Toronto Supercross: Villopoto Wins Again

TORONTO (March 24, 2012) – The 12^th race of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, hosted 47,010 Canadian enthusiasts on Saturday night, to boast its largest crowd to date inside the Rogers Centre. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., captured his series-leading seventh win of the season to extend his points lead and inch closer to defending his Supercross Class title. In the Supercross Lites Class, GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., raced to his fifth win in six races of the Eastern Regional Championship.

As the gate dropped on the Supercross Class Main Event, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton, of Murrieta, Calif., grabbed the Nuclear Cowboyz^® Holeshot Award with Villopoto and Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX’s Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., in tow. Brayton led the opening lap of competition, but Villopoto made what would be the winning pass a short time later.

Once he took over the lead, Villopoto quickly pulled away. However, a slight bobble in the whoops on Lap 3 allowed Brayton to close in briefly, but Villopoto rebounded and laid down the quickest laps of the evening. He took the checkered flag over nine seconds ahead of the field.

“Out of the first turn, it was just me and Brayton right off the bat,” said Villopoto. “I made some pretty big mistakes in the whoops. They were tough. We’ll go to Houston, where I think there’s a chance to wrap up the title. That’s the plan.”

Brayton recorded his second consecutive runner-up effort, while GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centreville, Miss., made an impressive climb from a fifth-place start to grab the final spot on the podium in third.

Villopoto now holds a 79-point lead over Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn.

In the Supercross Lites Class Main Event, Barcia was the first out of the gate to grab the Nuclear Cowboyz^® Holeshot Award, while Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Murrieta, Calif., and Eleven10 Mods Honda’s Alex Martin, of Millville, Minn., followed. Roczen took advantage early, moving past Barcia on the opening lap and setting a quick pace early.

The duo followed one another through the first few laps before Barcia took an inside line on Lap 3, making contact with Roczen in the process and pulling away. Behind them, an exciting battle for third ensued between Martin, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Darryn Durham, of Butler, Pa., and Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Blake Wharton, of Pilot Point, Texas. After a three-wide battle, Durham assumed the spot, but fell just a few laps later, allowing Wharton to take over the position.

Once out front, Barcia continued to pull away from the field, winning by over seven seconds. Roczen went unchallenged en route to a second-place finish, while Wharton held on for third.

“Right now I couldn’t be (happier),” said Barcia. “I got my first win here two years ago. My GEICO Honda was hooking up great. This track was really tough tonight. You had to be really smart and really smooth. I made a great pass for the lead and kind of just rode my own race from there.”

Barcia extended his lead in the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class standings to 28 points over Wharton.

Supercross Class Results: Toronto

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
3. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Idaho, Kawasaki
6. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
7. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
9. Robert Kiniry, Holland Patent, NY, Yamaha

10.  Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda

Supercross Class Season Standings

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 271
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 192
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 177
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 169
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 166
6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 165
7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 150
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 145
9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki – 136

10.  Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 128

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Toronto

1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
2. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
4. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
5. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa, Kawasaki
6. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda
7. Tommy Weeck, Menifee, Calif., Honda
8. Justing Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda
9. Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki
10. Jeffrey Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings

1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 145
2. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki – 117
3. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki – 114
4. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 102
5. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda – 90
6. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki – 86
7. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda – 74
8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM – 50
9. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 50
10. Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki – 46

Monster Energy Supercross heads to Houston’s Reliant Stadium next Saturday, March 31, for the 13^thrace of the season.

Tune into the enhanced exclusive weekly video content from Supercross LIVE! during the entire 2012 season on SupercrossOnline.com, the Official Website of Monster Energy Supercross.

Weekly Supercross LIVE! Video Content Schedule

The Official Supercross LIVE! Pre-Show              Race Days at 11 AM Local Race Time
Behind the Scenes with Supercross LIVE!           All Day on Race Days
2 Minutes on the Track                                       Race Days at 3:30 & 5:30 PM Local Race Time
And on the Podium Tonight                                 Following Each Round’s Main Events
The Official Supercross LIVE! Post-Show            Saturday Nights at Each Round
Toyota Tailgate Talk                                          Wednesdays at 5 PM ET
After The Checkered Flag                                   Thursdays at 5PM ET

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive andhttp://twitter.com/supercrosslive.

About Feld Motor Sports^®

Feld Motor Sports^®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz^®, and IHRA^® Nitro Jam^®.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment.  For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.