TwoTwo for Honda!
By TMX Archives on 28th Feb 11
Piloting his own TwoTwo Motorsports team, Chad Reed put Honda on top of the podium at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium in the seventh round of the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, pushing Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey and L&M Racing San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart into second and third respectively.
Meanwhile Eli Tomac also put red at the front in the Western Lites class for the GEICO Honda team and his career first victory. Despite the rain, over 53,000 dedicated fans piled into the open-air Qualcom stadium to witness the ongoing battle in both the Main and Lites class. Although a fair amount of rain was deposited, the track remained in decent condition, but greasy enough to challenge the riders throughout the evening.
Pictures: YAMAHA RACING and SUZUKI IMAGES
As the Main class blasted-off it was Reed who hit the front to claim the holeshot with last week's winner Trey Canard and KTM's Andrew Short in tow. It wasn't long before Canard saw his chance and found a way past to take the lead, only to hit the dirt five laps later and hand the lead back to Reed who had been sitting quietly in second. As a result from Canard's crash, Stewart moved up to second only to make an error and let Canard back through along with Dungey! One lap later though Canard crashed again giving Dungey second and Stewart third.
"This is incredible,” said Reed. "I‘ve put so much work into this team to make it the best it can be. To win with your name on your chest makes everything so much better. This one is emotional. I just followed Trey because he was showing me some lines. When he went down, it became just about putting together 20 clean laps.”
For Championship leader Ryan Villopoto, it was a night of damage limitation. The Kawasaki rider hit the dirt off the start line and rejoined the race last and nearly half a lap behind. Despite this Villopoto charged hard for the remainder of the race and was able to salvage seventh overall. Enough to keep a grasp on the Championship lead.
After showing so much promise in last weeks Supercross, Honda's Kevin Windham's night was one he will hope to forget. After fighting off last weeks crash, the Honda pilot made a mistake on a similar rhythm section during his heat race, hitting the dirt face on. Then after qualifying in the LCQ he managed only three laps before another crash forced him to retire.
In the Lites class, Eli Tomac took a gate to flag victory after grabbing the holeshot
"The first five laps I just put my head down and pulled away. It was kind of crazy,” said Tomac, who won by over 10 seconds. "The track was really tricky and slippery. I got a little nervous out (front), but overall it was really good. I've learned a lot this season and I've gotten a lot better in recent weeks.”
Behind Tomac the Kawasaki trio of Josh Hansen, Tyla Rattray and Broc Tickle, along with Honda's Jimmy Decotis and Honda's Cole Seely battled away for a podium finish trading places several times before Rattray and Tickle emerged to take second and third.
Series leader Hansen was still recovering from a broken hand which he sustained at Anaheim II, and a sixth place, enough to retain the championship lead.
KTM's Ken Roczen set fast times in practice, but come the final suffered a poor start and was left fighting back from last place, eventually finishing in seventh.
The Western Lites now take a break before resuming in Seattle on April 16, as the main class along with the Eastern Lites head to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on February 26.
AMA & WORLD SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 7 – Qualcomm Stadium, San
Diego, California, USA
SUPERCROSS CLASS: 1 Chad Reed (AUS - Hon), 2 Ryan Dungey (Suz), 3 James Stewart (Yam), 4 Trey Canard (Hon), 5 Davi Millsaps (Yam), 6 Andrew Short (KTM), 7 Ryan Villopoto (Kaw), 8 Brett Metcalfe (AUS - Suz), 9 Mike Alessi (KTM), 10 Justin Brayton (Yam), 11 Nick Wey (Yam), 12 Kyle Regal (Yam), 13 Fabien Izoird (F - Kaw), 14 Chris Blose (Kaw), 15 Ivan Tedesco (Kaw), 16 Michael Byrne (AUS - Kaw), 17 Maxime Lesage (F - Kaw), 18 Austin Stroupe (Yam), 19 Weston Peick (Yam), 20 Kevin Windham (Hon).
SERIES STANDINGS after 7 (of 17) rounds: 1 Villopoto 146 points, 2 Stewart 143, 3 Reed 130, 4 Canard 130, 5 Dungey 123, 6 Short 95, 7 Metcalfe 93, 8 Millsaps 78, 9 Justin Brayton 76, 10 Tedesco 66, 11 Windham 62, 12 Wey 54, 13 Regal 52, 14 Chisholm 46, 15 Mike Alessi 43, 16 Blose 41, 17 Peick 24, 18 Boni 20, 19 Hahn 17, 20 Stroupe 15,...
SUPERCROSS LITES (West): 1 Eli Tomac (Hon), 2 Tyla Rattray (ZA - Kaw), 3 Broc Tickle (Kaw), 4 Cole Seely (Hon), 5 James Decotis (Hon), 6 Joshua Hansen (Kaw), 7 Ken Roczen (D - KTM), 8 Ben Evans (Kaw), 9 Ryan Morais (Suz), 10 Kyle Cunningham (Yam), 11 Antonio Balbi (BRA - Kaw), 12 Martin Davalos (Suz), 13 Ryan Smith (Suz), 14 Tommy Weeck (Hon), 15 Nick Paluzzi (Yam), 16 Casey Hinson (KTM), 17 Scott Champion (Kaw), 18 Travis Bright (Hon), 19 Dakota Tedder (Kaw), 20 Kyle Beaton (Kaw).
SERIES STANDINGS after 6 (of 8) rounds: 1 Hansen 128 points, 2 Tickle 125, 3 Tomac 116, 4 Morais 96, 5 Seely 88, 6 Roczen 81, 7 Rattray 80, 8 Cunningham 71, 9 Davalos 69, 10 Decotis 67, 11 Balbi 50, 12 Marmont 48, 13 Evans 47, 14 Paluzzi 45, 15 Rutherford 38, 16 Baker 37, 17 Canada 29, 18 Hinson 21, 19 Champion 19, 20 Bright 12,...
NEXT ROUND: February 26 – Georgia Dome, Atlanta,
Georgia, USA.