HOT Houston Race Recap

Courtesy of h.o.t.

There was a great turnout of fans at this weeks venue, Reliant Stadium, and the track conditions and layout would inevitably lead to some great racing.

Heat 1:
When the gate dropped for Heat #1, Honda of Troy was at the front of the pack racing for positions. Sean Lipanovich pulled one of his patented great starts (2nd) and settled into 4th at the end of lap one, while Levi Kilbarger followed suit and was battling for a top 6 position himself. On lap 2, Kilbarger had a miscue in the long table top rhythm section that sent the #412 tumbling. This put him out of the race and into the LCQ. #505 Lipanovich put together a great ride constantly under pressure which netted him some great television coverage and made his transfer directly into the main with a 7th.

Heat 2:
The Houston dirt provided great traction and this allowed the Eleven 10 Mods horsepower to shine. When Willard looked to his left he found Pourcel and when he looked to his right he found Sipes- two of the quickest qualifiers of the timed practice- and when the gate dropped the #92 rocketed out to the front of the pack. Willard nabbed the holeshot and established the lead. Willard put up a great fight with Poucel but gave up the lead on lap 2. Michael was under heavy fire for the entire heat but put in a valiant effort and qualified a solid 5th.

The LCQ start was no different - #412 Kilbarger took the lead from the pack and began to pull away just a bit. Levi held on to the #1 spot for 3 ¾ laps when a slight mistake and a wide line left the door open for Kyle Cunningham. On the next turn, 30 yards from the finish line, Tevin Tapia tried a kamikaze maneuver that would claim himself and Kilbarger, taking them both out of the race and allowing Troy Adams a spot in the Main.

Main Event:
The Guys starts in the main left a little to be desired and they were going to have their work cut out for them. Lipanovich was about midpack, 12th or so and Willard was bringing up the rear in 20th. The main wore on and the competition was fierce. Willard was able to work his way forward trying the entire moto to catch Troy Adams, who is a few points in front of him in the overall points. Lipanovich encountered a few minor issues that stifled his progress. Willard finished an eventual 12th and Lipanovich held on to the 18th spot in the main.

Overall for the season Willard sits 6 points outside of the top 10 in 11th. That is his goal in St Louis, to secure a top 10 overall for the season. Kilbarger has made every main event this season until this weekend and no doubt he will come to do battle in St Louis. He consistently learns from him track encounters and this one will be not different. Lipanovich brings more to the table each and every week and he picks up speed with every second on the race track. #36 of Durham is still on the mend with a slight shoulder injury and the team is unsure he will be racing the St. Louis or sitting it out to continue healing for the upcoming outdoors.

The Honda of Troy/Kilbarger Racing Team would like to acknowledge the sponsors who make this effort possible.
Honda of Troy, Kilbarger Racing LLC, Eleven 10 Mods, WAR - We All Ride, Fox Racing Shox, Cycra Racing, Motorex, TAG Metals, Yoshimura, Motion Pro, Renegade Race Fuel, Faction Mx, N-Style, Dunlop, DP Brake Pads, QTM, G2 Ergonomics, ARC, Boyesen, Light Speed, Hinson, RK/Excel, Ride Eng., Hammerhead, Straight Shot Air Filters, Bell Helmets, Hot Hedz Designs, Von Zipper, Total Image AutoSport, Kicker, ICW, Rock’s Racing Services, Injectioneering, IMS Foot Pegs, Franklin Equipment, and Gabriel Logan 
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