It comes as no surprise that a Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki fired the first shot of the AMA Supercross 250cc West Championship, and it also comes as no surprise that it was the Pro Circuit Kawasaki of Jake Weimer – the one who came so close to wrestling the 250 West title away from Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey last year.
The season opener went exceptionally well for Weimer, who won his heat race and went on to take the first main event of 2010 with a wire-to-wire victory – scooping up the $1000 Spike TV holeshot award along the way for good measure.
GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard finished second after rallying his way up from a fifth-place start. Canard had to find his way around Star Racing Yamaha’s Gautier Paulin – who he helped over a berm on the second lap – and Ryan Morais, who ended up third in the main event. Morais – Weimer’s former Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate who is now riding for the Rockstar Suzuki Canidae team – got off to a third-place start but soon took over second after Josh Hansen hit the ground heading into the second lap.
Hansen – who is back riding for Payton’s Pro Circuit Kawasaki team – qualified well and was off to a good start in the main event, but quickly began to slip back after several small mistakes. After a tip-over and then a stall-out, Hansen was back to tenth place, leaving Morais with only Canard to deal with for the majority of the race.
Behind them, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Blake Wharton and Troy Lee Designs Honda rider Wil Hahn had a close battle going on for fourth. Hahn kept steady pressure on Wharton, but the GEICO Honda rider would not be pressured into a mistake. In his career first 250 west race, Wharton collected fourth followed by Hahn who rounded out the top five.
Broc Tickle of the Star Racing Yamaha team rode to a lonely sixth-place finish, followed by KTM’s Tommy Searle who had a modest but respectable seventh-place finish in his first-ever Supercross race. Hansen finished eighth followed by Star Yamaha’s Max Anstie and Moto Concepts Yamaha’s Jeff Alessi – who completed the top ten at Anaheim I.
HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 qualify): 1. Broc Tickle (Yam); 2. Max Anstie (Yam); 3. Trey Canard (Hon); 4. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 5. Wil Hahn (Hon); 6. Philip Nicoletti (KTM); 7. Travis Baker (Yam); 8. Hunter Hewitt; 9. Ben Evans (Suz); 10. Landen Powell (KTM); 11. Michael Horban (Hon); 12. Jake Canada (Kaw); 13. Deven Raper (Kaw); 14. Taylor Painter (Hon); 15. Chris Howell (Yam); 16. Jason Potter (Hon); 17. Rhett Urseth (Kaw); 18. Eric McCrummen (Hon); 19. Hunter Meyer (Kaw); 20. Topher Ingalls (Yam).
Race Time: 5 min., 47.632 sec.
Margin of Victory 2.383 sec.
HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 qualify): 1. Jake Weimer (Kaw); 2. Ryan Morais (Suz); 3. Josh Hansen (Kaw); 4. cole Seely (Hon); 5. Tommy Searle (KTM); 6. Christopher Gosselaar (Hon); 7. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 8. Ryan Clark (Hon); 9. Blake Wharton (Hon); 10. Antonio Balbi (Kaw); 11. Jeff Alessi (Yam); 12. Sean Borkenhagen (KTM); 13. Jeffrey Mann (Kaw); 14. Daniel Hendrix (Kaw); 15. Joshua Clark (Kaw); 16. Chad Gores (Hon); 17. Tanner Reidman (Hon); 18. Cameron Rodriguez (Hon); 19. Ronnie Goodwin (Kaw); 20. Jeremy Odriscoll (Yam).
Race Time: 5 min., 42.534 sec.
Margin of Victory: 1.461 sec.
LCQ (4 laps, 1-2 qualify): 1. Sean Borkenhagen (KTM); 2. Jeff Alessi (Yam); 3. Antonio Balbi (Kaw); 4. Daniel Hendrix (Kaw); 5. Tanner Reidman (Hon); 6. Michael Horban (Hon); 7. Jake Canada (Kaw); 8. Chad Gores (Hon); 9. Deven Raper (Kaw); 10. Joshua Clark (Kaw); 11. Jason Potter (Hon); 12. Hunter Meyer (Kaw); 13. Jeremy Odriscoll (Yam); 14. Jeffrey Mann (Kaw); 15. Ronnie Goodwin (Kaw); 16. Taylor Painter (Hon); 17. Landen Powell (KTM); 18. Chris Howell (Yam); 19. Rhett Urseth (Kaw); 20. Cameron Rodriguez (Hon); 21. Eric McCrummen (Hon); 22. Topher Ingalls (Yam).
Race Time: 3 min., 59.440 sec.
Margin of Victory: 0.692 sec.
MAIN EVENT (15 laps): 1. Jake Weimer (Kaw); 2. Trey Canard (Hon); 3. Ryan Morais (Suz); 4. Blake Wharton (Hon); 5. Wil Hahn (Hon); 6. Broc Tickle (Yam); 7. Tommy Searle (KTM); 8. Josh Hansen (Kaw); 9. Max Anstie (Yam); 10. Jeff Alessi (Yam); 11. Hunter Hewitt (Suz); 12. Sean Borkenhagen (KTM); 13. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 14. Cole Seely (Hon); 15. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 16. Philip Nicoletti (KTM); 17. Chris Gosselaar (Hon); 18. Ben Evans (Suz); 19. Ryan Clark (Hon); 20. Travis Baker (Yam).
