Team Yoshimura Suzuki Press Release

CHINO, CA – Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s James Stewart announced today that he will sit out the last three rounds of the 2013 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship season in order to fully recover from injury. At last weekend’s Minneapolis race, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider suffered a get-off and tweaked the wrist he’d initially injured at the end of the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross season. He expects to be rested, rehabbed and ready to race at the season-opening round of AMA Pro Motocross in May.“The decision to sit out the last few races is a tough one for all of us,” said Stewart. “The Supercross season hasn’t been going the best, but I’ve been having a great time racing, thanks to the fans and my Yoshimura Suzuki team. They’ve all been supporting me the whole time. So to have this last little injury – I hurt my wrist in the heat race and then again in the main event – was a disappointment. I think this is the smart decision for us overall and now I’m going to focus on recovering and getting ready for the motocross season. I’m psyched to be on the gate for Hangtown and now I just want to get the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.”

Although Stewart’s 2013 Supercross season ended prematurely, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider turned in a solid performance, nonetheless. With his win at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, Stewart became one of just three racers ever to have gone nine straight seasons with a win. Additionally, the 2013 Supercross season saw Stewart race his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to podium finishes at both the St. Louis and Indianapolis events. Finally, Stewart won eight of his heat races this year and he was the fastest qualifier at seven events.

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s next race is round one of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championships on Saturday, May 18th, at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, CA.

Source Article from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl7zvcms-EU&feature=youtube_gdata

Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Great venue. Great crowd (49,438 fans). Great track. Great action. The question now has become – can anyone beat Ryan Villopoto?

The defending Supercross champion won once again Saturday night in Houston. Round 13 of 17 for the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series Championship. Ryan’s fifth win in a row – St. Louis, Daytona, Indy, Toronto, and now Houston. Ryan’s 32nd career SX Main event win.

Ryan Villopoto

Ryan said after his victory in Houston: “The track was breaking down out there, and there were several variables that we had to deal with. You had to move quickly out there tonight, and that is what I did in the early part of the race. I wanted to establish a lead before the lapped riders would begin to play a factor in the race. Getting five wins in a row is incredible. We’ve come a long way since Anaheim and have constantly improved to the point where we are now on top. The field is so close that you really need to have everything dialed in order to win and we’ve been able to do that these past few weeks.”

Coming into this weekend’s race in Minneapolis, the question remains – can anyone beat Ryan Villopoto, … or will he claim his third straight supercross title this season? Ryan leads second place in points Davi Millsaps by 21 points with four races left in the 2013 series.

• Here’s all the details, results, points, and photos from Houston

Second in the 450 Main Event in Houston – Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey. Ryan sits third in points – 25 points behind leader Villopoto. Here’s what Ryan Dungey had to say after his second place finish Saturday night: “I definitely needed a better start tonight. We are all so close in lap times that if you don’t get the best start, the leaders pull away quickly. I was able to get into 2nd place but didn’t leave myself enough time to catch Ryan Villopoto. Overall, I am happy to be on the podium and very happy with my bike and hope to continue to improve at the next round.”

Ryan Dungey

Saturday night is the next round in MN – Ryan Dungey’s home state.

More on the 450 class …

James Stewart was riding well in Houston – until a little fall in the Main, which ultimately damaged the motorcycle and he had to pull off the race track. He said after the Houston event: “In the heat race, I was riding pretty good and somebody went down. Whenever you see a red flag you know someone has gone down and that sucks. So we restarted and I was riding really good, we were starting to close in on the leader, but I jumped on one of the hay bales and that bent my shifter. I could’ve pushed it but I decided not to take any chances. The Main Event didn’t go like we hoped it would. I didn’t get a good start but I made some great passes and made my way up. I was in third and we were going at it pretty good. But I ended up washing-out the front end and I jacked up my front wheel. Overall, we made some great progress with the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and it was running great. It was the fastest bike out there in the whoops. These weren’t the best results, but we worked great together as a team and that’s what counts. Now we’re just looking forward to racing at Minneapolis next weekend and testing for Motocross.”

Trey Canard had one of his better races this entire season. He said after the Houston race “I am just grateful to be here. This is probably the most clear-headed I have been in weeks and is probably the best day I have had all season. My result at Anaheim 1 was better but overall this day was great. It has been a long time since I have won a heat race and that really helped heading into the main. I did the best that I could tonight and that is all I can ask for, so I am grateful to be on the podium.”

And Trey’s teammate Justin Barcia said about Houston “I would prefer to be on the podium but overall, today was an okay day. I felt good in practice and was able to get a good gate pick heading into the heat. I made a mistake at the beginning of the heat but was able to come back and finish right behind Trey in second. In the main event I didn’t get a great start but finished fourth.”

Now we get to the equally competitive 250 East Series. Wil Hahn leads Marvin Musquin by just eight points. And Blake Wharton won the Main in Houston.

We start with points leader Wil Hahn – Wil Hahn finished second behind Wharton in the 250 East Main Event, but gained two points on Marvin Musquin for the points chase. “I want to win every race I’m in, regardless of who is in what position or whatever. But to gain points this late in the season with only two races left, that’s big, and I’m definitely happy with the result. I rode great all day. I felt good in practice, I won my Heat race, and I was riding great in the Main. I made a couple little mistakes, yeah, but I had my aggression back, which is what I wanted. It sounds good to say you’re not thinking about the championship, like you’re all focused on the next thing or whatever, but you’d have to be crazy not to think about it. We only have two races. It’s right here in front of us. I’m actually okay with it. I’m not intimidated by the situation. It really just gets me more excited. I can’t wait to get to Minneapolis and get after it. I’m having the time of my life. Looking back about the Houston Main, I maybe could have been a little more patient in the Main and waited for better spot to challenge Blake but woulda, shoulda, coulda, whatever. Bottom line, we maintained the points lead and the GEICO Honda is leading the pack into Minneapolis next weekend. That’s awesome.”

Wil Hahn

And Hahn has this to say about his closest competitor – two-time World MX2 Motocross Champion Marvin Musquin: “He’s a really likable guy. He’s very respectful and just the kind of person you like hanging around. We race each other hard but we always race clean. We have a lot of respect for each other and that carries over to the track. He’s definitely kept me on my toes. You always know he’s right there.”

Blake Wharton, The Renaissance Man, won the 250 East Main in Houston. He said “It’s important to be aggressive out there. I had a great start and it was pretty intense during get first few laps, but I was able to give myself a nice cushion until Wil Hahn pressured me at the end. We had a weekend off with Easter, but I trained and did my thing. There’s no rest even with a weekend off; these guys are riding good. It’s the first win of the season for me. It was a little slower than I’d like to have done it, but it’s a win and it’s Houston, which is always awesome.”

Blake Wharton tops Wil Hahn and Marvin Musquin in Houston

Marvin Musquin: “The track was really good today and I enjoyed the whoops in practice and in the heat but they became very tricky in the main event. Unfortunately, they got the best of me and caused me to crash. I am bummed because I know I had faster lap times than Blake and Wil, but unfortunately, I made a mistake and wasn’t able to catch back up to them today. I am now 8 points back so I am definitely going to have to get back on the top step at the remaining rounds.”

Marvin Musquin

A nice story is Tyler Bowers, the Arenacross Champion, making a nice transition into supercross with the Monster Energy Pro-Circuit team. Tyler got fourth Saturday night in Houston, and said “I know that with this great team behind me, paired with my ability, we can be upfront battling. The main event was a bit hairy the first few laps. I rounded the first turn in 19th after a rider went down in front of me and within the first few corners I had made my way into the top-10. From there I just concentrated to riding my lines and trying to keep with the leaders. With another week on the bike and we’ll come out swinging in Minneapolis.”

The Monster Energy Supercross Series returns to Minneapolis for the first time in five years next Saturday for Round 14 at the Minneapolis Metrodome. Broadcast coverage of the 450SX Class can be seen via next-day coverage on CBS, beginning at 12 noon EST. Coverage of the 250SX Class can be seen on SPEED at 4:30 p.m. EST.

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It’s unfortunate for those of us who don’t pull for particular racers but good racing in general when the leader separates themselves from the pack like RV has done over the last few weeks. Although in Toronto Davi Millsaps gave me real hope that he was back to the Davi of rounds one through seven, in Houston that dream looked to be a hallucination. Ryan Dungey is still looking faster than he ever has indoors but it’s simply not enough against the superior to all, right now, Ryan Villopoto. This 2013 season is looking more like both 2011 and 2012 as it moves along. At the onset everyone started on level ground, as the rounds clicked off some riders were faced with peaks to ascend while others lowered their heads and gained momentum on the downhills. RV actually created his own hurdles in the early rounds but he quickly righted his mistakes and, initially quietly, began chipping away at the points. That chipping away turned into a jackhammer and he has now clicked off five-straight wins in convincing fashion.

Continue reading…

Houston has a rich history of supercross. The first AMA supercross was held there in 1974 at the AstroDome. The winner was Pierre Karsmakers. Supercross has come a long way since then …

Our Houston preview starts with where the series left off – Round 12 in Toronto. Defending Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series Champion Ryan Villopoto won his fourth Main Event in a row, his seventh of the season, and the 31st of his career. He is also aiming to win his third Supercross Championship in a row. A very rare feat.

Ryan Villopoto

And two-time FIM World MX2 Motocross Champion (2009, 2010) Marvin Musquin, originally from France, won his third 250 East SX Main event in a row, putting him within six points of that series points leader Wil Hahn.

Marvin Musquin

• Here’s the photos, story, results, and points from the last race in Toronto
• And, if you’d like a little refresher on what happened in Houston last year, it’s here

What can we expect in Houston this year? How about something dramatic? Not saying it’s going to happen – but usually there is one race for the 450 class each year where things go incredibly different than any other race. Could that happen in Houston? Maybe. Then again, it could be we see the top guys battling for the top positions …

SPEED TV will broadcast the event live starting at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Regarding the last event in Toronto, Ryan Villopoto had this to say “It was unbelievable. Davi Millsaps is riding really well and he was riding exceptionally well in Toronto. I got around him with about halfway to go in the Main Event and I was able to get a little bit of a gap. Everybody up here on the podium is unbelievable and it shows how fast we really are when we run a pace like that on a track that was so difficult.”

And Davi Millsaps, who is just 12 points behind Villopoto in the points chase, said this after Toronto “It was definitely a good race. I got off to a pretty good start and I just tried to ride my own race as much as I could. I made a lot of mistakes here and there and throughout the first half of the race. Ryan Villopoto eventually got by me and I did the best I could to keep up and do whatever I could to hang in there.”

250 East series points leader Wil Hahn has this to say “I’m looking forward to getting back to starting races the way I did earlier in the year. The wins will come from good starts. I’ve been fast enough to win all year long, but my starts just haven’t been there the last couple of races. It’s been an amazing run so far. I’ve had the kind you year I dreamed about having when I was growing up and talking with my older brother Tommy or with my friends who also rode. I know the year is far from over and there’s a lot that still needs to be done. I want to get more wins and take it all the way to the end and finish off this championship for GEICO Honda.”

Wil Hahn

Hahn’s GEICO Honda teammate Zach Bell injured his shoulder last time out and will be held out for the remainder of the Supercross season as a precaution.

Marvin Musquin said right after his win in Toronto “Today my confidence wasn’t so much there because I had a crash in practice. But I really need to thank the team, because they are better than me and helped push me tonight. It was a tough day. I had a great start in the Main Event and it’s such a good feeling when you’re hurting because you don’t know what’s going to happen. It was great.”

Notes Stats courtesy Feld Motorsports

450 SX Class: Houston Stats
· The first race was on March 15, 1974, and Pierre Karsmakers won on a Yamaha
· This will be the 47th time the gate will drop for a 450SX Class race in Houston
· Houston, along with Daytona, are the only two original markets from the 1974 championship and have never missed a year of action
· In 1977, Houston became the second market to host a double-header race
· In 1978 and 1979, Bob Hannah swept both double-header races
· In 1981 and 1982 Mark Barnett became the second rider to sweep the double-header races in back-to-back seasons
· Jeff Ward won four consecutive races in Houston from ’85-’88
· KTM has never won in Houston, can Ryan Dungey change this?

450SX Class: Houston Wins by Brand: Yamaha: 15, Kawasaki: 12, Honda: 11, Suzuki: 6, Can-Am: 2

First time 450SX Class Winners: Houston – Broc Glover: 1980, Jimmy Weinert: 1976, Trey Canard: 2011

250SX Class Stats: Houston

· The first race was held on April 20, 1985, and Eddie Warren won on a Kawasaki
· This will be the 29th time the gate will drop for a 250SX Class race in Houston
· In 2001, Travis Preston gave Husqvarna its one and only 250SX Class win
· Kevin Windham and Christophe Pourcel are the only two 250SX Class riders to win Houston in back-to-back seasons
· Damon Huffman is the last Suzuki rider to win a 250 SX race in Houston. That was all the way back in 1995. Can Blake Wharton change this?
· Ken Roczen gave KTM their first 250 SX Class win of the season last year in Houston

250 SX Class: Houston Wins by Brand – Kawasaki: 12, Suzuki: 5, Yamaha: 5, Honda: 4, Husqvarna: 1, KTM: 1

250 SX Class: Houston First Time Winners – Willie Surratt: 1986, Jeff Emig: 1990, Jimmy Gaddis: 1993, Shae Bentley: 2000, Travis Preston: 2001, Matt Walker: 2002, Austin Stroupe: 2008

450SX Class Laps Led – Ryan Villopoto: 105, Davi Millsaps: 47, James Stewart: 35, Justin Barcia: 20, Ryan Dungey: 19, Trey Canard: 7, Ken Roczen: 3, Mike Alessi: 2, Jake Weimer: 1

250SX Class Laps Led – Eli Tomac: 39, Marvin Musquin: 30, Wil Hahn: 30, Cole Seely: 21, Ken Roczen: 19, Dean Wilson: 15, Blake Wharton: 14, Martin Davalos: 7, Jason Anderson: 4

Past Winners in Houston

450 SX Class

March 31, 2012: Ryan Villopoto
February 12, 2011: Trey Canard
April 10, 2010: Ryan Villopoto
January 24, 2009: James Stewart
February 16, 2008: Kevin Windham
February 10, 2007: James Stewart
April 1, 2006: James Stewart
April 30, 2005: James Stewart
February 14, 2004: Chad Reed
March 29, 2003: Chad Reed
March 23, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
March 24, 2001: Ricky Carmichael
February 5, 2000: Jeremy McGrath
March 13, 1999: Jeremy McGrath
January 17, 1998: Ezra Lusk
March 22, 1997: Jeff Emig
March 16, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
March 25, 1995: Jeremy McGrath
January 22, 1994: Jeremy McGrath
January 16, 1993: Damon Bradshaw
January 18, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
January 19, 1991: Jean-Michael Bayle
February 3, 1990: Damon Bradshaw
March 18, 1989: Jeff Stanton
February 6, 1988: Jeff Ward
February 7, 1987: Jeff Ward
February 2, 1986: Jeff Ward
April 20, 1985: Jeff Ward
March 24, 1984: David Bailey
March 19, 1983: Bob Hannah
March 20, 1983: Mark Barnett
March 19, 1982: Mark Barnett
March 20, 1982: Mark Barnett
March 13, 1981: Mark Barnett
March 14, 1981: Mark Barnett
March 14, 1980: Mike Bell
March 15, 1980: Broc Glover
March 16, 1979: Bob Hannah
March 17, 1979: Bob Hannah
March 17, 1978: Bob Hannah
March 18, 1978: Bob Hannah
March 18, 1977: Tony DiStefano
March 19, 1977: Jim Ellis
March 12, 1976: Jim Weinert
March 14, 1975: Jim Ellis
March 15, 1974: Jim Pomeroy

250 SX Class

March 31, 2012: Ken Roczen
February 12, 2011: Justin Barcia
April 10, 2010: Christophe Pourcel
January 14, 2009: Christophe Pourcel
February 16, 2008: Austin Stroupe
February 10, 2007: Ryan Villopoto
April 1, 2006: Davi Millsaps
April 30, 2005: Andrew Short
February 14, 2004: James Stewart
March 29, 2003: Brock Sellards
March 23, 2002: Matt Walker
March 24, 2001: Travis Preston
February 5, 2000: Derrick Shae Bentley
March 13, 1999: Nathan Ramsey
January 17, 1998: David Vuillemin
March 22, 1997: Kevin Windham
March 16, 1996: Kevin Windham
March 25, 1995: Damon Huffman
January 22, 1994: Ezra Lusk
January 16, 1993: Jimmy Gaddis
January 18, 1992: Brian Swink
January 19, 1991: Tallon Vohland
February 3, 1990: Jeff Emig
March 18, 1989: Mike LaRocco
February 6, 1988: Jeff Matiasevich
February 7, 1987: Keith Turpin
February 2, 1986: Willie Surratt
April 20, 1985: Eddie Warren

James Stewart will be racing in Houston on the number 7 Suzuki

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We’ll have the 250SX winner Blake Wharton on to talk about his race, the season and life under the Rockstar Racing tent. Blake had a win in the bag earlier this year when disaster struck so it was nice to see Wharton finally get one. We’ll also talk about his CD that just came out.

Supercross on SPEED announcer and former multi-time sx and mx winner Jeff Emig will be on to break down the series so far and what we can expect to see going forward to Las Vegas. Jeff’s also got a new project going on that he’ll talk about tonight. Maybe he’ll even give us his best Vuillemin story.

Travis Preston announced recently that he plans to line up on the gate at Hangtown which is going to be pretty cool to see. The ex-sx champion has been running mx schools and doing some riding for JGR Yamaha. We’ll have TP on tonight to talk about all of this and more.

As usual, the great privateer warrior-turned-salesman Jason Thomas will be on tonight to provide his usual wit and sarcasm to all of us. Maybe even educate us also!

Our regular phone screener and part-time producer Tits Legendary will be here to answer your calls. Have a question for the show? Send it over on Twitter @titslegendary and he’ll get it on.

What you’ll want to do is log-in to Pulpmxshow.com at 6PM PST/9PM EST and we’ll be streaming live and hosting a chat room. As usual, you can call in at anytime during the show to talk to the guest or the hosts at 702-586-PULP (7857).

You can listen live on your smartphone with the Tune In App by searching Pulpmx Show and listen live on the Pulpmx App as well.

You can listen to the show the next day on Stitcher.com as well as the Pulpmx App on your smartphone or iTunes for download. It will also be available the next day on Pulpmxshow.com.

Thanks to our sponsor BTOSports.com. BTOSports.com is your #1 source for motocross gear and accessories with Free Shipping WORLDWIDE. BTO Sports is your number one source for all of your motocross parts, gear, accessories and apparel. BTOSports.com is a motocross company who is truly dedicated to the sport and to the customer. Proud sponsor of your Racer X Podcasts and the BTO Sports KTM race team.

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Riders from around the world converge on Las Vegas for MiniMotoSX

The GEICO Mini Moto SX, fueled by Monster Energy and presented by Freegun Underwear has become the unofficial World Championship of Mini Bike racing. A quick look at the results from 2012 uncovers riders from France, Italy, Japan, Australia and the United States took podium positions. You can expect riders to again travel from around the world to be in Las Vegas for the tenth annual MiniMotoSX on Sunday, May 5th, the day after the Monster Energy Supercross finals take place just down the road.

“The international participants add to the fun of MiniMotoSX” said Mike Karsting, Vice President of events at Source Interlink. “You can see a lot of flags in the stands and some unique bikes that are imported for this event.”

Everybody can race as there are eight adult classes and three youth classes as well as a Women’s class. And new for 2013, Electric bikes are eligible to compete in the appropriate classes based on wheel size and wheelbase. For the fourth year, the MiniMotoSX will conclude with the World Final race that pits the top three finishers from the Expert Youth classes plus the Women’s champion to take on the International Champions for bragging rights and cash. This event is a great time for racers and spectators and for most; this is the closest you can ever get to racing a Supercross. Entries are open now and you can make it a complete Supercross weekend in Vegas.

You can get the complete rules here: MiniMotoSX Rules
Entries forms are available here: MiniMotoSX Entry Form

Make your plans to stick around in Vegas during the Monster Energy AMA Supercross weekend to get on the track yourself and race for an AMA #1 plate. You can find race entry and event info at www.minimotosx.com. Ticket information

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