Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ARENACROSS Rounds 27 &28: ECenter AMAlPJ1 NAOONAL ARENACROSS SERIES FRIDAY By Dave Deringer Photos by Kinney Jones ra SALT LAKE CITY, lIT, MAR. 20-21 0ing into the final rounds of the PJ] National Arenacross Series at Salt Lake City's E Center, Primal lm pulse / Answer / Bill' s Pipes-backed Buddy Antunez had a 59-point lead over fellow competitor and good friend Chad Pederson. In order for the ielsen/Lightspeed-backed Pederson to win the championship, Pederson had to have a near-perfect weekend, and Antunez would have to fumble under the pressure. "I'm just thinking tha t I have to get through the night and ride as consistent as [ have been and it will be over with," Antunez said before Friday's event. "After that, I can ride how I want and have fun." "I'm just going to go out and try to win some races," Pederson also explained before the show. "It's never over till it's over, and I'm going to give it 100 percent." Although Pederson did quite well, with three podium visits - one of them after a win in Saturday's 250cc final Antunez did his part, hold'ing on and coming away with Friday's 125cc win. That win sewed up Antunez' second consecutive PP alional Arenacross (Above) Still the one!: Buddy Antunez locked up his second consecutive PJ1 National Arenacross Championship during the penultimate round of the series at the E Center in Salt Lake City. In doing so, Antunez gave Suzuki its first National title since 1990. (Right) Antunez (center) accepted his $25,000 bonus check from PJ1 on Saturday night. Former National MX Champion Broc Glover (left), who is now a PJ1 representative, was on hand to disperse the dough. Championship. In the process, Antunez gave Suzuki its first AMA ationa! MX champion hip since Guy Cooper earned the AMA 125cc National Championship in 1990. "This one feels better than the first," Antunez explained while receiving his $25,000 check from PJl at the awards banquet. "Many of my friends and family are here, and 1 had to work a lot harder for it." Third place overall in the tandings went to Kawasaki of Carrollton/ Thor /Smith-sponsored Cliff Palmer, who never gave up throughout the series despite some bad luck, and he claimed second place in Saturday's 250cc final, taking home a $10,000 bonus from PJ] for his efforts in the series. Fourth and fifth in the series went to TUF/Thor/Pro Circuit-backed teammates Denny Stephenson and Jeromy Buehl. Again, with a 36-point difference between the two going in, Stephenson had to falter and Buehl had to shine. Both riders had several top-five finishes on the weekend and left Salt Lake City nearly the same way they came in. The Event was held at Salt Lake's E Center for the first time, and comfortable temperatures along with excellent dirt and a one-off chicane made for a memorable finale to the ] 998 Arenacross season. Pederson grabbed an important holeshot in the ]25cc final and was hoping that Antunez wa mired back in the pack. In reality, Antunez was in third, behind Kawasaki of Carrollton's Grayson Goodman. Antunez quickly moved by Goodman and into the second spot through the added tunnel chicane before setting hi sigh ts on Ped~ son. Jim Chester and Brad Woolsey went down over the double soon thereafter and brought out the flags, signaling riders not to double. This helped Antunez close in a little more, and he was soon on Pedreson' rear wheel. On lap five, Antunez made the all, important pass on Peder on, block-passing before the triple, a nd was for alL intents and purposes the 1998 Arenacross Champion. By the halfway point of the ]6-1ap feature, Antunez had tretched his lead to several seconds over Pederson, who now knew it was close to being over. Goodman, ielsen Kawasaki's Jimmy Gaddis, Palmer, Buehl and Stephenson were next. Stephenson was the only rider making up ground, as he moved by Buehl on lap 12, Gaddis on lap ]3, and Palmer on lap ]4, and he was working on Goodman with two laps to go. _ An tunez crossed the finish line about three seconds ahead of Pederson with his fists in the air, now knowing that he was the champ. Stephenson passed Goodman in the chicane on the final lap for third, and Buehl also moved b:( Goodman before the checkers for fourth. "A lapper mes ed up in front of me on the second-ta-last lap," Antunez said f "and [ saw a flash of not winning this thing that I've been working so hard fo~. I'm happy to win the championship fof-, Primal Impulse Suzuki and, as you know, I rode minis for them (Suzuki), and it's good to come back and give them a championship." "Ronnie Tichenor pointed out to me that there were some pret-' ty good Jines through the i whoops on the left," explained third-place finisher Stephenson. "I got over there at about the halfway point and made things happen." A disappointed Pederson grabbed another holeshot in the 250cc final, but it was FMF / SM»'s Mike Jones who blitzed by Peder on through the whoops and into the lead. Jones turned up the gas on the second lap and was never challenged from there. Pederson, Palmer and Antunez filed in next, battling for position. On lap seven, Antunez wanted to prove tha t he was the rightful champ, and he squirted by Palmer and Pederson w:ithin three turns. Jones had a evensecond lead by lap 10 over Antunez. Pederson and Palmer were ha ving a good race, dicing for third and fourth. Palmer made his pass on Pederson for 'third severa I laps later, and he was now gunning for Antunez. With several lap to go, showman Jones was already styling for the crowd" but Palmer had moved to the rear fender of Antunez. Palmer could not find I another line, though, and Jones took his, fifth win of the series, in front of Antunez, Palmer, Pederson, Buehl and Ancae Heating's Travis Hodge. "I had fun. I got a good start and l pulled away," Jones said of his win. "I

• Cover