Round 10 of the 2012 Supercross season took place this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. This year's Daytona Supercross by Honda marked Honda's 21st year of sponsoring this unique and historic race. Daytona is always tough, but this year a downpour turned the track into a quagmire that made mere survival difficult.
To help celebrate its sponsorship of the Daytona Supercross by Honda and start off bike week, Honda hosted a Kick-Off party Friday evening. Team Honda Muscle Milk riders along with the other Honda racing stars came out to Honda's main display area for a meet and greet with fans and an autograph session. It was an impressive list of riders in attendance including: Trey Canard, Justin Brayton, Cole Seely, Ashley Fiolek, Chad Reed, Andrew Short, Kevin Windham, Justin Barcia, Justin Bogle and the Supercross King Jeremy McGrath. Team Honda Muscle Milk also celebrated Cole Seely's 22nd birthday on Saturday.
The Race
For the main event, track conditions were exceedingly difficult, and the start was critical. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton and Cole Seely got covered in mud off the start, and that's all it took to let the leaders get away. Despite several crashes, both riders finished the race—Brayton in 16th and Seely in 17th. Just surviving to finish this race and salvage points was an accomplishment.
The GEICO Honda team had an impressive showing in Daytona with both Justin Barcia and Kevin Windham making podium appearances. Barcia grabbed the holeshot and lead all the way to the checkered flag. This marks his fourth consecutive win of the season, giving him a 24-point lead.
"To win here at Daytona, a race sponsored by Honda, is an incredible feeling. I have been on Honda from day one so it is awesome to be able to put my GEICO Honda on the podium," said Barcia. "I really had to work hard for this win and the track was very demanding. This is going to be the toughest race of the season and I am definitely excited to come out on top again."
It was a noteworthy night for GEICO Honda's Kevin Windham, who nabbed his best finish of the season in some of the worst conditions. He won this race in similar conditions in 2008, and this year managed to finish third.
"I have been working really hard to get up on the podium this season and I am excited to finally be here at such a special race," said Windham. "The track was tough but I was in my element so I just made sure to stay consistent and not make any mistakes. The GEICO Honda was running awesome so I am ready to keep this momentum going into the rest of the season."
Focus On: Muscle Milk
This year Muscle Milk joined forces with the factory Honda team as title sponsor. Muscle Milk® Ready-to-Drink is a protein-enhanced functional beverage that promotes workout recovery, lean muscle growth and sustained energy. Muscle Milk takes the guesswork out of high-performance nutrition, delivering a precise blend of premium proteins, complex carbohydrates, functional fats, vitamins and minerals. CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk, is in the top 50 largest beverage companies in the world, and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk was named Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and Company of the Year by Beverage Forum presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World.
Supercross Main Event
1. James Stewart
2. Davi Millsaps
3. Kevin Windham (Honda)
4. Marvin Musquin
5. Ryan Villopoto
6. Mike Alessi
7. Jake Weimer
8. Broc Tickle
9. Mathew Goerke
10. Brett Metcalfe
Supercross Championship Points (after 10 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 221
2. Ryan Dungey 192
3. James Stewart 177
4. Kevin Windham 143
5. Jake Weimer 134
6. Davi Millsaps 131
7. Chad Reed 128
8. Brett Metcalfe 124
9. Justin Brayton 121
10. Mike Alessi 113
Supercross Lites East Main Event
1. Justin Barcia (Honda)
2. Blake Baggett
3. Darryn Durham
4. Ken Roczen
5. Blake Wharton
6. Jake Canada
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. Malcolm Stewart
9. Cole Thompson
10. Tommy Weeck
Supercross Lites East Points (after 4 of 9 rounds)
1. Justin Barcia 100
2. Darryn Durham 76
3. Ken Roczen 75
4. Blake Wharton 72
5. Blake Baggett 62
6. Jake Canada 56
7. Justin Bogle 46
8. Malcolm Stewart 42
9. Kyle Cunningham 42
10. Cole Thompson 32
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com.
©2012 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
