekends of this championship are going to be extremely
exciting,” said AMA Arenacross Series Director Jayme Dalsing. “Tyler’s
trouble in Little Rock opened the door for other riders to grab the
spotlight and I think that with the season coming to a close, we could
see more of that intensity.”

In
the midst of one of the most historic seasons in history, the on-track
action throughout the year has been exceptional. With Bowers leading
the way, the AMA Arenacross Series has reached new heights in talent
and the depth of the entire field is arguably the most competitive its
ever been. With a return to the MetroCentre this weekend, fans
throughout the Great Lakes region will have the opportunity to witness
the high level of competition in person for a unique experience that
only the AMA Arenacross Series can provide.

Additionally,
the Arenacross Lites Eastern Regional Championship will continue in
Rockford. Currently, Foremost
Insurance/Spinechillers/HondaofFairfield.com’s Patrick Massie has his
first professional title within reach. With a win to his credit
already, Massie will look to close out his title run by adding to that
total. Joining him and the rest of the field in a guest Eastern
Regional Arenacross Lites class appearance is female competitor Vicki
Golden. The groundbreaking rider has grown consistently during her time
in the series and will look for the first-ever top-10 finish by a
female on Friday and Saturday night. Her success has garnered the
attention of the entire industry and thanks to her obvious talent,
Golden will receive support from TUF Honda this weekend.

The
action this weekend kicks off on Friday, April 1 at 7 p.m. CT and is
followed by a second evening of bar-banging excitement on Saturday,
April 2, also at 7 p.m. CT.

Advance
tickets are available for the Rockford Arenacross at the MetroCentre
Box Office, online at MetroCentre.com and by phone at 815-968-5222.
Tickets cost $2 more the day of the race.

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 16 of 19)

1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki – 362
2. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda – 324
3. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki – 318
4. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Honda – 255
5. Gray Davenport, Lehi, Utah, Kawasaki – 236      
6. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., Yamaha – 232
7. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda – 229
8. Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, Yamaha – 192
9. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 181
10. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, Honda – 165

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 8 of 10)

1. Patrick Massie, Washington Court, Ohio, Honda – 147
2. Austin Coon, Spencer, W.V., Honda – 96
3. Adam Gulley, Jonesburg, Mo., Kawasaki – 95
4. Steve Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki – 86
5. Kenneth Henry, Ashtabula, Ohio, KTM – 70
6. Austin Primavera, Larue, Ohio, Suzuki – 69
7. Tyler Sehr, Belleville, Ill., Honda – 65
8. Kyle Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Suzuki – 63
9. Michael Lang, Saugerties, N.Y., Honda – 49
10. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., Honda – 47

New
for 2011! Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross
Series. To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.  For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short at brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.

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