SALT LAKE CITY (April 25, 2009) – San Manual Yamaha’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., won his 11th Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, a FIM World Championship, race at Rice-Eccles Stadium before 40,612 fans. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., capped off the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class season with the championship. In tonight’s Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class main event, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., won his first race of the season.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., opened the AMA Supercross class main event with the holeshot with Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps, of Tallahassee, Fla., and Stewart following in second and third respectively. Stewart passed Millsaps one turn later and secured second place.
On lap four, Stewart passed Reed, but Reed bounced back and regained the lead. The same scenario would unfold on lap eight, but it was on lap 12 that Stewart made the pass and rode off to victory. Millsaps finished third. The Monster Energy® Supercross finals takes place next Saturday at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium with Stewart leading Reed by xx points.
“I got the holeshot and started the race out great,” said Reed. “There are little things here and there that I need to work on, but it was a good race. We head to Las Vegas next weekend for the last race of the season, and I am looking forward to it.”
“That was a fun race for me,” said Stewart. We passed one another several times and it was fun. Chad was on it tonight, and I almost crashed a few times. We have one more race next weekend in Las Vegas.”
Dungey started the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class main event with the holeshot followed in second place by Honda’s Jake Moss, of Temecula, Calif., and his teammate Chris Blose, of Phoenix, Ariz., in third. In the early stages of the opening lap Moss moved into the lead. On lap seven Moss crashed and handed the lead over to Dungey.
Canard worked his way through the pack and passed Dungey for the lead on lap seven. Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, moved around Dungey for second place on lap 13 and began his chase on Canard. Weimer pushed Canard for the next two laps but it wasn’t enough. Canard, the defending Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class champion, held on for the win.
“This win tonight is great for me,” said Canard. “I have had a rough season and to end it like this is all worth it.”
En route to winning the first AMA Supercross Lites class championship, Dungey earned four wins and three additional podium finishes.
“I want to thank my family and team for being there for me,” said Dungey on the championship. “I lost the battle but won the war tonight. There are so many people that helped me get to this point in my career and I want to thank them.”
The AMA Supercross class will air on CBS Sports Sunday, April 26 at Noon (EST), and the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class will air on Sunday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m. (EST).
Monster Energy® Supercross heads to Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium next Saturday, May 2 for the championship finals.
AMA Supercross Class Results, Salt Lake City
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
- Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Suzuki
- Davi Millsaps, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash. Kawasaki
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
- Matt Boni, Geneva, Fla., Honda
- Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki
- Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda
- Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Kawasaki
AMA Supercross Class Season Standings
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha, 357
- Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Suzuki, 351
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 257
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 223
- Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 218
- Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 210
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 208
- Davi Millsaps, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 208
- Mike Alessi, Apple Valley, Calif., Suzuki, 203
- Josh Hill, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 146
Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results, Salt Lake City
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
- Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda
- Jake Moss, Temecula, Calif., Honda
- Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Kawasaki
- Michael Hall, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
- Ben Evans, Boise, Idaho, Honda
Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 178
2. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 173
3. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 166
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 119
5. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda, 110
6. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 99
7. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., KTM, 89
8. Jeff Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Honda, 70
9. Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 67
10. P.J. Larsen, Stanley, N.C., Kawasaki, 62