For the second weekend in a row the points lead in the
2010 AMA Supercross Series’ premiere class is tied up. Last week in Indianapolis Ryan Villopoto won his third race of the season after a rough start to the night's racing. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider shares the top rung of the point’s ladder with Ryan Dungey as they head into Atlanta, Georgia. San Manuel Yamaha's Josh Hill was the previous leader but a poor result at Indy has him 10 points back.
Ryan Villopoto will be looking to score his fourth win of the 2010 season when the AMA Supercross Series rolls into Atlanta.
Momentum is definitely on RV’s side as he now has the confidence to win even when the chips are down. The KX450F pilot has found his stride and looks very comfortable in his sophomore year with the team. He admittedly struggled with confidence in the beginning of the year, but two wins in a row has bolstered his race-day attitude. With a good start out of the gate, it's very possible we could see a hat trick inside the Georgia Dome.
Standing in the way of Villopoto’s charge is Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Dungey. The 22-year-old has two wins under his belt and isn't ready to relinquish the top position just yet. Dungey took the championship lead in the second round and has yet to be fully displaced, but the RM-Z rider has had a tough run of late, missing a spot on the podium several times before Indy. Fortunatley, it looks like Roger DeCoster’s team leader is now back on track. Dungey put in a solid ride last week, scoring a second place and breaking his streak of finishing off the podium. If Dungey gets out ahead of the Number 2 plate, the 70,000 fans in ATL could be in for a show.
In Indy Hill finished in ninth place - not what the title hopeful from Oregon wanted. It was only the second time the Yamaha rider has not finished in the top three. Can he rebound from his worst finish of the season and get back to his consistent podium performance? A win in Atlanta could put his deficit back into single digit territory.
Kevin Windham was fast al night in Indy. Will Atlanta be where he grabs his first win of the 2010 season.
Kevin Windham has ridden strong this season, finishing on the box three times so far. Last week in Indy the GEICO Powersports Honda rider was fast all night, but defensive riding cost him the overall. After his amazing early-race battle, K-dub knows he has it in him to win a main event. If the local rider pulls of a win in the Georgia Dome you had better have your ear plugs ready.
Davi Millsaps is another threat to the top three point runners, with one win in his 2010 season. The Red Bull Honda rider has been up front all season and could easily score his second win with a holeshot in the main.
Chad Reed is supposedly coming back at Daytona and James Stewart is on the rebound as well. Time is running out for the 450 class before the superstars come back and steal the spotlight.
East Coast Lites
Last week we got our first look at the young guns of the East Coast Lites division. Christophe Pourcel made it look easy as he led all 15 laps on his Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki. The Frenchman looked loose, relaxed and confident all night, and the reigning champion established that he's the man everyone will be chasing this season. Even though he makes it look easy, Pourcel knows a win is never guaranteed, "It's never easy to win with the Number 1," he said after his first race as the returning champ, "but I am happy to win."
Although he makes it look easy, Christophe Pourcel knows that he has to be on his game to win in the Lites.
Austin Stroupe came into Indy with some impressive rides in the Supercross class. Many expected that his experience racing with the big dogs would guarantee a win when stepping down to the smaller 250cc machine. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki pilot just didn’t look as comfortable and smooth as expected, but still finished in second. A win for Stroupe looks to be just around the corner if he can get out ahead of the fast Frenchman.
Where will Justin Barcia finish this weekend after his first career podium last week? The Lites rookie has been training hard and it showed last weekend when he had enough left in the tank to make a last-turn pass for third on Ryan Sipes. Sipes will be looking for redemption after problems with lappers, and Brett Metcalfe will be looking to improve his fifth-place finish in the warmer temps of Georgia. Dean Wilson, Nico Izzi, and Martin Davalos should be watched closely as they have the talent and speed to bang out a podium ride as well. One thing is for sure in the Lites, everyone needs to step their game or Pourcel will walk away with the championship plate for the second year in a row.
