2013 Southwick AMA Motocross | Moto-X 338 Preview

2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

With five rounds of 12 complete in the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto holds the lead in the points race.

But the margin became slimmer after last weekend’s round at Budds Creek in Maryland. During that race, Villopoto finished 1-2. Obviously a great result, but because Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey’s had the same score (2-1), the Kawasaki KX-F 450 rider didn’t receive any advantage.

Due to the draw, Dungey now trails Villopoto by a mere 16 points as the series heads into Southwick, Mass., for Saturday’s Chaplin Kawasaki Moto-X 338 National

Dungey has ridden his KTM SX-F 450 to perfection this season, the reigning AMA MX Champion finishing on the podium in every moto. In fact, he only finished third once at round 3 in Tennessee; in every other race he finished second or better.

And Dungey has an advantage over Villopoto at Southwick, considering he is a two-time winner at the sandy track.

But Villopoto has not been any slouch. The Minnesota native has won eight of ten motos, though he has never won a 450-class event there. His last victory at Southwick was in 2008, when he swept the round in the 250cc class.

Last week, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard took his first overall podium finish, giving him much momentum has he heads into Southwick. Canard, who dealt with many injuries over the past few seasons, is currently 83 points behind Villopoto, and 26 behind his teammate, the rookie Justin Bacia.

Also a threat to the top runners will by Smartop/MotoConcepts Racing’s Mike Alessi, who rounds out the top five in the championship standings after matching a season-best finish of third place in Moto 1 at Budds Creek.

In the 250cc class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett became the fourth different rider to finish atop the podium at Budds Creek.

Now joining Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin and GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac as winners of the 250 Class, Baggett has inserted himself into a four-way battle for the championship title. As the 250 Class winner at Moto-X 338 in 2012, Baggett is also looking to become the first back-to-back winner in Southwick since Ricky Carmichael in 1998 and 1999, MX Sports says.

Tomac was able to gain valuable points on the points leader, Roczen, last round, as the GEICO Honda rider went (5-1) to top Roczen’s scores of (3-6) and further close the gap to less than 10 points in the championship standings. Through five rounds, Musquin remains the only repeat winner in the 250 Class this season, currently sitting in third overall in the championship standings, MX Sports says.

The Moto-X 338 track is the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship’s perennial sand track-notoriously rough and physically exhausting-and has been since the first Southwick National event was held in 1976.

2013 Moto-X 338 AMA Motocross on TV:

Fuel TV  will broadcast the Southwick Motocross Moto 1 action live beginning at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 29. The second motos will air live on NBC Sports and Allisports.com beginning at 3:30 p.m.

2013 AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class Championship Standings (after five of 12 rounds):

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 240

2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 224

3. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 179

4. Trey Canard, Oklahoma City, Okla., Honda, 153

5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki,136

6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 122

7. Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki, 95

8. Ryan Sipes, Elizabethtown, Ky., Suzuki, 95

9. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 94

10. Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Kawasaki, 93

2013 AMA Pro Motocross 250 Class Championship Standings:

1. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 220

2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 211

3. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 199

4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 188

5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda, 149

6. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 128

7. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 109

8. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 107

9. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda, 104

10. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha, 99