Houston: Series round 13 preview

Villopoto Moves in on Dungey's Lead Heading into Houston

Pourcel Leads Heading Into the Penultimate Round of the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Championship

AURORA, Ill. (April 5, 2010) -- As the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, makes its return to Houston's Reliant Stadium this weekend, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey sits atop the points lead with 261 trailed by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto with 240. With two races left in the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class, points leader and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Christophe Pourcel carries an eight-point lead following an impressive victory at the tour's most recent stop in Jacksonville. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Austin Stroupe sits in second with 126 points to Pourcel's 134 points.

During the Jacksonville stop, Valli Motorsports/Rockstar Yamaha's Ivan Tedesco, of Murrieta Calif., earned the Spike Holeshot Award. Soon after the first turn, Villopoto passed Tedesco and went on to lead all 20 laps and win the Jacksonville race, gaining ground on Dungey's 21 point lead.

"Yeah, you know, it's awesome," said Villopoto. "(I) got two good starts in the heat race and the main event. It started out as a rough day, going down in practice. I hurt my foot and went down the next lap after I finally got back up. I sat out the second practice because of it, so it was kind of a bummer of a day for me but this feels great."

Behind Villopoto, GEICO Powersports Honda's Kevin Windham and Dungey battled toe-to-toe for the better half of the race. Dungey made a strong pass on Windham early on lap 12 and continued to hold this spot to lock in his fifth second place finish of the year. As Windham held the third place position, Honda Red Bull Racing's Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., made a game-breaking pass at the finish line, stealing the podium spot from Windham and the two additional points needed to secure a fourth place spot in the points standings.

Coming off a tough seventh place finish at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Pourcel bounced back and won his fourth race of the season during the Jacksonville stop, leading nine of the fifteen laps. Privateer KTM rider Kelly Smith of Ludington, Mich., grabbed the Spike Holeshot Award in Jacksonville and was soon passed by GEICO Powersports Honda's Brett Metcalfe, of Lake Elsinore, Calif. Metcalfe held the lead for six laps, followed by Stroupe and Pourcel, respectively. Pourcel stalked the frontrunners and eventually went on to pass the two on lap six to gain the lead.

As the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class season nears its close, Pourcel is in a position to secure his second Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Championship title of his career.

Last season, in his continued climb towards the top of the AMA Supercross standings, Team San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., won his third straight Monster Energy0x00ae AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, race in front of 48,277 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., retained his AMA Supercross class points lead with a runner-up effort. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Christophe Pourcel, of Corona, Calif., won his second career AMA Supercross Lites class race to open the Eastern Regional Championship.

Since 1974 Houston has been on the AMA Supercross class schedule. From 1974-2002 the Houston Astrodome served as host to the race before the race was moved to Reliant Stadium in 2003. The first AMA Supercross class race in Houston was on March 15, 1974 where Jim Pomeroy earned the win. In AMA Supercross Lites competition, Eddie Warren won the first race held in Houston on April 20, 1985. Jeremy McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross rider, shares the all-time win record along with Mark Barnett with five.

SPEED will broadcast the AMA Supercross Lites class at 3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 11, and the AMA Supercross class on Sunday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

-source: ama