SX Race Report
The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, was the site for one of the most exciting Supercross races of the year. The red clay was really slick and rutted up, making for a challenging but successful night for the Yoshimura riders.
The night started with Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe winning his heat race. Leading from lap one and easily putting his Yoshimura equipped RM-Z250 onto the top spot on the box. Austin was tactical in his assessment of the track: "It’s going to take a lot of work and a good start tonight. The track is tough but I’m ready to race."
The first 450cc Supercross heat saw Rockstar Makita Suzuki ace Ryan Dungey lining up on the gate. Dungey took his Yoshimura RS-4 Carbon Fiber exhaust to second place. Team Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps returned the favor by passing Dungey and showing him the Yoshimura RS-4 exhaust on his factory Honda machine. Millsaps quickly got on the gas for the heat race win, although Dungey applied pressure the entire race and finished in second.
The 250 Supercross Lites main event was a real barn burner. Stroupe started third but quickly moved into second place, then into the lead. Stroupe led a couple of laps of the race, but washed the front end on a sweeper and fell. He remounted in third, but by the checkers got back up to second place. That makes it two second-place finishes in a row for Stroupe, who’s also second in points in the Eastern Regional Lites class.
Austin was happy with second place points, but still wants that win, "I’m on the podium again, but not the top spot. I rode well and was so close, but that’s racing. I’ll be back for Daytona and looking to move up that one spot."
The Supercross race was exciting for Yoshimura. Dungey and his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450 grabbed the holeshot and simply checked out. Dungey was feeling good up on the podium, "I’ve been after this one. We worked hard and got back on top. I liked the track — it was fun and overall I had a good time. This is where I got my first win in my professional career, so it’s really special to me."Dungey left Atlanta with a 20-point lead in the series.
Yoshimura-prepped Honda CR450Fs took the second and third spots on the podium. Trey Canard, who’s filling in for injured Andrew Short, took his #38 Honda to an amazing second-place finish in only the second 450 race he’s ever competed in. Canard is still in the points chase on the Western Regional Lites class, as well. Also having a great season is Davi Millsaps, who managed to put it up on the box with a fine third place run. Once again, Yoshimura, the leader in performance, is looking to be a defining advantage.