Round 6: AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas
February 11, 2017
dungey-roczen-arlington-2016.jpg
Monster Energy Supercross’ tenure in the Dallas area dates back 42 years to 1975, the second season of the championship, which is now the longest of any stadium host city in history. North Texas has hosted a race in 37 of the championship’s 44 seasons.
The original home of the championship in the Dallas area was legendary Texas Stadium in Irving, which hosted 29 races from ’75-’08. Nearby Arlington’s state-of-the-art AT&T Stadium has been supercross’ current home since the 2010 season.
The Dallas area also has a unique history in the 250SX Class. It served as a dual-region event from ’85-’96, but has since alternated as a standalone stop of both the Western and Eastern Regional Championships (11 seasons West; 9 seasons East).
The largest domed sports structure in the world, AT&T Stadium is capable of housing the 305-foot Statue of Liberty inside its roof. It could also fit four Houston Astrodomes, which was the largest domed stadium in the world when it opened in 1965.
450SX Class Stats: Dallas
2016 Podium:
Ken Roczen
Ryan Dungey
Jason Anderson
The first 450SX Class race held in the Dallas area was on February 28, 1975. Jimmy Ellis won on a Can-Am for the brand’s first-ever supercross victory. Ellis gave Can-Am all of its seven 450SX Class wins.
The Dallas area stop of the championship has been the site of the final win for three legendary riders: Mike Bell (1983), David Bailey (1986), and Jeff Emig (1997).
The 1977 event featured the largest collection of different manufacturers in a Main Event, with nine – Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Maico, Ossa, Penton, Suzuki, and Yamaha. Jimmy Ellis and his Can-Am failed to make the Main Event.
Chad Reed is the winningest rider in Dallas area history, but has not claimed victory inside AT&T Stadium. His last win came at the final race at Texas Stadium in 2008.
The Dallas area was the site of James Stewart’s inaugural 450SX Class win in 2005. He currently sits second on the all-time wins list at 50.
All-Time Wins in Dallas (Wins)
Chad Reed (4)
Rick Johnson (3)
James Stewart (3)
Damon Bradshaw (2)
Ricky Carmichael (2)
Ryan Dungey (2)
Jimmy Ellis (2)
Jeremy McGrath (2)
Ryan Villopoto (2)
Kevin Windham (2)
Brand Sweeps in Dallas (450SX & 250SX)
1986: Honda - David Bailey & Keith Turpin
1987: Honda - Rick Johnson & Kyle Lewis
1993: Honda - Jeremy McGrath & Doug Henry
2002: Honda - Ricky Carmichael & Travis Preston
2005: Kawasaki - James Stewart & Grant Langston
2007: Kawasaki - James Stewart & Ben Townley
2010: Suzuki - Ryan Dungey & Blake Baggett
2013: Kawasaki - Ryan Villopoto & Dean Wilson
2015: KTM - Ryan Dungey & Marvin Musquin
Riders to Win in Both Classes in Dallas
Doug Henry
Mike LaRocco
Jeremy McGrath
James Stewart
Ryan Villopoto
Kevin Windham
First-Time Winners in Dallas
1975: Jimmy Ellis
1990: Jean-Michel Bayle
1995: Doug Henry
2005: James Stewart
Past Winners in Dallas
1975: Jimmy Ellis, Can-am
1976: Jimmy Ellis, Can-am
1977: Bob Hannah, Yamaha
1983: Mike Bell, Yamaha
1984: Johnny O’Mara, Honda
1985: Rick Johnson, Yamaha
1986: David Bailey, Honda
1987: Rick Johnson, Honda
1988: Rick Johnson, Honda
1989: Jeff Ward, Kawasaki
1990: Jean-Michel Bayle, Honda
1991: Damon Bradshaw, Yamaha
1992: Damon Bradshaw, Yamaha
1993: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1994: Mike LaRocco, Kawasaki
1995: Doug Henry, Honda
1996: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1997: Jeff Emig, Kawasaki
1998: Ezra Lusk, Honda
1999: Kevin Windham, Honda
2000: Kevin Windham, Honda
2001: Ricky Carmichael, Kawasaki
2002: Ricky Carmichael, Honda
2003: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2004: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2005: James Stewart, Kawasaki
2006: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2007: James Stewart, Kawasaki
2008: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2010: Ryan Dungey, Suzuki
2011: Trey Canard, Honda
2012: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2013: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2014: James Stewart, Suzuki
2015: Ryan Dungey, KTM
2016: Ken Roczen, Suzuki
250SX Class Stats: Dallas
2016 Podium:
Cooper Webb
Christian Craig
Zach Osborne
The first 250SX Class race held in the Dallas area was on May 4, 1985. Bobby Moore won on a Suzuki for his first and only career victory.
The Dallas area was the site of the first professional win for Ryan Villopoto, which came in just his seventh-career start in 2006. He would go on to win seven of eight races the following season en route to the 2007 Western Regional title.
KTM won its first-ever Monster Energy Supercross race in the Dallas area in 2001 with Grant Langston. It was also the South African’s first-career victory on U.S. soil.