Championship's Top Riders Speak to the Media at Las Vegas Press Conference2015-05-01 17:06Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, welcomed members of the media and the most successful riders of the 2015 season to Sam Boyd Stadium this morning at a pre-race press conference for this weekend's finale in Las Vegas. Recently crowned 450SX Class Champion Ryan Dungey, who rides for Red Bull KTM, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, and Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely were joined on stage by the respective Eastern and Western Regional 250SX Class Champions - Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha's Cooper Webb. The conference kicked off with the formal announcement of the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross schedule, which will visit Foxborough, Massachusetts' Gillette Stadium for the first time, make a return to Toronto's Rogers Centre, and introduce a second-stop at San Diego's Petco Park. Press conference emcee and FOX Sports play-by-play host Ralph Sheheen introduced the riders, engaging them in discussion about their 2015 seasons and the final race that lies ahead on Saturday night. PROGRAM ALERT **FOX Sports 1 will air the Las Vegas race live at 10 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. PDT **Coverage from Las Vegas will also be available on the authenticated FOX Sports GO app** On Saturday, May 2, fans can Log on to www.SupercrossLive.comto watch Race Day Live presented by AMSOIL with Jim Holley and Andy Bowyer from 3:50 p.m. EDT/2:50 p.m. CD/T 12:50 p.m. PDT to 7:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. CD/T 4:30 p.m. PDT 450SX Class Red Bull KTM #5 Ryan Dungey Current Championship Position: 1st East Rutherford Start: 6th East Rutherford Finish: 2nd (+4) 2015 Average Finish: 1.8 Dungey has earned seven wins on the season and an eighth win in Las Vegas would give KTM its first win inside Sam Boyd Stadium since 2012. He will also be making his 100th career start in the 450SX class in Las Vegas. Ryan Dungey Photo Credit: Gary Bogdon, Sports Illustrated "Being here [as the champion] is what I hoped for," said Dungey, who extended his contract with KTM for two more seasons. "To wrap up my second title this year was big. Winning my first in 2010 was awesome, but there were some tough years that followed. When you finish second and third in the championship it's not as rewarding. We've put in countless hours of work to get to this point, so to achieve my second title and the first for KTM is amazing. I feel like my best days are still ahead of me, so I'm looking forward to the future." GEICO Honda #3 Eli Tomac Current Championship Position: 2nd (-82 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 5th East Rutherford Finish: 1st (+4) 2015 Average Finish: 5.4 Tomac stood atop the podium for the third time this season at the penultimate race of 2015 last Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With another good ride in Las Vegas, Tomac will secure the runner-up spot in the championship standings. Eli Tomac Photo Credit: Hoppenworld "I think this year was what I was hoping for," explained Tomac, who missed most of his rookie season in 2014 with injuries. "I was able to get my first win and even a couple more. Last year was really rough all around. It was a satisfying season. Not completely since I didn't win the title, but you have to realize that going up against the top riders in the world isn't easy. I've learned a lot this year and I feel like I know what it takes to contend for the title next season." Team Honda HRC #14 Cole Seely Current Championship Position: 3rd (-106 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 1st East Rutherford Finish: 3rd (-2) 2015 Average Finish: 5.9 Seely earned his fifth podium of the season last weekend in New Jersey. He has also led 33 of the last 60 laps. He's the top-performing rookie with one win and four additional podium finishes this season. "I'm really excited to be on the top step as far as rookies go," said Seely. "I've had a lot of fun this season and I've learned a lot from the guys sitting next to me. The 450SX Class has a little more respectful racing so it's a little easier to find your groove, but since it's so much longer [than the 250SX Class] it's a much different approach to competition and consistency is key." #41 Trey Canard Current Championship Position: 6th (-161 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: DNS East Rutherford Finish: DNS 2015 Average Finish: 4.3 (11 Main Events) Discount Tire Racing/TwoTwo Motorsports #22 Chad Reed Current Championship Position: 4th (-153 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: DNS East Rutherford Finish: DNS 2015 Average Finish: 7.5 (15 Main Events) Reed participated in the opening practice in New Jersey, but an ailing shoulder injury kept him from race-action. He is questionable for Las Vegas, though if he races and wins he will become the winningest racer at Sam Boyd Stadium. He currently is tied with Jeremy McGrath with four wins in Las Vegas. Yoshimura Suzuki #4 Blake Baggett Current Championship Position: 5th (-157 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 9th East Rutherford Finish: 4th (+5) 2015 Average Finish: 8.3 Baggett scored his fourth top-five finish of the season last weekend and will have his sights set on securing fifth place in the points standings on Saturday with another solid finish. He currently is eight points ahead of the next rider. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing #21 Jason Anderson Current Championship Position: 7th (-165 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 7th East Rutherford Finish: 9th (-2) 2015 Average Finish: 8.9 Anderson has two podium finishes this season and will likely move into sixth in the points standings with Trey Canard, currently sixth, sitting out Las Vegas with an injury. RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John's/Suzuki Factory Racing #20 Broc Tickle Current Championship Position: 8th (-182 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 11th East Rutherford Finish: 6th (+5) 2015 Average Finish: 9.0 (15 Main Events) Broc Tickle Photo Credit: Hoppenworld Tickle ended his race at MetLife in dramatic fashion, cartwheeling over a berm with one lap to go. He still finished in sixth, notching his 12th top-10 finish of the season. Las Vegas will be Tickle's final chance of 2015 to earn his first podium in the 450SX Class. #94 Ken Roczen Current Championship Position: 10th (-209 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: DNS East Rutherford Finish: DNS 2015 Average Finish: 5.9 (9 Main Events) BTO Sports KTM #29 Andrew Short Current Championship Position: 9th (-185 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 3rd East Rutherford Finish: 5th (-2) 2015 Average Finish: 9.9 Short tallied his 47th top-five finish of his 450SX Class career in New Jersey, but suffered a fractured kneecap and is questionable for Las Vegas. Eastern Regional 250SX Class Red Bull KTM #25 Marvin Musquin Current Championship Position: 1st East Rutherford Start: 2nd East Rutherford Finish: 1st (+1) 2015 Average Finish: 1.3 It was a monumental night in New Jersey for Musquin, who claimed his first championship on U.S. soil. Now the newly crowned Eastern Regional 250SX Class Champion will face off with Western Regional 250SX Class Champion Webb. Both riders bring six wins apiece during their respective championships. Marvin Musquin Photo Credit: Hoppenworld "I'm excited to be here. It will be my only race to ever run the number one plate," said Musquin, who has signed with Red Bull KTM to race in the 450SX Class next season. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow and it's going to be a great battle between the coasts. I plan to just do my best and we'll see where everything ends up. The chance to see both champions racing is really exciting. I really want to enjoy it because it will be my last race in the 250SX Class." GEICO Honda #1 Justin Bogle Current Championship Position: 2nd (-23 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 1st East Rutherford Finish: 2nd (-1) 2015 Average Finish: 2.4 Bogle will forego competing in this weekend's Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. #80 RJ Hampshire Current Championship Position: 5th (-94 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 5th East Rutherford Finish: 5th (+/-0) 2015 Average Finish: 7.0 Hampshire scored his second top-five finish of the season in New Jersey. He is looking to make his second trip to the podium during the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha #6 Jeremy Martin Current Championship Position: 3rd (-51 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 7th East Rutherford Finish: 4th 2015 Average Finish: 2.9 (7 Main Events) Martin will miss Las Vegas after suffering an injury during training this past week. #62 Anthony Rodriquez Current Championship Position: 6th (-96 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 9th East Rutherford Finish: 7th (+2) 2015 Average Finish: 8.8 In his 10th career start, Rodriguez earned his sixth career top-10 finish with a seventh-place finish in New Jersey. Rodriguez will be making his Las Vegas debut after sitting out with injury during the visit to Sam Boyd Stadium last season. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki #37 Joey Savatgy Current Championship Position: 4th (-61 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 4th East Rutherford Finish: 3rd (+1) 2015 Average Finish: 5.6 While his team went winless during the regular season for the first time since 2001, Savatgy still has a chance to put his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki on top of the podium in 2015 at the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. He brings the momentum of three consecutive podium finishes into Las Vegas. MotoSport.com/GPI/Honda #55 Kyle Peters Current Championship Position: 7th (-103 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 3rd East Rutherford Finish: 6th (-3) 2015 Average Finish: 9.6 New Jersey's stop marked Peters' best finish of the season in sixth. He'll be going after another season-best result in Las Vegas. Riverside Harley Davidson/Trail Jesters/SOB MX #49 James Decotis Current Championship Position: 8th (-107 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 21st East Rutherford Finish: 18th (+3) 2015 Average Finish: 10.1 AG Motorsports/Gurrnaid #35 Kyle Cunningham Current Championship Position: 9th (-122 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: 8th East Rutherford Finish: 9th (-1) 2015 Average Finish: 11.0 (7 Main Events) Cunningham posted his 49th career 250SX Class top-10 finish at MetLife Stadium in his 68th start. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing #47 Martin Davalos Current Championship Position: 10th (-131 behind leader) East Rutherford Start: DNS East Rutherford Finish: DNS 2015 Average Finish: 11.0 (6 Main Events) Source: Feld Motor Sports Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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