Webb Brings Home Amateur All-Star Title, Forkner Sweeps Super-Mini Class
LAS VEGAS (October 20, 2012) – Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Greenville, Fla., won the second-annual Monster Energy Cup tonight at Sam Boyd Stadium and earned $100,000 for his efforts. Auston Forkner, of Richards, Mo., raced his Kawasaki to the Super-Mini Class Championship, sweeping both Main Events. Yamaha’s Cooper Webb, of Newport, N.C., captured the Amateur All-Star Class title.
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha’s Josh Grant, of Corona, Calif., opened the Monster Energy Cup’s first Main Event with the Toyota Holeshot Award with Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., following in second and third, respectively. Villopoto quickly worked his way into the lead on Lap 2 and Dungey assumed second place. A mechanical problem hindered Dungey’s charge to the front of the pack, and he salvaged a third-place finish. In his first premier class race, Barcia finished in second place and Villopoto cruised to the win.
Villopoto backed up his first win with the Toyota Holeshot Award in the Monster Energy Cup’s second Main Event. Motoconcepts’ Mike Alessi, of Hilliard, Fla., and Dungey crossed the Holeshot line in second and third, respectively. While leading, Villopoto crashed and lost several valuable positions as Alessi moved into the lead. Coincidently, Dungey experienced mechanical problems once again and struggled in the second 10-lap Main Event. Barcia secured the number-two position on Lap 4 and, after an intense battle with Alessi, he moved into the lead.
On lap 7, Barcia ran through the Joker Lane, which is a essentially a rolling pit stop, and Alessi moved back into the lead. The following lap, Barcia moved back into the lead and rode to victory. Alessi opted to run through the Joker Lane on Lap 9, allowing Dungey to move into second place, where he would finish. Heading into the third and final Main Event, Barcia has a two-point lead over Dungey.
In the third and final Monster Energy Cup Main Event, Alessi captured the Toyota Holeshot as Dungey and Barcia followed closely in second and third, respectively. After winning Main Event #1, Villopoto did not line up for the final Main Event as a result of the hard crash in the second Main Event. Alessi crashed on the opening lap, Dungey moved into the lead, but after he chose to go through the Joker Lane, Barcia assumed the lead. On lap 9, Barcia chose to go through the Joker Lane, giving the lead to GIECO Honda’s Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo. Tomac held on for the win, Barcia finished second and Dungey finished third.
Dungey finished second overall and Tomac finished third overall.
“All the guys in this class are really fast, and I am happy to turn in the performance I did tonight,” said Barcia. I tried to hold off (going into the Joker Lane) until late in the race, and that gave Eli the chance to move into the lead. I have been working hard and will continue to work hard.”
In the Amateur All-Star Class’ first Main Event, Webb led Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda’s Shane McElrath, of Corona, Calif., through the Toyota Holeshot. McElrath moved into the lead on the opening lap. On Lap 2, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, of Port Orange, Fla., moved into third place but later crashed on Lap 4. McElrath finished first, Webb finished second and Jordan Smith, of Belmont, N.C., finished third aboard his Honda.
Cianciarulo started the Amateur All-Star Class’ second Main Event with the Toyota Holeshot and began to distance himself from the field. McElrath crashed in the first turn and started near last place. Yamaha’s Paul Coates, of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., settled into second place, where he would finish, and Webb finished third.
Cianciarulo finished second overall and Coates finished third overall.
“It feels awesome to be out ahead of all the best riders in this class,” said Webb. “I was just trying to make my way up to the podium; it was shocking I won the overall, but still awesome.”
Forkner captured the Toyota Holeshot aboard his Kawasaki in the opening Main Event of the Super-Mini Class. Kotaro Takahaski, of Las Vegas, and Ashton Hayes, of Rockford, Mich., held down second and third place, respectively. On lap 4, while in second place, Takahaski, who rides for Kawasaki, crashed and dropped back to fifth place. Triston Miller, of Alpine, Calif., moved his Suzuki in to second place following Takahaski’s crash. Forkner picked up the win, Miller finished second and Chase Sexton, of LaMoille, Ill., finished third aboard his Yamaha.
Forkner followed Challen Tennant, of Willis, Texas, through the Toyota Holeshot and staked him until Lap 4 when he made a pass for the lead. On the same lap, Tennant crashed and gave up second place to Joey Crown, of Metamora, Mich., and Takahaski moved into third. Forkner scored the win, Tennant finished second and Takahaski finished third.
“It feels amazing because I have been thinking about this all year, and to come here and win is awesome,” said Forkner. “It was a great race tonight and awesome to feel what it is like to race supercross.”
Sexton finished second overall and Takahaski finished third overall.
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Monster Energy Cup Overall Results 1. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Honda 2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda 4. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki 5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda 6. Josh Grant, Corona, Calif., Yamaha 7. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha 8. Jake Canada, Corona, Calif., Suzuki 9. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki 10. Mike Alessi, Hillard, Fla., Suzuki
Monster Energy Cup Main Event 1 Results 1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki 2. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Honda 3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda 5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda 6. Josh Grant, Corona, Calif., Yamaha 7. Mike Alessi, Hillard, Fla., Suzuki 8. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha 9. Jake Canada, Corona, Calif., Suzuki 10. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
Monster Energy Cup Main Event 2 Results 1. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Honda 2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 3. Mike Alessi, Hillard, Fla., Suzuki 4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda 5. Josh Grant, Corona, Calif., Yamaha 6. Chad Reed, Dade City, Calif., Honda 7. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha 8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha 9. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki 10. Jake Canada, Corona, Calif., Suzuki
Monster Energy Cup Main Event 3 Results 1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda 2. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Honda 3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 4. Chad Reed, Dade City, Calif., Honda 5. Josh Grant, Corona, Calif., Yamaha 6. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha 7. Jake Canada, Corona, Calif., Suzuki 8. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki 9. Vince Friese, Valrico, Fla., Suzuki 10. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
Amateur All-Star Overall results 1. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC., Yamaha 2. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki 3. Paul Coates, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Yamaha 4. Shane McElrath, Corona, Calif., Honda 5. Brady Kiesel, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda 6. Nick Gaines, Ringgold, Ga., Kawasaki 7. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha 8. Jordon Smith, Belmont, NC., Honda 9. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki 10. Daniel Baker, Crittenden, Ken., Suzuki
Amateur All-Star Main Event 1 Results 1. Shane McElrath, Corona, Calif., Honda 2. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC., Yamaha 3. Jordon Smith, Belmont, NC., Honda 4. Brady Kiesel, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda 5. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki 6. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha 7. Paul Coates, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Yamaha 8. Nick Gaines, Ringgold, GA., Kawasaki 9. Cody Gragg, Lenoir, NC., Yamaha 10. Keith Tucker, Fuquay Varina, NC., Yamaha
Amateur All-Star Main Event 2 Results 1. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki 2. Paul Coates, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Yamaha 3. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC, Yamaha 4. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki 5. Daniel Baker, Crittenden, Ken., Suzuki 6. Nick Gaines, Ringgold, GA., Kawasaki 7. Kyle Swanson, San Clemente, Calif., Honda 8. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha 9. Brady Kiesel, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda 10. Jayme Gardiner III, Las Vegas, Kawasaki
Super-Mini Overall Results 1. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO., Kawasaki 2. Chase Sexton, LaMoille, Ill., Yamaha 3. Kotaro Takahasi, Las Vegas, Kawasaki 4. Luke Purther, Oak Hills, Calif., KTM 5. Joey Crown, Metamora, Mich., Suzuki 6. Tommy Maxey, Bloomingdale, GA., Kawasaki 7. Challen Tennant, Willis, Texas, KTM 8. Mark Worth, Santan Valley, Ariz., Kawasaki 9. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha 10. Brandon Hartranft, Brick, NJ., Suzuki
Super-Mini Main Event 1 Results 1. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO., Kawasaki 2. Tristan Miller, Alpine, Calif., Suzuki 3. Chase Sexton, LaMoille, Ill., Yamaha 4. Mark Worth, Santan Valley, Ariz., Kawasaki 5. Challen Tennant, Willis, Texas, KTM 6. Tommy Maxey, Bloomingdale, Ga., Kawasaki 7. Kotaro Takahasi, Las Vegas, Kawasaki 8. Jeremy Byrne, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha 9. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha 10. Tanner Stack, Oak Grove, MO., Kawasaki
Super-Mini Main Event 2 Results 1. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO., Kawasaki 2. Joey Crown, Metamora, Mich., Suzuki 3. Kotaro Takahasi, Las Vegas, Kawasaki 4. Chase Sexton, LaMoille, Ill., Yamaha 5. Bret Welch, Oklahoma, City, Okla., Kawasaki 6. Brandon Hartranft, Brick, NJ., Suzuki 7. Sean Cantrell, Newbury Park, Calif., Kawasaki 8. Westen Wrozyna, Newtonville, Can., Honda 9. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha 10. Tommy Maxey, Bloomingdale, Ga., Kawasaki
