Troy Lee Designs Closes Supercross Season in Las Vegas

The final round of the 2012 supercross series provided some unique scenery. Of course you had the lush, green vegetation blooming in the Nevada desert and girls walking around in small bits of clothing, but the view under the TLD awning was different as well. With Cole Seely, Christian Craig and Travis Baker all nursing injuries, the lone gunman for the team was interim rider Billy Laninovich. Billy rode a 250 in Las Vegas and will cover duties in the 450 class for the first part of the national motocross series.

After qualifying well during the day, Billy was excited for the night show to start. His first time on the track would be for the west region main event. He rounded the first turn in eighth, setting himself up for a good shot at a podium. However, in the second turn a few riders came together and crashed right in front of Billy. He did his best to avoid the mess but clipped a bike and went down. The contact hit and bent Billy’s shift lever [and his shift shaft] and he was forced back to the pits for repairs.

The crew swapped motors and got Laninovich ready for the LCQ, which he promptly went out and won. Billy was riding well and excited about his chances in the shootout. His gate pick was dismal though and his start in the last event of the night reflected that. He charged throughout the fifteen lap final and finished 16th when it was all said and done.

“It was a little bit of a rough night,” said Billy of his Las Vegas experience. “I felt good on the bike but the crash in the main kind of messed up my whole night. Once I went to the LCQ, my gate pick for the shootout was going to be bad no matter what. I was hoping to squeak something out in the first turn but it didn’t happen. It was still a fun weekend and I’m really looking forward to getting some time on the 450 and racing in Sacramento.”

The team shifts its full focus to national motocross now. With the season opener less than two weeks away, there is plenty to do. The Troy Lee Designs team would like to offer a sincere thank you to every sponsor who has stood beside us this year. From race wins to injury it has certainly been an emotional series. Also, we would like to thank the many fans that cheered on our riders and our team. Your support means the world to us and we will continue to give everything we have through the summer months. See you at Hangtown!



TLD would like to thank all of our team sponsors: Lucas Oil, American Honda, PPG, Red Bull, Adidas, Oakley, Seaspan, Fender®, Dunlop, Renthal, Alpinestars, ODI, McQueen Racing, Hot Wheels, GoPro, Shock Doctor, Pro Circuit, Showa, VQ OrthoCare, Couts Heating & Cooling, Specialized, Kasey Kahne, N-Style, VP Racing Fuels, DubyaUSA, Moto Tassinari, PixelMags, ARC, Braking, Boyesen, Cycra, Mammoth Mountain, DID, Dirt Star, Hinson, Twin Air, Pacific Collision Centers, Sports Care Center, Elrod Racing, and New Era.