Following months of anticipation, this Saturday, May 19, the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will commence with the 44th running of the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic from Prairie City OHV Park in Sacramento, Calif. Crisscrossing the United States, three world-class racing divisions-the 450 Class, 250 Class, and Womens Motocross Championship (WMX)-will embark on a summer-long battle for the most prestigious championship in motocross.

The Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club will make sure the competitors face a challenge when they visit the iconic track, which features plenty of elevation changes, highly technical obstacles, and a bowl-like layout that lends itself to spectacular sightlines from almost any vantage point. As the longest-running event on the schedule, the Hangtown Motocross Classic even precedes what is now known as the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and boasts a devoted local following.

Hangtown also signifies the start of the 2012 broadcast package with NBC Sports and FUEL TV. Opening motos will be showcased live on FUEL TV and AlliSports.com beginning at 4 p.m. EST, while same-day coverage of the second motos can be seen on NBC Sports Network at 12:30 a.m. EST.

On an international level, the second motos of Lucas Oil Motocross will be simulcast throughout the globe, with over 24 hours of live racing showcased on SPEED Australia, ESPN Brazil, and ESPN Latin America. This will bring the most prestigious championship on the planet to over 40 million homes across those continents.

Additionally, 15 hours of post-produced highlight shows will be distributed to Extreme Sports Channel in Europe and the Middle East, Germanys SPORT1, South Africas SuperSport, along with SPEED Australia, ESPN Brazil, and ESPN Latin America. This will expand the reach of the Nationals to over 65 million homes.

Dungey looks ready for the Outdoor season. Hoffman photo

450 Class
Reigning 450 Class Champion Ryan Villopoto will miss the entire 2012 season following an injury suffered prior to the start of the championship. In the Monster Energy Kawasaki riders absence, several contenders are prepared to step up.

Red Bull KTMs Ryan Dungey enjoyed the most successful rookie season of all time in 2010 en route to that championship. For his first season aboard a KTM, he wants to give the Austrian brand its first American title. Alongside Dungey is the newest member of Team Yoshimura Suzuki, James Stewart, the 2008 champion who has not competed full-time in Lucas Oil Motocross since his perfect season four years ago. Stewarts highly publicized move from Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX to Suzuki will be a major storyline throughout the season.

Other riders to watch include Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMXs Davi Millsaps, Team Honda Muscle Milks Justin Brayton and Tommy Hahn, Monster Energy Kawasakis Jake Weimer and Tyla Rattray, Team Yoshimura Suzukis Brett Metcalfe, MotoConcepts Suzukis Mike Alessi, Chaparral Hondas Andrew Short, and Jeff Ward Racing Kawasakis Josh Grant and Kyle Chisholm. Each knows what it takes to win at the sports highest level and will be battling alongside Dungey and Stewart all season long.

250 Class
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasakis Dean Wilson achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a national champion last season, and now hes back to continue his reign atop the 250 Class, home to the sports rising stars. As the first rider to defend his 250 Class title since the 2008 season, Wilson will meet a bevy of challengers prepared to make their own marks on the sport.

Wilsons Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Blake Baggett might be the biggest threat to his title defense. Baggett showed tremendous speed and ability on his way to a series-leading five wins last season. Red Bull KTM teammates Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen have championship experience of their own, having split the last three World Motocross MX2 titles. Theyve now made the move to the States to compete alongside the worlds best in Lucas Oil Motocross.

GEICO Honda duo Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac got off to a successful start in 2012 AMA Supercross competition and will look to carry that momentum to the Nationals. With veteran riders like Star/Valli Yamahas Kyle Cunningham, along with Rockstar Energy Racing Suzukis Martin Davalos and Blake Wharton, the 250 Class is loaded with talented competitors.

WMX Class

Over the past four seasons, a captivating rivalry has developed between the two biggest names in the WMX Class. Team Honda Muscle Milks Ashley Fiolek and Rockstar Energy Racing Suzukis Jessica Patterson have traded wins and championships, establishing themselves as the premier female motocross riders on the planet and helping bring the WMX Class to the national spotlight.

Fiolek enters the 2012 season as the defending champion, having claimed her third title in four years, but Patterson is back with a new team and a renewed passion to reclaim the title she last won in 2010. Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Hondas Tarah Gieger will challenge every step of the way, as will the exceptionally fast Mariana Balbi, Jacqueline Strong, and Vicki Golden. Fioleks new Team Honda Muscle Milk teammate Sayaka Kaneshiro will look to make the most of her new opportunity as well.

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto will not defend his AMA Motocross title in 2012 after injuring his knee at the Seattle supercross on Saturday night. The two-time AMA Supercross and defending AMA Motocross champion will undergo surgery on his knee this week.

"I'm pretty disappointed right now," said Villopoto. "I have trained hard for this season and even though I won the supercross title, I really wanted to defend my outdoor championship. I've been through injury before and I know how hard I have to work to get back."

Villopoto is coming off of a dominant 16 months where the Poulsbo, Wash., native earned two AMA Supercross titles on the strength of 15 wins, the AMA Motocross Championship with three wins and also the richest payday in supercross with a million dollar win at the Monster Energy Cup.

The New Orleans round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross might have been a sleeper had it not been the final round of the East Regional Lites series, which added a bit of drama with Justin Barcia needing a fourth place finish to wrap up his second-straight title. After his meltdown in Houston two weeks before, all eyes were on the GEICO Powersports Honda to see if he could handle the pressure in The Big Easy.

In the Supercross class, all the major players except for Ryan Villopoto were on the sidelines with injuries, and for sure, the fact that Kevin Windham was not riding hurt the attendance as only 33,392 attended the race. That was the official count, although it looked as though that might have been a stretch. Villopoto broke into the lead at the start of the 450 main, and after that, no one had a chance at catching the newly crowned Monster Energy Kawasaki rider. What made the race interesting, however, was Josh Grant, who worked his way into second place after getting off to a great jump off the gate. The Jeff Ward Racing Kawasaki rider held his ground for all 20 laps and came away with his best finish since 2009. MotoConcepts Suzuki's Mike Alessi, on the other hand, was in position to grab a third place finish, but he threw it away when Justin Brayton started putting on the pressure, leaving the Muscle Milk Honda rider a clear path to the podium.

In the Lites class, Barcia came in gunning for a win but was willing to settle for a fourth, and that's exactly what he got - a fourth place finish, which was just enough to claim the Lites title. Meanwhile his the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Darryn Durham grabbed his first career victory with an inspired ride.

Of course, the New Orleans round is a great race for an out-of-towner to attend, since the French Quarters are within walking distance of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and this year the race fell on the same weekend as the annual French Quarter Festival. Can you say, "Abita Jockamo and crawfish pie?"

450/Supercross
There's little doubt that Ryan Villopoto is in a league of his own right now, and especially now that half the class in on crutches, Villopoto can almost put it on cruise at most of the races. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider readily admits that the focus is now on the upcoming outdoor series and his main concern in New Orleans was coming away from the race injury-free and healthy. "It's hard, because I'm here to get wins for my sponsors, but I don't want to take any big chances and go down," said Villopoto. "The plan was, if I get a good start then I would go for it." Villopoto grabbed the holeshot at the start of the final and after that all he had to do was dodge lappers and avoid the sharp-edged holes that developed in the track late in the race.

Josh Grant
Josh Grant has been a forgotten man as of late; however, a runner-up finish in New Orleans definitely put the Jeff Ward Racing Kawasaki rider back on the radar. Grant's problem has been bad results in his heat races, which puts him on the outside of the gate in the main. In New Orleans, Grant finished fifth in his heat, which secured him a spot near the center of the gate. Quick reflexes off the line left Grant in a good position on the opening lap of the main, allowing him to move quickly into second, a position he would hold until the end. After the race, no one was more pumped than Grant. "You have no idea what this means for me," said Grant. "It's what I need to get my season back on track. I just want to take this momentum into outdoors. I know a lot of guys are sitting on the sidelines, but at the same time it builds my confidence to where it needs to be."

Justin Brayton
This year the key to getting on the podium has been all about getting a good start, and Justin Brayton struggled with his starts in New Orleans. After getting a bad start in his heat race, Brayton came from way back to finish third, nearly catching Mike Alessi on the final lap. In the final, the Muscle Milk Honda rider again got a bad jump off the line and was forced to come from behind once more. "I kind of just struggled a little with the track, but the bike was great. I was just a little late on the gate, so we will go back and work hard and get ready for Seattle," said Brayton, who came from seventh on the opening lap to third at the finish, taking advantage of a Mike Alessi crash at the midway point of the race to do so. Brayton's finish moved him ahead of Ryan Dungey for third in the series standings.

Brett Metcalfe
Brett Metcalfe matched his best finish of the year with a fourth, and the Yoshimura Suzuki rider was stoked with the finish. "I stayed mistake free and nailed down a fourth, and that was a good little start to this last four-round swing and I'm happy about that," said Metty. "I got a good start and was up around the top four. The first turn I was like a ping-pong ball; I didn't have the right position on the track and I was forced to the outside. Guys were coming on the inside and I got slammed a couple of times. But I ended up getting a good rhythm and the race started getting good for me around the halfway point."

Davi Millsaps
Davi Millsaps went down twice in New Orleans, once in his heat and once at the start of the main. After transferring to the main with a win in the LCQ, the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha rider got taken out in the first turn in the final, and after finishing the first lap in 15^th; he worked his way into sixth by the finish. "My holeshot device came undone on the gate, and then a bunch of guys started to go down in the first turn," said Millsaps. "I tried to miss it, but the guy next to me slammed him his brakes too and when I tried to turn in he was right there, so I went down. It's a bummer night, but I did what I had to do to salvage points."

250/Lites
The East Lites title chase came down to the series finale, with Justin Barcia coming into New Orleans needing only to finish fourth to claim his second-consecutive title. Barcia looked unbeatable en route to a heat race win, however, Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, who posted the fastest qualifying time in practice, looked equally fast while winning the other heat. The Barcia-Roczen showdown never materialized; however, as Roczen got off the line several spots behind Barcia and then suffered from arm-pump later in the race.

After working his way into second place after the start, Barcia trailed Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Darryn Durham until lap seven, when he slowed with arm-pump. Meanwhile, out front, Durham was having the ride of his life and ended the night with his first Lites class victory.

Malcolm Stewart was a factor early in the race, and he ran as high as second, however, a violent crash put the J-Star JDR KTM rider on the ground hard, and he eventually finished the race in 17^th.

Darryn Durham
Darryn Durham was only ninth fastest during qualifying, but he got his big break in the main when he exited the first turn in second behind Honda-mounted Alex Martin. Durham took the lead on lap two and pinned it to the finish. "This is awesome, it hasn't really sunk in yet, but I just won," said Durham. "I got a good start and I passed Alex Martin somewhere on the second lap and just got out front and rode pretty comfortable all race. I knew they were close there at the end, but I just kept my head down and brought it on home. The track was tough tonight; I actually didn't have a good day in practice and in the heat, but I was able to get the start and turn it all around. I tightened up a little at the end, and I landed on the tuf blocks at one point and almost crashed, but I just tried to hit all my lines and it worked out."

DRTP-WEB-WRH-009

Justin Barcia
Justin Barcia admitted to being nervous before the final, and he got cautious late in the race, allowing Blake Baggett and Justin Bogle to finish ahead of him. The bottom line is, Barcia did exactly what he needed to do to get the title. "It feels awesome get this thing done," said Barcia. "It was a really tough night; I was really nervous and didn't have a good flow, but luckily I was able to get the championship and that's all that really matters. I had such bad arm-pump and I didn't want to go down, so I was just trying to salvage positions there at the end. Those guys were going wide-open, but it worked out and I'm happy to have the championship."

Ken Roczen
After posting the fastest time in practice and winning his heat race, Ken Roczen was in good shape heading into the final. However, the Red Bull KTM rider didn't get the best start and found himself in sixth at the end of the opening lap. On lap seven, however, Roczen was able to capitalize on a mistake by Justin Barcia to move into third position, but a mistake a short time later result in arm-pump for Roczen and he eventually dropped to fifth by the end of the race. "I'm bummed that I suffered from arm-pump because I was riding really well today and felt very comfortable on the track," said Roczen. "We have one race left and my goal is to win it. I really like the final round in Las Vegas and I am looking forward to a great performance to end the season."

Official Monster Energy Supercross Results

Supercross Class Results

1. Ryan Villopoto (Kaw)

2. Josh Grant (Kaw)

3. Justin Brayton (Hon)

4. Brett Metcalfe (Suz)

5. Andrew Short (Hon)

6. Davi Millsaps (Yam)

7. Weston Peick (Yam)

8. Kyle Chisholm (Kaw)

9. Wil Hahn (Hon)

10. Broc Tickle (Kaw)

Lites/250 Results

1. Darryn Durham (Kaw)

2. Blake Baggett (Kaw)

3. Justin Bogle (Hon)

4. Justin Barcia (Hon)

5. Ken Roczen (KTM)

6. Kyle Cunningham (Yam)

7. Jake Canada (Hon)

8. Tyler Bowers (Kaw)

9. Austin Politelli (Hon)

10. Philip Nicoletti (Hon)

New Orleans Notes:
Chad Reed was in New Orleans, and told us that he was still awaiting word from Ben Townley about his recent injury.

Ricky Renner rode the Lites class on a 125 two-stroke Yamaha, but failed to qualify for the main.

According to Coy Gibbs of JGRMX, James Stewart is still in good standing with the team and missed the race due to an injured hand, despite the many rumors or Stewart looking to other teams.

Not only was the Houston round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series a historic one - with Ryan Villopoto wrapping up his second consecutive 450-class title sooner then any other rider in the history of the series (there are still four rounds left on the schedule), but it was an eventful race as well, with several key crashes, weird post-race antics by a high-profile rider, and one of the best battles we have seen all year, courtesy of Kevin Windham and James Stewart.

Villopoto came into the round with a whopping 94-point lead over Stewart in the championship chase, and needed to win and for Stewart to finish off the podium for him to clinch the title early. All week Stewart had been unsure if he would compete in the Houston round, due to the injuries he suffered two weeks before. When the news broke on Friday that the JGRMX rider would indeed ride the in Houston, it was reasonable to think that Villopoto would have to wait until New Orleans two weeks later to wrap things up. After all, most everyone figured Stewart could get on the podium. But, as the old adage goes, that's why they line 'em up and race 'em.

When all was said and done, Villopoto came away from the Houston round with his eighth win of the season and back-to-back Supercross titles, making him only the fifth rider ever to do so. Granted, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey have both been sitting on the sidelines for much of the season, but no one can deny the speed and domination that Villopoto has displayed in 2012.

450/Supercross

Davi Millsaps
Davi Millsaps is gaining confidence and speed as the season progresses and has turned out to be JGRMX's most consistent performer. The Houston race marked his second runner-up finish of the year, and early in the race, after grabbing the holeshot, Millsaps kept pace with Villopoto after Villopoto passed him in the whoops. In Houston, Millsaps said he struggled during practice and in the heat race to find a groove, but in the main it all came together for him.

Jake Weimer

Mike Alessi

Justin Brayton
Justin Brayton was not pleased with a fifth after turning in runner-up finishes at the previous two races. Brayton had a pretty good day going until the main, where a bad jump off the gate put the Muscle Milk Honda rider in a bad spot. According to Brayton, the Houston course was fast and didn't really have any major obstacles that would allow the riders to gain an advantage. It was hard to make up time, so if you got a bad start you struggled to move forward.

James Stewart
James Stewart was unsure if he would race Houston, and made a last minute decision on Friday to make a go of it. In the main, the JGRMX rider got a bad start and then went over the bars when he over-jumped a table-top, putting an end to his night.

250/Lites

This photo of Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia on the podium tells a lot: Roczen got a gift and he admitted it, although he rode a fantastic race and put himself in position to capitalize on a Barcia mistake, which is almost what happened. Barcia was not pleased at all, after leading almost the entire race only to go down when a lapper (Lance Vincent) took him out on the final lap, handing Roczen a clear track to the checkers.
Ken Roczen stood up to Barcia during the early part of this Lites final, and after Barcia grabbed the holeshot, the Red Bull KTM rider passed him to briefly take the lead. Roczen and Barcia came together twice during the early laps, and afterwards Roczen talked about the fact that he felt like he needed to stand up to Barcia. "We came together a couple of times tonight," said Roczen. "He's normally always a dirty rider but I just wanted to show him he's not here to bully us. I knew I wasn't going to hold on. It's always a Barcia Roczen thing, it's nothing bad, but the crowd needs some excitement so it's good."
Justin Barcia was incredibly fast in Houston, and should have easily won the main event, which is probably why he was so upset when he didn't. It's unfortunate that he was taken out by Vincent on the final lap, going down and allowing Roczen to get the win, but that's racing, and Barcia has used that quote on the podium himself... last year at Unadilla comes to mind. I'm sure right now he's sorry for what he did after the race, roosting, Vincent Roczen and an official, but he says it was done in the heat of the moment. On Sunday, the AMA fined Barcia $5,000 for his post-race antics. "I got the holeshot and led pretty much the whole race and then on the last lap a lapper hit me," said Barcia. "I kind of freaked out after the race, which was not professional, and I'm kind of bummed out about that, but it was just a tough night."
Blake Baggett
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Blake Baggett came from behind to beat out Blake Wharton for third in the main. "I rode loose and smooth, and sometimes I didn't get through the rhythm section clean, which is what caused me to lose some ground to Roczen, otherwise we were going to have a good battle going down to the finish," said Baggett. "I had fun and I'm pumped to be up here and we'll move on to next week."

Official Monster Energy Supercross Results

Supercross Class Results

1. Ryan Villopoto (Kaw)
2. Davi Millsaps (Yam)
3. Jake Weimer (Kaw)
4. Mike Alessi (Suz)
5. Justin Brayton (Hon)
6. Robert Kiniry (Yam)
7. Broc Tickle (Kaw)
8. Nico Izzi (Yam)
9. Weston Peick (Kaw)
10. Josh Grant (Kaw)

Lites/250 Results

1. Ken Roczen (KTM
2. Justin Barcia (Hon)
3. Blake Baggett (Kaw)
4. Blake Wharton (Suz)
5. Phillip Nicoletti (Hon)
6. Alex Martin (Hon)
7. Jake Canada (Hon)
8. Darryn Durham (Kaw)
9. Justin Bogle (Hon)
10. Matthew Lemoine (Kaw)

Houston Notes:

Hart and Huntington/Dodge Motorsports rider Josh Hill was scheduled to return to racing at the Houston round, but missed the race after injuring his arm in a practice crash.

The Legends and Heroes tour was on hand in Houston, and they presented three-time AMA MX Champ Kent Howerton with a Lifetime Achievement award. There were also lots of cool vintage bikes on hand.

Country star Lyle Lovett was also on hand to watch the racing. Lovett is a Houston native and also a longtime dirt bike fan and said he comes out to watch the Houston round each year.

Murrieta, CA - KTM Motorsports is saddened to report that Red Bull/KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey will sit out the Daytona Supercross after undergoing surgery this week to repair a broken collarbone.

Dungey, who currently sits second in the series point standings and has collected two Supercross class wins this season, suffered what was initially diagnosed to be a cracked collarbone when he slid out in a turn and landed on his shoulder while practicing at his training facility in Florida prior to the St. Louis Supercross.

Following the crash, Dungey felt sore but was determined to continue vying for his second Supercross title and KTMs first-ever US Supercross Championship. In a heroic effort, he managed to finish runner-up at the St. Louis Supercross. Further evaluation by Dungey's doctor this week found his collarbone to be broken. Dungey chose to undergo surgery on Tuesday afternoon to plate the collarbone in hopes of a healthy return to racing as quickly as possible.

"This is hard for everyone on the team," remarked Red Bull/KTM Team Manager Roger DeCoster. "Ryan has done an amazing job adapting to a completely new bike this year. Through the process he has won two Supercross races and has finished on the podium at seven of nine races. He was well in the thick of the championship hunt at the midway point in the series."

DeCoster continued, "It is often heard around the pits that Ryan needs to get more aggressive and tougher on the track; I am guilty of this prediction myself. But after what he accomplished last week racing to a close second with a broken collarbone; my doubts about how tough he is are well and truly gone. We knew he was hurting but we did not realize his injury was that extensive. His gutsy performance in St. Louis and determination to keep racing despite his injury is a testament to his dedication to the team."