Hi there Arenacross fans! I am just arriving home from the beautiful state of North Carolina. We were in Charlotte for this past weekend for round 3 of the AMA Toyota National Arenacross Series. What a weekend! It was a lot colder there than I was expecting, but I survived.
This weekend there was a special guest with us, veteran Arenacross announcer, Mike Young. Everyone was happy to see him and he was a blast to work with. I was a little tired on Friday after an all night flight from Reno to Charlotte, but once the races started my energy picked right up. The races were held at a brand new arena right in downtown Charlotte. The arena was really nice, but it had a really small floor, which made for a small track with some of the tightest turns I have ever seen. It was scary to me so I cannot even imagine how the riders felt. During the heats the riders found out that the track was really slick. We were all curious to see what would happen during the mains. The Lites class was exciting; it was nice to see the crowd get pumped for the riders. Shawn Clark once again got the top spot on the podium, followed by Jim Chester, and Roy Horton.
The Arenacross Class was also an entertaining race to watch. I was really impressed with Kevin Johnson. He is an extremely talented rider, and one of the hardest working, nicest guys out there. Along with riding in every class he is a part of the Team Faith US Airforce Freestyle exhibition team that comes out to pump the crowd up between the mains. Brock Sellards would have had the 2 nd spot, but he had a little slip out in the final turn, proving the dirt was slick. He also started riding a 450 this weekend. He ended up in 3 rd so at least he still got the podium. Kevin Johnson put in an awesome race, while Chad Johnson was up there on top of the box earning his fifth 1 st place trophy for the season.
On Saturday I was over at the building early so I got a chance to watch some practice. Everyone looked a little more comfortable on the track but the dirt was still really slick. When doors opened we had a rush of people come in. The crowd was excited which always makes it fun. Throughout the night I got to interact with the crowd a lot I sat with some fans for a little while and gave away some free stuff. It was so much fun, and it seemed like it helped get the crowd a little more involved. I really enjoy meeting the fans and talking with them. During the heats, my buddy Jason Mallot got hurt, with a broken leg. I think it may just be bad luck for him. In the Lites class the riders were going off. Cody Gilmore had a great start and he took off with it but Shawn Clark wasn’t too far behind. Shawn was on the gas trying to catch Cody but it never happened. Cody put in such a good race, especially after he had taken a hard fall earlier in the night. In the 3 rd spot was Barry Carsten, a local star proving to North Carolina that he still has what it takes.
The Arenacross class started off with “Nor-Cal” Jeff Northrop taking the Weekend Warrior hole shot. But Brock Sellards soon passed and took the lead; I was confused because I was so used to seeing Chad right up front. It made the race a good one to pay attention to. As the race went on, it got more and more intense and interesting. Ryan Poulter took a hard crash in the rhythm section, but he wasn’t the only one falling. There were bikes on the ground all over the track in every section. Somehow, they all made it to the finish flag, intense. Chad Johnson never did catch up with Brock, but he still got on the podium. Brock won it finally breaking Chad’s winning streak, Kevin Johnson’s hard work paid off putting him in the 2 nd place spot, and Chad Johnson in third. It was nice to have Brock on the podium with a smile this time. All in all it was a really entertaining race.
Every weekend I get to know the riders more and more, I love talking with them and learning more about racing and riding. I am having such a blast with my job! Ryan Poulter suffered some injuries on Saturday. He is a strong rider and a fun person. I am going to miss seeing him in the pits always having something to say! So please keep him in your thoughts wishing him a very speedy recovery! We will be back on the road the first weekend in December. So have a Happy and Wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, eat a lot, I know I will… my favorite holiday! Be safe and always smile!
XOX,
Ashley Miss AX
See more Miss Arenacross articles
