This past Saturday Honda Red Riders took on round 11 of the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia rode a solid race for a fifth-place overall, but teammate Trey Canard went down in the main event and was unable to finish the race. Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda's Wil Hahn finished on the podium for the fifth time this season with a third place, extending his points lead going into Toronto.
450 Race
Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia rode consistently the majority of the day, qualifying with the fourth quickest time and finishing fifth in his heat race. In the main event, Barcia grabbed a decent start and rode well the rest of the 20-lap main event to finish fifth overall. "I'm not completely happy with how tonight went," stated Barcia. "The track was pretty tough and it was really hard to pass on, which made it difficult. I have some things I need to work on heading into Toronto so hopefully things will end better."
Trey Canard started the day out strong aboard his Honda CRF450 with a second-place qualifying time, giving him a good gate pick heading into the night. Despite a less-than-desirable start in his heat, Canard put his head down and was able to put together a solid ride to finish second overall. In the main event, Canard jumped to a mid-pack start but went down a few laps in and was unable to finish the race.
Muscle Milk-sponsored GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac finished off his four-race 450 stint with a ninth-place finish. A first turn pile-up hindered Tomac in the start but he was able ride strong the rest of the race to make his way back into the top 10. He will return to training for the Western 250 Regional championship that will resume at the Seattle Supercross.
"It was a big mess in the first turn of the main and I had to get around all that," explained Tomac. "I still rode pretty well and made my way up to sixth until a little mistake cost me a few spots. I'm excited to head back into the 250 class because I feel like I am going to be really strong confidence-wise. I have learned a lot these last few races on the 450 and that is going to be very helpful when I move up to 450s full-time."
TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed put together a consistent ride aboard his factory-backed Honda CRF450R to finish sixth overall. Reed moved up to fourth overall in the championship points standing heading into the next round.
250 Race
Wil Hahn extended his points lead in the 250 Supercross East Class with a hard-fought third-place finish aboard his Muscle Milk-backed GEICO Honda CRF250R. In the main event, Hahn grabbed a mid-pack start but was pushed to the back of the field after a tuff block was dragged into the middle of the track by another rider. He spent the remainder of the 15-lap race patiently working his way through the field, ultimately finishing in third for his fifth podium appearance of the season.
"Tonight was a really tough race," stated Hahn. "I honestly am disappointed in the way I rode because I was tight and cautious all the way around. Looking at the positive, I'm still coming out of here with the points lead and the red plate is staying on my GEICO Honda so I am happy with that. I need to refocus this week in Toronto so I can come out with another win."
Suffering from the after affects of the stomach flu, teammate Zach Bell had a difficult night transferring to the main via the Last Chance Qualifier. Bell grabbed a decent start in the main event but a bobble halfway through sent him towards the back, ultimately finishing in 13th. "I couldn't really push the way I wanted to tonight because I felt like I was going to be sick," said Bell. "My energy wasn't there so I am okay with how I finished based off how I was feeing."
The Focus: Dreyer Honda Dealer Appearance
There was an impressive turnout Friday evening at the local Honda Dealership in Indianapolis, Dreyer Honda, where riders spent time signing autographs and meeting fans. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia and Trey Canard, along with GEICO Honda's Kevin Windham, Eli Tomac, Wil Hahn and Zach Bell were all in attendance. More than 200 fans joined in the fun, which also included games, music and a BBQ.
450 Supercross Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Ryan Dungey
3. James Stewart
4. Davi Millsaps
5. Justin Barcia (Honda)
6. Chad Reed (Honda)
7. Andrew Short
8. Matthew Georke
9. Eli Tomac (Honda)
10. Weston Peick
450 Supercross Class Championship Points (after 11 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 227
2. Davi Millsaps 218
3. Ryan Dungey 210
4. Chad Reed 178
5. Justin Barcia 168
6. Trey Canard 165
7. James Stewart 155
8. Andrew Short 136
9. Justin Brayton 112
10. Broc Tickle 109
250 Supercross East Class Overall Results
1. Marvin Musquin
2. Kyle Peters
3. Wil Hahn (Honda)
4. AJ Catanzero
5. Justin Hill
6. Vince Friese
7. Mitchell Oldenburg
8. Gavin Faith
9. Blake Wharton
10. Peter Larson
250 Supercross East Class Championship Points (after 5 of 9 rounds)
1. Wil Hahn 112
2. Marvin Musquin 103
3. Blake Wharton 88
4. Dean Wilson 87
5. Kyle Peters 67
6. Justin Hill 67
7. Vince Friese 65
8. Jeremy Martin 53
9. Gavin Faith 53
10. James Decotis 52
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.
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