Torco Racing Fuels Honda Houston Race Report
February 18, 2008
HOUSTON, Tex. – Torco Racing Fuels Honda and the team’s star rider Kevin Windham had a breakthrough at the Houston, Texas round of the AMA Supercross Championship. Windham is one of only two riders to have finished every single main event so far in the top five, but in Houston, Windham took a big leap forward, winning his first AMA Supercross main event of the season.
Windham started near the front in the main event and took over the lead when Davi Millsaps crashed on lap two. From there, Windham led the remaining 19 laps. It was the 13th AMA Supercross win of his career, moving him past Ezra Lusk and David Bailey to 12th on the all-time Supercross win list.
“It was a tough race, because it would’ve been easy to let your mind wander, and I stayed focused,” Windham said. “When Chad [Reed] was in second, I felt like I was inching away. I’m thankful for my team, Torco Racing Fuels Honda, and Planet Fitness, and Amsoil, No Fear Energy, and Jeff Spencer. All of those guys came together. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle, and they all came together for this.”
Windham’s win further solidified his spot at second in the championship, and actually moved him up three points closer to Reed for the championship lead with 10 races still left to run.
The Lites class also saw success for the Torco Racing Fuels Honda squad, as Phoenix winner Jake Weimer got a start near the front of the pack, and then fought it out with the leaders on his way to a solid third-place podium finish.
“I got a pretty decent start, and then on the first lap, I was like third or fourth – I was towards the front – and I wasn’t able to do the finish line and got passed like three times,” Weimer said of the start of the race. “Then, there were a bunch of us going back and forth, and Dungey went by me. Then, he made a mistake, and I went back by him, and then he got back by me, then he made another mistake and I went back by him, and then I never saw him again.”
Sitting fourth, Weimer tried to work his way into podium contention.
“I reeled in Metcalfe and then just kind of sat behind him forever,” Weimer said. “I felt like I was a little bit faster, but I didn’t quite put it together. He rode a good race, and then on the last lap, he made a mistake, and I capitalized on it. I felt like I rode a pretty solid race, especially for how I felt today. I didn’t feel good today. I didn’t feel on my game at all, so to come into the main like that and get a decent start and to ride solid, I can’t really ask for much more.”
The west-coast Lites riders now get about two months off before the final round of the West series in Seattle.
“I guess the good thing is going into Seattle that I have nothing to lose, and a couple of people do, so it should be fun,” Weimer said.
Aussie Dan Reardon got the holeshot in his Heat race, and went on to finish third. In the main event, though, things didn’t start out so well.
“I actually lined up in the same gate in the final, and I was feeling good, but I didn’t get a good start,” Reardon said. “It was definitely my worst start since I’ve been here [in the USA]. I had to deal with a lot of guys going this way and that way, and it took me a lot of lap to get past all of those guys. I finished sixth, which was a little disappointing, but I came from a long way back, so I did what I could.”
Reardon moved up to sixth in the championship points standings with one round left to run.
From here, the Torco Racing Fuels Honda team heads to Atlanta, Georgia, for the first round of the Lites Eastern Region championship with riders Josh Grant and Trey Canard, on February 23 inside the Georgia Dome. It will also be round eight of the AMA Supercross Series.
Team Sponsors: Torco Race Fuels, Honda, Planet Fitness, No Fear Energy, AMSOIL, Factory Connection, No Fear, Shoei, Gaerne, Spy, DVS, Cycra, Dunlop, EK, Ferodo, Hinson, Ogio, One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Showa, TAG, Twin Air, and Works Connection.
Houston Lites Main:
1. Austin Stroupe Kaw
2. Jason Lawrence Yam
3. Jake Weimer Torco Racing Fuels Honda
4. Ryan Dungey Suz
5. Brett Metcalfe Kaw
6. Dan Reardon Torco Racing Fuels Honda
7. Bobby Kiniry Hon
8. Wil Hahn Yam
9. Michael Lapaglia Suz
10. Matt Lemoine Yam
AMA Western Lites Standings (After 7 of 8 rounds):
1. Jason Lawrence (135/3 wins)
2. Ryan Dungey (129/2 wins)
3. Austin Stroupe (113/1 win)
4. Brett Metcalfe (112)
5. Tommy Hahn (101)
6. Dan Reardon (95)
7. Justin Brayton (85)
8. Bobby Kiniry (71)
9. Wil Hahn (69)
10. Billy Laninovich (62)
14. Jake Weimer (55/1 win)
Houston 450cc Main:
1. Kevin Windham Torco Racing Fuels Honda
2. Chad Reed Yam
3. Timmy Ferry Kaw
4. Josh Hill Yam
5. Andrew Short Hon
6. Nathan Ramsey Yam
7. Charles Summey Yam
8. Davi Millsaps Hon
9. Nick Wey KTM
10. David Vuillemin Suz
AMA Supercross Standings (After 7 of 17 rounds):
1. Chad Reed (169/5 wins)
2. Kevin Windham (137/1 win)
3. Timmy Ferry (119)
4. Andrew Short (101)
5. Davi Millsaps (98)
6. Nathan Ramsey (85)
7. Josh Hill (82)
8. Nick Wey (77)
9. Mike Alessi (69)
10. David Vuillemin (60)
