The Red Bud National saw a few surprises in Saturday practice. First, the top Lites rider in times was a bit of a surprise, as was the amount of time between the first 450cc rider and the rest of the field.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's
Ryan Dungey threw down a 2:31.6 in the second seeded Lites practice, putting him on top of the times sheet even though he was knocked out of the second moto at Colorado and was coughing up blood only six days ago.
After Dungey game MDK KTM's
Ryan Sipes (57) with a 2:32.419, nearly a second behind Dungey. Sipes' time came in the first practice. His teammate
Justin Brayton (114) was tenth fastest with a 2:34.505, and their other teammate (not pictured)
Martin Davalos was fourth with a 2:33.006.
In third in times, finally, came the ever-dominant
Ryan Villopoto of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad. Villopoto's time of 2:32.647 came in the first practice session, but nearly everyone's fastest times in the first practice, in both classes, were within a second of their times in the second practice, either faster or slower.
Geico Powersports Honda's
Trey Canard was fifth fastest with a 2:33.197 in the second practice.
Canard's teammate
Josh Grant made a $500 bet that he would jump LaRocco's Leap on the very first lap of the very first practice of the weekend, and he did. Not only did he do the jump, but he cleared it perfectly - from the inside of the turn! He was ninth fastest overall with a 2:33.830.
In the 450cc class, Monster Energy Kawasaki's
James Stewart was so fast that even the announcers had a hard time figuring out of the times they were seeing in the tower were legitimate. In the second practice session, Stewart (7) dropped a 2:24.203 - more than four seconds faster than the second-fastest 450cc rider.
Josh Hill (in front of Stewart here) was seventh fastest with a 2:31.974.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's
Mike Alessi was second fastest with a 2:28.302 in the first session.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's
Timmy Ferry does his best
James Stewart impression in an attempt to impress his kid on his way to a 2:30.413.
Honda Red Bull Racing's
Andrew Short was fourth fastest with a 2:31.070.
Alessi's teammate
Michael Byrne is continuing his run at the front of the pack following his top-five performance in Colorado. He put in a 2:31.227 in the second session for the fifth-fastest time.
Keep an eye on Motocross.com tonight or first thing in the morning to check out the Saturday video report from Red Bud.
