Reed takes 2008 Supercross championship
May 05, 2008
Team San Manuel Yamaha’s Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., won Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship before 39,227 fans at a sold-out Sam Boyd Stadium. Reed, who won the 2004 AMA Supercross class championship, also won the main event. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., won the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout in the AMA Supercross Lites class main event.
Red Bull Honda Racing’s Davi Millsaps opened the AMA Supercross class main event by winning the Progressive Holeshot Award, and Windham trailed in second. Reed started in seventh place. On lap three Windham passed Millsaps and secured the lead. Reed worked his way through the pack and passed Windham for the lead on lap 13 to claim the ninth win of the season. Red Bull Honda Racing’s Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, finished third.
“I worked my butt of this year,” said Reed. “I had a new bike this year, and that made my job a lot easier. It has been a great season for me this year. This is very special. It was unfortunate that James Stewart, the defending champion, got hurt, but this was a great year for us.”
Reed’s mechanic, Oscar Wirdeman, was awarded a 2008 Toyota Tundra truck as the season’s top mechanic.
In the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout, Dungey followed Progressive Holeshot Award winner Ryan Villopoto’s Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. It quickly became a two-horse race as Villopoto and Dungey pulled away from the field. Villopoto led the first 14 laps while Dungey inched in Villopoto’s lead. On the last lap, Dungey, who won last year’s Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout, passed Villopoto and rode to victory. Dungey was awarded a brand new 2008 Toyota Tundra truck for winning the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. Geico Honda’s Trey Canard, of Elk City, Okla., finished third.
“To win this race two years in a row is huge for me,” said Dungey. “It was a very special win for me because I came from behind and rode smart. I lost some time in the beginning of the race, and I was able to find my grove as the race progressed.”
“That was one of the fastest starts I have ever raced on at a supercross race,” said Villopoto. “The lappers played a big part in the race, but Ryan (Dungey) was riding great. I made some mistakes, and he capitalized on them.
Atomic Racing’s Paul Carpenter, of Ithaca, N.Y., won the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Pro Privateer Challenge (USSTC) and was awarded $25,000.
AMA Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 365
2. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 352
3. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 281
4. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 278
5. Joshua Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 228
6. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 218
7. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha, 173
8. David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 169
9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM, 159
10. Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Honda, 145
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
3. Trey Canard, Elk City, Okla., Honda
4. Dan Reardon, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
5. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
7. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
8. Kyle Chisholm, Seminole, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Broc Hepler, Kittanning, Pa., Yamaha
10. Austin Stroupe, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
Image by vitalmx.com
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