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SFX Regional Amateur Arenacross Portland Memorial Coliseum STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY LIGHT PORTIAND, OR, MAR. 2-3 f[)\ iminutive KTM speedster Gared l..!:VSteinke and Yamaha-mounted Anthony Cerruti were double winners during the Amateur portion of the SFX Motor Sports Arenacross Regional held at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. Steinke burned the competition for dual 65ccclass wins, while Cerruti matched Steinke's performances with 125cc C-class victories on Friday and Saturday evenings, respectively. Riders were drawn to the event from six western states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah and Kansas. Honda-mounted Drew Davis was also among the dominant riders of the support classes that were implemented into the Professional-class program on consecutive evenings. Davis' Friday night win, in front of a crowd of 3500, came by virtue of a bit of luck, as Kawasakimounted Shawn Haberlock had problems navigating through heavy lapped traffic and Davis capitalized on this by nabbing the lead on the final lap and maintaining it to the finish. On Saturday, Idaho's Adam York put his Yamaha ahead of Davis and Brock Chappelle in the 12-rider 85cc final, but the two riders tangled and Davis was right there to snatch the lead when York's defensive move went awry. Chappelle moved up a position amid the chaos, finishing in second ahead of York, who remounted to salvage third, followed by his brother Jeremy York and Sean Bergland, the fifth-place finisher. Cerruti slipped past Eric Turner on the opening lap of Friday's 125cc C final, and the Yamaha rider stayed in the point position to the finish for his first of two wins of the weekend. Turner fended off late-race advances from Honda-mounted Ryan Thompson to nab second at the finish. The 125cc C final on Saturday was the largest class of the two-consecutive evenings; nonetheless, the outcome was much the same as it was the night prior. Cerruti overcame a poor start to chase down the early leaders, Turner and Thompson, both of whom had untimely get-offs, the worst being Thompson's, and Cerruti was in the right place at the right time. From that point on, Cerruti held the advantage to the finish for win number two. Ben Swendsen, Washington's Joel King, Bob Kivisto, and Garrett Melton finalized the top five. Steinke stomped the competition in the 65cc class on both evenings, coming from well behind in the field of riders. Steinke amassed a huge lead in his Friday night win. Alec Watts finished second, and Travis McClinton finished third. Steinke gated dead last on Saturday, but when the checkered flag flew, the rider from Salem, Oregon, had won again. Early leader Kyle Thompson trailed Steinke at the finish for the second-place brass. Jared Wood, who was returning from an injuryinduced layoff, finished third, ahead of Tyler McClinton, Tyler Riehl and Travis McClinton. !Above) Anthony Cenvti topped the 125cc C class on consecutive evenings during the SFXsanctioned Ama1eur Arenacross at the Memo....1 Coliseum In Portland, Oregon. (Left) Gared Steinke came from behind to take two 65cc class wins. Zach Rawlins and Glenn Prestholt were winners of the crowd-pleasing 50cc class on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Prestholt and Rawlins had a battle royale in Saturday's final, but it was Prestholt who won the plaudits from the crowd in a hardearned win. Rawlins, Thomas !Above left) Glenn Prestholt (552) and Thomas Nichols (7) battled during Saturday's 50cc (4-8) contest. The outcome was in Prestholt's favor. (Below) Suzuki-mounted Bryan Thibedeau finished third in the 125cc B class on Friday and then backed up that performance with a win on Saturday. Nichols, Brad Frace, Gage Cook and Washington's Evan Nystrom filled out the top six. eN Kelvin Schoen and Bryan Thibedeau split wins in the ultra competitive 125cc B class during the two evenings. Schoen led Tyler Fick and Thibedeau in his Friday night win, but a multiple-rider pileup ended Schoen's chances of a weekend sweep, as both he and Fick were among the casualties. Thibedeau was right there to take advantage of the pileup, holding off advances from James Hamilton to post Saturday's win. Fick, who won the Professional Jump-Off competition on Friday night, carved through traffic to finish third, ahead of Justin Jensen and Cal- Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon Results: March Z-3, ZOOl Friday 50 (4-8): I. Z.ch Rawlins (Cob); 2. Brad Frace (Cob): 3. Glenn Prestholt (Cob): 4. Taylor Feller (Cob); 5. Gage Cook (KTM). 65 (7-11): I. Gared Steinke (KTM): 2. Alec WDtts (Kaw): 3. Travis McClinton (KllW); 4. Dustin Sullivan (Kaw); 5. lach Rawlins (Kaw). 85: 1. Drew Davis (Hon); 2. Shawn Haberlock (Kaw); 3. Jeremy York (Yam): 4 Jake Ponce (Kaw); 5. Aaron McClinton (Yam). 125 C: I. Anthony Cemlti (Yam): 2. Eric Turner (Yam); 3. Ryan Thompson (Hon); 4. Ben Swendsen (Yam); 5. Robert Kivisto (Han). 125 8: 1. Kelvin Schoen (Yam): 2. Tyler Fick (Hon); 3. Bryan Thibedeau (SUI): 4. Justin Jensen (Hon); 5. James Hlimiiton (Hon). 250: I. Garth MocDicken (Yam): 2. Scott Allen (Hon); 3. Eric King (Yam); 4. Chris Hlavac (YlIm); 5. Steve Slaney (Kaw). Saturday 50 (4-8): I. Glenn PreSlholt (Cob): 2. Z.chary Rawlins (Cob); 3. Thomlls Nichols (Cob); 4. Brad Frace (Cob): 5. Gage Cook (KTM). 65 (7-11); I. Gared Steinke (KTM); 2. Kyle Thompson (KTM); 3. Jared Wood (KTM); 4. Tyler McClinton (Kaw); 5. Tyler Riehl (KTM). 85: 1. Drew DlIvis (Hon); 2. Brock Chllppelle (Yam); 3. Adam York (Yam); 4. Jeremy York (Yam): 5. Sean Bergland (Suz). 125 C: 1. Anthony Cerruti (Yam); 2. Ben Swendsen (Yam); 3. Joel King (Yem): 4. Bob Kivisto (Hon): 5. Gerrett Melton (Yam). 125 B; 1. Bryan Thibedeau (Suz): 2. JlImes Hamilton (Hon); 3. Tyler Ack (Hon); 4. Justin Jensen (Hon): 5. Chad Lowenberg (Hon). 250 C: I. Scott Allen (Hon): 2. Steve Slaney (Kaw): 3. Jacques VlIrvel (Hon): 4. GlIrth MlIcDicken (Yam); 5. Eric King (Yam). 250 B: 1. Nick BlISl (Hon); 2. Levi Franken (Hon). ifornian Chad Lowenberg. Washington's Garth Mac Dicken used a Yamaha YZ426F to win Friday's 250cc final, beating Oregon's Scott Allen, but the Honda-mounted Allen jumped out front in Saturday's final. Allen fended off advances from Californian Kawasaki jockey Steve Slaney to post a victory, with Jacques Varvel, MacDicken and Eric King in tow. cue I e n e _ S • MARCH 21,2001 75