Written by:
SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
The Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites championship opens tomorrow at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome with defending Western Regional AMA Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto racing for the first title of his career on the east coast. In the premier AMA Supercross class, Torco Fuels Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss. captured his first race win since Anaheim 1 in 2005. This weekend, he will race for his second consecutive win as Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship erupts at the Georgia Dome.
Fans of Monster Energy Supercross can watch the AMA Supercross class race on CBS Sports Sunday at Noon (EST). The AMA Supercross Lites class race will air on SPEED Saturday, March 1 at 6:00 p.m.
As the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Championship heads into a break until Seattle, a host of riders have their sites set on removing Villopoto from the number-one position, including Torco Fuels Honda’s Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., and Tray Cannard, of Elk City, Okla., Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Branden Jesseman, of New Brighton, Pa., Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi, of St. Clair, Mich., and Yamaha of Troy’s Ryan Morais, of Temecula, Calif.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s AMA Supercross class rider David Vuillemin heads to Atlanta with two top-10 finishes under his belt after battling injuries for much of the season. In spite of a crash at last week’s race in Houston, the Frenchman is on the mend and is eager for the upcoming race.
“I am feeling pretty sore and scratched up from my heat race crash in Houston,” admitted Vuillemin. “I just have pain in my neck and road rash on my back, but nothing is broken, and I am good to go for Atlanta. I rode a couple of times this week and also did some testing. I’m excited about Atlanta because I’ve done well there in the past (second in 2000 and 2002), and it’s the biggest crowd of the year. Also, it’s a fun place with awesome dirt -- the track could get pretty rutted with that red Georgia clay!”
For AMA Supercross Lites rider Nico Izzi, the Georgia Dome will be the site of his Supercross debut. The 17-year-old rider was one of Suzuki’s most decorated amateur athletes before turning pro during the 2007 AMA Motocross Lites season. In his second-ever AMA Motocross Lites race at Steel City, he finished an amazing fifth overall. He also finished 10th at Millville and ninth at Glen Helen.
“I’m not really that nervous about Atlanta this weekend,” said Izzi. “I feel ready. I’ve been training really hard, I feel healthy, and I’m looking forward to getting out there and racing. I’ve had a lot of time on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and the bike is great -- I don’t think you could get much better.”
