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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127827
ARENACROSS AMA /PJ1 NATIONAL ARENACROSS SERIES (Lett) Buddy Antunez (19) put together a pretty consistent weekend to regaln the series points lead at the AMAlPJ1 National Arenacross Series rounds in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Antunez grabbed the 250cc win on Friday night. (Below lett) Jeromy Buehl put forth a Herculean effort to snatch Friday's 125cc main-event win from Antunez and thus claim his second main-event win in as many weeks. . "I was chargin', and I started getting in the groove. When the official tried to push the bike off, he went right in front of me. I clipped it and went off the track. There was no catching back up after that. It's too bad. It could have been a great race." . DeHoop and Gaddis went on to finish fourth and fifth. The 250cc main event was an Antunez benefit. The Californian shot into the lead off the gate and then kept his cool in the face of strong pressure from Pederson for the duration of the 2Q-lap race. "I just got the start and relaxed and did 20 laps the way I wanted to do them," Antunez said. "Chad was pressuring me, but I felt awesome. I had a lot of pressure on me to perform and get the points lead back. It really felt good towin. '1 just rode a' smart race," Pederson said. "I didn't want to go out there and take anybody out. I was just waiting for a mistake from Buddy, and it didn't happen. We both rode really good. I had a good time." The two put considerable distance on third-place finisher and Antunez's Thor / Primal / Tuf teamma te, Denny Stephenson. After carding a disappointing 10th in the 125cc main event, Stephenson went on a tear in the 250cc feature, powering his way past Team Green/ Nielson Enterprises teammates Gaddis and Brad Woolsey and then landing the final spot on the podium after Jones crashed his way out of contention. Even so, Stephenson appeared to be less than satisfied with his finish. "The whole night wasn't going my way," Stephenson said. "But I just worked my way up. Jones kind of handed me third, and all I had to do then was keep Jimmy (Gaddis) behjnd me. He was just out there riding around, and so was 1. 1I By SCott Rousseau MILWAUKEE, WI, FEB. 7-8 fter the last three weekends of racing in the AMA/PJl National renacross Series by MSR / Answer, it would seem that things were beginning to go Buddy Antunez's way. After claiming victory in three of eight main events over the past two rounds, Antunez's precarious points lead over main rival Giff Palmer quickly grew from two to 12. Appearances were that the fat lady could start singing any day. But the notes were choked off as Antunez rolled into the Wisconsin Center Arena down on points to Palmer after receiving a disqualification at the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, rounds for failure to obey a safety flag. The title chase was once again up for grabs, and both Antunez and Palmer were highly motivated. When the smoke cleared after two days of the most intense racing the series has hosted this season, four different riders ascended to the top of the podium before near-capacity crowds, and the series points lead was once again in Antunez's hands, for now. FRIDAY 6 Friday's main event set the tone for the re t of the weekend as "Wildman" Cliff Adoptante stuffed his Pro Circuit/JT/Uni Filter Suzuki in front of series leader Palmer as the IS-man, 16lap race got under way. Antunez put his Thor/Primal Impulse/Tuf Honda right in the thick of the chase, running third ahead of Yamaha of Troy's Todd DeHoop and reigning series champion Jimmy Gaddis. Adoptante was riding strong, but the running order quickly reshuffled on only the second lap when Palm r attempted to dive under the leader. The ensuing collision left both Palmer and Adoptante out of the hunt for a win. "I don't know what happened," Adoptante said later. "I got a good start, and I was just trying to ride my own 11 SATURDAY race. Then I made a little mistake, and Cliff was right there. He went under me, and my bike went straight and took us both out. I feel kind of sorry for Oiff because he was in the points lead, but then again, I'm here to make money." "I just got inside him, and I think he heard me and got on the gas too quick," Palmer said. "His rear end shot out and took us out. It was a simple mistake." With the front pair down, Antunez assumed the lead while a fast-riding Jeromy Buehl worked his SCR/ Xtrerrie / Pro Circuit Yamaha from fifth to second after blazing past both DeHoop and ChaparraI/ Atomic '22 Yamaha's Chad Pederson, who was desperately trying to pick up ground after suffering a horrible start. Buehl then stuck a wheel in on Antunez through the triple jumps before forging into the lead through the Kawasaki rockers on the fourth lap. The lead pair then waged war for the top spot as the lead see- sawed back and forth for the next several circuits. Antunez actually led lap 11, but Buehl would not be denied as he claimed his second 125cc main event victory in as many weeks. "I was pumped," Buehl said. "I got a decent start and had a little bit of luck on my side. I passed three or four guys on the second lap in the whoops. Then somebody crashed, and I got a killer drive up the inside to pass Todd (DeHoop). Buddy (Antunez) and I were racin'. I was going really good in the whoops, and that's where I got him." Antunez went on to finish second ahead of Pederson, who got a scare when Indiana rider Jeff Baker crashed in the triple jumps while Pederson waS" on another section of the course. The Iowan then Iaun.ched into the triples only to nearly T-bone Baker's Kawasaki, which was being carted off the track by an official. "That was real close," Pederson said. With the riders used to the track, the pace picked up considerably, and all the riders appeared to be more competitive with one another. The difference was evident right from the opening heat race as SCB/ Ajax Kawasaki/Xtreme's Trey Owens surprised the field, which inc:luded Buehl, by snagging the.. holeshot and attempting to flee from Buehl. But on the last lap Buehl and Owens raced together around the course and then brought the crowd to its feet after. crashing in the final curve when Buehl tried to slip up the inside of Owens before the finish line. Both riders quickly remounted with Owens managing to get restarted first and shoot across the line for the win ahead of Buehl. "I just overjumped the double, aI\d he went underneath me," Owens said. "He was already coming out of the turn before I was going in. I can't believe we both still qualified. That was a very thrilling finish. I'm pumped." The 125cc main-event holeshot fell to Gaddis, however, with RRP Yamaha/ SMP's Grayson Goodman jumping out