Race Report: Houston - Supercross

Beware of making any assumptions in racing. This year's Houston supercross, round 14 of Monster Energy Supercross, served up a reminder, as James Stewart's three race win streak was in jeapordy as soon as he got sick during the week, and then Ryan Villopoto took on a crash that could have been bad in his heat race. For a moment, it appeared the two riders who have won the last bunch of races were vulnerable. Plus we had a 250 class featuring some riders fresh off 450s and carrying momentum--until Jason Anderson logged his best ride of the season to nail down a wire to wire win.

Then Villopoto bounced back by stealing a semi win and the holeshot the main from a bad gate. From there the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, like Anderson, returned normalcy to the field, as he delivered his fourth win of the season and further extended his points lead. Now it looks like Villopoto could wrap this up as early as next week at his home race in Seattle—but then again, you should never assume anything in racing.

Villopoto’s night didn’t start well. He was battling for a heat race lead with Josh Hill when he washed out after the whoops entering a turn and hit the ground hard. He landed on his shoulder and head, was slow to get up and had to qualify through the semi. In the main, though, he turned it around with a good start, getting out together with his old rival Mike Alessi and then just out muscling everyone in the first turn. Photo: Simon Cudby

There was a little action early as Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia and Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen battled. Photo: Cudby

The Barcia we expected to see at the beginning of the year is here now, logging his third-straight podium with a solid second. He got away from Roczen and made a few runs at Villopoto through lapped traffic but couldn’t ever mount a real challenge. No one else was close to him, though. Similarly, Roczen was a lonely third. Photo: Cudby

Oh and Trey Canard was fourth and you want to guess how his race went? He was kind of lonely back there, too. Photo: Cudby

Stewart was sick all day and didn’t even ride the final practice. He battled pretty hard to win his heat race, but the Yoshimura Suzuki rider didn’t have much in the main and settled for a, wait for it, lonely fifth. Andrew Short was sixth on the BTOSports.com KTM. Photo: Cudby

There was carnage off the start of the 450 main. Soaring Eagle Casino/RCH Suzuki's Josh Hill (75) was riding the best he had all season and won his heat, but then crashed. Motosport/Fly's Weston Peick and Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey crashed together in the first rhythm lane, JGR Toyota Yamaha's Josh Grant got tangled in it, which ended his night. Grant was also riding well throughout the day--tough one for the Joshes. Photo: Cudby

Dungey had to come from next-to-last (Hill was even further back) to net seventh. That drops him from second to third in points behind Stewart.

Anderson made life easy on himself by getting the start, and he won wire-to-wire for the first time this year. No last lap heroics needed! Photo: Cudby

The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo of Dean Wilson and Justin Hill were ready to challenge Anderson, but then Hill went down. Wilson made a few runs and then got within striking distance on the last lap. Photo: Cudby

Wilson couldn't get quite close enough on the last lap to pull the trigger, so he took second. Photo: Cudby

Anderson now has four wins and his points lead is 11. Look at the bottom of the photo--Wilson was close. Photo: Cudby

Malcolm Stewart rode well on his Lucas Oil TLD Honda to net third. That’s two podiums in a row for him dating back to the last west race. Photo: Cudby

Bummer for title contender Cole Seely. He was buried off the start but made a bunch of slick moves on the first lap to move up. Somewhere through that, though, he tangled with a rider and broke something in his rear brake. That stalled his progress and he took fourth. Photo: Cudby

450SX Class Results: Houston
1.     Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki
2.     Justin Barcia Honda
3.     Ken Roczen KTM
4.     Trey Canard Honda
5.     James Stewart Suzuki
6.     Andrew Short KTM
7.     Ryan Dungey KTM
8.     Mike Alessi Suzuki
9.     Eli Tomac Honda
10. Chris Blose Honda
11. Nick Wey Kawasaki
12. Josh Hill Suzuki
13. Nick Schmidt Honda
14. Cody Gilmore Kawasaki
15. Jimmy Decotis Honda
16. Ronnie Stewart Suzuki
17. Jimmy Albertson Honda
18. Kyle Regal Honda
19. Ben Lamay Yamaha
20. Weston Peick Suzuki
21. Josh Grant Yamaha
22. Vince Friese

450SX Class Season Standings
1.     Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 293
2.     James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 248
3.     Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 247
4.     Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 235
5.     Justin Barcia, Pinetta, Fla., Honda, 198
6.     Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha, 196
7.     Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 181
8.     Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 126
9.     Wil Hahn, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 122
10. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Suzuki, 112

Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Houston
1.     Jason Anderson KTM
2.     Dean Wilson Kawasaki
3.     Malcolm Stewart Honda
4.     Cole Seely Honda
5.     Zach Osborne Honda
6.     Cooper Webb Yamaha
7.     Shane McElrath Honda
8.     Jake Canada Honda
9.     Justin Hill Kawasaki
10. Jessy Nelson Honda
11. Zach Freeberg Yamaha
12. Dakota Tedder Kawasaki
13. Michael Leib Honda
14. Scott Champion Yamaha
15. Topher Ingalls Honda
16. Preston Mull Yamaha
17. Brandon Scharer Suzuki
18. Chris Howell Yamaha
19. Rubin Alanis KTM
20. Cheyanne Harmon KTM
21. Colton Aeck Honda
22. Mark Weishaar Yamaha

Western Regional 250SX Class Season Standings
1.     Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., KTM, 156
2.     Cole Seely, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 145
3.     Dean Wilson, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Kawasaki, 120
4.     Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 119
5.     Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda, 109
6.     Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha, 107
7.     Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 87
8.     Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda, 85
9.     Shane McElrath, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda, 85
10. Dean Ferris, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 63