Chris Blose Wins AMSOIL Arenacross Opener in Cincinnati - Speedway Digest

The highly anticipated 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, kicked off on Saturday night from Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena. With a wide open field of competitors ready to do battle for the vacant Arenacross Class title this season it was any rider’s race to win, but in the end Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chris Blose emerged victorious in his first career start in full-time AMSOIL Arenacross competition. Blose led the way for a dominant night for the Babbitt’s squad, claiming the top four spots overall. In the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green rider and Road to Supercross competitor Darian Sanayei broke through for his first win of his professional career.

The night started off with adversity for Team Babbitt’s most experienced riders as both Zach Ames and Jacob Hayes were forced to qualify for the Arenacross Class Main Event via the DC Shoes Defy Convention Last Chance Qualifier. In the first 15-lap Main Event for the premier class, Husqvarna TiLUBE TUF Racing’s Kyle Regal grabbed the holeshot and held on to the early lead with Blose and ThermoTec Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry close behind. Regal soon encountered trouble and crashed out of the lead, allowing Blose to assume control of the race. The Arizona native went relatively unchallenged the rest of the way, with Kiniry in second and Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Matt Goerke in third.

Heading into the second Main Event Blose chose how many riders would be inverted – 0, 8 or 16 – ultimately selecting the full field of 16.

As the gate dropped on Main Event 2, Slakawear KTM rider Steven Mages came away with the holeshot to the delight of the hometown crowd. Hayes, who finished 10^th in the first Main Event, followed in second with Hillview Motorsports Suzuki’s Steve Roman in third. Blose slotted into seventh, with Ames eighth, Kiniry 10^th and Goerke 13^th. Hayes wasted little time in taking control of the race, passing Mages on Lap 1 for the lead, and was soon followed by Road to Supercross competitor Jordon Smith, who put his GEICO Honda into second one lap later. The rider to watch in the charge to the front was Ames, who passed Blose and then marched his way into podium position on Lap 4 in third. Several laps later, Ames took second away from Smith, bringing Blose with him. The move by Blose to take over third is what assured him the overall victory. Out front Hayes cruised to the Main Event win, with teammates Ames and Blose rounding out the podium.

Blose’s 1-3 finishes were enough to edge out Ames’ 3-2 effort overall. Goerke finished third (2-7) with Hayes completed the Babbitt’s sweep in fourth (10-1). Kiniry rounded out the top five (6-5).

In the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge, Regal edged out Goerke for the win to earn the extra championship bonus point and a $250 dollar bonus, compliments of RMATV/MC.

Blose carries a slim one-point lead over Ames in the Arenacross Class standings, with Goerke five points behind in third.

In the opening Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event of the season, Sanayei made it look easy, grabbing the top spot off the start and leading all 15 laps. In his second season of AMSOIL Arenacross competition, Sanayei knows he has the speed to win and he made a statement with his performance. Sanayei’s Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green teammate Mitchell Harrison started right behind him in second to start the Main Event, with Mages running third. Mages made the pass for second on the opening lap, but Spinechillers Racing KTM’s Dave Ginolfi was on a charge, starting sixth and eventually taking over second on Lap 10 and finishing in the runner-up spot. A&Y Racing’s Daniel Herrlein rounded out the podium following a pass for third late in the race.

Ginolfi leads the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Championship standings by one point over Herrlein, with Mages in third, just two points out of the lead.

AMSOIL Arenacross continues next weekend with the second round of the 2015 season from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Van Andel Arena. Two nights of action kick off on Friday, January 16, and continue on Saturday, January 17. Racing begins at 7 p.m. ET each night.

Tickets for each round of AMSOIL Arenacross are on sale now!

The entire AMSOIL Arenacross season will air on FOX Sports 1, including re-airs on Fox Sports 2.

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMSOIL Arenacross season returns for the 2014 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

For more information on the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross season, and to purchase tickets, log on to www.Arenacross.com.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.