GEICO POWERSPORTS HONDA
RACE REPORT
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS
ROUND 13, TORONTO
Once a year, the AMA circus takes a trip north of the border to Toronto, and it’s always an adventure. The dirt, being frozen
for much of the year, comes inside and thaws during the weekend, which causes havoc for the racers and track builders
alike.
GEICO Powersports Honda’s Kevin Windham was strong all weekend in Toronto, despite the changing, soft, rutted
conditions on the racetrack.
“The track, well, it was just kind of par for the course for Toronto,” Windham said. “It was the same there last year, and it was
just super-wet, deep down in the dirt, and I think there’s ice in the dirt, and it starts melting when it gets to the stadium, and
there are seep-holes where the water is just springing out of the ground. It was a rough track. There were a lot of ruts and
wet, mushy kind of stuff, and honestly, I actually felt pretty good. I had a good night. I just didn’t get off the line that well. I
had a good Heat, good mains, good practices, and I was on the board. It wound up working out pretty well for me, but it was
pretty frustrating for the fans because we obviously don’t get to go do Canada that often, and we’re very limited on what we
can do. When I walked the track, I heard people saying they might be able to triple in spots, but at the end of the night, that
same jump was a single/double or a double/single or whatever. Maybe even a single/single/single, depending on the ruts.
You’ve just got to go out there and let the track get going and find out what’s going to be the line.”
In the main, Windham got a horrible start, but began moving forward quickly. Despite some mistakes, and some allergies, he
nearly got another top-five finish, having gained 11 spots during the main event.
“I actually thought I rode really well, but I was sick and I couldn’t breathe from like the 10th lap on,” Windham said. “I started
getting bad ringing in one ear and I was very disoriented and off-balance due to a sinus infection I had. I’ve been having
some pretty major allergies. But it was a tough weekend for me. But the reality is that was the best I could do from 17th [off
the start]. I mean, maybe I could’ve gotten IT and gotten into the top five, but if I started in the top two or three, it would’ve
been a pretty easy weekend.”
Windham ended up a close sixth.
In the Lites class, replacement rider Daniel Blair got a strong start in the main event, despite having a poor gate pick, but
then he was balked by another rider and was forced to battle around at the tail end of the top 10.
“The main, I got a bad gate pick, but I got a good start and came out about seventh or eighth,” Blair said. “But I passed like
three guys on the first lap and got up into fourth, and I passed Goerke, and in the second-to-last corner, he came in and
stuffed me pretty hard, and then didn’t do any of the jumps in the next rhythm section – he rolled them. I was stuck behind
him, and everybody I passed passed me back. I think I crossed the finish line like ninth. I went from like fourth to ninth in one
straightaway. From then on, I was just in the middle of a battle with Vince Friese, and then Wil Hahn and Durham came
through the pack, and we were all in a battle. I just struggled all night and never got to feel that comfortable.”
Blair finished ninth.
Blair’s teammate, and last week’s race winner, Blake Wharton made a big mistake early in the main, going down in a rhythm
section, and remounting not only last, but a couple of straightaways behind the next-to-last racer. Still, he put his head
down and charged.
“I figured the track was rough and people might be getting tired or making mistakes,” Wharton said. “I figured I should get up
and catch up to what I could, and I caught up to 10th, which I thought was pretty good. If I would’ve maybe gotten up faster
or kept my bike running, who knows? I might’ve been able to catch up more. But I’m pretty happy with how I rode. If I wouldn’
t have made that mistake and been a little bit more patient, I might have ended up with a top-three or top-five, or
something a little better. It was a good night, though. I walked away safe and didn’t get hurt or anything, so that’s good.”
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads to Jacksonville, Florida, for round 14 of the AMA Supercross Series,
and round eight of the Lites Eastern Regional Supercross Championship, on April 4 inside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Team Sponsors: GEICO Powersports, Honda, Planet Fitness, Unbound Energy, AM/PM, Factory Connection, Fox, Shoei,
Gaerne, DVS, Amsoil Lubricants, Cycra Plastics, Dunlop Tires, EK Chains, Filtron Air Filters, Hinson Clutches, Leatt Brace,
One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Shock Doctor, Showa, TAG Sprockets, Vortex Ignitions, VP Fuels, and Works
Connection.
Toronto Lites Main:
1. Christophe Pourcel Kaw
2. Austin Stroupe Kaw
3. Broc Tickle Yam
4. Branden Jesseman Kaw
5. Matt Lemoine Yam
6. Wil Hahn KTM
7. Matt Goerke Suz
8. Vince Friese Hon
9. Daniel Blair GEICO Powersports Honda
10. Blake Wharton GEICO Powersports Honda
Toronto 450cc Main:
1. James Stewart Yam
2. Chad Reed Suz
3. Josh Hill Yam
4. Josh Grant Yam
5. Ivan Tedesco Hon
6. Kevin Windham GEICO Powersports Honda
7. Davi Millsaps Hon
8. Matt Boni Hon
9. Andrew Short Hon
10. Ben Coisy Hon
RACE REPORT
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS
ROUND 13, TORONTO
Once a year, the AMA circus takes a trip north of the border to Toronto, and it’s always an adventure. The dirt, being frozen
for much of the year, comes inside and thaws during the weekend, which causes havoc for the racers and track builders
alike.
GEICO Powersports Honda’s Kevin Windham was strong all weekend in Toronto, despite the changing, soft, rutted
conditions on the racetrack.
“The track, well, it was just kind of par for the course for Toronto,” Windham said. “It was the same there last year, and it was
just super-wet, deep down in the dirt, and I think there’s ice in the dirt, and it starts melting when it gets to the stadium, and
there are seep-holes where the water is just springing out of the ground. It was a rough track. There were a lot of ruts and
wet, mushy kind of stuff, and honestly, I actually felt pretty good. I had a good night. I just didn’t get off the line that well. I
had a good Heat, good mains, good practices, and I was on the board. It wound up working out pretty well for me, but it was
pretty frustrating for the fans because we obviously don’t get to go do Canada that often, and we’re very limited on what we
can do. When I walked the track, I heard people saying they might be able to triple in spots, but at the end of the night, that
same jump was a single/double or a double/single or whatever. Maybe even a single/single/single, depending on the ruts.
You’ve just got to go out there and let the track get going and find out what’s going to be the line.”
In the main, Windham got a horrible start, but began moving forward quickly. Despite some mistakes, and some allergies, he
nearly got another top-five finish, having gained 11 spots during the main event.
“I actually thought I rode really well, but I was sick and I couldn’t breathe from like the 10th lap on,” Windham said. “I started
getting bad ringing in one ear and I was very disoriented and off-balance due to a sinus infection I had. I’ve been having
some pretty major allergies. But it was a tough weekend for me. But the reality is that was the best I could do from 17th [off
the start]. I mean, maybe I could’ve gotten IT and gotten into the top five, but if I started in the top two or three, it would’ve
been a pretty easy weekend.”
Windham ended up a close sixth.
In the Lites class, replacement rider Daniel Blair got a strong start in the main event, despite having a poor gate pick, but
then he was balked by another rider and was forced to battle around at the tail end of the top 10.
“The main, I got a bad gate pick, but I got a good start and came out about seventh or eighth,” Blair said. “But I passed like
three guys on the first lap and got up into fourth, and I passed Goerke, and in the second-to-last corner, he came in and
stuffed me pretty hard, and then didn’t do any of the jumps in the next rhythm section – he rolled them. I was stuck behind
him, and everybody I passed passed me back. I think I crossed the finish line like ninth. I went from like fourth to ninth in one
straightaway. From then on, I was just in the middle of a battle with Vince Friese, and then Wil Hahn and Durham came
through the pack, and we were all in a battle. I just struggled all night and never got to feel that comfortable.”
Blair finished ninth.
Blair’s teammate, and last week’s race winner, Blake Wharton made a big mistake early in the main, going down in a rhythm
section, and remounting not only last, but a couple of straightaways behind the next-to-last racer. Still, he put his head
down and charged.
“I figured the track was rough and people might be getting tired or making mistakes,” Wharton said. “I figured I should get up
and catch up to what I could, and I caught up to 10th, which I thought was pretty good. If I would’ve maybe gotten up faster
or kept my bike running, who knows? I might’ve been able to catch up more. But I’m pretty happy with how I rode. If I wouldn’
t have made that mistake and been a little bit more patient, I might have ended up with a top-three or top-five, or
something a little better. It was a good night, though. I walked away safe and didn’t get hurt or anything, so that’s good.”
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads to Jacksonville, Florida, for round 14 of the AMA Supercross Series,
and round eight of the Lites Eastern Regional Supercross Championship, on April 4 inside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Team Sponsors: GEICO Powersports, Honda, Planet Fitness, Unbound Energy, AM/PM, Factory Connection, Fox, Shoei,
Gaerne, DVS, Amsoil Lubricants, Cycra Plastics, Dunlop Tires, EK Chains, Filtron Air Filters, Hinson Clutches, Leatt Brace,
One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Shock Doctor, Showa, TAG Sprockets, Vortex Ignitions, VP Fuels, and Works
Connection.
Toronto Lites Main:
1. Christophe Pourcel Kaw
2. Austin Stroupe Kaw
3. Broc Tickle Yam
4. Branden Jesseman Kaw
5. Matt Lemoine Yam
6. Wil Hahn KTM
7. Matt Goerke Suz
8. Vince Friese Hon
9. Daniel Blair GEICO Powersports Honda
10. Blake Wharton GEICO Powersports Honda
Toronto 450cc Main:
1. James Stewart Yam
2. Chad Reed Suz
3. Josh Hill Yam
4. Josh Grant Yam
5. Ivan Tedesco Hon
6. Kevin Windham GEICO Powersports Honda
7. Davi Millsaps Hon
8. Matt Boni Hon
9. Andrew Short Hon
10. Ben Coisy Hon
| 03/31/09 |
