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Millsaps Retains SX Lead At Phoenix
Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki's Davi Millsaps retained his AMA / FIM World Supercross 'Red Plate' with third place at Saturday night's second-round Phoenix Supercross in Arizona.
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Millsaps - who stormed round one last week at Anaheim in California - took his RM-Z450 into third position in the 450 Main Event and holds the series lead on 45 points; six ahead of Honda's Justin Barcia, who won the 20-lap Main Event in front of more than 50,000 fans at the Chase Field Stadium.
Said Millsaps: "For how bad the day was, coming out and establishing a third was good. If I can make these days my worst and my best days last weekend, I'll be good."
Throughout practice, Millsaps was not as comfortable as he had been the previous weekend in California. As the gate dropped for his heat race, he put the day's events behind him and finished a solid second, giving him a good gate-pick going into the Main Event.
As the group exited turn one in the evening finale's 20-lap Main, Millsaps missed the holeshot by a mere few inches, but he fought hard the entire race and continued to pursue the leaders.
In the 250cc West Coast class, Ryan Sipes had a good start in his heat and rode to a strong third-placed finish. Then after a bad start in the Main Event, he worked his way back up to fourth position and eventually finished seventh. Now sitting fourth in overall points, Sipes is going into the next round hungry for a podium.
Said Sipes: "Sort of a bummer, but I can't be bummed because I felt like I rode well. Working my way up and passing guys and I got Cole Seely for fourth with two laps to go. I felt like I needed to guard my line and that let him come up and get close. Then we hit in the corner and I was forced to case the double and get passed by a couple more guys. I went from fourth to seventh in a two straights, but like I said, I rode well and all we can do is come in ready for next weekend."
Jason Anderson looked great all day in practice and was poised for another impressive evening, but in turn one of his heat race, Anderson was clipped and ejected from his bike. Luckily he was unharmed but was unable to make up the lost time and was forced into the Last Chance Qualifier. A slight mistake in the LCQ kept him from qualifying for the Main Event, but he heads into round three this coming weekend, strong and determined.
Said Anderson: "A rough weekend, had a crash in the heat; and then I wound-up endoing in the LCQ all by myself, so not a good night. For sure we'll improve on that next week and hopefully be on the box."
PaddockTalk Perspective
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