2008 Daytona Supercross by Honda

Click the following link for a 39-photo gallery of Supercross race action from the 2008 Daytona Supercross by Honda. You can also click the following link for a 27-photo gallery from Saturday's pre-race action in the pits, as well as timed qualifying. 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.

Wow. How do you even begin to describe the events surrounding the 2008 edition of the Daytona Supercross by Honda? That might be one of the most amazing races we've seen.

A year ago we'd asked Ricky Carmichael for his assessment of the track conditions, and he launched into a blistering critique of the design and construction. This time around, the riders faced a course designed by Ricky, and built by Mark Barnett. It was definitely a lot tougher than recent editions, and a nod to the old school days when it was considered an Ironman event. But if the RC-designed course wasn't enough, there was an added element to the whole thing...monstrous afternoon rainstorms that dumped water on the course, and canceling the second round of practice. The rain returned in the evening as well, filling the dug-out holes between the jumps on the infield of the Daytona International Speedway with water, and the riders blended it into a thick soup of water and sandy, gritty mud. Goggles were useful...at least until the gate dropped.

So how bad did the course deteriorate? There were jumps from the afternoon practice session that melted like chocolate ice cream, and holes hidden by the water that tried to swallow bikes whole. It was seriously ugly for every rider out there, no matter where they finished.

Torco Racing Fuels Honda's Trey Canard took a third-straight Supercross Lites main event win, going wire-to-wire...well, at least after sneaking inside his teammate (Josh Grant) as well as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto in the first turn. The top two (Canard and Villopoto) were settled early in the main, though Motosport Extreme Kawasaki's Matt Boni used his mud skills to charge into the third and final podium spot.

If conditions were bad for the Lites racers (and they were), they were even worse for the Supercross class main event. The rain continued to pour down, as Antonio Balbi (Team Hooters / Tamer / Moto XXX), and Team Atomic's Paul Carpenter hit the first turn together. Chad Reed (L&M Racing / San Manuel Band of Mission Indians / Yamaha) took little time in finding a way by, and began putting time on the field. Kevin Windham (Torco Racing Fuels Honda) was running up front, but by the second or third lap, was already pulling in the clutch and holding the throttle on through the mechanic's area to show that his bike was cutting out due to the excessive moisture.

The two remained up front through most of the rain-shortened 12-lap main event. Kevin took the lead a couple different times, but Chad looked like the guy to beat...at least the way it seemed, right up until the last lap, and three corners to go when the engine on his Yamaha expired. That allowed Kevin Windham to slither past for the win. Honda Red Bull Racing's Davi Millsaps ended up second. A variety of riders had been in the third and final podium spot throughout the main, including Antonio Balbi, Ryan Dungey, and Davi Millsaps, but with Reed's DNF, as well as an excellent hard-charging ride, Team Bad Boy's Jake Marsack took the third and final spot on the podium.

Though he didn't finish the event, and he was later assesed a time penalty, Chad had lapped a large chunk of the field, so he ended up in seventh spot. If it had given up sooner? Chad's Championship points lead would have been nearly erased.

We just re-watched the race on Tivo, and despite the excellent live coverage by the Speed TV crew, you still need to check out the photo gallery. It was amazing how bad the conditions were out there. Check the links above to get to the race gallery (and the afternoon Pit Bits gallery as well).

Results: 2008 Daytona Supercross by Honda

Supercross Lites Heat 1

1. Trey Canard


2. Ricky Renner


3. Jimmy Albertson


4. Billy Payne


5. Jake Moss


6. Kyle Partridge


7. Josh Grant


8. Ryan Morais


9. Justin Sipes

Supercross Lites Heat 2

1. Ryan Villopoto


2. Benjamin Coisy


3. Matt Goerke


4. Willy Browning


5. Matt Boni


6. Tyson Hadsell


7. Mitch Dougherty


8. Shane Sewell


9. Nico Izzi

Supercross Heat 1

1. Antonio Balbi


2. Kevin Windham


3. Davi Millsaps


4. Eric Sorby


5. Charles Summey


6. Josh Hill


7. Tyler Bright


8. Heath Voss


9. Nick Wey

Supercross Heat 2

1. Chad Reed


2. Cole Siebler


3. Jake Marsack


4. Paul Carpenter


5. Bryan Johnson


6. David Vuillemin


7. Ryan Dungey


8. Travis Preston


9. Andrew Short

Supercross Lites LCQ

1. Robby Marshall


2. Ryan Sipes


3. Phil Nicoletti


4. Kyle Gills

Supercross LCQ

1. Dusty Klatt


2. Jeff Gibson

Supercross Lites Main Event

1. Trey Canard (Honda)


2. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki)


3. Matt Boni (Honda)


4. Benjamin Coisy (Honda)


5. Jimmy Albertson (Suzuki)


6. Ryan Sipes (KTM)


7. Willy Browning (Suzuki)


8. Shane Sewell (Kawasaki)


9. Ricky Renner (Kawasaki)


10. Billy Payne (Honda)


11. Matt Goerke (KTM)


12. Nico Izzi (Suzuki)


13. Robby Marshall (Kawasaki)


14. Phil Nicoletti (Kawasaki)


15. Tyson Hadsell (Honda)


16. Kyle Partridge (Honda)


17. Justin Sipes (Suzuki)


18. Kyle Gills (Kawasaki)


19. Josh Grant (Honda)


20. Mitch Dougherty (Honda)


21. Ryan Morais (Yamaha)


22. Jake Moss (Yamaha)

Supercross Main Event

1. Kevin Windham (Honda)


2. Davi Millsaps (Honda)


3. Jake Marsack (Honda)


4. David Vuillemin (Suzuki)


5. Antonio Balbi (Honda)


6. Chad Reed (Yamaha)


7. Heath Voss (Honda)


8. Andrew Short (Honda)


9. Eric Sorby (Honda)


10. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki)


11. Bryan Johnson (Honda)


12. Nate Ramsey (Yamaha)


13. Dusty Klatt (Kawasaki)


14. Travis Preston (Kawasaki)


15. Paul Carpenter (Honda)


16. Nick Wey (KTM)


17. Josh Hill (Yamaha)


18. Charles Summey (Yamaha)


19. Cole Siebler (Honda)


20. Jeff Gibson (Kawasaki)


21. Tyler Bright (Honda)