The last Monster Energy/AMA Supercross event of the year is finally upon us, and there is only one more title yet to decide - and it's the big one.
The Las Vegas track is the longest of the year, and San Manuel Yamaha's
Chad Reed was the only rider to drop below the 1:10 mark for a laptime, and he landed a 1:09.609 in the second seeded practice of the day, just in front of new rival (as of Seattle)
Andrew Short, who followed Reed on his way to a 1:10.199.
Honda Red Bull Racing's
Davi Millsaps was third fastest in practice with a 1:10.543.
Geico Powersports Honda's
Kevin Windham was fourth fastest, just behind Millsaps, with a 1:10.963. In order to win the title tonight, Windham must win the race and hope for Reed to finish seventh or worse.
The second set of whoops on the track claimed a wide array of victims during practice, so it seems likely to figure into the racing tonight as they get even more chopped up.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Branden Jesseman was an early whoop victim in the first Lites East practice.
Billy Payne suffered a similar fate in the same practice.
And Brawndo Honda's
Kyle Partridge KO'd himself in the whoops in the second Lites East practice. The hometown boy will be sitting out the night's racing.
Speaking of getting KO'd, Geico Powersports Honda's
Josh Grant took a nap on the track in the second Lites East practice, too. Grant's and Partridge's crashes caused two red flags in the second Lites East practice sessino. Grant will also be sitting out tonight's racing.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's
Ryan Dungey was fastest in the Lites combined times with a 1:10.388, which actually put him second fastest overall behind Reed.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's
Ryan Villopoto was second fastest in the Lites class with a 1:10.411, and he was the fastest of the Lites East riders.
Lites West champ
Jason Lawrence was fourth fastest overall in the Lites with a 1:11.984.
Lites East champ
Trey Canard was 12th fastest with a 1:12.884, so that's less than a second separating fourth from 12th.
Geico Powersports Honda's
Jake Weimer has a good-luck charm taped to the back of his seat. It's a $100 chip from here in Vegas. The first time his mechanic Jeremy Hoyer put the same $100 chip on Weimer's seat was Saturday at last year's U.S. Open, where Weimer won the main event. He was second here at the East/West Shootout last year.
Josh Hansen is in the field on his Hart & Huntington Honda for the weekend.
To catch the racing action, tune into www.supercrossonline.com and listen to the Supercross Live! webcast, where Jim Holley and Jason Weigandt will give you the live rundown at 7 p.m. PST.
