AURORA, Ill. (April 29, 2013) – Ryan Villopoto etched his name into the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, record books Saturday night in Salt Lake City when he captured his third consecutive 450SX Class title, a feat accomplished by only three other riders in the sport’s 40 year history. However, this weekend at the season finale at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, Villopoto will race for his 10th win of the season, which would signify a career-best achievement. Villopoto’s championship will serve as this weekend’s subplot as both the Eastern and Western Regional 250SX Class Championships and second place in the 450SX Class are still up for grabs.
At the penultimate Western Regional 250SX Class Championship race in Salt Lake City, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen entered the event with a 20-point advantage over GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, but after failing to qualify for the Main Event in Salt Lake City, Roczen now has just a five-point lead. Fortunately for Roczen, Tomac, the defending Western Regional 250SX Class Champion, struggled throughout the Main Event and finished in sixth place, his second-worst finish of the season.
“I started the race in second, but just blew it in the whoops,” said Tomac. “It was a section that just got me all day. There were a couple passes where I got through them ok, but there were others where I got wild and out of control.”
In order for Roczen to claim the first championship of his career, he would need to finish in second place if Tomac were to win the Main Event as Tomac holds the advantage in a tiebreaker by virtue of the most wins in the region.
While the drama unfolded in Roczen and Tomac’s battle for the championship, Rockstar Energy Racing’s Jason Anderson won the first 250SX Western Regional Supercross Championship race of his career.
“It’s crazy,” exclaimed Anderson from the podium in Salt Lake City. “The last five laps were definitely tough to be out front. To come out with a win, I’m stoked. This team has been there for me from the beginning and to get a win for them is awesome. I always seem to race well here [in Salt Lake City]. I’m not sure what it is, but I like it.”
The Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship offers as much excitement as its West Coast counterpart. GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn leads Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin by five points heading into this weekend’s finale. Hahn has two wins on the season and has yet to finish off the podium, while Musquin boasts a division-leading four wins. Hahn needs to finish in second place if Musquin wins the Main Event by virtue of Musquin’s possession of the tiebreaker as the winningest rider in the region.
Once the two regional championships are decided, the top riders from each coast will take part in the 10-lap Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout in a best-of-the-best showdown. The only active 250SX Class rider who has won this race is Rockstar Energy Racing’s Ryan Sipes, who triumphed in 2011.
Villopoto captured the 33rd win of his career en route to winning the 450SX Class championship, leading all 20 laps of the Main Event after an early pass on Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award winner Ryan Dungey. Rockstar Racing Suzuki’s Davi Millsaps challenged Dungey in the early stages before making the pass to secure second place.
“It’s unreal,” said Villopoto, who tied his career best total of nine wins in a season. “It was a crazy race and the track was really technical. Any little mistake would make it anyone’s game. We [Monster Energy Kawasaki] started the season off really rough and had a lot of stepping stones to overcome, but we did it as a team and we did it well.”
Villopoto became the fifth rider in Monster Energy Supercross history to win three championships, joining Bob Hannah, Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath, and Ricky Carmichael.
The hotly contested battle for second place will be resolved this weekend as Davi Millsaps, who rides for the Rockstar Energy Racing team, aims to protect a three-point lead over Ryan Dungey, who rides for the Red Bull KTM team. Millsaps is enjoying a banner year having led the points lead through the first nine races before suffering a knee injury that hindered his performances. Dungey is a former champion and has two wins on the season.
During the 2012 supercross stop at Sam Boyd Stadium, former 450SX Class Champion Dungey won his fourth race of the season for Red Bull KTM to close out the year third overall in the season point standings.
In last year’s 250SX Class action, current Team Honda Muscle Milk rider Justin Barcia won his sixth race of the season en route to the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship. His teammate Eli Tomac won his fifth race of the season and the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship. Later that evening, Barcia captured the Dave Coombs Sr. 250SX Shootout to end his time in the division on a high note.
The first race held in Las Vegas was on March 17, 1990, when Jeff Matiasevich won the 450SX Class on a Kawasaki and Jeremy McGrath won the 250SX Class, also on a Kawasaki. McGrath, the seven-time Monster Energy Supercross Champion, also holds the all-time win record in both classes with four in the 450SX Class and three in the 250SX Class.
450SX Class Results: Salt Lake City
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Suzuki
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
450SX Class Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 346
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 318
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 315
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 261
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 224
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 220
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 202
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 177
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 174
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 165
Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Salt Lake City
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM
Travis Baker, Romoland, Calif., Yamaha
Western Regional 250SX Class Points
Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 163
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 158
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 135
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 124
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki, 114
Zach Osborne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 111
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 96
Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda, 87
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 87
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM, 87
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Season Standings
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 178
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 173
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 153
Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda, 103
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 100
Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 87
Cole Thompson, Canada, Honda, 83
Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda, 78
Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 71
Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 68
Past Winners in Las Vegas
450SX Class
May 5, 2012: Ryan Dungey
May 7, 2011: Chad Reed
May 8, 2010: Ryan Dungey
May 2, 2009: Ryan Villopoto
May 3, 2008: Chad Reed
May 5, 2007: James Stewart
May 06, 2006: James Stewart
May 7, 2005: Chad Reed
May 1, 2004: Kevin Windham
May 03, 2003: Chad Reed
May 04, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
May 05, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
May 06, 2000: Jeremy McGrath
May 01, 1999: Jeremy McGrath
May 02, 1998: Jeremy McGrath
May 17, 1997: Doug Henry
June 10, 1995: Jeff Emig
June 11, 1994: Jeremy McGrath
June 12, 1993: Jeff Stanton
April 25, 1992: Jean-Michel Bayle
May 04, 1991: Mike LaRocco
March 17, 1990: Jeff Matiasevich
250SX Class
May 5, 2012: Justin Barcia
May 7, 2011: Ken Roczen
May 8, 2010: Jake Weimer
May 2, 2009: Christophe Pourcel
May 3, 2008: Ryan Dungey
May 7, 2007: Ryan Dungey
May, 06, 2006: Andrew Short
May 7, 2005: David Millsaps
May 1, 2004: James Stewart
May 03, 2003: Andrew Short
May 04, 2002: James M Stewart
May 05, 2001: Nathan Ramsey
May 06, 2000: Travis Pastrana
May 01, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
May 02, 1998: Ricky Carmichael
May 17, 1997: Kevin Windham
June 10, 1995: Ryan Hughes
June 11, 1994: Ryan Hughes
June 12, 1993: Damon Huff
April 25, 1992: Jeremy McGrath
May 04, 1991: Jeremy McGrath
March 17, 1990: Jeremy McGrath
