Race Report: Monster Energy Supercross - Vegas Finale

By: ChrisWorden

Posted: 05/03/09

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LAS VEGAS (May 2, 2009) – A sold out, standing-room only crowd of 39,506 packed into Sam Boyd Stadium for the 2009 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season finale in Las Vegas. While all eyes were on the heated rivalry between San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., rookie Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., stole the show with his second victory in the last three races. In the annual, talent-filled Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Supercross Lites Shootout, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Christophe Pourcel, of Corona, Calif., took the win and earned a Toyota Tundra for his efforts.

In the historic championship fight, Stewart brought home a solid third place result to win the title by four points over Reed, who finished second.

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As the 20-lap AMA Supercross main event launched out of the gates, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Mike Alessi, of Victorville, Calif., raced to the holeshot with Stewart and Villopoto chasing closely. Reed suffered from a rough start, and came out of the first turn in seventh. By the completion of lap one, Stewart had moved into the lead, but Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Villopoto stayed close and brought the crowd to its feet when he passed the 11-time winner on lap two and never looked back.

"It's been awesome (the last three weeks)," said Villopoto. "To come back and win at Seattle was awesome, especially since it was my hometown. It's been very close running in Vegas and it feels good to finally get a win here. I've never done that before. I've been working hard. I couldn't have done it without the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team."

Behind him, Reed inched in on his nemesis, setting the stage for a memorable moment between the bitter rivals. While Reed needed a victory of his own for a shot at the championship, he made the best of his opportunity with a heavy-contact pass on Stewart on lap 15 to move into second and bring home his 12th runner-up finish of 2009. Stewart, who only needed a third place finish to clinch his second-career championship, backed off the pace and settled into third.

"You have no idea how tough this has to come back from what happened at Anaheim 1," said Stewart. "This is the toughest I have ever had to fight to win a title. It's has been a hard-fought championship for everyone. I just want to thank everyone that has been involved in everything we've accomplished this season."

"I gave it everything I had," explained Reed. "I can walk away knowing I did that. We had a great season back and forth and were real consistent and that kept us in (the title fight). I want to come back even harder and get it back next year. James had a great season and rode really well and I can't take that away from him."

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In the AMA Supercross Lites main event, GEICO Powersports Honda's Blake Wharton, of Pilot Point, Texas, overcame his East and West counterparts to grab the holeshot with teammate Trey Canard and Troy Lee Designs Honda's Jake Moss, of Temecula, Calif., in tow. Respective Eastern and Western Regional Champions Pourcel and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., followed in fourth and ninth, respectively. Canard moved into the lead on by the end of lap one and quickly gapped the field while Pourcel moved into second. On lap12, Canard committed an error and fell from first to third, handing the lead to Pourcel and a closing Dungey. For the remaining three laps, Dungey, who was looking for his third-straight shootout victory, chased down the French rider, but came up a half a bike length short across the line.

"I just rode the best I could the entire main event. I stayed close to Trey (Canard) and then he made a little mistake. From that point I just rode as fast as I could. It feels great to get this victory."

In the fight for the United States Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) Top Privateer Challenger, Rockstar/Hart & Huntington Honda's Matt Boni, of Geneva, Fla., overcame a difficult main event to fend off his challengers and bring home the $25,000 award.

The AMA Supercross Lites class will air on CBS Sports Sunday, May 3 at Noon (EST), and the Western Regional AMA Supercross class will air on Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 p.m. (EST).

AMA Supercross Class Results, Las Vegas

Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash. Kawasaki
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Suzuki
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
Davi Millsaps, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda

AMA Supercross Class Season Standings

James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha, 377
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Suzuki, 373
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 270
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 237
Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 236
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 233
Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 226
Davi Millsaps, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 219
Mike Alessi, Apple Valley, Calif., Suzuki, 218
Josh Hill, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 146

Dave Coombs Sr. East West Shootout Results, Las Vegas

Christophe Pourcel, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Kawasaki
Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Jake Moss, Temecula, Calif., Honda
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, KTM
Brock Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha

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simmo371

Posted on May 23, 2009 03:05 PM

saxarra your a dickhead...are you saying stewart has never taken anyone out ever???

willise

Posted on May 06, 2009 10:47 AM

"Trying to take someone out is not" that is exactly right just like STUARTS teammate did it was obvious that why Chisholm was there and what he was doing was on purpose shame on you San Manual team you can't tell me that the out come of Salt Lake could of been different if Chisholm didn't try to take Reed out with 2 laps left you saxarra said you used to race well then you would know anything is possible in 2 laps and as far as "Reed had the lead twice and still could not win the title" your right there especially when stuart has a helper and that is why reed lost the title that is what gave stuart the 6 point cusion you claim reed is dirty well i claim stuart and San Manual team are cheaters it is a one man sport or suppose to be anyhow and you claim Reed did it out of the arena so no one could see it there were cameras all over the place and tv screens so all the fans could see the action in monster alley even the goat "Greatest of all time" Ricky Carmichael one of the cleanest riders ever said what Reed done wasn't that bad and i never said not to let kids watch i said if you are so worried about it not to let your kids watch people get hurt i race to and am currently recovering from 2nd surgery on my left foot from last may but that is probably Reeds fault right but you also didn't say anything about the fact that stuart didn't back off the throttle when Reed started pushing him wide whys that because stuart knew that it would look alot worse if he went off the track hmmm i wonder Go Reed keep up the Bar Bangin

saxarra

Posted on May 05, 2009 08:28 AM

Bumping is part of racing, trying to take someone out is not.

saxarra

Posted on May 05, 2009 08:25 AM

I saw the race lastweek, Stewart passed Reed twice, and he did it clean both times. I raced for 5 years, and I never tryed to take a guy. I always raced clean, thats sad you say to not let your kids watch motocross because someone like Reed might do a dumb ass move like that. Notice how Reed did not do anything inside the track, he waited till the outside so not many people would see what he was going to do. Reed is a poor loser and Stewart kicked his ass this year. Reed had the lead twice and still could not win the title.

ramspaic

Posted on May 04, 2009 11:18 PM

The 2009 MS Motosuit Motocross Series, Cebu Philippines will be having its 7th Leg in Ayungon, Negros Oriental, Philippines come this May 10, 2009.. Hey guys i am a big fan of Chad Reed...

willise

Posted on May 03, 2009 07:28 PM

Hey saxarra did you see that race last week if so u would know that stuarts teammate obviously tried to take out Reed he had no reason to charge into the corner that hard when he was being lapped the best thing they could of done is take the points away from stuart so they would be on a even playing field of just 3 points going into vegas and also u noticed that stuart could of backed off the throttle when Reed started pushing him wide he didn't have to keep up with him if you are worried about people getting hurt then you probably shouldn't have your kids or other kids watching motocross and as far as the bumping or pushing people wide goes that is part of motocross always has been and always will be if Reed was trying to take stuart out he would of cleaned his clock not just push him out!

saxarra

Posted on May 03, 2009 05:27 PM

Trying to take out Stewart to win, Chad Reed should go home and never come back to the US. A lot of kids watched the race and whats that telling them. If you can't win fair, take the person out, even if it means they may get hurt. Way to go Chad.