Bowers Completes Sweep in Grand Rapids

January 20, 2013, 3:00pm

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Saturday night signified the conclusion of the third round of the 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, season with a second night of action inside Van Andel Arena. After a dominant night on Friday in which he swept each of the two Arenacross Class Main Events, Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis rider Tyler Bowers, of Danville, Ky., kept the momentum going on Saturday, once again winning each of the Main Events. The impressive performance was Bowers’ fourth overall victory this season and extended his lead in the championship. In the Arenacross Lites Class, Motosport.com/JBR/Spinechillers Racing KTM’s Steven Mages, of Sardinia, Ohio, also made it a clean sweep of the weekend, capitalizing on a late-race pass to take his second consecutive win.

The first Main Event provided a glimpse of what lied ahead for Bowers’ competitors when he grabbed the holeshot to post a wire-to-wire finish without much of a challenge from any rival. Team Faith/Fly Racing KTM’s Jeff Gibson, of Pataskala, Ohio, followed in second, while Mosites Motorsports Kawasaki’s Michael McDade, of Edinburg, Pa., rounded out the podium in third.

Once again, Bowers held the distinction of being the rider to select the inversion for the second Main Event. On Friday night, Bowers’ selection inverted the entire 16-rider field, but on Saturday, the top eight riders had their gate picks altered.

Pitted on the far outside position of the first row, Bowers still managed to pass the field out of the gate and grab another holeshot. Once in the lead, Bowers never let up, putting forth another wire-to-wire effort to claim his ninth Main Event win in 12 attempts, including a perfect four victories this weekend. He was accompanied on the podium by Gibson and Motosport.com/JBR/Spinechillers Racing KTM’s Nathan Skaggs, of Chillicothe, Ohio.

In the overall classification, Bowers was followed by Gibson, while Skaggs finished third.

With his second straight night earning maximum Main Event points, Bowers moved to 35 points ahead of his teammate Zach Ames, of Prospect, Ohio. The countdown to the Race to the Championship has now reached its halfway point, with only three rounds remaining until the four-round showdown to crown a champion.

In Saturday night’s Head-to-Head Bracket Racing, Skaggs became the first rider of the 2013 season to win two championship points this season. The KTM rider, who also won the bracket on Friday night, defeated Bowers in the captivating two-lap sprint.

In the Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, Hillview Motorsports Suzuki’s Steve Roman, of Apollo, Pa., grabbed the holeshot with Mages and Millview Motorsports Yamaha’s T.J. Philips, of New Castle, Pa., in tow. Roman led for most of the 18-lap Main Event, but a bobble inside the final five laps allowed Mages to slip by, followed by BWRengines.com Honda’s Kyle White, of Freeport, Ill., in second. Mages held on for the win, with White grabbing the runner-up spot. Roman finished in third.

Coverage of tonight’s captivating action can be seen tomorrow, exclusively on SPEED, beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

The 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross season continues next weekend from Tulsa, Okla., and the BOK Center with one night of action on Saturday, January 26. Fourth round broadcast coverage can be seen on SPEED next Sunday, January 27, at 6 p.m. ET.

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1 (Grand Rapids)

Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM
Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki
Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM
Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM
Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM
Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2 (Grand Rapids)

Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM
Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM
Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki
Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda
Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki
Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM
Michael Willard, Newark, Okla., KTM

Arenacross Class Overall (Main Event Finishes)

Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (1-1)
Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM (2-2)
Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM (4-3)
Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki (3-6)
Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM (5-5)
Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki (10-4)
Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda (8-7)
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (6-11)
Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM (9-9)
Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki (11-8)

Arenacross Lites Class Results (Grand Rapids)

1. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM

2. Kyle White, Freeport, Ill., Honda

3. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki

4. T.J. Phillips, New Castle, Pa., Yamaha

5. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM

6. Jacob Knable, North Chesterfield, Va., Kawasaki

7. Zachary Newberry, Fincastle, Va., Suzuki

8. Vaughn Mays, Genoa City, Wis., KTM

9. Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Kawasaki

10. Tucker Snyder, Proctorville, Ohio, Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 6 of 16)

Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki – 186
Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 151
Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa., Kawasaki – 150
Jeff Gibson, Pataskala, Ohio, KTM – 125
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 110
Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM – 109
Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 108
Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., Suzuki – 104
Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM – 102
Dave Ginolfi, Budd Lake, N.J., KTM – 81

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 6 of 8)

Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM – 57
Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki – 51
Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 45
T.J. Phillips, New Castle, Pa., Yamaha – 36
Jim Neese, Jamestown, N.C., Kawasaki – 29
Vaughn Mays, Genoa City, Wis., KTM – 29
Jacob Knable, North Chesterfield, Va., Kawasaki – 28
Zachary Newberry, Fincastle, Va., Suzuki -- 21
Tucker Snyder, Proctorville, Ohio, Kawasaki -- 19
Travis Delnicki, Woodstock Valle, Conn., Suzuki – 18

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMSOIL Arenacross season returns for the 2013 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

For more information on the 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross season, log on to www.Arenacross.com. For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.

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