The second visit of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) to Angel Stadium, Anaheim, Los Angeles saw JGRMX’s James Stewart collect his third podium trophy in a row by finishing second to Ryan Villopoto on Saturday night. A capacity crowd witnessed a Villopoto-Stewart-Chad Reed podium for what was the fifth round of seventeen.
It was an eventful evening for Stewart. While leading the first heat he mistimed a rhythm section and went down. In discomfort but electing to attempt the Last Chance Qualifying race the former champion made it through to the Main Event but without an ideal gate pick. Stewart dodged his way through the middle of the pack to reach title rival Reed and was able to demote the Australian but was then powerless to close up to the rear wheel of Villopoto.
“To get second tonight was actually pretty good considering how the heat race went and how beat up I feel right now,” he said. “It [the crash] knocked the wind out of me, and my ribs and my wrist, so I’ll be sore tomorrow, and probably Monday, but we’ll be back. It’s nothing we can’t handle, but I was just trying to get through the race from there.”
“I didn’t get the greatest of starts and made some passes. I made my way up to third and ended up getting by Chad six or seven laps into the race. I was trying to salvage [something]. I felt like I could have gone a bit faster but I will take that. It was tough out there and definitely one of the toughest of the year!”
Stewart, whose victory last weekend in Oakland took him to 43 AMA SX career triumphs and means that the Floridian has stood on top of the podium every season for the past eight years, is now fourth in the standings and just 13 points (25 counts for a win) from Villopoto at the peak of the table. Team-mate Davi Millsaps was seventh in Los Angeles and holds ninth place in the points.
With Monster Energy Yamaha’s Zach Osborne now beginning to focus on his European programme Yamaha were best represented by Star Valli Racing’s Nico Izzi as the American took his YZ250F to fifth place in the West Coast Lites category.
The championship moves down to San Diego for round six next Saturday.
2012 AMA-SX United States
Angel Stadium 05/02/2012 20 Laps
race I
1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 19’05.447
2 James Stewart Yamaha USA 0’04.821
3 Chad Reed Honda AUS 0’07.410
4 Ryan Dungey KTM USA 0’17.416
5 Justin Brayton Honda USA 0’31.019
6 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0’38.995
7 David D Millsaps Yamaha USA 0’40.343
8 Mike Alessi Suzuki USA 0’41.854
9 Brett Metcalfe Suzuki AUS 0’44.561
10 Broc Tickle Kawasaki USA 0’46.387
11 Jake Weimer Kawasaki USA 0’55.009
12 Kyle Chisholm Kawasaki USA 1’03.371
13 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA -1Laps
14 Andrew Short Honda USA -1Laps
15 Weston Peick Kawasaki USA -1Laps
AMA-SX World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 5 of 17
1. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 108
2. Chad Reed Honda AUS 105
3. Ryan Dungey KTM USA 103
4. James Stewart Yamaha USA 95
5. Kevin Windham Honda USA 73
6. Jake Weimer Kawasaki USA 71
7. Andrew Short Honda USA 59
8. Brett Metcalfe Suzuki AUS 57
9. David D Millsaps Yamaha USA 56
10. Justin Brayton Honda USA 53
11. Mike Alessi Suzuki USA 51
12. Josh Hansen Kawasaki USA 48
13. Kyle Chisholm Kawasaki USA 43
14. Broc Tickle Kawasaki USA 41
15. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 24
16. Ivan Tedesco Kawasaki USA 21
22. Ryan Morais Yamaha USA 7
28. Robert Kiniry Yamaha USA 3
29. Ben Lamay Yamaha USA 2
Crowd:
Capacity
Weather:
Dry
Lap Record:
0’44.601
(Ricky Carmichael , 1/1/2006)
Last Years Winner:
Ryan Villopoto
Manufacturer Standings
05/02/2012
1 Kawasaki 110
2 Honda 107
3 KTM 103
4 Yamaha 95
5 Suzuki 63
