Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto led every lap on his way to his sixth win of the season, while Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki rider Christophe Pourcel waited patiently for his fourth win in six races. The day didn’t start as planned for Villopoto after a crash left him with an injured toe.
He didn’t let the injury affect him, winning his heat and eventually taking the main event win. Pourcel wasn’t without his own excitement, going down while leading for a brief moment in the main, but got up quickly and still took the win.
fter one week off the podium, Villopoto found his rhythm once again, winning his heat and main event in dominating fashion. His Kawasaki KX™450F shot him out of the gate and put him in position to take over the lead on the first lap. From there, he kept his lap times consistent and won by almost six seconds.
“I really wanted to get a good start and I was able to make the pass right away,” said Villopoto. “My bike felt really good tonight and kept pushing the whole race. My team did a great job helping me get the bike set-up perfect for tonight. I just hope I can continue this momentum after the break.”
During the first timed qualifying session, Villopoto went down, slightly injuring his toe. It didn’t stop him from stepping up and making the best of the situation.
“I didn’t realize how painful a foot injury actually is,” said Villopoto. “I’ve never really had to deal with one before, but I’m going to go get it checked out when I get home and make sure I’m 100 percent for Houston.”