The 2008 Dallas Supercross had all of the elements necessary for an unpredictable outcome, but alas, it turned out to be rather predictable. The 13th round of the Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Championship, and the fifth round (of seven total) of the Eastern Regional Lites Supercross Championship, Dallas nearly ended up being yet another mud race.
The hole in the roof of Texas Stadium - famously claimed by a former Dallas Cowboys player as being put there "so that God can watch his favorite team" - could've proved disastrous if the storms of the previous couple of days would've moved a little slower. However, all the storms did was muddy up the floor a little bit since the dirt was covered until the day of the race, and throughout the day, the track continued to improve, although it ultimately turned into a rather one-lined, slick, somewhat dusty track.
Torco Racing Fuels Honda's
Josh Grant got the night started in the first Lites Heat with a seemingly easy win.
Fast qualifier
Ryan Villopoto looked a lot like his old self again, grabbing the early lead in his Heat and checking out, while...
...championship rival
Trey Canard (48) was busy trying to get up off the ground. Canard couldn't get his bike refired, but eventually re-entered the race just to make sure his bike was okay and to get some laps in. He had to go on to the LCQ.
Yamaha's
Josh Hill took the opening 450cc Heat win.
Torco Racing Fuels Honda's
Kevin Windham (14) had an easy time of it in the second 450cc Heat, winning by quite a margin, while championship leader
Chad Reed came from way behind for second.
In the Lites LCQ, Canard (48) didn't want to leave anything else to chance, and he got the holeshot and checked out. He got the 19th pick on the gate for the main event.
Cernic's Kawasaki's
Jeff Gibson (43) won the 450cc LCQ, while
Antonio Balbi (55) made a last-lap pass on Kevin Johnson (72) for the final transfer spot.
The Lites main got underway with
Billy Payne (195) looking like he would have the holeshot before getting pushed wide by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Villopoto (2). Villopoto ended up with the holeshot, but then tangled again with Payne in the second turn, which gathered up points leader Canard (48). Canard rounded the first lap in 20th place.
Villopoto (2) recovered from the encounter with Payne to run second to Canard's teammate
Josh Grant (20) in the early going.
A couple turns into the third lap, Grant (20) stalled his bike, handing the lead back to Villopoto (2). Grant then backed it down, complaining of a "bog" in his CRF250R, and allowing Villopoto to pull away.
Canard (48) went to work quickly, moving through the pack at a remarkable pace. Here, he chases MDK KTM's
Matt Goerke (41) through the whoops on lap five. At the time, Goerke was sixth, and Canard seventh.
With only two laps to go, Canard (48) found his way by Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy's
Tyler Bowers (391) for fourth. That's where Canard would finish, and Bowers finished fifth.
Villopoto took his second win in a row, and gained a further seven points on Canard in the championship chase. He now trails Canard by 17 points with two rounds left to run.
Grant managed to finish a relatively easy second even with the bog he reported - his second runner-up finish in a row.
MDK KTM's
Martin Davalos ran third for the entire race.
The Lites podium: Grant (left), VIllopoto (center) and Davalos (right).
Monster Energy Kawasaki's
Travis Preston (11) got the 450cc main-event holeshot.
San Manuel Yamaha's
Chad Reed quickly worked his way past Preston and into the race lead on the second lap.
Hill (40) worked his way past Preston and into second in the early going, while Honda Red Bull Racing's
Davi Millsaps did likewise to grab third.
Windham (14) started near the tail end of the top 10, but by the halfway point, he had worked his way by Monster Energy Kawasaki's
Timmy Ferry (15) for fourth and was gaining on Millsaps and Hill.
Over the ensuing laps, the Hill/Millsaps/Windham battle seemed to accordion, while on some laps, they could be covered with a blanket, and on others, they were much more spread out. Windham (14) spent the last few laps working to pass Millsaps (118) for the final podium spot, but Millsaps hung on, relegating Windham to a fourth-place finish, which cost him seven points to points leader Reed.
Reed took home his eighth win of the season, and the 34th of his career. The only two riders with more wins are Jeremy McGrath (72) and
Ricky Carmichael (48). Reed passed both Bob Hannah (27) and Rick Johnson (28) this year.
Hill grabbed yet another solid finish with a second place.
Millsaps (118) could never quite make a move on Hill and finished third, just ahead of Windham.
Ferry finished a solid fifth.
The top four: Reed (22), Hill (40), Millsaps (118) and Windham (14).
Reed celebrates extending his points lead to 27 with only four rounds left to run.
