CHARLIE NEUMAN / Union-Tribune
Chad Reed was forced to rally three times before winning the 25th San Diego Supercross. |
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The outcome of the 25th San Diego Supercross produced no surprises last night.
Chad Reed scored his fifth Qualcomm Stadium victory – in six years – to tie all-time Supercross win leader Jeremy McGrath for the most wins in San Diego.
But Reed's victory before 64,251 spectators wasn't as easy as many expected it would be.
Thrice Reed had to rally to overtake Davi Millsaps, the last time after the Australian fell in the sand wash at the end of the main straight.
“I didn't feel all that great tonight,” Reed said after scoring the 31st victory of his career and his fifth in six starts this season.
“But there's something about this place that gets me going. I like the dirt and the course. But it was tough to get a flow going. I really struggled.”
Reed, who also completed a sweep of the five California races, trailed Millsaps, who doesn't turn 20 until next weekend, off the starting line and through the sand after the start.
Reed shot into the lead on the second lap, but was re-passed by Reed later on the same lap before regaining the lead just before the jump concluding the third lap.
Reed opened a five-second lead before he went down in the sand on the 13th of the 20-lap feature.
“I just lost my concentration,” said Reed, who regained the lead from Millsaps in the same sand pit four laps later.
And on the race's final lap, Tim Ferry moved past Millsaps, who was suffering stomach cramps, to finish second to Reed for the second straight year. Reed's margin of victory was 2.3 seconds.
“I'm getting closer to a win,” Ferry said.
So is Millsaps, who was the series Supercross Lites Eastern Regional champion in 2006. Millsaps has finished third, second and third the past three weeks.
“Tonight was good,” Millsaps said. “I was able to see Chad's line. He's good, really good.”
The heats were won by Ferry and Kevin Windham, who finished ahead of Reed.
Carlsbad resident Jason Lawrence scored his third straight victory in the Supercross Lites feature to take the series points lead.
Lawrence, who was born and raised in New Jersey, claimed the lead coming off the starting line and never relinquished the point during the 15-lap main. He had never won a race until his present streak started three weeks ago.
Lawrence had one of the worst spots on the starting line off his ninth-place finish in his qualifier heat. But he jumped his Yamaha out of the gates and was smooth through the sand pit at the end of the long starting straight.
“I don't know how I got to the first turn in front from where I was on the starting line,” said Lawrence, who won by 3.02 seconds over Thomas Hahn.
Lawrence claimed the points lead by two points because former leader Ryan Dungey fell three times en route to a sixth-place finish. It marked the third straight event in which Dungey has crashed.
Bill Center: (619) 293-1851; bill.center@uniontrib.com
