On the race's final lap, Villopoto closed onto the rear wheel of Barcia's factory Honda teammate, Trey Canard, and forced a mistake from his rival; he rode past a fallen Canard to claim second place at the checkered flag.

"I can't really pinpoint anything," Villopoto said of his '13 struggles. "We're just working hard to get the bike better and better for me. We're just struggling a little bit."

Canard lost more than second place with his mishap -- he also allowed A1 hero Davi Millsaps to power by to steal away third and hold onto his early-season points lead.

The Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider admitted, "I came in here with a lot of pressure and I didn't start off the day very good. I was struggling all throughout practice and the heat race. Walking away with third is a good night for me. Bummer that Trey went down, but it gave me third so I'm not complaining."

Reed also took advantage, displacing Canard to fifth in the end.

Villopoto's teammate, Jake Weimer, finished in sixth, while two-time champ Stewart could manage just seventh after winning his heat earlier.

Fellow former champ Ryan Dungey, who had to make his way into the Main Event via the LCQ, fared even worse. The Red Bull KTM contender finished in eighth, with Honda-mounted Andrew Short and JGR's Josh Grant completing the top ten.

An already unpredictable Monster Energy Supercross Championship season will pick right back up next weekend in Oakland, CA.