Gavin Faith, Jacob Hayes and Travis Sewell are winners on a historic arenacross weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki teammates Gavin Faith and Jacob Hayes and Woodstock/TZR KTM’s Travis Sewell all went down into the record books as winners during a historical triple header weekend of AMSOIL Arenacross racing at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, February 5-7.
After three nights of typically intense competition, both Faith and Hayes became multiple overall event winners while Sewell earned his first career AMSOIL Arenacross overall win via a clean sweep on the third and final night. Through it all, Hayes left the triple header the same way as he came into it, in the AMSOIL Arenacross Series points lead.
Thursday
The series kicked off its first ever triple-header on Thursday night, with Faith scoring his second overall win of the season while A&Y Racing Honda’s Daniel Herrlein captured his third Arenacross Lites class victory of the year. Herrlein is the current points leader in the Eastern Region Arenacross Lites Series, but this round hosted a Western Region round.
Hayes got off to a good start on the busy weekend by outrunning reigning series champion and Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna rider Kyle Regal for the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge win. But when the first of the two Arenacross main events left the starting gate, GEICO Honda’s Chase Sexton bagged the holeshot and took the early lead. Faith and Regal ran second and third respectively while Hayes got the worst of the bottleneck in the first turn and completed the first lap in 15th place. A red flag for a fallen rider halted the race on lap six, and the field had to line up for a single-file restart.
Faith took full advantage to pass Sexton and take the lead off the restart, and he was able to pull away to win by more than 2 seconds over the Honda rider. Regal held third place for the rest of the main event, and Sewell was fourth. Behind them, Hayes blitzed through the field, moving from 10th to fifth in just three laps.
Faith’s first Main Event win of the season allowed him the opportunity to select the inversion for the second Main Event by picking one of three cases. With the help of the Colorado Springs fans, he selected the case with the number 0, meaning there would be no inversion.
Regal secured the holeshot in the second main event, only to lose the early lead to Hayes. Sewell was a close third, and Sexton slotted into fourth, followed by Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Chris Blose. Regal then went off the track on lap six, falling all the way to 12th while Sewell passed Sexton for second place.
With Hayes still out front, Faith made a late-race charge and moved into fifth place on lap nine. Three laps later he passed Blose for fourth and set his sights on Sexton, who was third. Hayes cruised to a series high fifth main event win, 6 seconds ahead of Sewell. Sexton ran into trouble on the final lap and dropped all the way back to eighth while Faith moved all the way up to third, followed by Blose and TiLUBE/Tuf Racing Honda’s Ben Lamay.
Faith’s podium finish securd the overall win (1-3) by just a single point over Hayes (5-1). Sewell completed the overall podium in third (4-2) and Blose finished fourth (6-4), while Sexton’s issues dropped him to fifth (2-8) and cost him a shot at a win in his pro debut.
Shawnee Motors/Justified Cultures KTM’s Cheyenne Harmon claimed the first holeshot of the Western Regional Arenacross Lites series opener, leading Race Tech KTM’s Ben Nelko and Herrlein out of the first turn. Harmon opened an early lead, but Herrlein began a march to the front, taking over second from Nelko on lap four. Just two laps later Herrlein began to press Harmon, and Herrlein took over the lead. Once out front Herrlein remained in control while the battle for the remaining two podium spots intensified. When Nelko dropped from third to fifth, on lap seven, veteran Dave Ginolfi putting his Town & Country Cycle Center Husqvarna into third and then passed Harmon for second. Harmon would then lose several positions, allowing KTM rider Carlen Gardner to move into third.
Herrlein went on to win by more than 3 seconds for his third Arenacross Lites victory of the season. Ginolfi was second, with Gardner third. Nelko rebounded to finish fourth with Woodstock/TZR KTM’s Cody VanBuskirk fifth.
Friday
The second night of AMSOIL Arenacross action saw Hayes join teammates Chris Blose and Faith as a multiple race winner and extend his points lead. In the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Race Tech KTM’s Ben Nelko broke through for the first win of his career, leading all 15 laps of the main event.
But the night was rough on defending AMSOIL Arenacross Champion Kyle Regal, who crashed his Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory Racing machine in practice and was unfit to compete in the night’s race program.
Hayes won the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge for the second straight night, beating out Blose in an all-Team Babbitt’s final. That result proved to be a difference maker at the end of the night as the additional championship bonus point for Hayes would give him the edge he needed to score the overall win as well.
In the first main event, Hayes took the lead ahead of Blose and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gared Steinke. The top three went unchanged for the first half of the race, but the battle for third place heated up on lap eight after Steinke crashed, allowing TiLUBE/Tuf Racing Honda’s Jace Owen to jump from fifth to third after Sewell had to slow to avoid being collected by Steinke. Sewell moved back into third place on lap nine.
Hayes led all 15 laps and eventually took the checkered flag over 5 seconds ahead of Blose, while Sewell was third. Faith made it all the way to fourth place, with Owen in fifth.
Hayes started eighth in the inverted second main event, and Owen grabbed the holeshot, but Faith quickly moved into the lead on the opening lap. Blose started in fourth, followed by Sexton and Sewell. Blose, however, moved swiftly to take over second place on the opening lap, slipping by both Hayes and Owen. On the next lap Hayes moved into third place, behind his Team Babbitt’s teammates.
The top three remained the same for the remaining 12 laps, with Faith grabbing his second main event win in as many nights by leading all 15 laps. Blose was second, and Hayes ensured the overall win with a third-place finish, followed by Sexton and Sewell to complete the top five.
Hayes’ 1-3 effort combined with his bonus point from the Head 2 Head Challenge gave him a one-point advantage over Blose (2-2) in the final classification. Faith completed the second 1-2-3 sweep for Team Babbitt’s this season in third (4-1), while Sewell was fourth (3-5) and Sexton fifth (6-4). With the win, Hayes extended his lead over Faith in the AMSOIL Arenacross points standings to seven points, with Blose holding on to third, 10 points out of the lead.
Nelko got the holeshot in the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class main event, with Team DirtBikeMike KTM’s Brandon Marley and Lynwood Motoplex/RF Motorsports Kawasaki’s Collin Jurin slotting into second and third place respectively. Jurin then crashed on lap two, and Driven MX Racing KTM’s Jared Lesher to assume third place.
The top three remained the same until lap eight when Marley crashed and also collected Lesher, effectively removing both riders from podium contention. Shawnee Motors/Justified Cultures KTM’s Cheyenne Harmon then moved into second, with Woodstock/TZR KTM’s Cody VanBuskirk, who started ninth, right behind him in third. Nelko went unchallenged en route to the win by more than 4 seconds over VanBuskirk, who made a last-lap pass on Harmon to finish second. Link MX KTM’s Dylan Rouse was fourth, with Lesher in fifth.
Nelko’s win vaulted him into the Western Regional Arenacross Class Championship lead, giving him a two-point lead over VanBuskirk. Town & Country Cycle Center Husqvarna’s Dave Ginolfi, who finished seventh, and KTM rider Carlen Gardner, who finished sixth, moved into a tie for third place, four points behind Nelko.
Saturday
The AMSOIL Arenacross Series honored the men and women of the armed forces on Saturday for the second annual Military Appreciation Race inside Broadmoor World Arena. The third and final night of the first-ever triple header weekend saw the breakthrough of Woodstock/TZR KTM’s Sewell, who swept both Arenacross main events to earn his first career overall win and become the first non-Kawasaki rider to stand atop the podium in 2016. In the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Race Tech KTM’s Ben Nelko followed up his first career win on Friday with another dominant effort on Saturday, leading every lap en route to his second consecutive victory and adding to his points lead.
Sewell set the tone by winning the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge earlier in the evening, beating out Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory‘s Steinke in the final race, earning an additional championship bonus point.
Sewell kept his KTM out front to start the first Arenacross main event, with Friday night winner Hayes, and Steinke, in tow. Faith and Blose ran fourth and fifth respectively. Sewell was able to open an early gap on Hayes, while Faith moved into third place by passing Steinke on lap one. Blose then went down while trying to follow Faith past Steinke, dropping to outside the top 10.
Faith closed in on Hayes for second and made the pass on lap two. The teammates ran just a few bike lengths from one another in the ensuing laps, allowing Sewell to extend his lead. Hayes reclaimed second from Faith on lap nine, but neither rider could catch Sewell, who cruised to the win 3 seconds ahead of Hayes, with Faith third. Steinke finished fourth with Sexton fifth.
Sewell’s chose the inversion case for the second main event and selected the case with the number zero, meaning there would be no inversion. Of the start, Sewell once again put his KTM into the lead, followed by Hayes and Faith. Steinke started fourth, with Sexton fifth. On lap two, Steinke encountered misfortune, allowing Sexton to move into fourth and Blose into fifth. From there the top five went unchanged until Hayes was able to make a pass on Sewell for the lead on lap 12. Hayes’ lead didn’t last though, as Sewell retook the point on the next lap. Sewell held on to win just over 1 second ahead of Hayes, with Faith third, Sexton fourth and Blose fifth.
Sewell’s 1-1 effort, combined with his Head 2 Head Challenge win, easily gave him the overall win, three points ahead of Hayes in second (2-2). Faith was third (3-3), with Sexton capping off his debut weekend of Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross in fourth (5-4). TiLUBE/Tuf Honda’s Ben Lamay was fifth (6-6).
Hayes maintained control of the 2016 AMSOIL Arenacross Series points standings and now has a nine-point advantage over Faith. Blose sits third, 20 points behind Hayes, with Sewell fourth, just two points behind Blose, and Lamay fifth. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kyle Regal, the defending AMSOIL Arenacross Champion, missed his second race with injury and dropped to sixth in the points.
Woodstock/TZR KTM’s Scott Zont edged out Nelko for the holeshot to start the third 15-lap Western Regional Arenacross Lites main event of the triple header, but Nelko was able to apply pressure early and take over the lead before the end of the first lap. The front two then settled in, with Town & Country Cycle Center Husqvarna’s Dave Ginolfi asserting himself in third.
Ginolfi then made a move on Zont to take over second, putting Zont under fire from KTM rider Carlen Gardner. Gardner’s persistence paid off and he moved into third on lap six, with VanBuskirk moving into fourth one lap later.
Ginolfi encountered bobbled on lap eight, dropping from second to fifth and giving the runner-up spot to Gardner. VanBuskirk was third. Gardner erased a deficit to Nelko that sat over four seconds in the closing laps, but Nelko held on for the win. VanBuskirk was third, with Shawnee Motors/Justified Cultures KTM’s Cheyenne Harmon fourth and Jurin fifth.
One night after taking over the Western Regional Arenacross Class points lead, Nelko extended his advantage to four points over VanBuskirk. Gardner took sole possession of third, five points out of the lead.
The 2016 AMSOIL Arenacross season continues next weekend at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, Saturday, February 13.
2016 AMSOIL Arenacross Series
Broadmoor World Arena
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Results: February 5-7, 2016
Thursday
Arenacross Main Event 1
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
2. Chris Blose-Kaw
3. Travis Sewell-KTM
4. Gavin Faith-Kaw
5. Jace Owen-Hon
6. Chase Sexton-Hon
7. Ben Lamay-Hon
8. Gared Steinke-Hus
9. Kyle Bitterman-Hus
10. Daniel Herrlein-Hon
Arenacross Main Event 2
1. Gavin Faith-Kaw
2. Chris Blose-Kaw
3. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
4. Chase Sexton-Hon
5. Travis Sewell-KTM
6. Jace Owen-Hon
7. Ben Lamay-Hon
8. Daniel Herrlein-Hon
9. Gared Steinke-Hus
10. Jared Lesher-KTM
Arenacross Class Overall
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/1-3
2. Chris Blose-Kaw/2-2
3. Gavin Faith- Kaw/4-1
4. Travis Sewell- KTM/3-5
5. Chase Sexton-Hon/6-4
6. Jace Owen-Hon/5-6
7. Ben Lamay-Hon/7-7
8. Gared Steinke-Hus/8-9
9. Daniel Herrlein-Hon/10-8
10. Jared Lesher-KTM/12-10
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (bonus points)
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/2 points
2. Chris Blose-Kaw1 point
3. Chase Sexton-Hon/1 point
4. Daniel Herrlein-Hon/1 point
5. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM/1 point
6. Jace Owen-Hon/1 point
7. Ben Lamay-Hon1 point
8. Gared Steinke-Hus-1 point
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Main
1. Ben Nelko-KTM
2. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM
3. Cheyenne Harmon- KTM
4. Dylan Rouse-KTM
5. Jared Lesher-KTM
6. Carlen Gardner-KTM
7. Dave Ginolfi-Hus
8. Tanner Berry-Yam
9. Scott Zont-KTM
10. Chase Evans-Yam
Friday
Arenacross Main Event 1
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
2. Chris Blose-Kaw
3. Travis Sewell-KTM
4. Gavin Faith-Kaw
5. Jace Owen-Hon
6. Chase Sexton-Hon
7. Ben Lamay-Hon
8. Gared Steinke-Hus
9. Kyle Bitterman-Hus
10. Daniel Herrlein-Hon
Arenacross Main Event 2
1. Gavin Faith-Kaw
2. Chris Blose-Kaw
3. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
4. Chase Sexton-Hon
5. Travis Sewell-KTM
6. Jace Owen-Hon
7. Ben Lamay-Hon
8. Daniel Herrlein-Hon
9. Gared Steinke-Hus
10. Jared Lesher-KTM
Arenacross Class Overall
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/1-3
2. Chris Blose-Kaw/2-2
3. Gavin Faith-Kaw/4-1
4. Travis Sewell-KTM/3-5
5. Chase Sexton-Hon/6-4
6. Jace Owen-Hon/5-6
7. Ben Lamay-Hon/7-7
8. Gared Steinke-Hus/8-9
9. Daniel Herrlein-Hon/10-8
10. Jared Lesher-KTM/12-10
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (bonus points)
1. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/2 points
2. Chris Blose-Kaw/1 point
3. Chase Sexton-Hon1 point
4. Daniel Herrlein-Hon1 point
5. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM/1 point
6. Jace Owen- Hon-1 point
7. Ben Lamay-Hon-1 point
8. Gared Steinke-Hus-1 point
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Main
1. Ben Nelko-KTM
2. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM
3. Cheyenne Harmon-KTM
4. Dylan Rouse-KTM
5. Jared Lesher-KTM
6. Carlen Gardner-KTM
7. Dave Ginolfi-Hus
8. Tanner Berry-Yam
9. Scott Zont-KTM
10. Chase Evans-Yam
Saturday
Arenacross Main Event 1
1. Travis Sewell-KTM
2. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
3. Gavin Faith-Kaw
4. Gared Steinke-Hus
5. Chase Sexton-Hon
6. Ben Lamay-Hon
7. Kyle Bitterman-Hus
8. Chris Blose-Kaw
9. Jace Owen-Hon
10. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM
Arenacross Main Event 2
1. Travis Sewell-KTM
2. Jacob Hayes-Kaw
3. Gavin Faith-Kaw
4. Chase Sexton-Hon
5. Chris Blose-Kaw
6. Ben Lamay-Hon
7. Daniel Herrlein-Hon
8. Jace Owen-Hon
9. Gared Steinke-Hus
10. Kyle Bitterman-Hus
Arenacross Class Overall
1. Travis Sewell-KTM/1-1
2. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/2-2
3. Gavin Faith- Kaw-3-3
4. Chase Sexton-Hon/5-4
5. Ben Lamay-Hon/6-6
6. Gared Steinke-Hus/4-9
7. Chris Blose-Kaw/8-5
8. Kyle Bitterman-Hus/7-10
9. Jace Owen-Hon/9-8
10. Daniel Herrlein-Hon14-7
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (bonus points)
1. Travis Sewell-KTM/2 points
2. Gared Steinke-Hus/1 point
3. Chase Sexton/Hon-1 point
4. Jacob Hayes-Kaw/1 point
5. Kyle Bitterman-Hus/1 point
6. Ben Lamay-Hon/1 point
7. Gavin Faith-Kaw/1 point
8. Daniel Herrlein-Hon/1 point
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Main
1. Ben Nelko-KTM
2. Carlen Gardner-KTM
3. Cody VanBuskirk-KTM
4. Cheyenne Harmon-KTM
5. Collin Jurin-Kaw
6. Dave Ginolfi-Hus
7. Scott Zont-KTM
8. Tanner Sisson-KTM
9. Dylan Rouse-KTM
10. Brandon Marley-KTM
2016 AMSOIL Arenacross Points Standings
1. Jacob Hayes-229/6 Main Event Wins
2. Gavin Faith-220/2 Main Event Wins
3. Chris Blose-209/1 Main Event Win
4. Travis Sewell-207/5 Main Event Wins
5. Ben Lamay-148
6. Kyle Regal-130
7. Gared Steinke-121
8. Jace Owen-118
9. Daniel Herrlein-111
10. Kyle Bitterman-103
2016 AMSOIL Western Regional Arenacross Lites Points Standings
1. Ben Nelko-2 Main Event Wins
2. Cody VanBuskirk-41
3. Carlen Gardner-40
4. Dave Ginolfi-36
5. Cheyenne Harmon-33
6. Dylan Rouse-30
7. Scott Zont-28
8. Collin Jurin-25
9. Jared Lesher-19
10. Brandon Marley-17
Your Privacy Choices