Geico SX Report
Supercross favorite Kevin Windham brought 200 family members and friends to Houston’s Reliant Stadium for the 13th stop of the 2010 AMA Monster Energy tour. Then the Centerville, Miss., resident went out and posted his best finish of the year, taking second place in the 450cc category to lead the GEICO Powersports Honda team to a 2-3-4 finish.
Teammates Justin Barcia and Brett Metcalfe, both of whom compete in Supercross Lites, were the third and fourth-best finishers in their category, making this one of the best days of the year for the Mike LaRocco-led race team.
Kevin Windham says: "It was a great night," Windham said. "We’ve been working so hard all season and to have it come together like it did tonight with everyone here was very cool. I feel like we’re right there and I’d love to get a win in one of these last four events before the season ends.
"I was really focused on catching (race winner Ryan) Villopoto. I beat him in qualifying but he found another gear in the main event. He did a good job. My strong point all night was the whoops and I struggled through them on laps 8, 9, and 10 and that just knocked the win out of my sails because I lost my best part of the course. Still, to come in second was a great result. I’m pumped up."
Supercross Lites got interesting before qualifying even started when second-place points earner Austin Stroupe crashed during practice and was injured enough that he couldn’t race. That development put the 2010 Lites East title within Christophe Pourcel’s reach with Barcia the only one able to delay his title celebration. To do so Barcia needed to finish ahead of the Frenchman but that didn’t happen as Pourcel took his fifth East win in seven starts, relegating Barcia to third.
Justin Barcia says: "I didn’t have the best gate pick and got pinched in the first turn," Barcia said. "Then it was just mayhem for awhile, especially on the jumps. There were bikes everywhere.
"Once I got separated I was able to move up and I thought I’d have a chance but the track got hard-packed and the tire was just spinning. (The track) was so good until the final but when it gets hard like that the tire can’t grab and when you rev it up it just wants to spin. Still, third place is great; it’s another podium finish for the GEICO Powersports Honda team."
Metcalfe emerged from the cluttered start and broke away with the lead pack early in the 15-lap main. After running as high as third, he settled into fifth and stayed there for most of the race until he managed to move up one spot when opponent Dean Wilson wiped out on the final lap.
Brett Matcalfe says: "I had a solid ride; it wasn’t blazing but it was solid," Metcalfe said. "I got up to third at one point and was in good position but got passed by a couple of people that were riding better on this track.
Dean Wilson says: "I could see the riders in front getting grouped together and I thought something might happen so I kept pushing. I saw Wilson on the ground so knew I got a spot back there. It’s Supercross so you know anything can happen. You have to keep your head in it."
AMA Supercross Class Results: Houston
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
3. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
4. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Kawasaki
5. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
6. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Suzuki
7. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
10. Josh Hill, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
AMA Supercross Points Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 277
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 265
3. Josh Hill, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 217
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 203
5. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 201
6. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 179
7. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 176
8. Nick Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 141
9. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Suzuki, 128
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 123
Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Results: Houston
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki
3. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
4. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
5. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha
6. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda
7. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha
8. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
9. Dean Wilson, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki
Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Points Standings
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki, 159
2. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki, 126
3. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 122
4. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 113
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 102
6. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 91
7. Dean Wilson, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki, 83
8. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda, 69
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha, 65
10. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 58
The tour quickly moves to St. Louis for race 14, which will be held Saturday in St. Louis.