Close Race to the Championship Battle Returns to Pacific Northwest as Regal Leads Field into Tacoma - Speedway Digest

Three rounds down, three to go in the Race to the Championship as AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, inches even closer to crowning a champion in 2015. Following another intense night of action in Spokane, Washington, last weekend, Husqvarna TiLUBE TUF Racing’s Kyle Regal brings his two-race winning streak and the points lead back to the Pacific Northwest this Saturday, April 18, from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The action gets underway at 10 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. PDT.

Race to the Championship Broadcast Alert:

Spokane round will premiere on FOX Sports 1

this Sunday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m. EDT/ 10:30 a.m. PDT

Spokane Race Photos

Spokane Race Highlights

Interview with Spokane Main Event 2 Winner Gared Steinke

Entering the Race to the Championship as the top seed, Regal has undoubtedly made the most of the momentum he carried into it. While Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Chris Blose was able to make the first statement by winning the first of the six rounds in New Orleans and take over the points lead, Regal has been a picture of consistency and it has allowed him to return to the top of the standings. Blose remains close to Regal, with just six points separating the two, but with back-to-back overall wins heading into Tacoma, Regal is the most confident rider in the Arenacross Class.

Halfway through the Race to the Championship, the lead contenders for the 2015 title are beginning to establish themselves at the top of the point standings with the finale in Las Vegas quickly approaching. While Regal and Blose have been fixtures at the front, some incredible competition is unfolding between the riders from third to seventh. Regal’s TUF Racing teammate Gavin Faith jumped from sixth to third in the championship (-12) as a result of a runner-up effort last weekend, giving him the biggest gain in Spokane. Team Babbitt’s Jacob Hayes battled through some adversity and fell one spot to fourth (-15) and is followed by his teammate Matt Goerke in fifth (-16) and Babbitt’s Online Suzuki’s Cory Green in sixth (-19). Sitting in seventh is ThermoTec/FMC Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry (-20), who ultimately dropped three spots.

With these five riders separated by eight points, more movement is sure to come in Tacoma. The question that remains is whether they will be able to close the double-digit deficit to Regal and Blose with time running out. With that window slowly closing, the aggression on the track is guaranteed to pick up and last week provided a glimpse into the battles that lie ahead inside the Tacoma Dome. Physical competition is one of the trademarks of AMSOIL Arenacross and the Race to the Championship contenders weren’t shy about their aggression in Spokane. Should any one of these riders be able to steer clear of conflict this Saturday night, you can bet he’s going to have a good chance at not only claiming the overall victory, but also gaining considerable ground in the already tight points chase in the Race to the Championship.

Veteran Daniel Blair clinched the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Championship last weekend with three races remaining. The Motosport.com/Haeseker Racing KTM rider has by far been the rider to beat throughout the Western Regional season and with his first career professional title now wrapped up, he’s coming into Tacoma solely in search of victory, as are the rest of the competitors in the Arenacross Lites Class.

The 13^th round of AMSOIL Arenacross and the fourth weekend in the Race to the Championship gets underway this Saturday, April 18^th, inside the Tacoma Dome. Racing begins at 10 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. PDT.

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 2015 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto 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.