Points Leader Villopoto Leads World's Top Monster Energy Supercross Racers into Houston's Reliant Stadium

AURORA, Ill. (March 26, 2012) – This Saturday night the gate will drop
for the 46th Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship,
race in Houston as points leader Ryan Villopoto leads the world’s top
racers into Houston’s Reliant Stadium this Saturday night for the 13th
stop of the 2012 season. In the Supercross Lites Class, GEICO Honda’s
Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, has established himself man to beat with a
championship-leading five wins on the season.





Media day is Thursday, March 29, from Noon-2:00 p.m., inside the press box of Reliant Stadium.





At last weekend’s Monster Energy Supercross race at Toronto’s Rodgers
Centre, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Villopoto, who is the defending
Supercross Class Champion, commanded the pace of the race in the early
stages with pass on early leader and Team Muscle Milk/Honda’s Justin
Brayton, who won the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award.





“Out of the first turn, it was just me and Brayton right off the bat,”
said Villopoto. “I made some pretty big mistakes in the whoops. They
were tough. We’ll go to Houston, where I think there’s a chance to wrap
up the title. That’s the plan.”








For Brayton, Toronto marked the second consecutive race that he finished
in the number-two position. Rounding out the podium in third place was
GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham, who used a fifth-place start to earn his
second podium finish of the season.





Villopoto, the winner of the 2010 Monster Energy Supercross race in
Houston, now holds a 79-point lead over Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, of
Belle Plaine, Minn., in the Supercross Class.





Barcia won a record fourth Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award in the
Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Main Event but was quickly
passed by Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Murrieta, Calif. Barcia
regrouped and re-passed Roczen on Lap 3 and rode off to the victory.





Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Darryn Durham, of Butler, Pa., and
Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Blake Wharton, of Pilot Point, Texas,
engaged in a heated battled that resulted in Durham winning the
third-place; however, after a subsequent pass, Wharton assumed third
place.





“Right now I couldn’t be (happier),” said Barcia. “I got my first win
here two years ago. My GEICO Honda was hooking up great. This track was
really tough tonight. You had to be really smart and really smooth. I
made a great pass for the lead and kind of just rode my own race from
there.”





Barcia extended his lead in the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class standings to 28 points over Wharton.





Last year in front of 45,859 fans, American Honda Racing’s Trey Canard
won the first Supercross Class race of his career. In the Eastern
Regional Supercross Lites Class season opener, Justin Barcia of
Ochlocknee, Ga., picked up the win.





Since 1974, Houston has been on the Supercross Class schedule. From
1974-2000, the Houston Astrodome served as host to the Houston stop
until it was moved to Reliant Stadium in 2003. The first Supercross
Class race in Houston was on March 15, 1974, where Jim Pomeroy earned
the win. Eddie Warren became the first Supercross Lites Class winner in
Houston on April 20, 1985. Jeremy McGrath, the all-time winningest
supercross rider, shares the all-time win record in Houston along with
Mark Barnett with five.





CBS will broadcast the Supercross class race at 12:00pm EST on April 1, 2012.





Tickets are available at the Reliant Stadium Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000, www.supercrossonline.com, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Practice and qualifying begin at 12:30 p.m. and the main event starts
at 7:00 p.m. Gold Circle tickets are $50 Adult/Child; VIP $40
Adult/Child; Price Level 3 $30 Adult / $10 Child; Price Level 4 $25
Adult / $10 Child; Treadhead $10 Adult/Child. Fans can also get into the
Pits for FREE from 12:30-6 p.m. Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER
Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).





Supercross Class Results: Toronto


1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki


2. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda


3. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda


4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha


5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Idaho, Kawasaki


6. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM


7. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki


8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki


9. Robert Kiniry, Holland Patent, NY, Yamaha


10. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda





Supercross Class Season Standings


1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 271


2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 192


3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 177


4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 169


5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 166


6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 165


7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 150


8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 145


9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki – 136


10. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 128





Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Toronto


1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda


2. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM


3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki


4. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda


5. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa, Kawasaki


6. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda


7. Tommy Weeck, Menifee, Calif., Honda


8. Justing Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda


9. Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki


10. Jeffrey Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda





Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings


1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 145


2. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki – 117


3. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki – 114


4. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 102


5. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda – 90


6. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki – 86


7. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda – 74


8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM – 50


9. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 50


10. Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki – 46





Past Winners in Houston





Supercross Class





February 12, 2011: Trey Canard


April 10, 2010: Ryan Villopoto


January 24, 2009: James Stewart


February 16, 2008: Kevin Windham


February 10, 2007: James Stewart


April 1, 2006: James Stewart


April 30, 2005: James Stewart


February 14, 2004: Chad Reed


March 29, 2003: Chad Reed


March 23, 2002: Ricky Carmichael


March 24, 2001: Ricky Carmichael


February 5, 2000: Jeremy McGrath


March 13, 1999: Jeremy McGrath


January 17, 1998: Ezra Lusk


March 22, 1997: Jeff Emig


March 16, 1996: Jeremy McGrath


March 25, 1995: Jeremy McGrath


January 22, 1994: Jeremy McGrath


January 16, 1993: Damon Bradshaw


January 18, 1992: Damon Bradshaw


January 19, 1991: Jean-Michel Bayle


February 3, 1990: Damon Bradshaw


March 18, 1989: Jeff Stanton


February 6, 1988: Jeff Ward


February 7, 1987: Jeff Ward


February 2, 1986: Jeff Ward


April 20, 1985: Jeff Ward


March 24, 1984: David Bailey


March 19, 1983: Bob Hannah


March 20, 1983: Mark Barnett


March 19, 1982: Mark Barnett


March 20, 1982: Mark Barnett


March 13, 1981: Mark Barnett


March 14, 1981: Mark Barnett


March 14, 1980: Mike Bell


March 15, 1980: Broc Glover


March 16, 1979: Bob Hannah


March 17, 1979: Bob Hannah


March 17, 1978: Bob Hannah


March 18, 1978: Bob Hannah


March 18, 1977: Tony DiStefano


March 19, 1977: Jim Ellis


March 12, 1976: Jim Weinert


March 14, 1975: Jim Ellis


March 15, 1974: Jim Pomeroy








Supercross Lites Class





February 12, 2011: Justin Barcia


April 10, 2010: Christophe Pourcel


January 14, 2009: Christophe Pourcel


February 16, 2008: Austin Stroupe


February 10, 2007: Ryan Villopoto


April 1, 2006: David Millsaps


April 30, 2005: Andrew Short


February 14, 2004: James Stewart


March 29, 2003: Brock Sellards


March 23, 2002: Matt Walker


March 24, 2001: Travis Preston


February 5, 2000: Derrick Shae Bentley


March 13, 1999: Nathan Ramsey


January 17, 1998: David Vuillemin


March 22, 1997: Kevin Windham


March 16, 1996: Kevin Windham


March 25, 1995: Damon Huffman


January 22, 1994: Ezra Lusk


January 16, 1993: Jimmy Gaddis


January 18, 1992: Brian Swink


January 19, 1991: Tallon Vohland


February 3, 1990: Jeff Emig


March 18, 1989: Mike LaRocco


February 6, 1988: Jeff Matiasevich


February 7, 1987: Keith Turpin


February 2, 1986: Willie Surratt


April 20, 1985: Eddie Warren





Tune into the enhanced exclusive weekly video content from Supercross
LIVE! during the entire 2012 season on SupercrossOnline.com, the
Official Website of Monster Energy Supercross.





Weekly Supercross LIVE! Video Content Schedule


The Official Supercross LIVE! Pre-Show Race Days at 11 AM Local Race Time


Behind the Scenes with Supercross LIVE! All Day on Race Days


2 Minutes on the Track Race Days at 3:30 & 5:30 PM Local Race Time


And on the Podium Tonight Following Each Round’s Main Events


The Official Supercross LIVE! Post-Show Saturday Nights at Each Round


Toyota Tailgate Talk Wednesdays at 5 PM ET


After The Checkered Flag Thursdays at 5PM ET





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