Rider Inversion

Following the conclusion of the first Main Event, the winner of the race will select one of three briefcases containing the numbers eight, 16, and zero. The numbers represent the amount of riders that will have their gate picks for the second Main Event inverted. Should zero be selected, a rider’s finishing position from the first Main Event will serve as his gate pick for the second Main Event. If the number eight is selected, the top eight riders from Main Event 1 will have their gate picks reversed heading into Main Event 2. Lastly, the number 16 represents the entire field of competitors, meaning the last place finisher from the first Main Event would receive the first gate pick for the final race of the evening.

This unique element emphasizes strong starts to an even greater degree. During the opening weekend of the season Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers was forced to endure an eight- and 16-rider inversion after winning the first Main Event during both nights of action from Worcester, Mass. While a stalled bike relegated him to a fifth-place finish during the eight-rider inversion, Bowers brought the crowd to its feet when he was able to overcome the full 16-rider inversion to take an impressive win.

So far through six nights of action, each inversion number has been selected at least once. The eight-rider inversion has been selected on three occasions, while the 16-rider inversion has been pulled twice, and no inversion just once. The unknown outcome of this feature is what makes the anticipation heading into the final race of the evening extremely high. Each rider’s strategy is affected in some way once the selection takes place, translating into better competition out on the track.

Points Structure

In addition to the new competition elements, AMSOIL Arenacross has also implemented a new points system for the 2013 season. The single-point scale will place 16 points on the line for all 16 riders who qualify for the two Main Events. The winner of each Main Event will receive 16 points, with one point increments for each subsequent finishing position.

With just one point separating each rider at the end of a Main Event, the championship point standings are destined to be closer than ever before. Currently, 35 points separate Bowers and Ames atop the Arenacross Class standings, with McDade sitting a mere 1 point behind Ames. Should any one of these rider suffer misfortune in a Main Event, the opportunity for the others to capitalize and shake up the points is imminent.

Race to the Championship

The 2013 AMSOIL Arenacross season will feature a playoff atmosphere at the tail end of the schedule with the introduction of the Race to the Championship. For the first six rounds of the 10 round season, riders will jockey for a position inside the top 10 in the Arenacross Class point standings. At the seventh round in Little Rock, Ark., the point standings will reset for those 10 riders, setting the stage for a season-ending showdown for the championship that will run through to the final round of the season in Denver.

In order to capture the AMSOIL Arenacross title in 2013, a rider must be consistent and calculated in his approach as only five points will separate the championship leader and 10th-place in the standings when the Race to the Championship gets underway. The point standings will be reset to reflect the following:

1st in the standings – 6 points
2nd in the standings – 5 points
3rd and 4th in the standings – 4 points
5th and 6th in the standings – 3 points
7th and 8th in the standings – 2 points
9th and 10th in the standings – 1 point

Riders sitting 11th or lower in the standings will compete for a purse, season-ending bonuses, in addition to their 2014 AMSOIL Arenacross number.