Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/245323
VOL. 51 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 21, 2014 Ryan Dungey leads the way at the start of the 450 main. Ironically, Reed's last win came 22 races ago - the same number that graces his back and is his team's namesake. Unfortunately for Stewart his best race of the year turned into a big disappointment. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider inherited the lead on the seventh lap when Dungey crashed and was sitting pretty when Villopoto also went down while trying to make a move on him. A Stewart win seemed almost inevitable, but it wasn't in the cards on this night. "I was just trying to be LAST-LAP BLUES smooth; a lot of guys were going down all day," Stewart said. "I don't know, [I was] kind of flat still. I'm still not 100-percent from last week, but Chad rode great – all those guys rode great. I just have to keep getting better, really. When [Reed] smells victory like that, he goes for it. He's not a bad rider, he's fast, and when he's on he's on." Red Bull/KTM's Ken Roczen was also in the hunt for the win. The A1-winner held second place a couple of times in the race, but lost sight of leader Stewart when both Villopoto and Reed came calling. He gave up the spot to Villopoto at the half- Cole Seely finally got the monkey off his back and picked up his first win of the season at Anaheim II, the Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda rider managing to avoid a third-straight last-lap defeat at the hands of Rockstar Energy Racing's Jason Anderson. The difference this week was that Seely was able to get off to a great start, while his KTM rival was mired in the pack, allowing Seely to build just enough cushion to hold on for the win - despite a fierce charge through the pack by Anderson. "It felt so good to finally get on top of the box," said Seely. "Jason's been chasing me down the last two rounds and I just had good starts. "I knew I had a little more of a comfortable lead than the last two rounds, so the final two laps I played it a little conservative. I just made sure I got the job done. I wanted to make sure I didn't make a mistake and lose it. I think I rode a smart race and I'm finally bringing a win home." A big key to Seely's success this year has been his starts, the Honda rider has been getting the holeshot in P47 Briefly... need to be there. The sooner I get back to riding like myself, the results will come." Soaring Eagle/RCH/Suzuki's Josh Hill made a roaring comeback after failing to make the cut last week at Phoenix. After getting passed by Ryan Dungey on the last lap of the heat race, Hill returned in the semi and won ahead of Jake Weimer and Mike Alessi. Hill went on to finish eighth in the main in what was his best ride of the season and it was just one spot shy of matching his best finish all last year. almost every race he's in. "I don't know what it is, my heat races are okay, but when it comes to the main events, I think my natural instincts kick in and I just put what I know on the bike and I think my nerves play into to it, too, but somehow I am able to channel that into starts." It doesn't hurt that Jeremy McGrath has also been working with him on starts. And as far as his late-race fades at the first two rounds, like many of the riders during the last few weeks, Seely has been a bit under the weather. "I've been sick for the past week and a half," said Seely. "When I got home from Anaheim I, I got a stomach virus. I went to the doctor and he said it just had to run its course, so I haven't been eating, which is the toughest thing to keep up your training and not have your protein. I just had to eat light meals and deal with the pain when it came. I feel a lot better today and hopefully I can get my diet back on track next week and get back to training. "We've still got a few races to go and, like I said, I'll be back on my training and eating right, so I should be good for the rest of the way." Shan Moore