Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto holds a tender three-point lead heading into Atlanta. Image: Hoppenworld.com.

As the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, heads to Atlanta’s Georgia Dome Saturday night, just three points separate Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto and Team San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart in the championship points race.

Last weekend before 53,342 fans TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed captured his first win of the season and his sixth-career win in San Diego.

“This is incredible,” said Reed. “I‘ve put so much work into this team to make it the best it can be. To win with your name on your chest makes everything so much better.

“This one is emotional. I just followed Trey because he was showing me some lines. When he went down, it became just about putting together 20 clean laps.”

Reed now sits third in the standings, just 16 points off the lead of Supercross class points leader Villopoto.

Villopoto crashed on the opening lap in San Diego, but fought through the field to secure a seventh place effort aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki.

South Australian Brett Metcalfe sits seventh in the standings following another eighth place last weekend, now determined to push into the top five as the season reaches the halfway point.

Expected to return this weekend is JDR/J-Star/KTM’s Tye Simmonds after he sat out San Diego with chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.

Queenslander Michael Byrne will make his second star of the season, the Atlanta round marking a home race of sorts close to his Georgia home.

Defending Supercross class champion Ryan Dungey won last year’s main event in Atlanta in a hotly contested 20-lap main event.

After a week off, the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites class championship resumes with Geico Honda’s Justin Barcia leading the championship points race.

Barcia scored the first win of the season at Houston’s Reliant Stadium, beating rival Dean Wilson of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.