Woods Takes Two In Arizona

Kit Palmer | December 20, 2005

The BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series reached the halfway point of the 2005-2006 tour in Glendale, Arizona, last weekend, and the championship title is still far from decided.

Team Fun Center Troy Lee Designs Suzuki had a great showing in Arizona, as Shane Bess grabbed another victory in the 250 class Saturday night along with a second-place podium spot behind teammate Josh Woods (pictured) in the 450 main.

Woods used his consistent finishes to again regain the BooKoo Championship points lead over Team Babbitt’s Enxus Kawasaki’s Josh Demuth, as the two rivals continue to trade wins and the points lead.

Demuth took a second place to Woods in the 250 class on Friday night and charged back from a midpack start to chase down Woods and the win in the 450 main, keeping him in the race for the championship – six points back from Woods.

The ‘Sheriff’ injured his ankle while taking the checkered flag on Friday night as he landed on another rider after the catapult jump.

Demuth iced and taped the ankle up to immobilize it and went on to race the rest of the weekend to earn as many points as he could, even managing to win the 450 main on Friday night. Saturday’s results for Demuth were not as impressive, as the championship contender had to settle for a fifth in the 250 main event and a ninth in the 450 main Saturday.

Tommy Hofmaster continues to show his consistency on his Team Sano Systems PPG Yamaha, as he snagged a pair of fifth-place finishes on Friday night along with a second and a fourth in the 250 and 450 mains, respectively, on Saturday night. Hofmaster held off Woods in the 250 main Saturday to keep him in third place in the championship points race behind Demuth and in front of Bess.

The Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, which has a campus in Phoenix, presented the Top Tech Award and a $150 check to Broc Sellards for his efforts to get to Phoenix. Sellards is currently second in the AMA Arenacross series and jumped the fence this weekend to see if he could take home some of the money that is up for grabs in the Advanstar series. His efforts paid off Friday night as he ended the night with the third and final podium spot in the 450 main Friday night. Sellards pitted for himself all weekend and managed to dice it up with the regulars en route to his podium finish.

 

FRIDAY

250 Main: 1. Josh Woods (Suz); 2. Josh Demuth (Kaw); 3. Kurt McCabe (Hon); 4. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 5. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 6. Shane Bess (Suz); 7. Damien Plotts (Kaw); 8. Brad Ripple (Kaw); 9. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 10. Casey Hinson (Hon); 11. Dennis Jonon (Kaw); 12. Colt Humphrey (Yam); 13. Billy Swapp (Kaw); 14. Riley Kurosky (Hon); 15. Ricky Jurado (Hon); 16. Gray Davenport (Kaw).

450 Main: 1. Josh Demuth (Kaw); 2. Josh Woods (Suz); 3. Brock Sellards (Hon); 4. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 5. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 6. Brad Ripple (Kaw); 7. Kurt McCabe (Hon); 8. Travis Bannister (Hon); 9. Gray Davenport (Kaw); 10. Daniel Blair (Hon); 11. Riley Kurosky (Hon); 12. Damien Plotts (Kaw); 13. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 14. Shane Bess (Suz); 15. Casey Hinson (Hon); 16. Jeff Northrup (Hon).

SATURDAY

250 Main: 1. Shane Bess (Suz); 2. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 3. Josh Woods (Suz); 4. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 5. Josh Demuth (Kaw); 6. Jimmy Nelson (Hon); 7. Riley Kurosky (Hon); 8. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 9. Brad Ripple (Kaw); 10. Michael Blose (Hon); 11. Kyle Partridge (Hon); 12. Kurt McCabe (Hon); 13. Colt Humphrey (Yam); 14. Billy Swapp (Kaw); 15. Damien Plotts (Kaw); 16. Ty Morrow (Hon).

450 Main: 1. Josh Woods (Suz); 2. Shane Bess (Suz); 3. Damien Plotts (Kaw); 4. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 5. Travis Bannister (Hon); 6. Jeff Northrup (Hon); 7. Colt Humphrey (Yam); 8. Brock Sellards (Hon); 9. Josh Demuth (Kaw); 10. Dennis Jonon (Kaw); 11. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 12. Riley Kurosky (Hon); 13. Daniel Blair (Hon); 14. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 15. Bobby Fitch (Suz); 16. Kurt McCabe (Hon).

CHAMPIONSHIP STADNINGS: 1. Josh Woods (392); 2. Josh Demuth (388); 3. Tommy Hofmaster (331); 4. Shane Bess (313); 5. Damien Plotts (263); 6. Brad Ripple (242); 7. Tiger Lacey (240); 8. Riley Kurosky (193); 9. Colt Humphrey (183); 10. Jeff Willoh (160).

Kit Palmer | Off-Road Editor

Kit Palmer started his career at Cycle News in 1984 and he’s been testing dirt and streetbikes every since – plus covering any event that uses some form of a knobby tire. He’s also our resident motorcycle mileage man with a commute of 120 miles a day.