Photo: James Lissimore
The 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, went to the famed Daytona International Speedway for round number ten and the Daytona SX. On paper, the Daytona round is just another round of SX, but there is something special about the Daytona SX that brings the fans, industry and the riders to a whole new level for one night a year. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but seeing dirt bikes tear-up the most famous infield in U.S. motorsports history probably has a lot to do with it.
The biggest difference that Daytona brings to the table is the soil and the circuit layout. The track—carved out of the huge sandy infield of the speedway—brings much longer lap times, a myriad of naturally-formed sand whoops and breaking bumps and, with that, a huge element of outdoor motocross. With the longer lap times come the longest main events of the year, and when the smoke cleared, it was two very skilled outdoor MX champions taking the checkered flags in the Daytona SX. In the 450SX Class, it was Monster/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto getting his fifth win of the year and the twenty-ninth win of his highly decorated career, and in the 250SX Class, it was Red Bull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin notching the first win of his SX career. Both men grabbed the lead early and checked out to comfortable wins.
In the 450SX main event, Villopoto grabbed the holeshot with Red Bull/KTM’s Ken Roczen—in his one 450 main event of the year—and Muscle Milk/Honda’s Justin Barcia following him through turn-one. Soon after, Villopoto made a mistake that sent him off the track and back behind Kenny and Bam Bam. After regrouping from his mistake, RV picked off the #51 on lap two and moved around the #94 for the lead on lap four. From there, it was all Villopoto. The two-time defending champion rode away for his fifth win of the 2013 season. Villopoto trailed Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps by twelve points heading into Daytona, but with his win and with Millsaps only able to score a tenth in the main event after a bad start, Villopoto left Daytona with a two-point lead in the Championship.
While Villopoto controlled the race from the front, a lot was taking place behind him. First, Barcia took second place away from Roczen who faded back to finish 7th, but as the race wore on, it was Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey‘s fitness that would earn the second position. After a top five start, Dungey rode a steady race, and on lap nine, he made his final pass of the night on Barcia to finish with the second spot on the podium. With that second place, Dungey too took a huge chunk out of Millsaps’ points-gap and now sits just fourteen behind Villopoto in the 450SX Championship. Although Barcia was not able to keep the #5 at bay for the thirty-minute main event, the rookie’s fitness was solid enough to claim him the final spot on the box in third.
Crossing the line behind the third place Honda were three more Hondas from three different teams. Finishing fourth, fifth and sixth on the night were GEICO/Honda’s Eli Tomac, Two-Two Motorsports’ Chad Reed and the Muscle Milk/Honda of Trey Canard. While Trey started fifth and finished sixth, both Chad and Eli had to come from way back to find their top five finishes. Chad’s journey from the back was caused by an early race tip-over while Eli’s was just due to his patented bad start. Both fought their way forward for the twenty-laps, salvaging Reedy fifth place points and scoring Eli his best-ever 450 main event finish in fourth.
In the 250SX main event, it was a wire-to-wire win for the Frenchman Marvin Musquin. Early on, the former two-time MX2 World Champion was challenged by Monster/PC/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson, but he would handle the pressure well before riding away for what looked like an easy win. After challenging Musquin for the lead early in the race, Wilson appeared to hit the wall physically. The Daytona circuit was brutal, and after his early push forward, the #15 began making big mistakes that cost him both time and energy. After his focus switched from Musquin in the lead to GEICO/Honda’s Wil Hahn coming up from behind, his main event seemed to come apart. First Hahn, then the rookie from Star Racing/Yamaha, Jeremy Martin, went by. In the end, Dean settled down and crossed the line just off the podium in fourth.
Finishing with his fourth-straight podium of 2013 and extending his points lead to five over Wilson was Wil Hahn. Hahn did not have anything for Musquin, but his consistent pace carried him passed his teammate Zach Bell and then Wilson to finish second. Finishing third for the first podium of his rookie career was Jeremy Martin. Over the last two rounds in Atlanta and St. Louis, Martin showed everyone he has podium speed, and in Daytona he officially entered the minds of the championship contenders of the class. After a seventh place start, Jeremy put his head down and, with some of the fastest laps of the night, reeled in the Wilson-Hahn battle around the mid-way point. Martin passed Wilson after a tough battle, securing third and making a very loud statement. I look for this kid to be very dangerous from here on out in the East.
The final spot in the top five was nailed down by Rockstar Energy Racing’s Blake Wharton. Blake rounded turn-one just inside the top ten and basically did what he has done all year long: quietly run off consistent laps and finish solidly inside the top five. With Blake’s fourth-straight top five of the year, he sits fourth in the points, sixteen in back of Hahn.
Next stop, Indy!
450 Main Event Results – Daytona SX Full Daytona Results>>>
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Ryan Dungey
3. Justin Barcia
4. Eli Tomac
5. Chad Reed
6. Trey Canard
7. Ken Roczen
8. James Stewart
9. Broc Tickle
10. David Millsaps
450 2013 SX Championship Points Full 2013 Championship Points >>>
1. Ryan Villopoto – 201
2. Davi Millsaps – 200
3. Ryan Dungey – 188
4. Trey Canard – 163
5. Chad Reed – 163
6. Justin Barcia – 152
7. James Stewart – 135
8. Andrew Short – 122
9. Justin Brayton – 104
10 Broc Tickle – 99
250 Main Event Results – Daytona SX Full Daytona Results>>>
1. Marvin Musquin
2. Wil Hahn
3. Jeremy Martin
4. Dean Wilson
5. Blake Wharton
6. Justin Hill
7. Kyle Peters
8. Zack Freeberg
9. Cole Thompson
10. Vince Friese
250 East 2013 SX Championship Points Full 2013 Championship Points >>>
1. Wil Hahn – 92
2. Dean Wilson – 87
3. Marvin Musquin – 78
4. Blake Wharton – 76
5. Jerey Martin – 52
6. Justin Hill – 51
7. Vince Friese – 50
8. Kyle Peters – 45
9. James Decotis – 43
10. Gavin Faith – 40
