Race Report: Indy 2011


Over the last few rounds of the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross series, we’d seen Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto start on a win streak, boosting his points lead to 23 along the way. As we headed into Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The big questions were, how would San Manuel Red Bull Yamaha’s James Stewart rebound from the Daytona crash, and what would his plan be to get his title chase aimed in the right direction?


Supercross Main Event



Chad Reed (TwoTwo Motorsports Bel Ray Racing) got the drop on the field when the gate hit the ground, collecting the Nuclear Cowboyz holeshot check as he rounded the first turn. That lead was short-lived, however, as Ryan Villopoto took over the lead before the end of the first lap. Meanwhile, James Stewart was buried at the back of the pack, was doing all he could to slice his way through to the front, and came around on lap one in an amazing fifth place.



It quickly became apparent that Chad Reed wasn’t quite on his usual game, and Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) was putting a bunch of pressure on him. But it was Ryan who went down after bumping into Reed’s rear wheel at the mid-point of the main event, which allowed Stewart to move into third spot behind. A couple laps later, Stewart made his way past Reed and into second, while Reed tenaciously hung onto third. At the end, Reed had to fend off a fast-closing Dungey, but he nailed down the final podium spot.



Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX’s Justin Brayton was fifth, ahead of American Honda Racing’s Trey Canard, who’d gone down early in the main, and had to claw his way back to sixth. Kevin Windham (GEICO Powersports Honda), Nick Wey (Valli Motorsports Rockstar Yamaha), Cole Seely (in a fill-in 450 role for American Honda Racing), and Mike Alessi (Red Bull KTM) rounded out the top ten.



So the outcome of the night? Add another three points to Villopoto’s total, which is now up to 26. Chad Reed’s another three points back of James, in third spot. That gives Villopoto over a full race in the bank, with seven rounds remaining.


Lites Main Event



If there’s one thing we’d have bet on this season, is that somewhere along the way we’d see a first-time Supercross win for DNA Shred Stix / Star Racing / Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes. He’d been inching up on one, showing plenty of speed and setting fast qualifying time at a couple races this season. The only thing missing was…well, actually checking that to do item off his goals list.


As the gate dropped, it was the winner of the Daytona race, Monster Energy Supercross’s Blake Baggett, who jumped out front, followed by Sipes. They were running 1-2 throughout the first half of the race, until Blake got loose on the finish line jump, got bucked sideways on the landing, tangled with some Tuf-Blocks which caused him to go down. That left Sipes out front, with GEICO Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia closing up behind him. Those two had tangled in their heat race as well, with Barcia going down in the sand section after getting pushed into a pile of loose sand.


In the closing laps of the main event, lappers were running three-wide ahead of Sipes, and Barcia was closing fast, but Sipes methodically worked his way through them. Barcia got close enough to make things interesting and faked a couple pass attempts on the last lap, but Sipes didn’t crash under press and hung on for the win. Barcia nabbed the second spot, and Baggett remounted for third. Fourth went to Team Suzuki City Nitro Circus’s Malcolm Stewart, who has improved his finishing position in every main event this season, and he was chased in by Matt Lemoine aboard a Moto Extreme Kawasaki.



Positions six through ten belonged to Dean Wilson, Blake Wharton, PJ Larsen, Alex Martin, and Les Smith.



With a second-place finish, Barcia has eked out a six-point lead in the Lites East title chase over Baggett, with Sipes another six points behind.



The series will be heading back south again next weekend, to Jacksonville, Florida, and the wide open confines of the last open stadium on the East schedule, at EverBank Field. And you know we'll be there.


Results

2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross

Indianapolis, IN


Supercross Lites Heat 1


1. Blake Baggett

2. Malcolm Stewart

3. Dean Wilson

4. Alex Martin

5. Gannon Audette

6. Matt Lemoine

7. Taylor Futrell

8. Tyler Sjoberg

9. Ricky Renner


Supercross Lites Heat 2

1. Ryan Sipes

2. Justin Barcia

3. Hunter Hewitt

4. Nico Izzi

5. Brad Ripple

6. Jason Anderson

7. Les Smith

8. Michael Akaydin

9. Shawn Rife


Supercross Heat 1

1. Ryan Villopoto

2. Kevin Windham

3. Chad Reed

4. Davi Millsaps

5. Andrew Short

6. Fabien Izoird

7. Cole Seely

8. Nick Wey

9. Mike Alessi


Supercross Heat 2

1. James Stewart

2. Trey Canard

3. Justin Brayton

4. Ryan Dungey

5. Ivan Tedesco

6. Tye Simmonds

7. Michael Byrne

8. Chris Blose

9. Matt Boni


Supercross Lites LCQ

1. Blake Wharton

2. PJ Larsen


Supercross LCQ

1. Robert Kiniry

2. Matt Goerke


Supercross Lites Main Event

1. Ryan Sipes (Yamaha)

2. Justin Barcia (Honda)

3. Blake Baggett (Kawasaki)

4. Malcolm Stewart (Suzuki)

5. Matt Lemoine (Kawasaki)

6. Dean Wilson (Kawasaki)

7. Blake Wharton (Honda)

8. PJ Larsen (KTM)

9. Alex Martin (Honda)

10. Les Smith (Honda)

11. Gannon Audette (Yamaha)

12. Brad Ripple (Honda)

13. Taylor Futrell (Honda)

14. Ricky Renner (KTM)

15. Michael Akaydin (Kawasaki)

16. Nico Izzi (Honda)

17. Tyler Sjoberg (Kawasaki)

18. Jason Anderson (Suzuki)

19. Shawn Rife (Honda)

20. Hunter Hewitt (Suzuki)


Supercross Main Event

1. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki)

2. James Stewart (Yamaha)

3. Chad Reed (Honda)

4. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki)

5. Justin Brayton (Yamaha)

6. Trey Canard (Honda)

7. Kevin Windham (Honda)

8. Nick Wey (Yamaha)

9. Cole Seely (Honda)

10. Mike Alessi (KTM)

11. Davi Millsaps (Yamaha)

12. Matt Boni (Kawasaki)

13. Michael Byrne (Suzuki)

14. Fabien Izoird (Kawasaki)

15. Matt Goerke (Kawasaki)

16. Tye Simmonds (KTM)

17. Robert Kiniry (Suzuki)

18. Chris Blose (Kawasaki)

19. Ivan Tedesco (Kawasaki)

20. Andrew Short (KTM)


Supercross Lites East Point Standings

1. Justin Barcia 91

2. Blake Baggett 85

3. Ryan Sipes 79

4. Dean Wilson 75

5. Blake Wharton 65

6. Malcolm Stewart 52

7. Matt Lemoine 51

8. PJ Larsen 46

9. Jason Anderson 44

10. Alex Martin 40


Supercross Point Standings

1. Ryan Villopoto 221

2. James Stewart 195

3. Chad Reed 192

4. Ryan Dungey 183

5. Trey Canard 169

6. Andrew Short 129

7. Justin Brayton 121

8. Davi Millsaps 114

9. Brett Metcalfe 107

10. Kevin Windham 103

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