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Monster Energy Supercross Update: Anaheim 2
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Morais and Jake Weimer are on the WSX Lites podium; Monster/Kawi’s Ryan Villopoto scores season-best 4th in SX  CORONA, Calif., (Jan. 19 , 2009) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Morais and Jake Weimer were again the top-placing generals on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship tour, placing 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the WSX Lites main event. And in the SX class Monster Energy was again led by Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto who placed a season-best 4th in the premier class main.
Other Monster Energy-backed racers making the top 15 in the main events included: Jason Lawrence Boost/ampm/Monster Energy/Troy Racing), who placed a season-best 4th in the Lites main. In the SX main it was Tim Ferry (Monster Energy/Kawasaki) 8th, Paul Carpenter (Monster Energy/Cernic’s/Kawasaki) 11th, Josh Hill (Yamaha), Nick Wey (Boost/ampm/Monster Energy/Troy Racing) 13th leading the charge. Also noteworthy was Monster Energy/Cernic’s/Kawasaki’s Bobby Kiniry, who won the SX class LCQ to make the main (19th) along with Monster Energy-backed Sean Hamblin (Yamaha) who placed 18th.
In a thoroughly exciting Lites battle at “A2,” Morais grabbed his first-ever Lites class main event holeshot and led the race for the first several laps before getting passed by eventual race winner Ryan Dungey. Weimer, who start back in 5th place, gradually began to move up and caught Dan Reardon to move into 3rd place before setting his sites on Morais. But with three laps to go, while charging, a couple lappers would pinch Weimer off and allow Morais to break free for 2nd. Still, the 2nd/3rd podium effort for the two Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racers would mark the second time in two Anaheim rounds both have been on the podium.
“It’s good to come out on the podium, salvage some points,” said Weimer. “I messed up a little bit, but was right there on Ryan (Morais). Everybody’s got to deal with that (lapped traffic) and I was third-best tonight.”
The effort for Morais was equally as impressive, if not more considering he was battling an illness that had him sidelined during the week leading up to Anaheim 2. “Felt pretty good in that I didn’t ride all week,” he said. “And that was my first-ever holeshot, which has a lot to do with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and the bike they set up for me.”
Not to be lost in all the podium hype was the effort by Lawrence. Jacked around yet again in his heat race, Lawrence – who posted the second-fastest lap time in practice – was forced to take the LCQ route, which he won with ease to make the main. A lousy gate pick would ensue, though Lawrence would just about dial his YZ250F into the top five – only to run out of real estate on top of the first turn berm. The defending WSX champ battled back hard from the back of the pack to salvage 4th.
In the SX class heat races Villopoto would make the podium in the first heat, placing 3rd to make the main. The second heat race featured a whole slew of Monster Energy-backed racers as Ferry, Carpenter, Hill, Hamblin and Wey – in that order – all transferred from the second heat to the main.
Villopoto pulled an excellent start in the main and came out in 3rd place behind Kevin Windham and Josh Grant. Villopoto rode strong and would hold his ground, staying out front of Anaheim 1 winner, Grant, and Andrew Short to take 4th. Other Monster Energy-backed racers weren’t so fortunate at the start, although all would make up positions with Ferry, Carpenter, Hill and Wey all finishing on the lead lap.
Next up for the Monster Energy-backed Monster Energy AMA Supercross racers is round four of the series at Houston’s Reliant Stadium – and the first round of the 2009 ESX championship – this Saturday, Jan. 24th.
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it SX, rally, insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, rock crawling, wake, mini bikes, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD, the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend, along with the new Monster Energy “Hitman” energy shot. The Monster Energy guys running the Monster Energy Supercross series dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com
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