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/128407
Brock Sellards puts the brakes on Chad Johnson's winning run By finish, added that Sellards' win on Saturday was a testament to how tough the Toyota AMA National Arenacross competition is this season. W ith a win on Saturday night at round three of the Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series (held at Charlotte Bobcats Arena for the first time), Brock Sellards, put an end to the fiverace win streak held by Team Yamaha's "Rad Chad" johnson. The performance moved the Team Thor/HondafTuf Racingsponsored rider Sellards into second place in the series standings, ahead of 34 teammate jeff Northrop, and within 32 points of Chad johnson, the leader. johnson, Friday night's AMA Arenacross class (formerly 250 class) winner - and winner of the four previous AMA Arenacross class main events (Albany, New York, and Des Moines, Iowa) - has said from the beginning that it's going to be a long, hard-fought season. A bit surprised with his early success, johnson, who now has 145 points on the season with five wins and one third-place DECEMBER 7,2005 • CYCLE NEWS "Brock was on it Saturday," johnson said. "I'd made a couple mistakes and gave it all I could to take the lead back from him, but I just wasn't able to put another win together. I can't wait to race him again when we get back to Rockford." A hometown race of sorts for johnson, who hails from nearby Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the Rockford Metrocentre Arenacross will be the only National Arenacross Series race run in Illinois. Sellards has been fast all season. But the MX/SX specialist - racing his first Arenacross-style race in a decade - has played it Veteran-cool, biding his time before taking it to the competition this past weekend in Charlotte. "To begin with, my starts were better at Charlotte," Sellards said. 'The racing's so tight, if you don't get an explosive start, it's tough to come through the pack especially the way guys like Chad [Johnson] and my teammate jeff [Northrop] have been racing. My timing's coming around, and that showed on PAT ScHUTTE Saturday. The main thing is that I'm having fun, [I] got that first win out of the way and look forward to running it back here in a couple weeks at Rockford." Not to be overshadowed by johnson, the series' other hyperfast johnson "Revvin' Kevin" johnson - turned in a blazing fast 2-2 performance in the AMA Arenacross class, and moved past North Carolina's jim Neese, into fourth place in the overall standings with 101 points. In the AMA Arenacross Lites class, Iowan Cody Gilmore proved his Wells Fargo Arenacross Lites-class win a couple weeks ago was no fluke, as he took Saturday night's Support-class win. Top AMA Lites-class racer Shawn Clark maintains the best overall speed in the class though, as he captured the win on Friday and took second on Saturday. eN CHARlOnE BOBCATS ARENA CHARLonE, NORTH CAROUNA RESULTS: NOVEMBER 18·19, 2005 (ROUND 3 OF 10) Friday ARENACROSS LITES: I. Shawn Clark (Kaw); 2. Jim Chester (Suz); J. Roy Horton (Hon); 1. Robby Marshall (Hon); 5. Cody Gilmore (Kaw). ARENACROSS: I. Chad Johnson (Yam); 2. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 3. Brock Sellards (Hon): 4. Jeff Northrop (Hon); 5. Robbie Horton (Kaw).