AMA Motocross Round 2 – Sacramento – June 1, 2008

All Kawasaki as James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto sweep the 450 Motocross and 250 Lites Motocross classes at Hangtown!

Prairie City SVRA (Hangtown!)

My 24 hours of Hangtown

6pm Saturday – gassed up car, left San Diego for 580 mile drive to friend’s house one hour north of track. (Note to self – gas is expensive these days!)

2:24am Sunday – made it to friend’s home. Slept on air mattress for 2 hours.

5am – brushed tooth. Head out to track with three friends.

9:28am – Arrived, parked, and set to rock and roll at track. This facility (Prairie City SRVA) is a California State Off Road Park. Today is warm, sunny, not a single cloud in the sky. It’s over 80 degrees.

11:34am – Walked around a bit beforehand, but got a look at the track. First thing to notice – the track is being run in reverse direction from years’ past. Second thing to notice – nice crowd! Lots of people on hand for the race!

11:56 – Went into NPG Media Center, which is something new this year for the Nationals. Very impressive – even a big step up from last week at Glen Helen. There was a front row spot reserved for ‘Supercross.com’, which made it easy to connect to the Internet and start working right away.

12:38pm – Walked down to start line area – noticed more improvements! Better staging area, and more hospitality areas as well.

12:41pm – 250 Lites guys are lining up for their first moto, and Jason Lawrence is chatting everyone up : )

12:54pm – 250 Lites riders do their parade/sight lap.

1pm – a rock guitar solo of the National Anthem.

1:02pm – 250 Lites blast off the gate! And it’s Ryan Villopoto with the holeshot! East Supercross Champion Trey Canard involved in crash in second corner.

1:04pm – start of second lap – Villopoto, Austin Stroupe, Ryan Dungey, Brett Metcalfe, Nico Izzi, Branden Jesseman, Jake Weimer, and then Jason Lawrence. Another thing to notice – a new hospitality area inside the race circuit.

1:30pm – great battle as the moto winds down between Jesseman, Izzi, Weimer, and Lawrence!

1:36pm – Villopoto takes 2 lap board, Dungey distant second, then Stroupe, Metcalfe, and Lawrence coming on strong in fifth!

1:39pm – Villopoto wins the moto! Then Dungey, Stroupe, Metcalfe, Lawrence, Jesseman, Weimer, Izzi, Broc Tickle, and Kyle Cunningham. These top guys went 30 minutes plus two laps, which equaled 17 laps.

1:48pm – little bit of track maintenance – water & tractors. Great job by the track crew!

1:54pm – 450 Motocross class takes parade/sight lap.

2:02pm – 450 Motocross class blasts off the gate! James Stewart with the holeshot!

2:10pm – Stewart is out front by a long ways … then Millsaps, number 141, Cody Cooper, Ivan Tedesco, and Tim Ferry.

2:27pm – Stewart cruising out front, making it look easy. Ferry is charging hard! Then Millsaps, Cooper, Sean Collier, Steve Boniface, Ben Townley, Jeff Alessi, Michael Byrne, Andrew Short, Nick Wey, Josh Hill … and Mike Alessi slowing in 16th.

2:40pm – Stewart takes checkered flag! He did 17 laps as well. Followed by Ferry, Millsaps, Tedesco, Sean Collier, Steve Boniface, Jeff Alessi, Ben Townley, Michael Byrne, Nick Wey, Josh Hill, and Josh Summey.

2:56pm – in press tent trying to download photos.

3:33 – 250 Lites second moto takes off the line! And at the end of the first lap – it’s Ryan Villopoto in the lead!

3:43pm – Villopoto, Lawrence, Dungey, Stroupe and Metcalfe are battling.

3:53pm – Brett Metcalfe falls while in fifth place.

3:55pm – it’s Villopoto, Lawrence, Dungey, Stroupe, and Metcalfe.

4:10pm – the moto finishes, and it’s Ryan Villopoto with a double moto victory! He went 17 laps, and it took 38 1//2 minutes.

4:14pm – more track maintenance – quick and nice!

4:28pm – 450 Motocross class heads out for it’s parade/sight lap.

4:37pm – 450 Motocross class blasts off the gate for their second moto! Holeshot to Davi Millsaps! Half a lap in, James Stewart passes Millsaps for the lead. Then after those two it’s Tedesco, Short, #141, Ben Townley, Mike Alessi, Jeff Alessi, and Tim Ferry.

4:54pm – Stewart out front, Tedesco a ways back in second. Then Alessi, Millsaps, and Ferry battling!

4:57pm – Ferry and M Alessi are battling hard!

5:04pm – Ferry has moved into second place.

5:15pm – James Stewart takes the checkered flag, followed by Ferry, Tedesco, M Alessi, Millsaps, Townley, Steve Boniface, and Andrew Short. Again the top riders went 17 laps total.

6:47pm – now it’s time to leave the track, load up the truck, get back to my car …. and make the long drive back home.

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