The Sports Syndicate’s Ryan Villopoto had a dominant outing at Daytona en route to his 450SX Class-leading fifth win of the season and surpassed Millsaps atop the championship standings with a two-point lead. Villopoto grabbed the holeshot and opened a slight gap early, only to lose traction in his rear wheel. He dropped to third following the incident, but worked his way back into the lead by lap four. Once back out front, Villopoto pulled away from the field for perhaps his most convincing effort of the season and now has posted at least five victories for four consecutive seasons. “We’re in a good place,” said Villopoto following the race. “The track was so tough, you just had to keep on your toes and be ready for anything. We didn’t expect to be back in the points lead this fast, but from here we will try to keep the wins coming.” Next, the Indianapolis SX will mark the first time Villopoto has carried the red number plate, which signifies the current championship points leader, since the opening race in Anaheim, when it signified Villopoto as the defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion. The timing to reclaim his possession of the red plate couldn’t be better as Lucas Oil Stadium could very well be considered Villopoto’s favorite venue, taking the checkered flag for three consecutive past seasons.
