Memphis, TN was definitely the most exciting race we have had this series. It was full of moments that brought a lot of changes to the series and full of a ton of birthday's in our crew. Not only was it my birthday weekend, it was Ryan Gauld with Speed Channel, Kathy and Tara in scoring and our two riders Rob Lewis and Shawn Clark. So, it was sure to be a fun filled weekend! The track was similar to Baltimore, MD where Kevin Johnson had his first win. Brock Sellards came into the weekend only 7 point’s behind our series point’s leader, Chad Johnson. Anything could happen this weekend. There was less than 100 points separating the top 5 riders, and going into this weekend there was still 100 points possible to gain. It was a weekend the riders knew they had to really ride there strongest with minimal mistakes.
Friday night started off with a ton of fans packed into the stadium, and they were going to see some tire-to-tire, neck-to-neck racing. The riders were coming out strong, with only one thing on their mind, winning the race. The track was small making it difficult to pass, so if you didn’t get the start you wanted you definitely had to work to get to the front. The Lites class came out of the gates and into the first turn. It was a hectic race track with bikes down all over the place, I got a little lost and didn’t really know what place anyone was in. I knew Jimmy Neese and Roy Horton were up there in the top 5; Shawn Clark took a small crash so he never really could catch up. It was a crazy Lites class for sure! In the end Kevin Markwardt 312, was leading but Jimmy Neese passed him in the last turn. So Jimmy Neese won the Lites class, with Kevin Markwardt coming off an injury, getting 2 nd, and Roy Horton finishing 3 rd. It was an entertaining race to watch!
The Arenacross class was up next. With Chad Johnson and Brock Sellards so close in points, I was nervous and excited to see who would take the win. Out of the start gate came #4 Kevin Johnson getting the Weekend Warrior hole shot, he got in front and dominated the race. He was going so fast. He rode a mistake free race which gave him the win that he wanted. He was all smiles when he pulled up to the podium. Chad Johnson was having a rough time getting the passes he needed to get, the last couple of rounds he hasn’t been racing the way I know him to race. He has been acting a little scared and intimidated. Not the Chad Johnson we knew in the first four races of the season. Brock had a bad starting position but was able to come up and get into the top 4 in the first lap. Greg Schnell was racing a good race for the 2 nd position with Jeff Northrop. They were putting in some really good battles. Jeff had the chance to pass Schnell and he took over 2 nd for a while. But he ended up 3 rd overall after Brock came out of nowhere to take over second. So in the end Kevin Johnson ended up 1 st, Brock Sellards 2 nd and Jeff Northrop 3 rd. Chad Johnson had a disappointing 6 th place finish.
After the race of Friday we went to the famous Biehl St to go to the bars. We had a great time at this Blues bar called Rum Boogie. The staff was so nice, the band was awesome, the food was amazing and the place was just fun! I would recommend that place to everyone who visits or lives in Memphis it was a blast!
On Saturday we had a track party before the race, giving fans the chance to come out onto the track see how big the jumps are, meet the riders, get autographs and play around. It was crowded and I always love being able to talk with the fans and see how excited they are to be on the track where their heroes race around on their dirt bikes. There was this one little boy who was on the mission to get as dirty and muddy as possible, without letting mom or dad see. He was a mess, and mom and dad were not to happy about it. It made me laugh, boys will be boys!
The races started off great, the qualifiers were really interesting to watch. Jeff Northrop took a hard crash, luckily he was feeling OK and ready to race the mains. The Lites class started off very similar to Friday night, except Jon Paul Palmer came out of the gates on fire. He was riding strong and leading the race. Not too far behind were Jimmy Neese, and Shawn Clark. But there was a pile up in the corner and Shawn Clark didn’t have a choice but to be a part of it. You could tell it made him a little upset because he came out of it riding stronger than ever. He was almost last and rode his heart out till he was close to the front. There was a terrible crash in the rhythm section, bringing out the Red Cross flag. No one is allowed to jump when it is out. Unfortunately Jon Paul Palmer made the mistake of jumping, and got disqualified, what a bummer! But Jimmy Neese ended up taking his second win of the weekend. Shawn Clark rode a very strong race making his way all the way up to 2 nd and Kevin Markwardt put in a great race getting 3 rd.
The Arenacross class was next, and after Friday night’s race, Brock Sellards was only 2 points behind Chad, putting a lot of pressure on the two of them to race their hardest. The gates dropped and they were off. Kevin Johnson once again came out strong getting the Weekend Warrior hole shot and running away with the lead. Jeff Northrop was riding a very close second. He was looking strong, even after his crash in the qualifier. Just behind him were Brock, Schnell, and Chad Johnson. They were all in a battle for 3 rd. But Brock and Chad were in a race of their own; Chad looked like he was back to the old Chad with nothing but determination in his eyes. Kevin led the race putting in some extremely fast lap times. It was pretty much in the bag… or so we all thought. In the last turn of the 20 th lap, Kevin’s bike stopped, he stopped and tried to run up the catapult jump but couldn’t make it up. It was a heartbreaking finish for Kevin. But Jeff Northrop came over the finish line receiving his first win of the season. He got to the podium and screamed. I have never seen anyone so happy to win. He was absolutely beaming, and just kept saying “Yes, Finally.” He has put in a tough season and definitely deserved to win, although we all felt for Kevin Johnson. It was a tough break. Brock finished just in front of Chad, but Chad was just happy to be up there on the podium and back to his old self. It was a race to remember, perhaps more than any other race this season.
We are headed to Denver, CO next week to finish up our Toyota AMA National Arenacross series, and there couldn’t be a more exciting way to head into the final round. Brock Sellards has worked his way up to a tie with Chad Johnson. They are tied for first place, and both want nothing more than to win this championship. Kevin Johnson has put in some amazing races, along with Jeff Northop and Greg Schnell. The riders are all so close in points. It is going to be a race till the end. Next weekend is going to reveal who is the Toyota National Arenacross champion and there is absolutely no way to predict who is going to win it. So for all you Arenacross fans, get ready because we are going racing, racing for the Championship and racing to win! So until next week, remember to be safe, ride strong and don’t forget to keep your smile!
XOXO
Ashley Miss Ax
