Chris Blose Takes Opening-Night Win At Ontario Arenacross

Cycle News Staff | April 2, 2016

Chris Blose and Ben Lamay fired the first shots in the Amsoil Arenacross Race to the Championship first round at Ontario, California’s Citizens Business Bank Arena, where Blose and Lamay traded victories in the double main events wins, April 1.

The event kicked off the five-round Race to the Championship, where points were reset and the top 10 riders of the regular series basically started from scratch in their battle to take home the Ricky Carmichael Cup when all is said and done.

Blose and his Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki teammate Gavin Faith, who was the top points earner following the regular season. Blose and Faith battled back and forth for much of the race until Blose finally broke away towards the end and went on to take the opening-race win.

Faith then began feeling the heat that was turned up by TiLUBE/TUF Racing Honda’s Jace Owen, who slipped past Faith and snatched second place away from the Kawasaki rider, Faith.

TZR/Woodstock KTM’s Travis Sewell was fourth, with Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory Racing presented by FMC and OTSFF rider Gared Steinke in fifth.

In the second race, Lamay flat out dominated the race. He grabbed the holeshot and never looked back en route to victory.

The race for second was closer. Blose held the position and seemed content to stay there, his main goal was to stay ahead of Faith, who was running third, and that would ensure him the overall victory. Blose ended up doing just that, and Faith did the same with Hayes.

Hayes ended up fourth, while Honda rider Chase Sexton rounded out the top five.

Regal, the defending champ, was sixth.

Blose’s 1-2 was more than enough to claim the overall victory for the night, while Faith’s 3-3 gave him second overall. Third overall went to Lamay who finished seventh in the first race.

“I need to keep bringing it every night and try to minimize the mistakes [on the track]. Keep getting good starts and keep it on two wheels,” said Blose. “I’ll get a good night’s rest and try to come back out here tomorrow and do it again.”

Earlier in the evening, Blose also scored the win in the Head-To-Head Challenge over Faith, nabbing one extra point over Faith on the night. So, heading into tonight’s second race, Blose leads the championship now by two over Faith. Lamay is five points back in third.

In the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Shawnee Motor Company/Justified Cultures KTM’s Cheyenne Harmon captured the first win of his professional career with a wire-to-wire victory.

RESULTS – NIGHT ONE (Friday, April 1, 2016)

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1

Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda
Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
Austin Politelli, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2

Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda
Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna
Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM

Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)

Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1-2)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (3-3)
Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (7-1)
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (2-7)
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (6-4)
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (8-5)
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (5-8)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (4-10)
Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (9-6)
Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (13-9)

RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Bonus Points)

Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (2 points)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (1 point)
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1 point)
Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (1 point)
Sean Cantrell, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (1 point)

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results

Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Kawasaki
Parker Fleming, Quinlan, Texas, Husqvarna
Dillon Cloyed, Papillion, Neb., Honda
Blake Green, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha

Race to the Championship Standings

Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki – 37 (3 Main Event Wins)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 35 (6 Main Event Wins)
Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 30 (2 Main Event Wins)
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 29
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 28 (8 Main Event Wins)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 26 (5 Main Event Wins)
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna – 24
Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 21
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 1
Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 1

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings

Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 74 (2 Main Event Wins)
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 72 (1 Main Event Win)
Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM – 62 (1 Main Event Win)
Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 54
Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM – 48
Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM – 46
Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna – 46
Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM – 44
Collin Jurin, Monroe, Wash., Kawasaki – 25
Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 25