It was a ‘game of starts’ on a track that punished over confidence. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider struck another blow for the ‘Former Champions Club’ by getting around the first corner at the peak of the pack, keeping smooth and consistent and a prowling Villopoto at bay for the entire race distance following some effective jabs to seize the lead on the opening lap.
The 450SX Main event saw pockets of action: Stewart and Villopoto were not challenged, while Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen in third had to deal with Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey. Team Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Barcia was part of the equation but a brief crash when he entered the switchback at the end of the first rhythm second and went too high in the turn bumped him to sixth (behind another excellent run from Weston Peick) where he had to be mindful of Eli Tomac.
While Stewart did a sterling job of closing Villopoto’s options (the defending champion even switched to a slick triple-triple, triple-triple line in the last two sections of the lap) and Roczen cut a serious figure after the race, complaining of a sore foot and lamenting what he felt was a poor and tense performance, it was the crunching crash of Chad Reed that was the other talking point. The Australian launched through the whoops on the last lap to try and find a way past the German but instead bobbled and then clipped the rear wheel of the KTM. The conqueror of Anaheim was thrown into the whoop on his right side and seemed to be nursing a possible shoulder or collarbone injury. The repercussions of Reed’s accident will undoubtedly affect his resurgent season as the series enters the midpoint.
Compared to the last incarnation of the Anaheim supercross San Diego housed a shorter and less complicated layout. The first practice sessions were predictably slick after a day of rain on Thursday. Roczen commented on the mudholes and alluded to the inconsistency of the surface. West coast sunshine assisted enormously to dry the dirt through Saturday and it was curious to hear riders complaining of a lack of grip while the likes of Dungey commented on the traction available.
250SX West Coast ended on a cliff-hanger; a natural consequence of six of eight rounds pausing with San Diego. As supercross heads off around north America, Rockstar KTM’s Jason Anderson and TLD Honda’s Cole Seely are divided by four points with seven weeks to wait until the show drifts back to Houston. The rider who occupied the spotlight at the Qualcomm was Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Justin Hill who profited from Dean Wilson’s first lap ‘endo’ to grab the lead and remain faultless for a first career victory. Anderson gave chase but could not gain ground through the backmarkers to enact one of his customary last lap charges. “Finally got it done and I’m super-pumped. I could not ask for a better way to go into the break,” said Hill in just his second season on the circuit.
“I’m going out with the red plate and that was my plan for the weekend,” offered Anderson.
The other story was the catastrophe for Wilson. The Brit was clearly the fastest on the track throughout the day but the spill wrecked the carbon front brake protector and he lost two laps in the pits. Wilson re-entered the fray but could not gain more than a single point. With a deficit of 33 to Anderson the luckless former MX champ looks set to be frustrated once more in the confines of the stadiums when it comes to his title chances.
Another ‘Dean’, Ferris, has had a hectic baptism of fire in supercross racing and several crashes in practice hurried along his final west coast appointment for almost two months. The Australian looks a little worn out by the rapid transition to the AMA competition and will be thankful of the break to be able to recuperate for the Pro Nationals and the motocross circuits where he is expected to be a front-runner.
As the fans left the Qualcomm stadium – a 70,000 capacity with all the aged signs of an uncovered structure built in 1967 and one that the NFL will no longer consider for Super Bowl hosting duties on account of the need for upgrades – AMA Supercross also departed California after a month-long stint. In a sense the spectacle really gets on the road now and with 21 points dividing Villopoto, Roczen, Reed and Stewart (in that order) the battle of attrition begins in earnest.
Photo by Ray Archer
Check back for a James Stewart interview tomorrow
450SX Class Results
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
Justin Barcia, Pinetta, Fla., Honda
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Brock Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
450SX Class Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 126
Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 117
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Kawasaki, 111
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 105
Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha, 98
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 94
Justin Barcia, Pinetta, Fla., Honda, 89
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 72
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki, 53
Wil Hahn, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 52
250SX Class Results
Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., KTM
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
Cole Seely, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
Shane McElrath, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda
Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda
Michael Leib, Menifee, Calif., Honda
Scott Champion, Orange, Calif., Yamaha
Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
Dean Ferris, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
250SX Class Season Standings
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., KTM, 131
Cole Seely, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 127
Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 107
Dean Wilson, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Kawasaki, 98
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha, 92
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda, 89
Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 76
Shane McElrath, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda, 71
Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda, 69
Dean Ferris, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 63
