Chad Reed said after last week’s San Diego Supercross that he’s glad the series is heading to Texas and leaving California, and he showed exactly why after posting the quickest lap time of the day in qualifying at today’s Dallas Supercross at Cowboys Stadium.
Chad Reed finds the hard-packed Dallas track to his liking.
Reed found the track’s hard-packed dirt and the season’s first race inside a football-style stadium to his liking. The more back-and-forth layout of the track lanes inside the massive Cowboys Stadium produced some of the season’s shortest lap times, with Reed, on the TwoTwo Motorsport/Bel-Ray Honda, stopping the clock at just 46.537 seconds, topping Ryan Villopoto, on the Monster Energy Kawasaki, by about 3/10ths of a second. Only Reed and Villopoto were able to crack the 46-second mark.
Third quickest was James Stewart on the JGRMX/Toyota Yamaha. Stewart was fourth quickest in the first session and waited until the end of the second timed practice session to produce his best lap, but it was still about a half second off Reed’s best lap. He reeled off a 47.071, edging out Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey.
Last week’s winner Ryan Villopoto was second quickest in qualifying.
Kevin Windham on the GEICO Honda had the Dallas crowd abuzz after ripping off the quickest lap in the first timed qualifying session, but he slipped to fifth fastest overall.
The Dallas Supercross is also host to the opening round of the East Lites Championship, so there are many new faces, numbers and teams on the track this time. But it was an “old” face setting the pace for the Lites-class riders. Justin Barcia, the defending East champ, reeled off a time of 48.736, edging out Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, who recorded a 48.909. They were the only two riders inside the 48-second bracket.
Defending East Lites champ Justin Barcia made an early statement.
Third quickest was Malcolm Stewart who is making his debut on the JDR/J-Star KTM. And right behind him is GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle, who his making his Supercross debut after turning pro in the middle of the outdoor Nationals last year.
Matt Lemoine, on the TiLube/J&M Racing Kawasaki, is fifth quickest, followed by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett and Rockstar Suzuki’s Blake Wharton.
The Dallas track features a few challenging sections but mostly for the Lites riders. Two extremely large triple jumps with short run-ups have claimed many of the lesser-powered bikes, and two whoops sections are keeping everyone on their toes, but neither whoop sections are as difficult as the one we saw last week at San Diego.
Luckily, the new Cowboys Stadium has a roof. Many of those who showed up early have been hanging out inside the stadium rather than the pits, avoiding the steady rain that has been falling all day.
Ken Roczen is all healed up and second quickest in the Lites class.
Unfortunately, Supercross.com Honda’s Andrew Short will not be suiting up for tonight’s program. Short, who injured his shoulder last week in San Diego, rode the first two practice session today but pulled out, his shoulder giving him too much pain to continue.
Austin Stroupe, on the Rockstar/Star Valli Yamaha, suffered one of the hardest get-offs of the day, his coming in the final 450 qualifying session and in longest of the two whoop section. Stroupe swapped at high speed and was violently thrown off the bike. He did get back on his feet but headed straight back to the pits.
The large triples are tough on the Lites bikes.
