The Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, headed east to Arlington, Texas’ Cowboy Stadium for the 2012 debut of the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Championship and the Dallas Supercross. There is something about a season opening race that gets any Supercross fan pumped, but when the riders debuting are very talented and polarizing characters like GEICO Powersports/Honda’s Justin Barcia, Red Bull/KTM’s German wonder-kid Ken Roczen, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Darryn Durham, JDR/Jstar/KTM’s Malcolm Stewart and Rockstar/Suzuki’s rockstar Blake Wharton, you cannot help but smile with anticipation of what might take place. We can now say, with one race in the books, that nobody left disappointed. The opener brought everything and more to the table and left everyone wondering what might happen next.
In the Main Event, it was the former privateer and new member of Mitch Payton’s powerhouse east squad, Darryn Durham, grabbing the early lead, but he was quickly passed by Blake Wharton on lap one. Durham quickly went right back after Wharton and, with an aggressive move, put the Texan on the ground. While Wharton gathered his senses and remounted, rookie GEICO Powersports/Honda rider Justin Bogle and Justin Barcia took over the second and third positions with Barcia moving by Bogle for second on lap four.
Durham looked awesome on his new green machine up front, but Barcia’s speed seemed to give him the slight edge on everyone all day long. Durham put up a valiant fight, but on lap nine, Bam Bam made an aggressive pass for the lead and rode away for his first win of the 2012 season. While it looked at times like a few riders had the speed to battle with Barcia, there was an air of confidence about the #1 that suggested he is going to be very tough to stop in 2012.
After Barcia grabbed the lead and took off, the final two podium spots were down to Durham and Roczen with Durham holding on to second and Roczen finishing on the third step of the podium. Unlike Durham, Roczen spent most of the Main Event battling forward with riders like Malcolm Stewart and Justin Bogle, but after Stewart took himself and Bogle out with a questionable pass, Roczen was all alone in third. In the end, Roczen was able to get to the rear tire of Durham, but it was too little too late.
Finishing fourth in the Main Event was Blake Wharton. Wharton, after being taken to the ground early by Durham, put on an incredible display of heart, pushing hard for all fifteen laps. Wharton was never blazing fast in the Main, but looking at his lap times, it was consistency that got the job done.
Rounding out the top five may have been the surprise of the evening. Honda privateer Phillip Nicoletti came into 2012 with very little fanfare, but he sure impressed in Dallas. The # 715 started just inside the top ten, took advantage of others’ mistakes and used very solid laps to nail down his first-ever professional SX top five. Congratulations to Phillip. We hope this is just the beginning.
Overall, the Eastern Regional Lites opener was about on par with what was expected. With Barcia coming off an incredible 2011 season, we knew he would be tough to beat, and with the most aggressive kids in the sport on one gate, we knew we would see fireworks. The East Lites have brought us takeouts, punches and some of the most aggressive passing of 2012—and in just the first fifteen laps. Is it a sign of what is to come? We sure hope so.
Next stop, Atlanta!
Dallas SX – Lites East Main Event Results
For full Dallas SX results click here>>>
1 1 Justin Barcia Ochlocknee, GA, USA Honda CRF250 2 35 Darryn Durham Butler, PA, USA Kawasaki KX250F 3 70 Ken Roczen Murrieta, USA KTM 250 SX-F 4 956 Blake Wharton Beaumont, TX, USA Suzuki RM-Z250 5 715 Phillip Nicoletti Cochecton, NY, USA Honda CRF250R 6 37 Malcolm Stewart Haines City, FL, USA KTM 250 SX-F 7 57 Jake Canada Sun City, CA Suzuki RMZ450 8 927 P Larsen Murrieta, CA, USA KTM 250 SX-F 9 160 Cole Thompson Brigden, ON, Canada Honda CRF250 10 55 Lance Vincent Youngsville, LA, USA KTM 250 SX-F
