Reed & Hill Sweep Dallas Supercross

Aboard their Yamaha YZ450Fs, Chad Reed and Josh Hill scored their third 1-2 finish of the 2008 AMA Supercross season in Irving, Texas on Saturday night, April 5. In one of the most exciting main events this year, Reed’s eighth win of the year puts him back in total control of the Supercross series with a 27-point lead over Kevin Windham, who finished fourth. The victory was also Reed’s fourth in Dallas – the most of any rider in history – and puts him third on the all-time Supercross win list behind Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael with 34 victories. Meanwhile Hill’s fourth podium of the year anchors him fifth in the standings with four races left to go.

The night began beautifully for Yamaha, with Reed setting fastest time in practice and finishing second his heat race (after stalling his YZ450F and surging from back in the pack), and Hill taking the holeshot to win his heat race. When the gate dropped for the main event, Travis Preston hooked up on the hard-packed Texas clay to grab the holeshot with Hill in second and Reed in third. Reed followed for a lap before passing first Hill and then Preston. After that he rode according to plan, building up a comfortable margin over his pursuers. “I am so happy for Josh Hill to get up here and make it a Yamaha 1-2,” he said on the podium. “I really want to win this title and before this season ever started we did our work and put our heads down and never shied away from the goal.”

Yamaha Factory Racing’s 18-year-old Hill has rapidly become a factor in his first year in the Supercross class. The likeable Oregonian withstood intense pressure from Davi Millsaps throughout most of the main event to secure his podium finish, including a very close call when he cross-rutted a jump and landed beneath a flying Millsaps, earning a tire mark on his jersey in the process. “It was kind of a hectic main and I was making mistakes all over,” he admitted. “But I’ve been working hard and doing everything I can to better myself, and I think that’s helping out with my stamina.” Supercross team manager Jim Perry added, “I was glad to see the Yamaha guys go 1-2 in the Supercross class. It was also nice to see Josh get between Chad and Kevin, which helped Chad out with the points.”

2008 AMA Supercross Points            4/5/08

Pos.    Rider                                              Points

1          Chad Reed – Yamaha                   287

2          Kevin Windham                                 260

3          Andrew Short                                     205

4          Davi Millsaps                                     204

5          Josh Hill – Yamaha                        173

6          Tim Ferry                                            167

7          Nathan Ramsey – Yamaha           147

8          David Vuillemin                                  123

9          Paul Carpenter                                   120

10        Nick Wey                                             117