Round 11 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship series took place this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton had his best night of the season, finishing second while GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia placed third to maintain his championship lead.
There was an impressive turnout Friday evening at the local Honda Dealership, Dreyer Honda, where riders spent time signing autographs and meeting fans. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton and Cole Seely, along with GEICO Honda's Kevin Windham, Justin Barcia and Justin Bogle were all in attendance. Over 200 fans joined in the fun, which also included games, music and a BBQ.
The Race
Brayton was quick to find his groove on the track aboard his CRF450R, qualifying third fastest in practice and winning his heat race. In the main, he put together a solid ride from start to finish. Second off the line, Brayton made the pass for first a few laps in, which is where he would stay the majority of the race. He eventually was passed, but maintained his second place spot to the checkers—his career-best finish.
"It was a really great night for me, with a heat win, some awesome starts and now a second place finish in the main," said Brayton. "This was my first time ever leading laps in the 450 class and now I want it more than ever. It has been a long time coming and now I feel like the trophy is right there. This is a good building block and I am ready to work this week and come out swinging in Toronto."
In the Supercross Lites East competition, GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia rode a noteworthy race on his CRF250R. Despite getting a less-than-desirable start, Barcia was given a second chance to close the gap on the leaders when a red flag forced all riders into a staggered restart. Barcia worked his way from eighth place to a respectable third.
"With such a slick track, I had a feeling it was going to be a tough night," said Barcia. "It is definitely a bummer not to keep my winning streak going but I am still happy to be on the podium. Consistency is the most important thing in the long run so I am glad to have the GEICO Honda on the podium regardless."
The Focus: Factory Preparation
There is a lot of preparation that goes into a factory bike each and every weekend, but without proper engine preparation the rest wouldn't matter. According to Trey Canard's factory mechanic Brent Presnell, the most important things to remember when preparing or assembling an engine are the basics.
"It's crucial to have a very clean and organized work area, along with the proper tools," says Presnell. "Most people don't think of this as an important step but if you are unorganized taking the engine apart you could possibly misplace something. If you are able to lay everything out in an organized environment, things will flow easier through the cleaning and reassembly process. We only use Genuine Honda parts and Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals because they are guaranteed to be Honda quality and are designed specifically for our bikes. During reassembly, make sure to put Honda grease on the gaskets so they don't stick to the cases. The process of disassembling, cleaning, inspecting and reassembling takes between 6-8 hours."
Supercross Main Event
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Justin Brayton (Honda)
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Brett Metcalfe
5. Cole Seely (Honda)
6. Mike Alessi
7. Marvin Musquin
8. Broc Tickle
9. Weston Peick
10. Nico Izzi
Supercross Championship Points (after 11 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 246
2. Ryan Dungey 192
3. James Stewart 177
4. Davi Millsaps 151
5. Kevin Windham 146
6. Justin Brayton 143
7. Brett Metcalfe 142
8. Jake Weimer 134
9. Chad Reed 128
10. Mike Alessi 128
Supercross Lites East Main Event
1. Blake Wharton
2. Darryn Durham
3. Justin Barcia (Honda)
4. Blake Baggett
5. Jake Canada
6. Justin Bogle (Honda)
7. Mathew Lemoine
8. Tyler Bowers
9. Les Smith
10. Shawn Rife
Supercross Lites East Points (after 5 of 9 rounds)
1. Justin Barcia 120
2. Darryn Durham 98
3. Blake Wharton 97
4. Blake Baggett 80
5. Ken Roczen 80
6. Jake Canada 72
7. Justin Bogle 61
8. Kyle Cunningham 43
9. Malcolm Stewart 42
10. PJ Larsen 38
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.
