To no one’s surprise, the #1 and #101 of Villopoto and Townley were out front and mostly by themselves all day long at Millville. What was surprising is that their roles were reversed from the customary 1-2 moto scores of Villopoto and the 2-1s of Townley. Villopoto finally got himself another overall win—it had been since Red Bud—as he held the advantage the second time out. The points remained even, as Townley still leads by two in what’s turned into a moto-by-moto nail biter.
Behind them, Brett Metcalfe was a solid 3-3 in a ride that had him in tears after the first moto. Brett’s been off the box for a long time with injuries, and the Australian was truly overjoyed with making another big step towards winning his first race in America.
Here’s the thing: The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit team is so fast and so solid that it seems like it’s going to be difficult (if not impossible) for someone to get between Villopoto and Townley from here on out (and if there is, it’s likely going to be the getting-back-into-form Metcalfe). That means every moto counts for Ryan and Ben, and if they keep splitting wins these last three races, Townley takes the title. If Villo can sweep one race and then hold BT101 even at the other two, he wins the title. This one is likely going all the way through the last lap of the last moto at Glen Helen! That makes 250 words, but….
We want to talk about one more guy: Lost in the Pro Circuit parade out front and the debuts of Nico Izzi and Trey Canard was an excellent performance by Red Bull KTM’s Martin Davalos. The kid from Ecuador just keeps toiling away in the pack, working his way up when he can and never settling for a position. He’s quiet, polite and rides for a team that sees the majority of media attention focused on the Alessi family. So here’s a nod to #577, who just posted the best finish ever for his small Latin American nation in the AMA Toyota Motocross Series: Fourth overall at Millville.
