Ryan Villopoto

Ryan Villopoto (born August 13, 1988 in Poulsbo, Washington) is a young motocross and supercross racer.

2007Villopoto started the season with a dominating performance in the AMA West Supercross Lites Series, where he won seven of the eight races. He carried his momentum into motocross, winning his second-straight AMA Motocross Lites Championship. To cap off a perfect season, Villopoto became the first rider in history to win the overalls in both motos on KX250F against larger 450cc motorcycles at the Motocross of Nations.

2006Villopoto began his professional career in the AMA West Supercross Lites Series at Angel Stadium for Anaheim I, where he finished second-place overall. He won his first race later in the season at Texas Stadium in Dallas and ended the Supercross Lites season third overall. Then Ryan headed to the AMA Motocross Lites Series with a little more experience stemming from his amateur days. With eight podium finishes and six first-place finishes, Villopoto proved to be unstoppable during his rookie season and became the AMA Motocross Lites Champion. That momentum was carried over into the post-season where Villopoto was selected as a member of Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in England and helped Team USA claim first place. Ryan was also named the 2006 AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year.

2005Villopoto concluded his career as a Team Green™ amateur racer and was honored for his many achievements as the recipient of the 2005 AMA Horizon Award. He competed in his first professional Motocross race at Binghamton’s Broome-Tioga Sports Center where he placed 15th overall. He finished up the remainder of his rookie season taking fifth overall at Steel City Raceway and second overall at Glen Helen Raceway.

2004Competing in numerous amateur motocross races for Team Green and winning an impressive 12 titles. He won three races at Lake Whitney Spring National, three at the GNC Finals, two at Mammoth Motocross, and four at the NMA Ponca City Grand Nationals.

2003Villopoto won 12 titles for Team Green. He won two Kawasaki Race of Champions races, four Winter Olympic SX races, four Winter Olympic MX races, and two Winter Olympics Olympiad titles.

2002Ryan won the NMA 85cc Open, and placed second in both the 85cc Stock and Modified classes at the AMA Amateur National Championships as a Team Green Rider.4

Currently resides in Murrieta, California

Controversy

Ryan Villopoto has been involved in some "on track incidents" with several different riders.

*Villopoto and Mike Alessi battled each other in their amateur days. In the summer of 2006, RV collided with Mike Alessi at the Budds Creek Outdoor National and caused Alessi to crash. Villopoto called the incident "Payback" for what Alessi had done to him throughout their amateur days.

*In 2007, Jason Lawrence (public enemy #1 of many racers) began racing dangerously and aggressively with Villopoto. The rivalry reached new heights at the opening round of the Outdoor Motocross season when Lawrence followed Villopoto around the track during practice and began putting block passes on him. Eventually Lawrence stopped in front of Ryan out of anger but an outraged Villopoto stopped and launched his motorcycle into Lawrence. Both racers began fighting in the middle of the racetrack, but AMA officials broke the fight up before it got too serious. Both racers were fined, and Lawrence was placed on probation.