Townley spins out of Supercross shootout - The New Zealand Herald

New Zealand motocross star Ben Townley's hopes of winning the American indoor Supercross title in Las Vegas on the weekend were ruined by chain failure. The Las Vegas East versus West Supercross Lites shootout on Saturday ended in an anti-climax as Townley, the East Coast regional champion, suffered a technical mishap with his Kawasaki machine in the main event. Townley's road to the final was flawless as he qualified fastest in the East coast group and then went on to win his qualifying race, setting the stage for a thrilling 15-lap final. In the much-awaited duel between Townley and the West Coast champion, Ryan Villopoto, the New Zealander grabbed the lead from the start but moments later he came to a standstill -- a derailed chain putting him out of contention. "I really enjoyed riding in Las Vegas," Townley said. "After the heat win ... I was really pumped for the final (and) looking forward to a battle with (Ryan) Dungey and Villopoto." Dungey won the final and Villopoto finished 21st, one spot ahead of Townley. Townley heads to Sacramento, California, in two weeks for the opening round of the American national outdoor motocross championship in Hangtown. The 2004 world MX2 champion formerly from Taupo is one of the favourites for the outdoor series. picture from TransworldMotocross.com