Davi Millsaps takes debut AMA Supercross win in Atlanta

Davi Millsaps lead a Honda clean sweep of the Podium at the AMA Supercross in Atlanta at the weekend.

The main event started with Chad Reed getting the holeshot and it looked like normal service may have been resumed after a couple of shaky weekends for the Australian.

But Millsaps was able to stay close enough for the 2004 Champion to feel his presence and on lap five, the pressure told – the Thunder from Down Under popped his front wheel over the top of one of the Wall-Of-Death turns on the James Stewart-designed track, and went down hard.

By the time he managed to fire up the San Manuel Band Of Mission Indians Yamaha, he was down in 12th and it was all about damage limitation.

Up front, Davi Millsaps by this time had a small gap over second place, firstly Nate Ramsey then in the shape of the charging Kevin Windham.

Honda veteran Windham took a few laps to fight his way through the pack after a mediocre start, but although he was unable to catch the Duke to challenge for the win, he was able to build a sizeable gap over third.

Ramsey did his best to hold third – Tim Ferry got by, then crashed back out of the top five, as did Josh Hill, who crashed out of the race. But Honda’s Andrew Short managed to make his way past Nate Dog, and held on for his first podium in the Supercross class, despite the rough attentions of the recovering Ferry.

In round one of the East Coast Lites class, Torco Fuels Honda’s rookie Trey Canard holeshot ahead of team mate Josh Grant and Brandon Jesseman.

Series favorite Ryan Villopoto, in contrast, gated poorly and got caught up in a lap one tangle that saw him cross the line 11th at the end of the first lap. Up front, Canard was making strong progress pulling away from the KTM duo of Ryan Sipes and Martin Davalos, riding like a veteran rather than a rookie at his first pro Supercross, as the battle intensified behind.

Sipes and Davalos were joined by Tyler Bowers, Jake Moss, Nico Izzi and Flyin’ Ryan Villopoto, but on lap six, ‘Villopoto’s debut of his new number 2 plate came to a crashing halt – the flame-haired youngster ran into the back of Izzi and went down in front of a couple of other riders who punted him off the track and out of the race.

As Trey Canard motored to his debut win, the battle for second intensified, with Ryan Sipes leadingJake Moss and Martin Davalos into the closing laps.

Rookie Moss made his way into second, followed through by Davalos, but then the young Aussie got hooked up in lappers, allowing both the KTMs back past him, and gift-wrapping their podium finishes.

AMA Supercross
Round 8 – Atlanta
1 Davi D Millsaps – Honda
2 Kevin W Windham – Honda
3 Andrew T Short – Honda
4 Timmy M Ferry – Kawasaki
5 Nathan Ramsey – Yamaha
6 Chad Reed – Yamaha

AMA Supercross Championship
1 Reed – 184                  
2 Windham 159
3 Ferry – 137
4 Millsaps – 123
5 Short – 121
6 Ramsey – 101

AMA East Coast Supercross Lites
Round 1 – Atlanta
1 Trey Canard – Honda
2 Martin Davalos – KTM
3 Ryan Sipes – KTM

AMA East Coast Supercross Lites Championship
1 Canard – 25
2 Davalos – 22
3 Sipes – 20