2014 AMA Supercross Las Vegas Finale Race Results

Monster Energy Kawasaki Caps Off the Supercross Season With Three Wins in Las Vegas

Monster Energy Kawasaki finished off the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season in true championship form as Ryan Villopoto along with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson and Justin Hill all collected wins on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium. Villopoto won his heat race and got off the gate in second place in the main, moved quickly to the front and led all 20 laps of the race. In his second race back from injury, Jake Weimer grabbed the holeshot in the main event and went on to finish eighth after crashing late in the race. In the 250SX West main event, Wilson battled at the front of the field until he forced the issue on Lap 9, out jumping the competition to take the lead and his second win of the season. Right on the heels of the leaders was Hill who finished third in the main event, but the roles reversed in the East/West Shootout with Hill leading all 10 laps to take his second win of the season along with Wilson hot on his tail finishing in second place.

Going Out on Top
After wrapping up his fourth consecutive championship last weekend at MetLife Stadium, this weekend the Champ wanted to go out and make a statement. Villopoto ran away from the competition and led all 20 laps, displaying exactly why he was crowned the champion for the fourth straight season. RV led the last 80 laps of racing on his Kawasaki KX450F winning the last four main events and seven total for the year.

"The pressure was off this weekend," said Villopoto. "But we wanted to end on a high note so we could really celebrate. The track was extremely difficult and one little mistake could have put you down hard. The Kawasaki KX was near perfect in these conditions and I really want to thank the team for this long hard season.

Finishing Strong
Wilson may have not been in the title chase in Vegas but that wasn't going to stop him from showing the field where he should have finished. The Scotsman got into second place on the first lap and hounded the leader until he could make a move in the main event. Once into the lead, Wilson built a nice gap on his Kawasaki KX250F and took home his second win of the season. In the East/West Shootout he started behind his teammate Hill and stayed on his heels for the 10 laps to finish a close second.

"This is where we should have been all season," said Wilson. "I really wanted the championship and I showed that I was the guy to beat. It didn't work out but I'm happy to take another win and carry this momentum into outdoors."

Never Settling
After getting third in the West main event, Hill was not pleased. He felt he had more in the tank and headed down to the gate for the shootout fixed on getting out front. Hill made it easy on himself by getting the holeshot and pushing hard for 10 laps to hold his gap over the field and take the bragging rights as the fastest 250SX rider of both coasts.

"I was very confident coming into Saturday," said Hill. "In the main event I just didn't make my moves fast enough, but that holeshot in the shootout made my night. I'm looking forward to more runaway wins."

Back In the Mix
Weimer took advantage of the last two supercross rounds to get back behind the gate and mix it up before lining up for the start of outdoors. He transferred directly from his heat in third place, giving him a great gate pick for the main event. Weimer got a great jump out of the gate for the main and seemed to have a bike length on the field before some had even crossed over the gate. He battled within the top five for the majority of the race until two laps to go when the whoops got the better of him. He remounted and finished off the race and was rewarded with an eighth place finish.

"I felt really good tonight, but the track was treacherous," said Weimer. "Everyone was having moments at some point and eventually one put me on the ground. Getting that holeshot sure makes things nice and I'm happy to be upfront with the contenders."

KX Domination
Three victories in Las Vegas were a great end to the KX domination of the 2014 season that saw Villopoto claim seven wins and lead the final 80 laps of the season. Over the course of the season, RV led 45% of the 340 laps run this season while the KX450F led more than half of the laps run.

Switching Gears
With 17 rounds of Monster Energy Supercross complete and a fourth straight championship for Kawasaki, the team now switches gears to prepare for the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. In the 250 class, Wilson and Hill will be joined by Blake Baggett and Darryn Durham who are returning from injury and ready for a fresh start. Round 1 kicks off at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., on May 24th.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Ryan Dungey And Ken Roczen Finish 2-3 At Final Supercross Round In Las Vegas

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Red Bull KTM Factory riders Ryan Dungey and Ken Roczen finished 2nd and 3rd respectively at the final round of the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross Series held at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Ryan Dungey was placed in the first 450SX heat where he launched off the line to a 4th place start. He was able to move up one position during the heat to secure 3rd place in the race for a transfer spot to the main event.

Teammate Ken Roczen was in the second 450SX heat. Roczen started the race in 8th position. He was able to pass two riders but his 6th place finish was not strong enough to transfer to the main and he was sent to the semi race.

Roczen got a great start in his semi race and took the lead. He went on to win the race for a spot on the main event gate. The track was rutted and dusty and the riders were faced with the hottest temperatures of the series. "Today was good preparation for outdoors because it was very warm and challenging", stated Roczen.

[caption id="attachment_31804" align="alignleft" width="200"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Both Red Bull KTM riders lined up for the main event where they launched their KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition motorcycles to a top five start. Dungey was sitting in 3rd place while Roczen was one spot back in 4th. On the second lap, both riders were able to pass Jake Weimer to move up one position. Dungey made his pass after tripling past Weimer in a rhythm section while Roczen passed him through the whoops. Once in podium position, both riders held their position and finished the race in those same spots.

The 2nd and 3rd place results were also where both riders finished in the championship point standings. "I was hoping for a win in Vegas", remarked Dungey. "I am happy to be on the podium but was really hoping to be closer to a win tonight. Now we will go back to California to test for two weeks before outdoors start. I am pumped to finish 2nd overall in the series points and hope to make it one spot better next season."

In the smaller capacity Supercross series KTM celebrated success with Jason Anderson taking the West Coast 250SX class championship, while also taking third place in the East-West Shootout. It was a hard fought championship for 21-year-old Anderson, who came into the final round with an eight-point lead in the title chase with four wins in the bag aboard his KTM 250 SX-F. The KTM pilot fended off his main rival Cole Seely and a sixth place finish in the race secured him his first career title.

Next Round: AMA MX, May 24, 2014 - San Bernardino, CA

Source: KTM North America

Jason Anderson Clinches 250 SX West Championship

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Dreams came true for Jason Anderson and Rockstar Energy Racing under the lights of Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. As the checkers waived for the last time in the 2014 West Coast 250 Championship, Anderson crossed the finish line a champion. Not only did Jason garner his first career professional title, it was also the first for the team after a long bumpy road to get there.

Coming into the last round of a series with the points lead is certainly the ideal situation to be in. However it's also very trying on the nerves of the whole team. The entire day leading up to racing, it's very taboo to mention anything about the possibility of securing the coveted number one plate. As much as everybody wants to act like they're calm and collected, no one really is. Inside the heads and hearts of everyone involved are the thoughts and feelings of accomplishing the ultimate goal. The tension can be clearly felt in the air because in reality, everyone knows that all the feelings are mutual and the fear that in racing, anything can happen.

Something did happen during the break between Seattle and Las Vegas. Jason had a crash while practicing that gave everyone a skip to their heartbeat. He actually damaged his lung in the incident and was forced to stay off his bike, unable to fully prepare for the final round. One thing about Anderson though is that he somehow can always find the positive in any situation. The kid has been working out and riding 7 days a week since October 1st. He looked at the crash as an opportunity to relax, rest and recover. Something he hasn't been able to do for many months.

[caption id="attachment_31797" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

As the gate dropped for the main event, Jason did not get around the first turn in an optimal position. However, neither did Cole Seely. The set up was nearly perfect because Anderson was right behind him, knowing full well Cole would have to beat him by several positions to strip the victory away. All JA had to do was simply follow him through the pack. The downside of the situation was that he was completely surrounded by every one of Seely's teammates, who somehow managed to be all in a row in front of him and one behind.

This absolutely raises the blood pressure of all on the team with concern that one of them will take Jason out. Fortunately nothing like that happened and credit is due to the TLD team for not applying any team tactics and keeping it 100% clean. In what seemed like the longest race in professional sports history, Mr. Anderson emerged a champion and the 1W number plates were installed on his KTM.

Even though Jason was a bit beat up, he still decided to go out and compete in the East/West Shootout. This was also special because it was the only opportunity he would have to run his newly acquired #1 as he will move up to the 450 class next year. In the wake of all the euphoria he raced to yet another podium in 3rd to top off his incredible season.

Jason Anderson:
"The week before Vegas I had a crash and ended up partially collapsing a lung. I wasn't able to ride the few days prior to the race. It definitely affected my breathing out there but I knew I had it. I could have pushed harder if I had to. I kind of let Cole [Seely] get away a little bit though which I probably shouldn't have, but I knew right where he was. It's been awesome progressing with the team and earning my first championship as well as theirs!"

The team will have little time to celebrate as they now set their sites on the Outdoor Motocross Championship. Anderson will carry the momentum from Supercross over as he will certainly be one of the favorites to win the MX title as well. The team we also be rejoined with Davi Millsaps on the 450 and Joey Savatgy on the 250 who have been out with injury the entire SX season.

Source: Rockstar Energy

Justin Bogle Is 2014's 250SX Lites East Champion

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Justin Bogle used a runner-up finish Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium to secure the 250SX East title. The feat extended the streak of championship-winning seasons for the GEICO Honda race team to five straight years.

It was the first professional championship for Bogle, who hails from Cushing, Okla. This is his third season with the GEICO Honda team.

"This is really special," Bogle said. "Everyone on Team 32, all the people that have been with me from the start, this is for them. We did this together. It's awesome to have my mom and dad here, my trainer Ryan Federow, and all the guys on the GEICO Honda team. We did this together."

Bogle had effectively clinched the title before the day started as the only other rider with a mathematical chance of catching him, Martin Davalos, remained sidelined with a leg injury. Even so, Bogle wanted to finish strong and he rode out front for the first five laps of the 15-lap main event before his rear tire started to deflate. He was eventually passed but stayed aggressive enough to finish second, just ahead of teammate Matt Bisceglia.

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"I had thought about just going for it and trying to win but I didn't want to do anything that might cause me to crash, so I just remembered the bigger goal and stayed happy with second place," said Bogle, who recorded six podium finishes in eight races this season. "This No. 1 plate was the goal and now it's going home with us."

Bisceglia was thrilled to share the final podium with Bogle as his third-place result was his best of his rookie SX campaign.

"I feel great," Bisceglia said. "I'm really pleased with the way I rode tonight. It all started coming together for me towards the end of the season. It's incredible how much talent there is at this level, and to see what Justin did to win it all is really cool.

"I can't wait to carry this momentum we're gaining into the outdoor season. We all have a few weeks to rest up and then it'll come fast and furious. As hot as it was today, that's probably what we can expect at most of the Motocross events, so we got a good preview of what we'll be dealing with."

[caption id="attachment_31809" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Closing out his 250SX West campaign, Zach Osborne logged a respectable seventh-place finish in Vegas. Osborne completed the year in eighth place overall, impressive considering he missed a pair of races due to injury.

"I'm pretty pleased with everything," Osborne said. "I'm glad to close out Supercross and I'm definitely looking forward to outdoors. There are a bunch of tracks I enjoy riding at and I like the Motocross format. We'll be ready to get after it for sure."

Osborne and Bogle both crashed out of the East-West Shootout later in the evening. Bisceglia finished 12th. The event carries no weight in the points standings.

Source: GEICO Honda

Jeremy Martin Wins 250SX East Season Finale

Yamalube/Star/Yamaha Racing's Jeremy Martin turned in the finest performance of his young pro career by taking control and winning the AMA Supercross 250SX East Division season finale in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday night, May 3. Under hot, dry and windy conditions at Sam Boyd Stadium, the bLU cRU rider was dialed in throughout the event, turning in the fastest practice qualifying time and leading 10 laps of the 250 East final to win by more than 20 seconds over rival Justin Bogle - while impressively lapping all but five riders in the event. Martin's ferocious start, quick pass for the lead on lap six and steady riding made it look textbook easy, although the fast, hard-packed and dusty track made for extremely difficult racing.

Then in the 250SX West Division, Martin's teammate Cooper Webb began by qualifying just eighth in timed practice. Not satisfied, Webb really stepped it up in the final, taking the holeshot and impressively leading eight of the 15 laps before rival Dean Wilson made a pass stick and forged a small lead. However the bLU cRU rider rallied on the last lap, closing to within a bike length of Wilson in a final charge to the flag and ultimately finishing just one second short of the win. "Both Jeremy and Cooper rode really well and I was glad to see the new Yamaha YZ250F get a win after 17 starts," said Yamaha Supercross racing manager Jim Perry. "As the Supercross series ends, hopefully this momentum will carry to the outdoor season that starts up in two weeks, where both of these guys have more experience."

There was still more to come from Las Vegas. Later in the evening, Webb finished fourth and Martin fifth in the East-West shootout, the final race of the 250SX season. And the night was made even more special by the presence of Yamaha racing legend Doug Henry, who took the first-ever Supercross victory on a four-stroke, aboard the YZ400F prototype in Las Vegas back in 1997. Henry and that exact same motorcycle were reunited and honored at the Legends and Heroes of Supercross tour.

Source: Yamaha Motorsports

James Stewart Looks Forward To MX Season Start

For Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart, the 2014 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship season culminated with a number of well-earned milestones.

Although the final round at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night saw Stewart retire early from the Main Event, but the Yoshimura Suzuki rider finished-off the year happy with his overall season.

In 2014, Stewart raced his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to five Main Event victories and 11 heat race wins. En-route to these results, Stewart took over second place on the Supercross 'All-Time' wins-list with his victory in Toronto; and captured his 50th career win the next week in St. Louis.

At the weekend's Las Vegas season finale, Stewart started out strong by qualifying fastest in the day's practice sessions and then got the holeshot and the win in his heat race. In the end, he wrapped-up the 2014 Supercross season fourth in the overall championship points.

"I want to thank everybody on the Yoshimura Suzuki team," said Stewart. "I hit some great landmarks this year; me personally getting 50 wins, and I had five wins this season. So even though the last two weekends have been rough for us, I've had a great season. I've done a lot of things to kind-of resurrect myself personally and on the bike, and the team's been working hard. Now, I'm looking forward to having a few weeks off from racing, then we'll be back to try to win the Motocross title. I feel like we've got all the pieces of the puzzle; we just have to put them together."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next event is the season-opening round of the 2014 AMA Motocross Championships on Saturday, May 24th, at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California.

Source: Team Suzuki

Josh Hill Plays His Final Hand For The RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team

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VEGAS, BABY!
Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas was a last chance for racers to salvage the 2014 Supercross season... or crap out. With nothing left to prove after 16 weeks and wrapping up the title, Ryan Villopoto apparently planned to end the season with an exclamation point for his 4th consecutive SX title, while everybody else was hoping to head into the outdoor series on a positive note, especially RCH Racing Soaring Eagle's Josh Hill. With Hill not in the cards for the team's outdoor season, Las Vegas was an opportunity to give a final gift to the team that has supported him the past two years (not to mention serving as an audition for other teams in the future).

Hill started his trip to Las Vegas on a roll. First, the Fox Sport "pre-game" show hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri along with racing legends Kevin Windham and Chad Reed started off the rider interviews with Josh. Having the TV holeshot set the tone for the rest of the race in Las Vegas. Showing that his speed last week in New Jersey was no fluke, Josh Hill tied this best qualifying position of the season. Like last week, his Top 5 time in the afternoon qualifiers was less than a second behind the fastest two on the day, James Stewart and newly crowned 2014 SX champ Ryan Villopoto.

Having a quick time in the qualifiers, gave Hill a good gate pick in the second heat race. Speaking of Heat races, the event organizers switched things up to accommodate the East/West 250cc shootout, so racing started off with 450 Heat Race #1 instead of the customary approach of running the 450s after the 250s has already torn up the track. Fresh track or not, RV won the first Heat Race, while Hill was pitted against fast qualifier Stewart in the second Heat race. Having a chance to race before the track was totally devastated seemed to work out fine for Josh. He jumped to a top 5 start (top 4 transfer straight to the Main event), and within a the first half a lap, he tripled into contention. Although veteran Andrew Short tried to pressure Hill, there really was no doubt that Josh was headed straight to the Main event.

[caption id="attachment_31850" align="alignleft" width="200"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

But Josh rolled snake eyes the Main, with an unlucky 13th place on the first lap. Once again, the critical start hindered Hill's chances at the jackpot. "Unlike poker, you can't bluff your way to a Supercross Main event win," said Hill of being shuffled to be back of the deck at the start. Despite being dealt a bad hand, Josh showed the skills that put him on the podium the previous week in New Jersey. Just 4 laps into the 20 lap Main event, Hill had raced up into the Top 10. On lap #7, he passed holeshot artist Mike Alessi, also mounted on a Suzuki RM-Z450 and took over 8th. He continued to fight for track position on the fast Las Vegas track, but couldn't catch the leaders. When the dust cleared Hill had moved up couple more spots, to finish 6th at the Las Vegas finale, his second best finish of the season.

"The night went well, it was solid," said Hill of his last ride for the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle team. "I had a bad start in the Main, but coming from 16th up to 6th is not a bad night. I also ended up 8th overall in the SX series and Broc ended up 9th even after missing all those races there at the end."

Even though he wasn't able to race, injured team rider Broc Tickle made the trip to Vegas to pinch-hit for The Greatest Of All Time. Co-principal Ricky Carmichael was fighting a 101-degree temperature and couldn't make the trip, so BT#20 filled in at the Fox outlet store and the autograph signings at Carter Powersports.

[caption id="attachment_31854" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"Thanks to Broc and Josh for the solid SX season," said Carey Hart from the post-party festivities. "You guys worked hard through the ups and downs and both landed in the top 10. Thanks so much to the RCH Racing crew for all the hard work and dedication... and thanks most of all to Soaring Eagle Resort, Dodge, Sycuan Casino and Suzuki."

Before the races, the party in the pits was the hottest it has been all year... literally as well as figuratively. Las Vegas local and RCH team principal Carey Hart, Sierra Merchant and Josh Hill were on hand to sign autographs. Add in the Suzuki Holeshot experience and an opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid four-day/three-night get away to Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort and the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle pit was a sure thing! However, since Vegas is the party capital of the world, RCH Racing pulled out all the stops with a post-race bash at Ainsworth at the Hard Rock, hosted by Hart and Hill. However, the old saying goes, what happens at Ainsworth Las Vegas stays in Vegas.

What doesn't stay in Vegas is the solid effort turned in by Tickle and Hill this season. "RCH had two guys in the top 10, and we both had injuries," said Hill. "I think we rode pretty solid and I think the team will just build on it for next year." Now the racing shifts to the grueling outdoor national series where newly signed Weston Peick and another rider filling in for Tickle will fly the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle team colors, starts on May 24, 2014 at the Red Bull Glen Helen MX National in San Bernardino, California.

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

Las Vegas Finale Overview And Point Standings

Overall Results - Supercross Class Race Time: 23:22.648

1. Ryan Villopoto - 368
   
2. Ryan Dungey - 304
   
3. Ken Roczen - 285
   
4. James Stewart - 272
   
5. Justin Barcia - 250
   
6. Andrew Short - 218
   
7. Justin Brayton - 196
   
8. Joshua Hill - 159
   
9. Broc Tickle - 126
   
10. Mike Alessi - 123
    

1. Kawasaki - 384
   
2. KTM - 355
   
3. Suzuki - 338
   
4. Honda - 302
   
5. Yamaha - 226
   

1. Justin Bogle - 188
   
2. Martin Davalos - 149
   
3. Vince Friese - 131
   
4. Kyle Cunningham - 127
   
5. Adam Cianciarulo - 120
   
6. Blake Baggett - 120
   
7. James Decotis - 106
   
8. Alex Martin - 100
   
9. Matthew Bisceglia - 98
   
10. Jeremy Martin - 96
    

1. Jason Anderson - 193
   
2. Cole Seely - 188
   
3. Dean Wilson - 163
   
4. Justin Hill - 159
   
5. Cooper Webb - 143
   
6. Malcolm Stewart - 137
   
7. Jessy Nelson - 115
   
8. Zach Osborne - 114
   
9. Shane Mcelrath - 109
   
10. Jake Canada - 83
    

1. Kawasaki - 392
   
2. Honda - 384
   
3. KTM - 293
   
4. Yamaha - 281
   
5. Suzuki - 16