Photo: Hoppenworld – KTM Images
The 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, is officially in the record books. The season closed at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas with Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey winning the final Supercross Class Main Event of the year and the GEICO Powersports/Honda duo of Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac dominating the Lites East and West Main Events. Justin and Eli also crushed the field in the East-West Lites Shootout going 1-2 with Bam Bam getting his first-ever shootout win.
In the Supercross Class Main Event, it was MotoConcepts’ Mike Alessi edging out Dungey for the holeshot, but Dungey made quick work of Alessi and checked out. From there, it was the Ryan Dungey show. The 2010 Supercross Champ was on another level on the Vegas hard pack and made it look easy, leading by thirteen seconds for a wire-to-wire win.
While Dungey was up front by himself cruising to his fourth win of 2012, the battle for second was intense between Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe, Monster/Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer and the two men battling Dungey for second in the points—Muscle Milk/Honda’s Justin Brayton and JGR/Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps.
Metcalfe looked strong in second for a minute, but the Weimer-Millsaps-Brayton battle pushed him back to fifth on lap nine. Metty would eventually DNF with what looked like bike problems. Meanwhile, Weimer, Millsaps and Brayton put on a hell of a show. Millsaps and Brayton finished second and third respectively, securing the final two podium positions while Weimer finished a hard-fought fourth.
Heading into the finale, Dungey, Millsaps and Brayton were fighting for second overall in the points. With the results in Vegas, Millsaps secured that spot. Dungey and Brayton tied for third, but with Dungey’s four wins on the year, he finishes third by way of the tie breaker.
In the Eastern Regional Supercross Main Event, it was all about the 2012 Champion Justin Barcia. The kid they call “Bam Bam” grabbed the holeshot and led wire-to-wire for the win. Fresh off of signing with the Muscle Milk/Honda team to race 450s in the 2013 season, the #1E won his sixth Main Event of the year.
Filling up the podium positions were Red Bull/KTM’s Ken Roczen in second and Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett in third. Roczen kept Barcia honest for all fifteen laps, but other than one mistake, Barcia looked in control the whole way. Baggett also rode a solid race, but lost touch with the leaders by the midway point. With Baggett, he said it was more about getting through the weekend healthy and focusing on the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 250 Championship where he is one of the favorites.
Finishing just off the box was JDR/J-Star/KTM’s Malcolm Stewart. Malcolm has struggled all year to keep it on two wheels, but in Vegas, he was smooth and consistent. It was nice to see the #37 upright and near the front of the pack for all fifteen laps.
In the Western Regional Supercross Main Event, it was the other Champion, Eli Tomac, that stole the show. Eli—just like Barcia—took the GEICO Powersports/Honda to the wire-to-wire Main Event win. After a huge holeshot, the Colorado Native left the Rockstar/Suzuki duo of Martin Davalos and Jason Anderson behind for his fifth Main Event win of 2012.
The Rockstar teammates held 2nd and 3rd for a while, but Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson and GEICO/Honda’s Wil Hahn were on a mission. After a mistake in a rhythm section by Davalos, Wilson was able to make the pass for second. Nearing the end of the race, Hahn also got himself around Davalos for third. Wilson would finish in second, and Hahn—who had been out most of 2012 with an injury—grabbed his first podium of the 2012 season in third.
After all was in the books with the Lites East and West Coast series, it was time for the annual Davey Coombs Sr. East-West Shootout. The race is basically a ten-lap sprint for bragging rights, and to nobody’s surprise, it was the GEICO/Hondas that would be doing all the bragging once again.
All year long, many wondered how Barcia and Tomac would fare against one another, and the question was finally put to rest last night. The two #1’s had an awesome battle with Martin Davalos—who led the Main for two laps near the halfway point—but never really battled each other directly. Once around Davalos, it was a game of follow the leader with Barcia grabbing the win by two seconds, Tomac finishing second and Davalos in third.
Las Vegas SX: Supercross Class Main Event:
Final 2012 Championship Points – Click here
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki Joshua Grant, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda Nick Wey, DeWitt, Mich., Kawasaki
Las Vegas SX: Lites East Class Main Event:
Final 2012 Championship Points – Click here
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha Hunter Hewitt, Corona, Calif., Suzuki Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki Kyle Peters, Greensboro, NC, Yamaha
Las Vegas SX: Lites West Class Main Event:
Final 2012 Championship Points – Click here
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda Martin Davalos, Cairo, Georgia, Suzuki Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha Scott Champion, Sun City, Calif., Honda Landen Powell, South Jordan, UT, Honda
Las Vegas SX: East/West Shootout
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda Martin Davalos, Cairo, Georgia, Suzuki Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
