In our practice report, we mentioned the severe storm warnings in the area around Houston's Reliant Stadium, site of round seven of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. During the races, a tornado actually touched down, according to some witnesses, less than a quarter mile away, and the result in the pits was fairly devastating. Any team that had its awning down lost it, including the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad (shown), the Torco Racing Fuels Honda squad, the MDK KTM team and the entire Wonder Warthog Racing "Hog Haven" tent area.
Inside the stadium, the action was nearly as unpredictable.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's
Ryan Dungey (28) got the holeshot to start the Lites main event, trailing two points behind series rival and winner of the last three main events,
Jason Lawrence (338) of the Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy team.
Rounding the first lap in the lead, Dungey looked to have things under control, but then lost it in the whoops...
...and went down awkwardly.
Brett Metcalfe (123) went around the outside of the fallen Dungey (28), while Lawrence (338) went around the inside and not only passed Dungey, but Metcalfe as well, and took over the lead.
Within a couple of laps, Dungey fell again while trying to come through the pack, costing him even more time.
Rookie
Austin Stroupe (51) caught and passed Lawrence (behind Stroupe) on lap six of 15 and began to pull away.
Stroupe landed his first career AMA win, just in front of Lawrence.
Jake Weimer (30) caught Metcalfe (123) late in the race for third, only for Metcalfe to crash out of the spot and hand it to Weimer on the last lap.
Then, with only one turn left to go in the race, Weimer went down on the step-on-step-off before the finish line, but he kept his bike going and retained the spot. Dungey caught up to fourth. Metcalfe was fifth.
The Lites podium with Stroupe (center), Lawrence (left) and Weimer (right).
Honda Red Bull Racing's
Davi Millsaps (118) got his second holeshot in as many weeks (and ever) in the 450cc main, and he was followed closely by Heat winner
Kevin Windham, Yamaha's
Josh Hill, and the rest of the pack. San Manuel Yamaha's
Chad Reed started well outside the top 10 and rounded the first lap in seventh.
Then, on lap two, Millsaps (118) crashed out of the lead, handing it to Windham.
Reed (22) worked his way through the pack relatively quickly. Here, he has just passed his teammate
Nathan Ramsey and
Timmy Ferry in the same corner on lap two, taking over fourth behind
Andrew Short (third), Hill (second) and Windham (first).
Hill (40) held onto second for a while, but eventually gave way to the charging Reed (22).
By the time Reed was second, Windham was too far gone to be caught.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ferry worked his way up to an eventual third, passing Hill for the position with less than four laps to go.
Windham won his first main event since 2005, on a track that he designed himself.
Reed (left), Windham (center) and Ferry (right) celebrate. Reed still holds a commanding 32-point lead in the Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Championship with 10 rounds still left to run.
