Ryan Villopoto is trying to put last year's season-ending injury behind him and charge forward into 2011. He has found a new trainer in Aldon Baker and is working hard to prepare his body for the rigors of supercross. Volcom was out at the Kawasaki test track the other day to watch him take down a couple laps and checked in with a video.

Media from around the motorcycle industry congregated today at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA., today to discuss the newest addition to the Monster Energy Supercross Series. Feld Media (owners of the series) were on hand to brief the media with a preview of the conversion plans from baseball field to a world class supercross location.

"Today marks a historic day not only for Monster Energy Supercross, but Dodger Stadium as well," said Todd Jendro, Senior Director of Operations for Feld. "This venue has a historic past and will now welcome 150 of the best riders on the planet. We feel that given the iconic image of Dodger Baseball and Dodger Stadium that it is the perfect fit to host an event of this caliber."


Los Angeles Dodgers' Chief Revenue Officer Michael Young welcomes Monster Energy Supercross to Dodger Stadium (Photo: VitalMX)

In what will prove to be a massive change of scenery in Chavez Ravine, 550 truckloads of dirt will converge on the weekend of January 22nd to build a supercross track in the historic digs of the Dodgers.

"We did the initial site visit a year ago," added Dave Prater, Director of Supercross. "When surveying a potential facility, we check out everything to see if it will work logistically ranging from the press box to the paddock. Dodger Stadium has one of the most valuable fields in the country and we are honored to be welcomed with open arms."


Ryan Villopoto was on hand to show that he's nearing a clean bill of health and ready to compete.
(Photo: VitalMX)

Flanking Prater was none other than Ryan Villapoto, showing signs of health after a season ending injury this year. "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. I'm really looking forward to the season coming up and I feel like I'm going to be more ready than I've ever been before."

Known supercross fan, and Chief Revenue Officer for Dodger stadium Michael Young was on hand to receive a custom Thor jersey from the Feld staff. A welcome sign of gratitude for allowing the Monster Energy Supercross series to make a stop at his facility. Hopeful of a crossover between the sports, Young said "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. This is an amazing sport and the growth of supercross is staggering, particularly in a time when many sports are shrinking."

Finally, those in attendance were offered a walk on the grass, footsteps typically reserved for only the best baseball players in the world. Assistant Director of Turf and Grounds at Dodger Stadium was also on hand to guide the media through the process of laying dirt down over the delicate sod. While this process is fairly complex and dangerous, his trust is complete with the capable hands of Feld's supercross staff. "I have all the confidence in the world in the Feld Motor Sports crew," said Hansen. "All we have to worry about is replacing the actual grass once the dirt is removed and from what I've been told, (Feld) is the best in the world at what they do so my anxiety level is extremely low."

It's been just over five months since Ryan Villopoto was shining bright in the racing spotlight. The road to recovery has been a long and somewhat boring one for the Poulsbo, Washington native, but he's back riding and ready to return to that spotlight. We chatted with Ryan for the first edition of Idle Chat to see how his summer has been without racing.

You've had to come back from injuries the past two years. How different have the two injuries been in terms of healing and rehabilitation?
The ACL was a lot easier to return from because there weren't any complications. It was a pretty straight forward surgery. The leg injury this year was harder because not only did I break my tibia and fibula, but I broke my ankle too. The doctors had to make sure everything healed perfect before I could start doing anything with my leg. This time I got plates and screws to make sure it healed correctly, which does make for a longer healing process. My doctor was very concerned about it healing properly so I could be 100 percent when I came back. After my last check up, he said it looked great.

Since you had more time to kill than before, what did you do to keep busy? It's been a while since you've raced.
It was hard at first because I couldn't put any weight on it until the beginning of July. I was on crutches for a long time. We didn't do a whole lot during that time, but make the trip back and forth from Florida, where I'm living part time. Once I started walking, I was really happy. Crutches aren't fun at all.

You recently went to Alaska. Can you tell us a little bit about your trip?
Casey (practice bike mechanic) and I went up there to visit my cousin. We went to do some hunting and fishing, but we basically had a black cloud following us the entire seven days we were up there. Our luck wasn't good with hunting and we didn't catch the amount of fish we were supposed to.

But you did have a little fun? I saw a video of you guys mud boggin'.
Yeah. That was probably the highlight of the trip. It was pretty fun. I ended up tearing the axle out of the truck I was driving. My cousin Spencer did pretty good, but broke on the last lap of his race. It was a last man standing. I didn't really do too well. We started with six and they started dropping like flies, but it was fun to watch even after I was done racing.

What do the next few months look like for you?
I'm just riding and training for now. If everything goes as planned, we'll be going to Australia at the end of November.

Are you excited for Australia? Have you ever been there before?
I've never been. I'm really looking forward to it. It's always fun to go to a new place. I'm scheduled to race the supercross events in Sydney and then Brisbane. I haven't raced since April so it's a good opportunity to get back into the swing of it. You can only ride so much until you need to get behind a gate and go race.

Lastly, you recently got engaged. Congrats! How does it feel to take that next step?
I'm really excited. Kristen and I are really happy. We don't really have any set plans yet for the date or anything. It's exciting though.

As the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, makes its return to Houston's Reliant Stadium this weekend, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey sits atop the points lead with 261 trailed by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto with 240. With two races left in the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class, points leader and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Christophe Pourcel carries an eight-point lead following an impressive victory at the tour's most recent stop in Jacksonville. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Austin Stroupe sits in second with 126 points to Pourcel's 134 points.

During the Jacksonville stop, Valli Motorsports/Rockstar Yamaha's Ivan Tedesco, of Murrieta Calif., earned the Spike Holeshot Award. Soon after the first turn, Villopoto passed Tedesco and went on to lead all 20 laps and win the Jacksonville race, gaining ground on Dungey's 21 point lead.

"Yeah, you know, it's awesome," said Villopoto. "(I) got two good starts in the heat race and the main event. It started out as a rough day, going down in practice. I hurt my foot and went down the next lap after I finally got back up. I sat out the second practice because of it, so it was kind of a bummer of a day for me but this feels great."

Behind Villopoto, GEICO Powersports Honda's Kevin Windham and Dungey battled toe-to-toe for the better half of the race. Dungey made a strong pass on Windham early on lap 12 and continued to hold this spot to lock in his fifth second place finish of the year. As Windham held the third place position, Honda Red Bull Racing's Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., made a game-breaking pass at the finish line, stealing the podium spot from Windham and the two additional points needed to secure a fourth place spot in the points standings.

Coming off a tough seventh place finish at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Pourcel bounced back and won his fourth race of the season during the Jacksonville stop, leading nine of the fifteen laps. Privateer KTM rider Kelly Smith of Ludington, Mich., grabbed the Spike Holeshot Award in Jacksonville and was soon passed by GEICO Powersports Honda's Brett Metcalfe, of Lake Elsinore, Calif. Metcalfe held the lead for six laps, followed by Stroupe and Pourcel, respectively. Pourcel stalked the frontrunners and eventually went on to pass the two on lap six to gain the lead.

As the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class season nears its close, Pourcel is in a position to secure his second Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Championship title of his career.

Last season, in his continued climb towards the top of the AMA Supercross standings, Team San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., won his third straight Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, race in front of 48,277 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., retained his AMA Supercross class points lead with a runner-up effort. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Christophe Pourcel, of Corona, Calif., won his second career AMA Supercross Lites class race to open the Eastern Regional Championship.

Since 1974 Houston has been on the AMA Supercross class schedule. From 1974-2002 the Houston Astrodome served as host to the race before the race was moved to Reliant Stadium in 2003. The first AMA Supercross class race in Houston was on March 15, 1974 where Jim Pomeroy earned the win. In AMA Supercross Lites competition, Eddie Warren won the first race held in Houston on April 20, 1985. Jeremy McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross rider, shares the all-time win record along with Mark Barnett with five.

SPEED will broadcast the AMA Supercross Lites class at 3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 11, and the AMA Supercross class on Sunday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

AMA Supercross Class Results: Jacksonville
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
3. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
4. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
5. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
6. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
7. Josh Hill, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
8. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Suzuki
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
10. Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Yamaha

AMA Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 261
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 240
3. Josh Hill, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 206
4. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 189
5. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 179
6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 164
7. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 159
8. Nick Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 131
9. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 115
10. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Suzuki, 113

Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results: Jacksonville
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki
3. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
4. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
5. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
6. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki
7. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda
8. Matt Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Suzuki
9. Steven Clarke, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki
10. Justin Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Kawasaki

Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Christophe Pourcel, Groveland, Fla., Kawasaki, 134
2. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki, 126
3. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 102
4. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 95
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 80
6. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 77
7. Dean Wilson, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki, 71
8. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Honda, 54
9. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha, 49
10. Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 47

Heading into the halfway point of the season, the 2010 Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Series has become a war of the Ryans. Points leader and winner of three main events so far this season is the rookie, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Ryan Dungey. In the driver's seat, Dungey's a proven champion in the sport and currently enjoys a 20 point lead over the other Ryan, Villopoto, who's also a multi-time champion on his Monster Energy Kawasakis and is coming on strong as the marches towards it's inevitable conclusion.

The success of the Ryans is somewhat bittersweet, as this season's Supercross series premier class is depleted by the early season injuries of the sport's top two stars -- James Stewart and Chad Reed. Both multi-time champs, their absence has opened up the series to a host of other riders, igniting fires under a few, and allowing future superstars like Villopoto and Dungey to shine in their own light instead of riding in the shadow of Stewart and Reed. As the season has progressed, the Ryans have consistently been a notch above the remainder of the 20-rider field, rarely finishing outside of the top 5 in the first 8 rounds of the 17 race championship chase.



Last weekend's race, held within the infield of Daytona International Speedway, was representative of several other rounds where the winner was determined by which of the two Ryans got out front first, stayed out front to the finish. At Daytona it was Villopoto's turn. The week prior in Atlanta, it was Dungey's. The pace they set out front is just enough faster than the remaining 18 riders that, if they get out front, they are able to maintain a several second advantage to the finish line.

As far as the series goes, with a 20 point lead, Ryan Dungey is certainly in the driver's seat. The points payout difference for each round between first and second place is 3 points and, with 8 rounds to go, it will be a tall order for Ryan Villopoto to make up the deficit without everything going his way. That, and more than a little bad luck for Dungey. Adding to the uncertainty is just when exactly the two missing superstars of Reed and Stewart will rejoin the fray, as they'll certainly be in the mix up at the front of the pack from the moment they set a tire on the track. Teamwork may become a factor as well, since Villopoto will have Reed in his corner on the Monster Energy Kawasaki factory-backed effort, although Reed and Dungey were teammates last year on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki squad. How Stewart plays into this is anyone's guess, although many pundits predict he'll be out front of the battle for 2nd, and there are only two points between positions behind the top two.



This weekend, the Supercross class war resumes in the tour's only international stop - the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, Canada. Both Villopoto and Dungey are at the top of their games; they're injury free, racing at full capacity and, with it unlikely that any of the other riders have the speed to get between them, there will be a point gap heading into the next round of either 23 or 17 points. After that, it's anyone's guess as the return of the overlords will certainly have an effect.

The Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Series isn't only about the premier class, though, as the Supercross Lites division is also loaded with solid racing every weekend. While there isn't a battle for the points like there is in the Supercross class this season, the racing on the smaller displacement machines is often more intense and much less predictable than it has been in the sport's premier group. Divided up into regional championships - East and West - the East is heading into it's 4th of 8 rounds in Toronto, and the leader of this class is clear. France's Christophe Pourcel, aboard his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F is the cream of the crop. As the defending champion of last season's East regional championship, Pourcel is as superior to his competitors as the Ryans are in the premier class. In fact, Pourcel has been able to run faster lap times on his 250cc machine on occasion than his counterparts on their 450cc rides. Making the fights for the remaining podium spots interesting is a slew of rookies fresh out of the amateur ranks. Pourcel's teammate, Canadian rider Dean Wilson, finished on the final step of the podium in 3rd at Daytona last weekend. He finished just ahead of rival Blake Baggett, riding a Suzuki RMZ250 sponsored by Canidae pet foods and Rockstar Energy Drinks. One spot ahead of Wilson and 2nd place at Daytona (in fact, 2nd place at each round so far) is Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Austin Stroupe, who was also Pourcel's teammate last season on the Pro Circuit squad. Even though the top finisher for the remainder of the East region seems to be a foregone conclusion (Pourcel), the battles involving the entire top 5 have always made for some close and exciting racing.

This weekend's race in Toronto will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED TV this Saturday, March 13, at 7:30PM EST. Check back here at Grindtv.com/moto for the latest photos and race reports.