Roczen Races to First Monster Energy Supercross Win of 2016 at University of Phoenix Stadium Craig Captures First-Ever Western Regional 250SX Class Win

Courtesy of  Feld Motorsports

GLENDALE, Ariz. (February 6, 2016) - RCH Soaring Eagle /Jimmy John's/Suzuki Factory Racing's Ken Roczen captured his first win of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at the first-ever race from University of Phoenix Stadium in front of 53,055 fans. GEICO Honda's Christian Craig, who came out of retirement to race this year, won the first Western Regional 250SX Class race of his career.

  Ken Roczen (middle), Ryan Dungey (right) and Eli Tomac rounded out the podium in Glendale. 

Photo Credit: Simon Cudby 

 

BTO Sports/WPS/KTM's Davi Millsaps won his second SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award before Roczen passed him for the lead on the opening lap. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac, who started fourth, took over third place on the opening lap and advanced to second place on Lap 2, dropping Millsaps to third.

 

Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely passed Millsaps for third on Lap 4. Dungey, who started in 10^th place and positioned himself in the top five on Lap 3, moved around Seely for third on Lap 5 when the Honda rider stalled his bike. On Lap 15 Dungey passed Tomac for second, where he would eventually finish.

  Roczen captured his first win of 2016 tonight. 

Photo Credit: Simon Cudby  

 

Roczen took the checkered flag over four seconds ahead of Dungey, while Tomac held on for third place.

 

Roczen now has five wins on his career, winning two each of his first two seasons in the 450SX Class. It was his first win since the second race in Anaheim in January of the 2015 season, 18 races ago. Roczen missed the final eight races of last season with injury.

 

"We have been working really hard and it paid off," said Roczen. "This was a tough track tonight. We got the job done."

 

Despite having his three-race win streak come to an end, Dungey's podium streak dating back to last season when he won the 450SX Class title now sits at 21 races. That's also the same points advantage he now holds over Roczen in the championship standings.

 

"I made some good, clean passes after that bad start," said Dungey. "I made passes where I could and had a great race."

 

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Jason Anderson, who finished fourth, sits third in points, 26 points behind Dungey.

 

In the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event, GEICO Honda's Jimmy DeCotis picked up his second SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award of the year, leading his teammate Craig through the first turn. Craig made the pass for lead shortly thereafter. Defending Western Regional 250SX Class Champion Cooper Webb, who rides for the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha, started in seventh and made his way into the top three by the second lap and then moved into second place on Lap 3.

A good start was key at tonight's first-ever race at the University of Phoenix Stadium 

Photo Credit: Simon Cudby  

 

Points leader and last week's winner Joey Savatgy put his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki into third place on Lap 5 after starting eighth. On Lap 9 while attempting a pass for the lead, Webb crashed but did not lose any positions, remounting right in front of Savatgy.

  Fresh out of retirement, Craig was able to win the first race of his career 

Photo Credit: Simon Cudby  

 

Craig crossed the line nearly three seconds ahead of Webb to join the Monster Energy Supercross win ranks with his dad, Mike Craig. Webb finished second, rebounding from a career-worst 21^st-place finish last weekend, with Savatgy third.

 

"To come out of retirement and get my first win ever is amazing," said Craig, who last raced full time in 2013. "On the last lap the crowd was so loud; it was awesome."

 

"I didn't get a great start so I was playing catch up," said Webb. "Then I crashed and threw away any hopes of getting the win."

 

Webb and Savatgy now share the points lead at 98. Craig moved into third place, 11 points out of the lead.

 

Action resumes next Saturday night with the second Monster Energy Supercross race at San Diego's Petco Park on Saturday, February 13.

 

450SX Class Results

1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
4. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
5. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
6. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM
8. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
9. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
10. Wil Hahn, Menifee, Calif. Kawasaki

 

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 119
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki - 98
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna - 93
4. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha - 90
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki - 88
6. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda - 83
7. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM - 63
8. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 61
9. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM - 61
10. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki - 53

 

Western Regional 250SX Class Results

1. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda
2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha
3. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki
4. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM
5. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
6. Chris Alldredge, Powell Butte, Ore., Kawasaki
7. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha
8. Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki
9. Jimmy DeCotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
10. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda

 

Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha - 98
2. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki - 98
3. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda - 87
4. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha - 81
5. Zach Osborne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna - 74
6. Jimmy DeCotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda - 71
7. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM - 66
8. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda - 62
9. Jordan Smith, Belmont, N.C., Honda - 61
10. Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki - 54

 

The entire 2016 Monster Energy Supercross Championship will air live on FOX Sports, including two races on the FOX broadcast channel. In addition, the authenticated FOX Sports Go app will live stream each race.

 

As a precursor to the live television, don't forget to catch all of the pre-race coverage with Supercross Race Day Live presented by AMSOIL, which will stream on SupercrossLive.com from 12:50 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. local race time each Saturday during the season. Practice, qualifying, behind the scenes features, and key rider interviews will all be highlighted on the Supercross Race Day Live presented by AMSOIL   webcast.

 

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossLive.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, log on to www.facebook.com/supercrossLive www.Twitter.com/supercrossliveand www.instagram.com/supercrosslive. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/supercrosslive. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305.

 

About Feld Motor Sports^®

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports productions include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy Supercross, and AMSOIL Arenacross. Feld Motor Sports is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world's largest producer of live family entertainment. Official Monster Truck Series only at Monster Jam. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

 

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join

 

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