After posting quick laps and chasing Ricky Carmichael in vain the last three rounds, Yamaha’s Chad Reed finally got his second win of this year’s AMA Supercross season – and his career – at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. The win closed the gap between Carmichael and Reed to only four points with 10 rounds still to run.
Reed’s victory also extended his THQ World Supercross GP points lead by three more over teammate David Vuillemin, who had his best ride of the year for second.
Michael Byrne got his second holeshot in as many weeks in the main event, only to be passed pretty much right away by Vuillemin, and then Reed. Vuillemin couldn’t gap his teammate, and Reed got around him before the third lap was completed – then Reed just took off. Vuillemin was riding very impressively, but Reed, it seemed, was in a class of his own tonight.
Carmichael got Vuillemin for second on the next lap and looked to set his sights on Reed, but instead he got out of shape in the whoops and crashed, giving Vuillemin the position back and remounting in seventh.
Reed raced on to the win by more than 18 seconds over his teammate Vuillemin, while Carmichael made it all the way back up to third when Timmy Ferry crashed out of the position, in the same area Carmichael fell in, on lap 13.
Byrne, who will be starting his assault on the 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Series next Saturday night, matched his career-best 250cc ride of a week ago with another fourth, and Nick Wey also had a career night, finishing a consistent and hard-fought fifth.
James Stewart Jr. led the 125cc main event from start to finish – again – and extended his points lead to 31 over second-place finisher Travis Preston with only two rounds remaining. If Stewart finishes at least third at the next Western Regional round in Dallas, Texas, he will clinch the title regardless of how Preston does.
Preston suffered another poor start in the main event, but still sat sixth after the completion of lap one, and then passing Sean Hamblin for second on lap five. Hamblin made a mistake soon thereafter, allowing his teammate Danny Smith to make the pass for third, and then, as the riders came around to complete lap 12, Hamblin dived underneath Smith for third but fell as it appeared he was giving his teammate a little more consideration than he may have given to anybody else.
Stewart took the win, followed by Preston, Smith, Andrew Short, Matt Walker, and Hamblin.
Mike LaRocco didn’t race because of a shoulder injury that he incurred at last week’s Anaheim III Supercross, but he’s expected back for Minneapolis. In addition, Mickael Pichon was a no-show in San Diego because he reportedly didn’t want to get hurt racing supercross when he’s got a championship to defend in Europe coming up.
Neither Chris Gosselaar nor Josh Woods raced in the 125cc class because they were both too banged up, and Craig Anderson is actually out for 4-6 weeks with a perforated spleen.
250cc Main: 1. Chad Reed (Yam); 2. David Vuillemin (Yam); 3. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 4. Michael Byrne (Hon); 5. Nick Wey (Yam); 6. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 7. Heath Voss (Yam); 8. Stephane Roncada (Suz); 9. Paul Carpenter (Hon); 10. Ezra Lusk (Kaw); 11. Larry Ward (Hon); 12. Damon Huffman (Hon); 13. Keith R. Johnson (Yam); 14. Brock Sellards (Yam); 15. Greg Schnell (Yam); 16. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 17. Casey Lytle (Yam); 18. Ryan Clark (Yam); 19. Clark Stiles (Hon); 20. Bobby Bonds (Hon).
125cc Main: 1. James Stewart Jr. (Kaw); 2. Travis Preston (Hon); 3. Danny Smith (Suz); 4. Andrew Short (Suz); 5. Matt Walker (Kaw); 6. Sean Hamblin (Suz); 7. Billy Laninovich (KTM); 8. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 9. Josh Hansen (Yam); 10. Tyler Evans (Suz); 11. Travis Elliott (Yam); 12. Ryan Morais (Suz); 13. Tommy Harrison (Suz); 14. Tiger Lacey (Yam); 15. Shane Bess (Suz); 16. Troy Adams (Yam); 17. Logan Darien (Yam); 18. Akira Narita (Suz); 19. Steve Mertens (Yam); 20. Pascal Lauret (KTM); 21. Edgardo Rojas (Yam); 22. David Pingree (Suz).
AMA 250cc Points: 1. Ricky Carmichael (135/3 wins); 2. Chad Reed (131/2 wins); 3. David Vuillemin (109); 4. Ezra Lusk (98/1 win); 5. Timmy Ferry (94); 6. Michael Byrne (75); 7. Stephane Roncada (70); 8. Sebastien Tortelli (63); 9. Mike LaRocco (60); 10. Heath Voss (57).
AMA 125cc Points: 1. James Stewart Jr. (147/5 wins); 2. Travis Preston (116/1 win); 3. Andrew Short (92); 4. Billy Laninovich (91); 5. Matt Walker (90); 6. Danny Smith (81); 7. Eric Sorby (72); 8. (TIE) Christopher Gosselaar/Sean Hamblin (65); 10. Josh Hansen (61).
