2008 Minneapolis Supercross Lites (250cc) Main (Ryan Villopoto Vs. Josh Grant)

Описание: This is the Supercross Lites (250cc) East Main from the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN.

In 2008, Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto #2 was playing catch-up in his full-on attempt to win all 3 Lites Championships before a full-time 450cc career for 2009 and beyond. Only James Stewart and Grant Langston accomplished that feat (James Stewart won the 125cc Motocross title in 2002 and 2004, the 125cc West Supercross title in 2003, and the 125cc East in 2004; Grant Langston won the 125cc Motocross title in 2003 on a KTM, the 125cc East Supercross title in 2005, and the Lites West in 2006 for Pro Circuit Kawasaki). Villopoto romped his way to 7 out of 8 wins en route to the 2007 Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Lites West Championship. After winning 6 of 12 races in the 2006 and 2007 Motocross Lites (250cc) Championships, Ryan Villopoto, who was fighting a pre-season wrist injury, logged 0 wins to start the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Lites East Championship. All he could show were 2 2nd places after a disappointing 22nd in the opener in Atlanta due to a collision with Torco Racing Fuels Honda's Josh Grant #20.

The opening 3 race wins went to Grant's Torco Racing Fuels Honda rookie teammate Trey Canard #48. Canard dominated the first round in Atlanta in his first ever Lites Supercross race. He made it 2 straight in a battle with Villopoto until Villopoto got pummeled into the tuffblocks in Indianapolis, and Pro Circuit replacement Branden Jesseman #77 (the 2003 champ filling in for an injured Christophe Pourcel) stalled his bike, too. In the Daytona slop, Canard made it 3 in a row after Villopoto crashed once again and finished 2nd.

For round 4 in Minneapolis -- Supercross' first race there since 2004 -- the time was NOW for Villopoto to log his first win of 2008. Josh Grant got the holeshot, but when Villopoto started ahead of Trey Canard, that was all Ryan really needed. This race turned into an epic head-to-head battle between Ryan Villopoto and Josh Grant. Grant had a bit more inconsistent season, but he had yet to post a win. Grant's last win came at Detroit 2006. The two traded paint and swapped the lead back and forth for all 15 laps. It ended on the last obstacle when Grant crashed and Villopoto FINALLY logged his first win of the 2008 Supercross Lites East season. Points leader Canard finished 4th.

The Minneapolis win was the first of 3 straight for Villopoto. He would win Dallas and Detroit next while Trey Canard continued to struggle with another 4th at Dallas and a 10th at Detroit. Villopoto came to within 3 points of Trey Canard going into the final round at St. Louis. That meant if Villopoto won St. Louis, he would tie Trey Canard for the top spot in the series, but Villopoto would be declared the champion because he'd have 4 wins to Canard's 3. The two battled for half the race until Canard slid out before the FINISH line jump and sent Villopoto into the scaffolding and down to the floor in the Edward Jones Dome. Canard won the final race of the season while Villopoto dropped to 4th, where he would finish. As a result, Trey Canard became the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Lites East champ by 10 points over the very angry Ryan Villopoto. However, Trey Canard showed extra good sportsmanship after a 3rd at the East/West Shootout in Vegas when he apologized to Ryan Villopoto about the incident in St. Louis.

Ryan Villopoto's funk carried over into the first moto of the 2008 Toyota Motocross Lites Championship when he finished 5th due to a first-lap mishap. He dominated the 2nd moto for 2nd overall while his teammate #51 Austin Stroupe used a 2-3 to snag the first win of the season. Villopoto then reeled off 7 in a row (all sweeps) and the next 16 motos from Glen Helen moto 2 to Washougal moto 1 until Team Suzuki's Ryan Dungey #28 beat him in the 2nd moto at Villopoto's home race in Washougal for the overall win. Dungey made it 2 in a row at Millville after Villopoto crashed in moto 2. Ryan Villopoto came back to sweep the motos at the next race at Southwick to etch his name as a 3-time Motocross Lites (250cc) champ, and win his 8th race of the 2008 Motocross Lites season. The finale at Steel City did not go well for Villopoto as he crashed in both motos and scored 0 pts. on the day.

Enjoy.