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Tomac and Kaneshiro Appear on the Podium at the Hangtown Opener


WEBWIRE

Torrance, CA

Following a one-week hiatus after the Supercross finale in Las Vegas, the Honda Red Riders returned to battle this past Saturday to kick off the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, CA. In front of a record 25,000 fans the Team Honda Muscle Milk duo of Trey Canard and Justin Barcia finished a solid 4-5 respectively overall on their CRF450Rs. Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac landed himself on the podium with hard-fought 2-3 finishes for third overall in the 250 class. This past weekend also played host to round one of the Women’s Motocross (WMX) Triple Crown series and Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Sayaka Kaneshiro finished second overall.

450 Race
For the first time since winning his 250 Class Championship in 2010, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard returned to Hangtown aboard his CRF450R and he didn’t disappoint. In both motos, Canard launched off the line to a top-five start and quickly jumped in behind the lead battle. He was able to maintain a consistent pace throughout both 30-minute plus two-lap races but was unable to catch the leaders. He scored a fourth overall with 4-4 finishes.

“I am really pleased with how today went,” said Canard. “I haven’t raced here since 2010, which is the year I won my championship so coming out with a fourth is great. It is definitely a good starting point for the season. I got pretty tired trying to keep pace with the leaders but I felt good and am happy with the bike. I am grateful to be healthy and ready to head into the next round.”

Despite riding a few races in the 450 class in 2011, this season marks Justin Barcia’s first full year in the big-bike class. Barcia struggled off the line in both motos, starting outside the top 10 but he was able to swiftly make his way through the pack and tuck in behind his teammate by the halfway point. He rallied to a fifth overall with 5-5 finishes. “I want to be up in the front battling with the leaders,” Barcia said. “The day started awesome getting the Oakley bomb award but I didn’t get the best starts in both motos. Starts are so important because the front guys are going so fast. If you don’t start with them there is almost no way to catch them. The track was so gnarly and rough, but my CRF450R was working awesome. Definitely looking forward to next weekend.”

250 Race
In the 250 class, Muscle Milk-sponsored GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac made it to the podium with two solid rides aboard his CRF250R. In moto one, Tomac finished second, but a bad start in moto two left him in 10th place after the first lap. He worked his way into third by lap five but continued to charge toward the leaders, ultimately taking the checkered flag in third place. Tomac made history at Hangtown in 2010 by being the first rider ever to win a professional Motocross debut. “It was good. I haven’t been on the podium here in two years, so it’s good to get third, at least,” Tomac said. “We went 2-3 in the motos, so I can’t complain. For the first race of the year, you have to figure out where you are speed-wise with the pace. I feel like I’m in a good spot to start the season. It’s always fun to get back outdoors, open up that throttle and go for a little bit longer and have some good battling.”

Teammate Zach Osborne had not raced a motocross national in five years and was able to capture a fifth overall finish with 9-5 scores. “It’s a good way to start the season,” explained Osborne. “It’s something to build on. I actually kind of surprised myself today. This is the first national I’ve ridden in five years and I didn’t know what to expect, really. To come away with a fifth overall is really good and that feeling will carry us into Lakewood, another track I really like.”

Justin Bogle and Zach Bell, who have both been out due to injury weren’t as lucky aboard their GEICO Honda CRF250Rs. Bogle ended up 12th overall after a tough first moto but was able to rebound in the second moto to finish in eighth place. Bell finished 15th in the first moto but pulled off the track late in the second moto due to pain in his shoulder, which he injured during the Supercross season.

“This is not really at all where I want to be,” Bogle said. “The second moto, I got a better start from my gate pick. I rode pretty well for parts of the race, but there were parts of the race where I didn’t ride well at all. All in all, not what I wanted.”

“The first moto was bad because we lost the front brake,” Bell said. “I got the holeshot in the second moto, but my shoulder felt weak, and I couldn’t hang on. I wish I was faster and up front with those guys. I felt good about the holeshot though.”

WMX Race
In the Women’s Motocross Championship, Team Honda Muscle Milk rider Sayaka Kaneshiro had an exciting start to the season. For the second season, Kaneshiro lined up on the gate aboard her factory-prepared CRF250R and she didn’t disappoint, finishing second overall on the podium with 2-3 scores.

The Focus: UC Davis Children’s Hospital Visit
On Friday May 17, Canard made a visit to the local UC Davis Children’s Hospital in hopes of brightening the day of some sick kids and their families. Canard spent the first hour of the visit in the designated playroom with the kids who were well enough to get out of bed. He signed autographs, played with the kids and even came up with a secret handshake with one of the young boys. With a bag full of Honda goodies, Canard then made his way around the 7th floor for bedside visits with the kids who weren’t able to make it to the playroom. He passed out signed shirts, hats, posters and even gave a four-year-old girl his autographed riding pants, making it a very happy birthday for her.

450 Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Villopoto 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey 2-2
3. James Stewart 3-3
4. Trey Canard (Honda) 4-4
5. Justin Barcia (Honda) 5-5
6. Ryan Sipes 8-7
7. Andrew Short 6-10
8. Mike Alessi 12-6
9. Tyla Rattray 9-9
10. Weson Peick 13-8

450 Class Championship Points (after 1 of 12 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto 50
2. Ryan Dungey 44
3. James Stewart 40
4. Trey Canard 36
5. Justin Barcia 32
6. Ryan Sipes 27
7. Andrew Short 26
8. Mike Alessi 24
9. Tyla Rattray 24
10. Weson Peick 21

250 Class Overall Results
1. Ken Roczen 1-1
2. Blake Baggett 3-2
3. Eli Tomac (Honda) 2-3
4. Marvin Musquin 4-4
5. Zach Osborne (Honda) 9-5
6. Kyle Cunningham 8-7
7. Jason Anderson 12-6
8. Jeremy Martin 7-13
9. Joseph Savatgy 10-11
10. Justin Hill 13-9

250 Class Championship Points (after 1 of 12 rounds)
1. Ken Roczen 50
2. Eli Tomac 42
3. Blake Baggett 42
4. Marvin Musquin 36
5. Zach Osborne 28
6. Kyle Cunningham 27
7. Jason Anderson 24
8. Jeremy Martin 22
9. Joseph Savatgy 21
10. Justin Hill 20

WMA Overall Results
1. Courtney Duncan 1-1
2. Sayaka Kaneshiro (Honda) 2-3
3. Taylor Higgins 4-4
4. Mackenzie Tricker 3-6
5. Jacqueline Strong 6-5
6. Alexah Pearson 5-8
7. Mariana Balbi 7-7
8. Sara Pettersson 8-9
9. Hailey Larson 9-10
10. Jessica Patterson 30-2

WMA Championship Points (after round 1 of 3)
1. Courtney Duncan 50
2. Sayaka Kaneshiro 42
3. Taylor Higgins 36
4. Mackenzie Tricker 35
5. Jacqueline Strong 31
6. Alexah Pearson 29
7. Mariana Balbi 28
8. Sara Pettersson 25
9. Hailey Larson 23
10. Jessica Patterson 22

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 and is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides in the U.S. The American Honda Motorcycle Division is responsible for the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.

About Muscle Milk
Muscle Milk® Ready-to-Drink is a protein-enhanced functional beverage that promotes workout recovery, lean muscle growth, and sustained energy. Muscle Milk takes the guesswork out of high performance nutrition, delivering a precise blend of premium proteins, complex carbohydrates, functional fats, vitamins & minerals. CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk®, is among the largest sport nutrition protein beverage companies in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk® was named Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and Company of the Year by Beverage Forum presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World.

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