— Reigning Monster Energy Champion Ryan Villopoto Claims First Win of 2013 Season in Anaheim
— Eli Tomac Stays Perfect in Western Regional 250SX Class
The 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, made its return visit to Anaheim on Saturday night, hosting its 59th race inside Angel Stadium in front of a crowd of 37,789 fans. After a 16th-place finish to start the season and a runner-up effort a week ago, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., emerged victorious for the first time this season. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., raced to his third consecutive victory to remain undefeated to 
start the season.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, earned the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award to start the 20-lap 450SX Class Main Event, with Team Honda Muscle Milk teammates Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., and Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., in tow. Villopoto came out of the first corner in sixth but quickly began to make his move forward.
After slipping past Barcia, Canard passed Weimer for the lead on the first lap and opened a small gap. Barcia asserted himself in second, but came up short off a triple, ultimately failing to finish the race. The misfortune allowed Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., and Villopoto to take over second and third, respectively. On Lap 4, Villopoto made the pass on Millsaps, the current championship points leader, for second and set his sights on Canard.
After quickly erasing his deficit, Villopoto positioned himself to make a pass for the lead and made an aggressive move on Canard on Lap 5 just before the finish line. Once out front, Villopoto logged fast, consistent laps to open up a healthy lead and win by nearly seven seconds.
“The season didn’t start like we wanted it to,” said Villopoto, who ended a five-race winless streak – tying for the longest he’s had since capturing his first career win during the 2009 season. “I had a decent race in Phoenix and the team made good changes to the bike this week. We’ve finally got the ball going in the right direction and are digging ourselves out of the hole. Once I got into the lead, I was just trying to click of the laps and keep it consistent. The track was really slippery tonight, but I still tried to keep the pace up.”
Canard held on for his second runner-up finish this season, while Millsaps and TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed, of Australia, engaged in a captivating battle for third. A tip-over by Millsaps ultimately handed Reed his first podium result of the season, but Millsaps still maintains possession of the points lead after finishing fourth.
Millsaps holds a three-point lead over Canard in the 450SX Class standings, with Reed an additional four points back in third. Villopoto’s win helped move him into fourth, 11 points from the lead.
As the gate dropped on the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event, Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely, of Newbury Park, Calif., grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award just ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Germany. Behind the duo, Valli Motorsports Yamaha’s Travis Baker, of Temecula, Calif., and Tomac battled for the third spot.
Seely set a strong pace to start the 15-lap Main Event, but Roczen and Tomac stayed within striking distance, allowing the trio to open up a significant gap over the field. On Lap 8, Roczen attempted to make a pass on Seely for the lead, but it allowed Tomac to take over the position and set his sights on the top spot. Just two laps later after closing to within a fender, Tomac made an impressive outside pass on Seely to move into the lead and carried it through to the finish for his 10th career win.
“I definitely started off slower [today],” commented Tomac, who has been under the weather. “I was good in one practice and struggled in the other, so it definitely made the race matter that much for the [win]. It was a great battle out there. The track was tough, so I had to keep my feet tight and the bike under control. From now on I just need to keep it on the podium.”
Roczen made a late pass to finish second, while Seely rounded out on the podium in third.
Tomac’s lead now stands at nine points over Roczen, who has finished second in all three races this season. Seely has possession of third, 17 points out of the lead.
Monster Energy Supercross will continue next Saturday night, January 26, at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.
450SX Class Results: Anaheim
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
3. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
6. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha
9. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM
10. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
450SX Class Points
1. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 63
2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 60
3. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 56
4. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 52
5. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 48
6. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 47
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 41
8. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 40
9. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki – 36
10. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha – 32
Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Anaheim
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
3. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda
4. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda
5. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
6. Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
8. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
9. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
10. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda
Western Regional 250SX Class Points
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 75
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM – 66
3. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 58
4. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda – 47
5. Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda – 35
6. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki – 35
7. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha – 35
8. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 32
9. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki – 31
10. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki – 30
— Monster Energy Kawasaki Report
On the season’s second trip to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto took his first win of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. After qualifying in first position, Villopoto dominated his heat race and was ready to put his KX™450F on top of the box. He took control of the main event and once in the lead, rode uncontested to his first win of the new year. His teammate Jake Weimer rocketed to the holeshot in the 450SX main event and finished fifth after leading the first lap. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray started the 250SX main event within the top-10 and made his way to finish in eighth place, while teammate Martin Davalos was involved in a first lap pile-up and recovered to finish 12th.
Following two uncharacteristic rounds, Villopoto captured his first 450SX win of the year. It had been nearly nine months since his last win which was in New Orleans last year after wrapping up the championship. Villopoto dominated all day long posting the fastest qualifying times all afternoon and looking like his old self on his Kawasaki. In the heat race he grabbed the holeshot and led all eight laps, giving him first gate pick for the main event. When the gate dropped for the main, Villopoto rounded the first turn within the top-10, moving up to sixth position. He briefly dropped to seventh place, but then began his charge to the front, over taking the leader on lap five. From there Villopoto laid down smooth, consistent laps and came away with his 25th career 450SX main event win. He now sits fourth in the points standings.
“I’m happy to get this win out of the way,” said Villopoto. “We made progress each weekend and felt really good coming into today. My starts were much better, which made it much easier. I just took my time, was patient, and made clean passes. Every win is good, but this one is nice to get the ball rolling for the rest of the season.”
Leading up to Anaheim 2, Weimer was battling a cold, but on Saturday he put that aside and got down to business. He qualified within the top-10, but in his heat race had to battle to grab a transfer position to the main event after tipping over early in the heat. Starting towards the outside, Weimer executed a perfect start on his KX450F and grabbed his first holeshot of the season. He led for the first lap, but had yet to jump one of the trickiest rhythm sections, dropping him to fifth. Once he nailed the same rhythm as the leaders, he was able to stay on pace with the front-runners and fight off the charge of others to finish fifth. Weimer’s second top-five finish of the year puts him sixth in points.
“Today was really tough,” said Weimer. “I was sick all day and have been all week, so it was difficult to push through that. In practice I felt a little off, but for the night show I stepped it up. I fought hard in the heat race after crashing, and in the main I ripped a wicked start. I don’t think my start could have been any better. Once I got the one rhythm lane down, which I hadn’t done in practice, I was able to ride smooth laps. Despite being sick, it was probably one of the best main events I’ve ridden.”
Following an off weekend in Phoenix, Rattray was looking forward to returning to Anaheim. The track conditions in the afternoon were particularly hard and dry, so Rattray opted to take his time and save it for the night show. The track was in much better condition for the 250SX heat races where he finished a solid sixth. Battling for position all night on his KX™250F Rattray bounced around the top-five, and eventually finished eighth. Rattray sits sixth in the Western Region 250SX points going into Round 4.
“The track was completely different from Anaheim 1,” said Rattray. “Since the dirt has been sitting here, it was really hard and slick with lots of stones. I just wanted to try to be consistent, but I made quite a few mistakes. I wasn’t at my best tonight but I’ll take an eighth place. We’re going to continue to test this week and continue to improve the bike. We know what direction we need to head, so we should continue to improve.”
After a spectacular crash last weekend and recovering to finish on the podium, Davalos was 100-percent ready for the weekend. He was able to ride a portion of the track on Friday for the media, which allowed him to dial in the track quickly. In his heat race, Davalos battled back and forth for the lead, but being the first race of the night the track was extremely slippery and he settled for third. After a less than ideal start, it was déjà vu from Anaheim 1. Davalos was caught up in a first lap pile-up and got up at the tail end of the field. Desperate to keep his championship hopes alive, he worked his way through the pack and finished 12th. Anaheim has not been kind to Davalos thus far, but he will look to return to the podium in Oakland.
“The night started really well,” said Davalos. “The track was super slippery in the heat race, but I was happy to battle up front. In the main, my gate double bounced and I hit it, so I was already last and then got caught up in a crash the next corner. I started to come through the pack pretty good, but then got taken out again. We’re going to re-group and try again in Oakland.”
— Reed Report
Australia’s Chad Reed has marked his return to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross podium with a third place finish in tonight’s third instalment of the 2013 series at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium.
The TwoTwo Motorsports team have made obvious progress with the bikes development in the week since Phoenix, which was visibly apparent with Reed posting competitive lap times on the CRF450 throughout the two practice sessions.
Sitting eighth on the opening lap of his heat race, Reed worked his way through the order and into third on Lap 5 of the 8-lap race.
In the 450SX ‘Main Event’ the Australian sat seventh on the opening lap. Moving swiftly up the order, Reed passed Jake Weimer for fourth on Lap 4 and then set out to make up ground on third placed Davi Millsaps.
Reed traded blows with Millsaps over the closing laps of the race and moved into third when the Suzuki rider made a mistake and went down on the penultimate lap of the race.
“It was very clear that we struggled at the first two races,” Reed explained “But I think for the most part we’ve taken a step in the right direction.
“We need to keep chipping away and the next thing we need to do is start challenging for the race wins. Today we showed up with a good bike, changed a click [in the settings] here and there, but for the most part we didn’t change any hard parts, which was nice.
“It was good to be on the on podium, we were within the window tonight so it was a much better day. There isn’t enough time in a week and a weekend to get where we need to be but we are getting there slowly and hopefully next weekend we will be down for a win.
“I’m excited for this next week to polish up the settings a little bit and then try to be better and stronger for next weekend. I feel like it can only get better from here – I need to be consistent, but I also need to win races.
Tonight’s result has elevated Reed to third in the championship standings, just seven points shy of championship leader Millsaps.
— RCH Racing Suzuki Report
Broc Tickle claimed his best finish in the 2013 AMA Monster Energy Supercross season on Saturday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California with 11th place in the 450 Main Event aboard his Dodge/ Sycuan Casino/ RCH Racing/ Bel-Ray Suzuki RM-Z450.
Tickle started 11th in the 20-lap Main, crowded off the track on the first lap and fell back to 16th. But he rebounded and found himself in contention for a top-10 finish at the end of the race and moved into 13th place in the series after three rounds.
Said Tickle: “Looking back now, I think that I should have lined-up to the outside and ripped the corner a little bit better. I got all bunched up with everyone trying to get through Turn 1 and it just cost me too many positions. We tried to attack the first turn and just ran out of room. But we finished 11th, which is another week of improvement for us.
“I thought that I came out of the gate really good. We just didn’t have a good angle getting into Turn 1 and maybe should have lined up outside more. The Suzuki launched well and I felt great. Just a lot of guys trying to fight for the same real estate and got pinched a bit.
“On the first lap, I was making some good passes and a guy ran me off the track and I dropped all the way down to 16th,” he added. “From there, I just started to put my laps down and wanted to be smooth. The track was pretty slippery and technical and I tried to carry as much speed as I could.
“I feel like the puzzle isn’t put together yet. We’re gaining on it; we just don’t have all the pieces together yet. We’re getting closer, but I still think that I should be running up in the top five.”
The Holly, Michigan native started fifth in the second 450 SX Heat Race and posted a sixth-placed finish in the eight-lap dash. He comfortably transferred into the Main Event – the top nine finishers from each heat automatically qualify – earning his third Main Event start this season.
“I actually thought that I should have come out of the first corner in second,” said Tickle. “I just ran a little bit wide and into the tuff block. I was running fourth and then Chad Reed caught me. I struggled a bit connecting with the track. I had a great start when the gate dropped and that was a real positive for us. We’re just going to keep working at it and get this team running up front.
“I feel like the stuff that we worked on this week really showed today. I was relaxed at the gate and made sure that when the board goes sideways at the gate that I give myself a few seconds to relax and just get my composure. I did that and I felt that my starts were better. We just didn’t have that great of a starting spot at the gate and got caught up into some guys trying to power through Turn 1.”
— KTM Report
German teenager and Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ken Roczen had another great weekend in Rd. 3 of the SX Lites West on Saturday night in the competition’s second visit to Anaheim when he again finished second overall in the 250SX class at Angel Stadium. Roczen is currently second overall in the points.
Roczen was second out of the gate in the start of the second 250SX heat and a couple of corners into the lap had taken over the lead. He went on to lead all six laps of the heat to claim his third consecutive heat race win of the season.
The young German also got away well in the main event and was second at the first corner. He hung on to the wheel of leader Cole Seely for the first half of the race but in lap nine made a mistake and allowed Eli Tomac to overtake. Two laps later, Roczen was able to reel in Cole Seely to regain his second position then maintained his pace to carry it right through to the finish.
Roczen said after the race that he was happy to finish second considering he had crashed hard in practice early in the day. “I am a bit banged up but I feel better knowing that I am riding stronger each week. I was able to get another podium finish and my third heat win. I hope to continue to make progress over the next week to work toward a win.”
Rough weekend for Dungey
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey had a rough weekend and a crash in his 450 heat compounded his problems in the main event.
Dungey raced in the first of the 450SX heats but he had a poor start and was sitting mid-pack around the first lap. He quickly advanced toward the top five and was battling for fifth when he crashed with Jake Weimer at the halfway point. Dungey scrambled back into eleventh place and moved up two positions and take the final transfer spot to the main event.
The KTM rider’s problems on the start continued in the 450SX main event. He was buried in midfield when the bikes left the gates but had advanced to tenth place in the second lap. He continued to push and had moved up the order to seventh by lap six before slipping past Andrew Short into sixth place with five laps to go. He then began to reel in fifth place rider Jake Weimer but ran out of time and had to settle for sixth.
Dungey said he had put in his best efforts but an outside gate pit had made it difficult to get into the top rider mix at the start of the main. “I am bummed about not finishing on the podium, but I will do everything I can this next week to change the results for the positive in Oakland.”
