News 7 Feb 2016

Roczen races to first supercross win of the year in Glendale

Craig takes first-career 250SX main event victory.

Image: Simon Cudby.

Image: Simon Cudby.

RCH Soaring Eagle /Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ken Roczen captured his first win of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at the first-ever race from University of Phoenix Stadium in front of 53,055 fans.

BTO Sports/WPS/KTM’s Davi Millsaps won his second SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award before Roczen passed him for the lead on the opening lap.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, who started fourth, took over third place on the opening lap and advanced to second place on lap two, dropping Millsaps to third.

Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely passed Millsaps for third on lap four. Dungey, who started in 10th place and positioned himself in the top five on lap three, moved around Seely for third when the Honda rider stalled his bike.

On lap 15 Dungey passed Tomac for second, where he would eventually finish, as Roczen took the chequered flag over four seconds ahead of Dungey, while Tomac held on for third place.

Roczen now has five wins on his career, winning two each of his first two seasons in the 450SX Class. It was his first win since the second race in Anaheim in January of the 2015 season.

“We have been working really hard and it paid off,” said Roczen. “This was a tough track tonight. We got the job done.”

Despite having his three-race win streak come to an end, Dungey’s podium streak dating back to last season when he won the 450SX Class title now sits at 21 races. That’s also the same points advantage he now holds over Roczen in the championship standings.

“I made some good, clean passes after that bad start,” said Dungey. “I made passes where I could and had a great race.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson, who finished fourth, sits third in points, 26 points behind Dungey.

Chad Reed rode his factory Yamaha to sixth position in the main event, while after winning the LCQ, Lawson Bopping scored a career-best 16th.

GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig, who came out of retirement to race this year, won the first Western Regional 250SX Class race of his career.

In the Western Regional 250SX Class main event, GEICO Honda’s Jimmy DeCotis picked up his second SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award of the year, leading his teammate Craig through the first turn.

Craig made the pass for lead shortly thereafter. Defending Western Regional 250SX Class Champion Cooper Webb, who rides for the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha, started in seventh and made his way into the top three by the second lap and then moved into second place.

Points leader and last week’s winner Joey Savatgy put his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki into third place on lap five after starting eighth. While attempting a pass for the lead, Webb crashed but did not lose any positions, remounting right in front of Savatgy on lap nine.

Craig crossed the line nearly three seconds ahead of Webb to join the Monster Energy Supercross win ranks with his dad, Mike Craig. Webb finished second, rebounding from a career-worst 21st-place finish last weekend, with Savatgy third.

“To come out of retirement and get my first win ever is amazing,” said Craig, who last raced full time in 2013. “On the last lap the crowd was so loud; it was awesome.”

Webb and Savatgy now share the points lead at 98. Craig moved into third place, 11 points out of the lead.

51FIFTY Energy Drink Yamaha-mounted Aussie Hayden Mellross continued his consistent run of results, claiming 15th in the 250SX final.

Action resumes next Saturday night with the second Monster Energy Supercross race at San Diego’s Petco Park on Saturday, 13 February.

2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Round five – Glendale, AZ

450SX Class results:
1. Ken Roczen
2. Ryan Dungey
3. Eli Tomac
4. Jason Anderson
5. Davi Millsaps
6. Chad Reed (AUS)
7. Justin Brayton
8. Cole Seely
9. Marvin Musquin
10. Wil Hahn
16. Lawson Bopping (AUS)

450SX Class championship standings:
1. Ryan Dungey 119
2. Ken Roczen 98
3. Jason Anderson 93
4. Chad Reed (AUS) 90
5. Eli Tomac 88
6. Cole Seely 83
7. Marvin Musquin 63
8. Davi Millsaps 61
9. Justin Brayton 61
10. Jake Weimer 53
21. Lawson Bopping (AUS) 13

Western Regional 250SX Class results:
1. Christian Craig
2. Cooper Webb
3. Joey Savatgy
4. Mitchell Oldenburg
5. Colt Nichols
6. Chris Alldredge
7. Alex Martin
8. Kyle Cunningham
9. Jimmy DeCotis
10. Kyle Peters
15. Hayden Mellross (AUS)

Western Regional 250SX Class championship standings:
1. Cooper Webb 98
2. Joey Savatgy 98
3. Christian Craig 87
4. Colt Nichols 81
5. Zach Osborne 74
6. Jimmy DeCotis 71
7. Mitchell Oldenburg 66
8. Kyle Peters 62
9. Jordan Smith 61
10. Kyle Cunningham 54
16. Hayden Mellross (AUS) 29

Click here for detailed results

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