BooKoo Arenacross, Yakima, WA, November 17-18, 2006

Report and photos by James Lissimore

The BooKoo series, started last year by Arenacross founder, Mike Kidd, added a couple of new rounds this season in the Pacific Northwest, including last weekend’s round at the Yakima Valley Sun Dome in Yakima, Washington.

Darcy and Ian Woods are happy to be back racing—and winning—at arenacross.

Announcer, Wes Cain, hypes the crowd up during opening ceremonies.

Reigning Canadian MX2 West Champion Jimmy Nelson is racing the BooKoo series for the GPS Honda Team. After sweeping both mains last Friday in Salem Oregon, Nelson had a bit of an off weekend with his best finish being a 7th during Friday nights 250 main.

Another former Canadian 125 national champ, Michigan’s Josh Woods, finished on the podium during Friday’s 450 main, grabbing 3rd place over teammate Michael Blose.

Newly crowned Canadian Arenacross Champion, Kyle Beaton, certainly didn’t have the results he was looking for in Yakima. With practice times that put him in the mix with the front-runners, he would find himself on the ground in almost every heat and semi and was forced to mount some impressive charges to the front. He ended up missing the final transfer spot by inches on both nights.

Here, Beaton tries to close the gap on another former Canadian National racer, Ryan Huffman, on the last lap of Saturday’s semi. Though Beaton made up a half lap gap on Huffman in the final lap, he would miss the final transfer spot by a wheel length.

Washington’s Kevin Urquhart, who raced the Chilliwack AX round two weeks ago, had a good weekend. His best finish was a 6th in Friday’s 250 main.

Nelson’s GPS Honda teammate, Brad Ripple, won Friday night’s 250 main event.

Former Blackfoot rider, Tiger Lacey, scored three podiums for the weekend with a pair of thirds and a second. Lacy is currently sitting third in points.

Friday’s 250 main featured this scary first lap pileup that saw Tyler Bowers eject right over the barriers and onto the concrete floor. Luckily for Bowers, he would emerge unscathed and would only have to deal with figuring out how to get back on the track. His teammate, Zack Ames(596), would not be so lucky as he would go down seconds later and injure his shoulder.

Canada’s Arenacross legend, Darcy Lange, won the 450 main on Friday and the 250 main on Saturday to extend his points lead in the championship to 56 points over Michael Blose. Lange was also leading the 450 main on Saturday until he crashed in the rhythm section—he would recover to finish sixth.

Lange’s crash during Saturday’s 450 main would set the stage for 15 year old Tyler Bowers to take his first main even win.

A big congrats to BC's rising star, Spencer Knowles, who won both the Supermini and 85cc 12-15 classes during the amateur program on Sunday.

See you at the races!