— Ryan Villopoto Races to Third Monster Energy Supercross Victory of the Season Inside Cowboys Stadium
— Dean Wilson Dominates Opening Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Race
The seventh race of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, signified the 2013 season’s move east with 54,036 fans in attendance inside Cowboys Stadium. For the third time this season, reigning back-to-back champion Ryan Villopoto posted a dominant effort en route to victory aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki, leading every lap of the Main Event. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson won the opening race of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship, which will be in action for the next eight stops.
Championship leader Davi Millsaps edged out Villopoto to claim the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award at the start of the 450SX Class Main Event, but a little more momentum helped Villopoto slip past his Rockstar Energy Racing-mounted rival just a few feet later. Not long after, TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed made an aggressive move to steal second from Millsaps, which allowed Villopoto to open an early gap.
While Villopoto continued to pull away, the battle for the podium intensified. Millsaps reclaimed second place on Lap 3 and settled into the position. Reed appeared to have a secure hold on third, but Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey began to apply pressure, ultimately making slight contact with Reed after an aggressive pass for the position on Lap 14. Dungey pushed hard in the closing laps to have a chance at stealing second from Millsaps, but couldn’t get alongside his championship rival in the end.
Villopoto moved into sole possession of third in the championship point standings with his 27th career 450SX Class victory.
“Starts are definitely important,” said Villopoto, who now has the most wins in the championship. “I’ve had a target on my back this year, everyone knows that, and it’s stressful. I’m just trying to have fun with riding again. If we get third, it’s on the podium, and if it’s second, that’s good too. Davi has been riding really good this year, so we have to just chip away at it. It’s going to take a while.”
Millsaps’ runner-up finish was his sixth podium in seven races this season, while Dungey extended his podium streak to four with his third-place result.
“It was definitely a good 20 laps,” said Millsaps, who extended his points lead. “I haven’t ridden all week because I’ve been sick, so it’s good to come away with a strong finish. Ryan (Villopoto) rode really well, so you have to give it to him.”
Millsaps moved to 21 points ahead of Dungey in the standings, with Villopoto now sitting 24 points behind in third. After winning his Heat Race earlier in the evening, Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart was unable to start the Main Event, citing a broken clutch. He dropped to ninth in the championship.
A lot of excitement surrounded the first Eastern Regional 250SX Class Main Event of the season and out of the gate it was AG Motorsports Honda’s Kyle Peters who grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award. Behind him, Wilson and Rockstar Energy Racing’s Blake Wharton assumed second and third place.
Wilson worked his way past Peters prior to the conclusion of the opening lap and then pulled away from the field to lead all 15 laps of the Main Event and claim his sixth career 250SX Class victory.
“This feels so good,” exclaimed Wilson. “It’s been 10 months waiting for that. I knew I needed to get the start, so I fought for it and it went well. I saw the leader and I knew I was good in the whoops, so I just went on the outside around him. He raced clean and I respect that. From there I just rode my own race.”
Wharton made a pass on Peters shortly after Wilson took over the lead and secured the runner-up position throughout the remainder of the Main Event. Earlier in the evening, Wharton needed a win in the LCQ in order to secure his spot in the Main Event. Peters battled to hold on to third place, but was passed by Honda rider Cole Thompson on Lap 6. After Thompson crashed out of the race, Peters reclaimed the spot, but succumbed to the pressure from GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn on Lap 10. Hahn maintained the position to round out the podium.
Wilson will carry a three-point lead into the second race of the championship next weekend.
Matt LeBlanc took the win in tonight’s KTM Junior Supercross Challenge, which was in action for the second time this season with 15 riders from around the region invited to compete.
Monster Energy Supercross continues next weekend, from Atlanta with its annual visit to the Georgia Dome.
450SX Class Results: Arlington
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
- Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
450SX Class Points
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 154
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 133
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 130
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 119
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 115
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 98
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 95
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 83
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 75
- Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM, 69
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results: Arlington
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
- Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
- Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda
- Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Points
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 25
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 22
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 20
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda, 18
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 16
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 15
- Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 14
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda, 13
- Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda, 12
- Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM, 11
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
- Joseph Achatz, St. Augustine, Fla., KTM 50 SX
- Rider Vrzak, Mesquite, Texas, KTM 50 SX
- Ayden Smith, Lufkin, Texas, KTM 50 SX
- Whispern Smith, Midwest City, Okla., KTM 50 SX
- Bryan Prouty, Carlsbad, N.M., KTM 50 SX
- Nate Moen, Harrison, N.Y., KTM 50 SX
- Tristan McDonald, Texico, N.M., KTM 50 SX
- Matthew LeBlanc, Breaux Bridge, La., KTM 50 SX
- Colby Hardy, Livingston, La., KTM 50 SX
- Tug Greenslet, Bennington, Vt., KTM 50 SX
- Laney Cox, Hugo, Okla., KTM 50 SX
- Ryan Billock, Franklinton, N.C., KTM 50 SX
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., KTM 50 SX
- Christian Allen, Mobile, Ala., KTM 50 SX
- Nicholas Laurie, Waldorf, Md., KTM 50 SX
— KTM Report
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey finished third overall in the 450SX class at the Cowboy Stadium on Saturday night while teammate Marvin Musquin recovered from a first round crash to finish sixth in his East Coast 250 class opener in front of a packed crowd for the seventh round of the AMA Supercross Series.
Dungey was placed in the second heat during the evening’s night show where he launched his KTM off to a great start. He then moved his KTM into second position to easily qualify for the main event.
He came out of the opening corner in fourth place in the main event and was wheel-on-wheel with Davi Millsaps and Chad Reed in second and third for the first half of the race. After the halfway point he began to reel in Reed and with three laps to go he made the inside pass and took over podium position. Dungey then began to close on Millsaps in the remaining laps. With a couple corners to go, he tried to cut into the inside of Millsaps but was unable to make the pass and had to settle for third position.
“I wish I had a few more laps to try and pressure Millsaps and hopefully takeover second, but I am still happy to walk away with a podium. My bike worked great today and I just need to work on improving my starts to hopefully get back up on the top step of the podium at the next event,” stated Dungey.
Musquin fights back to sixth after first corner crash
Dungey’s Red Bull KTM Factory rider Marvin Musquin may have got tangled in a first corner crash in the opening round of the East Coast 250 SX series but he made an excellent recovery from dead last to sixth place at the flag.
The French rider did well in his heat during the afternoon and was able to put his KTM 250 SX-F race machine into second at the end of the six-lap heat race to secure a great gate position for the main event.
He got a mid-pack start down the long start straight in the main event before he crashed in the first corner. He scrambled back on the bike but was then faced with the daunting task of recovery from the back of the pack – dead last as he entered the first rhythm section. After the first lap, he had already caught and passed four riders and was sitting in sixteenth place. He then set about picking off riders in each lap to close the gap between himself and the leaders.
At the halfway mark, Musquin had already moved into the top ten and with two laps to go he began to pressure on Gavin Faith in sixth and made the pass on the final lap.
“Obviously, this isn’t the position I hoped to finish tonight,” remarked Musquin. “But I am glad that I rode well after my crash and was able to climb through the pack to gain back as many points as I could toward the championship. Next week I hope for a better start so I can make a run at the podium.”
