Stunning Opening Weekend of Racing Highlighted by Last Lap Pass and Wide-open Field of Top Riders
AURORA, Ill.(January 7, 2013) – Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., will lead the world’s top riders into Phoenix’s Chase Field this Saturday for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, of Durango, Colo., opened the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event with a dominant win and carries the points lead into Chase Field this weekend for the 16th Monster Energy Supercross race in Phoenix.
Media day is Thursday, January 10 from Noon-2:00 p.m. Riders will be available for interviews and will ride the track for the media.
Last weekend at the season opener in Anaheim, Millsaps earned the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award with Honda/Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., and his teammate Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., following in second and third respectively. Two-time defending 450SX Class Champion Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., started in 12th place.
On Lap 8, while working his way through the field, Villopoto crashed and dropped several positions before re-entering the race. Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., held down the fourth position and began making up time on Barcia, but on lap 15, he crashed in a turn. After waiting patiently for 16 laps, Canard made his move around Millsaps for the lead, and on the same lap, Barcia suffered a crash. Millsaps made a last-ditch effort on Canard, zipping through the whoops around Canard for the pass and win. Canard finished second and Dungey finished third.
“It was a great night for me,” said Millsaps. “This is my first win since 2010, and I was just trying to keep calm out there. It has been a long time since I have led a race, so it was hard to calm my nerves.”
The win marked Millsaps’ first since 2010 and the fourth of his career. Millsaps’ previous wins came aboard a Honda motorcycle, giving the Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki team their first-ever 450SX Class win. He finished second overall in the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Championship.
Two-time defending 450SX Class Champion Villopoto finished 16th after a series of crashes.
Lucas Oil/Troy Less Designs Honda’s Cole Seely, of Newbury Park, Calif., opened the 250SX Class Main Event with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot. Following turn one, he was one of several riders, including Heat Race winner Martin Davalos, of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, that were involved in a crash. Tomac, the defending 250SX Class Champion, assumed the lead as Malcolm Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., moved into second followed by Ken Roczen, of Germany, in third.
On lap 1, Roczen, who rides for the Red Bull KTM team, passed Stewart for second place. After winning the holeshot, Seely dropped to fourth place, but passed Stewart on lap 6 to secure third place. Tomac’s win marked the eighth of his career. Roczen finished second and Seely finished third.
“I had a tough Heat Race, and that was kind of a wake-up call for me,” said Tomac. “This is how I wanted to start the season. I did a few off-season races, like the Monster Energy Cup, and that kept me in shape.”
Tomac’s win was the ninth of his career. Last year he finished fourth in Phoenix before going on a two-race win streak en route to the first 250SX Class Championship of his career.
During the Phoenix stop in 2012, former 450SX Class Champion Dungey earned his first victory of the season and gave his Red Bull KTM team their first ever win. In winning last year’s Main Event, Dungey joined James Stewart as the only riders in history to win both classes in Phoenix. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson also earned his first win of the season.
Throughout the 15 years that Monster Energy Supercross has stopped in Phoenix, an average of 47,199 avid fans have come out each year to see the sport’s greatest battle it out for their division’s prestigious championship titles. Stewart holds the record for most wins in the 250SX Class in Phoenix and is tied with Ricky Carmichael for the most wins in the 450SX Class with four inside Chase Field.
SPEED will broadcast this weekend’s race live from Phoenix’s Chase Field on Saturday, January 12 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available at the Chase Field Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge by phone (800)745-3000 and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.supercrossonline.com. Practice and qualifying begin at 12:30pm and the Main Event starts at 7:00pm. VIP Club Level Front Row tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Club Level $65 Adult/Child; Gold Circle $42 Adult/Child; Mid-Level $30 Adult/$10 Child; Supervalue $22 Adult/$10 Child; Treadhead $10 Adult/Child (all tickets are $5 more day of show). Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30-6:00pm on Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).
450SX Class Results: Anaheim Opener
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
- Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
450SX Class Season Point Standings
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 25
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 22
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 20
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 18
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 16
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 15
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 14
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki – 13
- Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha – 12
- Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 11
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
- Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
- Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda
- Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
- Max Anstie, England, Suzuki
- Michael Leib, Mission Viejo, Calif., Honda
Western Regional 250SX Class Season Point Standings
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 25
- Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM – 22
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 20
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 18
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM – 16
- Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki – 15
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda – 14
- Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki – 13
- Max Anstie, England, Suzuki – 12
- Michael Leib, Mission Viejo, Calif., Honda – 11
2012 450SX Class Results: Phoenix
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
- Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
- Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
- Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
2012 Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Phoenix
- Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
- Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
- Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
- Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
- Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
- Max Anstie, Hemet, Calif., Honda
- Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda
Past Winners in Phoenix
250SX Class
January 14, 2012: Ryan Dungey
January 15, 2011: James Stewart
January 15, 2010: Ryan Dungey
January 10, 2009: James Stewart
January 12, 2008: James Stewart
January 13, 2007: James Stewart
January 14, 2006: Ricky Carmichael
January 15, 2005: Ricky Carmichael
January 10, 2004: Kevin Windham
January 11, 2003: Ezra Lusk
January 26, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
January 27, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
January 29, 2000: David Vuillemin
January 23, 1999: Jeremy McGrath
450SX Class
January 14, 2012: Dean Wilson
January 15, 2011: Joshua Hansen
January 15, 2010: Jake Weimer
January 10, 2009: Ryan Dungey
January 12, 2008: Jake Weimer
January 13, 2007: Christophe Pourcel
January 14, 2006: Nathan Ramsey
January 15, 2005: Broc Helper
January 10, 2004: Ivan Tedesco
January 11, 2003: James Stewart
January 26, 2002: James Stewart
January 27, 2001: Ernesto Fonseca
January 29, 2000: Casey Lytle
January 23, 1999: Nathan Ramsey