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Torger Cenrcr ,ttinn.opolis, ,tlN Rourrd to Februory 3-{. 2006 HANGS Hofmasten Bess and Woods keep the BooKoo Championship alive with one to go BY BoB €HA5E Pxorog cv ToNY Sc vo I ike a heavyweight fiSht goin8 I 'nr., the tate rounds- tne con- I t"nde.s remainine for the first I Boottoo Arenaclss Cnampt- Lonrn,p n"u" taKen some orows. look a bit worse for wear, but the tough- est have persevered- Josh Demuth rode throuSh the pain of several iniuries to score valuable championshiP Points so he can go into the last round in a good position to win the championship. His closest pursuers, Shane Bess and Tom Hofmaster, split main-event wins on Fri- day, while previous points leader,.losh Woods, overcame a crash-filled Friday night to sweep both mains and the Dash For Cash on Saturday. This was the first Arenacross ever held in the Minneapolivst. Paul area and was enthusiastically received by the normally stoic natives. What is normally the home court of the NBAs Timberwolves was transformed into the whoop section, cata- pult jump, rhythm section, bowl tums, and other elements normally found at a BooKoo Arenacross race. With frozen ground and single-digit wind chills outside, indoor racing was iust the ticket for a mid- winter motorcyclinS flx. Goin8 into this loth round of ll, Bess had moved into second, three in front of Hofmaste( and 78 points behind Team Babbitt'dEnxus Oil/Kawasaki's Demuth. With 160 points still up for grabs, this would normally be a safe lead for the mul- tiple time Arenacross Champion, but he w"as riding with a badly injured hand, and not at his usual pace, finishing in the toP l0 onty once at the previous round. Thrown into the mix was the retum of Bess's Fun Center TLD/PPG Suzuki teammate Woods who was coming back from an in,ury and had shown that he has the speed to win whenever he's on the rack- His I I main-event wins coming in to this round were the most of anyone in the series. Team BooKoo Energy Honda's liger lacey, was out front early in Friday's 250 main, but Hofmaster moved his Sano Systems/PPG/Motion Cycles Yamaha him with Michael Blose close behind. Bloca went down, moving Bess and Woods - coming from midpack starts - into second and third, respectively. Woods was cleady the fastest rider throuSh the whooP sec- tion, but went down hard in them and dropped out. Bess closed, but Hofmaster held on for the win. Damien Plots put his Tearn Babbift's Enxus Oil Kawasaki on the last step of the podium. Demr]th rode a steady race, taking ad\rantage of the odler people's mistakes, to finish fifth. ''You had to be smooth," Hofmasler said- ''The whoops are really bi8 tonight and a lot of people are going down in them.'' That would prove to be an apt assess- ment of the entire weekend. Lacey lead the way again in the 450 main, but Woods went by in the whooPs to quickty take the lead. The lead would not last, as Woods crashed hard again, knockinS himself out of contention- Bess was there to take the lead to the checkers. Lacey held on for second with Hofmaster next. Demuth, who had to qualify through the semi, had a poor sta.t, but rode steady once again to climb to sixth. lf ridin8 with his tweaked hand was not already bad enough, Demuth crashed hard in the whoops during Saturday's Practice, taking a handlebar to the face, He was given clearance to ride, but it was obvious that it was very painful. Having previousty stated how important it was for him to win this championship for his dad and for his flrst- year tearn, he postponed his appointment with the surgeon and went out to race. The 250s were the first main event of the evening. Bess was out front halfway through the first lap, but he had Woods and Team GPS Racing/Storm Lake Honda's Blose right behind him- Woods quickly made his way into the lead with Blose keeping him in sight. Bess lost touch with the leaders and carne under attack late in the race by Demuth, barely holding him oll for the last podium spot. Woods made it easier on himself in the 450 main, BkinS the holeshot and running uncontested for the entire race. Lacey and Hofmaster battled over second most of the race, with Lacey ending up with the position at the end. Demuth started slow- ing noticeably this race, not moving uP through the lield as he had done in the ear- lier races. Bess had a poor start and could only make it to fifth, unable to take full advantage of the eventual I fth-place finish of Demuth. The series heads to the finalweekend at the Tulsa Arena- Demuth's gutty rides at the Target Center earned him a 6l-Point margin over Bess Soing into the last round, but the championship is far from assured. The onb, certainty is that he will be battling to the end. C]{ TaRGET ClNrEr ,ltNNraPor.E. AINxElorA REsuus: Frleu^rY 3-4. 2006 RoUND lO or t I ) ari/da'I 2to MAIN: L Tom Ho{mdter (Yam): 2. Shm Bs (Suz): l. oepn Plott' (K*); 4. 'l-rter La.6/ (Hon); s.lo'h D€muth (K )t 6. Brad Ripple (Kaw): 7. B-dd HaSreth (Kaw): L Colt Humphrey (Y ): 9. Rjley Klrk 6y (Hon): !0. ch.i' Eroe (Hon)r I l. E6d I'lodie*ki (Hon)i 12. Br.dI Sh3tP (Hs): I L Ky'E caldenni (Kaw)r I 4. tli.had Ale Go.)i I 5. J6h wbods (Suz)i 16. Kln Mabe (Hon). 450 HAINi l. Shde Bes (su)i 2. nser Lacey (Hon); l. Tom Horrllj*r (Y ): a. 86d Hag*rh (Kew): 5. D En aoftr (Kaw)i 6. losh D.mud (&w); 7. Cot HwPhrcy Clm): 8. BEd Ripple (Kaw): e. Brd ModF*L (Hon): l0 Crmercn L,niiB (suz): ll. Kln l'labe (Hd)i 12. ry'er Bnsht (su.)r 13. lem6 P@lny (su): 14. h/e Cildd'ni (K,w)i I 5. Tmvi5 Bdnister (Hon): 15. losh woods (Suz). DfC: l. Tom Hofmistf (rd): 2. Iosh woodt (sE); l. n8s l.E/ (Hoo): 4. 8r.d Rjpple (K!w)i 5. B.id Hryeth (xe):5. stEB 86r (Suz). 44 FEBRUARY 22,2006 . CYCLE NEWS ARENACROSS BooKoo An€nacross Scnies Josh Woods copped lhe weekend ofI by winning bolh moin events. I , 3hono Besr won Fridoy night'rfO moin. // J / ;