Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme : FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup

AMA Supercross heads to San Diego

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:18:00 +0100

Defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion Ryan Villopoto won his 17th-Carreer Supercross Class win last weekend at Angel Stadium and established a three-point lead in the Supercross Class standings as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship heads to Qualcomm Stadium tomorrow in San Diego. En route to his second win of the 2012 season, Villopoto became the first two-time winner of the season. "Our bike looks way better with the red plate," said Villopoto. "I have never won in San Diego, so I'd love to get a win there. San Diego has some unique dirt that gets hard and slippery. It's been muddy the last few years but if it stays dry it should be good." Despite a rough crash in practice, two-time Supercross Class champion James Stewart earned his 63rd podium finish. "Anaheim was rough," said Stewart, who has led 11 laps this season. "The crash was big, and I got beat up pretty bad. But I'm thankful that I didn't get 'really' hurt. Also because the team came together and we got our focus back in time for the LCQ. Hats off to my team for getting that bike back together, Pat (Barker) and those guys were awesome. We all know that this isn't going to be an easy season. But we got dealt a bad hand in Anaheim and even with that, we made the most out of it. We're getting stronger and that's good to see." Villopoto's teammate Jake Weimer started his race in Anaheim by regrouping after a crash in the first turn. He's proved that he can win in San Diego back in 2010 when he captured the Supercross Lites Class Main Event victory. "I won there before on the Supercross Lites Class bike, so I'm looking forward to going back there and getting back to where I want to be. I've put last week behind me and am ready to have a good weekend and do battle in San Diego." TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed finished in third at Anaheim and is now in second place in the points chase. "It was a tough week for me, with myself and family being sick," said Reed. "Despite not feeling 100 percent, I am happy with my third- place finish. I fought as hard as I could for a podium. We are ready to move forward and go into the next round positive and ready to take back the points lead and that red plate." Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey finished in fourth place for the second consecutive weekend and is currently third overall. "I don't think I rode to my full potential last weekend but I'm determined to turn it around and be back on the box at San Diego," said Dungey. "We've had a good week testing and made some solid progress developing the new bike. I'm really looking forward to a solid race result this weekend." After posting the fastest lap time in practice, Muscle Milk Honda's Justin Brayton finished fifth overall. "The day went really great for me, starting with a successful practice, which was able to set the tempo for the rest of the night," said Brayton. "After the last few weeks of not placing where I know I belong, it was a great step in the right direction. We have been working really hard, especially on my starts because that is key to having a great race. This weekend was a confidence booster for me, but more than anything it was a relief knowing that all my hard work is starting to pay off." GIECO Honda's Kevin Windham has continued to have a consistent season, finishing sixth-place at round five. "The day was good for me. I'm still trying to come to terms with having a great ride, or what feels like a great ride but finishing in sixth place," said Windham. "I've had great battles every main just for the wrong position. I really want to get the GEICO Honda on the podium, and I feel close but I need to get better starts. There are so many guys riding really strong right now and I can't run them down from behind so I need to focus on starting within the top five." Yoshimura Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe captured another top-10 finish in Anaheim. Metcalfe has been the epitome of diligence and consistency this season and this recent race was no different. Although the Australian Metcalfe admitted he was a little underwhelmed by his performance in Anaheim, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider still put in some impressive laps in both his heat race and in the Main Event. Metcalfe overcame a rough start to card an eighth-place result in his heat race and transfer to the main event. In the 20-lap main, Metcalfe again struggled at the start but then charged hard on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and brought home a ninth-place finish. "I had a rough weekend last week," admitted Metcalfe. "I went down and didn't have a good result. So I was really determined to put in my best effort at Anaheim. I was feeling good on the track, but I was a little bit off all day, so that was kind of a bummer. Going into the heat race, I felt good on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and things were looking up. But I wheelied off the gate and got a bad start and ended up finishing eighth. In the main, I got another bad start and was never able to get it going. But now, I'm looking forward to getting back into it this week, and working hard on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and coming out for San Diego and trying to get things back on track." Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Broc Tickle earned his third top-10 finish and continues to gain confidence every weekend. The reigning Western Regional Supercross Lites Class champion knows the tracks well and looking forward to heading back to San Diego. "I've done well in San Diego the past couple years when it was muddy so I'm hoping there is a chance of rain again this weekend," said Tickle. "I'd be stoked for some rain; a mud race would just change it up a bit!" For a third weekend in a row GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac dominated the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class and carries a 22-point lead heading into San Diego. "Going into the next race it is definitely nice having those 22 points as a cushion," said Tomac. "I am going to try and keep getting good starts and try not to make any mistakes throughout the rest of the rounds. I am looking forward to San Diego since it is where I got my first Supercross Lites Class win and is the home to my favorite football team." Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson sits second in points, but has his sights on nothing but the championship. After a disappointing finish in the season opener in Anaheim, Wilson came back the next weekend to win. Following last weekend second race in Anaheim, Wilson is looking to come back swinging once again. "I worked really hard last week and didn't have the finish to show for it, so this weekend our work should pay off," said Wilson. "At this point I'm focused on nothing but getting the win in order to make up some ground in the points before we take a break." Rockstar Energy Racing's Martin Davalos was one to watch at Anaheim. The Supercross Lites Class rider was in the hunt for his heat race and carded a third-place finish. In the main, Davalos went down at the start but rallied quickly and worked his way through the pack to finish up in 10th. "I felt pretty good out there and got a good start," said Davalos. "But it felt like someone hit me from behind and I went down. Then, I was coming through the pack and Jason (Anderson) lost his front end or rear end, and I went down with him, so I had to come from last to 10th. I kind of rode my own pace and there was definitely an improvement there. Now, I'm going to try and work on some starts and come back strong for San Diego." Rockstar Energy Racing teammate Jason Anderson had a tough weekend and struggled a bit as he was feeling remnants of his crash last weekend in Oakland. Although Anderson made it to the main event, he went down with Davalos early on and was unable to recover. Star Valli Yamaha's Nico Izzi rode strong in Anaheim and carded a top-five result in the Supercross Lites Class. "This was a good race for us," said Izzi. "We had the fastest lap in practice and I felt really strong. I finished fourth in my heat race and then, in the main, I finished fifth. I wasn't pushing out there because the track was super-slick and I didn't want to do anything dumb and fall, I just wanted to try and come out with a top-five finish and I ended up doing that. San Diego should be a good one, I'll just keep on working on my weaknesses and come back fighting." Star Valli Yamaha teammate Ryan Sipes also impressed at Anaheim, although his final results didn't do justice to his concentrated efforts. Sipes was lightning-fast in his heat race and came from behind to finish second. In the Supercross Lites main, he turned fast, smooth, consistent laps for most of the race before he made a few mistakes that saw him finish 11th. "I feel like I rode really good all day," said Sipes. "In practice I was either first or a tenth off being first. In the heat race, I came from about 16th to second, and I felt like my speed was really good. In the main event, I rode 13 really good laps. I was as fast as the leaders or faster… Then, I had a mistake in the sand and went down. I got up and had another mistake and went down again. Now, all I can do is look forward to San Diego and try to get better." Rounding out the Star Valli Yamaha squad in Supercross Lites Class is Gareth Swanepoel, who finished second in the LCQ. In the main, Swanepoel was running in the top 10 when a get-off resulted in him finishing 15th. "I was going good for the first five or six laps," said Swanepoel. "Then I made a stupid mistake and went down, and got up completely lost. But before that, I'd made some big improvements so I'm happy overall. My goal for San Diego is to get a solid top-10 result." Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ Honda's Cole Seely made his way to the podium once again at Anaheim Race two after taking the win at the season opener just a few weeks earlier. "The day went well. I came out of practice in third which was nice because I normally struggle in qualifying but it helped boost my confidence going into the night," said Seely. "I got a great start in the main and lead until I washed out coming onto the start straight but I was able to get up and stay in second. I always want to win but my main focus is staying consistent."

Villopoto takes Anaheim plaudits

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:52:00 +0100

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., became the first rider of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, to win two races, leading all 20 laps of the Main Event tonight at Angel Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., won his third consecutive Western Regional Supercross Lites Class race and extended his points lead to 22. Villopoto picked up his second Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot of the season to start the Supercross Class Main Event with TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray/Honda's Chad Reed in tow. Reed passed Villopoto on the opening lap but was passed back the following lap. Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., moved into third place on Lap 1. On Lap 8, Stewart passed Reed for second place. Stewart finished second and Reed finished third. "James (Stewart) and Chad (Reed) were riding good tonight," said Villopoto. "I knew I had to stay on my toes and not make a mistake. We need to take it one race at a time. I had a great start and to be perfect on the start difficult." Tomac opened the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class main Event with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot with Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda's Cole Seely, who won the season opening race in Anaheim earlier this year, on his rear wheel through the first turn. Seely quickly passed Tomac for the lead. On Lap 3, Seely, of Murrieta, Calif., slid out and fell back to second place as Tomac assumed the lead. Seely finished second and Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin finished third. "Tonight's track was difficult," said Tomac. "It's too bad Cole (Seely) slid out because he was going really fast, and I knew that I would have to work hard to get around him. I look forward to going to San Diego next weekend." Supercross Class Results: Anaheim
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 108
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 105
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 103
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 95
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 73
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 71
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 59
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 57
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 56
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 53

Supercross: 4 Winners in 4 Races

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:19:00 +0100

Entering the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season, the attention surrounded the four former champions who were set to wage war inside the most storied and popular stadiums in North America. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto – the reigning World Champion, TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, and Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart had all reached the sport's pinnacle over the past four seasons and were ready to provide the world with a sure-to-be-memorable 2012 championship. Now, after four races, each rider has taken his turn atop the podium and as the season makes its return to Anaheim's Angel Stadium this weekend, the Supercross Class Championship is still wide open.

Stewart's maiden victory of the 2012 season last weekend in Oakland also signified his first win as a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing team. The two-time Monster Energy Supercross Champion stayed on two wheels throughout the entire 20-lap main event for the first time this year, and was rewarded for it, passing Reed for the lead on Lap 9 and pulling away. While Stewart took the checkered flag, Reed secured the runner-up effort, fending off the challenges of Villopoto, who finished third. Dungey overcame a 10th-place start to finish off the podium for the first time in 2012, in fourth.

It was a special race for the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization, which enjoyed just its second Monster Energy Supercross win in four years, and also signified a historic moment in the 39-year history of the sport.

For the first time since 1976 – when the Monster Energy Supercross Championship consisted of just six races – there are four different winners through the first four races of the season. Even more impressive yet, each of these four riders have claimed at least one Monster Energy Supercross title, which has only been achieved one previous time since the inception of the championship, during the 1985 season. However, never before have four former champions won consecutive races, particularly to start a season.

Despite being just a month into the 2012 schedule, this is the most parity in the history of Monster Energy Supercross and as a result, the championship is exceptionally close heading back to Anaheim. Currently, just 12 points separate these four riders, with Dungey and Reed sharing possession of the red number plate atop the standings. Villopoto sits a mere two points back of the leaders, while Stewart's victory helped bring him to within a dozen points of the lead duo. Additionally, each of the four title favorites has captured at least two podium results through the first four races.

Last year during the second visit to Anaheim, Stewart put forth his most convincing effort of the 2011 season to capture his third win of that championship. In the Supercross Lites Class, Josh Hansen overcame a broken hand suffered in practice earlier in the day, to take his third win of the season for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki.

The first race held in Anaheim was on December 4, 1976. Marty Smith won on a Honda. Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath share the all-time Supercross Class win record at Angel Stadium with eight wins apiece. In the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class, three riders have swept each event at Angel Stadium: Hansen, Villopoto, Ivan Tedesco and Ernesto Fonseca. Villopoto, Stewart, Kevin Windham and McGrath are the only riders in history to win in the Supercross Lites Class and Supercross Class at Anaheim.

Season Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 85
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 85
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 83
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 73
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 61
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 58
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 52
8. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 47
9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 45
10.Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 42

Photos by Frank Hoppen

Stewart scores first Win in Oakland

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +0100

In front of 46,017 fans at O.co Coliseum, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., won his first Supercross Class Main Event of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Calif., won his second consecutive Western Regional Supercross Lites Class race. TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Rey/Honda's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., opened the Supercross Class Main Event by winning the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot with Supercross.com Honda's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Josh Hansen, of Elbert, Colo., following in second and third, respectively. Stewart, who won in Oakland last year, made quick work of Hansen, making the pass to secure third place on the end of the opening lap. Points leader Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., finished lap 1 in ninth place. On lap 2, Stewart moved around Short and set his sights on Reed. After stalking Reed relentlessly for several laps, Stewart passed him on lap nine and checked out. Stewart became the fourth different Supercross Class winner of the season. Reed finished second and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Villopoto finished third. Reed and Dungey are now tied for first place at 85 points apiece. "I would like to dedicate this win to my mechanic, Mark 'Tex' Adams, who passed away this week," said Stewart. "I got in a rhythm out there tonight and put together a great race. I had a tough couple of races this year, and tonight I got it done." Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki's Martin Davalos, of Cairo, Ga., grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, of Menifee, Calif., on his rear wheel as they headed out of turn 1. Tucked in behind the leaders, Tomac held down the number-three spot. While chasing down Davalos, on lap 1, Wilson shot off the track, crashing and losing valuable positions as Tomac moved into second place. On lap 2, Davalos bobbled, which allowed Tomac to make a pass for the lead. Zach Osborne, of Chesterfield, S.C., pushed his Monster Energy Yamaha into second place on lap 6, but was passed by Rockstar Energy Racing's Jason Anderson, of Edgewood, N.M., on lap 10. Anderson crashed one lap later, going the number-two spot to Osborne. On lap 12, Osborne engaged on a hotly contested battle with Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin, of Murrieta, Calif. Musquin made a solid pass and held on for second place with Osborne in third for the second consecutive weekend. Tomac extended his points lead to 15 before heading back to Angel Stadium next weekend. "This is my best season ever," said Tomac. "Our team worked really hard to give me a great bike, and I made the most of it. I now have a nice lead going into Anaheim." Racing resumes next Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Supercross Class Results: Oakland
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
7. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
8. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
... Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 85
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 85
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 83
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 73
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 61
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 58
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 52
8. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 47
9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 45
10. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 42
... Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Oakland 1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
4. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha
5. Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, NS
6. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
7. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
8. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
10. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki ... Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 88
2. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 73
3. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 67
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 64
5. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
6. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 57
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 53
8. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 46
9. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda – 45
10. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha – 43

Monster Energy Supercross goes to Oakland

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:31:00 +0100

With three Supercross Class winners through the first three races of the season, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, is shaping up to be another epic season. TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed became the newest face to stand atop the podium this season, and just the second in Dodger Stadium history, after a dominant effort last Saturday night. By virtue of a runner-up effort, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey remains the championship's point leader, and will wear the red number plate for the second straight week as the schedule heads to California's Bay Area, with a stop at Oakland's O.co Coliseum on Saturday night.

A red flag marred the start of the Supercross Class Main Event, after a hard crash involving Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard, Star/Valli Rockstar Yamaha's Ryan Morais, and R2MX Kawasaki's Weston Peick, on the opening lap. Peick was able to walk away under his own power, but both Canard and Morais received medical attention.

Canard suffered fractures to his back, according to an official statement from American Honda, and although he has feelings in his extremities, further evaluation will determine if surgery is necessary.

Star Valli Yamaha rider Ryan Morais was involved in a crash during the first lap of the main event at the Los Angeles stop on Saturday night. The Rockstar Energy rider was transported to a local hospital and is being treated for a broken jaw, several fractured vertebrae and some broken ribs. There is no sign of spinal cord damage at this time and Morais is continuing to be evaluated. A full recovery is anticipated.

Once the Supercross Class Main Event restarted, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot. Reed, who quickly moved into second, made short work of Weimer out front, moving into the lead on Lap 6.

A short time later, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart made a pass on Weimer for second, making contact with the Kawasaki rider who subsequently fell to the ground, losing considerable positions. On Lap 12, Stewart encountered his own misfortune, losing his balance and dropping his bike, which allowed Dungey to assume the runner-up position.

Reed checked out on the field for his 41st Supercross Class victory, while Dungey maintained control of the points lead in second. Stewart held on for his first podium of the season in third, fighting off a late charge from Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, who fought his way from an opening-lap mishap that left him at the tail end of the field, to finish fourth. Villopoto shared the points lead with Dungey heading into the race.

Dungey's advantage in the Supercross Class standings over Reed and Villopoto, who currently sit in a tie for second, is four points. Dungey, the 2009 Monster Energy Supercross champion, is the only rider in the Supercross Class to finish on the podium through the first three races.

Last year at Monster Energy Supercross' return to Oakland, Stewart grabbed his second win of the 2011 season inside O.co Coliseum, with Reed and Dungey rounding out the podium. In the Supercross Lites Class, eventual Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Champion Broc Tickle secured his only win en route to the title.

The first race was held in Oakland on January 18, 1979, and Jimmy Weinert won on a Kawasaki. Last year was the first inaugural Supercross Lites class race at O.co Coliseum.

Season Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 67
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 63
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 63
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 48
5. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 48
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 43
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 38
8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 36
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 36
10.Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 28

Reed takes Dodger Stadium win

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:26:00 +0100

TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., won the Supercross Class main event at tonight's Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Dodger Stadium before 35,741 fans, marking his first win of the season. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., also captured his first Western Regional Supercross Lites Class main event win of the season. After winning the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Wildomar, Calif., held the lead position until being passed by Reed on Lap 6. Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., made a pass on Weimer for second place, and during the pass, Weimer crashed, falling to 14th place. Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, who won last weekend's race in Phoenix, settled into fourth place behind Stewart. Dungey was able to capitalize on a crash by Stewart on Lap 12 as he took over the number three position. Reed earned his 41st Supercross Class main event and third consecutive podium finish of the season. Dungey, who finished second, has also been on the podium at every race this season and now sits in the points lead. Stewart finished a season-best third place. "I have been trying to figure out what I have been doing wrong this year," said Reed. "I switched to a tire that I used last year and it worked. I am going to keep trying to get better each week. I will take the good with the bad and keep moving forward." In the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class main event, Tomac quickly passed Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot winner Martin Davalos, of the Rockstar Suzuki team, shortly after turn one and rode flawlessly for the next 15 laps. On lap 6, Monster Energy Yamaha's Zach Osborne, of Chesterfield, S.C., passed Davalos, for the number two position. While riding in third place, Davalos crashed and lost several positions before reentering the race. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, who won last weekend's main event in Phoenix, passed Osborne on lap 12, where he would finish. Wilson currently sits in second place. Osborne earned a career-best third-place finish. Tomac's win marked the third of his career, and he is now the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class points leader, one point ahead of Wilson. "I was able to sneak into the lead and ride 15 solid laps," said Tomac. "It's a night and day difference when you get a good start. I should have been getting starts like this all season." Racing resumes next Saturday at Oakland's O.com Coliseum. Supercross Class Results: Phoenix
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda

Supercross Class Season Standings
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 67
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 63
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 63
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 48
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 48
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 43
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 38
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 36
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 36
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 28

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Phoenix
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
Michael Lieb, Menifee, Calif., Honda
Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, Australia, KTM
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 63
Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 62
Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 47
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 47
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 44
Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 42
Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda – 32
Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 32
Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda – 27

Monster Energy Supercross Returns to Dodger Stadium

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:20:00 +0100

As Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to Dodger Stadium this Saturday night, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto are deadlocked in the Supercross Class points race at 45.

Last weekend at Phoenix Dungey captured his first win of the season and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson lay claim to the Supercross Lites Class victory.

Dungey grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot and checked out on the field. Behind him, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., assumed their spots at the front of the field, with both TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., and Toyota/Muscle Milk/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., mired in the field following mid-pack starts.

The wild action of the night began when Millsaps went down in the track's sand section on the opening lap, collecting Villopoto and relegating both riders to the tail end of the field. Villopoto's misfortune allowed both Reed and Stewart to move forward, crossing the line 8th and 13th, respectively.

From there, Reed, Stewart, and Villopoto began climbing their way through the field, with Reed and Stewart doing so together. Just as Stewart made his way past Reed in his continued forward progression, he went down in the same section as Villopoto on Lap 7, falling outside the top 10. Villopoto eventually made his way around Reed and set his sights on the top five, slowly picking his way through the field and bringing the crowd to its feet.

In the end, Dungey took the checkers by over six seconds for his second Supercross Class win in Phoenix.

"This was a big step in the right direction for KTM," said Dungey. "They've been behind me the whole way and believed in me. We've come a long way since the off-season, but there's still a lot of racing to go. I got off to a great start and (moved) into the lead early, which made it nice on myself. If it wasn't for all these people (at KTM) working their butts off every week, this wouldn't happen, so I owe this all to them."

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, finished second for his first career Supercross Class podium, while Villopoto passed most of the field and fought his way into third to salvage his points lead.

"It was a tough night," said Villopoto. "Davi (Millsaps) went down in front of me in the sand and I went right into him. It happened on first lap, and when that happens, you have your work cut out (for you). There's 20 laps to do it, so you've got to make quick work of it. The bike was working great though. I salvaged a lot of points tonight, so it was good."

Reed brought home a fifth-place finish, while Stewart soldiered on to finish eighth. Dungey and Villopoto currently have a share of the points lead, and both will adorn their bikes with the red number plate next weekend, signifying the current rider in control of the championship.

Last year at the inaugural Supercross race at Dodger Stadium, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto took home his second Supercross class victory of the season. Cole Seely of Corona, Calif., took home his first career Western Regional Supercross Class Lites victory.

This will be the second time the gates will drop for a supercross race at Dodger Stadium.

Season Standings:

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 45
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 45
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 38
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 38
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 31
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 29
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 28
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 25
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 22
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 22

KTM celebrate inaugural class win

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:43:00 +0100

A huge crowd of 49,236 fans filled Chase Field on Saturday night for the second race of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. In just two races together, the new relationship between Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and Red Bull KTM has proven to be fruitful as the former champion captured his first win of the season, and KTM's first Supercross Class victory ever, with a dominant wire-to-wire effort. In the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson, of Menifee, Calif., prevailed with a similarly-convincing performance. Dungey capitalized on a good start out of the gate in the 20-lap Supercross Class Main Event to grab the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot and checked out on the field. Behind him, Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., assumed their spots at the front of the field, with both TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., and Toyota/Muscle Milk/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., mired in the field following mid-pack starts. The wild action of the night began when Millsaps went down in the track's sand section on the opening lap, collecting Villopoto and relegating both riders to the tail end of the field. Villopoto's misfortune allowed both Reed and Stewart to move forward, crossing the line 8th and 13th, respectively. From there, Reed, Stewart, and Villopoto began climbing their way through the field, with Reed and Stewart doing so together. Just as Stewart made his way past Reed in his continued forward progression, he went down in the same section as Villopoto on Lap 7, falling outside the top 10. Villopoto eventually made his way around Reed and set his sights on the top five, slowly picking his way through the field and bringing the crowd to its feet. In the end, Dungey took the checkers by over six seconds for his second Supercross Class win in Phoenix. "This was a big step in right direction for KTM," said Dungey. "They've been behind me the whole way and believed in me. We've come a long way since the off-season, but there's still a lot of racing to go. I got off to a great start and (moved) into the lead early, which made it nice on myself. If it wasn't for all these people (at KTM) working their butts off every week, this wouldn't happen, so I owe this all to them." Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, finished second for his first career Supercross Class podium, while Villopoto passed most of the field and fought his way into third to salvage his points lead. "It was a tough night," said Villopoto. "Davi (Millsaps) went down in front of me in the sand and I went right into him. It happened on first lap, and when that happens, you have your work cut out (for you). There's 20 laps to do it, so you've got to make quick work of it. The bike was working great though. I salvaged a lot of points tonight, so it was good." Reed brought home a fifth-place finish, while Stewart soldiered on to finish eighth. Dungey and Villopoto currently have a share of the points lead, and both will adorn their bikes with the red number plate next weekend, signifying the current rider in control of the championship. In the Supercross Lites Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray, of Wildomar, Calif., captured the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot, but Wilson worked his way into the lead on the exit of the second corner. Once out front, Wilson continued to pull away from his competitors and rebound from a sixth-place effort one week ago. "This feels great," exclaimed Wilson. "Last weekend just wasn't me. I think I was too confident coming in. It just means so much to get this win. The track was really slippery and required a lot of throttle control. This class is unbelievable and it's not going to be easy (to win), but I want to be in the championship and I'm going to try my best." Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin, of Murrieta, Calif., garnered his first career Monster Energy Supercross podium in second, while Rattray held on for third, moving into the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class championship points lead. The 2012 Monster Energy Supercross season continues next Saturday, January 21, from Los Angeles, with the third race of the season inside Dodger Stadium. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. PT. Supercross Class Results: Phoenix
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
8. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 45
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 45
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 38
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 38
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 31
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 29
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 28
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 25
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 22
10. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 22 Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Phoenix
1. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
2. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
5. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
6. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
8. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
9. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 42
2. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 41
3. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 40
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 40
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 38
6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 28
7. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 27
8. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda – 22
9. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 22
10. Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda – 17

Supercross heads to Phoenix

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:22:00 +0100

When Ryan Villopoto captured the season opener last weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., to kick off the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season, he became one of only six riders in the sport's history to win this race in consecutive seasons. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider joins legends Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Ward, Mike LaRocco, Chad Reed and James Stewart in this elite group. The winner of the season opener has gone on to win the championship 18 times. Tomorrow night, Villopoto will race for his first-ever win at Phoenix's Chase Field. "We will keep pushing and moving forward to Phoenix this weekend" said Villopoto. "There are a lot of races left so we just need to keep on with our program and try to be consistent." Villopoto will carry the coveted red number plate into Chase Field as the Monster Energy Supercross Championship points leader. TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda's Chad Reed finished second, marking the 115th podium finish in his 142 career starts. Reed won his heat race and rode smooth to a solid finish. "I'm excited how the Anaheim opener turned out," said Reed. "The goal was to be on the podium and to have a shot at a win, and we achieved both. I was a little off the pace of Ryan (Villopoto) but, I feel we can make up that gap in the coming weeks." Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, the 2010 Supercross Class champion, rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. Dungey, who is riding a KTM for the first time in his career, gave the Austrian manufacturer their best-ever Supercross Class result. "Finishing on the podium at the Anaheim opener was definitely a great way to start the 2012 supercross season," said Dungey. "It was an honor to deliver KTM their first-ever US podium in the Supercross Class last weekend and hopefully it's the start of many more to come. Working with an all-new race bike usually takes a team quite a lot of time testing and developing before you start to see podium level results. However, right off the bat we have had no problems dialing in the new KTM 450 and after just a few short months of seat time on the new bike, we are already showing very positive results against a field of very experienced competitors. It's definitely a testament to KTMs determination to produce a championship-contending bike and the team's commitment to ongoing development that positioned us amongst the top finishers at Anaheim. I'm really motivated to get on the podium again this weekend in Phoenix." In his debut race aboard the American Honda Muscle Milk ride, Justin Brayton earned a career-best fourth-place finish after being forced to qualify through the last chance qualifier. "It is always nerve racking going into an LCQ, but I was able to win and boost my confidence back up," said Brayton. "I got a decent start in the main and was able to pick it up about halfway through, where I made my way to fourth." Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, a two-time Supercross Class champion, suffered a late-race crash and dropped back to sixth place, where he would finish. "We learned a lot last weekend in Anaheim," said Stewart. "First race with the new team, their first race with a new rider, first time I'd been racing since last year's supercross season. I mean that was our first real competition together, and in end, it wasn't all the bad. We found some things with the bike and those will help. But, we got a taste of what the competition is going to be like this year, and I think we're ready for more." Supercross.com Honda's Andrew Short controlled the lead for several laps in his heat race before being passed by Stewart and Dungey to finish third. He went on to finish seventh in the main event. This marked Short's first ride under the newly-formed team between Jeremy McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross racer, and Larry Brooks, who managed McGrath, Reed and Stewart in the past. After being sidelined with injury for the start of 2011, Villopoto's teammate Jake Weimer entered the 2012 season 100% healthy and ready to claim his spot amongst the leaders. He battled back from a mid-pack start in Anaheim and finished a career-best fifth. Weimer has finished within the top 10 in all three of his Supercross Class races. "We got some decent points in Anaheim and can only build from here," said Weimer. "I look forward to doing better in Phoenix, knowing my fitness and equipment is the best it could be." Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Broc Tickle made his debut in the Supercross Class last Saturday night and finished in a respectable 12th place after a crash in the main event. After qualifying well within the top 10, Tickle is excited to improve on last weekend. "I'm happy with how Anaheim went, and I know I have the speed to be up near the front," said Tickle. "In Phoenix, I just want to have some fun, loosen up, and get good starts. If I can do all that, I'll be where I want to be." Team Yoshimura Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe started out the night in Anaheim on a high note by racing his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to a solid sixth-place finish in his eight-lap heat race. Following that performance, Metcalfe went on to get a good start on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 in the Supercross Class Main Event and turned laps in the top 10 before finishing up the night in 11th. "Anaheim didn't quite go as planned," admitted Metcalfe. "It was a rough day for me and a tough event. It's a tough way to start out the championship, but I battled through, and we came away with an 11th, which wasn't really where we hoped to be, but we're going to take that and move on. We've learned a lot from the day and we've already made many changes based on what we learned. I feel we're already better prepared for Phoenix. Normally, Phoenix is a pretty technical, hard-pack track and you have to be very precise with everything you do. You can lose the front end easy in the corners or slide out, and you really have to be on your game. I think bike setup will be crucial. I think with everything we've done this week that we're looking forward to Phoenix and just getting out there and improving on last weekend. We still got a lot of racing to go and we're going to get better, so there's a lot to look forward to." Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda's Cole Seely had a lot to be excited about leaving Anaheim Saturday night, following an impressive ride to his third-career Supercross Lites Class victory. "I am definitely excited. It's great to come out on top at a race that gets so much hype," said Seely. "My main focus this year is consistency, as long as I stay consistent each week I think I can win the championship." Although Tyla Rattray finished second at the Anaheim opener, he views last weekend as a warm up. Rattray took the early lead in the main event and rode a consistent pace but is not content with anything short of a win. "I'm really looking forward to this weekend," said Tyla. "We shook the cobwebs out last weekend and will be on top of our game in Phoenix." Coming off his AMA 250cc Motocross title, Dean Wilson was heavily favored to win the opener. Wilson held third place for nearly the entire main event, until a last-lap mishap dropped him to sixth. "Last week was not the result I was looking for at all," said Wilson. "The team and I have worked hard all week, and I'm looking to come into Phoenix a different man." Long regarded as the top Supercross Lites Class team, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki has won 35 of 71 races, earned 62 podiums and 68 top-five finishes since 2008. Since the eighth race of the 2010 season, they have managed to earn podium results at every stop. For Rockstar Energy Suzuki, the night was bittersweet in the Supercross Lites Class. Although Martin Davalos celebrated an impressive win in his heat race, he experienced some issues during the main event and dropped out of the fray. "Anaheim started off pretty good," said Davalos. "I didn't have the best qualifying time, but I was able to get out in front in my heat race and take the win. Unfortunately, we had a problem in the main event, and I wasn't able to finish the race. It was a bummer for me and the entire team but we'll put that behind us and look forward to Phoenix. We went to the test track first thing Monday morning and got everything figured out so I'm ready for Phoenix. I'm looking forward to it – it's my birthday weekend and it's time to turn things around and get it done. I'm going there positive and (prepared) to be as good as I can be, and try to get some results for the team." His Rockstar Energy Suzuki teammate Jason Anderson, however, celebrated a very consistent evening, finishing seventh in his heat race and seventh in the 15-lap Supercross Lites Class Main Event. "Anaheim was the first race of the season, so nerves were a little high," said Anderson. "But I had some good practice sessions. Then my heat race had a bunch of pile-ups, but I ended up doing pretty good, and I made it to the main. The gate-drop at the start of the main was a little delayed, and I struggled with that, but I came back and got seventh, so it was a decent night overall. I'm really excited for Phoenix. I feel like my fitness and speed are good. I think I have everything in place and with a good start, I should be able to run up in the top five there." Star/Valli Yamaha celebrated a well-earned fifth-place finish in the Supercross Lites Class Main Event, thanks to Ryan Sipes. "I started the day out great in practice at Anaheim, but in my heat race, I went down," said Sipes. "I got up last and had to go to the LCQ but, thankfully, I made it through. In the main, I couldn't find my rhythm so we'll take the points from fifth place tonight and come back next week at Phoenix and try to win it. I got my first-ever podium there, so I'm looking forward to that race." Meanwhile, his Star/Valli Yamaha teammate Nico Izzi had a strong showing in his heat race with a third-place finish and came in 12th in the Supercross Lites Class Main Event. "I had a pretty good heat race at Anaheim," said Izzi. "I felt strong and solid. The main event came around and I got a bad start – I kind of had bad starts all night. But I came away healthy and with no crashes so I have to look forward to Phoenix. I never raced Phoenix before because I never race West Coast. It looks a little dry and slick but I kind of like that because I'm a smoother rider and it can work out in my favor. I'm going to get some good starts because I'm working on starts all week, and I'm going to come out swinging this weekend." Two-time World GP Champion Marvin Musquin made his Supercross Lites Class debut, finishing fourth after earning third in his qualifier. "Fourth place at Anaheim was a good result for my Supercross Lites Class debut," said Musquin. "I was really nervous heading into my first U.S. supercross race, but I think I did a good job controlling my nerves in front of such a big crowd. Unfortunately, I didn't get the best start in the main as I got checked up by another rider going into the first turn. However, I think I came back strong working my way up to fourth spot by race end. I've won two World GP titles in Europe, so my goal is definitely to be up fighting for wins here in the U.S. Now that I know what to expect in the Lites Class - now that the first race is out of the way - my focus is purely to be on the podium each weekend going forward."

Stewart gets 2012 campaign underway with 6th at Anaheim

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0100

The 2012 AMA Supercross series was launched in front of a capacity 45,000 crowd at the Anaheim stadium in Los Angeles last weekend and Joe Gibbs Racing' James Stewart took his YZ450F to sixth position in the opening main event of seventeen on the U.S. calendar.

The former Champion endured a dramatic first evening of the season. He had marked the fastest lap-time in the second qualifier but was undone at the beginning of the 20 lap sprint when a poor start left him deep in the pack. Behind runaway leader and winner Ryan Villopoto Stewart worked up to third position and then enjoyed a tight battle with 2010 champion Ryan Dungey.

The Floridian made a small mistake on the approach to a table-top jump and hit the hay bales at the side of the track, causing a crash and some light damage to his motorcycle. He was hit in the stomach by his handlebar but had no other problems. By the time he could rectify his radiator plastic shroud and regain his composure he had lost several places and needed to push again to reach sixth.

"James showed a lot of patience out there tonight," said JGR/Toyota Yamaha team manager Jeremy Albrecht. "He didn't get the best of starts, but he did a really good job of being patient and catching the leaders without taking too many risks. But the track was changing a lot throughout the night and he just got caught out over there and landed in the Tuff Blox. He was missing a radiator shroud when he got up, and the front end was kind of tweaked, but he still made the most of it. Championships are won on your bad days, and this wasn't a good day, but he still salvaged sixth place. That's pretty good."

Ryan Morais and Davi Millsaps filled 15th and 16th places under the Anaheim lights. Ryan Sipes (5th spot) and Monster Energy Yamaha's Zach Osborne – completing several West Coast events as warm-up for the FIM MX2 World Championship – (9th) posted finishes on the YZ250F in the Lites division.

Round two takes place next weekend at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Villopoto victorious in Anaheim

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:08:00 +0100

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., won the Anaheim opener of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, before a sold-out crowd of 45,050 fans at Angel Stadium. Troy Less Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda's Cole Seely, of Murrieta, Calif., dominated the opening race of the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class race en route to victory. Villopoto, the defending class champion, opened the Supercross Class main event with the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot with Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing's Ivan Tedesco, of Marietta, Calif., and TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray/Honda's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., following in second and third, respectively. Red Bull/KTM's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., shot past Tedesco on the second lap as Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., made up for a mid-pack start to secure fourth place. While riding in third place, Dungey crashed and gave Stewart third place, but on lap 11, Dungey swung back around Stewart. Stewart once again found his way around Dungey on lap 14 before crashing on the following lap. Villopoto cruised to his second consecutive Anaheim opener win with a 12.2-second victory. Reed finished second and Dungey finished third. "Villopoto made us look silly out here tonight," said Reed. "I am just happy to get second place tonight in this field of riders." "It was a phenomenal night for me," said Villopoto. "I didn't have the heat race I wanted, so I didn't have a great gate pick. Once I was out front I wanted to lay down fast laps and make no mistakes. I did make one small one, but overall, it was a great race for me." As the gates dropped on the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class, Motoconcepts Suzuki's Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot but was quickly passed by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray, of Wildomar, Calif. The following lap Dean Wilson, of Menifee, Calif., pushed his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki past Rattray. Seely secured the lead on lap 2 and rode to the third win of his career and sits as the class' points leader. On the last lap, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., passed Wilson, who subsequently crashed, losing several positions before returning to racing. "I couldn't think of a better way to start the season," said Seely. "To get a win here tonight in front of my family and friends is huge. I learned last year that consistency is key, and I hope to be on the podium at every race." Supercross Class Results: Anaheim Race 1
Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki Supercross Class Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki – 25
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 22
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 20
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 18
Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki – 16
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 15
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 14
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 13
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki – 12
Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 11

Supercross: Season-Opening

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0100

Season-Opening Press Conference Sets the Stage for Highly Anticipated Monster Energy Supercross Season Championship's Top Five Finishers Speak to the Media in Anaheim.

After the most statistically competitive season in history one year ago, the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season is now mere hours away, and on Thursday, Feld Motor Sports® welcomed the industry, local media, national media, and international media to the annual season-opening press conference from Angel Stadium. Reigning champion, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, along with the rest of the top five from last season's final standings – TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing's Chad Reed, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, Toyota/Yamaha/JGR's James Stewart, and American Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard – spoke to the attending media, offering their thought's on the season that lies ahead.

The 2011 season, dubbed the "Greatest Season Ever" featured a five-way battle for the championship throughout the 17 races. Each of Thursday's invited riders at the press conference claimed at least one victory in 2011, and up until Canard's unfortunate season-ending injury with three rounds to go, all five were within 20 points of one another.

Ultimately, Villopoto emerged as the champion, capturing a series-leading six victories en route to his first career Supercross Class championship. It signified the beginning of a historic year for Villopoto, who captured both AMA-sanctioned titles as well as the record-setting million-dollar bounty at the inaugural Monster Energy Cup in October. He returns ready to defend his title, looking to become the first rider since Ricky Carmichael in 2005-2006 to claim back-to-back championships.

"It's tough to defend the title," said Villopoto. "Every year is a new year. But, I think a lot of it is based on what you did in the offseason to prepare and coming into the season ready so that on the weekends (at the races) it's fun. We're out there to get a job done, and that's to win. We need to minimize mistakes, and Anaheim has a lot of hype, but you can't win the championship here. You can definitely lose it though. I've put in the work this offseason. I'm ready; the bike is 100%, so I think we're there. I think we're all just ready to bring it on."

For Reed, the 2011 season started with the creation of TwoTwo Motorsports, his own race team for which he would also ride for. A strong start to the season with consistent podium efforts eventually resulted in two wins for Reed, landing second in the championship. He also received the support of Factory Honda and now, enters the 2012 season as a full-fledged American Honda rider.

"We've had a lot more months to prepare for the season this time around," said Reed. "As a rider, coming into the season, I haven't been with the same bike and group of people in a long time. We have more support from Honda and I think we have the best bike. I think you need to win races now in order to win a championship. Year after year, I've been there on the podium, but I've only had a couple race wins. I think you need about five this year to be there, so its going to take that effort week in and week out to be a contender."

In his 2011 title defense, Dungey posted the most consistent overall effort of all his rivals. However, just one victory, in addition to a DNF and the second Anaheim race, relegated him to third in the championship. Despite that, Dungey was a factor in the championship the entire course of the season and now makes the move to Red Bull KTM for 2012, rejoining his mentor Roger DeCoster. The biggest move of the offseason has generated considerable buzz throughout the industry, and now Dungey is prepared to bring KTM is first taste of success in the premier division.

"The opportunity that presented itself at KTM led to the change in teams," said Dungey. "It was a lot of fun at Suzuki, but in going to KTM, there was that level of commitment. It was the perfect fit for me. What they've accomplished in the time we've had, and being back with Roger and Ian (Harrison) has been a lot of fun. Preparations are going well and we had a great offseason. I feel rested and I feel fit, so I'm looking forward to Saturday."

Stewart posted five victories in 2011, and on several occasions showcased his impressive speed, highlighted by a dominant effort at the second Anaheim race. However, despite his regular presence at the front of the field, Stewart's typically reliable consistency took a hit, ultimately resulting in a fourth-place finish in the standings. During the offseason, Stewart made a highly-publicized move to Joe Gibbs Racing, drawing national media attention to the sport and generating huge anticipation for his first season with the highly-recognizable franchise.

"The biggest change for me this season is going to JGR," said Stewart. "It was a good change and one that I needed. I spent a lot of time in the offseason trying to decide what was best for me. The team is good, so we'll find out. Although it's been 10 years (as a pro), I've had the opportunity to be rejuvenated and refreshed, but I knew I had to make some changes for 2012. We won five races last season, but it still wasn't where we needed to be. I went to the drawing board and did what I needed in order to make it happen."

Canard's aforementioned season-ending injury derailed an otherwise memorable and extremely impressive rookie season in the Supercross Class. Three victories highlighted his season as he surprised many with his speed, consistency, and lack of intimidation against his experienced counterparts. Unfortunately for Canard, his season will start late after suffering another injury in preparation for the championship, but once he returns, many expect him to assume his position up front.

"Unfortunately, I've learned what to do with my down time because I've had so much opportunity to do so (due to injuries)," said Canard. "On the plus side, I've been able to do things I don't always get to do. I also keep training to stay in shape, so I can come back strong. Through all the adversity, I've become a stronger person and a stronger athlete. I'm going to continue to strive whether it means more injures or more success."

The buzz is huge and the gate is about to drop on what many think will be the most competitive Monster Energy Supercross season of all time, and it all commences on Saturday night. Fans unable to make it out to Angel Stadium can catch LIVE coverage on SPEED, beginning at 7 p.m. PT.

Photo Credit: Kit Palmer – Cycle News

2012 Supercross Championship kicks off on Saturday

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:13:00 +0100

The 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season kicks off this Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., with defending Supercross Class champion Ryan Villopoto staging a title defense against the world's greatest riders. SPEED will broadcast the race live at 7:00 p.m. PT. Villopoto, who rides for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, made a statement at last year's season opener by leading all 20 laps of the main event en route to his 10th career win. This year Villopoto will not only defend his title, he is trying to become only the sixth rider in history to win the season opener in back-to-back years. "It's a nice way to start out the season," said Villopoto following last year's season opener. "Starting out this way makes things much easier. I hope I can start putting together some more wins and a championship this year." Villopoto didn't waiver from his winning ways as he was crowned the sport's biggest prize at the season finale at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium. In doing so, he became the 12th rider to win the season opener and the championship. In last year's Western Regional Supercross Lites Class main event, Monster Energy/Pro-Circuit/Kawasaki's Josh Hansen opened the season with win after taking the lead on lap eight. The first supercross race held in Anaheim was December 4, 1976, and Marty Smith won on a Honda. This weekend will mark the 56th time the gate will drop for a race in Anaheim and the 22nd the city has played host to the season opener. Stewart Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath are tied on the all-time Supercross Class win list in Anaheim at 8. Ivan Tedesco hold the Supercross Lites Class all-time win record in Anaheim at 5. Angel Stadium is the only stop on the tour that will host two races, January 7 and February 4. Past Winners in Anaheim
Supercross Class
February 5, 2011: James Stewart
January 8, 2011: Ryan Villopoto
February 13, 2010: Ryan Villopoto
January 23, 2010: Ryan Dungey
January 9, 2010: James Stewart
February 7, 2009: James Stewart
January 17, 2009: James Stewart
January 3, 2009: Josh Grant
January 5, 2008: Chad Reed
January 19, 2008: Chad Reed
February 2, 2008: Chad Reed
January 6, 2007: James Stewart
January 20, 2007: James Stewart
February 3, 2007: James Stewart
January 07, 2006: James Stewart
January 21, 2006: Ricky Carmichael
February 04, 2006: Ricky Carmichael
January 8, 2005 Kevin Windham
January 22, 2005 Ricky Carmichael
February 5, 2005 Ricky Carmichael
January 3, 2004 Chad Reed
January 17, 2004 Chad Reed
January 31, 2004 Kevin Windham
January 04, 2003: Chad Reed
January 18, 2003: Ricky Carmichael
February 01, 2003: Ricky Carmichael
January 05, 2002: David Vuillemin
January 19, 2002: Mike LaRocco
February 02, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
January 06, 2001: Jeremy McGrath
January 20, 2001: Jeremy McGrath
February 03, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
January 8, 2000: Jeremy McGrath
January 15, 2000: Jeremy McGrath
January 09, 1999: Ezra Lusk
February 06, 1999: Ezra Lusk
January 27, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
January 28, 1995: Jeremy McGrath
January 29, 1994: Jeremy McGrath
January 23, 1993: Jeremy McGrath
January 25, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
January 26, 1991: Jeff Stanton
January 27, 1990: Damon Bradshaw
January 28, 1989: Rick Johnson
January 31, 1987: Jeff Ward
January 18, 1986: David Bailey
February 02, 1985: Broc Glover
January 28, 1984: Johnny O'Mara
January 29, 1983: David Bailey
January 30, 1982: Donnie Hansen
January 31, 1981: Kent Howerton
November 17, 1979: Kent Howerton
November 11, 1978: Gaylon Mosier
November 12, 1977: Bob Hannah
December 04, 1976: Marty SmithSupercross Lites Class
February 5, 2011: Joshua Hansen
January 8, 2011: Joshua Hansen
February 13, 2010: Trey Canard
January 23, 2010: Jake Weimer
January 9, 2010: Jake Weimer
February 7, 2009: Jake Weimer
January 17, 2009: Ryan Dungey
January 3, 2009: Jake Weimer
January 5, 2008: Ryan Dungey
January 19, 2008: Ryan Dungey
February 2, 2008: Jason Lawrence
January 6, 2007: Ryan Villopoto
January 20, 2007: Ryan Villopoto
February 3, 2007: Ryan Villopoto
January 07, 2006: Andrew Short
January 21, 2006: Grant Langston
February 04, 2006: Grant Langston
January 8, 2005 Nathan Ramsey
January 22, 2005 Ivan Tedesco
February 5, 2005 Ivan Tedesco
January 3, 2004 Ivan Tedesco
January 17, 2004 Ivan Tedesco
January 31, 2004 Ivan Tedesco
January 04, 2003: Travis Preston
January 18, 2003: James Stewart Jr.
February 01, 2003: James Stewart Jr.
January 05, 2002: Travis Preston
January 19, 2002: David Pingree
February 02, 2002: Brock Sellards
January 06, 2001: Ernesto Fonseca
January 20, 2001: Ernesto Fonseca
February 03, 2001: Ernesto Fonseca
January 8, 2000: David Pingree
January 15, 2000: Tallon Vohland
January 09, 1999: Casey Johnson
February 06, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
January 27, 1996: Kevin Windham
January 28, 1995: Damon Huffman
January 29, 1994: Damon Huffman
January 09, 1993: Damon Huffman
January 25, 1992: Jeremy McGrath
January 26, 1991: Jeremy McGrath
January 27, 1990: Michael Craig
January 28, 1989: Jeff Matiasevich
January 31, 1987: Jeff Matiasevich
January 18, 1986: Tyson Vohland
February 02, 1985: Mike Healy

Update on Max Nagl

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:41:00 +0100

It is no secret that Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing's Max Nagl of Germany put on a heroic display in the second half of the 2011 MX1 World Championship season, riding through the pain of a serious back injury. Max underwent corrective surgery in Belgium at the end of the season after opting to delay the surgical intervention until all the races were over.

Due to some additional complications that arose from the treatment, Max will now undergo a second operation. Despite quite a lot of physical discomfort, he remains firmly optimistic about a successful outcome and is looking forward to returning to training and the factory team.

Following the second operation, Max will be required to take one week's complete bed rest and then take it easy for another month. Following that, he should be able to start physical training and will go to Red Bull's high-tech training center in Austria where he will work under the guidance of medical and physical training experts. If all this goes according to plan, the German rider will then be able to move into the next stage of his rehabilitation and resume training on his new KTM racing machine.

Claudio de Carli, manager of the Red Bull Teka KTM's MX1 line-up said he was very much looking forward to Max making a full recovery and rejoining the factory team for intensive training. "I hope to have Max with us as soon as possible and to see him ride the new bike. He is an elite athlete so he is very strong mentally and in good physical condition. We are confident that his recovery will be quick and completely successful. I am very much looking forward to seeing him ride the new KTM 450!"

Scheduled to contest the 2012 MX1 World Championship with teammate and reigning world champion Tony Cairoli, Max Nagl is slated to ride the new 2012 edition of the KTM 450 SX-F factory bike next year.By KTM Racing

TAG Heuer is the Official Timing Partner of the NIGHT of the JUMPs

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:44:00 +0100

On the sidelines of the FIM World Championship Final in Sofia / Bulgaria the final details of the partnership between the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, that is famous for its sports watches and chronographs, and the organizers of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship SportPlus has been negotiated.

The partnership offers TAG Heuer numerous on-site and online presence as part of the NIGHT of the JUMPs World Tour, which hosts the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship and the UEM Freestyle MX European Championship.

TAG Heuer's timing data will be integrated with various LED displays on the course to show the remaining runtime to athletes and visitors. In addition, TAG Heuer is present on the Double Up pole and on the jury box.

Marko Manthey / CEO SportPlus: "We are looking forward to this partnership - TAG Heuer has been in motorsport for 150 years and achieved legendary status. To be a part of this world shows what Freestyle Motocross has grown to in the last years."

Thierry Huron / TAG Heuer Timing Director: "TAG Heuer has been pioneering timekeeping for 150 years. We have been the first Brand to master the 1/10th, the 1/100th, the 1/1000th and the 1/10.000th of a second both in Timekeeping. Being associated with the famous FIM and UEM Freestyle MX Championships underlines the brand's dynamic nature and strong ability to extend once again its timekeeping expertise."

ABOUT TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer, the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is one of the largest and fastest growing luxury Swiss brands. The Swiss brand draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate timekeeping instruments in the world. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper to within 1/10,000th of a second for the legendary Indy 500 from 2004 to 2006, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation and precision continues to aim ever higher.

Thanks to this expertise and know-how, TAG Heuer pioneered one of the first certifications for Timing devices in the sport industry with the FIS (International Ski Federation) followed by the FEI (Federation Internationale d'Equitation) and the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) . Today, complemented by the "TAG Heuer by Chronelec" products and the brand new TAG Heuer by Lynx photo - finish camera, the range of timing devices available to the timekeeping world is unique, modular and expandable to provide "Global Timekeeping Solutions" for the most demanding sports events .

http://www.tagheuer.com

Javier Villegas leaps to FIM Freestyle MX World Championship

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:53:00 +0100

Sofia, 17th December 2011: On Saturday night, professional freestyle motocross arrived big time in Bulgaria. The world's leading exponents of FMX gathered for the last NIGHT of the JUMPs of the 2011 season at the ARMEEC Arena in Sofia (Bulgaria), where the destination of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship title would be decided.

Twelve riders from seven countries laid on an incredible spectacle in front of 10,000 spectators in a packed arena, a show that had even the Bulgarian prime minister on the edge of his seat. The highlight of the evening was to be the big clash between title rivals Remi Bizouard (FRA) and Javier Villegas (CHI).

The crowd were already whipped up into frenzy during the qualifying round, which inspired maximum performance from the riders. Debutant James Carter (USA) dug deep to perform incredible Ruler Flips and Scorpion Combos that took him into the Top 10 but still fell short of the standard produced by the six finalists. Also missing out at this stage was Libor Podmol who took a tumble on his very first trick and was unable to continue. The German duo also progressed no further than the first round: Fabian Bauersachs had a good run, but could finish no higher than tenth, and unlucky Hannes Ackermann had no preparation time, as his bike and equipment arrived only at the very last minute.

The two Frenchman Brice Izzo and David Rinaldo were also unable to convince the judges of their case to be included in the final – this despite Rinaldo's Airplane and Superman Seatgrab Flip. So the finalists on this occasion were Massimo Bianconcini (ITA), Jose Miralles (ESP), Petr Pilat (CZE) and Maikel Melero (ESP) plus the two title aspirants, Javier Villegas and Remi Bizouard. Jose Miralles won the final Race & Style contest of the season. Fellow Spaniard Melero triumphed in the Maxxis Highest Air, recording a jump of 7.1 metres.

The first rider out on track for the deciding round was Massimo Bianconcini. Italy's grand master delighted the crowd with a brand new trick – a Double 9 O'Clock Combo – and will no doubt have been satisfied with his sixth place on the night. Miralles also showed off a new combo consisting of Stalefish to Double Can Can Flip. Although he finished the event in fifth, the result was good enough to secure him the bronze medal in the overall standings.

Red Bull rider Petr Pilat put in a really good run to take P4 in Sofia and to score enough points to finish eighth overall in the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship. Maikel Melero, who had already received the Rookie of the Year Award before the proceedings began, confirmed himself a worthy winner of the accolade with a perfect final run, including Double Seatgrab Flip, that steered him to third place in the Bulgarian Grand Prix and fourth in the overall standings.

Then came the moment that everyone had been waiting for – the confrontation between Javier Villegas and Remi Bizouard. Villegas laid on a tour de force ranging from Suicide Backlip Lockback to Tsunami Flip. Bizouard countered with Ruler, Cliffhanger and Hart Attack Flip, ending his sideshow with a Sidesaddle Landing. The Frenchman prevailed once again – his fourth triumph in a row – but Villegas had built up such a substantial points cushion that he comfortably took the title.

The new champion looked truly delighted as he was handed the huge trophy and, looking back over the season as a whole, he is a worthy winner. The Chilean's victory also represents a first in the FMX World Championship, with all previous titles having gone to European contestants.

The world's most extreme freestyle motocross series now enters its Christmas break. The new season starts on the weekend of 20th/21st January with the NIGHT of the Jumps in Linz (Austria), where the first two rounds of the UEM Freestyle MX European Championship will be contested. The first round in the 2012 FIM Freestyle MX World Championship will be staged on the weekend of 2nd/3rd February in the Italian city of Turin.

FACTS NIGHT of the JUMPs – FIM Freestyle MX World Championships

Sofia, 17th December 2011 – Round 12

Results NIGHT of the JUMPs – Final

1. Remi Bizouard (FRA-Honda) 417 Points
2. Javier Villegas (CHL-Yamaha) 409 Points
3. Maikel Melero (ESP-Yamaha) 403 Points
4. Petr Pilat (CZE-KTM) 402 Points
5. Jose Miralles (ESP-KTM) 389 Points
6. Massimo Bianconcini (ITA-KTM) 355 Points

Results Qualifikation

1. Remi Bizouard (FRA-Honda) 355 Points
2. Petr Pilat (CZE-KTM) 341 Points
3. Javier Villegas (CHL-Yamaha) 340 Points
4. Jose Miralles (ESP-KTM) 333 Points
5. Maikel Melero (ESP-Yamaha) 332 Points
6. Massimo Bianconcini (ITA-KTM) 317 Points
7. Brice Izzo (FRA-Yamaha) 305 Points
8. David Rinaldo (FRA-Yamaha) 303 Points
9. James Carter (USA-Yamaha) 295 Points
10. Fabian Bauersachs (GER-KTM) 281 Points
11. Hannes Ackermann (GER-KTM) 239 Points
12. Libor Podmol (CZE-Suzuki) 8 Points

Results Race & Style
1. Jose Miralles (ESP-KTM)
2. Massimo Bianconcini (ITA-KTM)

Results MAXXIS Highest Air

1. Maikel Melero (ESP-Yamaha) 7,10 Meter
2. Massimo Bianconcini (ITA-KTM) 6,80 Meter

FIM Freestyle MX World Championships

Ranking (after 12th contest)

1. Javier Villegas (CHL-Yamaha) 210 Points
2. Remi Bizouard (FRA-Yamaha) 195 Points
3. Jose Miralles (ESP-KTM) 158 Points
4. Maikel Melero (ESP-Yamaha) 145 Points
5. David Rinaldo (FRA-Yamaha) 118 Points
6. Libor Podmol (CZE-Suzuki) 114 Points
7. Josh Sheehan (AUS-Honda) 96 Points
8. Petr Pilat (CZE-KTM) 91 Points
9. Fabian Bauersachs (GER-KTM) 89 Points
10. Massimo Bianconcini (ITA-KTM) 69 Points
11. Romain Izzo (FRA-Yamaha) 52 Points
12. Brice Izzo (FRA-Yamaha) 52 Points
13. Hannes Ackermann (GER-KTM) 45 Points
14. Lukas Weis (GER-Suzuki) 42 Points
15. Kai Haase (GER-Suzuki) 10 Points

FreeStyle: Tension right up to the very end

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:12:00 +0100

Rarely have the closing stages of NIGHT of the JUMPs been as exciting as this year. For the first time in the history of the series, the FMX pros will be lining up in Bulgaria, and for no less an occasion than the grand finale itself. On 17th December, the Sofia Arena will be the venue for the twelfth and final round of this year's FMX World Championship. And to add the ultimate element of spice to the weekend, the freestylers have kept the destination of the title open until the last. The contest is between Javier Villegas (CHL) and Remi Bizouard (FRA), as no-one else can now catch them. The Chilean is 17 points ahead of the Frenchman in the standings, so essentially he needs a decent qualifying run. Then, even if he finishes 12th and Bizouard first, he would still retain a one-point lead. But anything can happen on the night; after all, Remi has convincingly beaten Javier in the last three outings.

Meanwhile, two Spaniards will be scrapping it out for the bronze medal. Jose Miralles is still 17 points ahead of his compatriot Maikel Melero. But in Gdansk, Melero outclassed Miralles whose star seems to be on the wane. And if Maikel once again pulls out his Doublegrab Backflip, Jose could find himself under real pressure.

No longer in contention for a podium are reigning World Champion Libor Podmol (CZE) and David Rinaldo (FRA), both of whom are on 110 points in the standings. But even so, the young Frenchman will do everything to edge out the Czech and finish his NIGHT of the JUMPs maiden season in fifth place. That would be a huge success for the rookie. And the prospects are looking good, because Podmol was clearly handicapped by recent injury for the Gdansk weekend, missing out on both finals.

Behind this pair, there is an equally intriguing battle between the leading German exponent of freestyle motocross, Fabian Bauersachs, and Czech Red Bull rider Petr Pilat. The two are separated by a mere six points, with Bauersachs currently lying in seventh position but under severe threat from Pilat who flipped his way onto the podium in Ostrava and in Gdansk. On this sort of form, he will be looking to edge out Bauersachs.

For Brice Izzo (FRA), Massimo Bianconcini (ITA) and Hannes Ackermann (GER), the only thing that still matters is to put in a good run and emphasise their credentials for next season. Despite being reduced to the role of bit players this time, they will surely spring a few surprises in Sofia. The crowd can look forward to a NIGHT of the JUMPs debut appearance by James Carter, a rider from sunny California who is braving the European winter to stake a claim for inclusion in the 2012 FIM Freestyle MX World Championship.

In any case, this deciding round in the World Championship guarantees that there will be no shortage of excitement and that the arrival of top-class freestyle motocross in Bulgaria will be an occasion to remember. If you are unable to be at the Sofia Arena on 17th December, you can follow all the action via livestreaming on www.NIGHToftheJUMPs.com or watch the final live on either Motors TV or Eurosport HD.

Field of riders:

Javier Villegas (CHL)
Remi Bizouard (FRA)
Jose Miralles (ESP)
Maikel Melero (ESP)
Libor Podmol (CZE)
David Rinaldo (FRA)
Brice Izzo (FRA)
Petr Pilat (CZE)
Fabian Bauersachs (GER)
Massimo Bianconcini (ITA)
Hannes Ackermann (GER)
James Carter (USA)

FIM Freestyle MX World Championship Standings (after 11th contest)

1. Javier VillegasCHLAMAYamaha192 Points
2. Remi BizouardFRAFFMYamaha175 Points
3. Jose MirallesESPRFMEKTM146 Points
4. Maikel MeleroESPRFME Yamaha129 Points
5. Libor PodmolCZEACCRSuzuki110 Points
6. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha110 Points
7. Josh SheehanAUSMAHonda 96 Points
8. Fabian BauersachsGERDMSBKTM 83 Points
9. Petr PilatCZEACCRKTM 77 Points
10. Massimo BianconciniITALACCRKTM 59 Points
11. Romain IzzoFRAFFMYamaha 52 Points
12. Brice IzzoFRAFFMYamaha 43 Points
13. Lukas WeisGERDMSBSuzuki 42 Points
14. Hannes Ackermann GERDMSBKTM 40 Points
15. Kai HaaseGERDMSBSuzuki 10 Points

Ken Roczen arrives in Estoril ready for the FIM Gala

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:28:00 +0100

Seventeen-year old 2011 FIM MX 2 World Champion Ken Roczen is one of the first guests to arrive in Estoril, Portugal ready for tomorrow's FIM Gala. The young German rider was in a relaxed mood as he spent the morning taking in the local sights before heading off to enjoy the afternoon in Lisbon. Ken will be one of the youngest FIM World Champions amongst the many who will be honoured during tomorrow evening's ceremony that will be broadcast live on both Motors TV and SPORTS TV Portugal to a global audience. The event will also be available to view live on FIM-TV.COM.

Roczen spoke enthusiastically about being in Portugal and about being a part of this unique event. "This is my first time in the Gala so I am really excited to be here and to know how the schedule is going to be for tomorrow night. The hotel is awesome and we have some great weather at the moment, so it is good to be here and to have the chance to check out Lisbon this afternoon."

"It will be good to have the chance to meet the other riders especially from the other categories and sports. It is also nice to have the chance to wear some smart clothes, I will not wear the normal dark smoking suit, instead I have a white jacket, mixed with some jeans and some nice shoes which should look nice and keep me looking like a sportsman at least."

"The FIM Gala is a great idea and I am just pleased to be here."

Roczen will head back to his native Germany after the FIM Gala to enjoy a party with family, friends and sponsors to celebrate his FIM World title before heading off to the USA in mid December to prepare for the new supercross season.

David Philippaerts back on track

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:49:00 +0100

Monster Energy Yamaha rider David Philippaerts took to the track last week for the first time in four months. The 2008 FIM MX1 World Champion completed his first training outing after suffering breaks to both wrists in an accident while practicing for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic in the first week of August. The soon-to-be 28 year old has been following a comprehensive and carefully planned rehab and recovery process and was relieved and excited to see that the first ride near his home in Borgosesia went extremely well.

"I'm really happy and feel very good," he commented. "I was a bit scared just before going on the bike because I really didn't want any bad effects from the injury but we went to a track that didn't have that many jumps and I was able to hit everything straight away. Afterwards there was no pain or discomfort; it was another important step."

"I haven't ridden my race bike yet," the Italian revealed. "I have been building up and have been training with the 2012 YZ250F which has been great because it feels very light and easy to ride. The team dropped the bike off a few days ago and I've already been out a few times and I like the way it handles and the power delivery."

Philippaerts, who won the Grand Prix of Brazil this past season, will push full ahead with his programme that will involve a two week spell of altitude training in northern Italy and then a month's riding and testing with the factory team on the island of Sardinia in January. "It should be like normal for me now but the work I do on the bike will be a bit slower and more steady compared to if I hadn't had the injury," he offered. "I'll be riding this week and next week in Italy and then it depends a little on the weather because it is already getting quite cold here and snow could come soon. We will go to Sardinia mainly for the climate and it is something I have done for a few years now. I think a few other teams will be going as well."

The determined racer underwent three operations and a three week stay in hospital in the immediate wake of the crash in Germany and although he now plans to complete a full and unrestricted off-season schedule he is still heeding medical advice: "I'm being smart and taking it easy. Every week I make a check-up and also go for a massage and physio on my arms. I know I cannot be 100% straight away. I have to say though that I couldn't be happier with the people I have around me and how much they have helped. It means a lot when they say I am doing well and I am good to go."

After the spell in Sardinia Philippaerts – with team-mate Steven Frossard and new MX2-GP recruit Christophe Charlier - will then begin the pre-season phase of warm-up race events and International appearances with the first round of the 2012 FIM World Championship slated for Easter weekend in April in Holland. "We still have to decide the races," he says. "We will enter the Italian championship but before that we have to see whether we do the Mantova Starcross or Valence in France; one of those will be the first meeting in February. I will also be in Belgium a bit more this year for training and sand riding."

Marc Ristori – From one second to the next

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:54:00 +0100

On Wednesday 7 December, the film Marc Ristori – "From one second to the next" will be shown in cinemas in French-speaking Switzerland. This film is about a professional Motocross rider who became paraplegic during a Supercross event, as have others before him.Multiple Swiss Motocross Champion, Marc Ristori had a terrible crash during the Geneva Supercross on 30 November 2007. He was then 25 years old. The accident was serious and the diagnostic would drastically change his life. He became paraplegic. For some, everything would be destroyed in a few seconds with such news; projects, friends, family… However, Marc is a fighter. He got up, as champions do, and he is ready for another fight: to build a new life and giving himself new challenges to face. He has a maturity and a force of character that is beyond the ordinary. "To be a motorcycle rider was tougher than to be handicapped" he used to say. A kind of crazy dream carries him forward: to walk again. His story is extreme, but means something to all of us.Marc Ristori lost his autonomy, his mobility, his image of himself and his relation to his body but he also lost his job, his dreams, his girl-friend, his flat, his car. However, he has not lost his passion: motorcycling remains the love of his life, his engine of yesterday and today.The film is also in praise of passion.

Photos:

1 : Marc Ristori, Benjamin Tobler (Director)
2 : Poster