This Week in Monster Energy Supercross: Jacksonville

Last
season in North Florida, the rivalry and tense emotions between title
contenders James Stewart and Chad Reed boiled over, leading to a
memorable
inaugural race that set the tone for the remainder of the season. With
another
exciting championship battle shaping up in 2010, Jacksonville will serve
as a
critical juncture in the premier class battle.

Rockstar/Makita
Suzuki stood atop the AMA Supercross class podium for the fourth time in
2010
as Ryan Dungey raced to a dominating victory, extending his points lead
to 24
over Ryan Villopoto. Teammate Austin Stroupe got caught up in a massive
first
turn pileup at the start of the AMA Supercross Lites main event that
took out
nearly the entire field and did his best to recover, finishing fifth and
closing in on the Eastern Regional points lead.

“Looking back
at my past races and seeing where I could be better, one area was the
start of
the race,” explained Dungey. “I needed to pick it up and get it
going and put in fast lap times. I put myself in a good position in
Dallas, and
at the beginning part of my motos, I’m being more
aggressive. Looking forward to Jacksonville, I just want to put a solid
week of practice in. We’re not that far from Jacksonville, so we
don’t have to be rushing. I’m going to show up and have some fun. I
went to Jacksonville last year to watch, so it’ll be good to go there
and
race. “

AMA Supercross class points leader Ryan Dungey looks to maintain the
momentum
he garnered last weekend in Dallas.

Photo
Credit:
Hoppenworld.com

“For the
supercross class, I feel really good going into Jacksonville,” said Team
Manager Roger Decoster. “We had a 17
point lead coming into Dallas, and although Ryan Dungey was right there
the
last couple of races, getting second repeatedly could make him lose his
confidence. With Ryan's win, now we’ve stretched the points lead out to
24. I’m really happy.”

With a
24-point advantage and six races to
go, Dungey now controls his own destiny to the premier class crown. As
Stroupe
continues to close in on Christophe Pourcel in the Eastern Regional
Championship, the final three races for the East Coast racers will come
down to
the wire.

Villopoto
is looking to get back on the top of the box in Jacksonville for Monster
Energy
Kawasaki.  After winning the previous two races, Villopoto finished
fourth
last weekend in Dallas and now faces a steeper climb to his first
supercross
class championship. However, his resilient ride through the field shows
he
still has all the speed necessary to regain the momentum in the title
fight.

“I
know what I need to do, it’s actually a really easy equation, I need to
win,” said Villopoto. “Jacksonville should be a good race for
me.  I’ve been living in Florida and I’ve had a lot of
practice on the sandy dirt here so I should be ready for Saturday.”

Ryan
Villopoto
looks hopes to bounce back for win number six this weekend in
Jacksonville.
Photo
Credit:
Hoppenworld.com

In
the AMA Supercross Lites class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s
Christophe Pourcel held on to the points lead after the Dallas race
despite a
seventh place finish. One of the many riders caught up in a first turn
pileup,
Pourcel managed to work his way up from 20^th to seventh on a
tight
track salvaging the top spot in what could be a difference maker when
the
championship is decided.

“My
goal is still winning the championship,” said Pourcel. “Last
weekend was tough, but getting as many points as possible is the way to
win the
title. I want to get back to winning and Jacksonville is a good place to
start.”

Pourcel’s
teammate Dean Wilson is hoping he can get back to racing after missing
last
weekend’s event in Dallas. Wilson is working closely with US Immigration
officials to make sure he can continue to race every weekend.

“It
was disappointing to miss Dallas,” said Wilson. “I think everyone
knows I want to race, but I need to make sure everything is in place
before I
come across the border.”

Chad
Reed provided an update this week about the status of his return and
hopes to
be back in action in Houston in a couple weeks.

Davi
Millsaps
(18) and Trey Canard (38) boasted a 2-3 finish for Honda Red Bull
Racing and have been two of the fastest riders in recent weeks.
Photo
Credit:
Hoppenworld.com

At
Honda Red Bull Racing, the Jacksonville
Supercross
marks fill-in rider Trey Canard’s final supercross race aboard Andrew
Short’s Honda CRF450R before he jumps back onto his GEICO Powersports
Honda CRF250R and begins preparation for the conclusion of AMA
Supercross Lites
Western Regional competition.

“I’ve had an absolute blast over
the last few weeks
racing Shorty’s CRF450R race bike,” said Canard. “Everyone at
Honda Red Bull Racing has been so supportive and helpful, and this whole
experience is something I will never forget. I’m ready to get back on my
CRF250R and race the final two West Coast Lites rounds though. I’m
second
in the series points and I’ll be throwing all the experience and
confidence I have gained over the past weeks into the final two rounds.”

Davi Millsaps’ second place
finish last weekend in Dallas
carried the Honda CRF450R racer to within 18 points of third place in
the
championship points standing.

“I’m really happy that I was able
to hold on and come
away with second spot at the Dallas supercross.” said Millsaps.
“I’m really looking forward to the Jacksonville supercross event
because it’s a local race for me. As I’m fourth in the series
points and only 18 points away from being in third, my plan is to keep
this
momentum going throughout the final rounds. I’m definitely in contention
for a spot on the championship podium and that’s where the Honda Red
Bull
Racing team deserves to be—on the podium.”

Justin
Barcia has surged into third place in the AMA Supercross Lites Eastern
Regional
Championship over the past two weeks.
Photo
Credit: Hoppenworld.com

Justin
Barcia’s third place finish in the Supercross Lites class last weekend
in
Dallas was enough to elevate the GEICO
Powersports
Honda racer from fifth in the series points up to third.

“I
rode the entire race last weekend without a front brake after being
caught up
in the pile-up,” said Barcia. “It was a tough way to start the race
and I’m definitely bummed that I couldn’t avoid the carnage because
I know I could have won that race. There are three rounds to go and I’m
third in the points, so I’m just going to give it everything I have at
those last races.”

Tickets
are available in advance at the
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster
Outlets, or
charge by phone at 800-745-3000
or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Club level
tickets are available for $40; Sideline 100 & 200 Level Tickets $30;
Corner
100 & 200 Level Tickets $20; SuperValue Seats ONLY $10… all tickets
are subject to $2.50 facility fee and convenience & handling
charges. 
Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30 – 6 PM Race Day when
they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid
only with
event ticket). 

CBS will
broadcast the AMA Supercross class
at 12:00 p.m. EST on
Sunday, March 28.  SPEED will broadcast the AMA
Supercross Lites class on
Sunday, March 28 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

A
season-long subscription to the official webcast of Monster Energy
Supercross, Supercross
LIVE®, is available for $27.99:  http://www.supercrossonline.com/supercrosslive. 
Supercross LIVE® is the only weekly live Monster Energy
Supercross
race call, and features long time voices of supercross, Jason Weigandt
and Jim
Holley. 

For
more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World
Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com.
For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or
630-566-6305.

About Feld Motor Sports

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