Team HRC Honda’s Trey Canard took his second win of the 2015 season at the new PETCO park arena in San Diego. The win moves Canard into third in the points standings, but still 18 points behind red plate points leader Ryan Dungey.
This event also saw a return to form for early season pace setter Ken Roczen on the RCH Suzuki, the young German moved into an immediate lead after the tortorous first corner and looked to be on his way to a well earned victory, but behind the first lap mellees that are always a part of Supercross racing, Canard had also managed to get clear of the pack and slowly chased down the Suzuki man.
Canard stayed with Roczen for a few laps weighing him up, then made his move, the pair traded places a few times but it was clear Canard was quicker at this peroid of the race, and Dungey also was still in touch able to pounce after dispensing with Davi Millsaps early on.
Further back, frequent series pace setter Eli Tomac had a poor start and clashed briefly with Chad Reed, this cost the Geico Honda man dear and he finished off the podium, losing valuable points after such a strong start to the season. Reed came back to finish fourth.
Traffic and the track were playing a part in San Diego. riders often talk about beating all their rivals and the track, it develops during a meeting, ruts form, base surface shows through and whoop sections start to wear away, making lines difficult and especially making lapping traffic a hazard, as there are often one line corners.
Roczen started to close in towards the latter stages as Canard made one or two mistakes, then Roczen got really badly held up by a lapped guy and lost a few seconds, while all the time the ever consistent Dungey was banging in lap after lap, not making errors and taking time out of the leaders, it looked like the fans were in for a close finish.
Again, Roczen closed, he even showed Canard a fender briefly, but this seemed to spur on the Honda rider and he mangaed to control the gap. Roczen was convinced he would have caught Trey gven another lap! But we will never know.
Honda have really hit the ground running in 2015, with Canard, Tomac and from the last few rounds rookie Cole Seeley right there every week. Only Roczen and Dungey are able to match them consistently and it is these few riders that now go into the series away from the west coast and on their weekly nationwide tour leading the standings.
In the 250 class, the continuing rivalry between Yamaha rider Cooper Webb and Tyler Bowers on a Kawasaki was almost put to bed in San Diego. Webb fell awkwardly in an earlier race and hurt himself, and Bowers leapt into an early lead. Webb got into second place with some forceful moves, then quickly caught, passed and pulled away from a totally dispirited and soundly beaten Bowers. Keep an eye on young Cooper Webb, this kid has got what it takes to win the amalgamated 250 series in the final round in a few months.
