The third round of the AMA Supercross series will be heading into Dodger's stadium for the first time in Los Angeles. The Supercross series is tight at the top for the moment, with the top four riders all within 10 points of one another. Ryan Villopoto leads the way with 47 points, but a first place finish by James Stewart in round two puts him close behind with 45 points. Last year's Supercross champion Ryan Dungey is tied in third place with SX rookie Trey Cannard, with 38 points.
The new venue provides new challenges, but season leader Villopoto is approaching the new track at Dodger's Stadium like he would any other track.
"It's always a different track no matter the stadium," Villopoto said. "It really comes down to the dirt as some is really soft while others are really hard. If it is anything like the dirt we have at other rounds in California, it should be good."
Dodger's stadium will be covered with 550 truckloads of dirt before this weekends event. (Check out the video below to see what the Supercross riders will be up against this weekend.)
“I’m excited to expose this venue to millions of Supercross fans across the world that have never had the opportunity to come to Dodger Stadium and hopefully convert them into baseball fans," said Michael Young, chief revenue officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. "This is an amazing sport and the growth of Supercross is staggering, particularly in a time when many sports are shrinking.”
Ryan Dungey, who was absolutely dominating during the 2010 season, has yet to find himself on the top of the podium. With the return of veteran rider James Stewart, the young rider might have too much competition this year. But the season is still young and you should never count Dungey out. Don't be surprised to see him at the top of the podium for the first time this year at Dodger's stadium.
Tied with Dungey in third is Trey Canard, who is riding in his first Supercross season with Honda. Canard has proven that he can ride with the big boys, and will give Stewart, Villopoto, and Dungey a run for their money this weekend and for the rest of the season.
Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, and Andrew Short currently follow the top four, and all pose a threat to the podium this weekend. Reed, a two-time Supercross champ, had a disappointing 2010 season, but with a new team in his corner, he'll be looking to return to the spotlight.
