As the Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Series headed to the world?s center of racing, Dayton International Speedway, for the famed Daytona Supercross, Monster Energy Kawasaki?s Ryan Villopoto was riding high. Having won four of the previous five 450cc main events, Villopoto was leading the points standings in his first-ever 450cc title defense, and he was heading into an event that he had won in both 2010 and 2011.
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Just prior to the running of the Daytona Supercross came bad news for the series, as 2010 champ ? and Villopoto?s closest 2012 title rival ? Ryan Dungey was to sit out the event, and possibly quite a few more, as he healed from collarbone surgery.
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The 2012 Daytona Supercross started out with a torrential downpour during the heat races, and by the time the main events rolled around, the track wasn?t just muddy, but so wet that racers were forced to splash through many areas of the track.
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At the start of the 450cc main event, Davi Millsaps took the holeshot, just in front of his teammate and former champion James Stewart. Then came heat-race winner Kevin Windham (a winner at another muddy Daytona event in 2008), Frenchman Marvin Musquin, Aussie Brett Metcalfe, Monster Energy Kawasaki?s Jake Weimer, Matt Goerke, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki?s Broc Tickle, and the rest of the field. Points leader, and two-time defending Daytona champ, Villopoto was near the back and got caught up with a slower rider and fell in the mud. He rounded the first lap in 17th.
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Out front, it took a couple of laps before Stewart found his way by his teammate Millsaps and into the lead, but once he did, he took control, leading the rest of the race over Millsaps and Windham, who splashed their ways to second and third.
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Weimer ran fifth until two laps to go, when he fell exiting a rutted right-hand turn, handing the spot to his teammate Villopoto, who had been trying to pass him for a few laps at that point. Weimer lost two spots in the fall and ended up seventh in the main event, barely holding off Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki?s Broc Tickle, who finished eighth.
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?I?ve never minded the mud very much,? Weimer said, ?but as a pro, I haven?t had the best results in the mud. I could?ve done better, because I had a couple of falls, but it wasn?t bad. The track was really sketchy, for sure.?
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Villopoto ended the night in fifth place, salvaging valuable points.
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?It sucked to hear that Ryan [Dungey] was out for tonight,? Villopoto said. ?No one wants to win like that. But more than anything, I just needed a start tonight, and I didn?t get it. There aren?t a lot of places to pass out there, so when you?re stuck in the back, it?s really hard to get moving.?
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Villopoto now has a 29-point lead in the title chase, but that?s over Dungey, who will likely be out a few more weeks. The next healthy racer in points, James Stewart, sits 44 points behind Villopoto with seven rounds left to race.
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In the Lites class, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad has been uncharacteristically struggling as of late with East racers Darryn Durham and Blake Baggett. But if there was a place to turn things around, Daytona was it. Durham has been pretty solid all year, finishing inside the top five every week, but has not been spectacular, and his teammate Baggett ? who was expected to be a legitimate title threat in 2012 ? was finding it to be very tough and inconsistent, with a second-place finish sandwiched between a lackluster 15th-place and a ninth-place. Baggett won Daytona in 2011, though, and although the California native isn?t a fan of the mud, he was hopeful things would be looking up in Florida.
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Defending champ Justin Barcia grabbed the holeshot to start the main event in the Daytona mud while Baggett quickly slotted into second in front of Blake Wharton, Alex Martin, Ken Roczen, Jake Canada and Darryn Durham.
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Barcia pulled away initially, but Baggett began catching him before halfway, only to fall with five laps still to run in the 12-lap race. It looked like the race for the lead was over, but miraculously, Baggett reeled Barcia back in from well over 10 seconds back, and on the final lap, Baggett was looking for a way past Barcia. However, Barcia kept smart lines and held Baggett in second.
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Durham was another story, as he began moving forward straight off the start, and by halfway he was fifth. By lap eight, he found his way into third, and that?s where he stayed until the end of the race.
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Barcia took the win in front of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammates Blake Baggett and Darryn Durham.
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?I?m not a fan,? Baggett said of the mud. ?But I felt pretty good out there. I felt like, if I just didn?t have that fall, I could?ve won here again, and that?s good. That?s a lot better than I have been lately, that?s for sure!?
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Baggett now finds himself fifth in the points.
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For Durham, it was his second podium finish of the season as well, but he?s now a solid second in the standings.
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The series heads to Indianapolis next weekend for round 11 inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
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Lites Main: Daytona
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit? Kawasaki
3. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
4. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
5. Blake Wharton, Beaumont, Texas, Suzuki
6. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
7. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
9. Cole Thompson, Canada, Honda
10. Tommy Weeck, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki
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Lites Eastern Regional SX Season Standings
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda ? 100
2. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki ? 76
3. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM ? 75
4. Blake Wharton, Beaumont, Texas, Suzuki ? 72
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki ? 62
6. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda ? 56
7. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda ? 46
8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM ? 42
9. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Tex., Yamaha ? 42
10. Cole Thompson, Canada, Honda ? 32
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450 Main: Daytona
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
2. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha
3. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
4. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
5. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Monster Energy Kawasaki
6. Mike Alessi, Hesperia, Calif., Suzuki
7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Monster Energy Kawasaki
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
9. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Suzuki
10. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Suzuki
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450 SX Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Monster Energy Kawasaki ? 221
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki ? 192
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha ? 177
4. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda ? 143
5. Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Monster Energy Kawasaki ? 134
6. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha ? 131
7. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda ? 128
8. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Suzuki ? 124
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda ? 121
10. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki ? 113
Source: http://www.monsterenergy.com/us/en/news/monster-energy-racers-tackle-daytona/
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