AMA Toyota MX: Millville

Click the following link for a 33-photo gallery of AMA National motocross race action from Millville. You can also click the following link for a 30-photo gallery from Saturday's pre-race action in the pits, as well as timed qualifying. How about a wallpaper of your new National MX1 Champion, James Stewart? Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

The weekend at the 2008 edition of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship at Millville was a wild one. There were two championships clinched, an overall win for a hometown hero, big crashes, an influx of graduating rookies, amazing come-from-behind rides, bikes burning…pretty much something for everyone.

Both James Stewart (MX1) and Ryan Villopoto (MX2) wrapped up their AMA Toyota Motocross Championship championships with two rounds remaining. Both of the Kawasaki speedsters have had dominating seasons, though only Stewart took both his motos here (in his usual convincing fashion) aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. James also came out for the second moto sporting a big number one on the back of his jersey.

James Stewart with the most recent addition to his collection of number one plates.

The day started out like usual for Ryan Villopoto…with yet another moto win aboard his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. But a crash midway through the first lap of moto two left him with no visor, and near the back of the pack. After getting back to his bike and remounting, he started from well outside the top 20, and put on an amazing charge to finish in second spot by moto’s end.

Ryan Villopoto.

Ryan Dungey did an awesome job of playing the role of hometown hero, which was easy to see, judging by the length of his autograph line before the race even started. Both of the Ryans (Dungey and Villopoto) had practice times that were close, and everyone was expecting a good race. Unfortunately, Villopoto had other plans, and took a relatively easy win in the first moto. Dungey was able to capitalize on Ryan Villopoto’s mistake in the second moto, and cruised in for his second straight overall win, much to the delight of the crowd.

Ryan Dungey.

The burning bikes? Following a crash in the abbreviated Millville whoop section (it was about half as long as usual), some spilled fuel ignited and that left two bikes burning during the first MX1 moto.

Blake Wharton was the most impressive of the Loretta Lynn's graduates in their first race in the pros. He was in second for much of the second MX2 moto. While he eventually finished fourth, combined with his tenth in the first moto, he scored a fifth overall in his first National.

Blake Wharton.

And the crashes? We already mentioned Villopoto’s crash and charge through the pack, but there was another one at the start of the second MX1 moto that was notable. The fast right-hand start at Millville is a bit spooky for the riders, since it makes it a lot tougher to get to their rear brake pedal. If we’re deciphering what happened correctly, Jase Lewis came into the first turn a little too hot, and got caught on the wrong side of Nick Wey’s rear wheel. That started a domino affect that took out nearly a quarter of the field, including guys like Andrew Short, Josh Hill, Broc Hepler, and Ivan Tedesco…who had all finished in the top ten in the first moto. Amazingly, Shorty was able to remount and charge back to fifth, which gave him a second overall for the day.

Next week the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship travels to Massachusetts, for the sands of Southwick. GP competitor Marc de Reuver is well known for his sand skills (though being a Florida resident James Stewart no slouch in the stuff himself), and it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

Be sure to click the link to the photo gallery above for much more from Millville.

What do you think? If you’re a Vital MX member (membership is free), you can leave a comment below, or talk about it in the Vital MX Forums

AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Results

Millville, MN

MX1
1. James Stewart (Kawasaki) 1-1

2. Andrew Short (Honda) 2-5

3. Michael Byrne (Suzuki) 6-2

4. Nick Wey (KTM) 10-4

5. Timmy Ferry (Kawasaki) 3-12

6. Jeff Alessi (Honda) 8-6

7. Matt Goerke (KTM) 9-7

8. Broc Hepler (Yamaha) 5-11

9. Cody Cooper (Suzuki) 19-3

10. Charles Summey (Yamaha) 13-10

11. Ivan Tedesco (Honda) 7-16

12. Gavin Gracyk (Yamaha) 16-8

13. Josh Hill (Yamaha) 16-8

14. Sean Hamblin (Yamaha) 14-14

15. Tyler Wharton (Honda) 28-9

16. Antonio Balbi (Honda) 11-32

17. Jason Thomas (Honda) 20-13

18. Shaun Skinner (Honda) 12-29

19. Ben Lamay (Yamaha) 32-15

20. Cole Siebler (Honda) 15-33

21. Sean Collier (Kawasaki) 22-17

22. Jase Lewis (Honda) 17-23

23. Matt Boni (Honda) 36-18

24. Kyle Lewis (Honda) 18-38

25. Michael Willard (Yamaha) 23-19

26. Kevin Rookstool (Honda) 26-20

27. Ryan Clark (Honda) 29-21

28. Ricky Renner (Kawasaki) 21-22

29. Jake Marsack (Honda) 37-24

30. Vince Friese (Honda) 34-25

31. Michael Blose (Honda) 40-26

32. Kristofer Miller (Honda) 33-27

33. Travis Sewell (Yamaha) 30-28

34. Kyle Partridge (Honda) 25-30

35. James Povolny (Kawasaki) 38-31

36. Paul Carpenter (Honda) 27-34

37. Mitch Dougherty (Honda) 39-35

38. Ben Evans (Honda) 35-36

39. Jacob Morrison (Kawasaki) 31-37

40. Kyle Tobin (Honda) 24-40

MX2

1. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) 2-1

2. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) 1-2

3. Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki) 4-3

4. Jake Weimer (Honda) 7-5

5. Blake Wharton (Honda) 10-4

6. Kyle Cunningham (Honda) 5-11

7. Andrew McFarlane (Kawasaki) 9-9

8. Wil Hahn (Yamaha) 8-10

9. Justin Brayton (KTM) 12-7

10. Josh Grant (Honda) 3-34

11. Nico Izzi (Suzuki) 17-6

12. Tucker Hibbert (Yamaha) 15-12

13. Broc Tickle (Yamaha) 6-37

14. Jake Moss (Yamaha) 23-8

15. P. J. Larsen (Kawasaki) 16-15

16. Phil Nicoletti (Kawasaki) 14-17

17. Dan Reardon (Honda) 11-33

18. Kyle Chisholm (Kawasaki) 35-13

19. Robert Kiniry (Honda) 13-24

20. Alex Martin (Honda) 29-14

21. Ryan Sipes (KTM) 28-16

22. Shane Sewell (Suzuki) 19-19

23. Hunter Hewitt (Kawasaki) 21-18

24. Martin Davalos (KTM) 18-35

25. Willy Browning (Suzuki) 24-20

26. Ty Hames (Suzuki) 20-36

27. Michael Hall (KTM) 36-21

28. Adam Miller (KTM) 22-22

29. Bruce Dehn (Kawasaki) 26-23

30. Jerry Lorenz (Honda) 27-25

31. Spencer Dally (Honda) 32-26

32. Branden Miller (Kawasaki) 25-27

33. Levi Kilbarger (Honda) 34-28

34. Kyle Gills (Suzuki) 31-29

35. Charles Castloo (Kawasaki) 37-30

36. Matt Lemoine (Yamaha) 33-31

37. Kyle Keylon (Honda) 30-32

38. Tommy Hahn (Kawasaki) 39-38

39. Bryan Johnson (Honda) 40-39

40. Tanner Reidman (Suzuki) 38-40