SX Half-Time Report
As Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, reaches its halfway point in the season, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn. leads the AMA Supercross class with 170 points followed by San Manuel Yamaha’s Josh Hill, of Carlsbad, Calif., with 150 points.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel, of Groveland, Fla., continues to dominate the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites class with a perfect 50 points after two races while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho leads the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class with 135 points.
A rookie in the premier AMA Supercross class, Dungey has won three races and claimed two additional podium finishes. He currently has led 74 of the 160 laps this season and has the most Spike Holeshots with four overall. He has work cut out for him as the second half of the season approaches this weekend in Daytona.
Ryan Dungey Speaks…
"The bike feels great, but there’s always room for improvement", said Dungey. "Everyone on the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team is behind me 110 percent, which is good. When I see people putting in everything they’ve got, then I can put in everything I’ve got and we make a great team. We’re just trying to keep moving forward as a team and sometimes you have to go backward to go forward but things are working out so far."
Heading into Indianapolis two weekends ago, Dungey was tied in points with Hill, but this changed when Hill finished ninth and dropped back into third place in season points standings.
As Hill fell in the standings, Villopoto, who sat in third place at the time, won the Indianapolis stop and moved up into a share of first place with Dungey as they rolled into Atlanta.
During the Atlanta race, Villopoto crashed on lap 10 while chasing down his rival, allowing Dungey to comfortably win and lock-in a 20-point lead over Hill heading into this weekend. Villopoto now sits back in third place with 147 points, 23 out of the lead.
In the coming weeks, defending AMA Supercross class champion James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., and former AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., plan their return to the circuit following injuries which left them out for a several of races.
After two races in the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class, Christophe Pourcel sits in first place with 50 points followed by Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe, from Lincolnton, N.C., with 44 points. During the Atlanta race, Pourcel’s Pro Circuit teammate Dean Wilson, from San Jacinto, Calif., claimed the holeshot and led the first nine laps, but was stalked and soon passed by Stroupe, followed by GEICO Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., and Pourcel, respectively. Three laps later, Stroupe’s wheel slid out from under him, opening a lane for Pourcel to slip into first place. Pourcel continued to lead the remaining two laps and win the race and is now two-for-two in wins this season.
Christophe Pourcel Speaks…
"This was a crazy race," explained Pourcel. "They were running fast. I got a good start and just kept my pace. I was pushing real hard and stayed in (the battle). With Barcia and Stroupe in there it was tough but I ended up winning the race and I wouldn’t be able to do it without my team."
As for the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class, currently on a mid-season break, Weimer leads through six races with 135 points followed by Honda Red Bull Racing’s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., with 121 points. Weimer has led 47 of the 90 laps completed and has four wins along with one additional podium finish. The Western Regional Supercross Lites class resumes at the Seattle stop on April 24.
Jake Weimer Speaks…
"So far, so good for me," said Weimer. "I wanted to come out here and win, and that is what I have earned. I am really excited about this. This is a huge step in the right direction."
2010 AMA Supercross Point Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 170
2. Josh Hill, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 150
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 147
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 134
5. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 121
6. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 115
7. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 113
8. Nick Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 85
9. Michael Byrne, Noonan, Ga., Yamaha, 71
10. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 69Â
