Behind the Lens: Saturday Night All right for fightin’ in Armstrong, BC

Two down and six to go! Monster Energy Leading Edge Kawasaki’s Teddy Maier (5) leads Cycle North Honda’s Ross Johnson (2) on Saturday night at Round 2 of the Future West Canadian Arenacross Championships in Armstrong, BC. View results and event information here.

A look at the Armstrong track. Feedback from riders is so-so on the conditions. “The track was really tight, but they did the best that they could with the space they have,” says Rockstar Energy Drink OTSFF Yamaha’s Shawn Maffenbeier, who finished on the podium in two out of four Pro main events in Armstrong.

Saturday’s night Lites class podium: (left to right) Maffenbeier, Maier and Johnson. Kawasaki’s Maier took the win over Maffenbeier.

Open Pro class podium: Rolls were reversed in the Open final, with Ross Johnson taking the win over Maier, and Adam Enticknap of Cycle North Honda taking third. Those 450s must feel like a lot of bike in the tight confines of arenacross, but these guys make’em work.

Lissimore gets a stare down from the pro pack in Armstrong.

Dylan Schmoke was one of many US riders driving to BC to challenge for wins in Armstrong. Schmoke rode well, finishing top 10 in all four Pro finals, with his best a fourth-place in Pro Open on Friday night.

A Pro Lites heat blasts off the line, with what looks like Johnson (2) getting the jump on Todd Minnie (716), Jake Anstett (5) doing his best ‘Dungey,’ Brad Nauditt (620), and Shawn Maffenbeier (14).

Take some THOR gear, fair skin and a Monster Energy Kawasaki, and you’ve got yourself a very Villopoto looking Jesse Pettis (40). Things didn’t start off the best for Pettis in Armstrong, but there’s six more rounds to make up for it.

Not to be confused by another old man in a red suit, the ‘Vet Master’ Ryan Lockhart went 7-10 in the Open Pro class.

Brad Nauditt prefers to be winning, but he kept things consistent during Rounds 1 and 2, finishing just off the box in all four Pro motos (4-5-4-5).

Fort Dodge, Iowa’s Teddy Maier is looking like the man to beat after the first weekend, if we had to choose. Other than a miserable 12th place in the Open Final on Friday, Maier won two main events and finished second in the other.

Maffenbeier (14) leads Johnson (2), Brock Hoyer (3), and Brad Nauditt (620) through the whoops.

Some future AX stars hanging out at Maple Ridge Motorsports pits … probably waiting for “Newf” to tell them again about his first 125 National moto win at Deschambault, QC in 2003.

It may not be AMA Supercross, but these kids don’t care – racing’s racing and there’s a cool novelty to doing it indoors, under the lights!

Aww, maybe we’re wrong – maybe it’s not Maier who is the man-to-beat in this year’s Canadian AX Championships, but that of Ross Johnson. Another ‘Yank,’ who finished second overall behind Jeremy Medaglia in last year’s series, is back with his familiar home, Cycle North Honda, and he really wants to turn that 2 into a 1 (well, ignore the backside of his jersey here … that’s his US number).

Local BC racer Brock Hoyer is a proven race and championship winner in the Future West series. Hoyer had a good weekend in Armstrong, finishing top 10 in all four Pro finals, one of which was a third in Open Pro on Friday. The competition is tight, so the results could be all flipped around come rounds 3 and 4, and we could see the Yamaha rider on top in Cloverdale.

Adam Enticknap was on the podium both nights, finishing 2-3 in the Open class finals on his Cycle North Honda 450.

See you at Round 3 and 4 of the Future West Canadian Arenacross Championships in Cloverdale, BC on November 7th-8th.