Bam Bam takes the win in Phoenix but Millsaps keeps hold of the 450 series lead…
In only the second race of his rookie 450SX season Honda/Muscle Milk’s Justin Barcia takes the win at Chase Field in front of 50,109 fans. Barcia’s former GEICO Honda team-mate Eli Tomac takes his second 250SX Class win on the bounce to open up a six-point lead in the season point standings.
Barcia picks up the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot as last week’s winner Davi Millsaps and TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed follow close behind. Defending champ Ryan Villopoto starts fourth but spins out and drops down the pack. Bam Bam pulls out a huge lead early as Millsaps hangs tough in second until Trey Canard charges into the runner up spot. RV2 is also on the move and takes third from the red plate holder on lap 15 before starting to apply pressure to Canard. Trey eventually cracks and takes a final lap spill which gifts Villopoto second and Millsaps third.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am right now,” says Barcia who becomes the 56th different winner in 450SX Class history. “I didn’t think this win would come so soon. I kept it smooth out there, but the track was super slick. It was a great night for me.”
While Barcia leads from start to finish Tomac’s path to the winner’s circle is a little more difficult as he starts fifth before powering through the pack to take the lead at half distance. From there he’s never headed again all night. Ken Roczen also works his way through the pack to take the runner-up spot from early leader Martin Davalos.
“I am totally stoked,” claims Tomac. “I am now two-for-two this season, and to get a win here in Phoenix is huge because I have a lot of family and friends here. I haven’t had a lot of great races here in the past, so picking up the win is awesome.”
450SX Class Results
1. Justin Barcia
2. Ryan Villopoto
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Chad Reed
5. Trey Canard
6. Jake Weimer
7. James Stewart
8. Ryan Dungey
9. Andrew Short
10. Josh Grant
450SX Class Points
1 Millsaps 45, 2 Barcia 39, 3 Canard 38, 4 Reed 36, 5 Dungey 33, 6 Weimer 31, 7 Villopoto 27, 8 Short 27, 9 Stewart 27, 10 Grant 21
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Eli Tomac
2. Ken Roczen
3. Martin Davalos
4. Cole Seely
5. Jessy Nelson
6. Zach Osborne
7. Ryan Sipes
8. Kyle Cunningham
9. Joey Savatgy
10. Christian Craig
Western Regional 250SX Class Points
1 Tomac 50, 2 Roczen 44, 3 Seely 38, 4 Sipes 29, 5 Osborne 29, 6
Cunningham 23, 7 Rattray 22, 8 Anstie 22, 9 Davalos 21, 10 Savatgy 20
