2015 AMA Supercross San Diego Race Results

Trey Canard Wins Inaugural Monster Energy Supercross Race At San Diego's Petco Park

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Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, made its debut inside Petco Park on Saturday in front of a sold out crowd of 42,017 for the sixth race of the 2015 season. On a night in which the sport honored the men and women of the armed forces with the Military Appreciation Race, Team Honda HRC's Trey Canard raced to his second 450SX Class win in three races. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha's Cooper Webb raced to his fourth win in the first six races of the season, extending his lead in the championship.

Monster Energy Supercross' first visit to Petco Park also featured the second Military Appreciation Race.

RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John's Factory Suzuki's Ken Roczen gained the early advantage in the 450SX Class Main Event by claiming the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award ahead of Canard and BTO Sports KTM's Andrew Short. Roczen sprinted to open a gap on the field, but Canard methodically started to close the deficit. Behind them, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey moved his way forward from a fifth-place start while GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac and Discount Tire Racing/TwoTwo Motorsports Chad Reed made contact looking to keep pace with Dungey, leaving Tomac on the ground and outside the top 10.

On Lap 2 Dungey passed Monster Energy Kawasaki's Davi Millsaps to move into podium position in third, then on the following lap the battle for the lead began. Canard and Roczen traded the lead a couple of times before Canard made the pass stick and pulled away slightly. The distance between the leaders stayed the same until they encountered lappers on Lap 10, allowing Roczen to get within a few bike lengths. On Lap 14, Roczen took advantage of the lappers to get on Canard's rear fender, but the Honda rider responded. Just three laps later, Canard made a mistake that allowed Roczen to get alongside him, but again Canard fended off the pressure. Lappers ultimately separated the two riders again, allowing Canard to take the win.

[caption id="attachment_36752" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"It's been a long road but I'm just so grateful to be in this position [winning races] again," said Canard, who earned his fifth career win. "I opened a gap and Kenny [Roczen] closed it right back in. He kept me on my toes the whole time."

Roczen's runner-up finish was his first podium result since he won in Anaheim, California, on January 17, two races ago.

"That was a very fun race, I just made too many mistakes," said Roczen. "It was a good battle [with Canard]. I wish I would have picked up the pace sooner, but it's good to be back on the box. It was a good night tonight and we'll keep charging."

Dungey, who entered the night as the points leader, finished third. He has five straight podium results and has finished inside the top three in all but one race.

[caption id="attachment_36754" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"I felt good in the Main Event," said Dungey. "I was hoping I'd be able to close in on the leaders, but those lappers were tough. We gave it our all and we're happy with that. We'll keep working and get ready for next week."

Dungey maintained his lead in the championship and now sits nine points ahead of Roczen. Canard is third, 18 points back.

The Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event began with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Zach Osborne capturing his third SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award of the season in front of Webb, GEICO Honda's Malcolm Stewart and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyler Bowers. Bowers made two quick passes on the opening lap while Webb was able to secure third after Stewart crashed coming out of a rhythm section. That same lap, Bowers made a run on Osborne for the lead, bringing Webb with him before the field crossed the line to complete the lap.

Bowers then opened a comfortable margin on Webb that extended into multiple seconds. However, just past the halfway point the distance between the two riders decreased dramatically, not only allowing Webb to close in on the lead, but also Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Red Bull/KTM's Shane McElrath, who ran third after starting fourth. On Lap 9 Webb was able to make the pass on Bowers, who then fell to third a short time later, leaving the battle for the win between Webb and McElrath.

[caption id="attachment_36751" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Once out front Webb rode consistent laps and took the checkered flag by a comfortable margin. McElrath earned the best finish of his career and his first podium result in second, while Bowers held on for third.

Earlier in the day during practice, Webb crashed hard and was forced to sit out the final session of the afternoon with an injured shoulder. He acknowledged on the podium that he almost chose to forego the remainder of the competition.

"I wasn't going to race tonight," explained Webb. "My crash was gnarly and I'm just thankful to walk away from it. I knew tonight was going to be a fight. I told myself I can hurt as much as I want tomorrow, but there's no better feeling than winning."

Webb's lead in the Western Regional 250SX Class standings now sits at 30 points over Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Red Bull/KTM's Jessy Nelson, while Bowers is 32 points behind in third. The championship will take a midseason break, giving way to the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, and will return on April 11 in Houston.

Monster Energy Supercross continues next weekend with its seventh stop of the 17-race season from Arlington, Texas, and AT&T Stadium. Live broadcast coverage on FOX Sports 1 begins at 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 14.

Supercross LIVE 2015 San Diego Post Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiACk5oG-n8

Source: Supercross Live

Thrilling Victory For Canard In San Diego

Team Honda HRC turned in a dream performance at round six of the AMA Supercross series, with Trey Canard leading all but three of the 450SX main event's 20 laps to post the first premier-class Supercross win at Petco Field. The Oklahoman showed excellent racecraft in San Diego, emerging from the first turn near the front despite a so-so jump from the gate, making a smooth pass to take an early lead, and then holding off repeated challenges from Ken Roczen to earn the victory. The night also saw Cole Seely top the second heat race, and with GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac winning the first heat, the Red Riders were unstoppable. Tomac and Seely were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the main event.

Canard's triumph was his second of the young season, the first having come in round four at Oakland. With Tomac's round-two win in Phoenix, Honda CRF450Rs have topped half of the season's races thus far.

THE FOCUS: HRC Worlds Collide

Team Honda HRC was pleased to host Honda Racing Corporation Vice President, Shuhei Nakamoto, for round six. "HRC's dream is to win all of the major championships," Nakamoto said. "In motocross, this series is the most important, so that's why we started this activity again."

On Tuesday prior to the San Diego Supercross, Team HRC Rally racers Joan Barreda and Jeremias Israel paid a visit to the Team Honda HRC test track in Corona, California. Fresh off of January's Dakar Rally in South America, the Spaniard and Chilean are spending time vacationing in Southern California. Both went to Anaheim 3, and Israel-who campaigned selected AMA Motocross rounds from 2000 to 2003-also attended the San Diego race before returning home. "I used to live here, so it's nice to come visit friends, see some of the Supercross races and get away from the press and craziness for a little bit," Israel said. "I'm always following the series and rooting for these guys, checking updates on Twitter and re-watching the races on YouTube."

At the test track, Trey Canard and Eli Tomac spent time chatting with Barreda and Israel about their respective racing disciplines and the challenges that come with them. "I've never known much about the Dakar Rally or ever followed it, but after hearing more about what they do, I couldn't even image doing it," Canard said. "Riding stages of 600 miles, or holding it wide open from one mountain range to another while not knowing what's in front of you is just crazy. The only thing you have to go off is a road book that shows the course."

The 2015 Dakar event finished on January 17, with Israel earning second overall and Barreda having topped four stages. Now, the team has its sights set on next year's race, and they'll have plenty of opportunities to prepare. "We both ride motocross as part of our training, but there are other series and races we can ride," Israel said. "There's the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, which starts soon, but there's also a series in South America that's operated by the same organization that puts on the Dakar. We'll race certain ones depending on if the course runs in the areas where the next Dakar will run or not. It's all about preparation and planning, and these are great opportunities for testing and training."

Trey Canard
"It was an awesome day. I had a big scare in practice when I had to jump over the handlebars. That could've been a lot worse, but man, I'm stoked with how things went. I didn't get a great jump on the start, but I was able to get through on the inside. Kenny [Roczen] was riding really well behind me. I felt like I pulled out on him a little bit, and then he reeled me back in. It's really tough because you want to charge but you don't want to make mistakes. You try to block everything out, but you hear him and you hear the crowd, which makes you a little more anxious. I wasn't really happy with laps 10 to 15, but I think I did a good job on the last five. It just feels good to win again, and the vibe is awesome. I've been on this team for a long time now, and there have been some nights where we hung our heads. I'm so happy to be a part of this now, where everyone is so excited. It shows also with how Eli and Cole are riding."

Cole Seely
"After coming off a second last weekend, this wasn't what I was looking for, but it was still a good night and I'm happy with sixth. I had a few bad laps there in the beginning. On the first lap, I almost got taken out by another rider and had to roll the triple, then the next lap I got cross-rutted in one of the sections and landed on a Tuff Block. The bike just came to a stop and I hit my chest on the cross-bar pad, knocking the wind out of myself. After that it was hard to keep my form and hit all my marks, but I did my best and tried to fight through the field. There are a lot of fast guys out there, so I feel like this is still a good position for my rookie year."

Yasuhiro Yokoyama: Technical Director - Team HRC Motocross
"We had another good night, with Canard getting his second win of the season. His starts have been improving and he had a decent one this time again. He passed the guys in front and took the lead early on, then kept the position until the end despite pressure from behind throughout the race. Tomac and Seely also showed they had the speed throughout the night but in the main event, both had some problems at the beginning and lost positions before coming back to finish fifth and sixth, respectively. With Canard's win, the championship points got a little closer, and we'll try to keep this momentum as we head east next week. Thank you very much for your support!"

Dan Betley: Team Manager
"Trey got a little pinched off at the start, but he was able to sneak on through on the inside, which he's been really good at this year. Then he just rode strong to the finish and held on for the win. Cole's just progressing also, becoming more comfortable in the class. He got a bad start and then had a little mishap when he landed on a Tuff Block and hit his chest on the handlebar. That kind of knocked the wind out of him, but I think he recovered well for sixth, and he had an awesome win in the heat race. The team has been picking up momentum since the beginning of the year. I really like what I see in terms of the progression and how everyone's evolving, and I think it's going to continue-we're in a good place right now. It was also nice to get a win with Mr. Nakamoto here. I love the spirit of all the HRC guys; they're totally into racing, and they really support our effort."

Brent Presnell: Mechanic (Trey Canard)
"Tonight was awesome. Trey's starts were good, and in the main he got out front and controlled the race, so it was good. I would've preferred a bigger gap at the end, but we'll take the win! He seems to be getting some momentum going. I think the more he keeps running up front, the more comfortable he's going to be in that situation, so hopefully it'll get a little easier."

Rich Simmons: Mechanic (Cole Seely)
"The heat race was good. Cole was actually a little bummed even though he won because he said he made a lot of mistakes and just didn't ride the way he wanted to. On the first lap of the main, he had to single through the big triple, and he was worried about getting landed on. He lost some momentum and made a few mistakes here and there. Maybe he was trying to push a little too hard, and with tracks like this, if you ride over your head, everybody's so close on times that it allows guys to get on the inside of you and make the pass. Still, sixth place isn't bad for how the main event went. It was an up-and-down night, but we'll learn from the mistakes and move on."

Source: Honda Racing

Four 250SX Wins For Unstoppable Webb

[caption id="attachment_36749" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Steve Cox[/caption]

San Diego was the latest city to fall to the charge of Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha's Cooper Webb for AMA 250SX West Coast Supercross championship glory. The Yamaha YZ250F racer celebrated his fourth victory from six rounds in the series so far by defeating Shane McElrath at the Petco Park Stadium and in front of more than 42,000 spectators.

The eighteen year old defied expectations in the fifteen lap Main Event to pass title rival Tyler Bowers and cruise to the chequered flag ahead of McElrath. Webb almost considered pulling out of the meeting after a practice crash left him with a painful right shoulder but the championship leader was able to compete and even extend his advantage in the points table to a hefty 30 over Jessy Nelson. Rockriver Yamaha's Alex Martin - who grabbed his maiden podium finish last week at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim - gathered another top five result with fifth place on his YZ250F.

"Unfortunately I had a big get-off today and I hurt my right shoulder so I was just trying to get through it," said Webb in his Supercross Online TV podium interview and who now has almost two months to recover to full health before round seven of nine takes place in Houston on April 11th. "I got a start in the Main and was honestly just going to settle for second but I put my head down; I knew it was going to hurt no matter what. I decided to give it my 'all'. I'm a fighter, man. It was the whoops that were the hardest. I was trying to stay consistent and not get bucked too much through there. It is just unbelievable to win tonight."

[caption id="attachment_36748" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Steve Cox[/caption]

In the 450SX class JGR Yamaha were hit by a mid-week injury to Justin Barcia, who joined his team-mate Weston Peick on the sidelines.

The West Coast 250SX division now hands over to the East Coast as AMA Supercross travels to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas next Saturday.

Source: Yamaha Racing

RCH Suzuki Factory Racing Back On Track In San Diego

RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing turned in a solid performance at Petco Park Saturday night with impressive showings from riders Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle.

Following a spirited battle with eventual winner Trey Canard, Roczen came away from Round 6 of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross campaign with a runner-up finish but more importantly, he gained two points on current 450SX championship leader Ryan Dungey.

Tickle was back on his Suzuki RM-Z450 for the first time in two weeks after aggravating his back in Oakland and came home with a solid ninth-place performance in the series first-ever visit to the home of the San Diego Padres.

Roczen was the fastest rider in both of his qualifying sessions but came just short of winning his heat race.

When the gate dropped on the main event, the 20-year-old German snatched his first holeshot of the year, pacing the 22-rider field for the first three trips around Petco Park. Roczen and Canard traded the top spot early on before Canard finally made it stick on Lap 4. The separation between the leaders stayed about the same until lapped traffic became part of the storyline on Lap 10, allowing Roczen to narrow the gap. On Lap 14, Roczen used the traffic to his advantage to close in on Canard's rear fender. Three laps later, Roczen pressured Canard again but to no avail. Ultimately, lapped traffic played a role during the closing laps, keeping Roczen at bay just long enough for Canard to take the win.

"It was good to get my first holeshot of the year," said Roczen who now trails point leader Ryan Dungey by nine with 11 races left. "That felt really good. Trey (Canard) just got me there. It was nice, fair racing. It was actually super fun. Some things that I noticed, over and over, are that I clipped jumps and made mistakes. It bummed me out a lot. I don't know. Maybe it was a lack of focus a little bit. Fitness-wise, I felt good over the whole moto so that was good. I just needed that race to get back on the podium. Overall, it was really good. I'm really happy with a second-place. We gained a couple of points, which is good."

While Roczen was pleased with the overall effort, he was also a bit critical of his own performance.

"At one point I was making so many mistakes I just said 'Whoa. Just stay there and try to regroup.'" Roczen continued. "Overall, I felt good. Trey was a little faster than me in the beginning and I could still stay right there but towards the end, I was probably a little bit faster. All through the lappers, every time he'd gap me a little bit, I closed it right back up. He rode a solid race. Now, we can look forward to going back east."

After taking last weekend off to rest the back injury he sustained in Oakland, Tickle performed notably at Petco Park. The Holly, Mich., rider had to race his way into the main event via the first 450SX semifinal where he finished second in an exciting, down-to-the-wire finish with Killian Rusk.

Tickle got out of the starting gate in the main event 13th and methodically worked his way into the top 10, to finish ninth. Admittedly, the 2011 Supercross West Coast Lites Champion couldn't ride as hard as he'd hoped but at the end of the night, he took it in stride.

"I'm sore but pretty stoked with the way everything turned out," said Tickle. "I really wasn't feeling it from the get go. I kind of struggled with the track all day. I felt like I was riding fast but I really wasn't. That's not normally a good thing. So I just needed to try and get the best start I could in the main and weasel my way around to get in a good position to finish in the top 10. That was my goal after having missed last weekend.

"I'm pretty pumped with my night. Obviously, I wish I could have ridden a lot better and been better than what I was, but we made progress. We kind of took a shot in the dark for the main to get me a little more comfortable in the corners and through the whoops. The guys did a good job when they made that choice. I'm looking forward to this week and getting some more time on my RM-Z450 and hopefully head into Dallas this weekend 100 percent."

Team co-owner Carey Hart liked what he saw from his team in San Diego and pointed out that resiliency was a key factor in his assessment.

"It was a great night," commented Hart. "It was a good rebound from two pretty rough weekends. I feel like we had a really solid weekend. Ken was really responsive with the bike. We were able to make some changes over the course of the day. The only real downfall of the night were those five, kind of key laps, after Canard got around Ken. He put some really good laps together and then Ken had to play catch up for the rest of the race. Broc had a good night. He looked awesome in his semi and did what he needed to in the main. We can learn from those little mistakes but at the end of the day, a second and a ninth is solid. It was a good building weekend. We'll keep rolling with this momentum into Dallas."

Roczen, Tickle and the rest of the Monster Energy Supercross contingent dial up a trip to AT&T Stadium this weekend when the series visits Arlington, Texas and the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Round 7 of the 2015 Supercross Championship will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 Saturday, Jan. 17 beginning at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, 8 p.m. Eastern.

Source: RCH Racing

Shane McElrath Makes First Trip To The Podium In San Diego

[caption id="attachment_36742" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Jeff Kardas[/caption]

Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Red Bull / KTM's Shane McElrath made his first career trip to the podium in front of a sold out crowd at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Teammate Jessy Nelson overcame a tough start to come through the pack and finish eighth.

It was McElrath's day to be a frequent visitor to the podium. He claimed his second heat-race win of the season and was ready to put it together in the Main Event. He wasn't shy about getting to the front as he started in the top five and was in a podium spot before the end of the second lap. McElrath capitalized on another rider's mistake and took over second where he would finish.

"I'm really happy to end on a high going into the break," said McElrath. "Actually a little bummed there is a break because I feel like I could continue with this momentum, but glad I was finally able to put it all together. I knew I just needed to get a start and just push forward. I just tried to stay at it and it paid off."

Nelson's speed has been undeniable this season, but was unable to capitalize in the Main Event in San Diego. He got out to a 13th-place start and fought his way through the pack, eventually finishing eighth.

[caption id="attachment_36741" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Jeff Kardas[/caption]

"I had a little bit of a rough weekend and my starts weren't there," said Nelson. "The championship is pretty much out of my grasp at this point. We'll use the break to really focus on preparing for outdoors. When we come back, my goal is to get back on the box and close that points gap as much as I can."

Nelson maintained second in the points, while McElrath shot up the standings and sits fifth.

The Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Red Bull/KTM team will now be on a two-month break from racing until the Western Regional 250SX Series resumes April 11 in Houston, Texas.

The Team TLD riders wore the new 2015 SE Pro Checker Gray and the 2015 GP Air Galaxy Black/Yellow gear, along with the SE3 Galaxy Black/Yellow helmet and the SE3 One Shot Rocket Red helmet at Petco Park in San Diego, California. See more of the 2015 gear sets and the 2015 Moto Helmets online and at your local TLD retailer.

TLD would like to thank all our sponsors: Lucas Oil, Red Bull, KTM, PPG, MAVTV, GoPro, adidas, Seaspan, Pro Tork, Fender, FMF, Horizon Hobby, Method Race Wheels, Renthal, New Era, Dunlop, VP Racing, Pixelmags, Alpinestars, WP Suspension, ODI Grips, Oakley, Hinson, Galfer, Kite, Specialized, SRAM, Twin Air, Cycra, D.I.D., Dirt Star, Xtrig, Kryptonight Industries, Kasey Kahne Racing, McQueen Racing, NStyle, ACAT Global.

Source: Troy Lee Designs

Dungey Places 3rd At San Diego Supercross

[caption id="attachment_36739" align="alignright" width="199"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM factory rider Ryan Dungey earned an impressive 3rd place finish at the sixth round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series held for the first time at Petco Park.

Ryan Dungey had great qualifying times in the afternoon practice sessions to provide him with confidence going into the heat race. He represented his championship points lead with a red number plate as he lined up for the second heat race.

He nearly pulled the holeshot off the start of his heat, but got pinched off at the tail end of the start straight. A mistake in a rhythm section shortly after dropped him to 4th place. He quickly rebounded but was unable to make any passes in the remaining laps and crossed the line in 4th place. His heat race result gave him an automatic transfer spot to the main event.

When the gate dropped for the main event, Dungey leaped off the line to a 5th place start. He quickly made passes in the opening laps to move his KTM 450 SX-F into podium position. By the third lap of the race he had moved into 3rd place. He spent the next half of the race trying to close the gap on the top two riders. Although he didn't lose any more time to the lead riders, he was unable to close the gap. He finished the race in 3rd place. His podium finish at Petco Park allows him to remain the point's leader heading to the next round.

"I felt really good tonight," remarked Dungey. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get up there and battle with the leaders but I am very happy for the podium finish tonight. My bike is working great and I'm looking forward to heading east."

Next Round: February 14, 2015 - Dallas, TX

Source: KTM North America

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyler Bowers Regains Podium Form in San Diego

Round 6 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM Championship was a salute to the U.S. Military at Petco Park in San Diego. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyler Bowers returned to the podium with a third-place finish in the 250SX main event running a special military appreciation graphics scheme. Motosport.com Kawasaki's Josh Hansen just missed the podium in fourth while Bower's teammate Chris Alldredge finished a career-best 10th. In the 450SX main event, Discount Tire/TwoTwo Motorsport's Chad Reed won his semi and finished fourth in the main event. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Davi Millsaps got his best start of the season and was running third before the first of two crashes sent him back to finish 20th.

Back in the Saddle
Bowers got a great jump out of the starting gate and came out of the first turn right with the leaders. He would soon make his way to the front, leading the first nine laps of the 15-lap main event. Some mistakes on the 10th lap cost him two spots but the 4-time Arenacross champ was able to hold on for the podium

"I've been battling illness the last couple of weeks and I haven't had a lot of time on the bike," said Bowers. "That caught up to me today. I was trying to hold on and get the win but I just couldn't. This break in the schedule is going to help and I'm going to be ready when the West Coast season picks up again."

Kawasaki Support
Kawasaki supported riders Reed and Hansen both rode well during their respective main events with each of them just missing out on podium finishes. For Reed in the 450SX main, a good start and solid riding saw him slot into fourth place. In the 250SX main event, Hansen made contact with another rider at the start and had to fight his way up to fourth.

Ups and Downs
Millsaps looked strong all day qualifying fourth in the afternoon and then finishing second in his heat race. In the main event, he got his best start of the season and ran up front early before a small mistake sent him to the ground. He quickly remounted his KX450F and was fighting in the top 10 before another fall sent him back again.

"There are definitely some positives to take out of tonight," said Millsaps. "I was riding up front and charging before I ran into some bad luck. Things are getting better every week and I'm looking forward to Dallas."

Show of Support
Both the Monster Energy Kawasaki and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teams ran special graphics to show support for the military. The factory team wove classic green camouflage with Flo Green plastic to create a unique look. The Pro Circuit squad incorporated a matte finish with digital camo and classic airplane nose art to make for a strong looking bike.

Military Appreciation
Bowers and Alldredge also showed their support for the troops by visiting Naval Base San Diego on Friday and getting a tour of the U.S.S. Peleliu. The riders met with sailors and Marines on board the ship and signed autographs while also getting a tour of the Tarawa class Amphibious Assault Ship.

Heading East
Next weekend's race in Dallas marks the debut of the 250SX East Coast riders. Joey Savatgy and Arnaud Tonus will both make their Pro Circuit debuts at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Three Top Ten Finshes In San Diego For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing!

Jason Anderson Finishes 10th In The 450 Class

[caption id="attachment_36732" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

After hosting the San Diego round of the series at Qualcomm Stadium for over 30 years, Supercross moved downtown to PETCO Park, the home of the Padres, for round six of the 2015 season. This round was also the site of the second consecutive Military Appreciation Race, a special night where the Supercross community pays tribute to the United States Armed Forces by supporting Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to service members and their families with a focus on wounded veterans who served on or after 9/11. In addition, this was the last round for the 250SX West riders before they go on a long two-month break to make way for the 250SX East series, which commences next Saturday in Arlington, Tex.

After a great start in his heat race, Zach Osborne and his Husqvarna FC 250 crossed the finish line in second place to transfer directly to the main. In the main, Osborne grabbed the holeshot and eventually crossed the finish line in sixth. He is currently fourth in 250SX West rider point standings.

"Today was ok," said Osborne. "I was third fastest in qualifying, which gave me second gate pick for my heat. I pulled the holeshot in the main but wasn't riding like myself. I ended up sixth so it was kind of disappointing. I'm going to regroup and heal my thumb. I'm four points out of second place so I'm going to keep fighting. There's a lot of racing left to do and a lot can happen in this class."

[caption id="attachment_36731" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Zach Bell transferred to the 250 main after he navigated his Husqvarna FC 250 to a fifth place finish in his heat race. In the main, Bell got a top ten start and worked his way through the pack to finish seventh. He is currently 12th in 250SX West rider point standings.

"Today was a good day," said Bell. "I ended up seventh overall - top 10 is always a good spot to be. Timed practice went well and I got a good gate pick for the heat race. I battled with some top guys and I know what I need to work on. The main event went ok and I did what I could. I'm just going to keep building off each race and now I know what I can do so I'm happy. I'm staying healthy. My fitness and my speed are there so now I just have to bring myself there. I think I'm maturing a little bit and I'm ready for more racing."

Source: Husqvarna Motorcycles

Baggett Fights Back To 7th At San Diego SX

Nothing comes easy in the AMA/FIM World Supercross Series as Blake Baggett found this weekend in San Diego.

The Yoshimura Suzuki rider survived the tension-filled laps of having to make the night's feature by way of the final qualifying spot in the Last Chance Qualifier. Once in the Main however, Baggett made an amazing charge on his Suzuki RM-Z450 from last place to seventh, in spite of a crash. All of this pandemonium took place in front of a sellout crowd of 42,017 at Petco Park, in the inaugural series visit to the home of baseball's San Diego Padres, situated scenically in the heart of downtown.

It was also a special Military Appreciation Night in San Diego, a national center for the military and an annual opportunity for the Supercross community to show its appreciation for the men and women who serve America.

Baggett's seventh in San Diego matched his best result of the year and marked his fourth consecutive top-10 finish. It also gave the Supercross rookie sole possession of ninth in the championship.

A solid performance in Timed Qualifying, where Baggett was ninth fastest, gave no indication of the upcoming night of living on the edge. Baggett said it took some time to find the right set-up for his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to handle the supremely technical San Diego layout.

"It got better as practice went along," Baggett explained. "The first time out was a little bit rough. We made some bike changes after the first session and then again after the second and I just tried to keep going; trying to improve."

The hard work by Baggett and the Yoshimura Suzuki crew paid off and he was able to qualify ninth. But that's when the adventures began. Firstly he found himself on the short-end of the stick in a loaded Heat race that featured most of the top riders. Then it went from bad to worse. After getting a sub-par start in his Semi, a rider inadvertently landed hard off a jump right on the back of Baggett's machine. The impact damaged the bike and Baggett was forced to retire.

That's when the tension on the team went sky high. Not only did Baggett now just have one final opportunity to make the Main, but also the team had to feverously work on the bike to make repairs in time to put him on the line for the LCQ, where he managed to squeeze into the final by finishing fourth.

"It was quite a bit of a scramble, but my team came through and rebuilt the back of the bike after we got hit," Baggett said. "I was the last one in through the LCQ and that gave us the last gate pick for the Main, but at least we made it."

The final starting gate in the night's featured race hung Baggett out to dry at the start. "I basically came around the first turn dead last," he said. But he quickly clicked it into race mode and started charging his way through the field, ultimately making it as high as fifth place.

"I kind of worked my way through," Baggett explained. "I made some quick moves right away when everybody was still bunched up. I think I was in fifth and was catching (Chad) Reed and I just made an error. I landed sitting down and just gave it a little too much front brake and lost the front wheel."

The tip over dropped him back several positions, but Baggett rallied and managed to salvage a solid seventh-place result. It was a nice pay-off in a nail-biting night.

"I picked it up from there and worked my way forward," Baggett concluded. "It was a good night all and all, after starting out so rough. I'm looking forward to going to Dallas. I'm hoping to run better there and have a good qualifying time. The goal is to make it to the Main through the Heat race."

Yoshimura Suzuki is back in action again this coming Saturday. February 14th at round seven of the 2015 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship, as the series moves to the Dallas Supercross at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas.

Source: Team Suzuki

Hill Suffers Crash At San Diego Supercross

[caption id="attachment_36726" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory Team rider Justin Hill suffered a crash at the start of the main event at round six of the Monster Energy Supercross Series that caused him to not finish the race. KTM rider Shane McElrath finished 2nd to celebrate his first podium of the season.

Justin Hill's day started better than it ended as he took an impressive heat race win. He pulled the holeshot in the first 250 Supercross heat race to lead the field for the first lap. He continued to pull on the rest of the field aboard his KTM 250 SX-F and had a three second lead by the halfway point. He went on to collect the heat win and the top transfer spot in the main event.

At the start of the main event, Hill had a decent jump but crashed with another rider at the end of the start straight. His leg was run over in the crash. Hill, worried that his ankle may be broken, pulled off the track to seek medical attention. The medics determined the ankle was not broken, but most likely, severely sprained. Hill will seek further medical attention on Monday.

The series will now head to Dallas, TX for the first round of the East 250SX Championship. Hill's teammate, Marvin Musquin, will suit up for the first time this year in pursuit of that title.

Next Round: February 14, 2015 - Dallas, TX

Source: KTM North America

San Diego SX Overview And Point Standings

2015 AMA Supercross San Diego Image Gallery

Overall Results - Supercross Class

Rider Point Standings - Supercross Class

Statistics

• Race Time: 18:51.830
  
• Margin of Victory: 01.001
  
• Winner's Avg. Laptime: 56.591
  
• 2nd Place Avg. Laptime: 56.641
  
• Best Qualifier: #14 - Cole Seely
  
• Holeshot: #94 - Ken Roczen
  

1. Ryan Dungey - 127
   
2. Ken Roczen - 118
   
3. Trey Canard - 109
   
4. Eli Tomac - 100
   
5. Jason Anderson - 85
   
6. Cole Seely - 82
   
7. Chad Reed - 75
   
8. Justin Barcia - 71
   
9. Blake Baggett - 68
   
10. Andrew Short - 66
    

Manufacturer Point Standings - Supercross Class

1. Honda - 137
   
2. KTM - 127
   
3. Suzuki - 124
   
4. Kawasaki - 92
   
5. Yamaha - 86
   
6. Husqvarna - 85
   

Overall Results - Supercross Lites West Class

Rider Point Standings - Supercross Lites West Class

Statistics

• Race Time: 14:22.257
  
• Margin of Victory: 02.959
  
• Winner's Avg. Laptime: 57.483
  
• 2nd Place Avg. Laptime: 57.681
  
• Best Qualifier: #40 - Shane McElrath
  
• Holeshot: #16 - Zach Osborne
  

1. Cooper Webb - 136
   
2. Jessy Nelson - 106
   
3. Tyler Bowers - 104
   
4. Zach Osborne - 102
   
5. Shane McElrath - 86
   
6. Aaron Plessinger - 81
   
7. Justin Hill - 79
   
8. Joshua Hansen - 79
   
9. Alex Martin - 75
   
10. Malcolm Stewart - 69
    

Manufacturer Point Standings - Supercross Lites Class

1. Yamaha - 138
   
2. KTM - 121
   
3. Kawasaki - 112
   
4. Husqvarna - 103
   
5. Honda - 102
   
6. Suzuki - 5