Arenacross

Closest title chase in the history of AMA National Arenacross goes down to the final night in Denver, Johnson tops Brock Sellards by one point for title

AURORA, Ill., (Feb. 13, 2006) – Two high-risk moves set Yamaha-backed Chad Johnson apart from his rival Brock Sellards (Thor/Honda/TUF Racing) this past Friday and Saturday night in Denver. An aggressive pass on Friday night that sent Sellards off the track and a ‘roll-of-the-dice’ pass on three top racers – Team Faith/Yamaha’s Kevin Johnson, Sellards’ teammate Jeff Northrop and Suzuki mounted Zach Ames – on Saturday were the moves it took for Johnson to capture the overall Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series title.

Local hero Bobby Fitch wins Lites Main

AURORA, Ill., (February 11, 2006) Zach Ames shot off the gate to win the $500 Weekend Warrior hole shot award but would soon yield to Rockstar Suzuki rider Greg Schnell. Sellards tucked in behind Schnell and followed for several laps. Sellards passed Schnell near the halfway mark thus doing everything in his power to win the championship. It was then up to Yamaha’s Chad Johnson to finish third or better to secure the title. Chad was running sixth on lap 12 and put a championship pass on Zach Ames, Jeff Northrop and Kevin Johnson in the same turn to put him in third and clinch the title. By winning the title Chad Johnson was awarded a 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and $25,000.

The Indiana native was the class of the Lites class, winning often and setting a perfect example on how Lites is the “stepping stone

It all comes down to one weekend, two racers, two main events – one champion. Yamaha-backed Chad Johnson, who’s led the points chase up to this past weekend in Memphis, is tied with first-year Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series racer (though no rookie) Brock Sellards. In a never-before-occurring feat in AMA Arenacross (formerly 250cc class) history, both racers are entering the final event tied at 375 points. Denver’s Coliseum, located in the heart of action sports central, will no doubt go off this weekend as the two top-flight motocross racers go all out in this fan-friendly microwave version of Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross.

Junior Jackson (Yamaha) and Dave Antolak (Thor/Honda/TUF Racing) speaking on then epic battle for the 2005-2006 Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series title this weekend in Denver

AURORA, Ill., (Feb. 8, 2006) – The men behind the two racers in the hunt for the overall Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series title – Chad Johnson and Brock Sellards – are just about as excited to get this weekend’s contest going at the Denver Coliseum as the racers themselves.

Junior Jackson, the guy who wears all the hats – team manager, chief mechanic, owner – for Yamaha-backed Chad Johnson’s race team and Dave Antolak, boss of Sellards’ Thor/Honda/TUF Race team, are both poised to bring the Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series title back to their respective camp.

Sellards and Johnson are tied going into final stop

Jim Neese Wins AMA Arenacross Lites Main

AURORA, Ill., (Feb. 4, 2006) Jeff Northrop passed Kevin Johnson in the final turn to win his first AMA Arenacross main event. Kevin Johnson had a great start winning the $500 Weekend Worrier Hole Shot award and led for all but the last 30 feet. Johnson stalled his Team Faith Yamaha in the final turn. Along the way he scored the fastest lap time of the weekend. Brock Sellards had to put in overtime by going through the semi finals to get to the main event thus putting him on the back row for the start. Chad Johnson was ahead of Sellards in the early going before getting loose in the whoops and dropping to 7th. Johnson worked his way back to 3rd by the end of the race. Sellards finished 2nd, putting the points in a dead heat going in to the last round in Denver.

Jim Chester went flag to flag for Arenacross Lites victory

AURORA, Ill., (Jan. 27, 2006) Brock Sellards held off a hard charging Chad Johnson to win the AMA Arenacross main event. Sellards got off the gate with the holeshot just in front of his team mate Jeff Northrop. Team Faith’s Kevin Johnson was third off the gate and soon pressured Northrop for the second position. Northrop eventually parked Johnson in the Toyota hairpin turn at the halfway mark. This mishap dropped Kevin Johnson back to fourth. Points leader Chad Johnson pushed his way passed Northrop for the second position and challenged Sellards for the top of the box. Kevin Johnson got on the gas and turned in the fastest lap of the night on his way to pay back time for Northrop. Kevin Johnson pushed Northop into the tuff blocks in the same place the two hit in a prior lap.

Brock Sellards steals win at Lazy E Arena

Shawn Clark makes it two in a row in the Lites class

AURORA, Ill., (Jan. 21, 2006) Honda’s Brock Sellards followed Kevin Johnson for all but three laps to win the AMA Arenacross class in Guthrie, OK. Team Faith’s Kevin Johnson got out to a blistering start to lead the field. Johnson had the near capacity crowd on their feet turning the fastest lap times of the weekend for 15 of the 18 scheduled laps. Sellards made his move in the whoops bouncing off tuff blocks for the pass. Points leader Chad Johnson rode to a conservative third place finish.

Dallas Fans witness a Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series burner as Ohio racer hits his stride in year’s most exciting race-to-date!

AURORA, Ill., (Jan. 9, 2006) – An excited crowd at Dallas’ Reunion Arena was witness to quite possibly the best AMA Arenacross class race of the season when Thor/Honda/TUF Racing’s Brock Sellards backed up his Friday night win with an incredible come-from-behind performance to complete the two-race sweep of Round Five of the 2005/06 Toyota AMA National Arenacross Series.

Sellards, who trimmed back series point leader Chad Johnson’s once insurmountable points lead into the teens (17 points) with the 1-1 effort looks to be hitting his stride as the season returned from its one month holiday hiatus with some amazing racing in Dallas.