But then again, just like round one, it’s hard to watch Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto ride like this and not think he’s due for a win streak soon. The defending SX Champion had the race handled the whole way, fighting for the lead with TwoTwo Motorsports Bel-Ray Racing Honda’s Chad Reed on the first lap before securing the spot and beginning to stretch his advantage. Villopoto didn’t pull away at quite the same rate as he did at the first Anaheim race, but still, he had the lead on lockdown.
Reed and Villopoto went after each other early in the main event, with Villopoto securing the top spot.
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Villopoto really found a groove near the halfway mark and showed no signs of slowing down.
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Behind Reed came JGR/Toyota Yamaha’s James Stewart, who had crashed hard in his heat race and had to qualify through the LCQ. Stewart didn’t have a great gate pick in the main event, but even with a bad start he quickly moved his way into the top five. He then made a move on Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Brayton and began to work Reed for second. When Stewart made the move, he sat about four seconds behind Villopoto, but Stewart was not able to make up any ground—in fact Villopoto pulled away. Stewart then seemed content to take second after his tough night, but Reed mounted one last charged to try to get him back late. Stewart weathered the storm and held on for second.
But just like Anaheim 1, no one had an answer or a serious challenge for Villopoto.
Another rough night for James Stewart, who crashed hard while leading his heat race. he bounced back to collect second in the main event.
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Chad Reed had been sick in the days leading up to the race, and even threw up again during the day. He still rode well and took third.
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Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey didn’t get a good start and was not able to make up ground as quickly as Stewart. He eventually moved ahead of Brayton to get fourth, his second-straight fourth-place finish. Brayton rounded out the top five ahead on a solid night--he had actually logged the fastest qualifying time of the night, and also battled Villopoto pretty hard in his heat race. In sixth came GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham, then JGR’s Davi Millsaps, MotoConcept’s Mike Alessi, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe, and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle.
With the win, Villopoto regains the points lead in the series by three over Reed.
In Lites West, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac had won two races in a row coming in and had already opened up a big points lead thanks to some mistakes from his chief competitors. Who could stop him? Lucas Oil/Troy Lee Honda’s Cole Seely, also the winner of the previous Anaheim race, looked ready to try it when he battled for the holeshot with Tomac. Seely ended up with the early lead and he and Tomac started putting in hard laps and stretching their gap from the other riders. But before a battle between them could materialize, Seely lost traction with his back tire and crashed on a sweeper turn, opening the door for Tomac to cruise through. Make it three straight wins for Eli, while Seely recovered for second and Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin outdueled Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson for third. Wilson was fourth after starting just outside of the top five. Rockstar Energy Star Valli Yamaha’s Nico Izzi had a strong showing and ended up fifth.
Eli Tomac is on one heck of a role in West Lites.
Cole Seely was leading and ready to battle Tomac for it until he washed out.
Marvin Musquin (left) joined Tomac and Seely on the Lites podium.
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The series stays out west for one more weekend with the San Diego Supercross, before heading east with the Dallas SX in two weeks.
SX Main Event1. R. Villopoto
2. J. Stewart
3. C. Reed
4. R. Dungey
5. J. Brayton
6. K. Windham
7. D. Millsaps
8. M. Alessi
9. B. Metcalfe
10. B. Tickle
11. J. Weimer
12. K. Chisholm
13. N. Wey
14. A. Short
15. W. Peick
16. K. Partridge
17. J. Sipes
18. J. Albertson
19. J. Alessi
20. J. Hansen
Lites Main Event
1. E. Tomac
2. C. Seely
3. M. Musquin
4. D. Wilson
5. N. Izzi
6. M. Leib
7. M. Moss
8. V. Friese
9. T. Baker
10. M. Davalos
11. R. Sipes
12. K. Rusk
13. B. Laninovich
14. B. Rutherford
15. G. Swanepoel
16. J. Ramos
17. R. Marmont
18. T. Ingalls
19. G. Faith
20. J. Anderson
It wasn't officially Pink Night, but Cole Seely and the TLD team ran pink plastic anyway.
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Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 113
2. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 91
3. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 84
4. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 79
5. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 67
6. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 62
7. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
8. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 54
9. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha – 53
10. Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, NS, KTM
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 108
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 105
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 103
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 95
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 73
6. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 71
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 59
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 57
9. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 56
10. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 53
Ryan Sipes and Nico Izzi topped the Lites qualifying times on their Rockstar Star Valli Yamahas.
California SX fans get one more look at Supercross next weekend in San Diego.
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