Irvine, Calif. (April 14, 2014) – In front of his hometown crowd of Seattle, Wash., the site of his very first 450SX win, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto captured his fortieth career Monster Energy Supercross win at CenturyLink Field on Saturday. Villopoto grabbed the holeshot in the main event and went on to lead all 20 laps uncontested. In the 250SX East Region, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Justin Hill won his heat race, the first of his career, and went on to battle to a third place finish in the main event. Dean Wilson grabbed the holeshot in the main event, but crashed while pressuring for the lead and finished fourth.
Hometown Hero
Growing up just a couple hours from downtown Seattle, Villopoto always enjoys a warm welcome from the city. The champ achieved his first career 450SX class win in Seattle back in 2009, but had not seen the top of the podium at CenturyLink Field since. A poor start in his heat race sent him to the semi for the second consecutive week, which he took the win and was set to turn things around in the main event. Almost a carbon copy of last week in Houston, Villopoto grabbed the lead out of the first turn on his KX™450F and continued to check out on the field leading all 20 laps and taking his fifth win of the season and the 40th of his career. The champ now has a 48-point lead in the championship standings with two rounds remaining.
“It feels great to win in front of all my friends and family here in Seattle,” said Villopoto. “We were a little off in the heat race, but in the main event the bike was on and I was on. We inched closer to wrapping the title up but all we can do is win races and see where everything falls.”
Electric
A hometown favorite always brings a crowd to their feet, but that was an understatement in Seattle. Villopoto’s day was one of the busiest of the year as the pits were jammed surrounding the Monster Energy Kawasaki truck all day as hundreds of RV fans looked on to get a glimpse of the their local boy. On the final laps of the main event, the crowd roared as Villopoto circled the track on his way to only his second 450SX win in Seattle.
Cross-Country
With just two rounds remaining in the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season, the riders get their first weekend off after 15 straight races. The series will resume and make its debut at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on April 26th. The Eastern Region will be back in action as Martin Davalos plans to extend his points lead before the final round in Las Vegas, while Villopoto will have the opportunity to wrap up his fourth-consecutive championship.
