Race Report: Anaheim II 2011 3

Do not adjust your monitor. That pink tinge isn’t a color-correction issue, it’s just the rosy hue that accompanies the annual breast cancer awareness round of the Monster Energy Supercross series at Anaheim II. But let’s get to the action on the most technical track of the season so far.

Supercross

Once again, San Manuel Red Bull Yamaha’s James Stewart had opted to skip the final practice of the afternoon, after dialing in the track and laying down the fastest practice laps in the first timed session. But 2010 champ Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) edged out Stewart’s fast time in the final round to take the top qualifier spot, and it was no shock that Stewart and Dungey took the Supercross class heat wins in the qualifying heats.

James Stewart grabbed the early lead, and checked out.

When the gate dropped for the main event, however, it was Stewart jumping out front, and Dungey with a poor start, a mid-pack position, and a fight on his hands to move forward in heavy traffic.

Up front, Stewart was followed by Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Chad Reed (TwoTwo Motorsports Bel Ray Racing), and Mike Alessi (Red Bull KTM), who looked like a completely different rider compared to last week in Oakland, when he failed to make the main event. The gap between the front trio settled out rather early, but the racing back in the pack was extremely intense.

Justin Brayton (Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX) got around Kyle Chisholm (MotoConcepts Yamaha) for fifth on lap four, and then by Alessi a lap later, to jump up to the fourth spot. Dungey was also on the move, working his way from tenth at the end of lap one, to sixth by lap seven. But a derailed chain before the halfway point led to a DNF, and a serious shot to a chance of a repeat title.

A thrown chain in the main event left Ryan Dungey on the sidelines before the halfway point.

One of the more impressive rides of the main event has to go to Trey Canard (American Honda Racing) who climbed from 12th spot on lap one, to fifth at the halfway point, going by Ivan Tedesco (Hart & Huntington Dodge Kawasaki), Kevin Windham (GEICO Powersports Honda), Davi Millsaps (Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX), Matt Boni (TiLube Kawasaki), the Red Bull KTM duo of Mike Alessi and Andrew Short (who had a gnarly battle of their own).

Though they moved in opposite directions during the main, the KTM 350s of Mike Alessi and Andrew Short both looked strong in the main event.

In the end it was James Stewart picking up his second straight, and third of the season, Ryan Villopoto in a somewhat lonely second spot, and Chad Reed in third. Justin Brayton and Trey Canard rounded out the top five.

The next five provided plenty of on-track fireworks of their own. Andrew Short scored his best finish to date on the KTM 350, in sixth spot,

That makes a total of three wins so far this season for James Stewart.

James Stewart now moves out to a five-point gap over Ryan Villopoto, and from there it’s a 22-point gap back to Chad Reed, in third spot.

Lites

The Lites West series has provided a bunch of great racing this year, and Anaheim II was no exception…especially when you added in some drama following a practice crash by series points leader Josh Hansen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki). Josh had laid down the fastest practice laps, and was looking really solid heading into the evening, but after his foot slipped off the peg while blitzing the whoops in the final practice, he was violently pitched over the bars. The result was a broken bone in the pinkie finger of his left hand, between the wrist and knuckle, as well as some birdies circling his head, cartoon-style. But after some help from the Asterisk Mobile Medical crew, as well as his trainer, Doc G, he took the win in his heat race, and was on the line for the main.

When the gate dropped, Josh jumped out front, followed closely by Eli Tomac (GEICO Powersports Honda) and Ken Roczen (Red Bull KTM). Then there was week’s winner, Broc Tickle (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), and the Rockstar Energy Suzuki duo of Martin Davalos and Ryan Morais.

The lead trio of Josh Hansen, Ken Roczen, and Eli Tomac, early in the main.

By lap two Roczen had moved into second ahead of Tomac, and Hansen had opened a bit of a gap. But after Tomac kept the pressure on Roczen, they both closed on Hansen. At about the midway point of the 15-lapper, Tomac retook second spot, and briefly took over the lead from Hansen, but Josh forced the issue at the end of a long rhythm straight, and pushed his way back by Tomac, who eventually finished in second spot.

Eli Tomac held the lead briefly, but Hansen was showed no qualms about being aggressive in keeping the lead. For Josh, racing for points, even while injured, means maximum points.

From that point on, the big race was for the final podium spot, between Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle, with Roczen picking up the first podium of his fledgling U.S. Supercross career. Tickle was fourth, and fifth went to Kyle Cunningham (DNA Shred Stix / Star Racing / Yamaha), who’d forced his way past Martin Davalos at the 2/3 mark of the main event, and sixth went to Ryan Morais. Bruce Rutherford gets some big props for an eighth for a privateer, and he was followed in by Ryan Marmont (JDR/JStar/KTM), and James DeCotis (GEICO Powersports Honda).

Despite a broken hand, Hansen picked up his third win of the season.

With the win at Anaheim, Hansen extends his points lead to eight over Broc Tickle.

The Lites West crew gets next weekend off, as the series opener for the Lites East is all set for Houston.

Results

2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross

Anaheim, CA

Supercross Lites Heat 1

1. Kyle Cunningham

2. Eli Tomac

3. Cole Seely

4. Ryan Morais

5. Ryan Marmont

6. Antonio Balbi

7. Scott Champion

8. Casey Hinson

9. Yuta Ikegaya

Supercross Lites Heat 2

1. Josh Hansen

2. Martin Davalos

3. Broc Tickle

4. Ken Roczen

5. James DeCotis

6. Nick Paluzzi

7. Bruce Rutherford

8. Ben Evans

9. Kyle Beaton

Supercross Heat 1

1. James Stewart

2. Ryan Villopoto

3. Kyle Chisholm

4. Brett Metcalfe

5. Davi Millsaps

6. Ivan Tedesco

7. Kevin Windham

8. Matt Boni

9. Tye Simmonds

Supercross Heat 2

1. Ryan Dungey

2. Trey Canard

3. Justin Brayton

4. Chad Reed

5. Andrew Short

6. Nick Wey

7. Chris Blose

8. Mike Alessi

9. Fabien Izoird

Supercross Lites LCQ

1. Parker Eckman

2. Jake Canada

Supercross LCQ

1. Kyle Regal

2. Jason Thomas

Supercross Lites Main Event

1. Josh Hansen (Kawasaki)

2. Eli Tomac (Honda)

3. Ken Roczen (KTM)

4. Broc Tickle (Kawasaki)

5. Kyle Cunningham (Yamaha)

6. Martin Davalos (Suzuki)

7. Ryan Morais (Suzuki)

8. Bruce Rutherford (Kawasaki)

9. Ryan Marmont (KTM)

10. James DeCotis (Honda)

11. Cole Seely (Honda)

12. Antonio Balbi (Kawasaki)

13. Jake Canada (Kawasaki)

14. Ben Evans (Kawasaki)

15. Scott Champion (Kawasaki)

16. Casey Hinson (KTM)

17. Kyle Beaton (Kawasaki)

18. Parker Eckman (Honda)

19. Yuta Ikegaya (Suzuki)

20. Nick Paluzzi (Yamaha)

Supercross Main Event

1. James Stewart (Yamaha)

2. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki)

3. Chad Reed (Honda)

4. Justin Brayton (Yamaha)

5. Trey Canard (Honda)

6. Andrew Short (KTM)

7. Ivan Tedesco (Kawasaki)

8. Kevin Windham (Honda)

9. Brett Metcalfe (Suzuki)

10. Davi Millsaps (Yamaha)

11. Kyle Regal (Yamaha)

12. Mike Alessi (KTM)

13. Matt Boni (Kawasaki)

14. Kyle Chisholm (Yamaha)

15. Nick Wey (Yamaha)

16. Jason Thomas (Suzuki)

17. Chris Blose (Kawasaki)

18. Tye Simmonds (KTM)

19. Fabien Izoird (Kawasaki)

20. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki)

Supercross Lites West Point Standings

1. Josh Hansen 113

2. Broc Tickle 105

3. Eli Tomac 91

4. Ryan Morais 84

5. Cole Seely 70

6. Ken Roczen 69

7. Martin Davalos 60

8. Kyle Cunningham 60

9. Tyla Rattray 58

10. James DeCotis 51

Supercross Point Standings

1. James Stewart 117

2. Ryan Villopoto 112

3. Chad Reed 90

4. Trey Canard 87

5. Ryan Dungey 79

6. Brett Metcalfe 67

7. Andrew Short 64

8. Kevin Windham 59

9. Justin Brayton 57

10. Ivan Tedesco 48