Lawrence Steals Lites Class Points Lead From Dungey and Stages Defense in Houston This Saturday Night
$10 Treadhead® Seats Still Available for Monster Energy® Supercross Race at Reliant Stadium
AURORA (February 12, 2008) – In a startling turn of events, the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class’ championship has changed hands and was taken over by Yamaha of Troy’s Jason Lawrence, of Carlsbad, Calif., last Saturday night at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. Lawrence captured his third consecutive AMA Supercross Lites class win and removed Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., from the enviable number-one position. This Saturday night for as low as $10, fans can watch this epic duel go down at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. The AMA Supercross class race will air on CBS Sports Sunday, February 17 at Noon, and the AMA Supercross Lites class race will air on SPEED Friday, February 22 at Noon.
As Dungey, who had a 22-point lead earlier this season, proved last weekend, the lead can change with one bad race. He left Anaheim 1 with a three-point lead over Jason Lawrence. He went into Anaheim 2 nine points ahead of Lawrence. Heading into San Francisco, he was 22 points ahead of Broc Hepler. He led Dan Reardon by 19 points heading into Anaheim 3, and at San Diego he left two points behind Lawrence.
“I was keeping tabs on where Ryan (Dungey) was during the main event,” said Lawrence after last weekend’s race. “He crashed for the third weekend in a row. He cracked under the pressure. We have two more races to go, and I am up by two points. I am trying to win this championship. I can have the target on my back for the rest of my life because I do ok under pressure.”
Media day is Thursday from Noon-2:00 in the press box at Reliant Stadium. Current Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites points leader Jason Lawrence be on hand for interviews and photo opportunities. Joining Lawrence will be his teammate Zach Osborne and the Cernic’s Kawasaki team, featuring Jeff Gibson.
Tickets are available at Reliant Stadium, all Ticketmaster locations or by phone at 713-629-3700. Extreme and Club level tickets are available for $40 adults/kids (2-10 years old); Gold Circle tickets $25 adults/$10 kids; Treadhead Seats $10. Free pit passes are available at Texas Yamaha dealers.
In the AMA Supercross class, Team San Manuel’s Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., brings a solid, yet vulnerable 35-point lead in the championship points race to Houston. Reed is a two-time AMA Supercross class winner at Houston.
Reed was challenged by Red Bull Honda’s Davi Millsaps, of Cairo, Ga., last weekend in San Diego where the two traded positions throughout the AMA Supercross class main event.
“I was glad to get my first holeshot in the AMA Supercross class,” said Millsaps. “Chad (Reed) and I were dicing back and forth in the main event, and it was good to ride his pace. He was going fast, and I have to give it up to him.”
On lap 16, Reed secured the lead and rode to his fifth win of the season and his fifth win at Qualcomm Stadium.
“I am happy to get the win here tonight in San Diego,” said Reed. “I won every race in California this year, and I have never done that before. Now that we are leaving the west coast, I get to go home to Florida and sleep in my own bed. I have to take each race one at a time.”
Equally impressive was Monster Energy® Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry, of Dade City, Fla., who staged a late-race comeback and passed Millsaps on lap 13. It was Ferry’s first second-place finish of the season. Millsaps finished third.
“I felt good after the Anaheim 3 race, and the momentum carried over here to San Diego,” said Ferry. “I hope it keeps going into Houston. I am adapting better each race, and I am closer than I have ever been to getting a win. I hope that day comes soon.”
As the historic Monster Energy® Supercross returns to Reliant Stadium this weekend, it will mark the 42nd time the gate has dropped in Houston. During last year’s AMA Supercross class main event, Ferry carried the lead through turn one before being passed by Honda’s Kevin Windham. Kawasaki’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., worked his way through the pack after starting in sixth place. By the sixth lap, Stewart moved into the lead and rode to victory.
“I had a big crash earlier in practice and knew that this track could come back and bite me,” said Stewart from the podium last year. “I have a points lead but can’t afford to back down because things can get bad when you start to let up.”
En route to winning his first-ever Western regional AMA Supercross Lites class title, Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., started the main event by winning the Holeshot Award narrowly edging out the Yamaha of Jason Lawrence, of Carlsbad, Calif. Villopoto held the lead for the opening five laps before a crash on lap six handed the lead to Lawrence.
Lawrence held down the top spot until being chased down by Villopoto, who regrouped and held on to take the win, his fifth of the season. Lawrence finished second while Honda’s Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., was third.
“(A lapped rider) just jumped right off the table top, hit a tuff block and went down right in front of me,” said Villopoto in reference to last year’s crash on lap six. “I had nowhere to go and ran right into him. I got back up and chased (Lawrence) down for the win.”
Since 1974 Houston has been on the AMA Supercross class schedule. From 1974-2002 the Houston Astrodome hosted the race, and in 2003, the race was moved to Reliant Stadium. The first AMA Supercross class race in Houston was on March 15, 1974 where Jim Pomeroy earned the inaugural race win. In AMA Supercross Lites competition, Eddie Warren won the first lites race held in Houston on April 20, 1985. Jeremy McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross rider, shares the all-time win record along with Mark Barnett with five.
AMA Supercross Class Results, San Diego
1. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha
2. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki
3. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda
4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
6. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Calif., Yamaha
7. David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
8. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM
10. Jason Thomas, Melrose, Fla., Honda
AMA Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 147
2. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 112
3. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 99
4. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 85
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 85
6. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha, 70
7. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 69
8. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM, 53
9. Joshua Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 64
10. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 53
Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results, San Diego
1. Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
2. Thomas Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki
3. Robert Kiniry, LaFayette, N.Y., Honda
4. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
5. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
6. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
7. Austin Stroupe, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
8. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Yamaha
9. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
10. Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 113
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 111
3. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 96
4. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki, 92
5. Austin Stroupe, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki, 88
6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 85
7. Dan Reardon, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 80
8. Gavin Gracyk, Blissfield, Ohio, Honda, 62
9. Broc Hepler, Kittanning, Pa., Yamaha, 59
10. Robert Kiniry, LaFayette, N.Y., Kawasaki, 57
Past Winners in Houston
AMA Supercross
February 10, 2007: James Stewart
April 01, 2006: James Stewart
April 30, 2005: James Stewart
February 14, 2004: Chad Reed
March 29, 2003: Chad Reed
March 23, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
March 24, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
February 05, 2000: Jeremy McGrath
March 19, 1999: Jeremy McGrath
January 17, 1998: Ezra Lusk
March 22, 1997: Jeff Emig
March 16, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
March 25, 1995: Jeremy McGrath
January 22, 1994: Jeremy McGrath
January 16, 1993: Damon Bradshaw
January 18, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
January 19, 1991: Jean-Michel Bayle
February 03, 1990: Damon Bradshaw
March 18, 1989: Jeff Stanton
February 06, 1988: Jeff Ward
February 07, 1987: Jeff Ward
February 02, 1986: Jeff Ward
April 20, 1985: Jeff Ward
March 24, 1984: David Bailey
March 20, 1983: Mark Barnett
March 19, 1983: Bob Hannah
March 20, 1982: Mark Barnett
March 19, 1982: Mark Barnett
March 14, 1981: Mark Barnett
March 13, 1981: Mark Barnett
March 14, 1980: Mike Bell
March 15, 1980: Broc Glover
March 17, 1979: Bob Hannah
March 16, 1979: Bob Hannah
March 18, 1978: Bob Hannah
March 18, 1977: Tony DiStefano
March 19, 1977: Jim Ellis
March 12, 1976: Jim Weinerd
March 14, 1975: Jim Ellis
March 15, 1974: Jim Pomeroy
AMA Supercross
February 10, 2007: Ryan Villopoto
April 01, 2006: David Millsaps
April 30, 2005: Andrew Short
February 14, 2004: James Stewart
March 29, 2003: Brock Sellards
March 23, 2002: Matt Walker
March 24, 2001: Travis Preston
February 05, 2000: Derrick Shae Bentley
March 19, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
January 17, 1998: David Vuillemin
March 22, 1997: Kevin Windham
March 16, 1996: Kevin Windham
March 25, 1995: Damon Huffman
January 22, 1994: Ezra Huffman
January 16, 1993: Jimmy Gaddis
January 18, 1992: Brian Swink
January 19, 1991: Tallon Vohland
February 03, 1990: Jeff Emig
March 18, 1989: Mike LaRocco
February 06, 1988: Jeff Matiasevich
February 07, 1987: Keith Turpin
February 02, 1986: Willie Surratt
April 20, 1985: Eddie Warren
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 dennyhartwig@livenation.com or 630-566-6305.
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