Every winter as the tracks freeze and riding becomes more and more sparse, Kicker Arenacross comes through town providing riders with seat time on a track like no other in Colorado. Kicker Arenacross is characterized by three things: loud bikes, quads and a guaranteed night of carnage. It’s a fantastic way to bring our local moto scene to the public in an accessible format. Riders get to feel a glimpse of the big show as they duke it out under the lights, so of course the Colorado media had to show up to check it out. Over the day there were some serious instances of speed showcased on the tight track. Some standouts were present in the 50cc, 65cc, Women’s and Pro classes.
50cc Outlaw
The smaller bikes are one of the highlights of the night. Fans watch on in awe as the little rippers show Denver what moto is all about, and that’s being bad ass. The 50cc Outlaw class was dominated by Gannon Lawson of Los Lunas, New Mexico, who apparently
watched a lot of Danger “Boy” Deegan because the 50 rider attacked the track hitting most of the jumps available. Following Lawson was Stetson Romero. Rounding out the podium was Keegan Henrichsen. The 50 riders showed more guts than many racers, as many local guys opted out of the race so big kudos to the future of the sport.
65cc Outlaw
A step above the 50cc class and a step below 85’s lies the 65’s. The taller and more powerful bikes proved to provide even more of a show. The night could be categorized by the 65cc Outlaw class, where first place was battled for by Ryan Boutlier and Carter Malcom. Both riders enjoyed first and second place in a moto, but Boutlier got his in the main, earning him first. Chase Brown would earn third place, rounding out the podium. As always, these kids are next level and next year their progress will be even more astounding.
Women’s
Another important class of the night was the Women’s. All too often in motocross media, the women of the sport are overlooked. These women are just as badass, and in a lot of cases, more badass than the dudes of our sport. If that is something you’re not on board with, then this site is not for you. The class was fairly consistent with Rylee Newsom taking the gold medal after dominating her heat. After Newsom, went Raquel Morris. Then, the last spot on the podium was earned by Alana Padilla, for the bronze. A serious standout goes to Adalyn Malcom racing with the big dogs and earning a fourth place finish.
Pro’s
In America, all classes are created equal, we’re pretty sure it’s in the Constitution, but the pro
class is always a fan favorite and Kicker
Arenacross was no exception. They were the only ones of the night hitting the double in the middle and saying that double was big and pitchy is like saying Donald Trump likes executive orders: it’s an understatement. So the Pros lined in up in Pro Outlaw and got ready to battle. While the race was held in Colorado, the podium was held by anyone but a native to the land of weed. Coby Adair of Aztec, New Mexico put in a dominant ride earning himself a first. Second was claimed by Vance Wofford followed by Dave Ginofli. Since the event was in Colorado, it was nice to see Colorado Springs native Mitchell Gifford get fourth, then long time local Rustin Meyer round out the top five.
Overall, Kicker Arenacross is not the biggest race of the year, but damn is it fun. It’s always a treat to walk around the event center during the night show and watch people be entertained by what the motocross community has to offer. So when Kicker returns to Loveland, we better see you there.