The fourth round of the 2015 season of AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, made its debut inside Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night in what ended up being a perfect night for Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki‘s Chris Blose. The first-year Arenacross Class competitor earned his second overall win of the season by becoming the first rider to sweep both Main Events, in addition to claiming the Head 2 Head Challenge. In the return of the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Spinechillers Racing KTM‘s Dave Ginolfi took over control of the points lead by winning his first Main Event of the season.
After winning the opening round of the season, Blose had endured some ups and downs heading into Nashville, even missing a night of action with an injury. However, he bounced back in a big way inside Bridgestone Arena. In the first Arenacross Class Main Event, Blose grabbed the hole-shot with Husqvarna’s Kyle Regal, Suzuki’s Cory Green, and Kawasaki teammates Matt Goerke and Jacob Hayes rounding out the top five. While Blose and Regal asserted themselves out front, Green, Goerke and Hayes engaged in an exciting battle for third. The Babbitt’s tandem soon overtook Green, while Hayes fought his way around Goerke to take over third.
The battle between Hayes and Goerke continued until the points leader, Goerke, when down on Lap 5 and fell outside the top 10. Blose maintained a consistent margin over Regal for the remainder of the 15-lap Main Event to take his third Main Event win of the season. Regal followed in second, while Hayes rounded out the podium in third. Green held on for fourth with Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry rounding out the top five. Goerke battled back to finish 11th, his first finish outside the top 10 this season.
Blose had the distinction of selecting the inversion for the second Main Event, revealing the number eight for the fourth straight night and signifying that half the field would be inverted.
Out of the gate for the second Main Event, Kiniry gained the early advantage with Blose right behind. Hayes, Daniel Herrlein, and Regal rounded out the top five, while Goerke looked to rebound with a seventh-place start. While the lead group settled in on Lap 1, Goerke looked to make a charge to the front, taking over fifth from Regal and then moving into fourth past Herrlein on the following lap. Regal also made his way around Herrlein a few laps later, which is when the action up front began to heat up as well.
On Lap 4 Blose made his move on Kiniry to take over the lead, and was soon followed by his teammate Hayes, dropping Kiniry two positions to third on one lap. As this battle ensued, Goerke’s forward progression continued as well, closing in on the front-runners as they traded positions and making the pass on Kiniry for third on Lap 6. Shortly thereafter, Kiniry made a mistake in the whoops that dropped him to sixth.
The Team Babbitt’s trio appeared to be on their way to a podium sweep until Goerke crashed after the finish on Lap 9. He was able to remount and get back into action quickly, but dropped to fifth, allowing Regal to take over third and Herrlein fourth. Just two laps later misfortune struck Goerke again, crashing in the whoops and dropping to the back of the field. Blose continued his strong ride out front and took the checkered flag ahead of Hayes, while Regal followed in third. Herrlein and Gared Steinke rounded out the top five, while Goerke outside the top 10 for the second straight time in 15th.
Blose’s convincing Main Event triumphs, combined with his Head 2 Head Challenge win over Regal earlier in the evening, gave him 34 points for the night and also gives him the most Main Event wins in 2015 with four. Hayes’ consistent 3-2 results tied him with Regal for second (2-3), but Hayes earned the runner-up spot by virtue of his better finish in the second Main Event. Herrlein (6-4) and Kiniry (5-6) rounded out the top five. Goerke’s toughest night of the season thus far landed him 13th overall (11-15).
Goerke’s hard luck also cost him possession of the Arenacross Class points lead. Goerke brought a 12-point advantage into Nashville, but leaves facing a nine-point deficit to Hayes, who leads the championship for the second time this season. Regal maintained his control of third, 19 points behind Hayes. Blose’s victory vaulted him from seventh to fourth, 39 points back.
TZR Woodstock KTM’s Josh Osby captured the hole-shot to lead the early stages of the 15-lap Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, ahead of Herrlein, Mitchell Harrison, Steve Roman and Ginolfi. Herrlein moved into the lead in the whoops on Lap 2 and was soon followed by Harrison. Ginolfi, who had worked his way past Roman in the opening laps, also overtook Osby on Lap 4. Shortly thereafter Osby crashed after the finish.
Herrlein, the points leader entering the evening, sat comfortably out front, but a mistake in the whoops on Lap 6 forced him off the track and dropped him outside the top 10. That allowed Harrison to take control of the Main Event with Ginolfi hot on his rear fender, while Tristan Charboneau overcame an eighth-place spot to move into third. Ginolfi’s consistent pressure on Harrison paid off on Lap 13 when he was able to take advantage of a small mistake by the Road to Supercross after the finish to move into the top spot. Once out front, Ginolfi pulled away to take his first win of the season. Harrison followed in second while fellow Road to Supercross competitor Charboneau finished third. Herrlein was impressive in his recovery from misfortune, battling all the way back to fifth.
Ginolfi’s win, combined with Herrlein’s trouble, allowed the KTM rider to take control of the championship standings. He carries a one-point lead over Herrlein, while Roman, who finished fourth, sits in third, 20 points back.
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