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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127809
.ARENACROSS '.' .. AMAlPJ1 National Aienacross Series .. . '. Rounds 1&2: Veterans Memorial Auditorium seventh lap. From there, Palmer pulled away steadily, crossing the line a full straightaway ailead of Gaddis. "I just fel t real fluid and smooth, and I just had a lot of confidence," Palmer said. "My dad and I did a lot of testing, and we were really prepared for tonight. I feel I'm in better shape than half the guys out there. I just want to come back tomorrow night and repeat and build a big points lead." "J got a good start out of the gate," said Gaddis, who is still recuperating from a bronchial infection. ''I'm happy with this finish - for the first one. But I think we're going to have to work on some new lines through the rockers and turn a few clicker!>. We broke in our bikes here tonight." Antunez wound up finishing third, getting by the fading Stephenson wi th an inside move in the left-handed sweeper that poured the riders onto the start/ finish straight and then almost By Scott Rousseau P!lotos by Kinney Jones DES MOlNEs, fA, NOV. 1-2 \0 g:; ,..... he onset of winter in America's heartland did little to quell.the hot throttle hands of F&S Suzuki's Cliff Palmer and Atomic 22/Chaparral/Yamaha's Chad Pederso11 as the duo ushered in the PJl National Arenacross Series opening weekend with victories at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Unlike many of his competitors, Palmer showed up to the race in shape and with an abundance of testing under his belt. It paid off as the Oklahoma rider swept the competition in convincing fashion during the series opener Friday and tben .bolstered his points lead with another big win in the 125cc class Saturday. "At the beginning of the year, I was probably as nervous as anyone else," Palmer said after taking the 125cc win Saturday night. "B1.!t I couldn't ask for any better than this. We know we can't win them all, but we're going to try to keep getting on the podium. That's what helps you win the cllampionship. As it turned ou t, Palmer didn't win them all Pederson, who hails from nearby Fort Dodge, Iowa, spoiled Palmer's chances. for a perfect weekend by electrifying his home state fans .with a brilliant holeshot which he parlayed into an equally commanding victory in the 250cc class Saturday. Pederson's nearest competition was Palmer, who finished several lengths behind the Iowan at the end of the 20-lap main. It was an excellent way to cap a sometimes-frustrating weekend for Pederson, who earned a fourth and a second Friday followed by another runner-up finish to Palmer in the 125cc race Saturday. "Someone had to do it (beat Palmer)," Pederson said. "Last year Gaddis won all four races at some of these. That's hard to do. The first race, everyone is stiU feeling out their bikes, but the races will get tighter. Then it's all who's on for the weekend." Also turning in excellent performances during the weekend were reigning series champion Jimmy ~addis on his Thor /Team Kawasaki KXs, Team Thor / Honda / Primal Impulse teammates Buddy Antunez and Denny Stephenson and former series champion Grayson Goodman, who was aboard MSR/OakleylJeff Long Graphics Suzukis. Gaddis turned in second- and third-place finishes in the 125 and 250cc mains Friday and then came back to score a tifth in the 250cc final Saturday. With his team debuting the 1997 Honda CR250 in AMA National competition (see Briefly), Antunez scored three third-place finishes. "We'll be figh ting for the series championship, so don't count us out," an encouraged Antunez said Saturday. "Our bikes worked a lot better tonight, and they're only going t6 get better. I think that I've caught on to the speed that these guys go. All in all, it's good, exciting racing." A consistent Stephenson did no worse than fifth all weekend. Goodman got consistently faster as the weekend progressed, nailing down solid fourthplace finishes in Friday's 250 and Saturday's 125cc main before slipping to sixth in the 250cc main Saturday after stalling while running fourth. FRIDAY After a red flag halted the original start, defending champ Gaddis jumped into the lead on the restart of the 16-lap 125cc main event Friday, leading. Stephenson, Palmer, Pederson and Antunez through the Kawasaki Rockers on the opening circuit. Palmer quickly drew up on Stephenson and hounded (Above) The key players: Denny Stephenson (48), Jimmy Gaddis (1), Buddy Antunez (19), Cliff Palmer (partially hidden) and Chad Pederson (25) battled for supremacy at the opening rounds of the AMAlPJl National Arenacross Series openers in Des Moines, Iowa. (Right) Palmer (6) leaps over Stephenson (48). Palmer scored the first three wins of the series, earning a sweep on Friday and the 125cc main event win on Saturday. him for the three laps while Gaddis attempted to break away from the pack. Antunez found his way past Pederson in the horseshoe turn at the end of the rockers before the Budweiser Catapult to take over the fourth spot. Further back, Team Green/Pro Circuit/Fox's Andy Bowyer and Team Yamalla/SCR's Jeromy Buehl were engaged in a sintilar battle. Palmer diced back and forth with Stephenson before finally putting him away after choosing an outside line through the rockers to take second on lap six. Palmer then wicked it up and pulled into Gaddis' wake. Despite clearly being the fastest through the rockers, the Oklahoman made the money pass in the PJ1 triples with a double-single maneuver over the obstacles when Gaddis opted to single the first jump on the passing Gaddis for second only to come up short at the checkered flag. . "That wasn't too bad, but I felt like I should have done better," Antunez said. "J need to get better starts, so I'll work on that in the 250s." Stephenson slid back one more position before the finish, carding a fifth behind Pederson. • Palmer corrected his only weakness in the 125cc main - that being a poor start - by ripping the holeshot in the 250cc main and bl()wing through the rockers to gain a huge advantage over Gaddis, who was followed by a tight pack containing Antunez, Goodman, Stephenson, Pederson, Suzuki of Gastonia's Jim Chester and Ajax Kawasaki's Trey Owens. Palmer would never be threatened for the remainder of the race.