Race Report: Honda Hangtown Motocross Classic AMA Toyota Motocross Championship
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 2, 2008)
Round two of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF provided outstanding action in front of over 25,000 motocross faithful at the 40th Anniversary of the Honda Hangtown Motocross Classic. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto garnered overall victories in their respective classes.
Hangtown MX Park – Credit Carl Stone
In the AMA Motocross Lites moto one, Villopoto grabbed the BTOSports.com holeshot and laid down some blistering laps to pull away from the field early on. Geico Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard, last weeks winner of the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award, found himself in line for the award again after falling to the ground in turn two and again later on during the first lap. The award goes to the one rider that passes the most competitors in a single moto, a trend that Canard surely would like to end. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey and Villopoto’s teammate Austin Stroupe found themselves in a battle early as they passed back and forth on lap two. Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy’s Jason Lawrence got a bad start and was on fire early on, passing multiple riders to get into the top ten quickly. Lawrence would pass MDK KTM’s Ryan Sipes and also slam his way past ReduxBeverages/Brawndo/Teamsolitaire.com Honda’s Robert Kiniry at the very top part of the track.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi was soon under attack from Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe as #123 closed in fast on the second year pro Izzi. At this point, Villopoto was far out front in a dominating performance. Metcalfe eventually got around Izzi, using the longer outside line in an off-camber corner. Izzi would drop back three or four more spots before the end of the moto. Third place Dungey caught Stroupe in a battle for second and the two exchanged passes before Dungey gained the upper hand. Metcalfe lost his front end in turn three and had to work back by riders that he had previously passed. Cycra/K&C Cycle Yamaha/Fox Racing Yamaha’s Michael Willard dropped out of the moto with what looked to be bike problems. Canard, as he did the week before, was moving through the pack quickly. He would end up finishing 11th, passing an astounding 28 riders along the way. Stroupe found his way by Dungey on the big downhill double, but Dungey battled back three turns later. Lawrence, still charging hard, got in a great battle with Geico Powersports Honda’s Jake Weimer and Izzi. Lawrence was using wide lines and keeping momentum up on the outside to gain ground. Villopoto won with a big gap, followed by Dungey and Stroupe. Metcalfe was fourth, with Lawrence claiming fifth.
Ryan Dungey – Credit Carl Stone
As the AMA Motocross class blasted out of the gates in moto one, it became clear who would be the man to beat. Stewart, coming off a perfect performance the previous week at Glen Helen, grabbed the holeshot and was gone. He rode a flawless race and was two to three seconds faster than the competition almost every lap, extending his lead to over thirty seconds at one point. Team Yamaha’s Josh Hill went down in the second turn, dropping to the end of the field. Spike Hardcore Energy Yamaha’s Josh Summey also went down in the third turn and his work was cut out for him. Red Bull Honda’s Davi Millsaps passed privateer Steve Boniface down the long downhill by out-braking him. Stewart’s teammate, Tim Ferry, went by Red Bull Honda’s Ben Townley on the mechanic’s straight on lap three. Boniface was running third at one point, putting in a stellar performance for a rider that doesn’t have the same support as the riders around him. ReduxBeverages/Brawndo/Teamsolitaire.com Honda’s Ryan Clark dropped out of the race early with bike problems. Ferry got by Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi in back portion of the track to break into the top five. Alessi went down just before the start straight and began falling thorough the pack before pulling in and getting his machine fixed. He would re-enter the field well back. Red Bull Honda’s Ivan Tedesco battled to get around another privateer in Suzuki City Biloxi MS/OTSFF Suzuki’s Cody Cooper, bringing Ferry along with him. Ferry would nab Tedesco two laps later in the double-jump-combo section to move into third. Cooper got back by Tedesco and was charging hard but fell in turn three a little later, breaking his clutch lever and causing him to drop to the back. Ferry was the man on the move, catching Millsaps and turning similar lap times to the dominant Stewart. Moto XXX Honda’s Jeff Alessi and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Michael Byrne were having a spirited battle with passes back and forth. Spike Hardcore Energy Yamaha’s Gavin Gracyk had trouble with a tender ankle and pulled out late in the race. Tedesco put his head down and caught his teammate Millsaps to put pressure on him, repeatedly attempting passes before finally making a mistake with two laps to go and allowing Millsaps some breathing room. Stewart would win easily followed by Ferry and Millsaps. Tedesco was fourth.
AMA Motocross Starting Gate – Credit Carl Stone
Just as he did in moto one, Villopoto grabbed the BTOSports.com Holeshot Award in the AMA Motocross Lites final moto and sprinted away from the field, maintaining a comfortable lead all moto long. There was a big crash at the end of the starting straight involving Izzi and Kiniry. Izzi was down a long time before eventually getting up and rejoining the race. Lawrence got a much better start this time around and moved into second early, remaining there for the rest of the race. Lawrence never let Villopoto get too far in front as he rode a great race. Metcalfe and Sipes swapped positions on lap three a few times while Stroupe and Dungey resumed their heated battle. Geico Powersports Honda’s Daniel Reardon got a great start and for the first few laps and was keeping race pace before making a few mistakes and getting passed by Sipes, Metcalfe and Stroupe in succession. Stroupe forced his way around Sipes with an aggressive move as Metcalfe railed the outside berm in the off-camber turn to also get by Sipes. At the halfway mark, it was Villopoto, Lawrence and Stroupe. Dungey would get a better drive off a landing and made his way past Stroupe for third just after the halfway flags. Reardon’s teammate Canard, redeemed himself with a decent start and passed Reardon for seventh. Canard would go on to get Sipes late in the race for sixth and finish there. Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy’s Tyler Bowers pulled off the track late in the race. The battle between teammates Stroupe and Metcalfe came to a head when Metcalfe touched Stroupe’s rear wheel, causing both to almost fall. Stroupe would secure fourth in the second moto after Metcalfe fell. The race would once again go to Villopoto, Lawrence and Dungey in tow. The overall finishing order was Villopoto, Dungey and Lawrence.
Ryan Villopoto – Credit Carl Stone
The day’s final event started with a surprise as Millsaps sped to the BTOSports.com Holeshot Award in moto two as favorite Stewart found himself buried around fifth. However, Stewart would strike quickly and by the top of the hill on lap one he would pass Millsaps for the lead. Davi stuck it back in just a few feet later, catching Stewart off guard as he regained the lead. Soon after that exciting exchange, Stewart got by the Honda rider and began to stretch his lead once again. Much like Glen Helen, Stewart could not be beaten on this day and he would quickly open big gaps between himself and his fellow riders. Mike Alessi capitalized on a good start and on lap two worked his way by Townley into third place. Ferry, coming off a strong second in the first moto was hovering in the top ten before starting his charge to the front. Gracyk once again pulled off with his ankle still bothering him early in the race. Team Red Bull Honda showcased its strength with four out of the top six spots in the early going. Ferry would not be denied as he used some different, wider lines to his advantage. All tolled during the race, Ferry passed five riders in the exact same spot to make his way into fifth. Tedesco snuck by Boniface once again and began his move towards the front. Millsaps was looking a little winded and started to get caught by Mike Alessi and Tedesco. Privateer Sean Hamblin had to pull into the pits to get a wheel changed around halfway, capping of a frustrating day for the Yamaha rider. Tedesco was on Alessi’s rear wheel every chance he could get while Ferry was charging his way through. Alessi and Tedesco both caught Millsaps and put the pressure on #118 Honda. Eventually, both riders got by Millsaps for second and third. Ferry breezed by Boniface and Millsaps and proceeded to chase after Tedesco and Alessi. Just a short time later, Ferry crept his way onto Alessi’s rear to make the pass in the same spot he was passing everyone else. The determined Kawasaki rider continued to charge and proceeded to make a pass on Tedesco to put Kawasaki first and second. It was a great ride for both Ferry and Tedesco. Stewart was the moto winner, followed by Ferry and Tedesco, which would also end up as the overall finishing order.
James Stewart – Credit Carl Stone
Quotes:
Ivan Tedesco, Red Bull Honda, AMA Motocross Class, Third-Place Overall
“I’ve been working hard. I moved down to Florida to Ricky’s (Carmichael) place and it’s finally starting to come around. I felt good that second moto and I just need to keep building on that. (The track) is good. I haven’t been here since 2005, but they turned around and made it go backwards. It got rough today. It was a rough track and it was hard to get a good tire combination out there because it was hard packed in areas and there were sections where (the bike) hooked up. We were struggling a little bit but finally figured it out at the end of the day. It’s been a rough couple of years for me. I can’t remember the last time I was on the podium. It sucks when you put so much effort in and the results don’t show because you got injured and fell behind the eight ball. I worked hard in the last couple months down in Florida and it feels good to be up here.”
Tim Ferry, Monster Energy Kawasaki, AMA Motocross Class, Second-Place Overall
“I think my first time here (in Hangtown) was in 1992, so I’ve been coming here for a while. I’ve seen about three or four different starting lines and the track has changed a lot. There’s something special about this place for me. I think I ride good here and I don’t know if I really enjoy it as much, but the result is more important. The first moto I passed almost everybody in the same exact spot, (including) Jeff Alessi and Mike Alessi. Jeff went back and told his brother about it, so everyone was using that line the second moto. I had to find something new and the next straightaway ended up being my new spot. It’s still really early to think title. I think I’m doing what I have to do, which is being consistent. A 4-4 (at Glen Helen) and 2-2 is a good start for me. James (Stewart) has got some speed that I need to find somewhere on the track. I still feel like I can improve. I’m 33, but it seems like every year I put my head down and try to become a better rider. I’m not ready to give up just yet.”
James Stewart, Monster Energy Kawasaki, AMA Motocross Class, Overall Winner
““It felt good. I felt really good today. I was just trying to keep solid lap times, racing the pit board and just doing my thing. We practice that so much during the week trying to get ready for the weekend. The track was really tough today. It was hard to get a bike setup. We’ve been working really hard and its showing. (Davi Millsaps) kind of shocked me. He went around me on the inside. I landed off the jump and thought I had a good pace and he came flying past me. It kind of (angered) me a little bit. It looked like his bike bogged when I passed him back because he landed on the face of a jump and his bike kind of stopped. I was able to go on the inside and get him back. But it was a shocker for sure. We’ve been training really hard and I feel like every week I’m getting better. (My competitors) are riding really good and every week I go home and just try to work harder and harder. They’re riding really good so I got to keep it up. I think that’s cool (to win the 40th Anniversary race). I didn’t even know about that so that’s pretty cool. I think the fans appreciate it. They’re really showing the love and I think that will continue for the rest of the season.”
James Stewart – Credit Carl Stone
Jason Lawrence, Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy, AMA Motocross Lites, Third-Place Overall
“(In the first moto) I tried to creep up on the gate and by the time I realized I was going to hit it and grabbed the brake the gate dropped. I came out of the first turn about mid pack. And that’s not the kind of competition where you’re going to come through and find yourself on the podium if you don’t get good starts and that’s what happened. I feel like I raced my best and I got fifth which is a pretty good amount of points and I’ll take that. I feel like my fitness is a little bit better. My riding has always been good, its my strong point. My speed isn’t all the way there based on the second moto because I couldn’t hang with Ryan (Villopoto) the whole time but that’s just something I’ll work on and it’ll come over time.”
Ryan Dungey, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki, AMA Motocross Lites, Second-Place Overall
“I still think I fit the Lites bike pretty good. I don’t think there’s a disadvantage. I just need to find a little more speed throughout the year. I battled (Austin) Stroupe both motos and was able to get by him. I feel good, the bike is fast and gets better and better. For now I’d like to stick with the Lites bike. Coming from last week, (Villopoto) did better. He ended up getting out and away from us. In the second moto he got a good start again and took off while I didn’t get a good start. All I can do is give it a good shot this week getting ready and come back.”
Ryan Villopoto, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, AMA Motocross Lites, Overall Winner
“Three races in a row, I’d like to keep it going and get the points (advantage) a little bigger. I definitely want to finish my last season in the Lites division and win three (championships) in a row. (My competitors) are going fast and it’s just going to take doing the work during the week to stay ahead of them. The track was pretty rough and the warm weather really separated the riders.”
AMA Motocross Lites Podium – Credit Carl Stone
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