Bobby Kiniry Wins Night One in Wilkes-Barre

On a cold night in Wilkes-Barre PA, honorary Canadian Bobby Kiniry took home his first win of the 2015 Amsoil Arenacross Series. During this year’s series Kiniry has been very close to winning, however up until last night he hasn’t been able to reach the top step of the podium. So far it’s been great watching Kiniry his future summer Rockstar Energy Drink OTSFF Yamaha teammate Matt Goerke battle it out in the arena’s of the USA.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (February 6, 2015) – The fifth round of the 2015 season of AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, kicked off on Friday with the first of two nights of action from Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The parity that has highlighted the championship up to this point continued as ThermoTec/FMC Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry earned his first career victory in the Arenacross Class, showcasing the incredible depth of the premier class as its fifth different overall winner in seven races. In the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Slaka Wear KTM’s Steven Mages earned his first win of the season.

In the midst of his first full season of AMSOIL Arenacross competition, Kiniry’s success on Friday was largely attributed to his first Main Event win of the season in the first of two 15-lap battles. Kiniry grabbed the holeshot with Steven Mages and Motosport.com/Haeseker Racing KTM’s Gared Steinke in tow. Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Chris Blose, who won the previous round, started in fourth and was able to move into podium position on Lap 5 by making the pass on Steinke.

While Kiniry and Mages established themselves at the front of the field, several of the championship contenders were fighting their way to the front. Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Chris Blose, started in fourth and was able to move into podium position on Lap 5 by making the pass on Steinke. He was followed by Husqvarna TiLUBE TUF Racing’s Gavin Faith, who made his return to action after missing last weekend with an injury. This duo continued their battle, but they were ultimately both caught and passed by Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Matt Goerke, who had the hot hand in the Main Event, starting eighth and eventually moving into podium position.

Kiniry withstood some late pressure from Mages to stay out front and take the win, while Goerke rounded out the top three. Faith made a late pass on Blose to finish fourth, with the Kawasaki rider rounding out the top five. Another notable effort came from Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Jacob Hayes, the championship leader. After falling to the ground on the opening lap and starting 15^th, Hayes put on a resilient charge through the field, breaking into the top 10 on Lap 5 and continuing his upward climb into seventh by the end of the race.

Kiniry, the newest Main Event winner of 2015, had the distinction of selecting the inversion of the second Main Event where he picked the number 16 for the second time this season, meaning the entire field would be inverted. As a result, the top finishers from the first Main Event would start on the second row for the final race of the evening.

As the gate dropped on the second Main Event, Watson Metals/Compound MX Honda’s Kyle Bitterman, who finished 13^th in the first Main Event, took advantage of his improved starting position to grab the early lead ahead of TZR KTM’s Josh Osby and KTM rider Dave Ginolfi. Husqvarna TiLUBE TUF Racing’s Kyle Regal and Hayes came through the first turn in great position despite the 16-rider inversion.

Regal and Hayes began their march to the front quickly, surpassing Ginolfi on Lap 3 and then Osby on Lap 4 to set their sights on Bitterman out front. Despite the pressure from his more experienced counterparts, Bitterman stood tough and fended off the challenge for half of the Main Event before Regal was able to make the pass for the lead in the whoops on Lap 8. Once out front Regal was able to open a comfortable lead. Hayes made contact with Bitterman to take over second on Lap 13, but there wasn’t enough laps left to mount a challenge on Regal out front.

While the battle for the lead was taking place, Kiniry was clawing his way forward from a 12^th-place start in what would ultimately be a winning effort for the overall. Kiniry went bar-to-bar with Blose, Mages, Goerke and more, each of who also were in contention for the win, and his persistence ultimately resulted in a sixth-place finish. Regal, Hayes and Bitterman completed the top three for the second Main Event, with Faith fourth and Ginolfi fifth, just ahead of Kiniry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NeUASIMTf0

When the final points were tallied, Kiniry’s 1-6 finishes gave him a slim one-point edge on both Hayes (7-2) and Faith (4-4), who tied for second. Hayes’ second-place finish in the second Main Event gave him the tiebreaker over Faith for the position. Regal’s win helped him to a fourth-place finish (10-1) while Mages rounded out the top five (2-10).

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1

1. Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha
2. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM
3. Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki
4. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna
5. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
7. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
8. Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
10. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna

 

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2

1. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna
2. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
3. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Honda
4. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna
5. Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM
6. Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha
7. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
8. Josh Osby, Valparaiso, Ind., KTM
9. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki
10. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM

 

Arenacross Class Results – Overall (Main Event Finishes)

1. Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha (1-6)
2. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (7-2)
3. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna (4-4)
4. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna (10-1)
5. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM (2-10)
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (6-7)
7. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Honda (13-3)
8. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (5-12)
9. Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM (12-5)
10. Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (3-14)