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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1518395
Peters Wins 5th AMA Arenacross Championship T he Championship round of the AMA Arenacross Series came down to the wire at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 30. Only eight points separated the top two contenders, Kyle Peters and Ryan Breece, going into the 14th and final round of the 2023-24 Cham - pionship. When the dust settled, it was Breece who won the battle, but Peters managed to keep his points lead and wrap up his fifth consecutive championship. Things got hot early as the two contenders went head-to- head in the heat race. Peters made contact and put Breece off the track to make the pass and eventually the early win. This set the tone for the rest of the night's racing. Breece did what he needed to in his all-or-nothing situation. After finishing second in his heat race to Peters, the Yamaha rider came out swinging with a holeshot and the early lead in race one. He led every lap of the opening race and put himself in the best position possible going into the final main event of the night. Peters played it cool and relied on his previous four titles as experience in Las Vegas. He ran third in the opening stages of main number one and moved into second behind Breece after the halfway mark. Peters did not need to win to clinch the title and cruised it in for a safe second place. Main two saw Peters get the jump on Breece, but both riders were forced to start from the back row. Heat winner and the day's fastest qualifier, Austin Politelli, worked his way into the lead by lap two and began riding steady laps at the front of the field. Breece knew it was do or die and made his charge to the front after starting back in 10th place. He moved around Peters on lap six but kept fighting toward the leaders. With just one lap left, Breece passed Politelli for the lead and claimed the victory in the final main event of the year. Breece added it to his tally of most main wins this year at 14. Peters still finished third, and while he lost three points to Breece in the process, he won the title by a mere five points. This marks the Phoenix Honda rider's fifth consecutive champi - onship and ties him with Aren- across legend Buddy Antunez at five titles apiece. Marshal Weltin is credited with third on the night after fin- ishing 3-4 in the main events. Izaih Clark finished fifth on the night but earned third in the Championship points standings. Peters officially finished out the season with 405 points, fol- lowed by Breece with 400 points and Clark's 308 total points edged out Kyle Bitterman by just six points in the final standings. Fifth overall with 235 points was Mason Keer. CN OVERALL 1. Ryan Breece (Yam) 1-1 2. Kyle Peters (Hon) 2-3 3. Marshal Weltin (Yam) 3-4 4. Austin Politelli (GG) 7-2 5. Izaih Clark (Hon) 4-5 WIND IN THE P36 Kyle Peters celebrates winning the AMA Arenacross Championship in Las Vegas.