Kawasaki/Racer X Race Report

Friday night’s Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open main event was topped by two Yamaha riders, but tonight Honda owned the podium, going 1-2-3 in tonight’s main event, with SoBe No Fear/Samsung Mobile Honda’s Jake Weimer capitalizing on some crucial mistakes by the pre-race favorites to take an impressive victory.

Jake Weimer celebrates! photo: Dave Stenning

The big talk tonight was surrounding L&M Racing Yamaha’s Chad Reed, who was in position to become the first rider to win the Toyota Trifecta bonus, thus becoming $250,000 richer. Reed swept all three Trifecta events last night, and was off to a great start tonight, winning the Superpole with the fastest lap time over Yamaha’s Grant Langston. Reed then had to take the Progressive Direct Holeshot and win the main event to pocket the $250K, but Lady Luck just wasn’t on his side tonight. Reed got a good jump off the gate but came into the first turn a little too hot, washing out and taking out Andrew Short, Grant Langston, Mike Alessi and Tim Ferry. Makita Suzuki’s Alessi remounted the quickest and began his charge to the front, followed by Short, Langston and Reed.

Meanwhile it was Lites-class racer Jake Weimer taking the Progressive Direct Holeshot and coming out with the lead. At the end of lap one it was Weimer, followed by Hart and Huntington/Rockstar’s Josh Demuth, Rockstar Suzuki’s Michael Byrne, Dan Reardon, Justin Brayton and Heath Voss.

For the next 19 laps the entire crowd inside the Grand Garden Arena were on their feet, as Reed’s ascent through the pack had some exciting moments.

Out front Weimer maintained a two-second cushion over Demuth, and on lap eight Dan Reardon passed fellow Aussie Michael Byrne for third. As for Reed, he was now in seventh place after passing Langston, and he was closing ground fast on Team Honda’s Andrew Short for sixth. But then Reed threw it all way, misjudging a small timing jump and colliding with Andrew Short, taking both riders down.

“I thought I had enough room on Andrew but I didn’t,” Reed said after the race, obviously disappointed. “I just really wanted the overall.”

Short and Reed both quickly remounted, but Reed hit the dirt 20 feet later after colliding into the back of Grant Langston’s YZ450F in his attempt to rejoin the race. He then stalled his bike, losing even more time to both Langston and Short.

In the waning moments of the main event Alessi was able to get around Michael Byrne for fourth, and Grant Langston made it to fifth place, his 2-5 securing the overall win at the 2007 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open of Supercross, topping off what already has been an amazing season for the South Africa native.

“Man, I don’t know where to begin,” Langston said on the podium. “It was the wildest race I ever been in my life. I got hit about 15 times that time, and I hit about five people and I didn’t know where I was. I looked at my pit board and it looked like Japanese! This is just unbelievable. I just did what I could. I got a pretty good jump off the gate but I got collected up in that mess, but it’s racing and I didn’t give up. It just fell in my lap!”

As for Jake Weimer, tonight definitely marks the biggest win of his young career, and it gave him fourth overall for the weekend. “Tonight I got a little bit of luck on the start, got into the lead, and it was a long 20 laps,” he said. “My team is doing an awesome job and I’m super pumped to be up here.”

Grant Langston is your 2007 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open of SX Champion!

Finishing third overall on the weekend was Josh Demuth, who was making his debut with Carey Hart’s new motocross team, with backing from Hart & Huntington and Rockstar Energy Drink. His combined scores of 6-2 were enough to get his the final podium position, and the former National Arenacross champion was ecstatic.

As for the Alpinestars Rematch race, it was also very exciting, with Honda’s Mike LaRocco going 1-1 over Jeff Emig and Damon Huffman. Emig held the early lead tonight but LaRocco bumped his way past the Kawasaki rider and into the lead. Emig then stalled his KX450F in a corner, and LaRocco cruised home for the win on his CR250R two-stroke.

Open Class Results, Saturday
1. Jake Weimer (Hon)
2. Josh Demuth (Hon)
3. Mike Alessi (Suz)
4. Dan Reardon (Hon)
5. Grant Langston (Yam)
6. Justin Brayton (KTM)
7. Andrew Short (Hon)
8. Chad Reed (Yam)
9. Heath Voss (Hon)
10. Jason Thomas (Hon)

Open Class Results Overall Results
1. Grant Langston (Yam)
2. Chad Reed (Yam)
3. Josh Demuth (Hon)
4. Jake Weimer (Hon)
5. Mike Alessi (Suz)
6. Andrew Short (Hon)
7. Dan Reardon (Hon)
8. Justin Brayton (KTM)
9. Tim Ferry (Kaw)
10. Michael Byrne (Suz)