Ryan Villopoto triumphant at Unadilla National in New Berlin
The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, Ryan Villopoto, clinched victory in the 450 Class motos of The Rockstar Energy Unadilla National, the ninth stop of 2011 Lucas Oil American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Motocross Championship, that went down at the
Unadilla Valley Sports Centre in New Berlin, New York, on Saturday, August 13.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey finished in overall second place, while American Honda’s Justin Barcia rounded out the top three.
After grabbing his first victory at the previous stop of the season, the Washington-based Villopoto continued his momentum at the New Berlin stop. After making his form evident in the practice session, he set foot in Moto 1 to take on the likes of Dungey,
TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed and Red Bull KTM’s Mike Alessi.
Barcia, who was making his 450 Class debut, got the holeshot in Moto 1, while Villopoto’s great start allowed him to stay hot on his trail. The American Honda rider held on to the lead for the first six laps, but the Kawasaki rider made a charge in the seventh
lap and managed to move in front. From there on, he maintained his position and eventually raced away to victory.
Dungey managed to overtake Barcia in the final minutes of the race to finish in second place, while the latter settled for third. Reed trailed the top three for the entire race and eventually finished in fourth place.
Moto 2 saw Alessi get off to an ideal start, while the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider once again took second place. However, this time it only took 3 Laps for the Villopoto to take the lead and from there on, he never looked back. With success in the second
moto as well, the Washington-based rider collected his second consecutive win of the season.
Talking to the media after the race, Villopoto said, “It was definitely a good day. The team and I made the decision to go to 2012 Kawasaki for this weekend, and it was definitely the right move. Knowing what we had was a lot better, I felt like we were
in a great position to win today. I got good starts and was able to work my way through the field.”
Dungey finished second in Moto 2 as well to take overall second in the race.
“I fought it a bit today,” he said. “I didn't get the start I needed in either moto. I had to battle through guys, and once I got into second, I couldn't make the time up on Ryan.”
Barcia made quite an impact in his debut, finishing third in both the motos, to take an overall third position, while a fifth position in Moto 2 put Reed in fourth place.
After the latest stop of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motorcross Championship, Villopoto sits on top in the season standings with 391 points, while Dungey is in second with 384 points and Reed is third with 366 points.
The next stop of the season, South National, will bring the riders to Southwick, Massachusetts, on August 27.
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