— AMA Monster Energy Supercross – Round 17 – Las Vegas
— Villopoto wins 10th Monster Energy Supercross race of 2013 in Las Vegas
— Hahn and Roczen Claim Regional 250SX Championships
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto capped of his title-winning season by earning his 10th Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, race tonight before 39,504 fans at Sam Boyd Stadium. GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn won the first Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship of his career as thr
ee-time AMSOIL Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers won the first 250SX Class race of his career. Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen captured then first Western Regional 250SX Championship of his career as GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac won his fifth Main Event of the season. Roczen went on to win the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer started the 450SX Class with the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award. Villopoto rebounded from a mid-pack start to take over the lead from his teammate Weimer at the end of the opening lap. Villopoto led from wire to wire en route to the victory.
Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, who came into tonight’s race trailing Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps by three points in the battle for second place in season standings, moved into second place on Lap 5.
Millsaps pulled into the number-three position behind Dungey to secure second place in the season standings. Dungey finished the race in second and finishe
d third in season standings.
“This is a great way to cap the season off,” said Villopoto. “We rebounded this year from a bad start at the season opener and won the title. There is no better way to end a season than like this.”
In the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Main Event, Gavin Faith won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award, leading Hahn through turn one. After the opening lap, Bowers moved into second place before taking over the lead on Lap 2.
Hahn secured the number-two position on Lap 5, and on the same lap, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, who came into tonight’s race five points behind Hahn in the championship standings, moved into third place.
Musquin managed to pass Hahn for second and staged a late-race cha
rge on Bowers, crossing the finish line just inches apart.
“Right now, I do not know what to say,” said Hahn. “Marvin [Musquin] has been making a string comeback on me, and coming into this race, I may not have been in the most ideal situation, but I am glad I pulled it off.”
“This was an amazing race for me,” said Bowers. “I had a great AMSOIL Arenacross season and come into supercross ready to put in some good races. This is the perfect way to close out the season.”
GEICO Honda’s Zach Osborne led the field through turn one of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class race, winning the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award with Rockstar Energy Racing’s Ryan Sipes and Davalos in tow. Davalos quickly worked his way into the lead on the opening lap. Coming into tonight’s race, Roczen led GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac by five points in season point standings. Roczen worked his way into third place on the opening lap after starting in fifth place.
On lap 4, Roczen advanced to second place as Davalos controlled the lead. Tomac made the best of his sixth place start and began working his way through the field, passing Roczen on Lap 9 and Davalos for the lead on Lap 11.
Roczen successfully passed Davalos on the 14th lap, which secured the brand’s first-ever 250SX Class Championship.
“I am so happy right now,” said Roczen. “This was a close race tonight and the championship was intense. I really hope that the fans enjoyed tonight’s race. I was riding with a lot of weight [on my shoulders], but I am so excited right now.”
“It was a year of ups and downs,” said Tomac. “This is going to make me better as I make the transition to the 450SX Class next year.”
Newly crowned champion Roczen opened the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award followed by his teammate Musquin. At the end of the opening lap, Musquin moved into the lead, and on the following lap, the two traded places several times before Roczen made a pass and rode to the first shootout win of his career.
MyPlash Yamaha’s Kyle Cunningham passed Musquin for second place on Lap 5 and rode to the best finish of his career.
“This race was really important to me because this is my last 250SX race in supercross because I am moving up next year,” said Roczen. “This is my first shootout win and it feels great.”
450SX Class Results: Las Vegas
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
450SX Class Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 371
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 338
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 337
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Kawasaki, 277
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 239
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 221
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 214
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 190
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 176
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 174
Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Las Vegas
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Kent., Suzuki
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM
Western Regional 250SX Class Points
Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 185
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 183
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 148
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 139
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki, 134
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 114
Zach Osborne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 112
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 99
Joe Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM, 98
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM, 88
Eastern Regional 250SX Class: Las Vegas
Tyler Bowers, Danville, Kent., Kawasaki
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda
Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda
Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM
Cole Thompson, Brigden, Canada, Honda
Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda
AJ Catanzaro, Portland, Conn., Kawasaki
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Season Standings
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 198
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 195
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 171
Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda, 118
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 116
Cole Thompson, Brigden, Canada, Honda, 96
Dean Wilson, Sweden, Kawasaki, 87
Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM, 80
Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda, 78
AJ Catanzaro, Portland, Conn., Kawasaki, 73
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout
1. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
2. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
3. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
4. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki
5. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
7. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Kent., Suzuki
8. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
9. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
10. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
1. Austin Eddy, Barstow, Calif., KTM
2. Nathaniel Beckett, Anderson, Calif., KTM
3. Braxton Brown, Lowell, Ohio, KTM
4. Tucker Nelson, Garnett, Kansas, KTM
5. Syrus Butts, Goshen, Utah, KTM
6. Jack Carrigg, Oak View, Calif., KTM
7. Ryder Difrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., KTM
8. Raice Abney, Tecumseh, Okla., KTM
9. Deegan Cooley, Spring Grove, Ill., KTM
10. Grayson Fair, Jonesboro, La., KTM
11. Doty Reese, Corona, Calif., KTM
12. Gavin Mays, Delaware, Ohio, KTM
13. Mitchell Sandoval, Kissimmee, Fla., KTM
14. Xander Kirkbride, Preston, Idaho, KTM
15. Carter Malcolm, Littleton, Colo., KTM
— AMA congratulates winners
The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the three riders who claimed AMA No. 1 plates by the time the dust settled on the 2013 AMA Supercross season: Ryan Villopoto, 450SX champion; Wil Hahn, 250SX East champion; and Ken Roczen, 250SX West champion.
“Once again, AMA Supercross delivered some of the best motorsports racing on the planet, with a 2013 season for the record books,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “I’m confident I speak for all motorcyclists when I congratulate three of our most talented AMA members — Ryan Villopoto, Wil Hahn and Ken Roczen — on a job well done. Standing triumphantly at the end of one of the world’s most-demanding, competitive and highest-profile racing series is no small task. What they have accomplished is truly historic.”
Dingman added that AMA Supercross would not be what it is without the cooperation of some of the AMA’s most dedicated partners.
“Feld Motor Sports has been an excellent promoting partner as AMA Supercross has grown over the years,” Dingman said. “I would like to congratulate them on another stellar season. In addition, the participation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme continues to bolster our championship on the world stage, and I would like to thank the FIM for their contributions, as well.”
Another group important to success of AMA Supercross is the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center, which provided a range of emergency medical care for riders throughout the 2013 season.
Villopoto, from Seattle, Wash., locked up his third straight AMA Supercross premier class title in the series’ penultimate round, clinching in Salt Lake City. In so doing, Villopoto joined Ricky Carmichael and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Jeremy McGrath and Bob Hannah as the only riders with three consecutive championships. For the 2013 season, Villopoto claimed 10 main event wins in the 17-race series, including the Las Vegas finale. Villopoto races for Monster Energy Kawasaki.
Hahn, from Decatur, Texas, won the 250SX East Championship. Hahn finished third in Las Vegas, behind Tyler Bowers and Marvin Musquin. The finish gave Hahn the points he needed to top Musquin by three championship points, 198 to 195. For the season, Hahn had two wins and four runner-up finishes in the nine-round regional championship. Hahn races for the GEICO Honda team.
Roczen, from Murrieta, Calif., won the 250SX West Championship. Roczen finished second in Las Vegas, behind his championship rival Eli Tomac. The runner-up finish saw Roczen end the season with 185 points to Tomac’s 183. Roczen had three wins over the course of the nine-round regional championship. Roczen races for Red Bull KTM.
The 2014 AMA Supercross season kicks off in Anaheim, Calif., next Jan. 4. The complete 2014 series schedule is below.
Date
Venue City
January 4 Angel Stadium Anaheim, Calif.
January 11 Chase Field Phoenix
January 18 Angel Stadium Anaheim, Calif.
January 25 O.Co Coliseum Oakland, Calif.
February 1 Angel Stadium Anaheim, Calif.
February 8 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego
February 15 Cowboys Stadium Arlington, Texas
February 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta
March 1 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis
March 8 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.
March 15 Ford Field Detroit
March 22 Rogers Centre Toronto
March 29 Edward Jones Dome St. Louis
April 5 Reliant Stadium Houston
April 12 CenturyLink Field Seattle
April 26 MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, N.J.
May 3 Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas
