And their fast times from the second timed session will hold up as the fastest overall, since the track got much faster in the second sessions. The whoops are getting beat up on top, with ruts and holes everywhere, but they’re also a little lower across the top, so everyone is getting quicker. Expect the section to be redone before the night show, however.
The track changed quickly once the field started clicking off laps.
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In the SX Class’ first timed session, Ryan Dungey led the way for awhile, but James Stewart put in a flyer and dropped into the 56s to take over the top spot. Stewart had a 56.9 while everyone else was running 57.9 at best, including Kevin Windham who spent a large majority of the time in second. Late in the session Ryan Villopoto stepped up with a 57.1, narrowly missing Stewart’s mark. Dungey (57.4), Chad Reed (57.6) and Kevin Windham (57.7) rounded out the top five, with Brayton, Broc Tickle, Kyle Chisholm, Jake Weimer and Davi Millsaps rounding out the top ten.
Brayton logged a fast lap late in the second session that held up--he's the fastest qualifier of the day.
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The track was faster for timed session two, and Stewart proved it with a blistering 55.905 on his third lap. It looked like that time would hold up all the way, as riders like Villopoto, Reed, Dungey and Windham put in hard laps but still fell a few tenths short of that mark. Then Brayton uncorked his Honda Muscle Milk ride and logged a 55.877, just edging ahead of Stewart to take the top overall qualifying spot for the day.
The Lites class also featured a pleasant surprise at the top with Izzi. He was fast in the first timed session, as well, trading some fast laps with his Rockstar Energy Star-Valli Yamaha teammate Ryan Sipes. Then West Lites points leader Eli Tomac got on top of the board next, and soon Dean Wilson got in on the action. It looked like Tomac and Wilson would top the session, but Sipes and Izzi came back with even faster laps. Sipes’ 58.83 topped Izzi’s 58.86 in the session, giving the Valli-Star team a 1-2 on times.
In session two, Cole Seely topped the charts early on his pink Lucas/Troy Lee Honda. But then Sipes, the master of qualifying, came back again to take the top spot. Wilson climbed up into second, but then on the seventh lap Izzi logged a perfect lap to nail a 56.5, tops in the class. And Sipes was right behind with a 56.6! The Star Valli Yamaha people have to be happy.
Third came Seely with a 57.0 then Wilson with a 57.3, Tomac with a 57.4 and Davalos with a 57.7. Marvin Musquin, Travis Baker, Jason Anderson and Max Anstie rounded out the top ten.
Ryan Sipes was fastest in Lites session one, and second fastest behind teammate Nico Izzi in session two.
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