Andrew Short scored a very popular win at Seattle.
SEATTLE, WA., APRIL 21 – On a night of surprises, there were in more store in the Supercross (450cc) main event in Seattle as L&Mc Honda’s Andrew Short earned his first-ever Supercross victory.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said Short, who missed seven races earlier this season to injury. “My team has been through some challenges, but we stuck together. There are so many people who have helped me in 11 years of doing this. I’m getting old. I didn’t believe [I could win] too much until the end, and I think that’s been one of my problems in the past. All I wanted to do was be out here and to win is unreal.”
Short led from start to finish. He grabbed the holeshot and except for a short skirmish with Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen early in the race, had a relatively easy 20 laps.
Roczen and Short, who are good friends and former teammates at KTM, got into a good dice for a few laps early on until Roczen nearly crashed and decided to tone it down a bit.
Roczen held off Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer to take second and give KTM its first Supercross podium for the 350 SX-F.
Fourth went to Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Brayton and fifth went to Toyota/JGR Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps.
Ryan Dungey, racing for the first time since breaking his collarbone, ended up sixth after crashing while trying to pass Brayton for fourth.
Mike Alessi, Brock Tickle, Weston Peick and Nick Wey rounded out the top 10.
Noticeably missing from the top results is recently crowned Supercross Champion Ryan Villopoto. Villopoto slid out on the first lap and withdrew from the race after, according to his team, took a handlebar to the stomach and banged his knee.
“Ryan didn’t get such a good start,” said Reid Nordin, Monster Energy Kawasaki race director. “He was charging through the pack and lost the front end and ended up getting a handle bar to the gut, which knocked the wind out of him, and he got a stinger when the footpeg came down on him. He’s really bummed out and upset with himself with what happened. He really wanted to do well for the fans here.”
The team also reported that Villopoto will be okay to race next week at Salt Lake City, however, there is talk in the pits that the injury to the knee might be more serious than first thought.
