Well San Francisco was not quite as much of a shake up as some had predicted it would be but there were definitely some riders whose fortunes changed a bit in the rainy aftermath of the round four.
Jason Lawrence finally shook off the funk he has been in to get the top of the box for the first time in the West Coast Lites series. The Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy pilot took control of the race from the starting laps and after battling with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit’s Metcalfe early was able to minimize the mistakes to hold the lead. Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey had all kinds of issues but was able to salvage a 7th place finish and get some all important points. The shortened main event must have seemed extremely long for some of those guys, Yamaha’s Broc Hepler in particular struggled at the start and then had to try and claw through the pack in the mushy San Francisco soil. So now that Jason has shaken that big monkey off his back we may have an even more tooth and nail battle coming into the final Anaheim round. Meanwhile Motosport Outlet’s Tommy Hahn hung on and got the best finish of his young career and Metcalfe continued his steady progress. As we look at the overall points standings guess who has snuck up the ranks to the second spot? Aussie Dan Reardon who has been my pick for the underdog candidate all year long just keeps doing his job quietly. The more the front runners battle and encounter their problems the more I like Torco Honda Reardon’s steady approach.
The Supercross class main didn’t fair much better weather wise but the sun certainly shone briefly for Tim Ferry as the Monster Kawasaki pilot finally got himself a good start. Maybe that is the key for Red Dog, a little extra water on the track at the start is what he needs. L&M Racings Chad Reed suffered early in the evening with rear brake issues during his heat race that had to be rather unnerving. What surprised me were his comments about how this was something they “have always had trouble with”; I mean come on Yamaha, work that issue out. Although Chad didn’t get the best start he was able to run mistake free and hold down another win.
Personally I don’t get why so many folks have taken a dislike to the guy but if you read any of the message boards he is a frequent whipping boy. I suggest all of you Internet experts put down the Cheetos and find another hobby if you don’t like Chad because until Stewart can shake off his bad luck streak Reed is at the top of the podium to stay.
Davi Millsaps pushed his Honda to the limit and beyond a few times in an effort to redeem himself after having to pull of in the A-2 round. Even though he sampled the west coast mud repeatedly Millsaps gamely pushed ahead, this podium finish may just be the harbinger of better things to come for the Red Bull rider.
Kevin Windham may just have a horseshoe hidden somewhere on his Torco Race Fuels ride because his totally sideways, pancaked jump off the track should have spelled disaster but K-Dub calmly re-entered the track and kept on slogging through the muck. San Fran was not good for the Makita Suzuki squad as Alessi had his problems and Vuillemin ended his night early with knee issues. Hopefully DV is not hurt too badly and will be able to come back next week especially since he was just coming back to form after last summers horrific crash. Big props go out to Jacob Marsack for carrying the privateer flag high and snagging fourth place on his Bad Boy Energy/ Hammerhead ride.
1/28/08
1/18/08
Anaheim Two; 80’s throwback, 08 throw down.
Coming into Round 3 of the series the folks at Live Nation are mixing it up and so are the guys out there racing which is all good news for the average Supercross fan. Early word out of the teams has it that no one is really going to rock the 80’s look on the bikes but I would look to the gear sponsors for a different answer on that one. Heck the guys at No Fear were a year ahead of the trend already with the retro looking gear for the Honda boys. Word on the interview trail has it that Rick “Too Hip” Johnson is going to one up everybody on the hipster front with the whole clan going Bad Boy for the event. I also hear that certain #4 will be making an appearance for a couple turns around the arena, not to race but rather to greet the faithful. It would be awfully nice if Ricky brought out a machine that uses pre-mix to run that little session on but we will have to take a wait and see on that one.
We do know that any fan in attendance at this race will have the best shot at seeing more the legends of this sport together in one place than any other in recent memory and that is going to be awesome. In the run up to the event there has been a lot of circulation of the famed “Battle Royale” video between RJ and Bailey and as good as those laps were in the edited version I found something entertaining in the full version of the race. Johnson was way out front, running away with it when he got held up by a lapper. The very same complaint that we hear about so much today is what actually set up the last half of that race as the epic battle it has become known for. Now granted Burnworth looked a little more interested in holding RJ up than he did Bailey, only fair considering the slam he got at the start of the race from Johnson. It just sort of made me smile to see the “greatest SX race” being set up by a grudge from a lapped rider.
So far the absolute knock-down drag out action has been in the SX Lites class with both rounds so far delivering the goods with tightly packed battles and hyper-speed paced racing. The Rockstar/Makita Suzuki backed Ryan Dungey has been doing everything right so far and I don’t think you are going to see this kid back it down until the last checkered flag falls with him as the 08 West Champion. Coming into round three I think the rider with the most to prove right now has got to be Yamaha’s Broc Hepler. I think that Broc was absolutely right to take his time with recovering from the serious concussion he suffered but it has got to weigh on him now as he tries to make his mark on the West Coast series. Torco Honda backed Jake Weimer will have to try to keep his momentum rolling after possibly the best bounce back of the New Year with last weeks win. Boost Mobile’s Jason Lawrence is another rider who has got to come out and make a statement soon before this lightning quick Lites series passes him by. So far my pick for the dark horse contender on the West Coast still stands with Daniel Reardon who has put in some solid rides so far and is just outside the top three below Brayton and Lawrence in overall points so far. If Reardon can get a breakout ride this weekend we will have yet another turn of the screw in the West Coast Lites standings.
Now how about the Supercross class?
Coming into the second visit to Anaheim last year Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart was already rolling like a fright train while San Manuel Yamaha backed Reed was 10 points down and sitting in third because of the scratch taken away by a part-time player Ricky Carmichael. This year we have a whole different ball of wax going on and for my money this is shaping up to stay a tight race for a few more rounds to come. We saw Reed putting pressure on Stewart early in the race at Phoenix but ultimately it was too slick of a surface for the kind of push Reed needed to force a costly mistake out of James. Not to mention the fact that Stewart didn’t seem to rattle one little bit under the firestorm Reed put on him in the opening laps. Barring some kind of incident like James had at A-1 Chad is going to have to bring it hard if he wants to keep #7 from building momentum.
The question is “what does a guy have to do to get some respect around here”?
The guy asking that question……Torco/Honda’s Kevin Windham.
If you listened I to the DMXS radio show on January 16th you heard an interview with K-Dub where they talked about his being left out in the wind at the Anaheim 1 press conference with no one asking the seasoned veteran a single question. In classic Windham style though his answer to the issue…”well if I get my butt on the podium and do my job, then maybe you guys will want to talk with me again.” No complaints, no excuse and mission accomplished at round 2. It is a thing a beauty to watch Windham ride when he is in the flow and I hope we get to see it for many more rounds this year.
The Factory Honda/Red Bull racing bosses have got to be leaning on the awning that shelters Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco looking for a podium finish from somebody soon.
The big discussion coming into this week centered on the “86 Replica” track design and how it would affect the racing of modern Supercross machines piloted by riders who have advanced the sport light years ahead of where it was in those bygone boogie down Eightie’s nights. Well the early report from one source has the prediction being “don’t expect the track to look the same” as it is becoming readily apparent that while “old-school” may be cool the 08 bikes are running roughshod over yesterdays track design.
I hope the riders and the fans all get a healthy dose of fun for the A-2 round as it is sorely needed in this hyper-serious time but we certainly ain’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy and the wind that is blowing change into the world of AMA Supercross is definitely going to shake the house.
Now where did I put my parachute pants?
We do know that any fan in attendance at this race will have the best shot at seeing more the legends of this sport together in one place than any other in recent memory and that is going to be awesome. In the run up to the event there has been a lot of circulation of the famed “Battle Royale” video between RJ and Bailey and as good as those laps were in the edited version I found something entertaining in the full version of the race. Johnson was way out front, running away with it when he got held up by a lapper. The very same complaint that we hear about so much today is what actually set up the last half of that race as the epic battle it has become known for. Now granted Burnworth looked a little more interested in holding RJ up than he did Bailey, only fair considering the slam he got at the start of the race from Johnson. It just sort of made me smile to see the “greatest SX race” being set up by a grudge from a lapped rider.
So far the absolute knock-down drag out action has been in the SX Lites class with both rounds so far delivering the goods with tightly packed battles and hyper-speed paced racing. The Rockstar/Makita Suzuki backed Ryan Dungey has been doing everything right so far and I don’t think you are going to see this kid back it down until the last checkered flag falls with him as the 08 West Champion. Coming into round three I think the rider with the most to prove right now has got to be Yamaha’s Broc Hepler. I think that Broc was absolutely right to take his time with recovering from the serious concussion he suffered but it has got to weigh on him now as he tries to make his mark on the West Coast series. Torco Honda backed Jake Weimer will have to try to keep his momentum rolling after possibly the best bounce back of the New Year with last weeks win. Boost Mobile’s Jason Lawrence is another rider who has got to come out and make a statement soon before this lightning quick Lites series passes him by. So far my pick for the dark horse contender on the West Coast still stands with Daniel Reardon who has put in some solid rides so far and is just outside the top three below Brayton and Lawrence in overall points so far. If Reardon can get a breakout ride this weekend we will have yet another turn of the screw in the West Coast Lites standings.
Now how about the Supercross class?
Coming into the second visit to Anaheim last year Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart was already rolling like a fright train while San Manuel Yamaha backed Reed was 10 points down and sitting in third because of the scratch taken away by a part-time player Ricky Carmichael. This year we have a whole different ball of wax going on and for my money this is shaping up to stay a tight race for a few more rounds to come. We saw Reed putting pressure on Stewart early in the race at Phoenix but ultimately it was too slick of a surface for the kind of push Reed needed to force a costly mistake out of James. Not to mention the fact that Stewart didn’t seem to rattle one little bit under the firestorm Reed put on him in the opening laps. Barring some kind of incident like James had at A-1 Chad is going to have to bring it hard if he wants to keep #7 from building momentum.
The question is “what does a guy have to do to get some respect around here”?
The guy asking that question……Torco/Honda’s Kevin Windham.
If you listened I to the DMXS radio show on January 16th you heard an interview with K-Dub where they talked about his being left out in the wind at the Anaheim 1 press conference with no one asking the seasoned veteran a single question. In classic Windham style though his answer to the issue…”well if I get my butt on the podium and do my job, then maybe you guys will want to talk with me again.” No complaints, no excuse and mission accomplished at round 2. It is a thing a beauty to watch Windham ride when he is in the flow and I hope we get to see it for many more rounds this year.
The Factory Honda/Red Bull racing bosses have got to be leaning on the awning that shelters Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco looking for a podium finish from somebody soon.
The big discussion coming into this week centered on the “86 Replica” track design and how it would affect the racing of modern Supercross machines piloted by riders who have advanced the sport light years ahead of where it was in those bygone boogie down Eightie’s nights. Well the early report from one source has the prediction being “don’t expect the track to look the same” as it is becoming readily apparent that while “old-school” may be cool the 08 bikes are running roughshod over yesterdays track design.
I hope the riders and the fans all get a healthy dose of fun for the A-2 round as it is sorely needed in this hyper-serious time but we certainly ain’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy and the wind that is blowing change into the world of AMA Supercross is definitely going to shake the house.
Now where did I put my parachute pants?
1/15/08
Through the Valley…….No Shadows.
Well the Phoenix round has run and it is really turning into an old school slugfest in both classes. How fitting that we should be running the 80’s throwback night as they head to Cali again for A-2. Your two fastest guys in the big bike class tied in the points looking to make a statement and take the momentum on through the first part of the series.
Kicking off the night for the Supercross class in heat one Factory Yamaha’s newest member Josh Hill showed he has earned that move up to the 450 taking the holeshot and running very strong. There didn’t seem to be as much luck for Hill in the main but I am going to predict that there will be no shortage of chances to watch Hill at the front of the pack soon enough. Heading into the main it was pretty clear that the famously hard surface in the valley had been well baked by the sun and throttle control was going to be way more important than willingness to crack it open. In particular the flat sweeping turn after the mechanics area looked vaguely similar to Vegas’ Thunder Alley by the time they dropped the gate for the final time of the evening. The number looked the same but the bikes brand has been changed as Mike Alessi took the holeshot just edging out Stewart at the line.
Alessi has been impressive to me, very good at adapting to the racing in the 450 class along with a new team. Not to mention that Mikey has been put in the unenviable position of constantly being referred to as “Carmichael’s replacement” under the Suzuki tent. Every time I hear that in an interview I just cringe for the guy, those are some boots I wouldn’t want to be fitted for if it were my first year on the RMZ450. An encounter with a tuff block early on ended his try for the podium but he rode the whole race dragging that afore mentioned tuff block’s cover which is a feat in itself. Meanwhile out front James and Chad were in the process of hammering it out as fast as they could at pretty much the same insane pace. I have to admit I was surprised when Reed went for the throat on lap three as they entered the split section Chad blazed the inside on the option and pushed it in on Stewart, taking the inside line in the following turn to briefly get a wheel ahead on James. The close racing didn’t seem to fluster Stewart though and he seemed able to wick up the speed enough to get away. The mistakes by both riders in the option section on lap four is what I think made both riders think twice about over riding the track and throwing away too many points.
The racing behind them for third was excellent as well and what do you know……Kevin Windham stepping it up to hold off Short and Tedesco for most of the main. Not bad for a guy who is “washed up” according to the internet experts.
Grant Langston on the other hand just can’t seem to catch a break on the big bike indoors. The disastrous bike failure he experienced in the main could just be enough to take the wind out of Grant's sails and end his hopes for even a top five finish for the year.
Now on to the real fight for the evening in the Lites class main event.
It has been a long time since we have seen so much action, passes and re-passes bringing multiple lead changes in a race like we did in this one. I can’t actually say “seen” yet as I was a web cast spectator but Weege and Holley make it pretty easy to “see”. Coming into this round I honestly thought that we were going to have a Dungey/Lawrence re-match but Broc Hepler and Jake Weimer had a different idea. Weimer’s holeshot set him up right where he needed to be after Anaheim’s less than stellar run and the Torco Honda rider made the most of it.
Dungey and Hepler battled to the front then the Suzuki pilot made some big mistakes and let Broc and Jake take the battle forward. Hepler promptly lost the back end allowing Dungey and Weimer to continue to press each other hard. It was a precursor to the battle we would see in the Supercross class as Weimer gamely held the lead and Dungey attacked with neither rider able to push too aggressively on the hard packed surface. To his credit Dungey never settled in and had Weimer not shut the door on him pretty forcefully on the final time through turn four he might have captured the win.
Meanwhile it was Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe showing why Mitch Payton was right to keep the faith, working hard inside the top five and eventually scoring that final podium spot. Jason Lawrence seemed to have issues with ramping it up to his obvious speed potential in the main and smartly settled into fifth while Aussie Daniel Reardon keeps adapting to the US racing style with a solid top 10. Once Reardon gets comfortable on the new soil I think he will be a podium contender as well and sitting in Fourth overall right now could even put him in position as the dark horse contender heading into Seattle.
The real winners in all of this Lites class madness are of course the fans like me, it is awesome to be this excited about the racing from week to week. The East-West shootout should be an absolute barnburner and if Reed can keep up his push forward and stay on Stewart we might just see things in the SX class go down to a battle in Vegas like we had in 2006.
The X factor going into A-2 has got to be the old-school track layout and personally I couldn’t be more psyched for a change in the program right now. A good healthy shot of fun at a time when things are getting dead serious…..now if we could only get a two-smoker on the line for that main event the picture would be complete.
Hey, I can dream can’t I?
Kicking off the night for the Supercross class in heat one Factory Yamaha’s newest member Josh Hill showed he has earned that move up to the 450 taking the holeshot and running very strong. There didn’t seem to be as much luck for Hill in the main but I am going to predict that there will be no shortage of chances to watch Hill at the front of the pack soon enough. Heading into the main it was pretty clear that the famously hard surface in the valley had been well baked by the sun and throttle control was going to be way more important than willingness to crack it open. In particular the flat sweeping turn after the mechanics area looked vaguely similar to Vegas’ Thunder Alley by the time they dropped the gate for the final time of the evening. The number looked the same but the bikes brand has been changed as Mike Alessi took the holeshot just edging out Stewart at the line.
Alessi has been impressive to me, very good at adapting to the racing in the 450 class along with a new team. Not to mention that Mikey has been put in the unenviable position of constantly being referred to as “Carmichael’s replacement” under the Suzuki tent. Every time I hear that in an interview I just cringe for the guy, those are some boots I wouldn’t want to be fitted for if it were my first year on the RMZ450. An encounter with a tuff block early on ended his try for the podium but he rode the whole race dragging that afore mentioned tuff block’s cover which is a feat in itself. Meanwhile out front James and Chad were in the process of hammering it out as fast as they could at pretty much the same insane pace. I have to admit I was surprised when Reed went for the throat on lap three as they entered the split section Chad blazed the inside on the option and pushed it in on Stewart, taking the inside line in the following turn to briefly get a wheel ahead on James. The close racing didn’t seem to fluster Stewart though and he seemed able to wick up the speed enough to get away. The mistakes by both riders in the option section on lap four is what I think made both riders think twice about over riding the track and throwing away too many points.
The racing behind them for third was excellent as well and what do you know……Kevin Windham stepping it up to hold off Short and Tedesco for most of the main. Not bad for a guy who is “washed up” according to the internet experts.
Grant Langston on the other hand just can’t seem to catch a break on the big bike indoors. The disastrous bike failure he experienced in the main could just be enough to take the wind out of Grant's sails and end his hopes for even a top five finish for the year.
Now on to the real fight for the evening in the Lites class main event.
It has been a long time since we have seen so much action, passes and re-passes bringing multiple lead changes in a race like we did in this one. I can’t actually say “seen” yet as I was a web cast spectator but Weege and Holley make it pretty easy to “see”. Coming into this round I honestly thought that we were going to have a Dungey/Lawrence re-match but Broc Hepler and Jake Weimer had a different idea. Weimer’s holeshot set him up right where he needed to be after Anaheim’s less than stellar run and the Torco Honda rider made the most of it.
Dungey and Hepler battled to the front then the Suzuki pilot made some big mistakes and let Broc and Jake take the battle forward. Hepler promptly lost the back end allowing Dungey and Weimer to continue to press each other hard. It was a precursor to the battle we would see in the Supercross class as Weimer gamely held the lead and Dungey attacked with neither rider able to push too aggressively on the hard packed surface. To his credit Dungey never settled in and had Weimer not shut the door on him pretty forcefully on the final time through turn four he might have captured the win.
Meanwhile it was Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe showing why Mitch Payton was right to keep the faith, working hard inside the top five and eventually scoring that final podium spot. Jason Lawrence seemed to have issues with ramping it up to his obvious speed potential in the main and smartly settled into fifth while Aussie Daniel Reardon keeps adapting to the US racing style with a solid top 10. Once Reardon gets comfortable on the new soil I think he will be a podium contender as well and sitting in Fourth overall right now could even put him in position as the dark horse contender heading into Seattle.
The real winners in all of this Lites class madness are of course the fans like me, it is awesome to be this excited about the racing from week to week. The East-West shootout should be an absolute barnburner and if Reed can keep up his push forward and stay on Stewart we might just see things in the SX class go down to a battle in Vegas like we had in 2006.
The X factor going into A-2 has got to be the old-school track layout and personally I couldn’t be more psyched for a change in the program right now. A good healthy shot of fun at a time when things are getting dead serious…..now if we could only get a two-smoker on the line for that main event the picture would be complete.
Hey, I can dream can’t I?
1/11/08
Aftermath
Well the hype and craziness surrounding Anaheim 1 has come and gone, the storms pounding the western US spared us a total mud fest and it looks like we are finally going to have some good racing in both classes for the new season.
Chad Reed had the look you normally see reserved for kids on Christmas morning after putting his L&M Racing ride on the top of the box at Saturday night’s opener. Although having Stewart go down in turn one didn’t hurt Reed I think the difference this time was that he never backed off his pace and let Stewart catch up. There is no doubt that the rutted and slippery track made it a little more difficult for James to blaze through the pack and reel in the leader as we have seen in the past but there is more to that fact as well. Since both riders had to deal with the same slip n slide track surface and the laptimes they had stayed pretty similar throughout the race one could argue that we are seeing a stepped up and ready to fight Reedy this time around. The other difference this time around is the fact that James looked like a much more mature rider. Running in second had to gnaw at the Monster Kawasaki pilot but as the old saying goes you don’t win the championship at A-1 but you sure can lose it there. I think that was the smartest ride we have ever seen James put in and if that fact is any indication of how the “new” Stewart is going to run this season there is a good chance he will repeat as the SX champ. Having said that I can guarantee you that Chad is going to do everything in his power to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s face it the guy doesn’t want anymore second place trophies, he probably isn’t worried about where his next paycheck is coming from so effectively Reed has nothing to lose. That go for broke attitude is going to make Chad a very dangerous man this season and I am going to put my head on the chopping block here and say you will see him on the top of the podium again this season.
Factory Yamaha’s Grant Langston seemed to struggle all night to find his groove and was plagued by little mistakes throughout the heat and main. Meanwhile Tim Ferry playing the part of the crafty vet put in another solid ride once again making the investment by Team Green seem all the more worthwhile.
The Red Bull Honda team didn’t get off to the start that they were hoping for with virtually every member of the team in that freight train crash in turn one so I would look for some real fire out of those boys when the gate drops in Phoenix. Millsaps and Short both put in respectable rides to finish 7th and 8th respectively while Tedesco struggled in the main. Kevin Windham looked strong and put in the kind of mud ride that everyone seemed to expect, even though he was collected in the melee at the start K-Dub rode solid to storm through the pack.
The 2008 season re-build for the Makita Suzuki squad went fairly well with Vuillemin putting in a steady top 10 and Alessi just missing top 5 after a late race pass by Windham. Mike struggled early in the evening taking the long road to the main but it looked like a more mature Alessi this time around and I think Mike will be consistently near or in the top five week to week.
One rider that team manager Roger DeCoster has got to be smiling about was Lites winner Ryan Dungey the man who is the odds on favorite for the title this year. The youngster that was famously plucked from the amateur ranks to land a full factory ride last year is proving to be the real deal by running a rock solid pace all night long. The “thread the needle” pass that Dungey put on race leader Jason Lawrence was absolutely brilliant and seemed to put enough mental pressure on Lawrence to force him into a mistake a few turns later. Having said that don’t think I am counting Jason out just yet. Putting in the fastest lap of the night in both classes does make a statement and I think you’re going to see a fired up J-law come main event time in Chase Field. Justin Brayton had to be happy with his performance taking the final spot on the box and we haven’t seen the last of the MDK/KTM pilot on the podium this season. Brayton was solid and consistent all night which could make the difference in the championship when all the points tally at the end. Daniel Reardon acquitted himself pretty well in the main after rocky start to the night going over the berm in the his heat race, you can bet that he is going to be looking to take one of the spots on the Phoenix podium. Making your debut in SX has got be a pressure cooker for any young rider and Austin Stroupe made sure that everybody on hand knew he could stand the heat by running a solid 5th. Looks like some of the good mojo from that #51 Pro Circuit ride is rubbing off on Stroupe and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same out of him all year.
So now we head indoors for round 2 and it looks like the kind of track that is going to make for some high speed battles at the front of the pack for both classes. The ultimate winner in all of this looks to be the Supercross fans that will be tuning in to follow 08’s racing action.
I would like to take this opportunity to send out my condolences to Gavin Gracyk and his family on the loss of his father Gary. ALS is one battle that has no winners and this has got to be a very dark time for Gavin and his whole family, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Donn
Chad Reed had the look you normally see reserved for kids on Christmas morning after putting his L&M Racing ride on the top of the box at Saturday night’s opener. Although having Stewart go down in turn one didn’t hurt Reed I think the difference this time was that he never backed off his pace and let Stewart catch up. There is no doubt that the rutted and slippery track made it a little more difficult for James to blaze through the pack and reel in the leader as we have seen in the past but there is more to that fact as well. Since both riders had to deal with the same slip n slide track surface and the laptimes they had stayed pretty similar throughout the race one could argue that we are seeing a stepped up and ready to fight Reedy this time around. The other difference this time around is the fact that James looked like a much more mature rider. Running in second had to gnaw at the Monster Kawasaki pilot but as the old saying goes you don’t win the championship at A-1 but you sure can lose it there. I think that was the smartest ride we have ever seen James put in and if that fact is any indication of how the “new” Stewart is going to run this season there is a good chance he will repeat as the SX champ. Having said that I can guarantee you that Chad is going to do everything in his power to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s face it the guy doesn’t want anymore second place trophies, he probably isn’t worried about where his next paycheck is coming from so effectively Reed has nothing to lose. That go for broke attitude is going to make Chad a very dangerous man this season and I am going to put my head on the chopping block here and say you will see him on the top of the podium again this season.
Factory Yamaha’s Grant Langston seemed to struggle all night to find his groove and was plagued by little mistakes throughout the heat and main. Meanwhile Tim Ferry playing the part of the crafty vet put in another solid ride once again making the investment by Team Green seem all the more worthwhile.
The Red Bull Honda team didn’t get off to the start that they were hoping for with virtually every member of the team in that freight train crash in turn one so I would look for some real fire out of those boys when the gate drops in Phoenix. Millsaps and Short both put in respectable rides to finish 7th and 8th respectively while Tedesco struggled in the main. Kevin Windham looked strong and put in the kind of mud ride that everyone seemed to expect, even though he was collected in the melee at the start K-Dub rode solid to storm through the pack.
The 2008 season re-build for the Makita Suzuki squad went fairly well with Vuillemin putting in a steady top 10 and Alessi just missing top 5 after a late race pass by Windham. Mike struggled early in the evening taking the long road to the main but it looked like a more mature Alessi this time around and I think Mike will be consistently near or in the top five week to week.
One rider that team manager Roger DeCoster has got to be smiling about was Lites winner Ryan Dungey the man who is the odds on favorite for the title this year. The youngster that was famously plucked from the amateur ranks to land a full factory ride last year is proving to be the real deal by running a rock solid pace all night long. The “thread the needle” pass that Dungey put on race leader Jason Lawrence was absolutely brilliant and seemed to put enough mental pressure on Lawrence to force him into a mistake a few turns later. Having said that don’t think I am counting Jason out just yet. Putting in the fastest lap of the night in both classes does make a statement and I think you’re going to see a fired up J-law come main event time in Chase Field. Justin Brayton had to be happy with his performance taking the final spot on the box and we haven’t seen the last of the MDK/KTM pilot on the podium this season. Brayton was solid and consistent all night which could make the difference in the championship when all the points tally at the end. Daniel Reardon acquitted himself pretty well in the main after rocky start to the night going over the berm in the his heat race, you can bet that he is going to be looking to take one of the spots on the Phoenix podium. Making your debut in SX has got be a pressure cooker for any young rider and Austin Stroupe made sure that everybody on hand knew he could stand the heat by running a solid 5th. Looks like some of the good mojo from that #51 Pro Circuit ride is rubbing off on Stroupe and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same out of him all year.
So now we head indoors for round 2 and it looks like the kind of track that is going to make for some high speed battles at the front of the pack for both classes. The ultimate winner in all of this looks to be the Supercross fans that will be tuning in to follow 08’s racing action.
I would like to take this opportunity to send out my condolences to Gavin Gracyk and his family on the loss of his father Gary. ALS is one battle that has no winners and this has got to be a very dark time for Gavin and his whole family, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Donn
1/4/08
Let's Dance.
Well the curtain is about the come up on the 2008 AMA Supercross series and it looks to be a stellar year in two-wheel competition. The Supercross class boasts some fast new talent as well as being stacked with some of the usual suspects with the exception of one certain #4 bike but it just may be that absence which serves to make the series interesting.
So why don’t I dig right in with the big bore class and see what you all think.
There is no doubt about the fact that Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart is the odds on favorite to repeat as the SX champ in 08, last year the only rider to consistently give Stewart a run for his money was that #4 guy. Now there are many who say that it was exactly that pressure which caused the bobbles that Stewart had and others that insist it was Carmichael’s presence that drove Stewart. One thing is for sure the upcoming title is James to lose and we are going to get to see if the time spent off after his abbreviated Motocross season training with Aldon Baker gives James the edge he needs to keep that number one plate. There were plenty of races last year where Stewart and Carmichael brought out the best in each other but there was one rider on the track who clearly didn’t feel like taking part in the love fest.
Which brings us to the #22, team San Manuel/Yamaha’s Chad Reed. The last couple of SX seasons have not exactly been what Chad was looking for results wise. Even though there are plenty of people that wouldn’t mind having the skills to run his pace, myself included, that hasn’t been good enough to get it done for the championship. Reed took a lot of flak on the message boards and in the bench racing sessions for his decision not to run the outdoor series but if you saw him racing at the US Open it may very well have been the best thing for him. That night in Vegas was the unveiling of Chad Reed 2.0 and if you ask me it is a whole different rider piloting that 08 YZ450F, Reed was riding hungry and not afraid to shake things up to get what he wanted. I think the fireworks are going to start early and continue throughout the year, Reedy has decided that consistency is nice but the man who rolls the dice is the one who comes up a winner.
Another rider who has had a stellar year is fellow Yamaha pilot Grant Langston, fresh off an outdoor title and looking better than ever it may very well be GL8 who throws the monkey wrench into everybody’s plans. Langston is one of those riders who just thrives on the pressure and is also definitely not afraid to get aggressive to make a pass when it counts. Grant has had a lot of success in the lites class and now that he has had a taste of the top spot in the big bore series you can bet he won’t want to stop climbing the steps of the podium. Joining Langston in the Team Yamaha semi is very capable young Josh Hill making his step up to the SX class as well. Not sure what to expect out of Hill as of yet but if his past result are any indication we should be seeing him under a factory tent for some time to come.
Moving on to the Makita/Suzuki camp brings us to a team that is in transition, the last few years have been pretty good for Roger DeCoster and his crew but this year is going to be one for rebuilding. Bringing it to the line for 08 with a brand new EFI powered RMZ450 Suzuki has a one-two punch of young rider and crafty vet. David Vuillemin is bringing his considerable bag of knowledge and testing expertise to the table which when combined with the factory equipment he has been sorely missing in the last couple seasons should add up to some podiums. DV12 is a guy you just cannot count out no matter what and with the weather predictions for A-1 leaning towards the moist end of the scale we just might see the always personable Vuillemin scoring a spot on the box. Then you have the number 800 ride of Mike Alessi making his AMA debut in the Supercross class. Personally I think Alessi is another rider who you are going to have to watch because you just never know what will happen with him once the gate drops. Alessi struggled in the Lites class during his first outdoor season and then to make matters worse he had to spend last season battling with his long time nemesis Ryan Villipoto. Mike has always seemed to be more comfortable on the big bikes and there is absolutely no question about his desire to win so I will go ahead and say it now, you will definitely see Mike Alessi on the podium in 08.
Team Honda is due for some good luck this year as the past couple SX/MX series have been sorely lacking in red bikes on the podium. Hopefully Davi Millsaps can put the bad luck behind him and deliver on his extremely promising talent. The Duke has recovered from some inner ear problems that sidelined him for the end of 07 and I am sure he would like to shake the bad luck and let his riding do the talking. Ivan Tedesco will be bringing it hard as he makes his SX debut for Honda and is another guy that has to have been frustrated by his recent spate of injuries and looking for redemption. Hot Sauce showed his skills at the outset of last year but the gremlins hounded him right off the bat and he never found his rhythm. Then there is Shorty, the man with the biggest smile in racing Andrew Short. The outdoor season was pretty good to Andrew and he continues to build his skills and comfort on the big bike, when Short is on he is a threat to win so here’s to hoping he keeps it all moving in the right direction.
The era of the SX only contract has come for one of the smoothest riders in AMA history as 08 will see the Torco Race Fuels/Planet Fitness Honda of Kevin Windham beginning to wind down his career. K-Dub is unfortunately a little too hot and cold to be considered a threat for the title but you can bet he will be consistently in the top 5 and with his superior skills in the mud you just never know he may just repeat his winning ways from the 05 opener.
So those are the major players in the Supercross class, yea I know there are many more dogs in the hunt but these are the big dogs and they are bound to make the most noise.
The kids are alright.
So far everyone seems the think that the real action is going to be in the Lites class and since A-1 kicks off the West Coast series lets take a quick look at the contenders.
Team Yamaha’s Broc Hepler has endured a couple of rough years due to injuries and if he can avoid the problems that have sidelined him in the past it may finally be his year to walk home with it all. Broc is a smart and patient rider with all the bike skills he needs and some great factory equipment under him so keep your eyes glued to the blue.
For my money though Makita/Suzuki wunderkind Ryan Dungey is looking like the odds on favorite to take the West Coast title. His debut season was marked by some incredible ups and downs and if not for some bad luck he could have spent a lot more time on the box. Dungey is a quiet, determined, smart rider and when you add the fact that Johnny O’Mara has been coaching him in the last couple months that spells trouble for anyone lining up next to Dungey.
Speaking of trouble….The Yamaha of Troy ride of Jason Lawrence will be bringing his unique brand of excitement to the gate for the West series and is another rider with the skills to shine on any given night. The only drawback to the 338 is his tendency to lose focus on the task at hand. Jason has blazing speed, reads the track well and is certainly not afraid to rub a little paint if need be but just doesn’t seem to have the consistency to take a number one plate. Maybe this year will showcase a newer more mature J-Law which is all he needs to put him over the top.
The dominant force in the last few seasons for the Lites class has been the venerable Pro Circuit crew and this year they are going to be a threat again. Brett Metcalf had been having his issues with injuries in 07 but if he is healthy then Metcalf is another rider that has the skill, desire, fitness and attitude to go all the way. Joining him under the PC tent will be rookie SX Lites rider Austin Stroupe and if his amateur career is any indication you can expect big things for Austin. I am not sure how well he will adjust to the hectic pace of the Lites class but you should certainly see him on the podium this year.
Running out of the Torco/Planet Fitness Lites rig this year you have Aussie phenom Daniel Reardon and returning alumni Jake Wiemer. I really haven’t seen very much out of Reardon yet but his reputation precedes him and after speaking with Factory Connections Ricky Z I have to say watch him this year because he may be the dark-horse contender. Jake Weimer is fresh off a great ride in Vegas and looks poised to run at the front of the pack on any given weekend.
So those are my picks for the major players going into 2008, I am not going to run down the East Coast Lites yet as they have a little time before the first gate drop so we will wait on that.
No matter how you slice it we should be looking at some great racing this year out of both classes and with the possibility of rain I can’t wait for Saturday nights racing to get underway.
Add to that the live broadcast on Speed for round 1 and you have the makings of a great way to kick off the fight. So set the Tivo, chill some beverages and rain or shine get ready for the fireworks…….crank up the music boys and let’s dance.
So why don’t I dig right in with the big bore class and see what you all think.
There is no doubt about the fact that Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart is the odds on favorite to repeat as the SX champ in 08, last year the only rider to consistently give Stewart a run for his money was that #4 guy. Now there are many who say that it was exactly that pressure which caused the bobbles that Stewart had and others that insist it was Carmichael’s presence that drove Stewart. One thing is for sure the upcoming title is James to lose and we are going to get to see if the time spent off after his abbreviated Motocross season training with Aldon Baker gives James the edge he needs to keep that number one plate. There were plenty of races last year where Stewart and Carmichael brought out the best in each other but there was one rider on the track who clearly didn’t feel like taking part in the love fest.
Which brings us to the #22, team San Manuel/Yamaha’s Chad Reed. The last couple of SX seasons have not exactly been what Chad was looking for results wise. Even though there are plenty of people that wouldn’t mind having the skills to run his pace, myself included, that hasn’t been good enough to get it done for the championship. Reed took a lot of flak on the message boards and in the bench racing sessions for his decision not to run the outdoor series but if you saw him racing at the US Open it may very well have been the best thing for him. That night in Vegas was the unveiling of Chad Reed 2.0 and if you ask me it is a whole different rider piloting that 08 YZ450F, Reed was riding hungry and not afraid to shake things up to get what he wanted. I think the fireworks are going to start early and continue throughout the year, Reedy has decided that consistency is nice but the man who rolls the dice is the one who comes up a winner.
Another rider who has had a stellar year is fellow Yamaha pilot Grant Langston, fresh off an outdoor title and looking better than ever it may very well be GL8 who throws the monkey wrench into everybody’s plans. Langston is one of those riders who just thrives on the pressure and is also definitely not afraid to get aggressive to make a pass when it counts. Grant has had a lot of success in the lites class and now that he has had a taste of the top spot in the big bore series you can bet he won’t want to stop climbing the steps of the podium. Joining Langston in the Team Yamaha semi is very capable young Josh Hill making his step up to the SX class as well. Not sure what to expect out of Hill as of yet but if his past result are any indication we should be seeing him under a factory tent for some time to come.
Moving on to the Makita/Suzuki camp brings us to a team that is in transition, the last few years have been pretty good for Roger DeCoster and his crew but this year is going to be one for rebuilding. Bringing it to the line for 08 with a brand new EFI powered RMZ450 Suzuki has a one-two punch of young rider and crafty vet. David Vuillemin is bringing his considerable bag of knowledge and testing expertise to the table which when combined with the factory equipment he has been sorely missing in the last couple seasons should add up to some podiums. DV12 is a guy you just cannot count out no matter what and with the weather predictions for A-1 leaning towards the moist end of the scale we just might see the always personable Vuillemin scoring a spot on the box. Then you have the number 800 ride of Mike Alessi making his AMA debut in the Supercross class. Personally I think Alessi is another rider who you are going to have to watch because you just never know what will happen with him once the gate drops. Alessi struggled in the Lites class during his first outdoor season and then to make matters worse he had to spend last season battling with his long time nemesis Ryan Villipoto. Mike has always seemed to be more comfortable on the big bikes and there is absolutely no question about his desire to win so I will go ahead and say it now, you will definitely see Mike Alessi on the podium in 08.
Team Honda is due for some good luck this year as the past couple SX/MX series have been sorely lacking in red bikes on the podium. Hopefully Davi Millsaps can put the bad luck behind him and deliver on his extremely promising talent. The Duke has recovered from some inner ear problems that sidelined him for the end of 07 and I am sure he would like to shake the bad luck and let his riding do the talking. Ivan Tedesco will be bringing it hard as he makes his SX debut for Honda and is another guy that has to have been frustrated by his recent spate of injuries and looking for redemption. Hot Sauce showed his skills at the outset of last year but the gremlins hounded him right off the bat and he never found his rhythm. Then there is Shorty, the man with the biggest smile in racing Andrew Short. The outdoor season was pretty good to Andrew and he continues to build his skills and comfort on the big bike, when Short is on he is a threat to win so here’s to hoping he keeps it all moving in the right direction.
The era of the SX only contract has come for one of the smoothest riders in AMA history as 08 will see the Torco Race Fuels/Planet Fitness Honda of Kevin Windham beginning to wind down his career. K-Dub is unfortunately a little too hot and cold to be considered a threat for the title but you can bet he will be consistently in the top 5 and with his superior skills in the mud you just never know he may just repeat his winning ways from the 05 opener.
So those are the major players in the Supercross class, yea I know there are many more dogs in the hunt but these are the big dogs and they are bound to make the most noise.
The kids are alright.
So far everyone seems the think that the real action is going to be in the Lites class and since A-1 kicks off the West Coast series lets take a quick look at the contenders.
Team Yamaha’s Broc Hepler has endured a couple of rough years due to injuries and if he can avoid the problems that have sidelined him in the past it may finally be his year to walk home with it all. Broc is a smart and patient rider with all the bike skills he needs and some great factory equipment under him so keep your eyes glued to the blue.
For my money though Makita/Suzuki wunderkind Ryan Dungey is looking like the odds on favorite to take the West Coast title. His debut season was marked by some incredible ups and downs and if not for some bad luck he could have spent a lot more time on the box. Dungey is a quiet, determined, smart rider and when you add the fact that Johnny O’Mara has been coaching him in the last couple months that spells trouble for anyone lining up next to Dungey.
Speaking of trouble….The Yamaha of Troy ride of Jason Lawrence will be bringing his unique brand of excitement to the gate for the West series and is another rider with the skills to shine on any given night. The only drawback to the 338 is his tendency to lose focus on the task at hand. Jason has blazing speed, reads the track well and is certainly not afraid to rub a little paint if need be but just doesn’t seem to have the consistency to take a number one plate. Maybe this year will showcase a newer more mature J-Law which is all he needs to put him over the top.
The dominant force in the last few seasons for the Lites class has been the venerable Pro Circuit crew and this year they are going to be a threat again. Brett Metcalf had been having his issues with injuries in 07 but if he is healthy then Metcalf is another rider that has the skill, desire, fitness and attitude to go all the way. Joining him under the PC tent will be rookie SX Lites rider Austin Stroupe and if his amateur career is any indication you can expect big things for Austin. I am not sure how well he will adjust to the hectic pace of the Lites class but you should certainly see him on the podium this year.
Running out of the Torco/Planet Fitness Lites rig this year you have Aussie phenom Daniel Reardon and returning alumni Jake Wiemer. I really haven’t seen very much out of Reardon yet but his reputation precedes him and after speaking with Factory Connections Ricky Z I have to say watch him this year because he may be the dark-horse contender. Jake Weimer is fresh off a great ride in Vegas and looks poised to run at the front of the pack on any given weekend.
So those are my picks for the major players going into 2008, I am not going to run down the East Coast Lites yet as they have a little time before the first gate drop so we will wait on that.
No matter how you slice it we should be looking at some great racing this year out of both classes and with the possibility of rain I can’t wait for Saturday nights racing to get underway.
Add to that the live broadcast on Speed for round 1 and you have the makings of a great way to kick off the fight. So set the Tivo, chill some beverages and rain or shine get ready for the fireworks…….crank up the music boys and let’s dance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
