Two Podium Finishes for GEICO Powersports Honda
March 22, 2010, 9:34am
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Supercross track at Dallas Cowboys Stadium was demanding and had a killer first turn off the start, but GEICO Powersports Honda riders Trey Canard and Justin Barcia managed to avoid many of the pitfalls to each finish third at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross stop outside Dallas on Saturday night.
It was the third consecutive third place finish for Canard in the 450cc bikes. Canard is normally a Lites West rider, but he's been filling in for the injured Andrew Short from the Honda Red Bull team.
Canard has been getting solid starts during his recent streak, but wasn't sure what to make of a first turn that collected packs of riders on every start.
"That was crazy, I was wondering what would happen because I had a bad gate pick," Canard said. "I managed to squeak through and had a good race."
He finished the first lap in sixth and quickly worked his way into third where he battled Honda stablemate David Millsaps most of the rest of the night.
"It was a good race, I thought I rode strong the whole time," Canard said. "This has been my favorite race so far."
Barcia (bar-sha) felt like he may have let one get away in the Lites East race, even though he backed his win last week with a podium finish. He said he made a mistake close to halfway through the race, which caused Barcia to lose his front brakes, and most of his ability to pass.
"I hit someone's back wheel," Barcia said. "It was a stupid mistake on my part. Front brake means everything: stopping power and even jumping rhythms in the corners. I just couldn't do things to the best of my ability.
"But it was a good points night, so in the end it's all good."
The top two Lites East riders Cristophe Pourcel and Austin Stroupe were swept up in a first turn melee and finished well in the pack, which has allowed Barcia to close the gap and move into third in the points.
GEICO Powersports Honda's other two team members weren't so fortunate steering clear of multi-bike pileups.
Kevin Windham was pushed off-course at the start of the Supercross main event, but would recover to finish seventh on the night.
"All day I was on the leader's pace in practice, in the heat and the main," Windham said. "Once I crashed I was always left with bad gate picks, with the kind of track we had here you had to have a good position to get a good start.
"I had a good ride, the team was perfect, unfortunately, I fell. That happens in Supercross racing."
Windham stalled the bike then fell during his heat race which forced him into the last chance qualifier race, which he did win.
GEICO Powersports Honda's other Lites East rider Brett Metcalfe also always seemed to be in the wrong place in that treacherous first turn. He got tangled in his heat race and the first start in the last chance qualifier. Fortunately, a red flag situation saved Metcalfe and he was first on that restart and went on to win the LCQ.
But it was more of the same in the Lites main event. Metcalfe was squeezed to the outside, tangled up in a mess of motorcycles and fought his way to an 11th place finish.
"A short start straight with a hard left is always going to be a little bit of trouble," Metcalfe said. "Plus it was really slippery too. I had good starts, but I still got taken down. It's disappointing it has to end like that.
"I felt I was riding all right, it's just frustrating being back that far."
It was the third consecutive third place finish for Canard in the 450cc bikes. Canard is normally a Lites West rider, but he's been filling in for the injured Andrew Short from the Honda Red Bull team.
Canard has been getting solid starts during his recent streak, but wasn't sure what to make of a first turn that collected packs of riders on every start.
"That was crazy, I was wondering what would happen because I had a bad gate pick," Canard said. "I managed to squeak through and had a good race."
He finished the first lap in sixth and quickly worked his way into third where he battled Honda stablemate David Millsaps most of the rest of the night.
"It was a good race, I thought I rode strong the whole time," Canard said. "This has been my favorite race so far."
Barcia (bar-sha) felt like he may have let one get away in the Lites East race, even though he backed his win last week with a podium finish. He said he made a mistake close to halfway through the race, which caused Barcia to lose his front brakes, and most of his ability to pass.
"I hit someone's back wheel," Barcia said. "It was a stupid mistake on my part. Front brake means everything: stopping power and even jumping rhythms in the corners. I just couldn't do things to the best of my ability.
"But it was a good points night, so in the end it's all good."
The top two Lites East riders Cristophe Pourcel and Austin Stroupe were swept up in a first turn melee and finished well in the pack, which has allowed Barcia to close the gap and move into third in the points.
GEICO Powersports Honda's other two team members weren't so fortunate steering clear of multi-bike pileups.
Kevin Windham was pushed off-course at the start of the Supercross main event, but would recover to finish seventh on the night.
"All day I was on the leader's pace in practice, in the heat and the main," Windham said. "Once I crashed I was always left with bad gate picks, with the kind of track we had here you had to have a good position to get a good start.
"I had a good ride, the team was perfect, unfortunately, I fell. That happens in Supercross racing."
Windham stalled the bike then fell during his heat race which forced him into the last chance qualifier race, which he did win.
GEICO Powersports Honda's other Lites East rider Brett Metcalfe also always seemed to be in the wrong place in that treacherous first turn. He got tangled in his heat race and the first start in the last chance qualifier. Fortunately, a red flag situation saved Metcalfe and he was first on that restart and went on to win the LCQ.
But it was more of the same in the Lites main event. Metcalfe was squeezed to the outside, tangled up in a mess of motorcycles and fought his way to an 11th place finish.
"A short start straight with a hard left is always going to be a little bit of trouble," Metcalfe said. "Plus it was really slippery too. I had good starts, but I still got taken down. It's disappointing it has to end like that.
"I felt I was riding all right, it's just frustrating being back that far."
