Round 12 of the Supercross series made its way to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada on Saturday March 22, and the Honda Red Riders were there to do battle. At the only international stop on the 17-race circuit, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia finished second, scoring his second podium of the season. It was a stellar night for Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda's Justin Bogle, who landed his career-first victory in the Eastern Regional 250SX class.
450 Class
Posting the fourth-quickest qualifying time in practice, Barcia lined up on the gate for heat one where he launched his CRF450R to a second-place start. On the last lap he overtook the lead position to take the heat race win. In the main event, Barcia rounded the first turn in second and moved into the lead by lap four. Riding his best race of the season, Barcia distanced himself from challengers for 10 laps, but was passed on lap 14 for the lead. He continued to put together an impressive ride, finishing second and well ahead of the third-place finisher.
"I rode a good race today and although I am bummed I couldn't get the win, I am pumped on the improvements we made," stated Barcia. "The team was awesome and we got the bike working really well. I have never made changes before the main event and we made some suspension changes before the race and it turned out great. I had a really fun night, and felt like I was riding good but James [Stewart] was just riding better. Getting good starts is so key and that is what I have been struggling with. I've had a lot of ups and downs this season, so to be on the podium again is great. I hope we can continue this the rest of the season."
It was another roller coaster night for Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda's Wil Hahn, who transferred directly into the main event via a fourth-place finish in his heat race. Unfortunately, he went down in the main event to finish 14th.
250 Class
Just one day before his 21st birthday, Bogle put together the best performance of his career by capturing his first professional 250SX class win. Bogle launched his CRF250R off the line, nailing down the holeshot and never looking back. He lead wire-to-wire the entire 15-lap race, taking the checkered and the win. The Oklahoma native now sits a mere five points behind the leader in the championship chase.
"I'm definitely happy. Both of my parents are here, my birthday is tomorrow and I got my first win. It definitely feels good," explained Bogle. "I have never pulled a holeshot in my career, so that is also really cool. I'm in the hunt for the championship, but I don't want to think about that. What got me back in the hunt was trying to win races and going out and doing my thing. I'm going to keep doing that, and it'll play out how it plays out. Hopefully, it plays out in my favor"
Teammate Matt Bisceglia crashed on the opening lap of the main event while chasing third, and remounted to finish 12th.
The Focus: Team Honda Muscle Milk Gear by Troy Lee Designs
For more than 30 years, TLD has been customizing helmets, and its relentless commitment to creating products that exceed the cutting edge of style, design and quality has given the company the reputation as an innovator in many different racing fields. Troy Lee Designs has since expanded into a full-force operation, offering a product line spanning from helmet visors and graphics to casual wear and the all-new Speed Equipment Racewear. Beginning in 2012, Troy Lee Designs partnered with American Honda in a multi-year agreement to produce the official Team Honda Muscle Milk apparel. The line includes t-shirts, hats, hoodies and pit shirts worn by staff and riders. To get your official Team Honda Muscle Milk merchandise, visit your local Honda dealership or go to troyleedesigns.com.
450 Supercross Results
1. James Stewart
2. Justin Barcia (Honda)
3. Ryan Dungey
4. Justin Brayton
5. Ken Roczen
6. Ryan Villopoto
7. Weston Peick
8. Dean Wilson
9. Josh Hill
10. Matt Goerke
450 Supercross Championship Points (after 12 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 246
2. Ryan Dungey 221
3. James Stewart 207
4. Ken Roczen 197
5. Justin Brayton 185
6. Justin Barcia 156
7. Andrew Short 153
8. Broc Tickle 126
9. Wil Hahn 122
10. Chad Reed 111
250 Supercross East Results
1. Justin Bogle (Honda)
2. Martin Davalos
3. Matthew Lemoine
4. Jeremy Martin
5. Cole Thompson
6. Vince Friese
7. Alex Martin
8. Kyle Cunningham
9. AJ Catanzaro
10. James DeCotis
250 Supercross East Championship Points (after 6 of 9 rounds)
1. Martin Davalos 124
2. Adam Cianciarulo 120
3. Justin Bogle 119
4. Blake Baggett 100
5. Vince Friese 90
6. Kyle Cunningham 76
7. Cole Thompson 74
8. Matt Lemoine 73
9. Jimmy DeCotis 65
10. Alex Martin 60
