2013 AMA Supercross Anaheim II Results
Ryan Villopoto Wins The Anaheim II Supercross Race
[caption id="attachment_22961" align="alignright"
width="200"]
Ryan Villopoto got back on track with a
win at Angel Stadium - Photo: Jacob Khan[/caption]
Defending champion Ryan
Villopoto had some high hopes coming into the 2013 Supercross
season. After a rough start in his first two races, Villopoto got
back on track with a win at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in
the third motorsports event of the year.
Villopoto began the race in sixth place but quickly started working
his way toward the front of the pack. He capitalized on crashes and
delays due to malfunctioning motorcycle
parts involving some of his competitors, moving into third
place before methodically passing the top two racers to take over
the lead.
Once he was leading the charge, Villopoto kept up consistent times
and held onto the number one spot as he crossed the finish line.
Trey Canard
and Davi
Millsaps came in second and third, respectively.
"We finally got the ball going in the right direction and are
digging ourselves out of the hole," said Villopoto. "Once I got
into the lead, I was just trying to click ... and keep it
consistent. The track was really slippery tonight, but I still
tried to keep the pace up."
The victory ends Villopoto's five-race winless streak, which was
the longest since he earned his first Supercross win in 2009.
Rockstar Energy Racing Anaheim 2 Supercross 450cc Race Report
The Rockstar Energy Racing Team returned for the second of three
races in Anaheim still holding the weight of the red plate on the
number 18 bike of Davi
Millsaps. The day began as good as anyone could have hoped.
With Jason
Anderson qualifying third, Davi Millsaps qualifying fourth and
Ryan Sipes
qualifying fifth in the final timed practice in each of their
respective classes. This feat was the best the entire team had ever
qualified as a group combined. The aura in the teams pits was as
positive as could be with smiles everyone's faces.
Shortly after the gate dropped for Davi Millsaps' heat race, things
went a bit sideways. Davi had what clearly seemed to be a certain
holeshot. Then suddenly something happened. Millsaps was tangling
with a couple other riders and was violently thrown over the bars
entering turn one. Going down in the first turn amidst nineteen
other fast moving 450's is a scary situation to say the least.
Although Davi was run over, he was still lucky and it could have
been much worse. He seemed to land in the most open area in the
corner and avoided being hit by the majority of the pack. He got up
and was very sore.
As if that wasn't enough adversity, the bike needed a lot of work
in the short time before it had to be back on the line for the LCQ.
Not only did some minor things need to be replace like a torn grip
and back brake lever, but the entire engine had to be changed out.
The whole Rockstar Energy Racing crew banded together with amazing
teamwork to get him on the line in time. Now it was all up to
Davi.
He charged off the line with a good start and ended up easily
winning the last chance qualifier. It was evident as the short race
went on that he was loosening up and picking up speed. It was clear
that his heart is in it for this championship. Going into the main
with the second to last gate pick on a track where everyone was
fast posed a legitimate challenge. When the flames flared
signifying the gate drop, it seemed like Millsaps took off while
the other riders were standing still. Incredibly he got a good
start from way outside. He quickly moved forward into 3rd place
where he stayed for the majority of the main event.
At one point Chad Reed passed
him, but then Davi clicked it up a notch and immediately made his
way back by and pulled a comfortable gap. He was then making up
time on Trey Canard in
second. Unfortunately as the raced neared it's completion, Millsaps
slid out in a very slick turn. As the moisture began coming out of
the ground, the hard packed sections became very dicey. He got up
quickly and still finished a very respectable fourth place. With
his continued consistency and effort, Davi still remains the red
plate holding points leader going into Oakland next week.
Davi Millsaps: "The day started off good. I had good qualifying
times and felt good on the bike. The bike felt great. The track was
pretty gnarly. I got a good jump in the heat race and blew an
engine down the starting line. Just a freak accident. There isn't
anything anyone could have done. I went over the bars going into
the first turn which is kinda weird. I hit my head a little bit,
hurt my wrist, my hands, my fingers, my back and my shoulders. I
won the LCQ, got a decent start in the main event, and worked my
way into third. I rode in third for eighteen laps and ended up
going down with two to go. All in all it was a good race and I'm
happy with the result. I would have been happier with third but
with how the day was and how it ended it was pretty good."
Source: Rockstar Energy Racing
Ryan Dungey Finishes 6th At Anaheim II Supercross
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width="300"]
Ryan Dungey had a rough weekend at the
third round of the Supercross season - Photo: Simon
Cudby[/caption]
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey
had a rough weekend at the third round of the Monster Energy
Supercross season after suffering a bad start in the main event.
Luckily, he was able to charge forward from his 15th place start
and pass up to 6th by the end of the twenty lap main event.
Dungey was placed in the first 450SX heat. He had a poor start and
was sitting mid-pack around the first lap. He quickly moved up
toward the top five and was battling for 5th position when he
crashed with Jake Weimer at
the halfway point. Dungey recovered in 11th place and quickly made
up time to move up two positions and take the final transfer spot
to the main event.
In the 450SX main event, Dungey, unfortunately, got off to another
poor start and found himself buried in the pack. After two laps, he
had moved up to 10th position. He continued to push toward the
front of the pack and moved into 7th by lap six. He was able to
pass Andrew Short
for 6th place with five laps to go. Once in 6th place, he began to
close the gap on the 5th place ride of Jake Weimer but ran out of
time to make the pass. He eventually settled into 6th position
where he finished for the night.
"I rode as best as I could tonight," commented Dungey.
"Unfortunately, I had the far outside gate pick and suffered a bad
start which hurt me in the main event. 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."
Next Event: Oakland, CA - January 26, 2013
Source: KTM North America
Broc Tickle Scores Best Result At Anaheim 2
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."
The next event for the Monster Energy Supercross Series is Saturday
January 26th at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in
California.
Source:
Team Suzuki
James Stewart Fights Back From Anaheim Crash
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James
Stewart made the best of unfortunate circumstances at round
three of the AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championships when the
series returned to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on
Saturday night.
Still recovering from a knee injury incurred at round one, Stewart
turned in impressive qualifying times and a solid heat race before
tangling with another rider and going down in the 450 Supercross
Main Event.
Race day started strong for Stewart, who qualified third fastest on
his Yoshimura Suzuki
RM-Z450. Likewise, in his eight-lap heat race, the talented
rider got a good start and rode a consistently-fast pace to finish
second. In the 20-lap Main, however, Stewart overcame a bad start
and had moved into the top 10 when he came together with another
rider several times and ultimately went down. But he remained
undaunted, rejoining the fray dead last and working his way through
the field to finish 12th.
Said Stewart: "The day didn't go the way I hoped it would, but it
started out good and the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 was working great
in qualifying and my heat race. But in the Main, I got a bad start
and then I got tangled up with another rider a couple of times and
I fell over the second time. It was frustrating because I felt good
going into the Main Event. Now I'm just focusing on Oakland next
weekend, I like racing there and I've done well there in the past,
so we'll see if we can't turn things around."
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next event is the fourth round of
the 2013 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship on Saturday,
January 26th in Oakland, California.
Source:
Team Suzuki
Ken Roczen Finishes 2nd At Anaheim II Supercross
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width="200"]
Ken Roczen finished 2nd overall at Angel
Stadium - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ken Roczen
finished 2nd overall at the third round of the Monster Energy
Supercross season in the 250SX class at Angel Stadium. Now three
rounds into the series, Roczen sits 2nd overall in the class point
standings.
Ken Roczen was up in the second 250SX heat where he earned a 2nd
place start off the line. He wasted no time moving his KTM into the
lead position after overtaking the number one spot a few corners
into the race. Roczen went on to lead all six laps of the heat to
claim his third consecutive heat race win of the season.
In the main event, Roczen had a great start and was sitting in 2nd
position as the bikes rounded the first corner. He maintained that
position staying on the rear wheel of the 1st place rider,
Cole Seely, for
the first half of the race. On lap nine, Roczen made a mistake
allowing Eli Tomac to
make a pass into 2nd place. Two laps later, Roczen was able to reel
in Cole Seely and make the pass back into the runner-up position.
With three laps remaining, Roczen maintained his pace and rode a
strong race to take home 2nd place.
After the race, Roczen commented, "I'm happy to finish 2nd today
after suffering a hard crash in practice. 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."
Next Event: Oakland, CA - January 26, 2013
Source: KTM North America
Rockstar Energy Racing Anaheim 2 Supercross Lites West Race Report
Jason Anderson
really had things clicking on the Anaheim 2 track.
Qualifying a very fast third and being one of only a couple 250
riders to post a lap time in the 54 second range. He looked even
more impressive in his heat race. Moving forward the entire race
and finally moving inside of Martin
Davalos to surpass him for second in the final turn. His main
event did not start so well. The pack was coming into the second
turn with a lot of speed and not much room for twenty bikes to make
the 90 degree right hander. Jason went down. This may have been a
blessing in disguise however as there was a very bad pile up in the
next straight away. He then made one more mistake as he completed
his first lap, then it was on. Anderson rode an amazing rest of his
evening making it all the way up to 7th place, passing top riders
en route. Jason moved back into the top ten in points, just three
out of third.
Ryan Sipes also
had great start to his day. Frequently posting times in qualifying
that showed his number 35 on the board for the fast five. Then in
the heat race, he got a stellar start and instantly moved into a
heated battle for the lead as the crowd rose to it's feet. After
multiple position swaps, Ryan completed the race victoriously with
teammate Anderson in tow. Sipes was feeling very confident going
into the main. Then shortly after the race began, Ryan was
collected in a very brutal crash with multiple other riders. There
was a huge pile up in the double step on step off section. A very
bad place for an incident of this sort. Much to his chagrin, Ryan's
night was done. There was nothing he could have done to avoid the
cartwheeling bike in front of him. Sipes knows that's part of
racing however and his only thoughts are getting back on the track
as soon as possible.
Jason Anderson: "The weekend was alright. I had a good heat.
Matched my career best heat race finish with a second place. Going
into the main, I was really focused on my gate selection with the
third pick. I ended up coming around the first corner in eighth. I
crashed in the second turn and again at the end of the first lap
and got stuck on a tuff block. I got up and made it all the way
back to seventh."
Ryan Sipes: "The race was a real bummer because I felt like I had
what I needed to win. The heat race was awesome but in the main I
was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's tough cause
there was nothing I could do. I will be back strong in a few weeks
though. Can't thank the Rockstar Energy Racing Team enough for
sticking behind me"
Source: Rockstar Energy Racing
Anaheim II Overview And Point Standings
2013 AMA Supercross Anaheim II Image Gallery (Click for full size images)
Overall Results - Supercross Class: 20 Laps
- Ryan Villopoto: 17:59.155
- Trey Canard: +06.886
- Chad Reed: +09.970
- Davi Millsaps: +15.647
- Jake Weimer: +18.016
- Ryan Dungey: +18.865
- Andrew Short: +33.627
- Justin Brayton: +36.604
- Matthew Goerke: +37.616
- Joshua Grant: +46.546
- Broc Tickle: +48.999
- James Stewart: +52.440
- Weston Peick: +56.142
- Mike Alessi: -1 Lap
- Kyle Chisholm: -1 Lap
- Vince Friese: -1 Lap
- Chris Blose: -1 Lap
- Robert Kiniry: -2 Laps
- Matthew Lemoine: -17 Laps
- Justin Barcia: -18 Laps
Point Standings - Supercross Class ( Race 3 of 17 )
- Davi Millsaps - 63
- Trey Canard - 60
- Chad Reed - 56
- Ryan Villopoto - 52
- Ryan Dungey - 48
- Jake Weimer - 47
- Andrew Short - 41
- Justin Barcia - 40
- James Stewart - 36
- Joshua Grant - 32
- Justin Brayton - 31
- Matthew Goerke - 25
- Broc Tickle - 22
- Kyle Chisholm - 22
- Weston Peick - 22
- Kevin Windham - 21
- Matthew Lemoine - 13
- Vince Friese - 12
- Mike Alessi - 9
- Robert Kiniry - 5
Overall Results - Supercross Lites West Class: 15 Laps
- Eli Tomac: 13:36.114
- Ken Roczen: +03.412
- Cole Seely: +10.780
- Zach Osborne: +24.658
- Jake Canada: +26.999
- Christian Craig: +29.179
- Jason Anderson: +31.053
- Tyla Rattray: +38.098
- Kyle Cunningham: +40.631
- Jessy Nelson: +42.159
- Malcolm Stewart: +43.515
- Martin Davalos: +47.948
- Travis Baker: -1 Lap
- Dakota Tedder: -1 Lap
- Scott Champion: -1 Lap
- Diillan Epstein: -2 Laps
- Max Anstie: -14 Laps
- Joey Savatgy: DNS
- Ryan Sipes: DNS
- Michael Leib: DNS
Point Standings - Supercross Lites West Class ( Race 3 of 9 )
- Eli Tomac - 75
- Ken Roczen - 66
- Cole Seely - 58
- Zach Osborne - 47
- Christian Craig - 35
- Tyla Rattray - 35
- Kyle Cunningham - 35
- Jason Anderson - 32
- Ryan Sipes - 31
- Martin Davalos - 30
- Jessy Nelson - 30
- Malcolm Stewart - 29
- Max Anstie - 26
- Joey Savatgy - 23
- Jake Canada - 19
- Michael Leib - 16
- Travis Baker - 14
- Austin Politelli - 13
- Blake Baggett - 7
- Dakota Tedder - 7
