January 31, 2006
San Francisco - With an all-day rain turning San Franciscos SBC Park into a virtual quagmire, round four of the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series could have been anyones game. And by the time the checkers flew, the track conditions had indeed taken their toll on quite a few of the top competitors while at the same time providing opportunity for others.
Case in point: Unbound Energy/Moto XXX/Hondas Nick Wey, who not only scored the holeshot but also his first podium of the season with an impressive third-place finish in the rain-shortened 12-lap main. Better still, the result bumped the Honda CRF450R ace from eighth to fourth in the championship points standings. Travis Preston was the next highest-finishing Honda rider in seventh, and Honda pilots Jeff Gibson, Ryan Clark and Jason Thomas followed TP home in eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively.
Over in Supercross Lites action, unfortunately, the heavily rutted course was especially hard on Honda-mounted men, with Billy Laninovich and Paul Carpenter being the only CRF250R riders to crack the top 10, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. The good news, however, is that both Laninovich and Team Hondas Andrew Short did not lose much ground in the series standings to race winner Nathan Ramsey the three now sit separated by a scant eight points, with Ramsey at 79, Laninovich 74 and Short 71.
The AMA Supercross series heads back south for its third and final Anaheim round Saturday, February 4.
AMA Ampd Mobile SX Series Results, Rd. 4
1. James Stewart Kawasaki
2. Ricky Carmichael Suzuki
3. Nick Wey Honda
4. Michael Byrne Kawasaki
5. Chad Reed Yamaha
6. Tyler Evans Suzuki
7. Travis Preston Honda
8. Jeff Gibson Honda
9. Ryan Clark Honda
10. Jason Thomas Honda
AMA Ampd Mobile SX Series Points Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael 92 Suzuki
2. James Stewart 90 Kawasaki
3. Chad Reed 82 Yamaha
4. Nick Wey 61 Honda
5. Michael Byrne 58 Kawasaki
6. Mike LaRocco 55 Honda
7. Ivan Tedesco 51 Suzuki
8. Ernesto Fonseca 48 Honda
9. Travis Preston 47 Honda
10. Jeremy McGrath 44 Honda
AMA Ampd Mobile Western Regional SX Lites Series Results, Rd. 4
1. Nathan Ramsey KTM
2. Brett Metcalfe Yamaha
3. Mike Alessi KTM
4. Jason Lawrence Suzuki
5. Ryan Mills Suzuki
6. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki
7. Billy Laninovich Honda
8. Paul Carpenter Honda
9. Ryan Morais Suzuki
10. Marco Dube Yamaha
AMA Ampd Mobile Western Regional SX Lites Series Points Standings
1. Nathan Ramsey 79 KTM
2. Billy Laninovich 74 Honda
3. Andrew Short 71 Honda
4. Grant Langston 69 Kawasaki
5. Ryan Villopoto 64 Kawasaki
6. Brett Metcalfe 60 Yamaha
7. Mike Alessi 57 KTM
8. Paul Carpenter 49 Honda
9. Jake Weimer 39 Honda
10. Jesse Casillas 33 Honda