On a wild night of racing before over 33,000 supercross fans, Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart brings home a Monster payday
After missing previous two editions due to being in-between rides in 2011 and recuperating from an injury in 2012, Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart finally got his chance to compete in the 2013 Monster Energy Cup event at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas Saturday night, October 19, and when it was over the three-time AMA Supercross Champion found himself richer for the experience—as in $100,000 richer.
While Stewart missed out on a “Monster Million” after he finished a disappointing eighth-place in the first of the three 10-lap motos that offered a cool $1 million to any rider who could win them all, a clearly rejuvenated Stewart was able to claim the overall win by winning the second and third motos in spectacular fashion on the Ricky Carmichael-designed Monster Cup racetrack.
The long and fast track once again featured a unique twist in the form of a sandy, whooped out “Joker” lane that participants were required once during each moto. Nobody knew it before the start of the race, but the Joker would prove to be anything but funny to Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, as it would cost both of them a shot at victory.
While Stewart struggled in eighth place, Villopoto and Dungey battled hard for the win in the first 10-lap moto, setting up a fateful last lap in which Dungey failed to take the Joker line on the last lap. Taking the faster main line allowed Dungey to cross the finish line first, and he thought that he had just defeated Villopoto until Villopoto rolled up next to him after the finish and kindly informed him of his mistake. A clearly distraught Dungey then rolled off the track and refused to speak to the media immediately afterward even though he was far from out of the hunt for the win.
Dungey was docked five positions, and Villopoto was credited with the win, ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen and GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac. Defending Monster Cup Champion Justin Barcia finished seventh on his Muscle Milk Honda, just ahead of Stewart.
Stewart got off to a much better start in the second moto, pulling the holeshot to take the lead with Villopoto second, ahead of Dungey, Barcia and Roczen. Villopoto dogged Stewart immediately, while Barcia, Dungey and Roczen battled for third place. Villopoto began to really apply the pressure to Stewart just past the halfway point, and the Kawasaki rider made a successful bid for the lead in the right-hander after the long rhythm section, but Stewart fought right back by diving under Villopoto and retaking the lead in the next banked right-hand sweeper. Their battle allowed Barcia the chance to pull closer to them, but the Honda rider couldn’t work his way into the lead battle, and he chose to take the Joker lane on lap six.
Villopoto pulled to within striking distance of Stewart again with two laps to go, and he managed to retake the lead, only to yield to Steward in the uphill left-hander just outside the stadium. Both riders would need to negotiate the Joker lane to seal the deal, but when they got there Stewart ducked into the lane while Villopoto missed it and had to stay on the main line.
But that was just the start of Villopoto’s last-lap woes, as he then got loose in a rhythm section and got pitched over the bars in spectacular fashion. Stewart went on to take the win, but there was obvious concern for Villopoto’s condition. Villopoto was down for several minutes, and although he eventually got up and walked away under his own power, his night was over. Stewart was followed across the line by Barcia, Dungey, Roczen and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson.
Roczen led the event standings by one point over Stewart going into the final moto, and the 33,845 got their money’s worth in the final moto when Roczen pulled the holeshot over Stewart and the two set a torrid pace that only Dungey was able to match. The three rider pulled clear of the field with about 10 bike lengths between them for most of the race before Stewart caught Roczen on lap five in the same uphill right-hander where he passed Villopoto in the second moto.
While Roczen refused to give up, Stewart used his ability to triple through one of the rhythm sections to get away from the German rider. The order was jumbled on the final lap when both Stewart and Roczen were compelled to take the Joker lane while Dungey and Tomac, who were running fourth and fifth respectively, had taken it earlier in the race. Stewart emerged from the Joker in the lead, but Dungey and Tomac dropped Roczen to fourth. Stewart went on to win the third moto and claim the 2013 Monster Cup victory.
“Every time I come to one of these things, whether it is the U.S. Open or The Cup, I do pretty good,” Stewart said. “I’m happy, and I’ve got to thank my team. Everyone has bee sticking with me, and it feels so good.:
In the final Monster Cup tally, Stewart topped Dungey and Roczen on the podium, with Tomac fourth and Musquin fifth. The 2013 Monster Cup was truly a night of racing that lived up to its name.
Sam Boyd Stadium
Las Vegas, NV
Results: October 19, 2013
Moto 1
1. Ryan Villopoto-Kaw
2. Marvin Musquin-KTM
3. Jake Weimer-Kaw
4. Ken Roczen-KTM
5. Eli Tomac-Hon
6. Ryan Dungey-KTM
7. Justin Barcia-Hon
8. James Stewart-Suz
9. Cooper Webb-Yam
10. Broc Tickle-Suz
Moto 2
1. James Stewart-Suz
2. Justin Barcia-Hon
3. Ryan Dungey-KTM
4. Ken Roczen-KTM
5. Dean Wilson-Kaw
6. Eli Tomac-Hon
7. Cole Seely-Hon
8. Broc Tickle-Suz
9. Marvin Musquin-KTM
10. Josh Grant-Yam
Moto 3
1. James Stewart-Suz
2. Ryan Dungey-KTM
3. Eli Tomac-Hon
4. Ken Roczen-KTM
5. Cole Seely-Hon
6. Dean Wilson-Kaw
7. Josh Grant-Yam
8. Marvin Musquin-KTM
9. Broc Tickle-Suz
10. Andrew Short-KTM
Monster Cup Overall
1. James Stewart-Suz
2. Ryan Dungey-KTM
3. Ken Roczen-KTM
4. Eli Tomac-Hon
5. Marvin Musquin-KTM
6. Cole Seely-Hon
7. Broc Tickle-Suz
8. Justin Barcia-Hon
9. Dean Wilson-Kaw
10. Josh Grant-Yam
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