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Written by:
Steve Cox
06/29/2008 - 03:09 PM
Lakewood, CO
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Steve Cox) » More Photos
The first-ever nighttime AMA National MX event, held last night in Lakewood, Colorado, wasn’t without controversy. The first practice session under the lights was held on Friday night and was met with a smattering of poor reviews from many of the riders who thought that many sections of the track were too dark. There was even at least one rider who noted that some parts of the track were too bright, although that was likely because the preceding section was so dark. The AMA got together and worked with the teams, riders, and promoter to improve the lighting situation, and by Saturday night, there were a few smaller lighting rigs accompanying the seven massive lighting towers already in place.
The end result wasn’t perfect, but it was an improvement over Friday night, and even the most skeptical riders admitted by the end of the day that it at least wasn’t bad.
The first Lites moto got going just after the sun had disappeared behind the hillside on which the track sits. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto was quickly into the lead and immediately began putting time between himself and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi in second place.
Villopoto led every lap of the first moto, recording his eighth consecutive moto win, while Izzi just barely held off teammate Ryan Dungey for second. Geico Powersports Honda teammates Josh Grant and Trey Canard (both of whom missed the last race due to injury – Grant has been out since the Las Vegas Supercross with a concussion) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The second Lites moto began after the sun had completely set, and this time it was Grant with the holeshot, followed by MDK KTM’s Martin Davalos and Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy’s Mike Brown,
“For the first couple of weeks, they told me not to do anything to raise my heart rate at all,” Grant said. “I’m lucky this was a night race and it was cool, because if it was hot, it might have been a lot harder on me for my first race back.”
Villopoto started near the tail-end of the top 10, just in front of Canard, and they both began slashing their way through the pack. Grant led the first 12 laps before Villopoto finally caught him and the battle for the lead ensued. Villopoto made the pass stick a couple of times only for Grant to come back in and force his way back by for the lead. Finally, just before the start of the 13th lap, Villopoto made an aggressive move around the outside of a turn before the finish line and established a lead that he held to the finish. Grant ended up barely holding off his teammate, Canard, for second (and second overall), while Izzi was fourth (his 2-4 good enough for third overall).
With Dungey, his closest championship rival, out, Villopoto now enjoys a healthy lead in the title chase.
“I guess it’s more than a race’s worth of points now,” Villopoto said. “But I’m not going to change anything.”
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