Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127928
ARENACROSS AMAlPJ1 NATIONAL ARENACROSS SERIES By Dave Deringe r Photo s by Karl Ockert HAMPTON, VA,jAN. 16-17 our more main events, and four separate winners at the sixth stop of the PJ1 Na tiona l Arenacross Series, the Hampto n Coliseum, showed that a hand ful of riders still ha ve an excellen t s hot a t ta kin g the ch a m pionship. Cliff Pa lmer, Jeromy Bueh l, Chad Ped er son and Bud dy Antu nez all took home a first-pla ce trop hy and collected valuable points over the wee kend, each h a vi n g th eir s ig h ts set o n th e PJl Na tional Arenacross title. An tu nez scored the most poin ts on the weeken d, w it h th ree trip s to th e podium. A win in Saturday' s 250cc final, and a se cond and a third, p ro ved that last year's top rider has w ha t it takes to do it aga in . Ped erson o nly mad e the pod ium once, wi th a win in Saturday's 125cc final. Pa lmer, mean while, mad e. the podi: [f (Above)Time flies: As the PJ 1 National Arenacross Series nears the halfway point, several riders stili have a chance at the series title. Four different winners over the course of two nights at the Hampton Coliseum kept the points race In a stalemate. (Left) CliffPalmer rode to the win in Friday'S 125cc main event . The Oklahoman cu rrently s its third in the series standings , with 355 points and four wins. A 8 ~ 18 um twi ce, wi th a win in Frida y'S 125cc final and a third later that evening in the 250s, helping the Kaw asak i of Ca rro llton rid er stay in the hun t. "It is a long series and you can lose a lot of point s in one night," Palmer said, "so I have to keep going bett er." Antunez is cu rren tly in th e poin ts lead wit h 380 points, 21 ahead of Pederso n, with 359, and 25 ahe ad of Palmer, with 355. FRIDAY Tea m Green /P ro A c tion's Mike Jon e s grabbed t he s ta rt of th e 125cc fin al , w ith Palmer, Ho n d a- mou n te d Matt Maxim off and Palmer's Carrollton teammat e, Gr ayson Go od man, followin g clo sel y. Two laps lat er, Jon es and Palmer we re pulling away while Maximoff and Goodman were di cing for the third sp o t. Su zuki of Gastonia 's Jim Ch ester moved into third on the fifth lap after Maximoff bobbl ed on a ju mp. Jones led up to the hal fway point of the 16-lap final; then Pa lmer made his move over the big dou ble. Jon es elected n ot to doubl e a n d lo ok ed u p t o see Palmer flyin g by overhead . Antu nez was u p to fou rth b y this time and was closin g in on Chester . O n the nin th ci rc ui t, An tunez mad e h is move by Chester th rou gh th e rockers and was gu nning for Jon es in second. O n t h e 13th lap , Pal mer looke d strong out fro nt w ith a four -seco nd lead , as Antunez was all over Jones, sea rching for a place to pass. An tunez kep t sea rching bu t never fou nd a lin e, as Pa lme r and Jon es took the chec ke rs just ahea d of the Primal Impulse Suzuki rider. "I rod e real sma rt, and with a secon d-place sta r t, I w a it ed until Mike mad e a mista ke, and capitalized on it," a sweaty an d tired Palmer said. " I h ad lapp ed rid ers in m y w a y again," Jo nes sa id of h is sec ond -place finish, "bu t tha t's life." Tu f / Th o r / Su ns ta r-ba cked [e ro rny Bue hl nailed the sta rt of the 250cc final, foll ow ed b y Go odman a n d ano ther Ka w a s a k i of C a rro llton r id e r , Bra d Woolsey. Antunez, who was fourth off the start, passed Woolsey at the en d of the first lap to move into thi rd. Palmer also moved by Woolsey one lap later to take fou rth. By the fifth lap, Bue hl was comfortab le out front and riding ver y smoo th. Goodman an d Antunez w er e runn in g secon d a n d third , w it h Pa lm er an d Woo lsey fourth and fifth. Jon es was rid in g in six t h w he n h e bumped into Woolsey in a tight right-hander and lost his mom entum. An tu nez was hounding Goodman for th e seco nd posit io n o n th e n inth la p w h ile Bueh l was distan cin g h im s elf from the pack. On e lap later the houndin g paid off for Antunez, as Goodman cam e up short on the big d ouble: movin g Antunez in to second . Wools ey d id the sa me thin g as Goodman on the 11th lap , and se t h imse lf back a few positions. For the next two laps, Palmer was on Goodman ' s tail, lookin g for some roo m, and he finally found it on lap 14, moving into third . Antunez slowl y mo ved in on Bueh l with several laps to go, but lapped riders w ould p lay a factor as Antunez had to d e a l ' wit h them a n d foc u s o n th e leader, Buehl. Antunez was close, bu t he never cha lle nged for a pass, as Buehl took his sec ond wi n of th e se ries, fol low ed by Antunez and Pa lmer. Go odman held on for fourth, while Pederson bu sted into the top five near the end . "I got a good start and wa s able to p ull o ff a win," explai n ed Bu ehl. " I kn ew Budd y w as cat ch in g me, bu t I gave it a little more effort and was looking for that white flag." "I rod e real strong, and I' m happy," said a confiden t Antunez. "I beat Cliff, and he's w ho I need to beat right now." "I' d lik e to be up her e every tim e," third-pla ce finis her Palmer sai d. "Buddy is rid ing strong rig ht now, and I've go t to do the sam e thing ." SATURDAY • • "Fly in' H awaiian " Cli ffo rd Ad optante gra bbed the holesh ot of the 125cc final, w ith Ped ers o n, Goodm an and Jon es o n hi s ta il. Ped erson quickl y moved by the Brid geston e /Wiseco /Uni Filter-backed Ad optante th roug h the rockers and set sail. Jone s also made his move to the fro nt on the first lap, as he