Showdown Looms as the Greatest Season in Monster Energy Supercross History Concludes in Las Vegas This Saturday

2011-05-02 19:18
The greatest season in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, history will come to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday with the highly-anticipated season finale from Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium. A packed house will welcome the world’s best riders as Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto looks to secure his first-career Supercross class title. For the first time in Monster Energy Supercross history, four titles will be awarded at the season finale at Sam Boyd Stadium, including the Supercross class, Eastern/Western Regional Supercross Lites and Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout titles.

Media Day for this weekend’s final race takes place on Friday, May 6 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon, from the Sam Boyd Stadium Press Box. A special press conference featuring the three title contenders will preview Saturday evening’s action.

On the heels of capturing his championship-leading sixth win of the season in Salt Lake City, Villopoto now holds a nine-point lead over TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing’s Chad Reed while reigning Monster Energy Supercross Champion Ryan Dungey sits 12 points behind for the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki squad.


A win last weekend in Salt Lake City extended Ryan Villopoto’s points lead to nine points. Villopoto leads the Supercross class in wins this season with six.
Photo Credit: Brian Robinette

Last Saturday, Villopoto entered the penultimate round of the championship with just a nine-point advantage over his three closest challengers, Reed, Dungey, and San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart. Coming off back-to-back wins at the previous two rounds, a determined Stewart put himself in position to win again in Utah, grabbing the holeshot and opening up an early lead. However, on Lap 8, Stewart fell to the ground after losing his front end, handing the lead and second place over to Villopoto and Reed, who were engaged in battle. Upon remounting in third, Stewart crashed hard in the whoops, allowing Dungey to take over the position.

Once out front, Villopoto continued to charge, opening up a gap over Reed and fending off his rival’s advances over the final laps. Dungey rounded out the podium in third while Stewart soldiered home to 10th. As a result of his misfortune, Stewart lost considerable ground to Villopoto in the standings, but still remains within reach of the title, 23 points out of the lead.

“We have all done our work this year, and it is paying off,” said Villopoto. “It is a lot easier going into Vegas with a nine-point lead. Hopefully, I will be standing on top of the box next weekend.”

Never before in the 38-year history of Monster Energy Supercross have four riders entered the final race of the championship with a shot at the coveted title. The 2011 championship has been witness to arguably the most competitive action the sport has ever seen, boasting five different winners. Additionally, past champions Reed, Dungey and Stewart have been challenged by a pair of former Supercross Lites champions in Villopoto and Supercross class rookie Trey Canard, who won three races for American Honda before suffering a season-ending injury a few weeks ago. On any given week, the action has been unpredictable with extremely heavy parity and some of the most dramatic moments of misfortune experienced by each of the title contenders.

Over the course of the previous 16 weeks of racing, the points lead has changed hands on five different occasions among three riders. Through it all, the championship has culminated in the most captivating title fight of all time and in just a few days, a record number of riders will engage in battle to determine who will walk away from Las Vegas as champion.


Two-time Monster Energy Supercross champion Chad Reed sits in second place, nine points behind leader Ryan Villopoto heading into the season finale from Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium this Saturday.
Photo Credit: Brian Robinette

While the biggest names of the Supercross class lay it all on the line on Saturday night, the rising stars of the Supercross Lites class will determine the respective Eastern- and Western-Regional champions for the first time ever inside Sam Boyd Stadium.

The ultra-competitive Supercross Lites Western Regional Championship took another dramatic turn in Salt Lake City as GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac captured his second-career win in what has been an impressive rookie season. Now, the title fight is closer than ever with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle, who finished third in Salt Lake City, holding just a two-point lead over his rookie rival. As a result, whichever rider finishes ahead of the other will likely be crowned with his first-career championship.


After an impressive win last weekend, rookie Justin Barcia closed in on current Western Regional Supercross Lites class leader Broc Tickle’s points lead where he stands only two points back.
Photo Credit: Hoppenworld.com

After a two-race break, the Supercross Lites Eastern Regional Championship will also bring its 2011 season to a close in Las Vegas. With three wins and a podium result in all eight races so far this season, GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia sits 20 points ahead of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson. The up-and-coming riders have been the class of the field throughout the season and like their West-Region counterparts, one of these riders will leave Sam Boyd Stadium with his first-career title.

Following the final main events for each respective region, the 20 fastest Supercross Lites class riders in the country will go head-to-head for pride and prestige in the annual Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. The one-of-a-kind race is the lone opportunity for fans and riders to determine which young star stands amongst the rest via an intense 10-lap battle.

The final race of the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross season takes place this Saturday, May 7 with practice and qualifying beginning at 12:30 p.m., and the main event starting at 7:00 p.m.

Supercross Class Results: Salt Lake City
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
5. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
8. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Yamaha
9. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha
10. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha

Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 318
2. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda – 309
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 306
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 295
5. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 255
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM – 214
7. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 202
8. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha – 172
9. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha – 153
10. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha – 139
Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Salt Lake City
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
3. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
4. Cole Seely, Corona, Calif., Honda
5. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
6. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
8. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
9. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
10. Ben Evans, Garden City, Idaho, Kawasaki

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki – 165
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 163
3. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 151
4. Cole Seely, Corona, Calif., Honda – 131
5. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 124
6. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 111
7. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM – 105
8. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha – 105
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki – 95
10. Ben Evans, Garden City, Idaho, Kawasaki – 68

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: St. Louis
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
2. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki
4. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
5. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda
6. Gannon Audette, Cairo, Ga. Yamaha
7. Hunter Hewitt, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
8. Lance Vincent, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
9. Les Smith, York, S.C., Honda
10. Tyler Futrell, Clinton, N.C., Honda

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 185
2. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 165
3. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha – 141
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki – 134
5. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda – 125
6. Matt Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki – 105
7. P.J. Larsen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 80
8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki – 73

Source: Feld Motor Sports

Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story