January 14, 2008

PHOENIX , Ariz. – With the mud of Anaheim I out of the picture, the Phoenix Supercross promised a dry track, and heads-up racing. What that meant for the Torco Racing Fuels Honda team was a chance for a more straightforward race without the added variables supplied by mud.

The chief beneficiary of the dry track was Torco Racing Fuels Honda’s Jake Weimer. After failing to make the main following a myriad of problems in the mud at round one, Weimer showed up ready to compete in Phoenix – despite his shoulder injury suffered at the opener.

Weimer grabbed the holeshot in the main, just in front of round-one winner Ryan Dungey and Broc Hepler.

“I was pretty confident in my gate because it was pretty loamy, so I figured I would get a good jump,” Weimer said. “In my qualifier, I had a good jump, but I got a lot of wheelspin, so I tried to pick a gate that had a lot more loam. It worked out good, obviously. It always feels easy when you get the holeshot, so it was good.”

Weimer settled in behind Dungy and Hepler for the next few laps while those two battled it out for the lead, and then capitalized on their mistakes. First, he passed Dungey when Dungey failed to jump a triple, and then Hepler soon afterward when he fell down while leading. From there, Weimer fought off the late-race advances of Dungey to win his first Lites Main Event, coming full circle from failing to make the main one week earlier.

“I’m pretty stoked,” Weimer said after the race. “You hear everybody say it, but I don’t think it’s totally set in yet. Obviously, you’re excited to win, but I’m sure that tomorrow it’ll be like, ‘Oh, man, I really did win!’ Obviously, I’m stoked and happy with the team and the way everything’s going. My training program and everything’s good, so... That’s what we work to do, so it’s good to go out there and do your job right.”

With the win, Weimer moved all the way to sixth in the championship with six rounds still left to run.

Weimer’s Lites teammate Dan Reardon was a part of the epic battle for the top spot throughout most of the main event, as the leading pack of riders was as many as eight deep through much of the main event.

“My start definitely wasn’t the best,” Reardon said. “I missed the jump and got shut out really quick, so I was definitely from mid-pack towards the back. But the race was going pretty good. I worked my way up from wherever I was up into about fifth, and I latched onto the back of the leaders.”

Reardon ran into some trouble toward the end of the race, though.

“I don’t know what happened,” Reardon said. “I just kind of lost it with three laps to go, and I was still in sixth, but I was caught up with a couple of lappers and didn’t jump the triple, and I was passed by two more guys with like half a lap to go. It was disappointing. The result on paper was disappointing. I felt that my mid-race was good, but you live and learn, and I’m looking forward to the next round.”

Reardon’s eighth place is still good enough to leave him fourth in points with six rounds still left to run.

In the 450cc class, Kevin Windham was looking forward to getting a dry race under his belt, and he showed his enthusiasm with a patented Windham nose-wheelie in opening ceremonies, and the crowd was very receptive.

“It’s funny, because it seems like more and more people try and do it, but I can hear the crowd when I do mine, and they always love it and always go nuts for it,” Windham said. “I’ve got to keep doing it. It feels good, but the nose-wheelie is kind of a patented K-Dub move, so I’m going to stick with it. When I’m sitting there, stopped, on my front wheel, perfectly balanced, I can hear the crowd going nuts, so I instantly get a big grin on my face. It’s fun.”

In the main event, Windham didn’t get the greatest start, but at least this time he made it through the first turn without getting hung up.

“I didn’t do what I needed to do in the Heat, so I was a little concerned about the start in the main event,” Windham said. “I was also concerned about my gate position, but I got down to the first turn quickly and got out unscathed. It seemed like there was a crash in every one of those first turns. I started to make it through that, and from there on out, I felt good.”

Windham went to work immediately to get up to the front, and he came from outside the top 10 in the first turn to third in only three laps.

“It took me a little while to get up to third, but once I did, I felt the pressure behind me, stayed focused, and brought it home,” Windham said. “It was a good night for me. I was happy with it. It feels good to be holding my own against at least 17 of the guys, other than myself. At first, we were struggling some, but the team worked with me and it got better with time. That feels good. It seems like all of the work paid off.”

It was Windham ’s first podium finish of the season, and moved him up to third in the championship with 15 rounds still left to run.

From here, the Torco Racing Fuels Honda team heads back to Anaheim , California , for round three of the AMA Supercross Series on January 12 inside Angels Stadium.

Team Sponsors: Torco Race Fuels, Honda, Planet Fitness, No Fear Energy, AMSOIL, Factory Connection, No Fear, Shoei, Gaerne, Spy, DVS, Cycra, Dunlop, EK, Ferodo, Hinson, Ogio, One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Showa, TAG, Twin Air, and Works Connection.

Phoenix Lites Main:

1.         Jake Weimer              Torco Racing Fuels Honda

2.         Ryan Dungey              Suz

3.         Brett Metcalfe             Kaw

4.         Broc Hepler                 Yam

5.         Jason Lawrence           Yam

6.         Justin Brayton             KTM

7.         Wil Hahn                     Yam

8.         Dan Reardon              Torco Racing Fuels Honda

9.         Kyle Cunningham       Hon

10.       Billy Laninovich         KTM

AMA Western Lites Standings (After 2 of 8 rounds):

1.         Ryan Dungey              (47/1 win)

2.         Jason Lawrence           (38)

3.         Justin Brayton             (35)

4.         Dan Reardon              (31)

5.         Broc Hepler                 (28)

6.         Jake Weimer              (25/1 win)

7.         Wil Hahn                     (25)

8.         Brett Metcalfe             (22)

9.         Tommy Hahn              (22)

10.       Michael Lapaglia         (18)

Phoenix 450cc Main :

1.         James Stewart             Kaw

2.         Chad Reed                  Yam

3.         Kevin Windham         Torco Racing Fuels Honda

4.         Andrew Short             Hon

5.         Ivan Tedesco               Hon

6.         Mike Alessi                 Suz

7.         Nathan Ramsey           Yam

8.         Josh Hansen                Yam

9.         Charles Summey         Yam

10.       Timmy Ferry               Kaw

AMA Supercross Standings (After 2 of 17 rounds):

1.         James Stewart             (47/1 win)

2.         Chad Reed                  (47/1 win)

3.         Kevin Windham         (36)

4.         Timmy Ferry               (31)

5.         Andrew Short             (31)

6.         Mike Alessi                 (30)

7.         Nathan Ramsey           (24)

8.         Ivan Tedesco               (22)

9.         Davi Millsaps              (21)

10.       Grant Langston           (19)

Web photos from the event can be found at:

http://www.coxmx.com/fcracing/sx2.html