For the 15th round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, the Honda Red Riders headed to the rainy Pacific Northwest to do battle in front of 53,862 people at Seattle's CenturyLink Field. Despite tough, muddy conditions Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia rode an exceptional race, leading wire-to-wire to capture his second career 450-class victory. It was also a stellar night for the Muscle Milk-backed GEICO Honda team, with Eli Tomac and Zach Osborne finishing 2-3 respectively on the podium.
450 Race
Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia may be the 450-class rookie, but he definitely doesn't ride like it. With the second-quickest qualifying time in practice and a second in his heat race, the day started off solid for Barcia. In the main event, Barcia raced his way to the holeshot and despite constant pressure throughout the race he stayed consistent and led the entire 20 laps to take the win. This victory nearly mirrored his performance at round two when he led wire-to-wire to capture his first win of the season.
"This is an unreal feeling," stated Barcia. "The last few weeks have been frustrating with fourth-place finishes so it is awesome to finally make it happen. I haven't been getting good starts and there isn't much you can do to catch up from a bad start, especially with the speed of this class. I was really looking for a podium tonight and to be able to get the win is so awesome. The start was awesome; I have been working hard at home and we made some changes to the bike so I think you'll be seeing better starts from now on. I have two holeshots and two wins so that's pretty cool. It was an intense race though. I heard Ryan back there and he was charging so I just tried to stay as consistent as possible, which worked. I'm so stoked right now."
Teammate Trey Canard had a roller-coaster night aboard his Honda CRF450R; he was fourth quickest in practice and posted a third in his heat race behind Barcia. Canard got off the line in the back half of the field but was able to make his way up to sixth by the end of the first lap. By lap five, he had made his way into fourth until going down and ultimately being sidelined for the remainder of the race.
250 Race
After an eight-week hiatus the Western Regional 250 Supercross class resumed this weekend for round seven of the series and the Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda duo of Eli Tomac and Zach Osborne both claimed podium positions. Tomac nailed down the holeshot in the main event and led for a majority of the race, until he went down hard on lap 10. He quickly jumped up and was able to resume the race in second, which is where he finished. Tomac sits second overall in the championship points chase, with a 20-point deficit heading into Salt Lake City.
"I was hoping to close the gap a little today, but wasn't able to," explained Tomac. "I was fired up heading into the main after winning my heat race. I got a good start and was able to establish a nice lead for most of the race, but I got stuck in a deep rut coming out of the whoops and went over the bars. Luckily, I was able to get back up on the bike and hold onto a podium spot. I haven't made repeating the championship easy on us but I will fight till the very end."
It was exciting night for Osborne, who captured his first podium finish of the season with a third-place overall. "The whole day went really good for me," said Osborne. "The practice and my heat race both went good, which gave me confidence heading into the main. I got a solid start and was able to work my way through the pack. I got into third and was able to stay there till the end."
After starting outside the top 10, Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda's Cole Seely was able to work his way through the field and post a solid fourth-place finish.
The Focus: Fort Lewis Appearance
On Friday April 19, Barcia and Canard were given a special opportunity to show their appreciation to the men and women on Fort Lewis Military base. Barcia and Canard signed autographs and took photos with the troops and their families. Muscle Milk representatives were on hand, passing out samples to everyone in attendance.
450 Supercross Class Overall Results
1. Justin Barcia (Honda)
2. Ryan Villopoto
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Ryan Dungey
5. Jake Weimer
6. Mike Alessi
7. Broc Tickle
8. Justin Brayton
9. Andrew Short
10. Phillip Nicoletti
450 Supercross Class Championship Points (after 15 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 321
2. Davi Millsaps 296
3. Ryan Dungey 295
4. Justin Barcia 245
5. Chad Reed 213
6. Trey Canard 202
7. Andrew Short 189
8. James Stewart 174
9. Justin Brayton 162
10. Broc Tickle 155
250 Supercross West Class Overall Results
1. Ken Roczen
2. Eli Tomac (Honda)
3. Zach Osborne (Honda)
4. Cole Seely (Honda)
5. Tyla Rattray
6. Austin Politelli
7. Ryan Sipes
8. Joey Savatgy
9. Martin Davalos
10. Jason Anderson
250 Supercross West Class Championship Points (after 7 of 9 rounds)
1. Ken Roczen 163
2. Eli Tomac 143
3. Cole Seely 113
4. Zach Osborne 102
5. Jason Anderson 99
6. Martin Davalos 94
7. Kyle Cunningham 86
8. Joey Savatgy 75
9. Tyla Rattray 74
10. Austin Politelli 72
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 and is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides in the U.S. The American Honda Motorcycle Division is responsible for the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.
About Muscle Milk
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 & minerals. CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk®, is among the largest sport nutrition protein beverage companies in the U.S. 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.
