Despite sitting six points...
Despite sitting six points behind, a motivated Chad Reed could pull off an upset victory Saturday night and claim his third-career championship.
(Photo Credit: Brian Robinette)
AURORA, Ill. (May 1, 2009) - Through 16 races, 11 states, and 14 cities, the most intense and closely contested Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season in history draws to an exciting conclusion this weekend at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The world's fastest riders and fierce rivals, Team San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Chad Reed, will battle it out one final time for the coveted world championship live on SPEED (10pm EST/ 7pm PST).
Last weekend, Monster Energy AMA Supercross' return to Salt Lake City produced one of the most controversial races in recent memory when Stewart's teammate Kyle Chisholm appeared to interfere in the heated battle for the lead between the current points leader and Reed. The altercation allowed Stewart to slowly pull away while Chisholm was black flagged and disqualified by the AMA and will actually have to sit out this weekend's race for his actions. As a result, Stewart's advantage over Reed heading into Las Vegas sits at six points, meaning the 2007 champion needs to finish third or better to guarantee his second career AMA Supercross class title.
"It feels great to get the win (in Salt Lake)," said Stewart. "(I'm) still going to be working hard this whole week getting ready for Vegas but tonight I got that San Manuel Yamaha out front and that's what mattered."
A clearly irritated Reed kept to himself on the podium in Salt Lake City, but onlookers knew that inside the defending champion's head he had to be wondering what could have been. While it is unclear if team orders played into last Saturday's main event, the absence of Chisholm and the possibility of having his own teammate by his side is not forgotten by Reed.
"It's going to be interesting next week at Las Vegas," stated Reed. "I want to get out front on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and ride strong. I'm going to do everything in my power to win this title. Whatever it takes to do that, I'll do it. Hopefully we'll have a yellow 800 (teammate Mike Alessi) in the race as well."
Speaking of Reed's teammate, Alessi struggled in Utah and had his worst performance of the 2009 season when he failed to qualify for the main event. Tricky conditions and an apparent illness slowed the California rider but he is determined to bounce back this weekend and end the season on a high note as he heads into the outdoor season.
"I'm looking forward to closing out the season at Las Vegas," explained Alessi. "I've tried to improve steadily over the last year and I feel pretty good about my overall performance. Now the end of the season is near, and I can see the finish line. So next weekend is like any other supercross for me - try to get another holeshot on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and run up front and get on the podium."
Newly-crowned West Region...
Newly-crowned West Region Champion Ryan Dungey hopes to see more of this as he looks for his third straight East/West Shootout victory.
(Photo Credit: Brian Robinette)
The third representative of the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team last weekend, Ryan Dungey, left Salt Lake City with a number one plate in his hands as he claimed his first career title in the AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional Championship. While the four-race winner didn't bring home win number five, he did what he had to do to take the coveted title. Now, he sets his sights on a third-straight Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Supercross Lites Shootout victory.
"I'm just going to take the Las Vegas shoot-out as another race," said Dungey. "Obviously, our season is already wrapped up but I'd like to be there in the end and it would be nice to win it. Most importantly, I want to have a solid race and keep it safe."
For GEICO Powersports Honda's Trey Canard, Salt Lake City was a bright spot in an otherwise troubled season. The 2008 AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Regional Champion struggled in his move west but soldiered through all eight rounds to bring home a hard-earned victory at the final race.
"It was awesome to finish off the AMA Supercross Western Regional championship on a high note winning the final round," boasted Canard. "It's definitely been a rough season for me so to finish on the top step of the box is great not only for me but also the GEICO Powersports Honda team. Everyone works so hard and I really wanted to give them the win to finish out the season."
At Honda Red Bull Racing, Davi Millsaps continued a late-season surge by capturing his second-consecutive podium. While his season has been up and down, a renewed focus has Millsaps energized and ready to show what he's capable of. If he plays his cards right, he could leave Las Vegas a lucky winner.
"I'm pumped to finish Salt Lake City third on the podium," exclaimed Millsaps. "Everything worked great on the night and I am happy to make it onto the podium two weeks in a row. Going into the final round at Las Vegas this weekend it's definitely my mission to continue my podium run and finish on the box. I want to finish out on a high note."
The Monster Energy Kawasaki team had another solid weekend on racing in Utah with its riders Ryan Villopoto and Billy Laninovich.
 Trey Canard's much-needed...  Trey Canard's much-needed victory in Salt Lake City could be the spark that pushes him to the front of the pack in Las Vegas.
(Photo Credit: Simon Cudby) | | |