2014 AMA Supercross Toronto Race Results

James Stewart & Yoshimura Suzuki Win Toronto SX

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart celebrated what might have been the most-spectacular ride of his career at round 12 of the 2014 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship at Canada's Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario on Saturday night.

The Yoshimura Suzuki rider turned in a brilliant performance, overcoming a lackluster start and blasting through the field on his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to capture his 49th career Supercross victory. This feat moved Stewart ahead of former Suzuki rider Ricky Carmichael into second place on the premier class' all-time wins list.

Stewart came into Toronto having won there in 2005 and 2009, and he was eager to pick up another victory: After turning the fastest lap-time in the day's practice sessions, he went out and holeshot his heat race and led all six laps to take his eighth heat race-win of the season. In the 20-lap Main Event, however, Stewart suffered a poor start and was outside the top-10 at the end of lap one. But proving his mettle once again, he pushed his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to its very limits and charged through the field to a podium position. But that wasn't enough for the championship-winning rider, who went on to pick-off second place and then claim the lead and the win.

This result marks Stewart's fourth win of 2014 and his second set of back-to-back wins this season. Additionally, Yoshimura Suzuki's Stewart leads the field in the overall number of laps led, as well as heat race and Main Event wins for the year.

James Stewart:
"I'm kind of speechless right now. We had an issue in the heat race but I went back and told the team what was wrong and they straight-up fixed it. I was able to come back out for the Main Event but I got a horrible start. I didn't think I had a chance to win - I was just trying to get-up and gain a few points. But I just kept going, going, going and the next thing you know, I was in third. I was catching the leaders and making passes and I was able to get up in the lead. And for me, to break Ricky Carmichael's record with a ride like that, it was pretty awesome. Now we'll just go to St. Louis and see if we can win some more races."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next event is the 13th round of the 2014 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship on Saturday, March 29th at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.



Source: Team Suzuki

Ryan Dungey Podiums At Toronto Supercross

[caption id="attachment_31161" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey scored another podium finish in the 450 SX class at the twelfth round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series held at the Roger Centre. His teammate Ken Roczen also earned a decent finish with a 5th place result.

Dungey was placed in the first 450 SX heat at the start of the night program. Dungey jumped off the line to a 4th place start around the first corner. He passed for 3rd place on the first lap but came up short on a triple right after and fell two positions. Dungey was able to rebound from that mistake and move back into 4th position to take a transfer spot to the main event.

Roczen was up next in the second 450 SX heat where he earned a 5th place start off the line. Roczen moved quickly through the pack and was sitting in 2nd place by the end of the fourth lap. He remained in that position through the checkered flag to earn a spot next to his teammate in the main event.

[caption id="attachment_31181" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

When the gate dropped for the twenty lap main event, it was Roczen on his KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition bike setting the pace after pulling the holeshot around the first corner. Dungey was a few spots back in 5th place. Roczen was able to hold the lead for three laps before he fell back a position. Meanwhile, Dungey was putting in solid laps and had moved into 3rd place by the halfway point. Dungey lost a position to James Stewart on lap twelve but gained it back after passing Roczen on the following lap. Dungey held his pace and finished the race in 3rd position. Roczen fell back another spot and finished the main event in 5th place.

"I struggled a bit in the main tonight," stated Roczen. "I feel like I might have trained too hard during the week and I got tired tonight. I'm glad I could get the holeshot for my team but I would have really liked to finish on the podium."

His teammate, Dungey, stated, "This track was really challenging tonight. It was really rutted up which made us have to switch lines often and it was hard to climb through the pack and make passes. I'm glad to be on the podium but I feel I should have been a little better tonight. I'm hoping to make up for that at the next round."

Next Event: St. Louis, MO - March 29, 2014

Source: KTM North America

RCH Soaring Eagle Team Hops The Border

[caption id="attachment_31176" align="alignright" width="200"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Like the legendary Jason and his crew of Argonauts from Greek mythology, Team RCH Racing Soaring Eagle set sail for parts unknown... well, at least venturing outside the continental United States as the AMA Supercross went to Toronto, Canada this week. The Rogers Centre, home to the Canadian Football League Argonauts, proved to be quite an adventure for the team. On a night that James Stewart passed RCH team principal Ricky Carmichael for 2nd on the all-time SX win list with 49 victories, the deceptively tough track played havoc with every racer attempting to chart a course for the podium, including a detour for team leader Broc Tickle.

Things quickly went south north of the border for RCH Soaring Eagle Supercross team rider Tickle. A crash in practice had Tickle taking a trip to explore a Canadian hospital instead of attempting to make the podium. Josh Hill was left as the lone rider to fly the colors in Canada. Actually, things were looking good for the RCH Soaring Eagle rider leading up to the race, literally. In a harbinger of things to come for #75 Hill, he was picked as the lead wallpaper image from leading moto lifestyle magazine Racer X as the Simon Cudby photo was e-blasted around the world for free downloads.

[caption id="attachment_31166" align="alignleft" width="300"] If you missed it, check out this shot of the Team RCH Soaring Eagle rider at the Detroit SX (coincidentally sponsored by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort)[/caption]

"Stop looking like a turkey. Grab a Suzuki and some Shift MX gear and be a #soaringeagle," the likable kid from Oregon Tweeted before the heat races. However, things got serious for Hill when Tickle went down. Another solid top 10 qualifying session saw Hill positioned where he wanted to be in Heat race #2, however he was squaring off against the fastest qualifiers, headed by fellow Suzuki rider James Stewart (who set a blazingly fast 49 second lap time). A 7th place start had Hill battling with five other riders for the 4th place transfer position (top four transfer straight to the Main, the rest have to ride the Semis). Despite getting past Andrew Short for 6th on the last lap, Hill was sent to the Semi.

Garnering some more media attention, Josh lined up on the inside line for the first Semi race, right in front of the Fox Sports TV camera. A great start had Hill second just behind Suzuki-mounted holeshot artist Mike Alessi. The two quickly outpaced the field and easily made the Main event as 5 riders made the main from the 5-lap Semi. "It's all about the starts," said Hill. "I have the speed to run with the leaders and proved it in the Semi."

The 450 Main saw the lone RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki Team rider ready to fly the team colors in Canada. A tough start left Hill well outside the top 10, but he kept his head in the game. With five laps left of the 20 lap main event, Josh cracked 10th place and then quickly reeled in 9th, however there just wasn't enough time as James Stewart snagged the Golden Fleece... um, Supercross win in Toronto. "I know what I need to do... I guarantee we will be working on starts all this week headed into St. Louis," said Hill after the Main.

[caption id="attachment_31177" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Despite his crash and having to sit out the Canadian round, Tickle hangs onto 8th for the rider point standings. By virtue of his 9th place finish at the Rogers Centre, Josh Hill moves up into 12th overall with five races left in the season as he continues to make up for time lost due to injuries earlier in the season.

Of course the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team pits were still the center of attention during the pre-race festivities, even in Canada. "Fans can always check out the RCH Racing pit activation at any race for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid four-day/three-night get away to Soaring Eagle Resort," stated Raul Venegas, director marketing entertainment for Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. "Partnering with Monster Energy Supercross gives us an exciting platform for fans to learn more about our luxury resort."

Charting a course out of Canada, the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle team heads south to the "Show Me" State. See the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team flying high at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis for Round 13 on March 29.

About RCH Racing Soaring Eagle:
RCH Racing is in its second season of the partnership between Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart to campaign the Feld Motor Sports® 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season. Ricky Carmichael merged his Suzuki relationship and technical development with the established five year marketing giant of Hart & Huntington Racing in 2013. The RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team continues its partnerships with Suzuki, Fox, Dodge, Sycuan Casino, Yoshimura and Bel-Ray. Stay up to date on all RCH Racing Soaring Eagle news, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @RCHRacing and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hartandhuntington.

Source: RCH Racing Soaring Eagle

Martin Davalos Takes Over The Eastern Regional Points Lead In Toronto

Monster Energy Supercross traveled across the Northern border to Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday where the racing was anything but cold. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Martin Davalos raced to his fourth podium finish, placing second and inheriting the points lead in the 250SX East as Blake Baggett and Adam Cianciarulo finished 20th and 22nd respectively following misfortune in the main event. Kawasaki rider Matt Lemoine had a standout ride at the Rogers Centre by winning his heat race and scoring his first career podium in third place. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto overcame food poisoning that saw him visit the hospital but finish a hard-earned sixth place to keep a 25 point lead, while Dean Wilson captured a career-high eighth place finish in his final race on the Discount Tire/TwoTwo Motorsports Kawasaki KX450F.

Week In, Week Out
Davalos continued his impressive Eastern Regional campaign in Toronto as he captured another pole position as fastest qualifier and remains undefeated in heat races this season. The Ecuadorian started up front on his KX250F and was ready to challenge for the lead until a slight tip-over cost him some time on the leader, leaving him with second place. Davalos' consistency allowed him to overtake his teammate in the points standings and now holds the red plates and a four point lead.

"We should have had the win tonight," said Davalos. "I felt really good all day and my bike was perfect. Had I not had that little crash I think I could have reeled him in, but congrats to Bogle on his first win. I'm excited to run the red No.31 plates next week in St. Louis."

Breakthrough Day
Lemoine captured his first heat race win inside the Rogers Centre back in 2008 which he backed up with another heat race win on Saturday giving Kawasaki a heat race sweep in the 250SX class. The former Team Green rider got off to a great start in the main event and ran an impressive 15-laps to gap the field on route to his first career podium finish in third place.

"It feels good to have all the hard work pay off," said Lemoine. "I've felt great this year and tonight I finally got a start. We've been working really hard during the week and I wouldn't be here without my Dad and team."

Determined
Cianciarulo's first trip to Canada was one he would like to forget, as he was unable to complete the main event due to an injury he sustained during qualifying. The rookie suffered a crash in the whoops, which didn't seem to faze him until he came around one lap later and his shoulder got jarred out of place. He had injured the same shoulder as an amateur so he knew immediately how to treat the issue. He qualified through his heat race, but three laps into the main event, his shoulder came out once again. Still determined to attempt to score some points, Cianciarulo had it put back in again and continued to ride until the pain was too much to withstand. He now sits in second place in the standings just four back from Davalos.

"It's unfortunate," said Cianciarulo. "I've injured this shoulder in the past so I know what I need to do to strengthen it and we will do everything we can and will be ready for St. Louis."

Caught In Traffic
Baggett's main event started off on the wrong foot from the very first lap. After getting a mid-pack start, he was moving forward through the field and made contact with another rider over the big triple, tearing the return cable off the throttle. Baggett was able to adjust and continue moving forward and was closing in on a podium position until he got cross-rutted and went down. His bike collected another rider and the collision finished off the throttle, completely ripping it off making it impossible for him to continue.

"I shouldn't have been back in the pack to begin with," said Baggett. "I've shown I have the speed to be up front but with a mid pack start you put yourself at risk of something happening out of your control. We'll focus on next week and look to bounce in St. Louis."

Gutting It Out
Villopoto woke up Saturday morning with a minor discomfort in his stomach that progressively turned into unbearable intestinal pain. Unable to keep anything down, the champ was advised by the Asterisk Medical Team to visit the hospital for treatment of food poisoning and rule out anything long term. After spending the day getting tests done, Villopoto returned to the stadium with just enough time to get dressed and ride out for opening ceremonies. Having not even walked the track, he was able to take advantage of a provision that allows a rider in the top-10 in points to line up with the last gate pick for first heat race. RV used the heat race as a practice session and was able to then transfer to the main event via the semi. In the main event he rode conservative and finished a hard-earned sixth place, losing only five points in the championship hunt.

"Lining up for the heat race I wasn't even sure if I could push it at all," said Villopoto. "I just tried to get the track down as quick as possible and in the main event I got a decent start and just rode within my means and salvaged a ton of points."

Finishing On A High Note
Wilson wanted to come to Canada, a place he once called home, and finish off his tenure with TwoTwo Motorsports strong. For the third consecutive week he traded the fast time during qualifying showing promise for the future when he makes the jump to the 450 class fulltime. Wilson got out front in his heat and was on pace to get his second heat race win until he cross-rutted in one of the tricky rhythm sections one corner from the checkered flag, crashing and settling for second. In the main event he started and battled within the top-10 for the full 20 laps and finished a career best eighth place in the 450SX class. Wilson will take next weekend off and return to his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX250F and prepare the return of the Western Regional series in Houston.

"It's been a great experience with TwoTwo Motorsports," said Wilson. "Chad has taught me a lot these past few weeks and I'm particularly happy with tonight. I have a lot of fans in Canada and really wanted the heat race win for them but just got kicked weird and went down. I'm excited to take what I've learned with Chad and apply it to the 250 class."

Title Fight
With Cianciarulo and Baggett only scoring one point each in Toronto, the East red plates will change hands for the first time this season, but still remain under the Pro Circuit tent. Davalos may only have one win, but his worst finish is only a sixth place in Detroit and he heads to St. Louis with a four point gap over AC. Baggett dropped to fourth place but is still within one race back of Davalos. The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri will host Round 13 on Saturday, March 30th.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Home Town Race For Cole Thompson, 100th Main Event For Ivan Tedesco

[caption id="attachment_31175" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Rockstar Energy Racing made the journey across the Canadian border for the only International round of the Supercross series and another frozen tundra. With sub zero temperatures, measured in Celsius, and howling winds, it was literally bone chillingly cold at times in Toronto. While the atmosphere was much more pleasant inside the stadium, the track itself did not treat riders with a very warm welcome. It was technical and rutted and contained a huge triple that created a lot of close calls on the first lap of every race. The soft soil caused the whoop section to cup out severely, making it very difficult to negotiate. It claimed several riders, including Ivan Tedesco.

Ivan was riding the best he has all season by far. Not only did he have his best qualifying time in practice 1 with a tenth, he also backed that up with the same result in P2. Ivan then rode great in his heat, just missing out on the top 4 and going straight into the main. One thing that was notably different was Tedesco's starts. They had improved vastly since the last time he lined up. He secured the holeshot in his semi and went on to easily qualify and avoid the LCQ.

As he exited the track, he excitedly told his mechanic, Brent "China" Myron that he would now be entering the 100th main of his career! He had been keeping that a secret while being forced to sit out the past two rounds at 99. The stage was set for an amazing story. However the story turned bad early in the main event. As IT was drag racing through the whoops and battling for position, he hit one of the kickers and went completely over the bars and hit very hard. He was very beat up from the crash and was unable to finish.

Ivan Tedesco:
"The day was goin good. Felt decent in practice, and in the heat and semi. Then in the main, I got a pretty good start and I was trying to make some moves, then I don't know what happened in that whoop section. I ended up going feet over my head and flat backed it and kinda hit my head. Hurting pretty bad right now. Going to checked out this week and see where we go from here."

[caption id="attachment_31170" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

The team has been waiting for a breakout ride from Cole Thompson since the East Coast 250 series began. He has been close multiple times but has had to deal with some bad luck and mistakes, keeping him out of where he knows he should be finishing. Now for a good story. What better place for Thompson to turn around his season than at home in Canada where he hails from. With huge support from the local fans, and an emergence of aggressive riding, Cole went on to finish in the top 5. This marked his career best finish and certainly spiked his confidence.

Cole Thompson:
Felt much better this weekend, it was awesome having the hometown support on my side. I finished the night in 5th. I know the next step is getting on the box and I'm really wanting to make the push to finish out the series strong. Looking forward to St. Louis next weekend!"

The next stop of the 2014 Supercross Series will be held in St. Louis, MO. Tedesco will checked out by doctors this week and see how bad his injuries are. Thompson will aim to carry over the momentum from Toronto and try to get the team's first East Coast podium finish.

Source: Rockstar Energy Racing

Toronto Overview And Point Standings

Overall Results - Supercross Class Race Time: 17:27.650

1. Ryan Villopoto - 246
   
2. Ryan Dungey - 221
   
3. James Stewart - 207
   
4. Ken Roczen - 197
   
5. Justin Brayton - 185
   
6. Justin Barcia - 156
   
7. Andrew Short - 153
   
8. Broc Tickle - 126
   
9. William Hahn - 122
   
10. Chad Reed - 111
    

1. Kawasaki - 262
   
2. KTM - 259
   
3. Suzuki - 240
   
4. Honda - 202
   
5. Yamaha - 185
   

1. Martin Davalos - 124
   
2. Adam Cianciarulo - 120
   
3. Justin Bogle - 119
   
4. Blake Baggett - 100
   
5. Vince Friese - 90
   
6. Kyle Cunningham - 76
   
7. Cole Thompson - 74
   
8. Matthew Lemoine - 73
   
9. James Decotis - 65
   
10. Alex Martin - 60
    

1. Kawasaki - 271
   
2. Honda - 252
   
3. KTM - 205
   
4. Yamaha - 171
   
5. Suzuki - 12