AMA Supercross Motocross
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
SX: Villopoto Takes Momentum To Phoenix
Ryan Villopoto opened his 2012 title defense with a flawless performance at A1. Can he take it to the deep and talented Supercross field again this weekend in Phoenix?
Media Release  |  Posted January 09, 2012   Aurora, IL
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 2 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from Phoenix, AZ will air LIVE on SPEED Saturday, January 14th at 9:30pm ET.

After an exciting start to the season in front of a sold-out Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, heads to Phoenix this weekend for the second race of 2012 from Chase Field. Reigning champion, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, dominated last Saturday night, posting a flag-to-flag win and starting his title defense on a high note.

Media Day for this weekend’s action takes place on Thursday, January 12, from 12 noon until 2 p.m. MT, featuring Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX and MotoConcepts Suzuki.

Last weekend, Villopoto made a statement to his rivals with his impressive performance. After grabbing the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot in the 20-lap main event, Villopoto sprinted through the opening laps, setting an exceptionally quick pace and opening up a healthy advantage over the field. Behind him, TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda’s Chad Reed, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, and Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX’s James Stewart engaged in a captivating battle for the runner-up spot that kept the capacity crowd on its feet, in an uproar. Ultimately, a crash by Stewart allowed Reed and Dungey to duel for second, with Reed prevailing.

After playing integral roles in the most competitive season in Monster Energy Supercross history in 2011, each of these four riders proved that there is more hotly-contested racing in store for 2012.

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Monster Energy)
"It was a phenomenal night for me," said Villopoto. "I didn't have the heat race I wanted, so I didn't have a great gate pick. Once I was out front, I wanted to lay down fast laps and make no mistakes. I did make one small one, but overall, it was a great race for me."

The dominant effort by Villopoto not only gives the Washington native the early points lead, but also puts the pressure on his three closest rivals since none were able to contend with the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider once the gate dropped.

Reed added, “Villopoto made us look silly out here tonight. I am just happy to get second place tonight in this (deep) field of riders."

While Villopoto’s early sprint made it difficult for his competitors to challenge for the win, the “big four” showed their exceptional talent as the only riders in the entire 20-man field to post a lap under 1:02.000 on an extremely technical and challenging track.

Even though Villopoto has delivered the first blow in the championship battle, there is no doubt that Reed, Dungey, and Stewart will be putting in extra hours both on the track and in the gym this week to come back stronger than ever inside Chase Field and respond with their own winning effort.
Page 1 of 3
Prev
123
Next
media_release's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Media Release

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR