GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia (Photo: SupercrossOnline.com)

And to no one’s surprise, GEICO Honda was dominant yet again. There is little doubt that Barcia and Tomac have been the most consistent riders in the entire Lites division and for that, they were rewarded with championships and a bit of history for their team. Some will wonder what would have happened had Dean Wilson not hurt his shoulder in Seattle after contact with Tomac, but that's just what happens in racing, as harsh as it might be. It’s been a very tough road for Wilson, but he won't make any excuses; he’ll simply continue to move forward.

Meanwhile, Ryan Dungey left little doubt that he’s back in top form in the premier class finale. While he didn’t look his best in the heat race, he made the necessary adjustments prior to the main, got a good start, and checked out. Three of the 2009 champ’s four wins this season came in dominant fashion, again making you wonder how things might have played out had he stayed healthy. Although he missed five races with a broken collarbone, Dungey still managed to wrap up third in the championship and was only nine points from the runner-up position by season’s end.

KTM made the move of the offseason by signing Dungey. No one is going to argue how important it was in transforming the outfit into a legitimate force.

I’ve given Davi Millsaps a lot of praise throughout the second half of the Supercross season and he went out on Saturday night and showed why. The lone JGRMX rider continued to carry the flag high, climbing from a start outside the top 10 to finish second -- his fifth podium finish over the final 10 races.

That relentless, come-from-behind effort secured a career-best runner-up finish in a championship campaign that was full of dramatic moments along the way. Millsaps narrowly avoided disaster while battling with Jake Weimer on more than one occasion, even tapping wheels with the Kawasaki rider in mid-air at one point. However, Millsaps refused to quick and eventually made the move stick.

A race in front of the home fans in Atlanta was an awakening for Millsaps and he never finished worse than sixth from that point on, climbing from 11th to second in the championship. He may have missed out on a win, but there isn’t anything to be disappointed about. I don’t know if it’s a perfectly accurate recognition, but I’d say Millsaps was the comeback rider of the year.

Justin Brayton also deserves credit for making the most of his coveted opportunity to ride for the Factory Honda squad. When Trey Canard and Chad Reed went down to injuries, Brayton was the Red Riders’ final hope. Rather than falter, Brayton fought through some serious adversity -- a pretty seriously injured leg -- to continue racing and grab some impressive results. He hit his stride over the second half of the year and ultimately finished the season tied with Dungey for third in the championship. He gave Honda a lot to be happy about in what might have otherwise been a forgettable season.

Yes, the titles were wrapped up early, but Vegas gave us everything that made the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Championship worth it despite a devastating rash of injuries suffered by the sport’s biggest names.

It was a showcase for the individuals who kept this season vibrant and again demonstrated to the world that there is serious talent beyond the names that tend to dominant the spotlight.