Points Race: A Closer Look At the Top Five In The Kawasaki Canadian Arenacross Championships

With rounds five and six of the Kawasaki Canadian Arenacross Championship taking place this weekend in Cloverdale, BC we decided to take a look at the top five in both the Pro Lites Class and the Pro Open Class to see how each rider got there. Also, we have got the crystal ball out to see where the riders might end up this weekend and moving forward. Here is the top five in each class heading into this weekend’s event.

Pro Lites Class:

1. Brock Hoyer-Yamaha- 75 points

So far in the four nights of racing in this series, Brock Hoyer hasn’t finished in the same position twice. After winning the opening main event of the series Brock has struggled to find his way back to the top spot on the podium. Much to his credit though, he has been on the podium three times and so far he’s been the most consistent rider. That’s why he is the point’s leader in the Pro Lites Class. Heading into this weekend Brock has been one of the few riders who seem to get faster as the main event goes on and since we expect much of the same this weekend, Brock is definitely one of the favourites.

2. Ross Johnson- Honda- 74 points

Like Brock Hoyer, Ross Johnson has been very consistent so far in the first four rounds of this series. However, even with this consistency Ross still sits in second place because even though he’s lead a lot of laps, he still hasn’t found a way to win a main event. Since Ross has probably spent more time racing than his competitors since the last round of this series in November, look for Ross to battle for wins this weekend.

3. Jeremy Medaglia- Honda- 63 points

We’re not sure what is more of a surprise with Jeremy Medaglia, the fact that he’s only won one main event in the Pro Lites Class or that he’s currently in third place. Since both are related, we’ll say it’s a tie for sure. At each round so far Jeremy has been the fastest rider on more than one occasion, but for some reason when the chequered flag falls, he has not always been at the front. Since the first four rounds took place back in November when Jeremy didn’t have much time on his new Cycle North Honda, we expect him to come out swinging this weekend as he’s had a lot more time to test and practice.

4. Chris Howell- Suzuki- 58- points

Even with one bad race at the four rounds of the series, Chris Howell still sits in fourth place. Other than his one poor finish, Chris has been fast and very consistent. Although his speed is a little off the leaders, Chris has been a good starter and has showed that he can be tough to pass. When you take in the fact that he’s relatively new to this series, we think Chris is only going to improve as the series returns to the track this weekend.

5. Jake Ansteet- Kawasaki- 53 points

After finishing as high as fifth at round four, Jake Ansteet has to be happy with his series so far. One of his biggest attributes has been his aggressive nature and we think as he begins to feel more comfortable racing the series regulars, his results are only going to improve. With this weekend’s race taking place on the tighter Cloverdale track, Jake will need to call on all of his skills to stay in the top five.

Pro Open Class:

1. Ross Johnson: Honda- 84 points

While most of the riders in this class ride the smaller 250F machines in the Pro Open Class, Ross Johnson is one of the few who is going against the grain and is riding a CRF450. So far it has worked for him as he’s been up front off the start most of the time. However, for whatever reason Ross has been unable to hold the lead in the latter stages of the main events and so far a win has eluded him. Look for Ross to come into this weekend hungry to grab his first win of the series and stay on top in the point standings.

2. Jeremy Medaglia- Honda-73 points

Like in the Pro Lites Class, series favourite Jeremy Medaglia only has one win so far in this class, something that is hard to believe. To make matters even worse, Jeremy crashed at round four while running third in the main event and finished outside the top ten. If he wants to win this series Jeremy will have to be almost mistake free in the remaining rounds. With his talent, speed and again with the fact that he will be much more accustom to his Honda this weekend, the younger Medaglia brother might just be the dominant rider in Cloverdale.

3. Brock Hoyer- Yamaha- 68 points

If it wasn’t for a bad race at the opening round of the series Brock Hoyer might just be leading this class. Since that opening night Brock has been one of the fastest riders and has battled for wins every night. Brock is fast, fit and is very comfortable of the tight tracks of this series. He has also been one of the smartest riders on the track so look for this to help Brock as the series moves to Chilliwack for the next two rounds.

4. Ryan Lockhart- Kawasaki- 68 points

Although we’re sure that Ryan would like to be higher in the point standings, fourth is pretty good for the oldest rider in this class. Like Ross, Ryan is also riding the bigger 450 machine and while it has helped him produce great starts and win multiple Dash For Cash races, in a 15 lap main event the big bike can be tough to handle. This weekend on the tight Cloverdale track, if Ryan gets another holeshot he might just take his first win of the series. Whatever happens this weekend, Ryan will no doubt continue to be a crowd favourite on his Maple Ridge Motorsports Kawasaki.

5. Chris Howell- Suzuki- 58 points

Chris Howell has been a very pleasant surprise in the Pro Open Class, with his fourth place finish at round four, Chris has proven that he can be a front runner. Chris has also decided to ride a 450 in this class and so far it has worked for him. With a tight track this weekend, and one of the toughest line up of riders so far, Chris will need to be on top of his game if he wants to stay in the top five in the series.