The first Minneapolis Supercross since 2004 features a track designed by Dirt Wurx, rather than by a racer.
Today's practice sessions were full of surprises. First was the tough time that Lites points leader Trey Canard had in both practice sessions.
In the first practice session, Canard seemed to have some technical difficulties and pulled into the pits. In the second session, Canard got sideways off of a triple and cased the jump hard, crashing into the corner following the jump. He left the track under his own power, and the preliminary report is that he may have dinged up his knee, but plans are for him to race tonight. If he is injured, the goal may be just to survive the night and score as many points as he can before the two-week break that he will be able to use to heal up before the last three rounds of the Lites East.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's
Ryan Villopoto was fastest in Lites practice with a 47.314-second lap.
Canard's Torco Racing Fuels Honda teammate
Josh Grant was second-fastest in the Lites class with a 47.744.
French import
Ben Coisy was third-fastest overall with a 48.138.
The surprise of the Lites practice times was Solitaire/MB1 Honda's
Kyle Partridge, whose 48.578 was good enough for sixth overall, just behind the MDK KTMs of
Ryan Sipes in fourth (48.293) and
Martin Davalos (48.333).
Eight days after winning the Daytona Supercross,
Kevin Windham set the fastest time (a 46.704) in 450cc practice on the dry dirt inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Yamaha's
Josh Hill impressed in 450cc practice, posting the second-fastest time, just short of Windham's time, with a 46.765.
San Manuel Yamaha's
Chad Reed was fastest in the first practice session, and his time (a 46.817) held up for third overall in practice despite the fact that he sat out the second practice because he's sick. He was just trying to conserve energy for tonight's racing, although being sick, his 20-lap endurance is potentially questionable.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's
Ryan Dungey showed off his new Target sponsorship on his way to the fastest time in the unseeded practice session, which also set him up fifth overall with a 47.483, just behind Honda Red Bull Racing's
Andrew Short (47.106).
Motoworld/Xtreme Kawasaki's
Tommy Hahn is making his 450cc debut in Minneapolis, and he was solid in unseeded practice, posting the third-best time in both sessions behind Dungey and Monster Energy Kawasaki's
Travis Preston.
Tune into www.supercrosslive.com tonight at 7 p.m. CST for the live Supercross internet show with Jason Weigandt and Jim Holley for all of the racing action.
