Villopoto Widens Points Lead Heading into Oakland
January 25, 2011, 3:00pm
URORA, Ill – With three races in the books, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season continues its west coast swing this Saturday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, a new venue to the 2011 schedule. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto regained momentum with a win last weekend to extend his points lead by five in the Supercross class. Meanwhile, Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seeley closed the gap on the Supercross Lites class points leader by clinching his first victory of the season.
Media day will be held Thursday, January 27 from Noon – 2:00 p.m. in the West Side Club at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Riders in attendance will be available for interviews and will ride the track for the media.
Last weekend at the inaugural Dodger Stadium race, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe kicked off the Supercross class main event by capturing the holeshot. Leading through lap two, Metcalfe suffered a tough get-off and lost his spot in front to Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki teammate Ryan Dungey.
Dungey, the defending class champion, held his lead through one lap, but was shortly passed by San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart, who won the main event in Phoenix. Stewart maintained the lead for eight laps; however on lap 11, after riding bar to bar with Villopoto, Stewart’s front wheel slid out around a turn, allowing Villopoto to take the lead. Villopoto went on to grip this position for the remaining 10 laps to lock in his second victory of the season. Despite the fall, Stewart managed to register a second place finish, followed by Dungey, respectively.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto heads into Oakland with a five point advantage over San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart.
“It was really slippery out there tonight,” said Villopoto. “The start of my race didn’t go as planned, but I was able to make up some time early on and things went my way.”
“It felt like I had the race,” exclaimed Stewart. “I felt like after 10 [laps] I would be good, and then I lost my front end which left me frustrated. I had to catch back up to Ryan [Dungey] and those guys. The way the tracks are built, you can’t pass anybody, so you have to go in and bump around. You know it still worked out, I ended up second and on the box.”
While the race for the top position in the Supercross class is separated by five points, the Supercross Lites class podium hosted a set of new faces making a charge at the lead. Heading into the Dodger Stadium race last weekend, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Josh Hansen sat six points ahead of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Broc Tickle, with Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Ryan Morais in third trailing by 15, respectively.
Seely opened the Supercross Lites class main event by capturing the holeshot, the first of his season. Division leader Hansen followed closely, keeping Seely in his sights on the opening lap. As Hansen staged his move on Seely, his bike stalled, forcing him to restart the race deep in the pack. This misfortune allowed Seely to gain considerable momentum and lead all 15 laps to take home the first victory of his career and the season for the Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda squad.
Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely captured his first Supercross Lites class victory this past weekend. Seely currently sits third in the points standings heading into Oakland this Saturday.
“It was awesome to put this win together, said Seely. “I couldn’t have made this easier on myself from the start. I just kept my focus forward the whole race and I knew at one point something was going on behind me by the noise from the crowd. I kept the guys behind me in check around those 180 turns and made sure they weren’t gaining on my lead. I’m happy to finally make this happen.”
With this victory, Seely bumped Morais out of the third place spot, and now sits seven points behind Supercross Lites class leader Hansen.
Supercross Class Results: Los Angeles
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
5. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha
6. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
7. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
9. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 72
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 67
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 58
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 56
5. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda – 48
6. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 39
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM – 37
8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha – 36
9. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha – 33
10. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda – 32
Supercross Lites Class Western Regional Results: Los Angeles
1. Cole Seeley, Corona, Calif., Honda
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
3. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
4. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
5. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
6. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, KTM
7. Ryan Marmont, Woonona, Australia,
8. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
9. Nick Pauluzzi, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
10. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
Supercross Lites Class Western Regional Season Standings
1. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 66
2. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki – 62
3. Cole Seely, Corona, Calif., Honda – 59
4. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 55
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 49
6. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 42
7. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki – 40
8. Travi Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda – 35
9. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, KTM – 31
10. Nick Pauluzzi, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha – 30
CBS will broadcast the Supercross class race at 12:00 p.m. EST and SPEED will broadcast the Supercross Lites class race at 6:00 p.m. EST on January 30, 2011.
Tickets are available at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Box Office, SupercrossOnline.com, all Ticketmaster retail locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (800) 745-3000. Practice and qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m., and the main event begins at 7:00 p.m. Club Level tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Trackside $45 Adult/Child; Lower View $35 Adult/Child; Upper View $25 Adult/Child; Extreme Value $10 Adult/Child. Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30 – 6 PM Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter.
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz℠, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.
Media day will be held Thursday, January 27 from Noon – 2:00 p.m. in the West Side Club at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Riders in attendance will be available for interviews and will ride the track for the media.
Last weekend at the inaugural Dodger Stadium race, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe kicked off the Supercross class main event by capturing the holeshot. Leading through lap two, Metcalfe suffered a tough get-off and lost his spot in front to Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki teammate Ryan Dungey.
Dungey, the defending class champion, held his lead through one lap, but was shortly passed by San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart, who won the main event in Phoenix. Stewart maintained the lead for eight laps; however on lap 11, after riding bar to bar with Villopoto, Stewart’s front wheel slid out around a turn, allowing Villopoto to take the lead. Villopoto went on to grip this position for the remaining 10 laps to lock in his second victory of the season. Despite the fall, Stewart managed to register a second place finish, followed by Dungey, respectively.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto heads into Oakland with a five point advantage over San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart.Photo Credit: Hoppenworld.com
“It was really slippery out there tonight,” said Villopoto. “The start of my race didn’t go as planned, but I was able to make up some time early on and things went my way.”
“It felt like I had the race,” exclaimed Stewart. “I felt like after 10 [laps] I would be good, and then I lost my front end which left me frustrated. I had to catch back up to Ryan [Dungey] and those guys. The way the tracks are built, you can’t pass anybody, so you have to go in and bump around. You know it still worked out, I ended up second and on the box.”
While the race for the top position in the Supercross class is separated by five points, the Supercross Lites class podium hosted a set of new faces making a charge at the lead. Heading into the Dodger Stadium race last weekend, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Josh Hansen sat six points ahead of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Broc Tickle, with Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Ryan Morais in third trailing by 15, respectively.
Seely opened the Supercross Lites class main event by capturing the holeshot, the first of his season. Division leader Hansen followed closely, keeping Seely in his sights on the opening lap. As Hansen staged his move on Seely, his bike stalled, forcing him to restart the race deep in the pack. This misfortune allowed Seely to gain considerable momentum and lead all 15 laps to take home the first victory of his career and the season for the Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda squad.
Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely captured his first Supercross Lites class victory this past weekend. Seely currently sits third in the points standings heading into Oakland this Saturday.
Photo Credit: Hoppenworld.com
“It was awesome to put this win together, said Seely. “I couldn’t have made this easier on myself from the start. I just kept my focus forward the whole race and I knew at one point something was going on behind me by the noise from the crowd. I kept the guys behind me in check around those 180 turns and made sure they weren’t gaining on my lead. I’m happy to finally make this happen.”
With this victory, Seely bumped Morais out of the third place spot, and now sits seven points behind Supercross Lites class leader Hansen.
Supercross Class Results: Los Angeles
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
5. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha
6. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
7. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
9. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 72
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 67
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 58
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 56
5. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda – 48
6. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 39
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM – 37
8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha – 36
9. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha – 33
10. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda – 32
Supercross Lites Class Western Regional Results: Los Angeles
1. Cole Seeley, Corona, Calif., Honda
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
3. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
4. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
5. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
6. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, KTM
7. Ryan Marmont, Woonona, Australia,
8. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
9. Nick Pauluzzi, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
10. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
Supercross Lites Class Western Regional Season Standings
1. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 66
2. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki – 62
3. Cole Seely, Corona, Calif., Honda – 59
4. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 55
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 49
6. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 42
7. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki – 40
8. Travi Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda – 35
9. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, KTM – 31
10. Nick Pauluzzi, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha – 30
CBS will broadcast the Supercross class race at 12:00 p.m. EST and SPEED will broadcast the Supercross Lites class race at 6:00 p.m. EST on January 30, 2011.
Tickets are available at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Box Office, SupercrossOnline.com, all Ticketmaster retail locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (800) 745-3000. Practice and qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m., and the main event begins at 7:00 p.m. Club Level tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Trackside $45 Adult/Child; Lower View $35 Adult/Child; Upper View $25 Adult/Child; Extreme Value $10 Adult/Child. Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30 – 6 PM Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter.
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz℠, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.
