AMA ARENACROSS NORTH : KEITH JOHNSON EARNS FIRST WIN OF 2008 IN GRAND RAPIDS
Keith Johnson Earns First Win of 2008 in Grand Rapids
Monster Energy/ Babbitt’s Kawasaki Rider Sellards Finishes Second
AURORA, Ill. (January 5, 2008) – The tight Toyota AMA Arenacross Track proved to be advantage for Fiberwise Pasta Yamaha rider Keith Johnson tonight at the Van Andel Arena. Johnson blasted off the starting line to win the $750 Toyota Certified Used Vehicle hole shot award and went on to lead every lap.
« It feels great to be back on top of the box,” said Johnson. “I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time on the bike before the season due to my MCL injury. But now after working out the kinks through the first few races I feel good. The track crew did a great job with the track, it was great for racing. »
Friday night’s winner, Brock Sellards piloted his Monster Energy/Babbitt’s Kawasaki to a second place finish.
Defending Toyota AMA Arenacross Champion, Danny Smith, had one of his best starts of the year running second early. His night started to falter in lap three when he fell to fifth behind Tommy Hofmaster’s Yamaha. Smith worked the field eventually finishing on the podium in third place.
Michigan’s Kelly Smith kept the packed house on their feet for most of the night trying to crack the top three. Kelly’s Monster Energy/ Babbitt’s Kawasaki finished the night fourth.
Points leader, Chad Johnson, had a difficult night finishing 6th overall, thus loosing valuable point in his quest for a second championship.
Travis Sewell out lasted Tyler Bright and Tanner Reidman for the Arenacross Lites North win.
Arenacross Main Event Results
1 Keith Johnson, Yamaha
2 Brock Sellards, Kawasaki
3 Danny Smith, Honda
4 Kelly Smith, Kawasaki
5 Kevin Johnson, Yamaha
6 Chad Johnson, Honda
7 Tommy Hofmaster, Yamaha
8 Travis Sewell, Suzuki
9 Robbie Reynard, Suzuki
10 Jim Neese, Suzuki
Arenacross Points (Pending Kansas City Arenacross Results)
1. Chad Johnson (2) 163
2. Brock Sellards (3) 158
3. Kelly Smith 155
4. Jim Neese 135
5. Kevin Johnson 132
6 Danny Smith 131
7. Josh Demuth (3) 127
8. Keith Johnson (1) 127
9. Teddy Maier 112
10. Robbie Reynard 96
Arenacross Lites North Main Event Results
1 Travis Sewell, Suzuki
2 Tyler Bright, Suzuki
3 Tanner Reidman, Suzuki
4 Patrick Boyle, Kawasaki
5 Dave Ginolfi, Kawasaki
6 Shane Sewell, Kawasaki
7 Gray Davenport, Kawasaki
8 Roy Horton, Honda
9 Cory Green, Suzuki
10 Patrick Massie, Kawasaki
Tickets for the entire Toyota AMA Arenacross Series are available online at www.Arenacross.com, www.Ticketmaster.com, www.Tickets.com. For more information on the Toyota AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.Arenacross.com.
About Toyota AMA Arenacross Series
In its 24th year, the Toyota AMA Arenacross Series, owned by Live Nation, is the premier indoor motocross series in the U.S. playing to sold-out arenas nationwide. Information on the Toyota AMA Arenacross Series events may be found at www.Arenacross.com. Live Nation is the future of the music business. With the most live concerts, music venues and festivals in the world and the most comprehensive concert search engine on the web, Live Nation is revolutionizing the music industry: onstage and online. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol « LYV. » Additional information about the company can be found at www.livenation.com under the “About Us” section.
About AMA Racing
AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com. Accredited media outlets can also access an on line Press Room at www.amaproracing.com/pressroom. For amateur racing information visit www.amadirectlink.com/amrace/amasports.asp.