Press Release

Honda Comes Out Strong in Atlanta


Torrance, CA: A sold-out crowd of
nearly 70,000 attended round eight of the Monster Energy AMA
Supercross, an FIM World Championship series this weekend in Atlanta,
GA. Honda riders had an impressive showing with Team Honda Muscle
Milk’s Justin Brayton finishing fifth and replacement rider Cole
Seely finishing in sixth place in the Supercross class. It was also
the second round of the East Lites class and GEICO Honda’s Justin
Barcia made it two wins in a row, while his teammate Justin Bogle
finished third.



It was a frustrating start to the day
for Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Brayton, who is still recovering from
his crash in San Diego. Brayton qualified eighth in practice but
grabbed a sixth-place finish in his heat race. In the main, Brayton
got a mid-pack start and battled the entire 20 laps, finishing a
respectable fifth place.



Seely had a noteworthy ride aboard his
Team Honda Muscle Milk CRF450R. After making a minor bike adjustment
during practice, Seely was ready for the night. In the main he
impressed everyone by grabbing the holeshot and leading the pack for
the first seven laps. After falling back a few positions, he was
still able to finish a solid sixth place.



“I felt confident with my performance
going from the heat race into the main,” said Seely. “In the main
I got the holeshot and expected to see someone’s front wheel within
the first few laps but it didn’t happen and I was able to lead for
a while. I tried to hold a decent pace for as long as I could but I
got a little tired and some of the other guys got by me. This race
was good for me to see where I am in the Supercross class and it
gives me more confidence going into next weekend.”



GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham hit a
milestone in his career with Atlanta marking his 200th Supercross
start. Windham showed impressive speed with a fifth-place-overall
qualifying time in practice, and a fourth-place finish in his heat.
Unfortunately, a bad start in the main left Windham towards the back
of the pack. He rode a noteworthy race, making his way up to eighth
place.



“I knew as soon I came off the line
that it was going to be a long night,” said Windham. “Although it
left a lot to be desired out there I am really focused on my
accomplishment of being able to stick around this long. With such a
competitive Supercross class it is hard to go out there and get a
podium when you are up against a bad start. I am happy and grateful
for everyone who has helped get me to this 200th start.”



Current points leader and defending
Lites East Champion Justin Barcia made his way to the podium as a
winner for a second consecutive week. After posting the
second-quickest qualifying time of the night, Barcia finished second
in his heat race. In the main he dominated the field, grabbing the
holeshot and never looking back.



“The night went really good for me,”
said Barcia. “I had good practices and a decent heat race, but I
knew I could be up front in the main. The GEICO Honda CRF250R was
running great and I felt awesome. I got the holeshot in the main and
ran my own race. With two wins under my belt, I am ready to head into
next weekend and make it a third.”



GEICO Honda’s newest rider Justin
Bogle made his podium debut, finishing in third place in the Lites
main. “The track was really good, a lot more technical than
Arlington, which I think suits my riding style better,” said Bogle.
“I got a sixth-place start and was able to make some passes and
capitalize on some mistakes. It was a great night and I’m excited
for the rest of the season.”





Supercross Main Event


1. Ryan Dungey


2. Ryan Villopoto


3. James Stewart


4. Davi Millsaps


5. Justin Brayton (Honda)


6. Cole Seely (Honda)


7. Jake Weimer


8. Kevin Windham (Honda)


9. Brett Metcalfe


10. Nick Wey





Supercross Championship Points (after 8
of 17 rounds)


1. Ryan Villopoto 180


2. Ryan Dungey 170


3. James Stewart 136


4. Chad Reed 128


5. Jake Weimer 106


6. Kevin Windham 105


7. Brett Metcalfe 100


8. Justin Brayton 96


9. Davi Millsaps 94


10. Mike Alessi 90





Supercross Lites East Main Event


1. Justin Barcia (Honda)


2. Blake Baggett


3. Justin Bogle (Honda)


4. Blake Wharton


5. Darryn Durham


6. Ken Roczen


7. Kyle Cunningham


8. Hunter Hewitt


9. Jake Canada (Honda)


10. Shane Sewell





Supercross Lites East Points (after 2
of 9 rounds)


1. Justin Barcia 50


2. Darryn Durham 38


3. Blake Wharton 36


4. Ken Roczen 35


5. Blake Baggett 28


6. Justin Bogle 27


7. Jake Canada 26


8. Hunter Hewitt 22


9. PJ Larsen 22


10. Lance Vincent 21


About Honda


American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the
sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the
U.S. American Honda’s Motorcycle Division conducts the sales,
marketing, and operational activities for these products through
authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go
to www.powersports.honda.com.





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