The Honda Red Riders put on an exceptional show Saturday night at round two of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship series, with wins in both the 450 Supercross and 250 Supercross West classes. Fans filled Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ, to see Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia record his first 450 Supercross-class win in his rookie season aboard his Honda CRF450R, while GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac came out on top and scored his second 250 class victory of the season.
Barcia may be the rookie but he is definitely making his presence known. After posting the fastest time in qualifying and winning his heat race, Barcia nailed the holeshot in the main and never looked back. He set a blistering pace that nobody could challenge, quickly gapping the rest of the field and riding a strong 20 laps to the checkered flag. Barcia's finish marked his first AMA 450 Supercross class win of his career.
"This feeling is honestly unreal," said Barcia. "It was a good night for me, especially for how talented this class is. I don't want to say I didn't think it would happen this fast because I knew I was capable of winning but I didn't expect it happening at round two. I got a good start in the main and just tried to put together a solid 20 laps, which I was able to do, and take the win. This is so awesome and hopefully I can have a few more this season to contend for the championship."
Teammate Trey Canard also had a successful day aboard his Honda CRF450R, grabbing second in his heat. In the main event, Canard got away to good start and was among the lead group early. After a few laps of successful passes he made his way into second but unfortunately, with one lap remaining Canard crashed in a corner and relinquished a few spots to finish fifth.
"I got about a fifth place start and made sure to try and ride patiently. The dirt here is pretty slick so it's easy to over ride the track and loose traction," said Canard. "I felt really good all the way to the last lap and did the same thing as last week. I got too cautious and excited on the last lap and ended up going down, but still got fifth and I'm just grateful to be here. I'm having a great time and am excited to see Justin get the win. Everyone here at Team Honda Muscle Milk deserves it and works hard."
For the second consecutive week, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac topped the podium with an impressive performance in the main. After posting the quickest qualifying time in his class, Tomac recovered from a less-than-desirable start in his heat to take the win. In the main event, Tomac jumped off the line to a good start and moved his way into the lead after a few laps. Once out front he rode unchallenged to take his second victory of the season.
"This is the closest place we go on the Supercross tour to my home in Colorado so to do this here with all my friends and family watching is really cool," Tomac said. "My starts haven't been the greatest but to get out front and take the win two weeks in a row makes me really happy. Hopefully I can continue this throughout the whole season and take home another championship."
After suffering from a hard crash earlier in the day, Zach Osborne bounced back in the main to finish a respectable sixth place.
Veteran Kevin Windham rode a consistent 20 laps, placing 11th overall. "I'm still building up my confidence," Windham said. "It was a very quick pace for such a tight track design and it really placed a premium on being smart and staying upright. There were some things I did that really felt good and a few other areas where I need to improve but I'm getting back to where I need to be. It's really more mental than physical and it takes a little time."
Fellow Honda rider Chad Reed finished fourth overall aboard his TwoTwo Motorsports CRF450R, and Chaparral Honda's Andrew Short placed ninth. Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ Honda's Cole Seely, Jessy Nelson and Christian Craig all posted top-10 finishes in the 250 Supercross class.
The Focus: RePlay XD
The 2013 season marks the first full year that Replay XD—a brand of Stable Imaging Solutions LLC—will join forces with Team Honda Muscle Milk as a sponsor, providing ultra-lightweight cameras to capture racing video footage. Replay XD was developed by a group of professionals with more than 50 years of experience in the high-performance racing industry. Their cameras are developed and tested to endure the most grueling conditions while providing crystal clear footage. SIS' goal is to bring customers the most technologically advanced recording systems available today.
Check out Team Honda Muscle Milk in this RePlay video, http://youtu.be/2KqQqTQxEsI
450 Supercross Class Overall Results
1. Justin Barcia (Honda)
2. Ryan Villopoto
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Chad Reed (Honda)
5. Trey Canard (Honda)
6. Jake Weimer
7. James Stewart
8. Ryan Dungey
9. Andrew Short (Honda)
10. Josh Grant
450 Supercross Class Championship Points (after 2 of 17 rounds)
1. Davi Millsaps 45
2. Justin Barcia 39
3. Trey Canard 38
4. Chad Reed 36
5. Ryan Dungey 33
6. Jake Weimer 31
7. Ryan Villopoto 27
8. Andrew Short 27
9. James Stewart 27
10. Josh Grant 21
250 Supercross West Class Overall Results
1. Eli Tomac (Honda)
2. Ken Roczen
3. Martin Davalos
4. Cole Seely (Honda)
5. Jessy Nelson (Honda)
6. Zach Osborne (Honda)
7. Ryan Sipes
8. Kyle Cunningham
9. Joey Savatgy
10. Christian Craig (Honda)
250 Supercross West Class Championship Points (after 2 of 9 rounds)
1. Eli Tomac 50
2. Ken Roczen 44
3. Cole Seely 38
4. Ryan Sipes 29
5. Zach Osborne 29
6. Kyle Cunningham 23
7. Tyla Rattray 22
8. Max Anstie 22
9. Martin Davalos 21
10. Joey Savatgy 20
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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