The winds blew through Jacksonville today, but they could not stop the 250 and 450 classes from racing inside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The tight points battle in the Lites class came to a head tonight, as Christophe Pourcel set out to defend his narrow lead over Austin Stroupe. Meanwhile, the strong class of rookies did their best to stoke the fire. The drama started early in the premiere 450 when Ryan Villopoto went down in the first practice, and then did not come out for the second. Could he bounce back from the wad-up in practice? Could he keep Ryan Dungey from running away with the poiints lead?
Lites Qualifying
Brett Metcalfe and Austin Stroupe battled for the top spot in the first heat, but Stroupe Dogg eventually took over where Metcalfe left off. Blake Baggett battled his way into third place, while Ryan Sipes, who nearly took a main event win last week, suffered a poor start and had to battle to qualify, but he was forced to the LCQ. Christophe Pourcel returned to his smooth winning ways, easily taking the second Lites heat of the night. Kyle Cunningham put his Valli Motorsports Yamaha into contention, taking a second-place finish. Justin Barcia, on the other hand, got caught up in the first turn and had to sift his way through the pack in order to catch a qualifying spot. Ryan Sipes, who came off a great performance in Dallas, suffered yet another poor start in the LCQ, and though he was on rails, he didn’t have enough track to score the final qualifying spot. Instead, Decotis took the win, followed by Steve Clarke.
Lites Main Event
The start straight was proving to be a bit tricky for some guys as the hump in the first turn caused some riders to bobble but surprisingly, in the main event, everyone made it through. Privateer Kelly Smith won the holeshot, and it’s worth noting that Jacksonville was Smith’s first race since breaking his leg in the Arenacross series and has always been known as a strong starter. Smith’s lead was short-lived though, as Geico Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe jetted into first, followed by championship contenders Christophe Pourcel and Austin Stroupe. Pourcel and Stroupe tenaciously chased down the Aussie. The Frenchman, however, was the first to strike, picking off Stroupe and Metty on the 7th lap. Stroupe wasn’t about to let Pourcel get away, and he made the pass on Metty to keep him in his sights. From there, it was a battle for podium spots. Pourcel looked to be running a way with it, but the Pro Circuit rider bobbled a bit allowing Stroupe to make up some ground. Justin Barcia, meanwhile, revved his way through some traffic after a dismal start to make it up to fourth by the time the checkers flew. The bad luck tracked two others down when a collision before the first triple which left Blake Baggett and Vince Friese on the ground. Friese actually needed medical attention and wouldn’t be able to finish the race. When the torches blasted, Pourcel took the win, and Stroupe and Metcalfe rounded out the podium. Privateer Jimmy Decostis, who had a good showing in the LCQ, ran a good race the entire 15 laps and held on for fourth, which was a career best finish for the Honda rider.
Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki
3. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
4. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
5. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
6. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki
7. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda
8. Matt Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Suzuki
9. Steven Clarke, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
10. Justin Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Kawasaki
Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki, 134
2. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki, 126
3. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 102
4. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 95
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 80
6. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 77
7. Dean Wilson, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki, 71
8. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda, 54
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha, 49
10. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 47
TAGS: Barcia, Dungey, hill, jacksonville, metcalfe, Millsaps, Photos, Race Report, SX, villopoto, Windham
