For 27 photos covering the race action from Long Beach, click here . |
The AMA Supermoto season finale went off in grand style in Long Beach yesterday, with the Duel at the Docks. Troy Lee and his crew put in some long hours making this event happen, and with lots of advance promotion, drew what many suggested was the largest paying crowd ever to see a Supermoto event. They were also treated to plenty of drama, with championships to be decided in all three classes.
The course itself had some unique features, like a tunnel exiting the dirt section, a 40-foot Honda skyshot bridge, and the usual Parts Unlimited metal urbancross jumps.
Jeff Ward came into the event with a 31-point lead in the Supermoto Championship chase ahead of Graves Yamaha's Doug Henry, and only needed a third-place or better finish to wrap up the 2006 series.
In the Supermoto Lites, Wardy's Troy Lee Designs teammate, Cassidy Anderson, had won seven of the nine events heading into Long Beach, and only needed a 19th or better to take his first title over Brandon Currie.
The Supermoto Unlimited competitors were all chasing KTM-mounted Ben Carlson, as the Wisconsin rider had only a four-point advantage over Husqvarna-mounted Frenchman David Baffeleuf.
In first (of two) Supermoto Finals, Jeff Ward led 13 of the 14 laps. Mark Burkhart from Graves Yamaha nudged his way past on the final circuit, and won the race, but both he and Ward had something to celebrate afterward, as Ward easily clinched the title.
KTM-mounted David Pingree had set the fast time in the morning qualifying session for the Supermoto Lites…just before the engine in his bike expired. But when the light went green for the start, he jumped out front, and scored his first Supermoto Lites win. Brandon Currie kept things close, and was less than two tenths behind Ping at the end. Troy Lee Designs captured their second Championship title of the weekend when Cassidy Anderson crossed the line in fifth, securing the Supermoto Lites crown for '06.
The first attempt at a start in the Supermoto Unlimited was marred when the Husqvarna teammates of Baffeleuf and Australian Troy Herfoss tangled, which sent Herfoss hard to the inside of the course. His bike struck a flagger and photographer, and fence lining the inside of the first turn. Obviously that race was red-flagged while the injured were attended to. The good news is that the most seriously injured, flagger Dan Willenberg, is expected to make a full recovery after sustaining a concussion and broken arm.
Once reset, Micky Dymond led from start to finish ahead of Ben Carlson, who took home the Supermoto Unlimited crown.
With darkness approaching, the second Supermoto race was trimmed to ten laps, and Jeff Ward went wire-to-wire to cap a very successful '06 season.
AMA Supermoto Finals - Duel at the Docks Results
Supermoto Race 1
- Mark Burkhart - Yamaha
- Jeff Ward - Honda
- Doug Henry - Yamaha
- Chris Fillmore - Honda
- Troy Herfoss - Husqvarna
- Jurgen Kunzel - KTM
- Jason Conlon - Yamaha
- Steve Drew - KTM
- Travis Marks - Honda
- Joe Kopp - Honda
- Eddie Ray - KTM
- Drake McElroy - Yamaha
- Kiyoshi Saai - Honda
- Travis Ellis - Honda
- Ronnie Renner - KTM
- Tomoyoshi Masuda - Yamaha
- David Arnold - Honda
- Danny Eslick - Suzuki
- Matt Burton - Yamaha
- Kurt Nicoll - KTM
- Carey Hart - Honda
- Mike Metzger - Kawasaki
- Joshua Hayes - Honda
- Vincent Guisande - Yamaha
Supermoto Race 2
- Jeff Ward - Honda
- Doug Henry - Yamaha
- Chris Fillmore - Honda
- Jurgen Kunzel - KTM
- Mike Metzger - Kawasaki
- Kiyoshi Saai - Honda
- Steve Drew - KTM
- Jason Conlon - Yamaha
- Travis Marks - Honda
- Joe Kopp - Honda
- Drake McElroy - Yamaha
- Matt Burton - Yamaha
- Eddie Ray - KTM
- Tomoyoshi Masuda - Yamaha
- Ronnie Renner - KTM
- Travis Ellis - Honda
- David Arnold - Honda
- Carey Hart - Honda
- Mark Burkhart - Yamaha
- Kurt Nicoll - KTM
Supermoto Final Points
- Jeff Ward 429
- Doug Henry 393
- Chris Fillmore 356
- Mark Burkhart 310
- Jurgen Kunzel 310
- Troy Herfoss 257
- Kurt Nicoll 242
- Josh Chisum 221
- Matt Burton 182
- Steve Drew 178
- Travis Marks 177
- Jason Conlon 131
- Vincent Guisande 113
- Micky Dymond 107
- Travis Ellis 99
- David Arnold 91
- David Baffeleuf 69
- Joe Kopp 65
- B. Hiemer 47
- Travis Pastrana 47
Supermoto Lites
- David Pingree - KTM
- Brandon Currie - Yamaha
- Dalton Dimick - Honda
- Robbie Horton - Kawasaki
- Cassidy Anderson - Honda
- Josh Chisum - Kawasaki
- Steve Hatch - KTM
- Alexandre Thiebault - Husqvarna
- Matt Pursley - Yamaha
- Casey Yarrow - Yamaha
- Matt Abbott - Kawasaki
- Troy Lee - Honda
- A. J. Jorgensen - Suzuki
- Chris Fischer - Yamaha
- Chad Pederson - KTM
- Calvin Andlovec - Yamaha
- Andrew Dickson - KTM
- Roger Hensley - Honda
- Ronnie Jones - Honda
- Jeremy Toye - Honda
- Andrew D. Hyder - Yamaha
- Danny Casey - Yamaha
- Cameron Welsh - Yamaha
- Brian Barton - KTM
Supermoto Lites Final Points
- Cassidy Anderson 235
- Brandon Currie 218
- Alexandre Thiebault 149
- Dalton Dimick 135
- Casey Yarrow 126
- Danny Casey 120
- Leonardo Bagnis 118
- Matt Abbott 109
- David Pingree 108
- Steve Hatch 86
- Troy Lee 79
- Cole Walsdorf 73
- Chris Fischer 71
- Robbie Horton 63
- Matt Pursley 63
- Eric Wedemayer 52
Supermoto Unlimited
- Micky Dymond - KTM
- Ben Carlson - KTM
- Kurt Nicoll - KTM
- Henry Wiles - KTM
- Justin Ross - KTM
- Cory Gabbert - KTM
- Alex McElyea - KTM
- Nick Daniels - Husqvarna
- Mike Bergman - Husaberg
- Donald Wanat - KTM
- Robert Loire - Husaberg
- David Flashberger - KTM
- Jeff Grace - KTM
- Colin Horn - Husaberg
- Monte Frank - KTM
- Daniel Jannette - KTM
- David Baffeleuf - Husqvarna
- Olivier Annequin - Husaberg
- Rick Pearce - Honda
- Gary Trachy - Husqvarna
- John Lewis - KTM
- Darryl Atkins - Aprilia
- Troy Herfoss - Husqvarna
- Alexandre Thiebault - Husqvarna
Supermoto Unlimited Final Points
- Ben Carlson 200
- Micky Dymond 182
- David Baffeleuf 178
- John Lewis 160
- Robert Loire 135
- Justin Ross 133
- Gary Trachy 117
- Leonardo Bagnis 99
- Monte Frank 89
- Steve Hatch 80
- Darryl Atkins 79
- Alex McElyea 77
- Nick Daniels 59
- Daniel Jannette 55
- Brandon Stooksbury 52
- Donald Wanat 52
- Eddie Ray 47
- Jeff Grace 42
- Z. Armstrong 39
- Paul Nafziger 38