|
January 21, 2008
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The third round of the AMA Supercross
Championship returned the series regulars to Angel Stadium in Anaheim,
California, but this time it was for Retro Night. The track at Anaheim II was
built to replicate the 1986 Anaheim Supercross track.
A lot has changed since 1986. For example, in 1986, all of
the bikes were two-stroke 125s and 250s. Today, they are all four-stroke 250s
and 450s. For that matter, many of the top riders in this year’s championships
weren’t even born in 1986.
Torco Racing Fuels Honda’s Kevin Windham was, though, and
the old-school track helped him continue to set his groove toward the 2008
championship, as he got a decent start and grabbed his second podium in a row
while simultaneously moving up into second in the points championship in the
450cc class.
“I was pretty happy with my start,” Windham said. “I started
in the same gate both times. It wasn’t the best gate, but it was consistent. I
think the testing that we did this week really paid off in how things came
together for me. I was a work in progress today. I was eighth fastest in
practice. It’s the same thing every weekend, because I don’t practice that
strong, but it’s something about not having to go fast, not having the gate
drop, not having the fans in the stands... I was eighth fastest, and I was
like, ‘Man, what the hell’s going on?’ But the good news is that I was only a
second off of second. Once the lights came on, I won my heat and really put it
together in the main. I wish I could’ve caught Hill, but two weeks in a row and
two podiums, I’m fired up about that. Hopefully I can keep finding the podium.”
Late in the race, Windham was gaining on eventual
second-place finisher Josh Hill, but kept getting balked by lappers.
“I didn’t get the most love from the lappers, but Hill rode
a good race and Chad [Reed] was up there as well riding strong,” Windham said.
“I’m just happy about my consistency. I don’t think I’ve ever really started
out a season this strong, getting two out of three podiums. I guess hindsight’s
20/20, but I think barring that first-turn pileup at A1, I could’ve been on the
box there, too. It’s a strong season, and a strong start, and I’m happy where
I’m at.”
In the Lites class, Dan Reardon continued to show his
consistency. On a track that he said was similar to tracks he’s used to back
home in Australia, Reardon came from near the tail end of the top 10 to finish
inside the top five.
“My reaction time off the start was really good, but I kind
of overcooked it a little bit going into the first corner,” Reardon said of his
start. “I didn’t get hung up on a Tuff Block, but I was on the verge of riding
the Tuff Blocks, so I shut it down off the first jump. I had my skirt on, I
suppose, and I should’ve just gone for it, but I got passed by a bunch of guys
straight up and I was floating around I think in like eighth or ninth on the
first lap. Then things started going good and I started picking people off as I
went. Me and [Jake] Weimer had a good battle and banged some bars and stuff,
and then me and [Brett] Metcalfe later on. I had a bit of a brain-fade about
lap 11 or 12, and then came back at the end. I thought it was good. Fourth
place is okay. It’s not a podium, but it’s still points on the board, and there
are still a lot of races to go.”
Fourth place was good enough to move Reardon into third in
the points championship with five rounds left to run.
After his win last week in Phoenix, Weimer had a bit of a
tough go of it at Anaheim II, with a fall, a stall, and other issues.
“I got a decent start, in maybe sixth, and I was feeling
okay, and then Dan [Reardon] and I were kind of battling it out pretty gnarly
for a couple laps, and then I took a bad line in the sand section and got out
of control and went down,” Weimer said. “It took a while for me to get
restarted, but my bike got hit and it damaged the front rotor and I had no
front brake, so the following lap I stalled it just trying to make a corner,
which cost me more time. I got back going and I felt good, but I was a lap down
at that point, so that was pretty much it.”
Weimer recovered for 15th place despite the lack of a front
brake and sits ninth in the points with five rounds left to go.
From here, the Torco Racing Fuels Honda team heads to San
Francisco, California’s AT&T Park for round four of the AMA Supercross
Series on January 26.
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.
Anaheim II Lites Main:
1. Ryan
Dungey Suz
2. Broc
Hepler Yam
3. Austin
Stroupe Kaw
4. Dan
Reardon Torco
Racing Fuels Honda
5. Brett
Metcalfe Kaw
6. Bobby
Kiniry Hon
7. Billy
Laninovich KTM
8. Gavin
Gracyk Hon
9. Justin
Brayton KTM
10. Tommy
Hahn Kaw
15. Jake
Weimer Torco
Racing Fuels Honda
AMA Western Lites Standings (After 3 of 8 rounds):
1. Ryan
Dungey (72/2
wins)
2. Broc
Hepler (50)
3. Dan
Reardon (49)
4. Justin
Brayton (47)
5. Jason
Lawrence (38)
6. Brett
Metcalfe (38)
7. Austin
Stroupe (36)
8. Tommy
Hahn (33)
9. Jake
Weimer (31/1
win)
10. Wil
Hahn (30)
Anaheim II 450cc Main:
1. Chad
Reed Yam
2. Josh
Hill Yam
3. Kevin
Windham Torco
Racing Fuels Honda
4. Mike
Alessi Suz
5. Ivan
Tedesco Hon
6. Timmy
Ferry Kaw
7. Nathan
Ramsey Yam
8. Josh
Hansen Yam
9. Andrew
Short Hon
10. Charles
Summey Yam
AMA Supercross Standings (After 3 of 17 rounds):
1. Chad
Reed (72/2
wins)
2. Kevin
Windham (56)
3. Mike
Alessi (48)
4. James
Stewart (47/1
win)
5. Timmy
Ferry (46)
6. Andrew
Short (43)
7. Ivan
Tedesco (38)
8. Nathan
Ramsey (38)
9. Josh
Hill (37)
10. Josh
Hansen (27)
Web photos from the event can be found at
|
