Ryan Villopoto Races to third Monster Energy Supercross victory of the season
Monday 18 February: Dean Wilson dominates ppening Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship race.
Arlington, Texas. The seventh race of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM
World Championship, signified the 2013 season’s move east with 54,036
fans in attendance inside Cowboys Stadium. For the third time this
season, reigning back-to-back champion Ryan Villopoto posted a dominant
effort en route to victory aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki, leading
every lap of the Main Event. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean
Wilson won the opening race of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class
Championship, which will be in action for the next eight stops.
Championship leader Davi Millsaps edged out Villopoto to claim the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot
Award at the start of the 450SX Class Main Event, but a little more
momentum helped Villopoto slip past his Rockstar Energy Racing-mounted
rival just a few feet later. Not long after, TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s
Chad Reed made an aggressive move to steal second from Millsaps, which
allowed Villopoto to open an early gap.
While
Villopoto continued to pull away, the battle for the podium
intensified. Millsaps reclaimed second place on Lap 3 and settled into
the position. Reed appeared to have a secure hold on third, but Red Bull
KTM’s Ryan Dungey began to apply pressure, ultimately making slight
contact with Reed after an aggressive pass for the position on Lap 14.
Dungey pushed hard in the closing laps to have a chance at stealing
second from Millsaps, but couldn’t get alongside his championship rival
in the end.
Villopoto moved into sole possession of third in the championship point standings with his 27th career 450SX Class victory.
"Starts
are definitely important,” said Villopoto, who now has the most wins in
the championship. "I’ve had a target on my back this year, everyone
knows that, and it’s stressful. I’m just trying to have fun with riding
again. If we get third, it’s on the podium, and if it’s second, that’s
good too. Davi has been riding really good this year, so we have to just
chip away at it. It’s going to take a while.”
Millsaps’
runner-up finish was his sixth podium in seven races this season, while
Dungey extended his podium streak to four with his third-place result.
"It
was definitely a good 20 laps,” said Millsaps, who extended his points
lead. "I haven’t ridden all week because I’ve been sick, so it’s good to
come away with a strong finish. Ryan (Villopoto) rode really well, so
you have to give it to him.”
Millsaps
moved to 21 points ahead of Dungey in the standings, with Villopoto now
sitting 24 points behind in third. After winning his Heat Race earlier
in the evening, Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart was unable to
start the Main Event, citing a broken clutch. He dropped to ninth in the
championship.
Eastern Regional 250SX Class
A
lot of excitement surrounded the first Eastern Regional 250SX Class
Main Event of the season and out of the gate it was AG Motorsports
Honda’s Kyle Peters who grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award.
Behind him, Wilson and Rockstar Energy Racing’s Blake Wharton assumed
second and third place.
Wilson
worked his way past Peters prior to the conclusion of the opening lap
and then pulled away from the field to lead all 15 laps of the Main
Event and claim his sixth career 250SX Class victory.
"This
feels soo good,” exclaimed Wilson. "It’s been 10 months waiting for
that. I knew I needed to get the start, so I fought for it and it went
well. I saw the leader and I knew I was good in the whoops, so I just
went on the outside around him. He raced clean and I respect that. From
there I just rode my own race.”
Wharton
made a pass on Peters shortly after Wilson took over the lead and
secured the runner-up position throughout the remainder of the Main
Event. Earlier in the evening, Wharton needed a win in the LCQ in order
to secure his spot in the Main Event. Peters battled to hold on to third
place, but was passed by Honda rider Cole Thompson on Lap 6. After
Thompson crashed out of the race, Peters reclaimed the spot, but
succumbed to the pressure from GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn on Lap 10. Hahn
maintained the position to round out the podium.
Wilson will carry a three-point lead into the second race of the championship next weekend.
Matt
LeBlanc took the win in tonight’s KTM Junior Supercross Challenge,
which was in action for the second time this season with 15 riders from
around the region invited to compete.
450SX Class Results: Arlington
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
- Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
450SX Class Points
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 154
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 133
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 130
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 119
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 115
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 98
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 95
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 83
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 75
- Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM, 69
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results: Arlington
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
- Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
- Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda
- Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Points
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 25
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 22
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 20
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda, 18
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 16
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 15
- Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 14
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda, 13
- Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda, 12
- Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM, 11
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
- Joseph Achatz, St. Augustine, Fla., KTM 50 SX
- Rider Vrzak, Mesquite, Texas, KTM 50 SX
- Ayden Smith, Lufkin, Texas, KTM 50 SX
- Whispern Smith, Midwest City, Okla., KTM 50 SX
- Bryan Prouty, Carlsbad, N.M., KTM 50 SX
- Nate Moen, Harrison, N.Y., KTM 50 SX
- Tristan McDonald, Texico, N.M., KTM 50 SX
- Matthew LeBlanc, Breaux Bridge, La., KTM 50 SX
- Colby Hardy, Livingston, La., KTM 50 SX
- Tug Greenslet, Bennington, Vt., KTM 50 SX
- Laney Cox, Hugo, Okla., KTM 50 SX
- Ryan Billock, Franklinton, N.C., KTM 50 SX
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., KTM 50 SX
- Christian Allen, Mobile, Ala., KTM 50 SX
- Nicholas Laurie, Waldorf, Md., KTM 50 SX
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