Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Championship Season Opener
AURORA, Ill. (February 13, 2012) – Defending Supercross Class Champion Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., brings a six-point lead into this Saturday’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Arlington’s Cowboys Stadium.
Press day will take place at the South Club Room inside Cowboys Stadium Thursday, February 16 from Noon-2:00, featuring L&Mc Racing Honda and Smithville, Texas native Andrew Short / GEICO Honda / Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki / Pro Circuit Kawasaki / Texas-based Privateer Journey Racing
Saturday will serve as the opening race of the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship and will be headlined by GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, who is the defending Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Champion.
Honda’s best efforts, however, will be met with equal talent by the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team’s Blake Bagget and Darryn Durham. During his second season in the Lites Class, Baggett scored two wins and finished on the podium in nearly every race.
Aside from the two powerhouses of Honda and Kawasaki, several additional threats exist throughout the rest of the paddock. Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen is ready to make his 2012 campaign after breaking his arm while practicing for the opening race of the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship in Anaheim. The crash forced Roczen to focus his attention on the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship. Also, GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle, a rookie in the class, is one of the highly anticipated riders to vie for the title.
Last weekend in San Diego, before 58,782 fans, Villopoto, who now has three wins on the season, won a hard-fought battle with Chad Reed that escalated on Lap 18, when Reed stole the lead from Villopoto. On the same lap, however, Villopoto’s prowess reined supreme and re-passed Reed before the finish line.
"You really had to be smooth every lap," said Villopoto. "San Diego's dirt is really slippery and made it tough to be consistent for the full 20-lap main event. I've never won San Diego in the Supercross Class. It was great to get my first win here and end Chad’s (Reed) win streak at Qualcomm Stadium. Hopefully I can start a streak my own as we head to Cowboys Stadium next week."
A dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship when, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, who came into San Diego with a comfortable 22-point lead over Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson, suffered a major crash that forced him to withdraw from the Main Event, losing valuable points. As a result, eventual winner Wilson erased the 22-point deficit and moved into the championship points lead by two over Tomac as this regional championship takes a break until April 21 in Seattle.
"We've made (the championship chase) interesting, which is something we didn't want to do, but we've got plenty of time to recover and rest now so that's what we'll do," Tomac said. "We'll reload and get ready for the last three races. I'm not going to change anything I've been doing because it's been a great season so far. We just had some unfortunate luck tonight."
Tomac struggled in his heat race earlier in the night when he collided with another rider. He went on to finish eight and this transfer position gave him an unfavorable gate pick for the main.
"I feel like I got run over by a truck," Tomac said. "I missed the front wheel in the first part of the whoops and it did the huck-and-buck on me. I went down and the bike came down on top of me. I tried to get up and continue but the bike wouldn't start.”
"It's a bummer because I could see the two guys in front of me and the race still had a long way to go so it could have been good there at the end. It just wasn't meant to be."
Why Tomac fought the track, Wilson was out front with a commanding advantage after passing Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot winner and Vince Friese, who rides for the Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda team, and leading wire to wire. Wilson now has two wins on the season.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic with the win,” said Wilson. “I knew I needed to run consistent laps out there and get through the whoops as fast as I could all night long. Eli [Tomac] is a tough competitor, so it’s a bit of a surprise to be in the points lead, but I’m going to work my butt off during the break to try and stay there.”
At last year’s Monster Energy Supercross race at Cowboys Stadium, Muscle Milk Honda’s Trey Canard, who is sidelined due to an injury suffered earlier this season, captured his third Supercross Class win of the season. In the Supercross Lites Class, Wilson earned his third Supercross Lites Class victory.
Monster Energy Supercross has a storied history in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with the first-ever supercross race held in Dallas on March 1, 1975. From 1983-2008, Texas Stadium hosted 26 consecutive Monster Energy Supercross races and is regarded as one of the sport’s most historical cities having hosted.
In 2008, Reed became the first rider in history to earn four wins in Dallas. Former Supercross Class champion Ricky Johnson is second on the all-time win list in Dallas with three. Supercross Lites Class racing began in Dallas on May 4, 1985 where Suzuki rider Bobby Moore won. Villopoto, Grant Langston and Jeremy McGrath are the only rides to win Dallas twice in the Lites Class.
SPEED will broadcast the Supercross Class race LIVE at 10:30pm EST on February 18, 2012.
Tickets are available at the Cowboys Stadium Box Office, 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 Level tickets are $55 Adult / $27.50 Child; Price Level 2 $50 Adults / $25 Child; Price Level 3 $45 Adults / $22.50 Child; Price Level 4 $40 Adult / $20 Child. Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30-6 p.m. Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).
Supercross Class Results: San Diego
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
- Joshua Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki
- Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki
- Nick Wey, DeWitt, Mich., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 133
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 127
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 123
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 101
- Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 78
- Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 75
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 72
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 70
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 68
- Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 64
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: San Diego
- Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
- Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
- Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, AUS, KTM
- Gareth Swanepoel, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
- Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
- Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda
- Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda
- Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
- Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Honda
- Nike Paluzzi, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
- Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 116
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 114
- Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 101
- Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 89
- Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 78
- Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, NS, KTM - 73
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 67
- Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda - 63
- Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 58
Past Supercross Class Winners in Dallas
Supercross Class
April 2, 2011: Trey Canard
March 20, 2010: Ryan Dungey
April 5, 2008: Chad Reed
March 31, 2007: James Stewart
March 22, 2006: Chad Reed
April 2, 2005: James Stewart
April 17, 2004: Chad Reed
April 12, 2003: Chad Reed
April 20, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
April 21, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
April 08, 2000: Kevin Windham
February 27, 1999: Kevin Windham
April 25, 1998: Ezra Lusk
April 26, 1997: Jeff Emig
March 23, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
April 29, 1995: Doug Henry
April 23, 1994: Mike LaRocco
March 28, 1993: Jeremy McGrath
May 30, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
April 27, 1991: Damon Bradshaw
April 07, 1990: Jean-Michel Bayle
April 01, 1989: Jeff Ward
April 16, 1988: Rick Johnson
April 04, 1987: Rick Johnson
April 26, 1986: David Bailey
May 04, 1985: Rick Johnson
April 14, 1984: Johnny O’ Mara
April 16, 1983: Mike Bell
March 26, 1977: Bob Hannah
March 19, 1976: Jim Ellis
February 28, 1975: Jim Ellis
March 01, 1975(b): Steve Stackable
Supercross Lites Class
April 2, 2011: Dean Wilson
March 20, 2010: Blake Bagget
April 5, 2008: Ryan Villopoto
March 31, 2007: Ben Townley
March 22, 2006: Ryan Villopoto
April 2, 2005: Grant Langston
April 17, 2004: Ivan Tedesco
April 12, 2003: James Stewart Jr.
April 20, 2002: Travis Preston
April 21, 2001: Grant Langston
April 08, 2000: Greg Schnell
February 27, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
April 25, 1998: John Dowd
April 26, 1997: Kevin Windham
March 23, 1996: Mickael Pichon
April 29, 1995: Damon Huffman
April 23, 1994: Jimmy Button
March 28, 1993: Doug Henry
May 30, 1992: Jeremy McGrath
April 27, 1991: Jeremy McGrath
April 07, 1990: Denny Stephenson
April 01, 1989: Mike LaRocco
April 16, 1988: Ty Davis
April 04, 1987: Kyle Lewis
April 26, 1986: Keith Turpin
May 04, 1985: Bobby Moore
Tune into the enhanced exclusive weekly video content from Supercross LIVE! during the entire 2012 season on SupercrossOnline.com, the Official Website of Monster Energy Supercross.
Weekly Supercross LIVE! Video Content Schedule
The Official Supercross LIVE! Pre-Show Race Days at 11 AM Local Race Time
Behind the Scenes with Supercross LIVE! All Day on Race Days
2 Minutes on the Track Race Days at 3:30 & 5:30 PM Local Race Time
And on the Podium Tonight Following Each Round’s Main Events
The Official Supercross LIVE! Post-Show Saturday Nights at Each Round
Toyota Tailgate Talk Wednesdays at 5 PM ET
After The Checkered Flag Thursdays at 5PM ET
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive and http://twitter.com/supercrosslive.
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.
