The fourth stop of the 2013
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to O.co
Coliseum this Saturday with one of the sport’s greatest championships points
race ever starting to heat up. Only twice has the 450SX Class had four
different race winners in the first four races, and this weekend that record
can be tied should a new race winner emerge. Last weekend in Anaheim, Calif.,
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, who is the two-time defending 450SX
Class Champion, became the third different winner in as many races to claim a
Main Event win. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac,
brings a three-race win streak into Oakland.
At last Saturday night’s Monster Energy Supercross race at Angel
Stadium, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer opened the 450SX Class Main
Event with the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award to with Team Honda
Muscle Milk teammates Justin Barcia and Trey Canard in tow. After a sixth-place
start, Villopoto began to charge through the field, eventually passing Canard
on Lap 5 for the lead and rode to victory.
After a 17-year career competing at Monster Energy AMA Supercross,
an FIM World Championship, Kevin Windham decided to hang up his boots Saturday
night at Angel Stadium. A true iron man and legend in the sport, Windham racked
up 207 starts and earned 18 Main Event wins, 75 podium finishes and went 14
seasons with a podium finish. With a career average finish of 5.8, Windham is
third on the all-time consecutive start list with 100.
“The hardest part of all is to hang the boots up,” said Windham.
“It has been such an amazing ride, and ever since the Houston supercross, where
I took the big crash, it has been weighing on me hard. This is my opportunity
to step away with my health. Today is the day that I step away. The GEICO Honda
team has been amazing. It has been the most amazing ride, and I am so thankful
for every opportunity that I have been given.”
“The season didn’t start like we wanted it to,” said Villopoto,
who ended a five-race winless streak – tying for the longest he’s had since
capturing his first career win during the 2009 season. “I had a decent race in
Phoenix and the team made good changes to the bike this week. We’ve finally got
the ball going in the right direction and are digging ourselves out of the
hole. Once I got into the lead, I was just trying to click of the laps and keep
it consistent. The track was really slippery tonight, but I still tried to keep
the pace up.”
Current 450SX Class points leader Davi Millsaps finished fourth
and holds a three-point championship-points-standings lead over Canard, who
finished second in Anaheim. TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed earned his
first podium finish of the season with a third-place finish. Villopoto now sits
in fourth place in season standings, just 11 points out of the lead.
In the 250SX Class, Tomac hopes to pick up his fourth win of the
season, but in his way stands rivals Ken Roczen, and Cole Seely. Seely was last
weekend’s early leader but on Lap 8 Tomac made an impressive pass for the lead
and rode off to the 10th win of his career.
“I definitely started off slower [today],” commented Tomac, who
has been under the weather. “I was good in one practice and struggled in the
other, so it definitely made the race matter that much for the [win]. It was a
great battle out there. The track was tough, so I had to keep my feet tight and
the bike under control. From now on I just need to keep it on the podium.”
Tomac’s lead now stands at nine points over Roczen, who has
finished second. Seely, who finished third, is third in season point standings
and is 17 points out of the lead.
During the 2012 stop in Oakland, James Stewart of Haines City,
Fla., became the fourth rider in four different races to win a 450SX Class race
and broke his five-race winless streak. Tomac took home his second consecutive
250SX Class victory of the season.
Saturday night’s 450Sx Class race will air on CBS Sunday, January
27 CBS at Noon ET and SPEED will air the 250SX Class race at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available at the O.co Coliseum Box Office in Oakland,
all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000, www.supercrossonline.com, or online
at www.ticketmaster.com. Practice and
qualifying begin at 12:30 p.m. and the main event starts at 7:00 p.m. Club
Seats tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Trackside $45 Adult/Child; Lower View $35
Adult/Child; Upper View $25 Adult/Child; Extreme Value $10 Adult/Child. Fans
can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30-6 p.m. on Race Day when they
recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium’s Pit Entrance (valid only with
event ticket).
450SX Class Results: Anaheim
1.
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2.
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
3.
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
4.
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
5.
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
6.
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
7.
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
8.
Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha
9.
Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM
10.
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
450SX Class Points
1.
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 63
2.
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 60
3.
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 56
4.
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 52
5.
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 48
6.
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 47
7.
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 41
8.
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 40
9.
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki – 36
10.
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha – 32
Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Anaheim
1.
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2.
Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
3.
Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda
4.
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda
5.
Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
6.
Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda
7.
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
8.
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
9.
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
10.
Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda
Western Regional 250SX Class Points
1.
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 75
2.
Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM – 66
3.
Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 58
4.
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda – 47
5.
Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda – 35
6.
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki – 35
7.
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha – 35
8.
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 32
9.
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki – 31
10.
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki – 30
2012 450SX Class Results: Oakland
1.
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
2.
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
3.
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4.
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
5.
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
6.
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
7.
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
8.
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
9.
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
10.
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
2012 Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Oakland
1.
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2.
Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3.
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
4.
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha
5.
Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, NS
6.
Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
7.
Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
8.
Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
9.
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
10.Dean
Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
Past Winners in Oakland
450SX Class
January 28,
2012:
James Stewart
January 29,
2011:
James Stewart
250SX Class
January 28,
2012:
Eli Tomac
January 29,
2011:
Broc Tickle