GEICO POWERSPORTS HONDA
RACE REPORT
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS
ROUND 6, ANAHEIM III
With rain drenching the floor of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, for days leading up to round six of the AMA
Supercross Championship, track builder Dirt Wurx did an admirable job in protecting the track surface from the damaging
water, with the only real problem area being the starting line, but that turned out to be key for the GEICO Powersports
Honda team.
The track itself was designed by supercross legend Jeremy McGrath and featured two large whoop sections and multiple
rhythm sections. In the valleys between the jumps and other obstacles, rain seeped through the protective plastic
somewhat, which led to a track that featured dry, slick, rocky jump faces and landings with wet, rutted and soft transitions.
And the starting line was nearly all rain-soaked, with the exception of a few gates in the middle of the left side of the gates
where a pile of dirt had been left during the week, and its removal left a dry spot of dirt, allowing for good traction for the
fortunate few who were able to start there.
What this meant was that for the main event, gate picks were going to be key, so Heat-race results were at a premium.
GEICO Powersports Honda 450cc rider Kevin Windham fought his way up to fourth in the second Heat, which gave him the
seventh gate pick for the main event, leaving him out of the preferred area right off the start. Still, the veteran played it
smart around the first turn and rounded the first lap in fifth. As he looked for a way around Ivan Tedesco for fourth, he lost a
spot to defending champion Chad Reed, who would eventually finish second. On lap eight, Windham found his way by a
fallen Josh Grant for fifth just before the sky opened up and rain began to fall, turning the hard, dry areas of track into virtual
ice, and Windham lost the spot back to Grant.
However, late in the race, Windham was making up ground on Tedesco for fifth before he stalled his bike in the slick
conditions on the final lap, costing him a spot. He finished seventh.
The Lites riders had similar issues to contend with, if not worse, as the Lites Heats came before the 450cc Heats. GEICO
Powersports Honda’s Dan Reardon started up front in his Heat and made up some time by jumping the track’s triple on the
first lap, but finished third, while Trey Canard fought his way through for fourth, giving the two the sixth and seventh gate
picks, respectively, putting them outside of the “good area” for starting success.
Off the start, Canard got caught up with Ryan Dungey, who fell in the first turn, and he was forced to come through from the
back. He rounded lap one in 17th, while Reardon came around in 10th. Canard and Dungey hooked up and began to come
through the pack, and on lap four, Canard had moved into the top 10 when he mis-timed a section and went over the bars
in the tricky dirt. Stunned, it took him a while to get going, and by the time he did, he was a lap down. From there, he ran
on the leaders’ pace for the rest of the race, even passing eventual fifth-place finisher Jeff Alessi at the 10-lap mark. He still
salvaged a strong 12th-place finish despite the first-turn tangle and the later hard fall.
Reardon worked his way from 10th up to fifth in the early going before losing a couple of spots in the late going to Dungey
and Ryan Sipes. Reardon finished seventh, which matches his current position in the points standings with three rounds left
to run.
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads to San Diego, California, for round seven of the AMA Supercross
Series, and round six of the Lites Western Regional Supercross Championship, on February 14 inside Qualcomm Stadium,
where the long-term weather forecast looks like rain.
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.
Anaheim III Lites Main:
1. Jake Weimer Kaw
2. Ryan Morais Kaw
3. Justin Brayton KTM
4. Ryan Dungey Suz
5. Jeff Alessi Hon
6. Ryan Sipes KTM
7. Dan Reardon GEICO Powersports Honda
8. PJ Larsen Kaw
9. Chris Blose Hon
10. Eric McCrummen Hon
12. Trey Canard GEICO Powersports Honda
Anaheim III 450cc Main:
1. James Stewart Yam
2. Chad Reed Suz
3. Davi Millsaps Hon
4. Ivan Tedesco Hon
5. Josh Grant Yam
6. Andrew Short Hon
7. Kevin Windham GEICO Powersports Honda
8. Josh Hill Yam
9. Kyle Chisholm Yam
10. Timmy Ferry Kaw
RACE REPORT
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS
ROUND 6, ANAHEIM III
With rain drenching the floor of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, for days leading up to round six of the AMA
Supercross Championship, track builder Dirt Wurx did an admirable job in protecting the track surface from the damaging
water, with the only real problem area being the starting line, but that turned out to be key for the GEICO Powersports
Honda team.
The track itself was designed by supercross legend Jeremy McGrath and featured two large whoop sections and multiple
rhythm sections. In the valleys between the jumps and other obstacles, rain seeped through the protective plastic
somewhat, which led to a track that featured dry, slick, rocky jump faces and landings with wet, rutted and soft transitions.
And the starting line was nearly all rain-soaked, with the exception of a few gates in the middle of the left side of the gates
where a pile of dirt had been left during the week, and its removal left a dry spot of dirt, allowing for good traction for the
fortunate few who were able to start there.
What this meant was that for the main event, gate picks were going to be key, so Heat-race results were at a premium.
GEICO Powersports Honda 450cc rider Kevin Windham fought his way up to fourth in the second Heat, which gave him the
seventh gate pick for the main event, leaving him out of the preferred area right off the start. Still, the veteran played it
smart around the first turn and rounded the first lap in fifth. As he looked for a way around Ivan Tedesco for fourth, he lost a
spot to defending champion Chad Reed, who would eventually finish second. On lap eight, Windham found his way by a
fallen Josh Grant for fifth just before the sky opened up and rain began to fall, turning the hard, dry areas of track into virtual
ice, and Windham lost the spot back to Grant.
However, late in the race, Windham was making up ground on Tedesco for fifth before he stalled his bike in the slick
conditions on the final lap, costing him a spot. He finished seventh.
The Lites riders had similar issues to contend with, if not worse, as the Lites Heats came before the 450cc Heats. GEICO
Powersports Honda’s Dan Reardon started up front in his Heat and made up some time by jumping the track’s triple on the
first lap, but finished third, while Trey Canard fought his way through for fourth, giving the two the sixth and seventh gate
picks, respectively, putting them outside of the “good area” for starting success.
Off the start, Canard got caught up with Ryan Dungey, who fell in the first turn, and he was forced to come through from the
back. He rounded lap one in 17th, while Reardon came around in 10th. Canard and Dungey hooked up and began to come
through the pack, and on lap four, Canard had moved into the top 10 when he mis-timed a section and went over the bars
in the tricky dirt. Stunned, it took him a while to get going, and by the time he did, he was a lap down. From there, he ran
on the leaders’ pace for the rest of the race, even passing eventual fifth-place finisher Jeff Alessi at the 10-lap mark. He still
salvaged a strong 12th-place finish despite the first-turn tangle and the later hard fall.
Reardon worked his way from 10th up to fifth in the early going before losing a couple of spots in the late going to Dungey
and Ryan Sipes. Reardon finished seventh, which matches his current position in the points standings with three rounds left
to run.
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads to San Diego, California, for round seven of the AMA Supercross
Series, and round six of the Lites Western Regional Supercross Championship, on February 14 inside Qualcomm Stadium,
where the long-term weather forecast looks like rain.
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.
Anaheim III Lites Main:
1. Jake Weimer Kaw
2. Ryan Morais Kaw
3. Justin Brayton KTM
4. Ryan Dungey Suz
5. Jeff Alessi Hon
6. Ryan Sipes KTM
7. Dan Reardon GEICO Powersports Honda
8. PJ Larsen Kaw
9. Chris Blose Hon
10. Eric McCrummen Hon
12. Trey Canard GEICO Powersports Honda
Anaheim III 450cc Main:
1. James Stewart Yam
2. Chad Reed Suz
3. Davi Millsaps Hon
4. Ivan Tedesco Hon
5. Josh Grant Yam
6. Andrew Short Hon
7. Kevin Windham GEICO Powersports Honda
8. Josh Hill Yam
9. Kyle Chisholm Yam
10. Timmy Ferry Kaw
| 02/11/09 |
