Round five of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship Series made its way back to Anaheim, California. For a second time this season Honda riders battled for the top podium position in front of a nearly sold-out crowd at Angel Stadium. Honda had an impressive night with GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac taking his third consecutive win, and TwoTwo Motorsports/Honda rider Chad Reed riding his way to a third-place finish. Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton also had an impressive night, finishing in fifth.
After struggling the last few weeks to get the finishes he desires, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton was able to put together a very noteworthy ride at Anaheim Two. Brayton set the tone for the day during qualifying by laying down the fastest lap time, giving him first gate pick heading into the heat races. In his heat race Brayton got a good start, making his way to the front of the pack. He lead throughout the majority of the race but was eventually passed on the last lap, leaving him with a second-place finish. In the main, Brayton was able to put together a solid ride from start to finish. When the gate dropped he grabbed third place out of the first turn and battled the entire 20 laps, finishing a respectable fifth place.
“The day went really great for me, starting with a successful practice, which was able to set the tempo for the rest of the night,” said Brayton. “After the last few weeks of not placing where I know I belong, it was a great step in the right direction. We have been working really hard, especially on my starts because that is key to having a great race. This weekend was a confidence booster for me, but more than anything it was a relief knowing that all my hard work is starting to pay off.”
TwoTwo Motorsports/Honda rider Chad Reed had another successful night, leaving with a third-place finish and second place in the points chase. In heat one Reed finished second, followed by Supercross.com/Honda rider Andrew Short. Reed, who battled flu symptoms all day, got a second-place start in the main but was eventually passed and had to settle for third.
“It was a rough week for me, with myself and family being sick,” said Reed. “Despite not being 100 percent, I am happy with my third-place finish because I fought as hard as I could for a podium. We are ready to move forward and go into the next round positive and ready to take back the points lead and that red plate.”
For the third week in a row GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac dominated the Lites class and will go into San Diego with a 22-point lead. Tomac nabbed the holeshot in the Lites main event but was quickly passed by Cole Seely with Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ Honda racing. Seely led the pack until going down on lap three but was able to recover and stay in second place, where he would remain the rest of the race. Tomac quickly capitalized on the mistake, taking the lead and running away with it.
“The day started off a little slow with practice. I wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be so that gave me a little fire going into the heat race,” said Tomac. “Going into the next round it is definitely nice having those 22 points as a cushion. I am going to try and keep getting good starts and try not to make any mistakes throughout the rest of the rounds. I am looking forward to San Diego since it is where I got my first Supercross win and is the home to my favorite football team.”
Supercross Main Event
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. James Stewart
3. Chad Reed (Honda)
4. Ryan Dungey
5. Justin Brayton (Honda)
6. Kevin Windham (Honda)
7. Davi Millsaps
8. Mike Alessi
9. Brett Metcalfe
10. Brock Tickle
Supercross Championship Points (after 5 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 108
2. Chad Reed 105
3. Ryan Dungey 103
4. James Stewart 95
5. Kevin Windham 73
6. Jake Weimer 71
7. Andrew Short 59
8. Brett Metcalfe 57
9. Davi Millsaps 56
10. Justin Brayton 53
Supercross Lites West Main Event
1. Eli Tomac (Honda)
2. Cole Seely (Honda)
3. Marvin Musquin
4. Dean Wilson
5. Nico Izzi
6. Michael Leib (Honda)
7. Mat Moss
8. Vince Friese (Honda)
9. Travis Baker (Honda)
10. Martin Davalos
Supercross Lites West Points (after 5 of 9 rounds)
1. Eli Tomac 113
2. Dean Wilson 91
3. Marvin Musquin 84
4. Cole Seely 79
5. Zach Osborne 67
6. Nico Izzi 62
7. Tyla Rattray 60
8. Jason Anderson 54
9. Ryan Sipes 53
10. Matt Moss 53
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 www.powersports.honda.com.
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