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Clear Channel Entertainment's Regional Arenacross Series Final Round: First Union Arena (Left) Damien Plotts made almost a perfect sweep of all the events he entered at the final round of the Clear Channel Entertainment's Regional Arenacross Series. Plotts won the 125cc and 250cc Pro/Expert main events and also the fast and furious Dash For Cash. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM P. SANDERSON WILKES·BARRE, PA, MAR. 22 ~ossini Racing Products/Cross =Roads Powersports/MSR/SiDi/ Boyesen-backed Pro/Expert Honda pilot, local rider and National Number 73, Damien Plotts, made the opening night of the final round of Clear Channel Entertainments Regional Arenacross Series a very profitable one. Plotts won every event entered except one. Plotts won the 125cc and 250cc Pro/Expert main events, as well as the Dash For Cash, and finished in the runner-up spot in the popular Extreme Jump-Off Contest. Rounding out the top three in the 125cc Pro/Expert main event were PR Racing/JMC Suspension/Alpinestars/Scott-backed Mike Mercer of Toledo; Ohio, who finished second, while another RRP·backed rider, Kevin Brodsky Jr. of Hanover, Penn- sylvania, finished third. In the 250cc Pro/Expert main event, American Suzuki/Spy /Thorbacked Nick Metcalf earned the runner-up spot. Taking the remaining spot on the podium was another Ohio rider, Mike Katin, who is backed by Gateway Cycles, Pro Action, Pro Circuit, and Wiseco. Finishing second in the Dash For 60 APRIL 1 7, 2002' cue I e Cash race was another local rider, National Number 66 - Bromley Suzuki-backed Barry Carsten. Mercer rounded out the Dash For Cash podium. Husky pilot Katin nailed the holeshot of the 125cc Pro/Expert mainevent start and had Metcalf, Carsten, Mercer and Plotts in close pursuit. After the start of lap two, Metcalf passed Katin for the lead, dropping Katin to second. Mayhem ensued in the next couple of laps, and the top five changed dramatically by lap four. Plotts was now out front and putting distance between hjmself and the rest second. Brodsky and Burton were now up to third and fourth, with Metcalf dropping back to fifth. When the white flag came out, it was pretty difficult to tell who the leaders were, as they were waist-deep Plotts (73) leads the 125cc Pro/Expert main event at the First Union Arena in WilkeS-Barre, Pennsylvania, with Bany Carsten (66) and Nick Metcalf (12) in tow. Plotts won the event; Metcalf finished fourth and Carsten fifth after running in the top three early in the event. in lapped traffic. When the smoke and dust settled on the tight, technical arenacross track, the top five were Plotts, Mercer, Brodsky, Metcalf and Carsten. Sixth through 10th were technical whoop section, allowing Katin to move to fourth and Dunaway to fifth. The top five remained the same into lap eight, when lapped traffic began to have an effect. With two laps to go, lappers allowed Katin and Dunaway to move to third and fourth, which dropped Mercer to fjfth. Plotts hung on for the 250cc Pro/Expert win. Rounding out the top five were Metcalf, Katin, Dunaway and Mercer. Sixth through 10th were Carsten, Dickson, Burton, Brodsky and Woodring. eN First Union Arena Wilkes-BaITe, Pennsylvania Results: Man:h 22, 2002 IFinal Round) 50 (4-8): 1. Ryan Frllncis (KTM); 2. Austin Mulhern (Cob): 3. Ricky Benesky (KTM). 65 (7-11): 1. Marshall Hurd (Kaw); 2. Justin Maylath (Suz); 3. Zach Butler (Kaw); 4. Aaron Mulhern (KTM); 5. Jonathan Daniels (Kaw). of the pack. Carsten moved all the way up to second, while Metcalf dropped to third, Mercer held fourth and Brodsky was now fifth. On lap five, Carsten went down, which allowed Metcalf to retake second. Mercer moved up to third, Brodsky to fourth and Tom Burton to fifth. When the halfway signal came out, Plotts was still in the point position, with Mercer moving up to n e _ s Burton, Gaylon Dickson, Randy Woodring, Jeremy Cook and Charlie Dunaway. Plotts managed to use all the power of the new Honda CRF450 thumper to his advantage as he led the pack out of the first turn in the 250cc Pro/Expert main event. Trailing him were Metcalf, Mercer, Brodsky and Katin. By the third lap, the top three were unchanged, while Brodsky crashed exiting the long, 8S (12-IS): J. Frank Burns (Kaw): 2. Andrew Mikalaichik (Kaw); 3. Larry Partin (Suz); 4. Mitchell Dougherty (Kaw); 5. Jimmy Britt (Yam). J 25 NOV: 1. Chris Mecan (Suz); 2. George Narcum (Yam); 3. Patrick Farrell (Suz); 4. Micheel Pagano (Yam); 5. Luc Cotnoir (Hon). J25INT: 1. Christopher Ramsey (YlIm); 2. DlIvid Sterritt (KTM); 3. Tristan Huey (Yam); 4. Shawn Calabrese (Yam). J25 PRO/EX: 1. Dllmien Plotts (Hon); 2. Mike Mercer (Suz); 3. Kevin Brodsky Jr. (Yllm); 4. Nick Metcalf (Suz); 5. Barry Carsten (Suz). 250 NOV: 1. Aaron Wegerski (Han); 2. David Breen (Yllm); 3. Glen B8rillo (Hon); 4. Steve Locklin (Suz); 5. Kirk Jecabs (Hon). 250 INT: 1. David Sterritt (Yam); 2. Bill Deleskiewicz (Yam). 250 PRO/EX: 1. Damlen Piotts (Hon): 2. Nick Metcalf (Su,): 3. Mike Kalin (Hus); 4. Charlie Dunllway (Suz); 5. Mike Mercer (Suz). EXTREME JUMP·OFF: 1. Randy Woodring (Han); 2. D8mien Plotts (Han); 3. Barry Carsten (Suz); 4. Thomas Burton (Yam). DFC: 1. D8mien Plotts (Han); 2. Barry ClIrsten (Suz); 3. Mike Mercer (Su,).