News
What Really Happened: Reed wins, Dungey still point leader
Photos and Type-Os: Scott Hoffman
This latest injury is the fourth in less than 12 months. It's unknown if this injury could be a career ending and/or if Trey Canard can make a comeback again. Only time will tell now.
This is the second year the Monster Energy Supercross series held a race at Dodger Stadium. Possible rain that day might have been the reason the spectator turnout was pretty light in LA.
What does this all mean? This is something I have talked about for years, better regulations and or improved jump construction is needed when it comes to big jumps early in the race. I have asked this question for years because watching half of the pack triple while the other half doubles on that first lap is scary to witness let alone accomplish. This is not the first time a rider has been landed on or clipped by another rider on the first half lap. There is no rule unless there is a yellow flag or flashing light when it comes to jumping the triples. The question is, why have they never considered a no triple on the first lap, on the first triple, "all riders must double"? The AMA or Feld should at least talk to the riders and see if they would be interested in considering some sort of rule or protocol. Supercross is dangerous and gnarly stuff like as what happened in LA is still going to possibly happen now and again, but if they could take down or minimize a risk that riders and people have talked about over the years, it might help the sport. On the restart only the first group of riders tripled and the rest doubled, unlike the first start where most of field back in the pack were still going for the triple. Things like removing the tuff blocks from the landings of triples or big jumps and possibly filling in the gap between the second and third jump in a triple since very few riders ever double the triple. If a few changes might help avoid or reduce the severity of one accident, it could be worth it. Case in point, on the restart Villopoto landed off of the edge of the first triple. He may have crashed hard if not for the fact they did not reposition the tuff blocks where Canard crashed. RV landed right where the block would have been.
Team Two Two Motosports celebrated their first win of the year aboard a Factory Honda support CRF450R.
James Stewart was fast and once again touched the ground but still finished on the box.
-Whether it was the rain or the location, the stadium was only about half full.
-Weather delayed and canceled practice.
-Riders got one 12-minute session to qualify for the night show.
-James Stewart only rode a handful of laps before he got tossed off his bike in the whoops.
-The Los Angeles track was more technical and had a pretty deep, short whoops section. The dirt was also loose in some sections yet had a pretty hard base.
-There were a handful of Lites who went down pretty hard during the short qualifying session because they had to go fast with little time on the track.
Dungey is consistent week in and week out and has finished on the podium three times thus far.
-Reed went down in his heat race losing his front end and took a gamble and switched to a Dunlop front tire he ran last year.
-Stewart won his heat race despite having less than 4 laps on the track all day.
-Following the first red flag start, the second start saw Jake Weimer with the lead while Stewart, Dungey, and Reed battled tooth and nail.
-Reed looked more aggressive than we have seen him ride supercross in some time--amazing what a possible tire change can do. Reed had been struggling with bike setup for the first two rounds.
-On the restart, Ivan Tedesco and Josh Grant went down when Tedesco apparently landed on or clipped Grant on a jump landing.
-Reed battled with Stewart for a lap or two yet Stewart did not have the speed to go heads up with Reed and eventually got passed.
-Reed reeled in Weimer, yet the funny part of the story was that Reed thought he was racing Ryan Villopoto not Weimer. He was so focused he just saw green and wanted to see open track.-With Reed out front, Stewart set his sites on Weimer. In a pretty aggressive pass, Stewart took Weimer to the tuff blocks until he ran out of track and went down. There was a little contact but Weimer had no place to go but up the berm until his tire hit foam instead of dirt. Bummer for Weimer. He had a good chance at a second podium finish in two weeks.
-From there the chaos continued when Stewart ran wide into a turn and dropped his front wheel over the berm and fell over, giving the runner-up spot to Dungey. Stewart did recover to finish on the box for the first time this year.
Lites/250
-First off I hate calling the classes Supercross and Lites, but that is what they call them. I like 250 and 450.
-Round 3 and another new winner. This time it is Geico Honda Eli Tomac, and it was a well-deserved win.
-Who got the short end of the stick in LA? That had to go to Lucas Oil, TLD rider Cole Seely. The Anaheim 1 winner entered the first turn in the lead but the pack kept pushing him all they way to the outside until he ran out of track. There was almost nothing he could do; he tried to change directions yet it didn't happen. Seely finished 15 and is now 16 points out of the championship race.
Zach Osborne leads Cole Seely during the heat race.
-Wilson had another solid ride but after coming from around 4th at the start, he could not reel in Tomac who was on that night.
-A new name to the box in LA was American GP rider Zach Osborne. The part-time US rider made his first podium and ran much of the race in the runner-up position.
-Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin rode well but did not fare well. A terrible start in the main forced him to charge back, which he did, then he crashed while in 4th with only three laps to go. Musquin took a ride back to the truck in a UTV--he looked OK but motioned he hit his chest pretty hard.
-Tomac has the point lead with 63, Wilson close behind with 62, and Rattray right behind them at 60.
Supercross Point Standings: Following round 31 Ryan Dungey - 67
2 Chad Reed - 63
3 Ryan Villopoto - 63
4 James Stewart - 48
5 Jake Weimer - 48
6 Kevin Windham - 43
7 Brett Metcalfe - 38
8 Josh Hansen - 36
9 Andrew Short - 36
10 Davi Millsaps - 28
250 West Point Standings: Following round 3
1 Eli Tomac - 63
2 Dean Wilson - 62
3 Tyla Rattray - 60
4 Cole Seely - 47
5 Zach Osborne - 47
6 Jason Anderson - 44
7 Marvin Musquin - 42
8 Max Anstie - 32
9 Nico Izzi - 32
10 Billy Laninovich - 27
2012 Monster Energy Supercross Results: Los Angeles
News Release
Reed Races to Monster Energy Supercross Win at Dodger Stadium
Tomac Scores Supercross Lites Class Win
LOS ANGELES (January 21, 2012) - TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., won the Supercross Class main event at tonight's Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Dodger Stadium before 35,741 fans, marking his first win of the season. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., also captured his first Western Regional Supercross Lites Class main event win of the season.
After winning the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Wildomar, Calif., held the lead position until being passed by Reed on Lap 6. Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., made a pass on Weimer for second place, and during the pass, Weimer crashed, falling to 14th place.
Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, who won last weekend's race in Phoenix, settled into fourth place behind Stewart. Dungey was able to capitalize on a crash by Stewart on Lap 12 as he took over the number three position.
Reed earned his 41st Supercross Class main event and third consecutive podium finish of the season. Dungey, who finished second, has also been on the podium at every race this season and now sits in the points lead. Stewart finished a season-best third place.
"I have been trying to figure out what I have been doing wrong this year," said Reed. "I switched to a tire that I used last year and it worked. I am going to keep trying to get better each week. I will take the good with the bad and keep moving forward."
In the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class main event, Tomac quickly passed Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot winner Martin Davalos, of the Rockstar Suzuki team, shortly after turn one and rode flawlessly for the next 15 laps. On lap 6, Monster Energy Yamaha's Zach Osborne, of Chesterfield, S.C., passed Davalos, for the number two position. While riding in third place, Davalos crashed and lost several positions before reentering the race.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, who won last weekend's main event in Phoenix, passed Osborne on lap 12, where he would finish. Wilson currently sits in second place. Osborne earned a career-best third-place finish.
Tomac's win marked the third of his career, and he is now the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class points leader, one point ahead of Wilson.
"I was able to sneak into the lead and ride 15 solid laps," said Tomac. "It's a night and day difference when you get a good start. I should have been getting starts like this all season."
CBS will broadcast the Supercross class race at 12:00pm EST on Sunday January 22, 2012.
Racing resumes next Saturday at Oakland's O.com Coliseum.
Supercross Class Results: Phoenix
1. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
4. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
5. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
6. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
7. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
9. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
10. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
11. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
12. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
13. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 67
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda - 63
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki - 63
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki - 48
5. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha - 48
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda - 43
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki - 38
8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda - 36
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki - 36
10. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha - 28
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Phoenix
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
3. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
4. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
5. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
6. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
7. Michael Lieb, Menifee, Calif., Honda
8. Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, Australia, KTM
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
10. Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda - 63
2. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki - 62
3. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki - 60
4. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 47
5. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha - 47
6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki - 44
7. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 42
8. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda - 32
9. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha - 32
10. Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda - 27
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 http://www.supercrossonline.com/, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com 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 http://www.feldentertainment.com.
What Really Happened: Phoenix SX
What Really Happened
Historical Weekend in Phoenix
Photos and Type-Os: Scott Hoffman
Yes, it was a historical night and the first time in the 40-year history of supercross that KTM won a race in the premier Supercross/450 class. Yes, NEVER before. Not to say this was the first non-Japanese motorcycle to win a supercross, just the first for KTM. The last time a non-Japanese brand won a supercross race was way, way back in 1977. Jimmy Ellis took the Houston round riding a Can-Am, which was a Canadian-manufactured motorcycle with a Rotax engine. Ironically, Rotax
is an Austrian company just like KTM. The only other two brands to win in the premier class were Bultaco (Jim Pomeroy) and CZ (Jaroslav Falta) both in 1974. Ellis is also the only supercross champion to win what was called the 250 class, which is now the Supercross/450, on a non-Japanese machine. He did it on a Can-Am as well. The track layout seemed much improved compared to Anaheim 1 but still lacked the real technical sections or gnarly whoops. It was a good layout for racing and favored a smooth rider. Unlike A1 where the track went from loose during the day to tacky at night, Phoenix got rutted up and ended up getting loose, especially during the mains. Sound testing stress in the pits appeared less stressful and no drama this week with regard to tire brand swapping between qualifying.
The Phoenix supercross put KTM on the map with regard to US Supercross. This win also upped the value of the 400 limited edition Factory Edition 450 SX-F that are due to hit dealers starting March 1st.
Supercross/450
-OK, Dungey won the race and made history with a wire-to-wire win and almost made it look easy. He was smooth and the pressure stemming from the fact he was about to create history didn't phase his performance. I don't recall him making a single mistake during the main.
-
Who is the fastest man in 2012? Hands down it's Ryan Villopoto. He found himself in last place after smacking into a downed Davi Millsaps on the first lap. Never to admit defeat, RV proceeded to get going and put on a 19-lap riding clinic that made nearly the entire field look like novice riders. He sliced and diced his way through the pack and on the very last lap overtook Kevin Windham to take the final podium position. It is pretty obvious that he also logged in the fastest lap of the night. -Jake Weimer also put in the ride of his 450 career with a solid second during the entire race. Weimer has now graduated himself into the "Could Win" club along with RV, Stewart, Dungey, and Reed.
-A week ago some might have said Windham's time in the limelight is fading and it is time for the veteran of the sport to think about heading to the pasture. That was last week. This week the Windham of old reared his head and put in a stellar ride and almost landed a podium. Windham loves to ride and when he's on he can battle with the kids. Windham will turn 34 in February and rode his first supercross in 1994.-Another bad week for the Hahn family, Wil was hurt last week and now Tommy pulled off the track mid-race holding his arm. Bummer, the full privateer was having a good start of the season.
-Stewart, Stewart, Stewart. Rumor in the pits pre-race is that James was under the weather most of the week. In fact, Stewart failed to ride the second timed practice in order to conserve energy. He was the fastest qualifier in the first timed session but fell to 6th when he sat out of the second session. Then in the main, the COW (Crash or Win) was on a mission after getting a terrible start and was riding an amazing race when he went down in the sand section. He remounted but seemed to be overriding the track trying to make up time and ended up finishing 8th.
-Lots of talent did not make the main this week including Pro Circuit's Broc Tickle, Jeff Ward Racing's Josh Grant, and Star Valli Yamaha's Ryan Morais.
-Dungey and Villopoto are both tied in points now (45) for the championship, yet Dungey will likely sport the red background going into Los Angeles since he scored the latest win. Jake Weimer and Chad Reed are tied for third, scoring 38 each.
-Phoenix also marked the return of injury-prone Trey Canard on his Muscle Milk Factory Honda. Canard was still recovering from a broken collarbone, yet posted a very strong ride finishing 7th following a nice battle with Andrew Short for most of the main. -So after two weeks who is going to be champion? You have to give credit to Dungey for making history on the KTM but in all honesty there is no beating Villopoto when he's on his game or doesn't run into dumb luck. Dungey may not have been able to hold the lead in Phoenix if RV hadn't tangled with Millsaps and went down. Racing is racing is racing and after what went on last year, anything can happen in 2012. My current pick is for Villopoto to retain the number one plate.
Lites/250
It took Pro Circuit less than one week to get back to where they like being every week--in the winners' circle. PC put two bikes on the podium sandwiching a KTM in the middle. There was not a lot of action in the main up front. Everything exciting was taking place from 4th place on back. This is where Eli Tomac, Cole Seely, and Zach Osborne battled for position. The point chase also changed up as Seely lost his red number plate going into Los Angeles.
Despite allegedly not feeling up to snuff, Monster Energy Pro Circuit's Dean Wilson took the win and addrf some points to his quest for the Lites West title.
-Although he has yet to win, Tyla Rattray is in the lead for the championship with Seely one point behind. Third is also a tie between Dean Wilson and Marvin Musquin.
-Speaking of Musquin, the two-time World MX Champion raced to his first supercross podium on the Red Bull KTM. This was another piece of history because it was also the first time KTM had bikes on the podium in both classes. With Ken Roczen out of the action and slated to race in the East, Musquin was forced to hold the banner up for KTM and thus far he is doing better than most expected for an outdoor expert riding his first season in the Lites class.
-Cole Seely's weekend in Phoenix was not as stellar as A1 after rounding the first lap in 8th and then making his way to 5th at the finish following a nice battle with Tomac. Seely has a shot at the title if he can win a few more and stay up front each week.
-What can you say about the Monster Energy Pro Circuit team and Dean Wilson? Deano struggled a tad in A1 finishing 6th after going down in the main and being sick but redeemed himself with a commendable win in the main in Phoenix.
-We have to give credit to Zach Osborne(338). Not known for his supercross skills, the World Championship contender is back in the States riding supercross before the GP season kicks off. Osborne rode much of the race in 3rd and even made a few moves on Rattray for 2nd early on before falling back to 6th when Seely and Tomac came barreling through. -Michael Leib made his first career Lites main event in Phoenix after missing it at A1 by one position. The privateer, sponsored by Rocket Exhaust, pitted out of a truck and small trailer and finished a solid 11th in his first main.
-After two rounds there is no way to predict who might win in the West. There are five riders that have the skills to win on any given Saturday. If I had to put money on one rider, I would probably need odds to pick a winner because it is too close to call.
2012 Monster Energy Supercross Results: Phoenix, Round 2
Ryan Dungey Goes Wire-to-Wire to Give KTM Inaugural Supercross Class Win in Phoenix
Dean Wilson Races to Supercross Lites Victory
PHOENIX (January 14, 2012) - A huge crowd of 49,236 fans filled Chase Field on Saturday night for the second race of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. In just two races together, the new relationship between Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and Red Bull KTM has proven to be fruitful as the former champion captured his first win of the season, and KTM's first Supercross Class victory ever, with a dominant wire-to-wire effort. In the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, of Menifee, Calif., prevailed with a similarly-convincing performance.
Dungey capitalized on a good start out of the gate in the 20-lap Supercross Class Main Event to grab the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot and checked out on the field. Behind him, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., assumed their spots at the front of the field, with both TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., and Toyota/Muscle Milk/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., mired in the field following mid-pack starts.
The wild action of the night began when Millsaps went down in the track's sand section on the opening lap, collecting Villopoto and relegating both riders to the tail end of the field. Villopoto's misfortune allowed both Reed and Stewart to move forward, crossing the line 8th and 13th, respectively.
From there, Reed, Stewart, and Villopoto began climbing their way through the field, with Reed and Stewart doing so together. Just as Stewart made his way past Reed in his continued forward progression, he went down in the same section as Villopoto on Lap 7, falling outside the top 10. Villopoto eventually made his way around Reed and set his sights on the top five, slowly picking his way through the field and bringing the crowd to its feet.
In the end, Dungey took the checkers by over six seconds for his second Supercross Class win in Phoenix.
"This was a big step in right direction for KTM," said Dungey. "They've been behind me the whole way and believed in me. We've come a long way since the off-season, but there's still a lot of racing to go. I got off to a great start and (moved) into the lead early, which made it nice on myself. If it wasn't for all these people (at KTM) working their butts off every week, this wouldn't happen, so I owe this all to them."
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, finished second for his first career Supercross Class podium, while Villopoto passed most of the field and fought his way into third to salvage his points lead.
"It was a tough night," said Villopoto. "Davi (Millsaps) went down in front of me in the sand and I went right into him. It happened on first lap, and when that happens, you have your work cut out (for you). There's 20 laps to do it, so you've got to make quick work of it. The bike was working great though. I salvaged a lot of points tonight, so it was good."
Reed brought home a fifth-place finish, while Stewart soldiered on to finish eighth. Dungey and Villopoto currently have a share of the points lead, and both will adorn their bikes with the red number plate next weekend, signifying the current rider in control of the championship.
In the Supercross Lites Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray, of Wildomar, Calif., captured the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot, but Wilson worked his way into the lead on the exit of the second corner. Once out front, Wilson continued to pull away from his competitors and rebound from a sixth-place effort one week ago.
"This feels great," exclaimed Wilson. "Last weekend just wasn't me. I think I was too confident coming in. It just means so much to get this win. The track was really slippery and required a lot of throttle control. This class is unbelievable and it's not going to be easy (to win), but I want to be in the championship and I'm going to try my best."
Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin, of Murrieta, Calif., garnered his first career Monster Energy Supercross podium in second, while Rattray held on for third, moving into the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class championship points lead.
The 2012 Monster Energy Supercross season continues next Saturday, January 21, from Los Angeles, with the third race of the season inside Dodger Stadium. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. PT.
Supercross Class Results: Phoenix
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
8. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 45
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki - 45
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda - 38
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki - 38
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda - 31
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda - 29
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha - 28
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 25
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki - 22
10. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki - 22
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Phoenix
1. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
2. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
5. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
6. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
8. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
9. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki - 42
2. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 41
3. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki - 40
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 40
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda - 38
6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki - 28
7. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha - 27
8. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda - 22
9. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha - 22
10. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda - 17
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 http://www.supercrossonline.com/, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com 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 http://www.feldentertainment.com.
Post Race interview with Ryan Villopoto winner of Anaheim 1
Photos and interview: Scott Hoffman
Last year was an epic season and Ryan Villopoto emerged the victor despite some bad luck, yet that luck also swung his way as well, which helped secure his first premier title and Monster Energy AMA Supercross and FIM World Supercross Champion of 2011. RV kicked off 2012 just like he left 2011--a winner. He almost made it look easy. We 
can honestly say his night was rock solid whereas his rivals Chad Reed, James Stewart, and Ryan Dungey touched the ground or had some issues at least once during the main. So it's safe to say the top dogs were not able to challenge the champ in a fair fight . . . yet. And I imagine that it's not going to be that easy as the series leaves So Cal for Phoenix, Arizona, and then 15 more rounds after that. We got a few words with the champ right after he nabbed the trophy for the well-deserved victory.
"I rode good. This one felt a lot easier than last year so I'm excited with it and I'm excited to see what's to come."
Motocross.com: You don't seem too surprised with the win?
Ryan Villopoto: It feels good. I felt like this one was a lot easier than last year. Not to say that it was easy, but I felt a lot better in these 20 laps in a race than I have in a long time, or ever I should say, so I'm excited to see what's to come.
Seems like you got out front and pretty much rode your own race and didn't seem worried about the guys behind you.
No, you can't be worried about the guys behind you. Once I got the holeshot I tried to put in smooth, clean laps and pull away and that's all I could do.
You had no idea that James and Chad went down and Dungey had a little off-track excursion? A lot of stuff was going on behind you and you were just cruising in for the win.
No, I rode smooth and flawless. I felt good other than that one big mistake on the triple on where I almost went down. I'm just looking forward to Phoenix.
What's it like to get this particular race out of the way and win it?
Anaheim 1 is probably one of the hardest races to win. There's a lot of hype around it, a lot of pressure to see where you're at and where everyone is at. I'm glad it's out of the way. I feel good with where we're at. Believe me, they aren't all going to be that easy, not that that was easy but I feel like I'm in a very good position.
When you're out in front like that what do you do to maintain your pace?
Just keep pushing really. Lap time was long tonight. It's not normally that long. Lap times were 1:00, 1:01 and those are long lap times. Just stay focused, there was a lot of moisture coming up through the track. It was rutty in practice and when we did the hot lap you could see the dirt was shiny. It was really slippery so you just had to stay on your toes and maybe ride some of the outsides.
What did you think of the track?
I liked the track in terms of safety. It was safe but I think they can still make it safe but maybe make some longer straightaways. There was a lot of turning. To race a 450 on a track like this is really hard. Because of the weight and the power, you're always switching directions so it's pretty hard to race a 450, it's pretty tiring. The track is tight and just switching the weight going from right to left and then the power just all of a sudden exploding it just makes it hard. It's not a 250F.
The starts are important, talk us through the start.
I lined up next to the box and there was a little bit of a hole out in front of my gate but I felt like the space in between the box that it gives you on the right was better for me than to line up in another gate. I just tried to leave the gate without a wheelie because the dirt was really tacky and I was able to do that. I had a little bit of a problem in the heat race with my clutch. We just made a little adjustment with the screw behind the lever to bring it out from the bar just a little bit and give me a little more swing on the lever.
What Really Happened: A1 Supercross 2012
Photo by Shan Moore.
Stuck in your La-Z-Boy recliner, economy has you tied down or you're just too dang far away to witness the opening round of the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross series at Anaheim Stadium live and in person? Don't sweat, Motocross.com has you covered with all the things behind the scenes that you had to be there for. Head on over to What Really Happened at A1 by clicking the image below or visit to take you there http://www.motocross.com/features/what-really-happened-a1-2012/.
2012 Monster Energy Supercross Results: Anaheim, Round 1
Photos by Scott Hoffman.
It was the defending class champion Ryan Villopoto that made it look easy and ran away with the win at the opening round of the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Series at Anaheim Stadium in Southern California. Are we going to see a repeat of Villopoto's domination at Phoenix and beyond? 12.2 seconds behind Villopoto was TwoTwo Motorsports rider Chad Reed who tried to minimize the gap but was not able to do so before the checkers. It was Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey that closed out the podium for the SX class after battling for the 3rd place position with Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX rider James Stewart, who crashed during lap 15 and finished the night in 6th place.
In the Lites class, it was Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda rider Cole Seely leading the Lites West race to the checkered flag. Seely didn't wait long, on lap 2 he made the move on Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Tyla Rattray for the lead and took them to the finish line; Rattray in tow finishing in 2nd place. GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac rounded out the podium in 3rd place. 
Supercross Class Results: Anaheim Race 1
1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki
6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
8. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki - 25
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda - 22
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 20
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 18
5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki - 16
6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha - 15
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda - 14
8. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda - 13
9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki - 12
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki - 11
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Anaheim Race 1
1. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
2. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
5. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, KY, Yamaha
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, NM, Suzuki
8. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
9. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, SC, Yamaha
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 25
2. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki - 22
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda - 20
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 18
5. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, KY, Yamaha - 16
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki - 15
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, NM, Suzuki - 14
8. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda - 13
9. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, SC, Yamaha - 12
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda - 11
Introducing the 2012 crop of Monster Energy Supercross Girls
The 2012 Supercross season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory with multiple title contenders healthy and set to do battle.
Oh wait, did you think we we're talking about the Supercross elite class battle between Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart, Chad Reed, Trey Canard and Ryan Dungey? 
No, we're talking about the battle for Miss Supercross between the new crop of Monster Energy Supercross girls and the current Miss Supercross Dianna Dahlgren. In reality its not a competition but there's definitely a winner in this race. We the people!
Here's a look at the new crop of Monster Energy Supercross Girls for 2012 for the Dirt Shark.
The 2012 Supercross Championship Kicks off this Saturday Night
The 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season kicks off this weekend at Angel Stadium celebrating the 56th time the gate will drop for a race in Anaheim, California.
Defending Supercross Class champion Ryan Villopoto will start his title defense in the same stadium he began his 2011 title quest. He looks to be only th
e 6th rider is Supercross history to win back-to-back season openers.
"It's a nice way to start out the season," said Villopoto following last year's season opener. "Starting out this way makes things much easier. I hope I can start putting together some more wins and a championship this year."
Last year he became the 12th rider to win the season opener and the championship.
If Villopoto plans to defend his title he'll have to defeat the likes of James Stewart, Chad Reed, Trey Canard and Ryan Dungey who all battled for the title last year virtually all season long.
Angel Stadium is the only stop on the tour that will host two races, January 7 and February 4.
SPEED will broadcast the race live at 7:00 p.m. PT. on Saturday evening.
Here's a look at the past winners in Anaheim.
Supercross Class
February 5, 2011: James Stewart
January 8, 2011: Ryan Villopoto
February 13, 2010: Ryan Villopoto
January 23, 2010: Ryan Dungey
January 9, 2010: James Stewart
February 7, 2009: James Stewart
January 17, 2009: James Stewart
January 3, 2009: Josh Grant
January 5, 2008: Chad Reed
January 19, 2008: Chad Reed
February 2, 2008: Chad Reed
January 6, 2007: James Stewart
January 20, 2007: James Stewart
February 3, 2007: James Stewart
January 07, 2006: James Stewart
January 21, 2006: Ricky Carmichael
February 04, 2006: Ricky Carmichael
Stay tuned for pre-race coverage as well as full highlights on race day from Motocross.com.
2012 World Tour roster
And that's a wrap folks. The 2011 season has come and gone, now that the dust has settled, and the ASP has done the math correctly, lets have a look at our 2012 World Tour competitors, shall we?
A couple of things to point out:
1) No Dane Reynolds. My already short attention span is really worried about this.
2) What is Kelly Slater going to do next year? He mentioned in a post heat interview during pipe that if Snapper, the first event on the season, wasn't a Quik event, he probably would have a few less world titles, as that event has springboarded him into a world title hunt in years when he wasn't planning on competing at all.
3) Kolohe and Yadin are the only 2 fresh faces on tour. You can bet Kolohe is studying what Gabe Medina did in his debut a couple months back. Kolohe is no stranger to the podium, but Yadin needs to shake those nerves before he gets into another final. Perhaps you recall his final this summer against Slater, he ran away from that US Open trophy like it had herpes.
4) Holy shit the roster is pretty stacked for next season.
2012 ASP TOP 34:
1. Kelly Slater (USA)
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
3. Taj Burrow (AUS)
4. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
5. Owen Wright (AUS)
6. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
7. Julian Wilson (AUS)
8. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
9. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
10. Michel Bourez (PYF)
11. Josh Kerr (AUS)
12. Damien Hobgood (USA)
13. John John Florence (HAW)
14. Mick Fanning (AUS)
15. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
16. Heitor Alves (BRA)
17. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
18. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
19. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
20. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
21. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
22. Brett Simpson (USA)
23. Adam Melling (AUS)
24. Kolohe Andino (USA)
25. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
26. Tiago Pires (PRT)
27. Jadson Andre (BRA)
28. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
29. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
30. Dusty Payne (HAW)
31. Travis Logie (ZAF)
32. Taylor Knox (USA)
33. Kai Otton (AUS) *surfer wildcard (next on the ASP World Rankings)
34. Yadin Nicol (AUS) *surfer wildcard (injury)
1st Alternate: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
2nd Alternate: Willian Cardoso (BRA)
3rd Alternate: Chris Davidson (AUS)
4th Alternate: Thiago Camarao (BRA)
And here's the 2012 tour schedule so far..
