- press release -
Points Leaders Stewart and Villopoto Lead the Way in Saturday Practice at Honda Spring Creek Pro National from Millville
MILLVILLE, Minn. (August 16, 2008) As they seek to clinch their respective class championships this weekend, series points leaders James Stewart, of Monster Energy Kawasaki, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto set the pace on Saturday for practice and qualifying at the Honda Spring Creek Pro National Presented by Scott USA.
Stewart easily paced both of the day’s practice sessions, ultimately establishing a three second advantage over second place and serving as the only rider to break the 2:10.000 barrier. His time of 2:07.018 came in the final session of the day, while Factory Yamaha’s Josh Hill put in a season best Saturday effort in second at 2:10.139.
“I’m just going to ride tomorrow like it’s any other race,” said Stewart. “If I do that the championship will take care of itself. I’m sure I’ll be thinking about the championship more when I wake up tomorrow, but it’s not like I’m going to hang it out. The track is rough, probably the roughest we have ridden during practice this year. I hope it stays like that and it will be a good day.”
Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short rounded out the top three with a time of 2:11.078.
In the AMA Motocross Lites class, Villopoto overcame rival Ryan Dungey, of Rockstar/Makita Suzuki, in the second session to post the quickest lap of the day at 2:10.541. He also grabbed the top spot in each session.
“The track is rough and there are a lot of different lines,” said Villopoto. “It’s going to be a good race tomorrow because everyone will be able to pass and be aggressive on the track. I’m not thinking about the championship. If it happens that will be good, but I just want another couple of moto wins.”
Dungey, a Minnesota native, sits just behind Villopoto with a lap of 2:10.962, setting the stage for another exciting battle between the class’ top competitors.
Geico Powersports Honda’s Josh Grant set the third fastest lap at 2:11.796.
Sunday’s main event action for the Honda Spring Creek Pro National Presented by Scott USA kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage of the event can be heard on live.motocross.com. SPEED will televise the action for the AMA Motocross class on August 23 at 10 p.m. ET and the AMA Motocross Lites class on August 26 at 2 p.m. ET.
Motocross Class Saturday Practice
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 2:07.018
Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 2:10.139
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 2:11.078
Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 2:11.173
Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM, 2:13.903
Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM, 2:14.110
Broc Hepler, Kittanning, Pa., Yamaha, 2:14.296
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 2:14.528
Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 2:14.934
Charles Summey, Huntersville, N.C., Yamaha, 2:15.107
Motocross Lites Saturday Practice
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 2:10.541
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 2:10.962
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 2:11.796
Nico Izzi, Saint Clair, Mich., Suzuki, 2:13.723
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki, 2:13.920
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Kawasaki, 2:14.110
Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda, 2:14.416
Thomas Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki, 2:14.433
Jake Moss, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha, 2:15.154
Matt Lemoine, Pilot Point, Texas, Yamaha, 2:15.240
Interview opportunities are available to the media by contacting AMA Toyota Motocross Championship media coordinator Brandon Short via email at Media@MXNationals.com or by phone at 951-203-2605.
For more information on the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, presented by FMF, log on to www.amamotocross.com for live timing and scoring at @theWireLIVE!. Racer X Illustrated will host a new and improved webcast on www.motocross.com, with live racing action hosted by Jason Weigandt. The Racer X Motocross Show on Motocross.com has also been added on Saturday night of each race weekend, featuring practice footage and interviews taken earlier in the day.
Credential requests for each round of the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF must be submitted via email to Media@MXNationals.com three weeks prior to the race. Media members interested in interviews with the riders of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF should contact Brandon at 951-203-2605 or email Media@MXNationals.com.
About the National Promoters Group (NPG)
The National Promoters Group (NPG) comprises 12 individual promoters of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF which sanctions outdoor motocross events throughout the United States, and remains the Nation’s premier outdoor motocross championship series. NPG’s mission is to raise awareness of motocross racing through the production of professional championship racing events nationwide.
About AMA Racing
AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, an FIM World Championship, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com. Accredited media outlets can also access an on line Press Room at www.amaproracing.com/pressroom. For amateur racing information visit www.amadirectlink.com/amrace/amasports.asp