By Steve Matthes
Photos by Donn Maeda
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross rolled into the Big D this week or more specifically, Dallas Texas. It was the first time that the new Cowboys Stadium had hosted the series and the building lived up to its advance billing as even the jaded veterans were impressed by the facility. What wasn’t so impressive though was the near freezing weather conditions that everyone had to put up with! Even though it was cold outside the temperature inside was hot as the Ryans (Dungey and Villopoto) each chased their first 450 championship down. On the east side, the 250 riders were just getting to their halfway point but would do it without third-place-in-the-series Dean Wilson of the Monster Energy Pro Circuit team. Wilson was hung up at customs with a work-visa issue and should be back next week.
250 Heat One
The holeshot went to Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe grabbed the holeshot and began to pull away. Behind him there was carnage as GECIO Honda’s Brett Metcalfe and Motoconcepts Yamaha’s Vince Friese were both knocked out in a first turn crash. Metcalfe’s teammate, Justin Barcia, made some smooth moves early in the race to move into second. That would be as far as he would get as Stroupe won his fifth heat race of the year. Barcia finished second in a good ride and Ryan Sipes of Motoconcepts Yamaha captured third.
1. Austin Stroupe
2. Justin Barcia
3. Ryan Sipes
4. Darryn Durham
5. Matt Lemoine
6. Taylor Futrell
7. Justin Sipes
8. Jimmy Decotis
9. Les Smith
250 Heat Two
Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Christophe Pourcel, the series points leader, snuck inside of Wonder Warthogs Adam Chatfield and grabbed the holeshot in heat two. The Frenchman was never challenged again and although he did have a couple of self-induced bobbles. Behind him was a bit of a battle between BTOSports.com Troy Adams and DNA Energy/Star Racing’s Martin Davalos. Eventually Davalos passed Adams and went on to take the second spot in a much needed good ride. Headed to the LCQ were Valli Yamaha’s Kyle Cunningham and Rockstar Suzuki’s Blake Baggett.
1. Christophe Pourcel
2. Martin Davalos
3. Troy Adams
4. Jake Moss
5. Steve Clarke
6. Adam Chatfield
7. Michael Willard
8. Tyler Wharton
9. Levi Kilbarger
250 LCQ
The 250 LCQ shot of the line with Honda of Troy’s Sean Lipanovich leading the pack around the first turn. GEICO Honda’s Brett Metcalfe went down in the first turn and his chances for making the main looked to be kaput. Lipanovich had just made a mistake and allowed Blake Baggett and Kyle Cunningham by when the race was red-flagged due to BTOSports.com/BBMX’s Lucas Crespi going down hard in the rhythm section.
On the re-start, of course Brett Metcalfe pulled the start that he needed and led wire to wire for the win and a last minute reprieve from the moto gods. Behind him were Baggett and Cunningham and that was your eventual finishing order as well. Cunningham would not make the main event but he would receive the Asterisk Medic card for his efforts.
1. Brett Metcalfe
2. Blake Baggett
250 Main
The 20 man field came roaring down into the first turn with Austin Stroupe in the lead but he got hit from behind by Christophe Pourcel and with that, a chain reaction was caused with a good half the field down. Pourcel, Stroupe and many other top guys were down and taking advantage of that opportunity was Ryan Sipes, Jake Moss, Blake Baggett and Troy Adams. Those four broke away with Justin Barcia in tow and we were set up for a great main event.
Stroupe did well in coming from the back to get into the mix but out front Sipes was riding consistently and smart. Moss and Adams came together at the end of a rhythm section and both riders crashed. Moss looked to be seriously hurt as he ran off the track and Adams reentered near the back. With that it was Baggett chasing after Sipes, Barcia close behind them and Stroupe trying to close the gap up. Series leader Pourcel was buried in the back of the pack and not displaying his best form in coming through. Stroupe was looking good to take the points lead before suffering numerous crashes which dropped him back.
Sipes was up front for eighteen laps before running into lapped traffic and that opened the door for Baggett to move into the lead. There was no doubt that the lapper affected Sipes but that was all Baggett needed to collect his first ever 250 Supercross win. Sipes was second and Barcia was third.
1. Blake Baggett
2. Ryan Sipes
3. Justin Barcia
4. Martin Davalos
5. Austin Stroupe
6. Matthew Lemoine
7. Christophe Pourcel
8. Michael Willard
9. Taylor Futrell
10. Steve Clarke
11. Brett Metcalfe
12. Adam Chatfield
13. Tyler Wharton
14. Justin Sipes
15. Les Smith
16. James Decotis
17. Troy Adams
18. Jake Moss
19. Darryn Durham
20. Levi Kilbarger
