Houston's Monster Energy AMA Supercross Race Report
Monday 02 April: Ryan Villopoto clinches the title at Reliant Stadium and Ken Roczen races to his first Supercross Lites Class win for 2012.
Monster
Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto clinched his
second Supercross Class Championship Saturday night local time at the Monster Energy AMA
Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Reliant Stadium in front of
48,962 fans.
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps opened the Supercross Class with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot
Award but was quickly passed by Villopoto. Star/Valli/Yamaha’s Bobby
Kiniry secured the number-three spot on the
opening lap but was passed by Motoconcepts Suzuki’s Mike Alessi on Lap 2. Monster
Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer passed Alessi on Lap 3
and held this position to lock in his second third-place finish of the
season. Millsaps picked up his second runner-up finish of the season.
"It’s
huge,” said Villopoto. "There is a lot of hard work that went into
this, and I am only one piece of the pie; the whole Monster Energy
Kawasaki team has worked very hard all year to help me make this
happen.”
Millsaps moved into third place in Supercross Class point standings.
"I
want to congratulate Ryan (Villopoto) on his championship; he rode
great all year,” said Millsaps. "It was slippery out there all day, so
you had to choose your lines wisely. I am excited to be back up on the
podium.”
Supercross Class Results: Houston
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
- Mike Alessi, Hillard, Fla., Suzuki
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
- Robert Kiniry, Holland Patent, NY, Yamaha
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
- Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
- Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
- Josh Grant, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 296
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 192
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 191
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 181
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 178
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 170
- Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 166
- Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 154
- Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki – 154
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 128
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class.
In the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Main Event, GIECO Honda’s Justin Barcia
won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award with Ken Roczen and Rockstar Energy
Racing’s Blake Wharton following in second and
third, respectively. Roczen passed Barcia on the opening lap, and one
lap later, Barcia re-passed him to take over the lead.
On
Lap 7, Blake Baggett moved around Wharton to
take over third place. On his way to what was expected to be his sixth
win of the season, Barcia collided with another rider on the final lap
of the race and crashed. He re-entered the race and finished second.
This allowed Roczen to move into the lead and ride to the second victory
of his career.
"This
is so awesome,” said Roczen. "This is not how I want to win a race.
Justin rode a great race and was really fast tonight, so it is
unfortunate that he crashed. I am super happy to be back on top of the
box.”
Barcia still leads the championship points race by 32 points over Wharton.
"I
don’t know what I can say,” said Barcia. "There is nothing I could do
about the crash. I will fight through this and be back in New Orleans.”
Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Houston
- Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
- Phillip Nicoletti, Cochecton, NY, Honda
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda
- Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
- Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa, Kawasaki
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda
- Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki
Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 167
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki – 135
- Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 127
- Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki – 118
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki – 106
- Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda – 104
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda – 87
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 65
- Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki – 57
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM – 55
Racing returns to action on Saturday, 14 April at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Report courtesy of Denny Hartwig for Feld Motor Sports.
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