Photo: Supercross.com
Supercross - a win for Chad Reed!A dedicated crowd of 53,342 fans withstood the rain inside Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday night as the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, hosted its final race in Southern California this season. In his debut season piloting his own TwoTwo Motorsports team, Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., captured his sixth-career San Diego win in the Supercross class. GEICO Honda s Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., captured his first career supercross victory in the Western Regional Supercross Lites class.

It was Reed who crossed the holeshot stripe first to kick off the 20-lap supercross main event with American Honda s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., and Red Bull KTM s Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, in tow. Canard quickly made his move for the top spot and held it for the first five laps before falling and stalling his bike. Reed assumed the lead and held it for the remainder of the main event.

This is incredible, said Reed. I ve put so much work into this team to make it the best it can be. To win with your name on your chest makes everything so much better. This one is emotional. I just followed Trey because he was showing me some lines. When he went down, it became just about putting together 20 clean laps.

Canard remounted in third, allowing San Manuel Yamaha s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., to take over second. However, on Lap 15, Stewart stalled his bike, falling to fourth. While running second, Canard suffered his second fall of the evening, allowing Rockstar/Makita Suzuki s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., to secure second with Stewart in third. They would complete the podium in that order.

Championship leader Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., crashed on the opening lap, but fought through the field to secure a seventh place effort aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. He now holds a three-point advantage over Stewart in the points.

I just stalled it, said Stewart. I m trying my best. I don t want to just throw it away like that, but I m glad to get on the podium. I had nothing for Chad tonight, he was riding great, but I made up a lot of points.

As the gates dropped on the Supercross Lites class main event, Tomac grabbed the holeshot and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire with a convincing win.

The first five laps I just put my head down and pulled away. It was kind of crazy, said Tomac, who won by over 10 seconds. The track was really tricky and slippery. I got a little nervous out (front), but overall it was really good. I ve learned a lot this season and I ve gotten a lot better in recent weeks.

Behind him, a stellar battle ensued for the remaining podium positions among the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki trio of Josh Hansen, of Elbert, Colo., Tyla Rattray, of Wildomar, Calif., and Broc Tickle, of Holly, Mich., as well as GEICO Honda s Jimmy Decotis, of Peabody, Mass., and Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda s Cole Seely, of Corona, Calif. As the group of five riders traded positions, it was Rattray and Tickle who prevailed to round out the top three.

Hansen, the class points leader, fell to sixth, still on the mend from a hand injury suffered at the previous round. His advantage over teammate Tickle dwindled to three points as the Western Regional Supercross Lites class Championship takes a midseason break until April 16 in Seattle.