Carrying the flag for Germany were Kai Haase (Berlin), Lukas Weis (Munich) and Hannes Ackermann (Thuringia), who put in a creditable performance in the qualifying round, hammering the requisite eight jumps into the dirt in the prescribed 80-second run. Only Hannes Ackermann made it through, however. He qualified sixth as the beneficiary of misfortune for a couple of the favourites: Maikel Melero, who has only just recovered from his last injury, crashed on his final jump, and Libor Podmol seemed to have a temporary loss of form. So the line-up for the final was once again dominated by the two world championship contenders Remi Bizouard and Javier Villegas. The other three hopefuls were Martin Koren (CZE), David Rinaldo (FRA) and Brice Izzo (FRA). 

Because of the two mobile landing ramps in the Olympic Hall, there was no MAXXIS Highest Air contest but instead the MAXXIS Race & Style contest and a whip contest. The 9,000 Bavarians in the audience cheered their local hero Lukas Weis on to victory in both competitions.

Hannes Ackermann was first out of the blocks in the final and impressed with Cliffhanger Flip and Indy to Superflip. Just like his one and only previous appearance in the final round, however, a faulty jump seemed to have condemned him to sixth place. But as Martin Koren made multiple errors in his final run, the German rider was pleasantly surprised to find himself elevated to a relatively lofty fifth, his best NIGHT of the JUMPS result to date.

Which of course meant that the final was a showdown between Chile and France, i.e. Javier Villegas against the Gallic triumvirate of Brice Izzo, David Rinaldo and Remi Bizouard. The South American, outnumbered, put up a valiant struggle, seeing off the challenge of Brice Izzo (Heelclicker Underflip et al) and David Rinaldo (Superman Seatgrab Flip et al) with his own Tsunami Flip, Superman Seatgrab Backflip Indy, Suicide Lazyflip and special signature tricks. But Remi Bizouard once again outclassed the 2011 FMX world champion with Ruler Flip, Cliffhanger Flip, 360 and Hart Attack Flip to take his fourth victory of the 2012 season.

The Frenchman continues to head the NIGHT of the JUMPS World Championship standings. He has now racked up 421 points and taken a commanding 125-point lead over second-placed Libor Podmol (316 points). The highest-ranked German, Hannes Ackermann, is in ninth place (174 points). 

The next NIGHT of the JUMPS takes place on 12th May in the SAP Arena in Mannheim when the freestyle elite will be trying to boost their points tally in the UEM Freestyle MX European Championship. 

Meanwhile, Munich-based fans who have already purchased a 2013 calendar can ink in the weekend of 26th/27th April for their next fix of high-octane entertainment. And as the above dates suggest, NIGHT of the JUMPS will be staging a double bill in the Bavarian capital. Tickets have already gone on sale.

Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Davi Millsaps started perfectly, winning the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award with Dungey on his back wheel to start the Supercross Class Main Event. With the field sorting itself out through turn 1, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, moved into second place. 

Dungey settled into second place on Lap 8, passing Weimer, but on the same lap, Weimer answered back, knocking Dungey to the ground as he made the pass. Dungey regrouped and made a charge on Weimer before passing him with just a few laps to go. After capitalizing on a mistake made by Millsaps near the end of Lap 18, Dungey moved into the lead and rode to the win. Millsaps finished second and Weimer finished third. 

"It was great racing out there tonight, and I really dug deep," said Dungey. "I didn't see [the pass] coming and that was my fault. My front wheel got a barrier in the corner and I went down. My focus was to run him down, and I did. I had a tough part of the middle of the season, and I knew I had the speed tonight. I just needed to be patient." 

Millsaps' quest to hold down the number-two position in Supercross Class point standings started in his Heat Race when he posted the fastest time of 6:19 on his way to victory in the eight-lap race. He now has a seven-point lead over Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton. 

Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki's Jason Anderson, of Edgewood, N.M., won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award with his teammate Martin Davalos, of Cairo, Ga., to start the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class. On the opening lap, Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin, of Murrieta, Calif., moved into second, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, of Menifee, Calif., secured third place. 

Wilson quickly passed Musquin while Tomac moved into third place. Tomac stalked Wilson for several laps before making the pass for second on Lap 8. It didn't take long for Tomac to cut into Anderson's lead and make the race-winning pass on lap 10. A dramatic turn of events happened on Lap 12 when Wilson, who came into tonight's race four points behind Wilson, suffered a huge crash that forced him to withdraw from the race. As a result, Tomac scored enough points to clinch the championship. Anderson and Davalos earned career-best results, finishing second and third, respectively. 

"It was huge to close out the night with a race win and a championship," said Tomac. "That was some good racing out there. Off the gate I got bumped around and was able to slowly pick guys off and try to pace. I did my best not to do anything stupid. That was the best way to do it." 

The final race of the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Championship takes place next Saturday, May 5 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. 

1.Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 159
2.Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki, 132
3.Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 127
4.Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 119
5.Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 95
6.Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 92
7.Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 84
8.Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Kent., Yamaha, 83
9.Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha, 78
10.Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda, 75  

The first supercross race held at Rice-Eccles Stadium took place in 2011 where 42,135 packed the home of the 2002 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies to watch Ricky Carmichael race to victory. Carmichael and Windham hold the all-time Supercross Class win record in Salt Lake City with two each. Steward holds the all-time Supercross Lites Class win record at Salt Lake City with two.

The MX1 qualifying race was disputed between Gautier Paulin and Christophe Pourcel, who exchanged the lead during the whole heat, but it was the first one who obtained the final victory. Third was Ken De Dycker and Bobryshev and Sebastien Pourcel completed the top five. Clement Desalle and Antonio Cairoli made several mistakes during the qualifying race and they finished eighth and thirteenth respectively. 

Steven Frossard took part in the qualifying race but he crashed and had to stop in the pitlane because he could not stand the pain. Tomorrow he will try to take part in the warm-up, but his presence in the main races is still uncertain. Tommy Searle commanded the MX2 qualifying race almost since the beginning, and his teammate Joel Roelants succeeded in being second, followed by red plate holder Jeffrey Herlings. 

Kawasaki Racing Team's Paulin won the MX1 qualifying race in Fermo, but he had to fight hard with his compatriot Christophe Pourcel to be the first one to cross the finish line. Both riders exchanged the lead in several occasions and they fought for the victory until the end. 

Christophe Pourcel started from the fifth position, but he quickly moved up to second and gave chase to the leader Paulin. His lap times were better than Paulin's, so he moved up to the first position and he pulled away. However, Paulin caught Pourcel in the last minutes of the qualifying race, and the CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit rider had to settle down with the second position. 

Once again Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's De Dycker made a solid moto and he rode third from beginning to end. The Belgian is obtaining really good results since he is riding for KTM and yesterday Claudio De Carli announced that De Dycker will stay in the MX1 team until the end of the season. 

Honda World Motocross' Bobryshev finished fourth in today's qualifying heat, which is a sign that his thumb injury is much better. The Russian will have a good starting position tomorrow, so he might be able to start fighting for the top three places if the pain lets him fight during the 40 minutes and two laps of both heats. 

Sebastien Pourcel did a very consistent moto, maintaining the initial fifth position until the end. The CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit rider is feeling better and better every Grand Prix and a proof of that is his top five result in today's qualifying race. Home rider Philippaerts finished sixth and Boog was seventh. 

Desalle did a really good start and he rode second during the first two laps. However, the Belgian made a mistake, went out the track and he dropped down to the fourteenth position. In the end, Desalle crossed the finish line eighth. 

Cairoli admitted that he has made the worst qualifying race so far, after making two mistakes during the moto and being only able to finish thirteenth. However, Cairoli is feeling good and he hopes to be on the podium tomorrow in front of his crowd. 

MX1 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 25:09.523; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:01.559; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:33.611; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:38.930; 5. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:44.173; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:48.327; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:52.711; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:57.856; 9. Cedric Soubeyras (FRA, Honda), +1:01.781; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:02.912;

Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit's Searle started from an initial third position and he quickly moved up to second taking advantage of Van Horebeek's mistake. Searle's lap times were much better than the ones of Nichols, who was leading the race, so the Kawasaki rider took the lead easily and commanded the qualifying heat until the end. 

His teammate Roelants did not have a really good start and had to fight hard from the eighth position to finish second. This result gives the Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit rider another good chance to pick a good starting gate tomorrow to fight once more for the podium finish or even for the overall victory. 

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Herlings finished third in the qualifying heat, but he had to fight really hard from an initial thirteenth position. Herlings proved that he has the speed to do well tomorrow, so if he has a good start, he might be able to obtain the overall victory.

Van Horebeek did one of the best starts of the season so far and he crossed the first corner in the third position, he then moved up to second, but he made a mistake and he went down to the sixth place. The Red Bull KTM Factory rider did not give up and he managed to cross the finish line fourth. 

Nestaan JM Racing KTM's Nicholls took the holeshot one more time, but he was not able to keep the lead more than three laps. Nicholls was overtaken by his compatriot Searle during the third lap and later one it was Roelants, Herlings and finally Van Horebeek who managed to overtake the Nestaan JM Racing KTM rider, who finished fifth. 

Charlier obtained a solid sixth position on his debut in the 2012 season after his foot injury and Leib and Lupino followed the French rider. Ferrandis finished ninth and Tonkov completed the top ten. Teillet was back on the bike for the qualifying race after his crash in Sevlievo, but he could not finish the heat, so his presence tomorrow in the main races is still uncertain. 

MX2 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 25:35.454; 2. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:02.076; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:03.107; 4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:25.916; 5. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:28.877; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:36.322; 7. Michael Leib (USA, Yamaha), +0:38.572; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:43.055; 9. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:44.703; 10. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:49.181;

Following the announcement earlier this week confirming that Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, and 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Champion, Ryan Villopoto will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Davi Millsaps assumes the role of lead rider in the Supercross Class.

Millsaps has been one of the best riders over the second half of the season, highlighted by three podium finishes. Since the seventh race of the season in Arlington, Millsaps has climbed from 11th to second in the Supercross Class standings, three points ahead of Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton in third. 

As for Villopoto, while he's surely disappointed to have his season cut short, he will set his sights on the Monster Energy Cup in October. 

"Everything started out great in Seattle," said Villopoto. "I found some good lines during practice and was able to connect everything during the heat race. In the main event I didn't get the start I needed and had to work from mid-pack. I was trying to pass three racers on the inside of a turn, came in hot, tried to grab some front brake and washed out the front end. I ended up injuring my knee, so unfortunately I won't be able to race the last couple events. I'm pretty disappointed because I trained hard for this season and even though I won the Supercross title, I really wanted to defend my (motocross) championship. I've been through injury before and I know how hard I have to work to get back. My goal is to recover in time to compete in the Monster Energy Cup." 

Brayton posted a fourth-place finish in Seattle as the lone rider for the Factory Honda effort. The finish allowed him to gain valuable points on second in the championship standings as he continues his quest for a career-best runner-up finish in the title fight. This weekend, Brayton will set his sights on a first-career victory.

"I'm happy to finish fourth and be able to get some valuable points," said Brayton. "I'm just ready to be in that top position. I want to win. The bike was running great, so I'm ready to go home, continue my training this week and head into Salt Lake City strong."

In his return to action since having surgery to repair a broken collarbone, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey looked strong despite missing five races. The 2010 Monster Energy Supercross Champion took an easy win in his heat race and was riding well in the main event before he went down when trying to pass Brayton for position. Dungey stayed out of trouble throughout the remainder of the race to post a sixth-place finish. He'll look to return to the top step of the podium in Salt Lake City. 

When his teammate went down in Seattle, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer stepped up to represent the team well, landing in third place. The former Western Regional Supercross Lites Champion has been close to breaking through for his first win in the Supercross Class this season, and with what he considers to be a home race up next tomorrow night, the Idaho native will be eager to show he's ready to take that next step in front of family and friends. 

"I knew it would be tough racing (in) Seattle because the track is always soft and rutted," said Weimer. "Anytime you get on the podium it's a good night, but I feel pretty good about Seattle because I was able to fight through it and come out with a better result than I expected. I'm really looking forward to the race in Salt Lake City. That race is my hometown race since it's the closest race to where I grew up in Idaho." 

It was a tough night in Seattle for Yoshimura Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe. The optimistic Australian picked up a fine fifth-place result in his heat race, but following mid-air contact with another rider on the opening lap of the main event, Metcalfe was forced to retire for the evening with a damaged bike. 

"It was actually a good day for me," said Metcalfe. "Practice went pretty good and I liked the track. The heat race came around and I got fifth. I put some good laps together and I was feeling good. In the main event, I came through the first corner ok, then I got together with another rider and we collided in mid-air. My bike got smashed up. That was the end of my race and I had to DNF, which was sad because this was the first DNF we've had all season. We'll just come back strong for this weekend at Salt Lake City." 

Since he took the first professional win of his career in Seattle back in 2010, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Broc Tickle had high expectations coming into Centurylink Field. After a solid beginning to the evening, Tickle got pinched off and funneled to the back of the pack in the main event, coming around the first turn in 15th. Undeterred, Tickle put together a solid charge and picked off nearly half of the field to finish eighth. He currently sits 10th in the points standings. 

"I thought I rode the best I had all season in Seattle," said Tickle. "I rode solid and stayed aggressive all 20 laps and passed half of the pack in the process. You know this has been a crazy season; anything can happen on the track. The top 10 racers in the Supercross Class are riding really strong so it's difficult to break into the top three to get a podium. I just have to keep pushing forward and working hard no matter how tough it gets. I know eventually it will all pay off. I'm going to focus on my starts this week and hopefully I can carry this momentum into Salt Lake City." 

In just his second start since returning from injury, L&MC Racing Honda's Andrew Short had the most memorable night of his veteran career in Seattle. Short grabbed the holeshot and despite being pressured early in the race, was able to maintain his lead. He rode a consistent and solid race all the way to the checkered flag, leading every lap en route to his first Supercross Class win.  

"This feeling is completely unreal to me, and I don't even know what to say," said Short. "After my heat race, I knew track position off the start was huge, so I really tried to dig deep to grab a good start and maintain it the entire race. I have been close to winning before, but was never able to pull it all together. Now to be able to get this win after coming off an injury is huge. I was really nervous the whole race, so being able to see that checkered flag while being in the lead is unreal. I'm so excited for my team, myself and my family." 

TiLUBE/Foremost Kawasaki's Nick Wey continues to improve as he recuperates from injury. Like some of his counterparts, Wey suffered from bad luck in his Seattle heat race and had to go through the LCQ in order to qualify for the main event. Being the veteran that he is, Wey overcame the tough gate pick to finish a solid 10th.

"The track was pretty tough because of all the ruts and I kind of struggled all day," said Wey. "But, I was quite a bit stronger than I was last week. Unfortunately, I had a crash in the heat race and had to go to the LCQ, but I was able to get a top 10 in the main. Hopefully, I'll do better at Salt Lake City this weekend." 

Drama reigned in the return of the Western Regional Supercross Lites Championship in Seattle. With only two points separating the top two riders in the championship, expectations were high to see some memorably competition and the riders didn't disappoint. 

GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac entered Seattle as the rider chasing the championship lead. In his first race back since recovering from a fractured elbow, Tomac overcame a slow start to the day to put forth a strong ride in the main event. Tomac engaged in a heated physical battle with fellow title contender Dean Wilson, ultimately resulting in contact between the two, but was able to fight through it all to finish third and reclaim possession of the points lead coming into Salt Lake City. 

"That was the wildest race of my entire life," said Tomac. "It started a little rough, obviously, with the battle between me and Wilson. We made a few contact passes, but unfortunately there weren't many places to pass on the track. My focus is just to be smart and finish strong the rest of the rounds. I'm here for the championship." 

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Wilson received the worse end of the incident with Tomac, falling to the ground and ultimately finishing seventh in a valiant attempt to salvage points. Wilson appeared to suffer from an apparent shoulder injury in Seattle following the crash, but is expected to return and attempt to get back into the top spot in the championship. Currently, he sits just four points behind Tomac. 

"I was pretty bummed after Seattle," said Wilson. "Me and Eli (Tomac) were really going at it out there. In the main I was able to get around him pretty quickly on the first lap, then he got me back, and we went back and forth a couple times. It was some pretty aggressive racing, but we're going for a championship and giving it everything we got out there.  We were halfway through the race and he came across the track, we got tangled up, and I got the worst of it. I just had to put that behind me and focus on the championship. We only have two rounds left and this is racing so anything can happen." 

Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda's Cole Seely, who sits third in the championship standings, rode to a quiet, yet impressive fourth-place finish in Seattle. The strong result allowed the three-time podium finisher this season to stay within the title hunt, 15 points behind Tomac for first. 

Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin put forth one of his best performances of the season in Seattle. The French rider was the fastest rider in practice and following a mid-pack start in the main event, managed to fight his way into a runner-up finish, his third of the year. He currently sits fourth in the championship, just eight points from a spot in the top three. 

Star/Valli Yamaha's Ryan Sipes took advantage of the down time afforded the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class to fully heal from his early-season injuries. As a result, Sipes came back stronger, healthier and faster than ever in Seattle. He finished fifth in his six-lap heat race and then dominated the main event by getting out front immediately and leading all 15 laps to take the checkers. 

"I'm happy to get the win," said Sipes. "I ended up in first coming around the second corner and I just put my head down and tried to focus on the track. I just continued to bring focus back to race the track, tried not to look back, and tried not to think about anything. I'm so happy for the Star/Valli Yamaha team. We've all been working hard and it's all been worth it. Now I just want to try and get another one at Salt Lake City this weekend." 

Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki's Jason Anderson turned in aggressive-yet-controlled laps all night in Seattle. After a fourth-place finish in his heat race, Anderson got a mid-pack start in the main event, but put his head down and picked his way through the field to eventually post a sixth-place result.

"Seattle was pretty good, though I had some trouble with my starts," said Anderson. "But, my speed was good and sixth isn't a bad way to end the night, considering how my start was. The Rockstar Energy Racing bike's working great and I've been to Salt Lake City before and I like racing there. So, hopefully I'll be able to rip some good starts and get up on the podium there." 

The Seattle race was a tough one for Rockstar Energy Racing's Martin Davalos. The evening started out well, with Davalos turning in a spirited ride in his heat race and taking second. Then, in the main event, Davalos was running sixth when he stalled his bike and wound up finishing 14th.

"It was a tough night," said Davalos. "I feel like I was riding pretty smooth, but then I stalled my bike with four laps to go, sitting in an easy sixth. I gave it away. It's been a tough year, and I'm disappointed for the team because they've worked so hard on the bike and everything. But I still have two races left, so I need to keep putting my head down and do my best." 

Tune into the enhanced exclusive weekly video content from Supercross LIVE! during the entire 2012 season on SupercrossOnline.com, the Official Website of Monster Energy Supercross.