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SX: Villopoto In Control
Defending champ Ryan Villopoto is carrying a mammoth 54-point lead into this weekend's round north of the border.
Media Release  |  Posted March 19, 2012   Aurora, IL
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 12 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from Toronto, Canada will air LIVE on SPEED Saturday, March 24 at 7:30pm ET. #SXonSPEED

A strong outing to claim his sixth win of the season, combined with the misfortune of his remaining championship rival, has given Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto firm control of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. The defending Supercross Class champion carries a 54-point lead into the championship’s annual visit to Toronto’s Rogers Centre for the 12th race of the 2012 season this Saturday night.

Media day is Thursday, March 22 from Noon-2:00 p.m. inside the Media Center at Rogers Centre, featuring Canadian Standout Cole Thompson.

Last weekend in Indianapolis, Villopoto raced to his sixth win this season, patiently working his way from a fifth-place start to work past second-place competitor Brett Metcalfe, and his Yoshimura Suzuki, on Lap 10, and make a winning pass on Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton on Lap 15.

An added significance came with Villopoto’s win at the expense of Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX’s James Stewart. With the departure of both championship contenders Chad Reed, of TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda, and Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey due to injury, Stewart assumed the role as the lead challenger to Villopoto’s points lead. Following a win in Daytona, Stewart had the momentum coming into Indianapolis; however, a crash coming out of the first turn in his heat race left Stewart out of contention for the remainder of the evening for precautionary reasons.

With uncertainty surrounding Stewart’s condition and status for this weekend in Toronto, Villopoto could hold as much as 95 points to his credit over fellow Toyota/Yahama/JGRMX rider Davi Millsaps, who currently sits fourth in the Supercross Class standings behind both Dungey and Stewart, respectively.

In Stewart’s absence, both Brayton and Metcalfe assumed the vacancy at the front of the field. Both riders rode strong heat races, with each taking the win in their respective heat for the first time this season, which also helped set the tone for their efforts in the main event.

Brayton’s strong start led to him leading an evening-high 10 laps before succumbing to the pressure of Villopoto. The runner-up effort was a career-best finish for Brayton and could be the spark he needs to contend for a spot on the championship podium at season’s end. For Metcalfe, he found himself in the thick of the battle for the win for most of the main event, ultimately settling for fourth, which tied his best result of the 2012 season.

Millsaps overtook Metcalfe in the late stages of the race to secure his second consecutive podium finish, with a third-place finish. Millsaps has come on strong in the second half of the season, and as a result of his strong results, he is currently fourth in the Supercross Class point standings.

At last season’s Monster Energy Supercross race in Toronto, Dungey overcame a season filled with heartbreak and frustration to break through for his first and only win of the 2011 season. However, the win vaulted Dungey into title contention, igniting a strong run to the finish that ultimately saw him finish third in the championship.
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