Seattle SX Stats
Poulsbo, Washington’s Villopoto Returns to Qwest Field with First-Ever AMA Supercross Lites Title Clinched
Stewart Aims to Clinch Two Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series
AURORA, Ill. (April 24, 2007) – Poulsbo Washington’s Ryan Villopoto returns home this Saturday to Qwest Field for the final race of the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites championship in hopes of his first victory in Seattle. Regardless, Villopoto wrapped up the championship on February 17 at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. Sharing the spotlight with Villopoto will be 21-year-old James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., who can clinch his first Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross championship.
Last Saturday Kawasaki’s Stewart won his fifth consecutive Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series race at Ford Field. After winning the $1,500 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award, Stewart dominated all 20 laps of the main event en route to his 11th win of the season.
“I saw the white line for the holeshot – I was like, I gotta go for it,” said Stewart referring to his $1,500 Progressive Direct Holeshot last weekend. “And on the first couple laps, I was out of control; I was trying to push it a little harder than what the track was giving me, and I smoothed out a little bit.”
Kawasaki’s Ben Townley, of Tallahassee, Fla., won the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Championship with a second place finish tonight. Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., won the main event, leading all 15 laps.
“This was a dream come true,” said Townley from the podium last weekend. “My parents are here, and my sister, and everyone in my whole crew,” said Townley. “Everyone has supported me through this whole championship run. We started off in a bit of a hole and we’ve managed to come back and take it and I just gotta give it up to Pro Circuit, Monster Energy, Kawasaki – They’ve just done an awesome job. Everyone on the team – Thor, Parts Unlimited, Scott, Bridgestone, Amp’d Mobile – everyone is just awesome to work with and it’s just great to give them this number one plate.”
Dungey opened the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class main event with the $1,000 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award with Yamaha’s Ryan Morais, of Temecula, Calif., in second and Honda’s Billy Laninovich, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., in third. Townley rounded turn one in fourth place. Dungey established a huge lead and rode to the third win of the year.”
“I am still learning, so I hope to have better luck next year,” said Dungey. “I won the holeshot, and I rode a great race after that. I look forward to racing in Las Vegas in two weeks.”
Last year the rain-drenched spread of 500 truckloads of dirt that sat on top of Seattle’s Qwest Field became an equalizer for the field for 20 riders. Nearly 47,000 fans watched Stewart rebound from a 10th-place start to earn his ninth win of the season en route to his first-ever Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP championship. During practice Stewart crashed hard over the finish-line jump and overcame adversity in earning the win.
“I had a scary crash during my practice, but I went back and talked to my mom and she helped me put together a great ride tonight,” said Stewart.
Although Stewart’s win was impressive, it was merely a subtitle for the script that was written that night. Yamaha’s Chad Reed, who finished the race in second place, tied defending AMA Supercross Series champion Ricky Carmichael heading into the final round in Las Vegas. In 34 years of racing this scenario has never occurred.
In last year’s AMA Supercross Lites class Kawasaki’s Grant Langston earned his first win in Seattle as well as his second regional AMA Supercross Lites championship. Langston gained control of the lead on lap two, passing his teammate Ryan Villopoto, of nearby Poulsbo, Wash., and leading the next 13 laps.
Four riders in the sport’s history earned their first win in Seattle: Darrell Schultz (’81); Ricky Johnson (’84); Jeff Ward (’84); and Larry Ward (’90). From ‘79-‘89, the Seattle stop of the AMA Supercross Series hosted back-to-back races. Ricky Johnson holds the all-time win record in Seattle with seven, six with Team Honda, one with Team Yamaha. Kawasaki rider Jeff Matiasevich strung together a string of four wins from ’88-’89.
Amp’d Mobile Supercross at the old Kingdome February 18, 1978 is where Jim Ellis, of Hampton, Conn., won the AMA Supercross class (formerly the 250cc class) on a Honda. The first AMA Supercross Lites race was held on February 9, 1985 where Mike Healey, of Costa Mesa, Calif., scored his second and only win of his career.
Tickets are available at www.supercrossonline.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, Qwest Field Box Office or charge by phone at 206-628-0888. Ticket prices are $45 for Club and Gold Circle seats; $25 for adult Mid-Level seats; $15 for kid’s Mid-Level seats; $10 for Treadhead seats.
Past Winners in Seattle
AMA Supercross Class
April 29, 2006: James Stewart
April 23, 2005: James Stewart
January 30, 1999: Larry Ward
January 31, 1998: Jeremy McGrath
February 1, 1997: Doug Henry
February 3, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
February 4, 1995: Jeremy McGrath
May 7, 1994: Mike Kiedrowski
January 30, 1993: Jeremy McGrath
February 1, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
February 2, 1991: Jean-Michael Bayle
February 17, 1990: Larry Ward
February 4, 1989: Rick Johnson
February 5, 1989: Rick Johnson
February 13, 1988: Rick Johnson
February 14, 1988: Ron Lechien
March 28, 1987: Rick Johnson
March 29, 1987: Rick Johnson
February 15, 1986: Jeff Ward
February 16, 1986: Rick Johnson
February 8, 1985: Ron Lechien
February 9, 1985: Ron Lechien
February 11, 1984: Jeff Ward
February 12, 1984: Rick Johnson
February 12, 1983: Bob Hannah
February 13, 1983: Bob Hannah
February 13, 1982: Donnie Hansen
February 14, 1982: Mark Barnett
February 14, 1981: Darrell Shultz
February 15, 1981: Darrell Shultz
February 9, 1980: Mike Bell
February 10, 1980: Mike Bell
February 9, 1979: Mike Bell
February 10, 1979: Bob Hannah
February 18, 1978: Jim Ellis
AMA Supercross Lites Class
April 29, 2006: James Stewart
April 23, 2005: James Stewart
January 30, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
January 31, 1998: David Vuillemin
February 1, 1997: David Vuillemin
February 3, 1996: Kevin Windham
February 4, 1995: Damon Huffman
May 7, 1994: Ryan Hughes
January 30, 1993: Phil Lawrence
February 1, 1992: Jeremy McGrath
February 2, 1991: Jeremy McGrath
February 17, 1990: Ty Davis
February 4, 1989: Jeff Matiasevich
February 5, 1989: Jeff Matiasevich
February 13, 1988: Jeff Matiasevich
February 14, 1988: Jeff Matiasevich
March 28, 1987: Donnie Schmit
March 29, 1987: Kyle Lewis
February 15, 1986: Willie Surratt
February 16, 1986: Donnie Schmit
February 8, 1985: Bader Manneh
February 9, 1985: Mike Healey
The AMA Supercross class will air on CBS Sports Sunday, April 29, at Noon (EST). SPEED will broadcast the AMA Supercross Lites class Saturday, May 5, at 4:00 p.m. (EST). Amp’d Mobile Supercross heads to Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium next Saturday for the final race of the season.
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
Garrett Bercaw, Zephyrhills, Fla., KTM
Landon Armbruster, Brookville, Ohio, KTM
Broc Schindler, Pueblo West, Colo., KTM
Joseph Crown, Metamora, Mich., KTM
Parker Witbanks, Trabucco Canyon, Calif., KTM
Zachary Swain, Flushing, Mich., KTM
Evan Herr, DeMotte, Ind., KTM
Connor Lochhead, West Seneca, N.Y., KTM
Justin Graham, Riverside, Calif., KTM
Matthew Carpenter, Zeeland, Mich., KTM
Noah Park, Moss Point, Miss., KTM
Max Lillibridge, Bettendorf, Iowa, KTM
Wesley Morey, Muscle Shoals, Ala., KTM
Evan Hansen, Spencer, Iowa, KTM
McKie Larson, Clemont, Fla., KTM
Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP Season Standings
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 354
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 322
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 262
David Vuillemin, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 208
Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 185
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 180
Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda, 175
Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 174
Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Kawasaki, 170
Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Kawasaki, 150
Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Season Standings
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 335
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 297
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 243
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 200
Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 171
David Vuillemin, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 169
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 164
Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 160
Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda, 148
Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Kawasaki, 125
Amp’d Mobile Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
Ben Townley, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 133
Ryan Morais, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha, 130
Darcy Lange, Hemet, Calif., Kawasaki, 117
Branden Jesseman, New Brighton, Pa., Yamaha, 103
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plain, Minn., Suzuki, 98
Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 85
Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda 84
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 84
Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha, 83
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 68
Amp’d Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 172
Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 135
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 103
Christopher Gosselaar, Victorville, Calif., Kawasaki, 97
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 92
Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 88
Josh Hansen, Lake Elsinore, Calif., KTM, 87
Matthew Lemoine, Pilot Point, Texas, Yamaha, 86
Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 71
Kyle Cunningham, Springtown, Texas, Yamaha, 66
For more information about the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, please log on to www.supercrossonline.com. For media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig at 630-566-6305 or e-mail at dennyhartwig@livenation.com.
