Trey Canard bags second win of 2011 AMA Supercross season in Jacksonville
The 11th race of the Monster Energy American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Supercross season went down on Saturday, March 19, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
America Honda’s Trey Canard registered the second victory of his premier-class career after finishing first in the highly competitive 450cc class race. Finishing in second place was Two-Two Motorsports Honda rider, Chad Reed. The reigning Supercross Champion,
Ryan Dungey, finished in third place on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki to take the last remaining spot on the podium.
Canard got off to a good start in the 20-lap race. After successfully avoiding early game crashes and not making the usual mistakes that had cost him the race at numerous occasions, he managed to get ahead of the pack mid-way into the first lap. Close in
pursuit was KTM Red Bull Racing’s Mike Alessi and Two-Two motorsports’ Reed. Near the end of the first lap, both Reed and Dungey overtook Alessi to take second and third place respectively.
The leader of the pack continued his excellent riding and further increased his lead over the rest of the competition. The sensible and consistent riding allowed Canard to maintain his position for 18 laps, with a determined Reed in pursuit and gradually
gain on him.
On the 18th lap, Reed finally managed to overtake Canard, but his joy was short-lived as Canard quickly retaliated and regained the lead. Canard held on to the lead till the end and rode past the chequered flag to register his second victory of the season
and premier-class career, the first registered at Houston, Texas, a month ago.
“I really needed this win,” said Canard. “I can't tell you enough how much this means to me. I got nervous at one point and looked at the board and realized how close it really was. I put on a fight and it really paid off tonight.”
Reed eventually finished in second place after putting up a remarkable fight to make Canard sweat throughout the course of the race.
“The track was tough and slick in some sections,” said Reed. “I played it smart out there, and like I say, anything can happen at any given time. We've come a long way and it isn't over yet.”
Finishing behind Reed and rounding out the podium was Dungey, who had managed to maintain his position since snatching it from Alessi in the first lap. Alessi ended up finishing in seventh place.
This season’s leader, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, was missing from the race after failing to qualify for the main event due a crash in the Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ). The opportunity was perfect for San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart to decrease
Villopoto’s 26-point lead and get back in the championship picture.
However, he missed out on the opportunity after doing something that has been becoming pretty ordinary for him now in the main event: crashing hard. The crash resulted in his getting carried off the track on a stretcher to a nearby hospital. Initial reports
say Stewart injured his pelvis, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.
After Saturday’s results, Canard finds himself sitting in fifth place with 194 points. Stewart sits at fourth place with a 4-point lead over Canard. Dungey’s third-place finish moves him to third place in the standings with a 5-point lead over Stewart. Sitting
in second place is Reed with a comfortable 11-point lead over Dungey. Still sitting at the top of the table is Villopoto with 221 points.
Tags: