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Speed Stick National Arenacross Series Final Round: Tacoma Dome STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY LIGHT TACOMA, WA, MAR. 22·23 anada's Darcy Lange gave the competition something to think about during the upcoming off-sea· son, as the Kawasaki rider sent a message to everyone in the Speed Stick National Arenacross Series. With his two dominating performances at the final rounds of the series at the Tacoma Dome, Lange, also known as "The Deputy," placed his fellow competitors under house arrest after posting a win Friday night in the 125cc Pro main, then complet· ing his 15-win season with a victory in the series' final main event on Sat· urday, in the 250cc class. While Lange emerged as the week· end's top performer via 1-2, 2·1 fin· ishes Ii his worse finishes being a pair of seconds - it was "The Sheriff' Josh Demuth, who saw his storybook sea· son come to an uplifting end, although via a lone win on the week· end. Demuth, who one week earlier had clinched the series title on Lange's home turf, posted a victory in Saturday's 125cc Pro final (after placing 4·4 on Friday night in two comefrom-behind performances). Demuth then came back strong the following night to top Saturday's 125cc Pro final, and also netted the final podium position in the 250cc class. Demuth, riding the Shogun Motorsports/Motion Cycle Sports/Pro Circuit/Thor-backed Yamahas, sat atop the standings after the 34 rounds with a record 1163 points, 119 points C 22 APRIL 10, 2002' cue I ahead of the series' number-two rider Lange. Although the likeable, lanky rider from Fort Worth, Texas, fell three wins short of eclipsing the season mark of 28 wins set by six-time champion Buddy Antunez, his mark of 25 left him with a sweet taste in his mouth after a savory season. "The series went really great for me," Demuth said. "'n fact, this whole year has been a blessing· getting married, the birth of our daughter, winning four races in one weekend and the championship, it's been great! With the 25 wins, , did a lot better than I had originally planned; , was sad to see Damon [Bradshaw] get hurt, though. I'd just like to thank God for the opportunity to race, and also for the good Lord Jesus Christ in keeping me safe." • n _ _ os crop) Canada's Darcy Lange won the 125cc main on Friday at the series finale in the Tacoma Dome. He switched It up to win the 250cc main on Saturday· the last main of the season. (Above) Newly crowned Speed Stick National Arenacross Champion Josh Demuth had a bit of an off weekend· for him. He won Saturday's 125cc main but missed the podium in both mains on Friday. He may have had nothing to race for, having clinched the championship a week earlier in Canada. FRIDAY Yamaha-mounted Californian Daniel Blair bolted out of the chute to lead the 125cc Pro final but qUickly lost the point position to Suzuki rider Brad Hagseth. Willoh, Lange, Ohio's Tom Kelley, Phil Lawrence and Demuth followed as the pack funneled through the whoop section on the opening lap. Hagseth, from nearby Onalaska, Washington, early on maintained a scant lead, although Lange, by lap three, had clicked off a successive string of flawless laps to close in on the Suzuki rider. Lange's first attempt of taking the lead away from Hagseth, though, went awry, as the Kawasaki rider came up short on a triple. Lange moved past Hagseth on the following lap and would then retain the lead to the finish. Lawrence moved into third shortly after Lange took command· after he dropped the fading Big Gun-sponsored Blair back a notch in the whoop section - but both Lange and Hagseth had too much ground on the rider from Temecula, California, and Lawrence would then be content with third, although he felt the heat from an on· the-move Demuth for the last several laps. Just as Demuth showed his front wheel to the Suzuki rider, however, his podium chances went down the tubes. Demuth got cross· rutted on the final lap, and Lawrence trailed Lange and teammate Hagseth at the finish to round out the podium positions. Demuth quickly remounted to finish fourth, followed by Tuf/Kawasaki's Denny Stephenson, Blair, Washing· ton's Lance Smail, Suzuki's Rusty Holland, Pro Circuit/Answer/Suzuki's Tiger Lacey and Tuf/Honda's Jeff Willoh, who rounded out the top 10. Lange and Blair snared coholeshot honors at the start of the 250cc final, although when the pack hit turn one it was Lange credited with the Powerade Holeshot Award. Both riders struggled to navigate the heavily rutted whoop section as well, as Suzuki/AXO/Bill's Pipes-backed Lawrence took command of the race shortly into the opening lap. Teammate Holland followed Lawrence's forward forge through the whoops and ran second, while Hagseth complimented a Suzuki stranglehold of the top-three positions. Hagseth had a momentary lapse of concentration in the treacherous whoop section, allowing one of the weekend's surprise performers, Gavin Gracyk, to settle into second, although the Team Green-backed Ohioan would feel the heat from Hagseth from that point to late in the race. Lawrence had pretty much checked out on the competition,