Millsaps Takes Points Lead into Oakland

January 22, 2013

AURORA, Ill. (January 21, 2013) – The fourth stop of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to O.co Coliseum this Saturday with one of the sport’s greatest championships points race ever starting to heat up. Only twice has the 450SX Class had four different race winners in the first four races, and this weekend that record can be tied should a new race winner emerge. Last weekend in Anaheim, Calif., Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, who is the two-time defending 450SX Class Champion, became the third different winner in as many races to claim a Main Event win. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda’s Eli Tomac, brings a three-race win streak into Oakland.

At last Saturday night’s Monster Energy Supercross race at Angel Stadium, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer opened the 450SX Class Main Event with the Nuclear Cowboyz^® Holeshot Award to with Team Honda Muscle Milk teammates Justin Barcia and Trey Canard in tow. After a sixth-place start, Villopoto began to charge through the field, eventually passing Canard on Lap 5 for the lead and rode to victory.

After a 17-year career competing at Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, Kevin Windham decided to hang up his boots Saturday night at Angel Stadium. A true iron man and legend in the sport, Windham racked up 207 starts and earned 18 Main Event wins, 75 podium finishes and went 14 seasons with a podium finish. With a career average finish of 5.8, Windham is third on the all-time consecutive start list with 100.

“The hardest part of all is to hang the boots up,” said Windham. “It has been such an amazing ride, and ever since the Houston supercross, where I took the big crash, it has been weighing on me hard. This is my opportunity to step away with my health. Today is the day that I step away. The GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda team has been amazing. It has been the most amazing ride, and I am so thankful for every opportunity that I have been given.”

“The season didn’t start like we wanted it to,” said Villopoto, who ended a five-race winless streak – tying for the longest he’s had since capturing his first career win during the 2009 season. “I had a decent race in Phoenix and the team made good changes to the bike this week. We’ve finally got the ball going in the right direction and are digging ourselves out of the hole. Once I got into the lead, I was just trying to click of the laps and keep it consistent. The track was really slippery tonight, but I still tried to keep the pace up.”

Current 450SX Class points leader Davi Millsaps finished fourth and holds a three-point championship-points-standings lead over Canard, who finished second in Anaheim. TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed earned his first podium finish of the season with a third-place finish. Villopoto now sits in fourth place in season standings, just 11 points out of the lead.

In the 250SX Class, Tomac hopes to pick up his fourth win of the season, but in his way stands rivals Ken Roczen, and Cole Seely. Seely was last weekend’s early leader but on Lap 8 Tomac made an impressive pass for the lead and rode off to the 10^th win of his career.

“I definitely started off slower [today],” commented Tomac, who has been under the weather. “I was good in one practice and struggled in the other, so it definitely made the race matter that much for the [win]. It was a great battle out there. The track was tough, so I had to keep my feet tight and the bike under control. From now on I just need to keep it on the podium.”

Tomac’s lead now stands at nine points over Roczen, who has finished second. Seely, who finished third, is third in season point standings and is 17 points out of the lead.

During the 2012 stop in Oakland, James Stewart of Haines City, Fla., became the fourth rider in four different races to win a 450SX Class race and broke his five-race winless streak. Tomac took home his second consecutive 250SX Class victory of the season.

Saturday night’s 450Sx Class race will air on CBS Sunday, January 27 CBS at Noon ET and SPEED will air the 250SX Class race at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets are available at the O.co Coliseum Box Office in Oakland, 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. Club Seats tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Trackside $45 Adult/Child; Lower View $35 Adult/Child; Upper View $25 Adult/Child; Extreme Value $10 Adult/Child. Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30-6 p.m. on Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium’s Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).

Feld Motor Sports

Press Release

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