Arenacross

Hayes Wins Night Two In Baltimore as Blose Captures Points Lead

Posted:

Monday, January 18th, 2016

4:34 AM

Hayes Wins Night Two In Baltimore as Blose Captures Points Lead

The second round of the 2016 AMSOIL Arenacross came to an intense conclusion on Saturday night inside Royal Farms Arena.

Following the trend set by his Team Babbitt's/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki teammates, Jacob Hayes dominated en route to his first overall win of the season, sweeping the Arenacross Class Main Events to give the team its third straight victory. In the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, A&Y Racing Honda's Daniel Herrlein led every lap of the Main Event to earn his first victory of the season.

Hayes' kicked off the night by grabbing the holeshot in the first 15-lap Arenacross Class Main Event, ahead of his teammate Chris Blose and Woodstock/TZR KTM's Travis Sewell. Points leader Gavin Faith found his Team Babbitt's/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki mired back in 15th. With the lead in his hands, Hayes seized control of the Main Event and enjoyed a healthy lead until Custom Power Sports Kawasaki's Austin Stroupe crashed on Lap 9, resulting in a red flag that halted the race.

With nine laps completed, the Main Event had a single-file restart with Hayes positioned ahead of Blose and Sewell, who maintained their podium spots. When the racing resumed, Hayes maintained his hold of the top spot and took the win.

Blose finished second, with Sewell third. TiLUBE/Tuf Racing Honda's Ben Lamay followed in fourth, with MTF Yamaha's Keith Tucker fifth. Faith rebounded from his tough start to finish sixth, while reigning champion Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory Racing presented by FMC and OTSFF rider Kyle Regal was seventh.

Hayes was tasked with selecting the inversion for the second Main Event and selected the briefcase with the number 0, meaning there would be no inversion.

A restart was needed following a red flag in the first Main Event. - Credit: ShiftOne Photography

Despite having first gate pick, Hayes was unable to parlay that into another holeshot. Instead it was Regal who emerged from a congested first turn in the lead, with Faith second and Tucker in third. Hayes slotted into sixth, while Sewell and Blose had their work cut out for them in 12th and 14th, respectively. Out front, Regal looked to open a lead on Faith and earn his first Main Event win of the season.

Another solid start by Lamay allowed him to take over third from Tucker on Lap 5, and shortly thereafter Tucker crashed in the whoops. As that unfolded, Faith started to close in on Regal for the lead and made the pass stick on Lap 6 in the whoops. Shortly after Faith took control of the Main Event, Hayes started his run to the front, passing Lamay for third on Lap 8 and then Regal for second on Lap 12.

On the final lap, Faith appeared to have the win in hand but he crashed in the final turn, handing the win to Hayes. Regal followed in second, with Lamay in third, Herrlein fourth and Blose in fifth. Faith remounted to finish sixth.

Hayes' 1-1 effort was the first Main Event sweep of the season, with a five-point advantage over Lamay (4-3) and Blose (2-5), who finished in a tie for second. Lamay was awarded the runner-up spot by virtue of his better finish in the second Main Event. Regal was fourth (7-2) while Sewell (3-7) rounded out the top five. Faith settled for sixth (6-6).

Faith earned an additional championship bonus point earlier in the evening by winning the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge over Hayes, preventing his teammate from a complete sweep of all the night's action.

Thanks to three wins in the first three nights of competition, Team Babbitts'/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki occupies the top three spots in the Arenacross Class standings. As the only rider in the championship to finish on the overall podium each night, Blose is the new points leader, with a three-point lead over Faith. With the win, Hayes moved into third, four points back. Sewell is fourth, with Regal fifth.

Herrlein took the Arenacross Lites Class win and moved into the points lead. - Credit: ShiftOne Photography

In the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, Woodstock/TZR KTM's Scott Zont raced to the holeshot ahead of Herrlein and Team Babbitt's/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki's Jacob Williamson.

Herrlein wasted little time moving to the front and was in the lead before the completion of the opening lap. From there he never looked back. On Lap 3, Williamson made the pass on Zont to take over second and Barr's Competition Yamaha's Tyler McSwain followed into third.

The top three remained unchanged through the finish, with Herrlein taking the checkered flag nearly eight seconds ahead of Williamson. McSwain followed in third, with Team DirtBikeMike KTM's Ben Nelko and Action Extreme Sports KTM's Jared Lesher rounding out the top five. Championship leader Lane Staley finished seventh aboard his NST/Spinechillers KTM.

Herrlein moved to the top of the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class standings by virtue of the win and holds a five-point lead over Staley. McSwain is third, 13 points back.

The 2016 AMSOIL Arenacross season continues next weekend with the third round from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the PPL Center. Two nights of action kick off on Friday, January 22, and continue Saturday, January 23.

Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)
1. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1-1)
2. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (4-3)
3. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (2-5)
4. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (7-2)
5. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (3-7)
6. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (6-6)
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda (12-4)
8. Keith Tucker, Fuquay Varina, N.C., Yamaha (5-12)
9. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (10-8)
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (9-10)

Blose took over the Arenacross Class points lead - Credit: ShiftOne Photography

Arenacross Class Championship Standings
1. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki - 84 (1 Main Event Win)
2. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki - 81
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki - 80 (3 Main Event Wins)
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM - 73 (2 Main Event Wins)
5. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna - 64
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna - 63
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda - 47
8. Keith Tucker, Fuquay Varina, N.C., Yamaha - 44
9. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki - 44
10. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda - 40

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
1. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda
2. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki
3. Tyler McSwain, Shelby, N.C., Yamaha
4. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
5. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
6. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
7. Lane Staley, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM
8. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki
9. Dave Ginolfi, Miduale, Utah, Husqvarna
10. Jake McKinney, Hamersville, Ohio, Honda

Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings
1. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda - 44
2. Lane Staley, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM - 39
3. Tyler McSwain, Shelby, N.C., Yamaha - 31
4. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki - 24
5. Dylan Walker, Lancaster, Ohio, Honda - 20
6. Henry Miller, Rochester, Minn., Honda - 17
7. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Kawasaki - 16
8. Keith Tucker, Fuquay Varina, N.C., Yamaha - 16
9. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki - 15
10. Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Yamaha - 9

Top Image: Hayes posted the first Main Event sweep of the 2016 season.

Credit: ShiftOne Photography