Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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ARENACROSS 2014 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SERIES UPDATE PREVIEW P84 of the heavier guys in the class." Regal is currently seventh in points and is hoping to climb up the ladder. "I'm just focusing on getting in and then the last four events we'll make a run for the title," Regal said. "I just got this deal three weeks before the first round, and we kept it quiet and tried to sneak in under the radar, but the weath- er was crazy at the first round, and I didn't even make it there! We need to make it better and I'm still not comfortable. But yes, the series is good. I grew up riding Arenacross with two-time cham- pion Chad Johnson, who used to train with me at my place down in Texas, so I've seen how he does it and I'm following his lead because he was so successful in Arenacross." Other winners of the early rounds of the series, include Ya- mahalube/Star Racing Yamaha's Aaron Plessinger and Babbitts Kawasaki's Colt Nichols. Pless- inger, the 2013 Loretta Lynn's amateur standout, came to Aren- across just to earn his Supercross eligibility points and surprised ev- eryone by coming out with a cou- ple wins the first few rounds. The Hamilton, Ohio-based Plessinger won two main events at the sec- ond round in Baltimore and took the overall win the second night with his 4-1 scores. Nichols, the first year Aren- across rider who is on the Bab- bitts team for the entire series this year, got his first main event win of the year at Greensboro and went home with second overall behind Hayes. He is now eighth in points. "It's tougher than I thought," Nichols said. "These guys go re- ally fast, but I'm learning from the best and I have some really good people around me." Former Arenacross champ Jeff Gibson competed in Milwaukee but said it could be his last one. "I'm not going out West after this and this is most likely the last one this year and maybe forever," Gibson said. "But I've been saying that for a while, so who knows. I love to race still, but I have a full time job now and a wife and daughter, so I think things through more be- fore I do them." Traders Menage/RNBracing Kawasaki's Tony Archer wrapped up the East Coast Lites title in Milwaukee after finishing sixth in the Lites on Friday and fifth in the final on Saturday. The rider out of Waldorf, Maryland, was consis- tent enough through the first five events that he clinched it with one event remaining. "I'm pumped to be an AMA champ," Archer said after the event. "I'm going out west to keep racing and see if we can get better." In three weeks, the Race For The Championship gets under- way in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the top qualifiers from the regular series all start from scratch in a four-race showdown for the 2014 Amsoil Arenacross Champion- ship. CN The number-285 Kawasaki of Tony Archer has already clinched the 250 East Lites Arenacross Championship.