SX: This Week In Supercross

SX: This Week In Supercross - Phoenix

Take a run down through the Supercross order as we get set for Round 2...

Media Release | Posted January 11, 2013 Phoenix, AZ

Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey (Photo: Simon Cudby)

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 2 of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship from Phoenix, AZ will air LIVE on SPEED on Saturday, January 12th at 9:30 ET.

With four different 450SX Class Champions lined up at last weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season opener, no one ever expected Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps, who has not won a Main Event since 2010, to take the checkered flag at Angel Stadium. Millsaps won his fourth career Main Event and, for the first time in his career, owns the championship points lead as the racing heads to Phoenix’s Chase Field tomorrow night. SPEED will broadcast the race live at 9:30 p.m. ET, and SupercrossLIVE!® will stream three hours of practice and qualifying at www.SupercrossOnline.com beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Millsaps led the first 16 laps of the Main Event before being passed by Honda/Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard. Canard led the next three laps and in dramatic fashion, Millsaps made a last-lap pass to win his first-ever season opening race. His margin of victory was 2.297 seconds, setting the stage for one of the most parity-packed seasons of all time.

“When Trey Canard passed me I was like this is like Salt Lake City all over again,” said Millsaps, who led 19 of 20 laps in Salt Lake City last year only to be passed by eventual winner Ryan Dungey. “I knew I had a good line, though, and I just pinned it in the whoops and I got back by him. I don’t think anyone really expected this. It was a new program, bike and team for me. We’ve all been working really hard during the off season to come out and do the best we can. To see where we are and where we need to be, even though we won, it’s all building blocks from here. We’ll go back and see how we can make it even better. It’s been like that the whole time. It’s really cool that Rockstar Energy Racing, Bobby Hewitt and Dave Gowland have given me the opportunity and stood behind me. It’s like a family.”

Canard put together a remarkable performance for a young man who a year ago suffered a broken back that nearly ended his career. The winner of three career Main Events, Canard, like Millsaps, was not expected to turn in this awe-inspiring performance in his first race back.

“Tonight went better than I could have ever dreamed,” said Canard. “I really had no set number or expectations coming into this race except to give it 100 percent effort and I am beyond grateful to even be lining up on the gate. I hope to be able to continue this throughout the year and hopefully get a win, but mostly I just want to be there every weekend.”

Red Bull KTM’s Dungey, who is known for his consistency, finished third, marking his 36th podium in 50 starts.

Two-time 450SX Class Champion Chad Reed played it safe, finishing fourth overall.

"A bit of a disappointing weekend in Anaheim, but we are putting it behind us and moving on to this weekend,” said Reed. “I rode a lot this week and we worked on some things and I'm looking forward to Phoenix."

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