2016 Phoenix 450 Supercross
RCH Racing Suzuki’s Ken Roczen scored his first 450 Supercross win of the year in Phoenix, with a commanding performance from start to finish. Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey fought his way up the ranks to take second-place while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac rounded out the podium.
Millsaps trailed in second entering Lap 2, with Tomac following in third, Smartop’s Mike Alessi in fourth and Honda HRC’s Cole Seely in fifth. Dungey paced back in eighth at this point after a tough start, trailing Yamaha’s Chad Reed and BTO’s Justin Brayton.
Alessi quickly dropped back in the field as Seely, Reed and Dungey pushed forward. On Lap 3 Tomac passed Millsaps for the runner-up spot but had already lost a bit of ground on Roczen, the Suzuki rider more than three seconds ahead.
Two laps later, Dungey had passed Reed and was able to make a quick, tight inside line pass on Millsaps for fourth. Seely was up to third at that point and on the following rotation, the Honda rider made it easy on Dungey, stalling mid corner and allowing the current points leader to make an easy pass.
Dungey was more than six seconds off the lead at that point, but was able to close in on Tomac during the subsequent laps. With four and a half to go Dungey caught and passed the Kawasaki for second. Roczen remained steady at the head of the pack though, despite Dungey’s best efforts to close the gap.
The battles behind were riveting as well, with Rockstar Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson powering up to fourth-place by the checkers. Anderson trailed Dungey in ninth during the early going and engaged in battles with Millsaps, Reed, Brayton, Seely and Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin on his ascent. Millsaps fought as best he could to retain position against the group, and ended the night in a respectable fifth, trailed by Reed in sixth. Brayton finished in seventh with Seely trailing in eighth and Musquin in ninth. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Wil Hahn rounded out the top-10.
Dungey holds to his points lead in the series, with nothing but wins and two second-place results to his credit through the first five rounds of the year. Roczen is second, 21 points back followed by Anderson in third and Tomac in fourth.
Phoenix 450 Supercross Results 2016
- Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
- Ryan Dungey (KTM)
- Eli Tomac (Kawasaki)
- Jason Anderson (Husqvarna)
- Davi Millsaps (KTM)
- Chad Reed (Yamaha)
- Justin Brayton (KTM)
- Cole Seely (Honda)
- Marvin Musquin (KTM)
- Wil Hahn (Kawasaki)
- Weston Peick (Yamaha)
- Mike Alessi (Honda)
- Christophe Pourcel (Husqvarna)
- Jake Weimer (Suzuki)
- Tommy Hahn (Yamaha)
- Lawson Bopping (Yamaha)
- Phil Nicoletti (Yamaha)
- Vince Friese (Honda)
- Nick Schmidt (Suzuki)
- Cade Clason (Honda)
- Alex Ray (Honda)
- Bryce Stewart (Yamaha)
450 Supercross Championship Points 2016
- Ryan Dungey, 119
- Ken Roczen, 98
- Jason Anderson, 93
- Chad Reed, 90
- Eli Tomac, 88
- Cole Seely, 83
- Marvin Musquin, 63
- Davi Millsaps, 61
- Justin Brayton, 61
- Jake Weimer, 53