2/8/2010
MONSTER ENERGY/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI’S WEIMER CLEANS UP IN SAN DIEGO
Irvine, Calif. – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Jake Weimer brought home his fourth win in five races at a muddy Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. With just one short practice and a deteriorating race track, the 22-year-old claimed the supercross lites victory and extended his points lead to 26 with just three races remaining in the West Coast season. His teammate Josh Hansen battled the track all night to finish 11th. In the supercross class, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto was collected in a first turn pile up, but recovered to finish fourth. His teammate Nick Wey nailed the main event holeshot and finished ninth.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Under the Tent
Win Again
Weimer kept his heat race streak alive capturing his fifth-straight qualifier victory. In the main event he took over the lead on the opening lap and led all 15 laps to extend his points lead. Weimer did face a challenge late in the main event with another rider coming close to challenging for the lead, but he was able to thwart off the advances and hold on for the victory.
“It’s great to be bringing a trophy back to the truck instead of a plaque,” said Weimer. “The weather made for a tough day and a slippery track. I just wanted to ride a clean race and hopefully come out on top. I may have been riding a little bit too cautious, but the race is over and it worked out.”
Clawing Through the Field
Villopoto backed up his win in San Francisco with a determined ride in the mud at San Diego. The Washington native used every inch of the track to work his way from 19th to fourth in the main event. The outcome could have been different if he wouldn’t have been taken down in a first turn pile up, but Villopoto dug deep and salvaged as many points as possible.
“There were some torrential downpours earlier in the day,” said Villopoto. “I had a bad start in the heat race. I got a good start in the main event but then Dungey went to the inside of the first turn kind of hot and slid out. I couldn’t go anywhere so I went down too. I was able to make some good passes and claw my way up to fourth.”
The Wey It Is
Wey got a great start in the main event and paced the field for the first two laps. The Michigan native chose a gate on the outside while most everyone else tried to stay inside. After the first couple of laps, Wey started tightening up and held on for his second top-10 finish with the team.
“My Monster Energy Kawasaki came off the gate unreal,” said Wey. “My bike has more than enough power giving me the confidence to do anything with it. I was lucky enough to get a great start and lead a couple of laps. I picked the same gate in both the heat and the main,” said Wey. “I got a good start both times and in the main I was fast enough to get the holeshot and collect the $1,500 check. I did tighten up a little bit. We’re still trying to dial in a setting for me. I’m still riding Chad’s set-up, but it is a little stiffer than I’m used too.”
Bad Luck
Hansen had a good jump off the start, but after making some passes in the heat race, he was confident that he would be able to move up through the field. Unfortunately he collided with another riders bike when it rolled in front of him and Hansen went down. He steadily climbed up to 11th at the finish, but he was looking for a better result.
“Tonight is like the story of my season,” said Hansen. “On the first lap there was a crash in front of me. (Trey) Canard picked up his bike and it rolled down right in front of me. I had nowhere to go. The track was slippery and I went down a couple of times. Tonight was tough. In my heat race I moved up from mid pack and finished third. You needed to get a good start tonight to have a chance.”
Keeping Motivated
Though Weimer rode conservatively on the treacherous track, he still knew when he had to push to make sure he was on the top step of the podium. A good example was when he started to jump the 54-foot double just past the finish line midway through the race.
“Winning is my motivation,” said Weimer. “If you want to win as much as I do, then you stay motivated. I did the jump over the start straight on the first lap. On the second lap I hit some mud and came up short. I stopped doing it until (Max) Anstie started catching me and I started doing it again. “
Weatherman
The consistent rain made for a long day at the track as the teams waited nearly six hours for practice to start. The track crew did a good job keeping the track in good shape as it improved with each session.
“Mother Nature didn’t really cooperate today,” said Wey. “We sat around most of the day trying to stay busy. There was a light shower just before the main, which made the track slippery, but at least it stopped before the gate dropped. The track was probably at its best in the main event.”
Changing Terrain
Even though the track was at its best during the supercross main event, it still was breaking down on each lap. The difficult conditions made it hard to move up through the pack, but Villopoto chose the right lines to work his way into the top five.
“The track went away during the main event,” said Villopoto. “The main line was really slippery and off line was really muddy. There were also a lot of ruts that made it difficult. It was tough to pick the right line each lap, but I was able to make some stellar passes.”
Recovery
Chad Reed made an appearance at San Diego, meeting fans and signing autographs most of the day. Reed is still recovering from a broken hand and he flew to California to see his doctor this week. He hopes to be riding soon and racing in the next month.
Points Battle
With the season jumping into its second month, Villopoto finds himself in the thick of the championship battle. After making up some points in San Diego, Villopoto only trails the points leader by 10 points. There are still 12 races left in the series, which makes it anyone’s game.
“It’s really hard to think about the championship this early, but it ends up being all about consistency,” said Villopoto. “That is my goal right now. I do want to win races and I know my confidence can bring more wins.”
Green Goes Pink
The final stop through Anaheim will focus efforts on raising money and awareness for the Susan G. Komen for the cure® and Kawasaki will be showing off its pink spirit with an event the Friday prior to the race. Kawasaki’s Moto Marathon For The Cure is a 24-hour event that will train 75 new dirt bike riders, while raising money and having fun. For updates and photos from the event, check out Kawasaki’s Facebook at
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