Villopoto took the lead in the third turn and sprinted the entire 20-lap main event to hold off his championship rivals and secured the No. 1 plate for his KX450F for next season. With the championship in reach, Villopoto was cool and confident heading to Salt Lake City. In his heat race, the defending champion battled for the lead before settling for second. In order to clinch the championship, Villopoto needed to place ahead of his two closest rivals.

Rocketing off the start on his KX450F, he took hold of the lead by the third corner and began his sprint to the finish. Despite multiple attacks, Villopoto was able to edge out the field leading all 20 laps and winning his third straight Monster Energy Supercross Championship.

“It feels amazing,” said Villopoto. “The track was tough and any little mistake could have easily changed the result. We are all pushing so hard it was anyone’s race. It took a lot of hard work to get to this point and it takes a tight knit group to succeed at this level.”

By winning three straight supercross championships, Villopoto joins an elite group of riders that have achieved such a feat. Bob Hannah, Jeremy McGrath, and Ricky Carmichael are the only other riders to have won three in a row.

The finale of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season will take place at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The racing will be intense as the Western and Eastern 250SX Regions will have their final round as well a face off against each other in the East/West Shootout.

Pictures courtesy Frank Hoppen / Kawasaki Motors Corporation

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Results
Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Rice-Eccles Stadium – Salt Lake City, Utah
April 27, 2013

450SX Main Event

1. RYAN VILLOPOTO, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
2. Davi Millsaps, Suzuki
3. Ryan Dungey, KTM
4. Trey Canard, Honda
5. Justin Barcia, Honda
6. Justin BRayton, Yamaha
7. Josh Hill, Suzuki
8. Andrew Short, KTM
9. Weston Peick, Suzuki
10. Chad Reed, Honda
13. JAKE WEIMER, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI

450SX Championship Standings

1. RYAN VILLOPOTO, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 346
2. Davi Millsaps, Suzuki, 318
3. Ryan Dungey, KTM, 315
4. Justin Barcia, Honda, 261
5. Chad Reed, Honda, 224
6. Trey Canard, Honda, 220
7. Andrew Short, KTM, 202
8. Justin Brayton, Yamaha, 177
9. James Stewart, Suzuki, 174
10. Broc Tickle, Suzuki, 165
11. JAKE WEIMER, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 139