2014 Monster Energy Supercross Preview
Only four rounds remain in the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, the action returning west this weekend to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
As the series approaches its end, the race for the title is tightening. And though Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto holds the lead with 268 points, its the man in third that is on a complete tear – Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart.
The Floridan won the past three rounds, and earned his 50th career victory last weekend at St. Louis Supercross. This places him 36 points behind Villopoto. In second, 35 points behind Villopoto is Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey.
This Houston Supercross weekend will be tough for Stewart, considering the statistics. Why? Villopoto has won at NRG Stadium the past three seasons.
Below are some pre-race stats ahead of this evening’s race in Houston. Don’t forget to catch all the action live beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
450SX Class Stats: Houston     Â
- The first race was held on March 15, 1974, and Pierre Karsmakers won on a Yamaha
- This will be the 48th time the gate will drop for a 450SX Class race in Houston
- Houston and Daytona are the only two original venues from the 1974 championship and have never missed a year of racing
- Houston was the site of the second ever venue to host a double-header race in 1977
- In 1978-1979, Bob Hannah swept both double-headers in consecutive seasons
- In 1981-1982 Mark Barnett became the second rider to sweep the double headers in consecutive seasons
- Jeff Ward won four consecutive races in Houston from ‘85-‘88
- KTM has never won in Houston, can Ryan Dungey or Ken Roczen change this?
- In the previous 47 races, the winner of this race has gone on to win the title 23 times
450SX Class: Wins by Brand at NRG Stadium
- Yamaha: 15
- Kawasaki: 13
- Honda: 11
- Suzuki: 6
- Can-Am: 2
450SX Class: First-Time Winners in Houston
- Broc Glover: 1980
- Jimmy Weinert: 1976
- Trey Canard :2011
450SX Class: St. Louis Recap
- James Stewart earned his 50th career win, his fifth of the season and third consecutive race win
- Stewart is the only rider to win three consecutive races in 2014
- Stewart used 114 starts to earn 50 450SX Class wins; Jeremy McGrath used 84 450SX Class starts to earn 50 wins
- Stewart now has 97 career AMA victories
- Stewart tied Kevin Windham for fifth on the all-time 450SX Class podium list with 75
- For the fifth time in his career, Stewart has won five 450SX Class races in a season; McGrath accomplished this feat seven times; Ricky Carmichael five; Rick Johnson and Bob Hannah four
- Ryan Villopoto earned his eighth podium of the season; it was his 59th-career 450SX Class podium
- Villopoto now has six consecutive seasons with five or more podium finishes
- Justin Barcia earned his seventh top-five finish and third podium of the season
- Roczen earned his seventh top-five finish with a fourth place
- In his first race of the season, Trey Canard earned his first top-five finish since Salt Lake City of last season
- In his sixth race of the season, Eli Tomac earned his third top-10 finish
- With a seventh place finish in St. Louis, Josh Hill has now earned three straight top-10 finishes for the first time since races 11-13 of 2010
- Andrew Short earned his 12th top-10 finish of the season with an eighth place
- For only the third time this season, and after six straight podiums, Dungey finished outside of the top five with a ninth place
- Justin Brayton kept his top-10 streak alive with a 10-place finish; Villopoto and Brayton are the only riders to have a top-10 finish in each race this season
- Brayton has 18 consecutive top-10 finishes and is the current consecutive starts leader at 44
- Nick Wey earned his best finish of the season with an eleventh place; it was his 169th-career 450SX Class start
- Wey can tie Chad Reed at fifth on the all-time 450SX Class start list
250SX Class: Houston Stats
- The first race was held on April 20, 1985, and Eddie Warren won on a Kawasaki
- This will be the 30th time the gate will drop for a 250SX Class race in Houston
- In 2001, Travis Preston gave Husqvarna its one and only 250SX Class win
- Windham and Christophe Pourcel are the only two 250SX Class riders to win Houston back-to-back
- Last season Blake Wharton broke a 17-season drought for Suzuki in the 250SX Class in Houston
- Roczen gave KTM their first 250SX Class win in Houston last season
- In the previous 29 races in Houston, the winner of this race has gone on to win the title 15 times
250SX Class: Wins by Brand in Houston
- Kawasaki: 12
- Suzuki: 6
- Yamaha: 5
- Honda: 4
- Husqvarna: 1
- KTM: 1
250SX Class: First-Time Winners in Houston
- Willie Surate: 1986
- Jeff Emig: 1990
- Jimmy Gaddis: 1993
- Shae Bentley: 2000
- Travis Preston: 2001
- Matt Walker: 2002
- Austin Stroupe: 2008
250SX Class: St. Louis Recap
- After a seven-week hiatus, the Western Regional resumes this weekend
- Justin Hill earned the first 250SX Class win of his career in San Diego; it was his second podium finish
- Hill started a string of first time winners with Cianciarulo, who won in Arlington, and Davalos, who won in Atlanta
- In four consecutive races in the Western Region, there have been has been four different winners: Hill in San Diego; Dean Wilson in Anaheim 3; Jason Anderson in Oakland; Cole Seely in Anaheim 2
- Anderson earned his fourth podium of the season with a second place; he has a four-point lead over Seely with three races remaining
- Malcolm Stewart earned his second podium of the season with a third-place finish, and his brother James won the 450SX Class
- Seely earned his sixth top-five finish with a fourth place
- Shane McElrath and Jessy Nelson both earned their best finishes of the season with fifth and sixth place finishes respectively
450SX Class Laps Led
- James Stewart: 84
- Ryan Villopoto: 74
- Ryan Dungey: 24
- Chad Reed: 23
- Ken Roczen: 21
- Justin Brayton: 13
- Justin Barcia: 11
- Mike Alessi: 9
- Cole Seely: 1
250SX Class Laps Led
- Cole Seely: 52
- Martin Davalos: 42
- Adam Cianciarulo: 34
- Justin Hill: 20
- Justin Bogle: 15
- Blake Baggett: 14
- Dean Wilson: 12
- Â Jason Anderson: 6
450SX Class Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award
- Anaheim Race 1: Ryan Villopoto
- Phoenix: Matt Moss
- Anaheim Race 2: Ryan Dungey
- Oakland: Vince Friese
- Anaheim Race 3: James Stewart
- San Diego: Andrew Short
- Arlington: Ryan Dungey
- Atlanta: Mike Alessi
- Indianapolis: Mike Alessi
- Daytona: Ryan Villopoto
- Detroit: Cole Seely
- Toronto: Ken Roczen
- St. Louis: Mike Alessi
250SX Class Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award
- Anaheim Race 1: Jason Anderson
- Phoenix: Cooper Webb
- Anaheim Race 2: Cooper Webb
- Oakland: Dean Wilson
- Anaheim Race 3: Cole Seely
- San Diego: Dakota Tedder
- Arlington: Adam Cianciarulo
- Atlanta: Adam Cianciarulo
- Indianapolis: Vince Friese
- Daytona: Martin Davalos
- Detroit: Martin Davalos
- Toronto: Justin BogleSt. Louis: Martin Davalos
450SX Class Fastest Qualifying Time
- Anaheim Race 1: Justin Barcia
- Phoenix: Ryan Villopoto
- Anaheim Race 2: Justin Brayton
- Oakland: Ryan Villopoto
- Anaheim Race 3: Ryan Villopoto
- San Diego: James Stewart
- Arlington: Ken Roczen
- Atlanta: James Stewart
- Indianapolis: James Stewart
- Daytona: Dean Wilson
- Detroit: Ryan Villopoto
- Â Toronto: James Stewart
