Team Babbitt's Continues Winning Streak In AMA Arenacross Championship Series
- 13 Feb 2012
Although the opening night of the race fell on Friday the 13th, the team had no intentions of letting superstitions get in their way of pursuing success in the AMA Arenacross Championship Series.
Manning his Kawasaki KX 250F, Chad Johnson made a showing early on, when he earned the victory in the "Dash For Cash". Although experiencing success during his first ride of the event, Johnson then crashed in the main event, finishing the race in seventh place. Returning the following night, he experienced a stellar ride, earning his second trip to the top of the podium during the season. While Johnson took the victory, his teammate, Tyler Bowers had aspirations of his own. Bowers showed up at Topeka tied for the points lead, but had full intentions of leaving the event as the sole leader. In fact, in spite of clipping the gate with his front tire, the rider grabbed the holeshot on Friday night and never looked back, as he took his seventh win of the season.
During his heat on Saturday night, Bowers skidded out and went down upon an attempt to make a move to the inside corner, but still managed to finish in the sixth spot. Starting in the second row for the main event, the rider immediately started working his way forward off of the gate, and was situated in fifth place during the first corner. Bowers continued muscling his way toward the front of the pack, and eventually crossed the finish line in second place behind his teammate, Chad Johnson, ending the event with a twelve point lead in the series. When asked the key to their success during the 2011-2012 season, team manager, Denny Bartz said, "I think the whole program has a lot to do with the success of the team. Eddie Babbitt and I want to win, and we try to provide the riders with the tools they need to win." Referring to Chad Johnson and Tyler Bowers, he continued, "Both riders are capable of coming from the back to the front to be on the box consistently." As one might suspect, although experiencing a stellar season, Team Babbitt's is no different from any of their competitors in the fact that they have experienced low points as well. In fact, during a previous event, the wind was let out of their sails when Bowers lost twenty two points. On the other hand, the stroke of bad luck was obviously short-lived as the team has dominated the series, winning eleven of the fourteen events in which they have raced this year. Talent and skill has played a crucial role in the team's success, but they are also aware that to continue their winning streak, maintenance must always remain a priority. That in mind, Team Monster Energy Babbitt's Kawasaki depends upon K&N air and oil filters to keep the internal components of their engines properly protected from the rigors of Arenacross racing. "Maintenance is a must in our program," explained Bartz. "We have been with K&N since we started in 2006." The team manager continued by explaining that upon using the products, they showed a one horsepower gain on the dyno. As the season nears its end, Team Babbitt's has full intentions of continuing their winning streak. When asked the key to continued success, Denny Bartz answered, "Podium Finishes." Referring to the AMA Arenacross Championship series, he continued, "It's the best bar to bar racing in AMA. We want to win as many races as possible." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
