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Race Report: Honda Hangtown Motocross Classic
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
week's 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
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