Jacob Hayes who finished the "regular" season with three overalls finally got his first since the points reset and did so in dominating fashion on Saturday for Round 13 of the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross season in Tacoma, WA.
Thanks to five Main event wins, the most of anybody, Hayes led the field earlier in the season before Round 10 when the "Race to the Championship" format began which reset the points for those riders in the Top 10 after Round 9. But in the first three rounds to start the "Race to the Championship" he was unable to get back on top of the box until Saturday.
Held on the largest track of the season at the Tacoma Dome, Hayes grabbed the holeshot in both Motos, led every lap and destroyed the field leaving everyone behind him to figure out second and third place. The (1-1) effort helped him jump from fourth to second in the standings. Chris Blose who entered the night in second, just six points behind Kyle Regal, finished ninth overall dropping to fourth. Despite a third-overall Regal actually padded his lead to eight, now over Hayes.
In Moto 1 after Hayes bolted in front, Blose followed and Matt Goerke trailed in third but quickly passed Blose for second. Little changed until Lap 8 when Blose crashed and by then Regal had moved up from eighth into sixth and MotoSport rider Gared Steinke was in third. Steinke held on to the final podium spot and Regal finished fifth. Cory Green took fourth.
In Moto 2, Hayes beat Steven Mages for the holeshot and Bobby Kiniry took third. Goerke took over third on Lap 3 and finally passed Mages for second on Lap 8 as Kiniry bowed out of competition. Regal took advantage and positioned himself in fourth and then passed Mages on Lap 11 for third. Steinke finished ninth after a bad start for a seventh overall.
"It's very solid considering the stacked group he's competing against," said MotoSport.com/Lauerman MX team Manager Kirk Lauerman said of Steinke. "Points wise, he moved up into eighth and has his eyes on getting into the Top 5."
Daniel Blair #125 - All Photos: Mike Vizer
In the West Lites class where MotoSport rider Daniel Blair wrapped up the Championship last week, it was Mages taking the win, his fourth West Lites win of the season, and fifth overall including an East Lites win. Blair took fourth-place but worked his way from 12th after he lined up on the outside and got pushed off the track on the first turn.
"With two rounds left in the 'Race to the Championship,' Gared plans on pushing himself harder than he's ever pushed himself before. He holds the number-eight plate now and plans on doing whatever it takes to get inside the Top 5," Lauerman said. "Every rider is trying so hard every race to get on the podium which results in a ton of carnage. Gared will continue to do his best to stay out of the carnage if possible but he may also end up causing some too."
The penultimate round to the Areancross Championship is Saturday at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA. Buy tickets online or at the box office, 2650 E. Shaw in Fresno, CA.
2015 Tacoma Arenacross Results
Arenacross Class Results - Overall
- Jacob Hayes (1-1)
- Matt Goerke (2-2)
- Kyle Regal (5-3)
- Travis Sewell (6-4)
- Cory Green (4-6)
- Gavin Faith (7-5)
- Gared Steinke (3-9) - MotoSport rider
- Steven Mages (8-7)
- Chris Blose (10-8)
- Dave Ginolfi(11-10)
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
- Steven Mages
- Mark Worth
- Dave Ginolfi
- Daniel Blair - MotoSport rider
- Gregory Crater
- Collin Jurin
- RJ Wageman
- Mason Wharton
- Jake Locks
- Mitch Keezer
2015 Race to the Championship Standings
- Kyle Regal (117)
- Jacob Hayes (109)
- Matt Goerke (106)
- Chris Blose (102)
- Gavin Faith (102)
- Cory Green (97)
- Travis Sewell (92)
- Gared Steinke (86) - MotoSport rider
- Bobby Kiniry (83)
- Steven Mages (72)
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points
- Daniel Blair (112)- 2015 West Lites Champion
- Jake Locks (56)
- Cody VanBuskirk (51)
- Brandon Glenn (48)
- Jason McConnell (38)
- Clay Elliott (34)
- Josh Struebig (34)
- Mason Whartom (33)
- Jonah Locks (27)
- RJ Wageman (22)
