Motocross
Supercross: Honda dominates in Phoenix
Barcia gets first 450SX win while Tomac demolishes the 250 competition.
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Chase Field stadium lights up
© S.Cudby/KTM Images
The season opener in Anaheim is huge. It’s surrounded by massive amounts of hype and for the teams and riders, it seems as if the entire world is watching. The pressure to perform is immense, which often results in frazzled nerves creating race results that don’t always reflect reality. Reigning champ Ryan Villopoto’s crash-filled night and subsequent sixteenth place at the opener is a prime example. For these reasons, the argument can easily be made that the real season doesn’t truly begin until the following week in Phoenix. If your name is Justin Barcia, nothing would make you happier.
Last week’s winner Davi Millsaps snagged the holeshot but was quickly passed by Barcia, who immediately went to work on building a large and permanent lead. Next up were Chad Reed and Villopoto, but Villopoto dropped several positions when he slid out on the hard, slick and dry Phoenix dirt. He remounted and found himself in a battle with James Stewart, who was still riding tentatively due to a knee injury suffered one week ago in Anaheim. Villopoto made relatively quick work of the injured Stewart and went to work picking off riders until he was in third place behind Trey Canard. The pair put on a great battle until Canard went down exiting a rhythm section. Had Canard held the position, his second place would have handed him the points lead. Instead he finished the race in fifth, allowing Millsaps to retain the points lead.
Elsewhere, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, who handed KTM their first 450SX win last year at this very race, was having some issues of his own. After getting wrapped up in a crazy heat race crash that wasn’t his fault, Dungey was forced to qualify for the main by way of the LCQ. Then, on the start of the main, Dungey was again the victim of bad luck and had to shoot off the track to avoid getting tangled in a first-turn pileup. Dungey got back on the course in near dead last, but was able to work his way up to eighth by race’s end.
Dungey had a frustrating weekend
© S.Cudby/KTM Images
In the 250SX ranks, the race was a near carbon copy of last week for GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, who started in around fifth place before authoritatively ripping the lead from Martin Davalos’ hands on lap eight and opening a gaping chasm that would grow to over eleven seconds at one point. For Tomac, it’s the second straight week of utter dominance. For his competition, it’s another demoralising defeat.
Ken Roczen was fast, but spent too much time fighting to get past riders like Jessy Nelson, Cole Seely and Davalos to make a run at Tomac. After the race, Roczen was unhappy with his second place, blaming a “beginner mistake” – starting with his right foot down – for his poor start.
The final spot on the podium was filled by Davalos, who narrowly escaped serious injury in his heat race in a wild crash in which he was launched off his bike and over a berm after botching a rhythm lane. Davalos advanced via the LCQ and despite a sore wrist, managed to lead the main for seven laps. He hung onto second before surrendering the spot to a charging Roczen on the final lap.
Phoenix Supercross Results January 12, 2013
450SX 1.Justin Barcia 2.Ryan Villopoto 3.Davi Millsaps 4.Chad Reed 5.Trey Canard
250SX 1.Eli Tomac 2.Ken Roczen 3.Martin Davalos 4.Cole Seely 5.Jessy Nelson
For complete results, please visit results.amasupercross.com
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