Racer X Redux: Unadilla
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 | 4:43 PM
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In this article…
Riders
- Davi Millsaps
- Trey Canard
- Kyle Chisholm
- Kevin Windham
- Tim Ferry
- Andrew Short
- Jason Lawrence
- Mike Alessi
- Ricky Carmichael
- Brett Metcalfe
- Ryan Sipes
- James Stewart
- Chad Reed
- Kyle Regal
- Chris Pourcel
- Ryan Villopoto
Races
Welcome to ReduX presented by Renthal. Just like we anticipated, Dungey had a fight on his hands with the guest star.
The battle we were waiting for?
Simon Cudby photo
But it was the wrong guy! Instead of James Stewart engaging The Dunge in a second moto duel live on NBC, Clemente Desalle provided the challenge. The MX Panda was hungry, and he held Dungey off until the 20-minute mark of the second moto, which is the strongest challenge Dungey has faced during his eight-race win streak. Clemente Deale! The MX Panda!
(Two notes on Desalle: I talked to him on Friday to confirm his name is pronounced "Clemah" like LeMans, not "Clemente." He also said he watches the races via the web and the international feed, and he says I talk too fast sometimes. Excellent point.
Note number two: The MX Panda nickname comes because, apparently, Clemente used to eat a lot, and pandas eat a lot, hence MX panda. Did not know panda’s ate a lot, and I really feel bad because elephants and pigs take so much heat while pandas must be getting off easy. Gotta' love the things you learn in motocross. Someday I’ll spout off "You know panda’s eat a lot" and I’ll sound smart. Just like I was the only kid in elementary school who knew Holland and the Netherlands were the same country. I learned it from the MX des Nations!)
Dungey did exactly what we knew he would do—get better and faster throughout the day as the track got rougher, and he eventually overcame all challengers in smooth, efficient fashion late in the day. This is a systematic annihilation of the competition, and there may be no end in sight, unless Ryan Villopoto or James Stewart can somehow return to the series….
Oh wait! Stewart actually did return! This was one heck of a much-anticipated battle, as Stewart and Dungey have never raced against each other outdoors, and Stewart has a rep for only returning when he’s ready to win—check Budds Creek ’03 and Glen Helen ’08. To make predictions about who would win Unadilla would be disrespectful—Dungey has surely earned the right to be the favorite, but it would be ridiculous to think of Stewart as a non-factor.
You may have heard that #7 was back.
Simon Cudby
Especially after watching him in practice. The #7 was flying immediately—just carrying so much speed in corners, and pushing hard over the bars—classic Stewart style and speed. He clocked in the fastest laps in both practice sessions. But that only means so much. I remember James besting Ricky Carmichael’s practice lap times on a 250 two-stroke in ’05, only to end up getting caught in the first moto by RC, and then landing on Ricky in a crash heard ‘round the world. And Dungey has quite a rep for progressing throughout the day. Practice times means little here.
Almost surprisingly, Dungey grabbed the holeshot in the first moto. Seems like he’s taken another page from RC as he adopted the "trade a holeshot for a safe top five start, and make sure you never, ever get caught in a first-turn crash" strategy. But sometimes he stumbles on a holeshot. Andrew Short and Desalle were next, but you kept waiting for Stewart to uncork it. Instead, he made a ton of mistakes, as it didn’t look like his bike was really set up right. He was eating lots of roost and had some tearoffs flapping on the side of his helmet. Plus, surely he had some racing rust, right?
"Oops! Sorry, Andrew. I'll let you have the next one. My bad."
Simon Cudby photo
At the halfway point it was clear we weren’t going to see a battle in this one. Dungey took off in his standard fashion, while Stewart was just trying to nurse it home without having one of those small mistakes turn into a big one. But that happened when he crashed at the bottom of Screw-U and handed second back to Desalle. Stewart made a last-lap run to get him back, but came up short.
For sure, Stewart looked like someone who had been off a bike for five months, and was riding for a team that has only raced one outdoor national ever (they brought Reed out to Budds Creek in ’07 to get some prep in for des Nations). Things weren’t perfect, but here’s the thing—despite all of that, he still snagged a podium finish, and finished 13 seconds ahead of the Short/Metty battle for fourth. And those two were battling and pushing all the way to the finish. So while James looked a little rusty, he was definitely not slow.
And hey, I had a few people email me after the race saying we shouldn’t have built up Stewart’s return so much, because Dungey is the new champ and Stewart hasn’t proven himself. Yeah, well, that’s an easy email to write after the race, but seriously, at the track, no one was counting Stewart out before the race. No one. And then after that first moto, could he make some bike changes, smooth out, and run with Dungey in moto two?
He wasn't ever that worried, it appears.
Simon Cudby photo
Now comes the craziest statement you will hear all season. Sure, it’s been a year of surprises—like Dungey winning huge in his rookie season, Chad Reed and Stewart bombing out, etc—but if you’re looking for the sentence least likely to have been written before the season began, it’s this:
Stewart got a bad start, made up a few positions, but was eventually repassed by Mike Alessi in a battle for 11th place.
Stewart and Alessi! 11th place! Seriously, I think Stewart will retire before he accepts that fate, so he literally did retire from the race. If he’s back for Southwick, he should be much, much better, but still, you have to admit that Dungey never even saw him during the races, which definitely means something. No word on if the #800 was trying to get James a good deal on old Believe the Hype shirts before the race.
By the way, Alessi went 13-13 on the day. Even in his bad motos this year he was grinding out 12th place finishes, so this was another step back. Amazing that the Alessis are just non-factors at this point, and they’re not generating any crazy drama or headlines off the track, either. This is how bad it is for the Alessis right now. Somehow still, they’re a distance second to that #338 guy in the "riders who used to be lightning rods for attention that we don’t even talk about anymore" standings. They can’t even win that!
Yes, J-Law’s team was there and someone was seen on a #338 bike during practice, but the only things people say about J-Law anymore are "why are we even talking about J-Law anymore?" so we’re done with this topic.
Okay so Stewart was out. Erin Bates headed to the pits to get a Stewart interview, but we know from experience that when things go bad for James, he doesn’t like to talk. One of the NBC producers got in my headset and said, "tell the viewers we will have a Stewart interview soon." Hey, that sounded good, but what were the odds? Sure, the NBC guys might talk to the losing coach after a tough NFL game, and they might interview a NASCAR driver after he gets wrecked in a race, but this is James Stewart we’re talking about here, and he doesn’t talk when things go bad.
What would have been the harm in him saying, "I tried my hardest but I’ve only been on a bike for a few weeks, I’m tired. These guys are good and I’m not ready yet. Just want to thank the fans and my sponsors."
It really wouldn’t have been that hard for him to say. Really not hard at all. Because you know what? He said that exact same thing after he finished third in the first moto! Just come out, hit the play button on that speech, and bam, your respect level will go up 1000 percent. This is an easy plug for your sponsors on live network TV. But he missed the chance to play it right, which I think we’ve been seeing happen since 2005.
KW was expected to be a factor on this track but a first-moto getoff ended his chances. It did not slow him down though, as you'll read later.
Cudby photo
Okay so where were we? Oh yeah, Short had the second-moto holeshot and Dungey was right there, so obviously Dunge was going to make the pass and check out. Except Desalle was still up front giving Dungey fits! Dungey would make a charge, get into a bad line or take on some roost and drop back. The possibility that Dungey was not going to pull this off became a real possibility, but he finally made a run and got by in mid-air over the Skyshot. If Stewart hadn’t been there, Desalle’s ride would have been the talk of the day, or even the season. Awesome job by the Belgian—and by the way, I’ve never seen Roger DeCoster smile so big after a race. His boy Dungey wins with a Belgian on his bike taking second? Nice.
This photo brings me back to 2003. Let me explain...
Carl Stone photo
And speaking of great moments for Belgium, let me take you back to the 2003 Motocross des Nations in Belgium. The world braced for a titanic Ricky Carmichael v. Stefan Everts battle, with both in their prime. The King of Belgium was even there (you can’t make this up). The des Nations used a one-moto format that year, and when Tim Ferry crashed and hurt his thumb and Ryan Hughes broke a chain, Team USA’s hopes were lost. But that didn’t stop Carmichael from raging through the field, on a 250 two-stroke, and passing Everts for the lead and the moto win. We would later find out that RC was riding with a torn ACL, and that 250 two-strokes were hopelessly outclassed (we weren’t 100 percent sure at the time, because RC was still winning on one).
So Belgium actually won the event, at home, in front of the King. But Everts knew he had been beaten where it counts. When it was over, Everts pumped his fist, said "we’re number one" and basically tried to pretend he was ecstatic about the team victory. But he knew, and everyone else knew, that he had been beaten. Who were the other riders on Team Belgium that day? I don’t even remember. That’s not what anyone cared about.
Okay so here’s the point. In the 250 class at Unadilla, Trey Canard scored a MASSIVE victory by going 2-1 and clipping 22 points off of Christophe Pourcel’s lead. On paper, it’s a huge victory for Trey, and also further proof that you should NEVER, EVER, NEVER start with this "if this guy finishes second in every race for the rest of the season he will win the title by X amount of points" garbage. Sure, Pourcel could have gone 2-2 at the final four rounds and won the title, but racing doesn’t work like that, and sure enough he crashed out on the second lap on his favorite track. Let’s show the races some respect and stop making up results before they happen (unless you want to bet on a Short holeshot and Dungey taking the lead at the 17-minute mark. I’m with you on that).
Okay so Trey makes up massive points. But, that second moto charge by Pourcel was ridiculous. It was not supposed to happen. Canard checked out with a huge early lead, Pourcel had a bad start, and he had to be hurting. If he had salvaged a fifth, or a second, it would have been impressive. But oh man does the Frenchman fly on this track. He made up a crazy amount of ground in the last ten minutes, and Canard started making mistakes once the heat was on. Once Pourcel got around, Trey got to see some of his fast lines, pick up the pace and almost get him back, but CP held on for what has to be the grittiest moto win we’ve ever seen from him.
The GEICO geckos are representing against the Monster monsters.
Cudby photo
So if you’re Canard, it was an awesome weekend on just about every account—you made up the huge points you needed, and you’re cashing another win bonus check. But who really left the track feeling like the victor? Yes, Unadilla is a special place for Pourcel, but regardless of the track, that’s an amazing win, and he left no doubt whatsoever that he’s still the man in this class.
Of course, there are some that theorize that Pourcel, being Mr. First Moto, basically did in moto two what he normally did in moto one. After all, he did get to rest during the first moto. And if Southwick is rough, hot and humid, can he really ride like that in both motos there? Meanwhile, Canard’s been deep into sand riding boot camp at Tim Ferry’s house. There’s still a showdown brewing here, but that was still an amazing effort to salvage some momentum for Pourcel. I can’t wait to see him at Unadilla on a 450 next year.
What’s up with those GEICO Powersports Hondas? They went 1-2-3-4 in the first moto and are as close as they’ve ever been to matching Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki monster stride for stride. I’m calling them the Tampa Bay Rays of MX—they rebuilt this team with top draft pics out of the amateurs, and now it’s paying off. Canard, Wharton, Barcia and Tomac all signed with the team a full year before they turned pro, and now the squad is finally delivering the results they had always envisioned.
Another member (usually) of that team, Kevin Windham, was a favorite in the 450 class since he usually hauls at Unadilla, and this year he was on a 450 instead of last year’s failed 250 experiment. He crashed out of moto one, but came raging back in moto two, passing Short aggressively in the last turn of the race to steal fourth. KW also logged his fastest lap of the moto on the last lap, just so he could catch and pass his teammate and finish fourth. The veteran is seriously motivated right now. After that ride, someone who knows what they’re talking about told me KW wouldn’t have been a bad MXdN choice. Not a bad idea once you think about it.
And by the way, Windham and Davi Millsaps now both have exactly 76 points after each have run three races. Talk about the perfect fill in.
A few weeks ago we mentioned the top privateer battle between Kyle Chisholm, Kyle Regal and Ryan Sipes. There are now just four points between the trio as the battle for 8-9-10 in the standings, and trust me, all three of them know this.
That’s it from ‘Dilla. I have a weekend off and after the two week X Games/Loretta’s road trip, I feel like I’m getting vacation days just by sitting here in the beautiful Racer X offices. And once this column is posted, I’m pretty much out of work to do, so please email me at [email protected] so they don’t find something else for me to work on.
The full Barcia experience.
Carl Stone photo
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Fantastic flashback to Everts v Ricky! Andrew Short must feel like Rodney Dangerfield. If it isn't Stewart then it's Windham. I heard #29 is petitioning to change the MXoN moto format to 16 minutes and 59 seconds.
PS: Speaking of Alessi and Bubba, Inside the Motorhome and Days of Our Lives with Eric Sorby repeated last night. It was like watching old school footage. Some short Greek/Italian father whose maniacal dream of producing CyberDyne T-1000 racing machines and two guys living in a mansion hitting on real estate agents. Bubba will be back! Alessi....no.
Jame's Letter: I believe that James feels rejected, and we can not know how it feels, because for one we are not a professional racer that has given up everything to race motorcyles, and just try dealing with all the discrimination that there is in this world. I think he should be able to speak his mind on what ever he wants to say, or not say!
the open letter from #7 just made me dislike him even more,he hasnt raced mx for 2 years but expects to be on the team,one year he wouldnt go when they wanted him too. now he is crying about not getting to go, good decision roger mitch and davey
Stewart's ego knows no bounds and the dude is way too caught up in his own celebrity. DNFing the the second moto at Unadilla and then whining that he should be on the MXdN team. Time to leave planet JS7 and come back to Earth, Bubbles.
Funny how he complains he didn't get the shot he wanted to prove himself yet the only thing he proved at Unidilla is that he doesn't have a proper outdoor setup and that if things aren't going his way he'll quit. His best days are behind him.
Way to go WEEGE!!!! Pour some more fuel on the fire of these Stewart haters. I will ask you the same question i asked others on here. Why did i not see you reprimand the defending champ Reed when he pulled off at Millville?? I dont recall us getting a quick hit of the play button from him that day either and not a squeek out of you about it......thats bull crap!! Did they not send Erin to the pits to get an interview with Reed after he pulled off??? Bet they did, but we did not get one did we?? If i missed something that makes Reed not giving us any face time different than Stewart not giving us any face time, then in all sincerity, enlighten me!!! I just want to understand cuz i personally dont think those guys HAVE to come out and answer potentially stupid questions at that particular moment. Mainly i want to know why you call one rider out on it, but did not another. Once again, my point is only that i do not recall Reed coming out and giving us anything either...Reed the champ!!! Did he and i just missed something or what??
....as a matter of fact, you did not even mention that he pulled off the track at all in your "Redux" of Millville.....what was up with that??
My response to that would be, Stewart (as Weege said) has a history of not talking to the media after a bad day. Reed, on the other hand, has talked many times after having problems (unless he was puking in his motorhome). Also, Stewart was tired after the moto; Reed was suffering with Epstein Barr (whether he knew it or not). Are you on Bubba's payroll, whatever?
Sef154-- I agree with you 100%.
If the Euros race on a different surface almost every week, we shouldn't be surprised if a top Euro can fly over for a race and do well on a decent bike. Moving here and doing well with a new team for a whole season is another matter, but for a one-shot, they will just show up & deal. As for JS7, at his letter I replied that DeCoster no doubt noticed JS7 running that red #1 plate at the first publicity shoots for his outdoor comeback. Bad, bad move. Given a choice, seems like Team USA usually picks a proven, consistent, *well-behaved* third rider, and those guys tend to rise to the occasion. Having said that, I hope everyone who criticizes Stewart over all this will join me in pressuring the manufacturers to enter their U.S. teams in the USGP next year.
And here goes sef, returning to old form. I dont give a F what your thoughts are on it bud. It's not about James at all. It's the fact that there is ALWAYS a good reason it seems, when somebody else has done something (as seems to be the case here) but JS doing it seems to mean something derogatory!!! How the F do any of you know he didnt go in and puke after hde pulled off. How do you know Reed did go in and puke?? My point is, Reed had just pulled off the track and decided to not finish the race, unless he was in there convulsing or something, his ass could have taken 30 seconds to give us a whats up also.......But no, Reed gets a free pass on it.......sorry but it is hypocritical, and we can fill this page with proverbial ink arguing back and forth about it, but thats my opinion and it wont change.
I just don't understand why with 6 weeks of practice and then two practices and the 1 moto they could not get the bike set up. I will bet Regals stock forks and shock revalve were not even close to Bubble's factory suspension but yet he sill ran all the laps and was pushing the hole way. If he did not do the testing or if he did not know how to test that's no one's fault but his own. Bike set up is a big part but it is up to the rider to get it right he's the one knowing what it is doing! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.....And yes, remember, Reed could not have known he had EB virus at that point, so the main reason he probably pulled off was most likely due to one of the main symptoms of EB virus........FATIGUE!!! So, he most likely was "tired" at that point too!!! Whats the difference?? ...one more thing on the "history" of Stewart. Correct me if im wrong, but i remember CR going straight to the truck without conducting an interview on other occasions in the past also.....as have countless other riders for various reasons.........so what??!!
Besides, i'm waiting for Weege to "put me in my place" on it anyway, i've already argued enough with you "gentlemen" on here and other pages about it. So BKR,JDubya,fczook, etc. Dont bother!!
Whatever" I think the reason why so many poster's are upset is Bubble's has been saying how he was coming back for the fans and his sponsors. Well what fans he has wonted to no why and so did the rest of us if this was not sutch a hipped up race know one would have cared. When Reed pulled of in MN "i was there" most people did not even realize it for 2 to 3 laps he was not in the front and was not the news at that race. The news there was RD5 and KW14 return that's were people were watching and thinking about! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@yzsean: Didn't someone with the initials RD have trouble with bike setup and finish poorly at Hangtown? :) Just teasing, Dungey manned up & admitted he hadn't done the work to get ready, and fixed that by the next race. I don't understand why someone w/ Stewart's resources didn't rent a Northeastern track similar to Unadilla for the Monday after a race at least once for testing. Closest you will get to race conditions and more to the point than a prepped CA or FL track, or even a sketchy one.
Bad P.R. move by Stewart's camp on the MXoN issue. Shame on the AMA for giving an empty promise, but shame on James and L&M for stepping on the toes of racers who have been gutting it out all summer. The MXoN is a motocross, not supercross event.
Not to change the subject, but...well ya, to change the subject - Did anyone else watching the first moto online wonder if Wharton was being a good team player and helping Trey get his 25pts on Pourcel? Its hard to tell when whatching sometimes but Wharton looked like he could have completed the pass several times and let Canard have it. I'm a huge Canard fan but I was bummed when Wharton went down in the first turn of moto 2 as I think he was really on it that day.
thats fine "yzsean", but I remember watching Millville and i most definitely wanted to know why Reed had pulled off. What are you saying, that suddenly the guy with the #1 plate didn't matter out there anymore??? C'Mon man!!! As much as i wanted to know what had happened, i was not in any way scarred by the fact that i did not find out until Monday what had gone on with him. So we need to decide if James Stewart does matter out there or if he doesn't matter, cuz it sounds one day like "who cares and Bubba who" but then in a situation like this "pulling off the track thing" you make it sound like the most important bit of info of the whole day. Doesn't jive!! It's just a case of more s h i t to rail his ass for. My question still remains "whats the difference" between JS and CR, why is one a travesty and the other understandable??
Okay Whatever, time to fess up.....I'm Weege! haha JUST KIDDING! Weege you better watch out as some Stewart guys are going to egg you at Southwick. You are 100% accurate and it's refreshing to hear some truth from the media (not the usual ass-smooching).....it's stuff that if Team Bubba paid attention would work in his favor. It isn't bashing as his followers believe. It is all good advice that if he just listened....... I wouldn't expect to be on his X-Mas card list though. Maybe it is too many YES men in his camp? They need a P.R. team STAT! He is taking schrapnel even on his own website. I have never seen such a thing in MX for a former champion. He did a great job with his podium speech, why not repeat after moto 2 as Weege stated? Now this letter has undone ANY good will that podium speech did. Who is guiding him? Oh Larry Brooks. What was I thinking? I'm starting to feel bad for him.
Maybe nobody cared much as to why Reed pulled off. I was there and when I didn't see him I really didn't think much of it. Now when the Fastest Man on the Planet pulls off, well people notice.
I didn't realize Alessi passed James back for 11th. That was probably the blow that sent him into hiding. As if his ego hadn't taken a hit already. I think Larry should just call JGR and get some of their suspension to put on. Will save some time and effort....and eliminate an excuse
Why the f would anybody egg him at southwick?? Questioning him about why the criticism for JS and not CR is somehow out of line, and or showing hostility toward the guy?? Not at all, just wanna know the difference. You were just waiting for something to "undo" the small amount of credit you gave him on saturday werent you BKR?? Hello, James Stewart, listen to me....the only thing you can do to turn around all of this undue disrespect that YOU get, is to focus completely on racing again and come out and put all of these dudes shorts in a bind by getting back on top!!! That is the only way!!! You Fers just wont quit will you?? F'ing hatin bastards!!
Whatever" I think you will find what maters is what was the NEWS that weak! Bubble's was the new last week readers wonted to know. Not that Reed was not important but the big new that week was KW14 and his return and RD5 racing his home track. Reed had been struggling and was not the big subject that weekend. I think that will be the best explanation you will get so take if for what it's worth. If Bubble's was to run top 5 or 10 for 3-4 races no one would care if he pulled of ether and would not even notes for 2 to 3 laps just like Reed. It was his first race back in 2 years of outdoors there was publicity just a little! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So then he IS the fastest man on the planet huh JDubya??? You see what kind of bull**** game you guys play?? Dont ever say that JS doesnt matter in this sport when you are going to point blank say that it didnt matter why the "champ" pulled off but it did matter when James did......you sound so ridiculous when you say things like that!! Yeah, yeah, i know, i sound ridiculous too.....blah blah blah!!! You people need to decide whether or not the guy matters or not, because half of you unknowingly step on your own tongues with the crap you say on here!!! Oh the insanity of it all!!!
I think he matters wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to much to you whatever. Go have a beer or something.
Whatever" I hope your not saying i have ever said he does not mater to the sport i NEVER HAVE! The truth is i was a big fan of his in his 125 days. Than at Millville one year a good friend of mine doter wonted his autograph so i got here into the pits we fond Bubble's she asked for his autograph he would not give it to here she had a Thor shirt on and he said he only sign's Fox. She was 10 years old started crying and he just walked away i am not a fan any more to say the least. But i do respect what he could do on a bike but every dog has it's day and there are some fast riders now and fast riders coming! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hahaha. Lighten up Whatever! No one is going to egg Weege at Southwick, it's called a joke...based on how riled up guys like you get over comments like I (and Weege) made. I gotta admit, I love when you bring out the "blah blah blahs". Gets me everytime! And no I wasn't waiting for anything to undo the credit James got from his 1st moto speech. I was actually hoping nothing would come.....He did it though! First by NOT talking and then by this Open Letter where he comes across as a spoiled, bitter FMOTP. Did you see the fan posts on his own website? I really do feel bad for him, it's like he just can't keep from making the wrong PR move and it is so easy to do it right. So easy. It's like he has some sort of compulsion to try to win fans by going against any basic logic. It really is bizarre.
The biggest move of the weekend was stewart giving up. Wrist was fine. How VERY unproffesional.
This chain of events will forever scar his career. He is now exposed to what he really is. And blaming it on bike setup? What a fool.So glad he did not bring this shame to Rodgers' camp.
Ohhh, I almost forgot this gem. There was a contest bike under the San Manuel awning with red #1 plates on it. It was a giveaway bike for a contest, promotion, etc.....but again with the red #1 plates? How about that for a shot at the current points leader/SX #1 plate holder? How about putting white #7s on it so there is no hidden message or perceived disrespect and just put the red plates on it before delivering it to the guy? I wonder what Roger D thought of that when walking past the San Manuel pits, I bet that burned his ass. That Larry Brooks is something else.
if bubbles put all those laps in wouldnt his track get rough?????? he way win some more races but his arrogance has cost him a lot of fans and he hasnt mattered the last 2 years in mx he was mia
We all know the only reason James wanted to be in the MXDN was for his camara crew to film for the next reality show. And how can he blame his bike setup after finishing 3rd in moto 1??? If his bike setup was so bad, wouldn't he have pulled off in moto 1, Yes ! So sick of stewey and alessi and theyre dang excuses. Nobody misses #7. If they did, they dont anymore. Villopoto and dungey are the badasses of the sport now. How arrogant for this idiot to be running red #1 plates. Leaving Kawi for him was 1 step forward, 2 steps back. James, you surely got caught slippin . Go cry on todd potters shoulder crybaby
@BKR, that bike had red number one plates because it was the same bike he was giving away at anaheim one or whatever race it was. if you will remember he was the reigning supercross champion at that point. the guy who won it didnt take it home until unadilla because he got tickets to that race as well and i believe he lives in york. so you cant use that one sorry.
Honda101" How about this one why on earth would he be on the cover of this month's Racer X with red backgrounds with the number 1! Its not like its a old shot he was riding red 1 way past when he deserved to. Of course i hate the 7 to i have run 7 or something with 7 in it from 1972 its my number HA HA HA! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously?! I know it was a giveaway bike, so what?? You are at Unadilla 2010 where there is a current points leader in each class. Under your awning is a Yamaha with red #1 plates on it? I don't care what the reason is, put white #7 plates on it while it is on display for the day. There were only 2 other bikes with red # plates on them and they were EARNED by Dungey and Pourcel. The disrespectful message sent AT THE RACE is loud and clear and I bet DeCoster was quietly seething over that. You honestly think stuff like that goes unnoticed? Or that Larry Brooks is clueless about it? Message sent loud and clear. This is the kind of thing that is poor PR and either it was done for the purpose of saying "this is where that plate belongs" or the whole team is just bumbling fools to not understand the meaning involved. Larry Brooks knows exactly what he is doing, and he thinks he is so slick. This one takes the cake for me. Stewart feels disrespected when RacerX puts a "New FMOTP?" caption under a picture of Dungey. He is well aware of the respect factor as is Larry
James, with all the scenarios that could have played out Saturday I NEVER expected to see what I saw in M2. Yeah you crashed in M1 ( you picked yourself off the ground and got third), yeah your setup was wrong, yeah you were getting your handled in M2 , yeah you will be better prepared for the last three races, yeah you were disappointed (hurt feelings ?) about MXDN but damn James even if you would have FINISHED 11th (which I doubt) in M2 11 – 3 was top 6 with a bad setup after not having been outdoors in 2 years. No shame there! Better to be embarssed about 6th than to deal with all this BS. Truth is James that move makes you look like a chumpion. Every guy in the top 12 is circling now dude. Where is the guy got that carried out on his shield big time racing with RC James ? JimM CarlsbadCA
For the record, whatever, I dont give a F what your thoughts are on it either. By old form, do you mean disagreeing with you? Shame on me. You are over the top, dude.
Hey JohnnyO', I think I saw you walking around toward the back side of Unadilla.
This "whatever" guy really needs to go away, off these message boards. I am really surprised the administrators allow his stupid whiney bull @%#^ comments on here. Dude, its obvious you have a deep amount of love for your hero, but do you ever really read your comments and feel like a man? Unless you are a boy who hasn't quite hit puberty yet, stop your whining - YOU SOUND LIKE A ****!!! How old are you?
....female dog.......
Actually Whatever does know the sport and can contribute to a conversation but his LOVE of Stewart and HATE of Reed hurt his credibility. After seeing the beating Stewart is taking on his own website I'm thinking we may need to put Whatever on suicide watch. Yeeeeeeeeouch.
Motoguy717" I am not bagging on you but WHATEVER has been on here a long time. And even if you and me don't agree on some of what he has to say there is no reason to bag on him. The good thing about this sight is every one can say what they wont and it would be hard to have every one agree on every thing. Other than RC is the GOAT and there's probably some one out there that does not agree with that! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suppose BKR, Sef154, bd200, yzsean, and myself will be blamed for all the venom posted on the Fastest Man on the Planets website.
JS7- Great that you made it back, you can still hammer. BUT- you aren't in shape, in fact you are way out of shape, and it showed. Unfortunately it is impossible to get fit in 2 or 3 weeks. Next year.
oh my **** moan. These comments are a joke. You boys need to step away from the keyboard, and get back to watching your soap operas.
After reading stewies letter, I really wish he would join puerto rico with barcia and Osbourne. Barcia on 450. That would be awesome and would make the AMA guys look like idiots. Shorty is good and im not saying they should have chose JS but Lying to a rider on a professional level is just not good. I mean the guy is hated on like JESUS. I wonder what all the haters will say when he gets back. I think JS winning days are coming to an end BUT trust me he still has a yr or 2 of domination. All these hate just woke up a sleeping lion. the last 3 rounds I bet he goes 1-1 by the season end.
this was the greatest challenge dungey got all year? wasnt it red bud where reed and townley were on him the WHOLE moto? and even desalle thinks ur sound like an auctioneer lol
Yea riding for another country will definitely help Stewarts credibility. He needs to lick his wounds and try again next year. Anybody check on Whatever? He has been absent for way too long.
theron: AMEN! There is no such thing as bad publicity and the only people whp give Stewart more attention than his supporters, are his detractors! JS7 wins again.
Whatever I agree with your points. Most of the folks here dont understand. I wouldn't waste my time convincing anyone. When JS gets bike and fitness back the haters will eat their words. No one has an idea how its like to be JS and all the pressure he has to deal with. At this point he doesnt even know whether to take it personal or what. remember even without talent JS stands out from the crowd just by looks. As for YZ sean get all your Dungey hype now before RV and Pourcel get on the 450.All this hype by racer X of new fastest man is gonna get shut down real quick.
Dgizzy" I thought you said last week would be my last! I think i will be able to put Dungey Rules for quite some time! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KX250" I know you wont believe this but i totally agree with your post RED BUD moto 1 was great! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello from down-under. You folk on here are amusing to say the least, but right or wrong, outspoken or not, good to see your all fans of our great sport. Props to Mr Wedge for his content in generating this latest array of comments. So here goes another cat amongst the pigeons... In regards to the JS7’s (ill-advised) open letter, the dude got 'punked' by Mr (I wear the yellow company Suzuki cap) DeCoster. Dangle the only carrot that would force Jame's patriotic hand back to motocross by offering the possibility of team selection. The guy wasn't ready, and Larry's team is unproven outdoors, yet James fell for it hook line and sinker. Roger, ‘rogered’ him and by doing so solidifying fan support for his number 1 rider. Many have said, James came back to get inside RD5's head, to make him doubt the creditability of his achievements (which have been simply amazing, none of the greats have managed to accomplish RD5's achievements), but surely this has fired James BIG time. JS7 didn't come back for the exposure; X-Games 16 would've been a far better platform for increasing brand awareness and his own superstar status (ala Travis Pastrana). So come on motocross fans, don't crucify arguable one of your best-ever riders (only Caramichael and Stewart have accomplished the unbelievable 24-0, no other form of motorsport have we seen such domination). Roll on 2011 for the best year of SX and MX ever, as RD5 proves 2010 was no fluke.
dgizzy, shut up. yzsean, PLEASE buy a dictionary!!! stewart actually wouldnt sign a 10 yrold girls shirt because it said thor? also he shoul have just gottwen a top 5 or whatever and he may have had an overall podium, but the guy is a sore loser!
hmmm...this is strange...IF anyone on here won a bike from RC4, would you be offended if they sent it with a #1 on it? there really is no difference...# of titles isn't the case, getting a bike from a past champion would be sweet...I'll take it james, as is...no BS, and all these dopes on here that hate you would bid on it on ebay cuz I would sell it and buy a yellow bike, like you should tell Larry B to do...
whatever...just let it go...hate is blind and some of them have a small point, but they would be in your shoes if their guy was down...ask YZSEAN how many posts he made between Dungey's bottom out at Hangtown and the next national...tells the story...we are all of fairweather for our riders...and all probly pretty hardcore into this sport...and obviously way too invested in arguing with strangers online...btw I am a die hard 7 fan, but the moto2 pullout was ****ed...could have at least rode around and waved to the fans...booo
Weigandt...ur a ****...did you check the overall results...? Alessi finished both motos and still finished overall behind stewart...that is a much bigger blow to whatever confidence 800 might have(which can't be much)...quit being an instigator and a ****, cuz as soon as 7 is back on top you will be suckin up again...stupid media types...AT LEAST YOU SPELL BETTER THAN YZSEAN!!!
anybody spells better then yzsean
KX250" I could not believe it ether she was crushed and it just was not cool. But she did get RC and KW and others so that cheered her up. But i will tell you now the wont to see the biggest Bubble's hater just talk to her mom! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I seriously doubt anybody's going to take comfort from having dgizzy side with them. Talk about people with harebrained ideas. Maybe YOU should go to Puerto Rico ... preferably someplace w/o Internet access. Not sure if having halfe316 for any kind of ally is much better. (Attacking Weege? Really?) Regarding the "Open Letter," I think it was a mistake for Stewart to say, "I was straight-up lied to." Isn't it possible that he misinterpreted what was said? Alessi has made himself persona non grata with his comments. Granted, Stewart has more talent, but as many people have said already, his PR skills have a lot to be desired.
lol i agee with sef
"Whatever" not surprised to see you all over this message board.....and before you go and start making BLIND statements about previous races, the Chad Redd situation that you won't give up on, and Erin Bates trying to get an interview. I have ALL the races tivo'd and i will revisit them, pretty sure most of us have become accustomed to your fabrications of the truth, but if they haven't, I won't mind putting in the time to make sure they do......not to mention that it was stated that Reed was having neck problems and his fatigue issues were blatently obvious throughout the series..............but you also fail to read the full story, ONCE AGAIN, that this is a COMMON occurance for Stewart since '05 when he realized that he couldn't hang with RC when he would hide away and pout about his performances then make a statement on his web site a week later about how sorry he is, sorry? well, we're sorry that we're getting sick of your sorries
FTR, Bubba signed my O'Neal jersey... Oh, and hailing back to the third post @ MXFL - There's no discrimination. We're waaay past that. Welcome to the 21st century. /Logoff.
sef154...is Weege somehow above the law of the message board...? yeah I am sure he can delete me, but most on here are simply cowards, it is easy to bash someone with a keyboard, but most of you will stfu and disappear if 7 ever does win again...(which is a mystery)...don't be sackless bro, it is how you ended up in the C class to begin with...
YZ SEAN...man dude, you have been right all along about RD5, good guess...but really? are you even slightly aware of how bad you are at spelling? Minnesota schools let you down bro...seriously...
WOW! what a lot of carzy info! Lied to by the MXoN team managers?? that's almost unbeleivable right? phew! IDK man..... perhaps an open letter from Roger D is due!!! on a side note,yz sean, my nine year old daughter left a San Fran SX with Stewarts hat and her cousins got side panels and a front number plate off his Kawi all of it signed! I'm not even a huge Stewart fan but think he's an ok dude with some serious skills on a cycle.
Suck it Stewie. Like someone said earlier in the thread, one year he didnt want to go, and turned a spot down, and now he is whining that he wasnt picked to go. I am not a "stewart hater" but the guy is in need of a serious attitude adjustment. And F Larry Brooks too. He was garbage as a racer, and about the same as a team manager.
Fancypants" I am clad to here is nice some days i would hate to think he acts that way every day. But didn't your cousin get the plastics from his tech. As far as his riding he is one of the best out there just not the "fastest man on the planit" and i would never say any different. He just really up set me that day and even thou i do respect his riding ability i do not respect him! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S every one knows i spell poorly but you know what that's ok you can get what i am trying to say or just don't read my posts. The most important thing i never spell wrong! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen sef re the "straight up lied to" thing by Stewart. Nobody in this world is absolutely beyond reproach, but Roger DeCoster is as close as we get in the motocross world. Full Stop. It may well be that JS thought he was promised a tryout. It may even be that at some point that was, in fact, the case. But a lot of other things may have been said as well or said (or occurred) subsequently, perhaps behind the scenes. Perhaps without Bubba's knowlege. Look, I don't know, but it is easy to imagine a few that do not sound entirely unbelievable given history: Larry Brooks.. what did he tell Bubba? What did he say to DeCoster re cooperation? Not here to knock the guy, but can we agree that he has a reputation of being... difficult? Erratic? Not to focus on Bubba and numberplates in the pits (but...), but what about the issue of who team captain is? Officially vs unofficially? Was JS really gonna be cool being the MX3 rider? If part of Bubba's reason to come back was to "get into RD's head," just exactly how was that going to help RD's and the TEAM's efforts at the MXDN?? Was JS going to bring in his own cameras & what angle were they gonna be working? Beating Dungey? I can easily imagine being DeCoster in the middle of all this, seeing about 6 downsides (& counting) to Stewie, RD not needing the distraction, and Short a good alternative (worse than Ferry or Tedesco in recent years? No.). DeCoster:"This is getting stupid, I'm callin it." Yup.
Elsinore" That was probably the best post i have seen on this subject and very well said! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey sef, you smart ass old man, look at what you resort to. A couple guys throw a little something my way and you have to try and demean them for it. I really want to meet up with you some day fella!! Look around you on these things and listen to the idiocy. I get called every name in the book because i want to know why it's ok for one guy to do something but not another. Totally fair question, and i get ripped for it. just look at "assrangers"idiotic comment, saying he turned down a spot last year...talk about bogus information!! I DONT HATE CHAD REED, to the mouth above who claims i do. This was not at all about James or Chad, i was challenging the apparent notion that it was ok for Reed to shun the media, but not ok for Stewart. ITS NOT ABOUT THE RIDERS!! I give Chad Reed ( the guy i apparently hate) a hell of a lot more credit than ANY of you ever do Stewart. The two guys you discredit "sef" are just the only two who might at least understand where im coming from, whether they agree with me or not. And no gramps (yes name calling) your "old form" was not referring to you disagreeing with me. Thats what we do on here and thats fine. It was about your return after a brief hiatus to being a F'ing smart ass with your "payroll" comment. You think having "johnnyo" in your corner somehow sets you apart?? Who the hell is "johnnyO" to me but just another of the many on here like us who has yet another OPINION!!! To hell with all you chumps who bust me for questioning something!
yzsean- Don't let these guys give you a hard time, they are all using spell check. Whatever, their is nothing worse than someone that acts like a (web bully). You are without a doubt the most disrespectful person on this site. You need to get a life dude!! James has brought this all on himself, with the help of Brooks. Deal with it!
I have no problem with whatever questioning the treatment of Reed vs. Stewart. It may be true, I don't know. But I do know that Stewart quit. Period. If Reed quit he deserves to be bashed, as well. What I have a serious problem with is the whining, excuse-filled, finger-pointing open letter from Stewart. It truly says a lot about his personality that after a personal failure he points the finger at the AMA and his setup. He's raced Unadilla, he knows conditions change, and privateers every year persevere with bad suspension, bad settings and no air-conditioned rig and personal support team. And please people, don't take that letter as a statement of fact. We are only hearing his version of the story and it sounds as though everyone is accepting this as the true version of events. At this point, I just don't know how credible Stewart really is. I do know what Decoster has done for this sport for three decades and what everyone who has ever worked with him says about him, that he is an honorable man.
i retract the name-calling (though i shouldn’t cuz nobody else ever does) but my thoughts still stand! TWK101, you dont know anything about my life. You call me the most disrespectful person here when there is a guy saying "suck it stewie"?? Oh, but he probably deserves that right? Brought it on himself?? Truth is you just dont like what i say!! This is NOT about James, in all honesty, it is about the hypocrisy i believe that i see on here...it really is. Read my first posts here bud, just because im in the minority and questioning something nobody else cares about (because they are too busy taking their predictable jabs at Stewart) doesnt mean im disrespectful, i just want an answer to something that catches my attention. The question was directed at Jason Weigandt, not the mob of anti-Stewart folks on here. But it is obvious that when i am not echoing the opinions of the majority on here i am gonna get nailed for it. I'm cool with it. I was seeking clarity on something and a certain member who had just recently said we were playing well together decided to respond to my request to Weege with a smart ass comment which dripped of the same old insinuations. There is no doubt in my mind that if Reed had been called out for it and James had not, these boards would have erupted. Im ok with being some sort of monster on here. I feel better about being disliked on here for what i have to say than i would about having most of the people on this page as allies.
I would like to know what you people think he should have said in his Open Letter, since you are not happy with what you heard and seem to think you know better. Lets hear you all correct James on his efforts to express his thoughts. Do you not think there is some truth to it?? Do you really think he is going to say that about a situation which involves DeCoster if there is no truth to it?? I know you all think there is no way it is possible but maybe it is folks. Roger DeCoster is a human too. Not a god!! When Chad gave us his Open Letter, everyone just accepted it as gospel and stroked him a bit and moved on!! This has gone way beyond the limits here, im sorry some of you feel like im just some idiot, but this crap is just ruthless if you ask me. You can all say you dont hate, but im afraid that is just becoming an unbelievable claim. Someone above claimed that Roger D may have just been fed up with the "hypothetical situation" the same person described above. If so,Roger D should have said something then. I hope we hear from someone on the other side about this. Many will say Roger D is too much of a class act to respond to any of this, but i am personally tired of hearing that. I think some sort of statement should be made. If Stewarts lying, expose it then. If he's not lying, somebody needs to own up in some sort of way!!! Ok, boys, fire away!!
Whatever" I don't understand you keep saying some posters are singling out Bubble's as the bad guy. But yet you are doing the same to Roger no were in Bubble's statement was DeCoster name ever mentioned in fact he said "Decision makes" that would indicate more then one! Like i said before you are untitled to your opinion but to put the inter decision on Roger's shoulders is just not right. The MAN has done more for this sport then Bubble's ever will. He is a TEAM player not what is good for me and my tv show. I like most of your posts but this hole conspiracy thing is really out there. And that's just my opinion! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jesus "yzsean" you are being impossible. in no way did i single out Roger as the bad guy. C'mon dude, did you not notice the people above who brought Rogers name into it??? Not like i just brought it up out of the blue. Look what "elsinore" had to say and "BKR", they both eluded to Rogers input on the decision. Back off of me on that one. I know he is your boys manager but im not raking him across the coals bro, so settle down!!
What we would have liked to read in his open letter? I would like to have read what we all saw, "Hey, I wasn't in shape for the second moto and didn't want to ride around out of the top 10." I don't claim to know better, but like everyone posting on this board, including whatever, I have an opinion. I also don't automatically trust what Stewart writes. Let him sit down with a media member and answer some direct questions instead of controlling his own spin by issuing a blog release and answering zero questions at the moment. He's a sports figure, an endorser and a de facto sales person for Yamaha and part of his job is media. Unfortunately, he's decided that he's not going to talk to anyone asking tough questions. And I'm one of the ones who mentioned Decoster because he was mentioned specifically in Weigandt's article. I don't claim he's a god, but it would be stupid to not take into account what kind of person he is when talking about credibility.
Looking past all the stewart/MXDN furrore Good redux Weedge!
Jason Im gonna come down on you heavy for your "speaking of a great Belgium mx moment" BS! That comment reminds me so much of the BS Davey Coombs wrote during the late 90s and early 00s whenever international mx came up or the words Pichon or Everts or GPs were uttered. Objectivity vanished and the stars and stripes inevitably brushed all reason aside when it came to talking about A SPORT!! Yes RC beat Everts, and along with that, the spine of every GP supporter in the world. I was there and tears were coming out of my eyes during both the qualification race and main final (yes they raced twice that day) when they went head to head. And although Belguim were rightly happy to win that day (Smets and Ramon were on the team u ignorant...) Everts had the decency to say to the international press after that "I had nothing for RC". RC caught and passed Everts, winning by a handful of seconds. Smets came in third at least half a minute behind. That was the best racing ive ever seen! But how did RC or Bubba react when the exact same thing happened? Were they as gracious in defeat (and trust me they were well and truly whipped). RC in 2000 was caught passed and dropped (following a battle) by Tortelli (he said after the race he slowed down cause the team was what mattered) and who could forget Everts riding around the outside of Bubba with both feet on the pegs? His comments mirrored those of RCs 6 years before. 2 great moments (as u put it) in American MX! But hey..no one cares!
Create article Jason! You are so right about Stewart. Missed fan/ sponsor opportunity, I believe they should give the top finishers in the national series the spots at the MXDN. No controversy. You win, you race.
”This photo brings me back to 2003. Let me explain...” writes Jason Weigandt. You can also see it this way: ”This photo brings me back to 2006. Let me explain...” And speaking of great moments for Belgium, let me take you back to the 2006 Motocross des Nations in England. The world braced for a titanic James Stewart v. Stefan Everts battle, with both in their prime. So USA actually won the event. But Stewart knew he had been beaten where it counts. When it was over, Stewart pumped his fist, said "we’re number one" and basically tried to pretend he was ecstatic about the team victory. But he knew, and everyone else knew, that he had been beaten. Who were the other riders on Team USA that day? I don’t even remember. That’s not what anyone cared about. It was all about the King - Stefan Everts!!!
Jonas you should consider a career in journalism ;-)
JonasAMG........Oh boy, I new that was coming.
What would I liked to have seen in the Open letter, Whatever? Nothing. Enough with these open letters! I don't see Jeff Gordon run into his motorhome after crashing out and then sending an open letter to the media three days later talking about it. James has a lot to say about this subject, so SAY it. Stop with the writing, blogging, Tweeting. It would not be that outlandish to consider that this letter wasn't even penned by James. I reread this several times and am wondering if maybe he just misconstrued what was said to him? He says (and I quote), "At the time, I was told that if I was to make my recovery, begin testing, and get back to racing by Unadilla, that I would be given a spot (or at least a shot at a spot) for the final team". So which is it be given a spot, or a shot at a spot? Did it mean be back at Unadilla or if you are racing well by Unadilla? Whatever he was actually promised, told, thought he heard, or however else it can be characterized, was he ready to impress? Did he impress? He sounds like he feels he was tricked into racing outdoors, as if it is such a horrible thing. After pulling off Roger probably thought to himself, correct decision made.
We are all being played. The reason JS7 disappeared in moto 2 was because they were in the motorhome, laughing their asses off. Those Hollywood types know how to manufacture drama. Think about it: World's fastest gets humiliated, must sweat, crash, and rage to get in fighting shape for MX338. (I can hear the theme from Rocky playing). There is enough drama here for a whole season. Just sayin...
Why is Metty getting the silent treatment? He beats Shorty and KW and does'nt get mentioned. He's having an outsanding rookie 450 season with almost 80% top fives, come from behind and fastest lap time of anyone at Washougal, two poiumds in a row! Go Metty
I am a big Stewart fan, and i'm not hating here, But I really agree that he needs to handle himself around the track a little better. So he did not come out and light the world on fire, who cares. He needs track time in real moto conditions. So instead of doing that, and riding to the checkers, his big headed ego gets in the way and he quits. Must have not heard the expression quitters never win. Any other racer would have at least finished. And as far as the mxdn, He is a supercross only guy. The mxdn is an out door race, so I agree fully with the team they have chosen. Those riders have earned their spot entirely.
Whatever--this is what I wanted to see in Stewart's press release. I James, take you Whatever, to be my husband. To love, honor, cherish, and protect me 'til death do us part. Which is what you do to the highest level. Congrats you crazy kids!!!
I have no problem with you disagreeing with Weigandt, halfe316. I do have a problem with the many people out here (including you) who resort to name-calling (“Weigandt...ur a **** … quit being an instigator and a **** … stupid media types) instead of just making your case. And then you follow it up with “most of you will stfu and disappear if 7 ever does win again...(which is a mystery)...don't be sackless bro, it is how you ended up in the C class to begin with...” I’m not sure how you would know about the existence of my “sack,” but I can clearly see the nonexistence of your “class.” And whatever, you’re going to attack me for “demeaning” this fellow? As for you, you’ve already written a freakin’ novella on this subject. Is it making you feel better? Do you feel like you’re making any progress? Just sayin’. BTW, you berate people for accepting a letter from Reed “as gospel.” Well, whether that’s true or not, I don’t recall Chad calling anyone a liar. Also, to those GP guys who claim RC pulled the same thing, I can’t help but wonder about the accuracy of that, given that he and Everts are good friends and all. Again, just sayin’. And the statement that “The world braced for a titanic James Stewart v. Stefan Everts battle, with both in their prime,” seems to ignore the fact that Stewart was 20, in (I believe) his first year on big bikes, and on his first trip to Europe (and didn’t need to win). Just sayin’.
Metty is having an outanding rookie season on the 450. Almost 80% top fives. At Washougal he came from the back with the fastest lap time of anyone to finest on the podium for the 3rd time. This week he was mid pack and beat both Shorty and KW to make it two podiums in a row. Go Metty!
Chad Reed doesn't have a reality show. He's not in the running for FMOTP. I watched one of JS7's videos and all it showed was JS7 doing whip after whip. JS7 shouldn't have even been considered for the MXDN this year. That whole argument is stupid. I was at Millville, and I noticed CR missing halfway through the first moto. I wondered all week after that why we never heard anything. I've posted many comments on this website but 'Whatever' never saw fit to respond to any of them. Or anyone else for that matter. Supercross only contracts suck, and I don't care for Reed or Stewart because of that.
Sef, Rc and Everts are indeed good friends, which is why Everts said in the post race press conference, it was a shame RC hadn't been there since he wouldve gone for the win. He was being sarcastic and having a poke at JS (there is a funny youtube video of it capturing the moment). I dont think Everts has ever cared much for JS since, since JS comments were those of a bad loser. RC is no saint either. He did the same to Tortelli. If those are the two you are referring to are friends, I suppose that makes sense, cause they were both on Honda, but only after this des nations. Actually I think RC stayed another year on kawi before making the switch. Before that however, those two were pretty big enemies since Tortelli was his number one rival. This actually makes me a bit sad cause there is a guy with gigantic potential that was held back with injuries. I'll never forget that 98 LA Colliseum opener...won it from dead last. Anyhoo RC's comments following that race were classless. He's done stuff like that only 2 or 3 times in the big class. The only other moments were what he had to say about Ferry and Yamaha in 03, and that t-bone move he pulled on Roncada at Hangtown..I think in 02. He is without a doubt the most ruthless competitor Ive seen in any sport (and im an avid follower of South African rugby to give ya an idea). He just couldnt take losing..it was incredible to watch.
What a surprise, the same guys taking Stewies side no matter what. He dodges the media whenever something goes against him. Hes a coward. Just like in Pheonix when he jumped from his RV to a Suburban to dodge autograph seekers, aka, his fans. Remember that guys?? But it doesnt matter, he does no wrong in some guys eyes. If he wants to be on the Des Nations so bad, get off the supercross only team. Its not Supercross des Nations, its Motocross. He said in his letter, his setup wasn bad, and he was wasting his time on the track. Nothing about being sick or anything. He just dodge the media, period.. He is caught up in the "I'm a roch star" mentality the Larry Brooks instils in all his riders. He got shot down by Decoster, and got beat badly on the track. He didnt handle it well. halfe316, is always name calling and childish crap like that, another fantard And Langstoin fan, we all know that Everts beat a rookie on big bikes Stewie at that race, and we all know it. But why do you care, you arent Belgiun...
WHATEVER, you are a fool that is so angry you have to make HUGE posts with no real point to any of them... and stewart didnt turn down a MXDN spot last year? YES HE DID! you're a moron
Thanks to the gentleman who actually gave their opinions on what they would have liked to hear from James. That is called having a discussion. BKR, unless im wrong, dont forget when you once again lament James for only doing an Open Letter and not answering questions, CR only gave us an open letter also. He did not sit down and answer tough questions about his season either. Did he?? Just sayin'. Why does it seem you all care so much, if you dont really care so much?? JDubya, for all the things i say that ruffle feathers on here, i just want you to know that posts like your last little attempt at humor above, truly honestly make you not even count bud!!! Im sure you dont care and i fully understand that, but you dont count and i shall quit doing business with you on here henceforth!!! Same goes for "sef"....doesn't like me and what i say nor do i like much of what he says.....fire away pop, done with you also!!! I really do need to take into consideration that this little tiny minute chunk of cyberspace is not necessarily representative of the bigger picture out there. The fan base is extremely unbalanced on here!! I think he needs to bag the TV show , fly under the radar, less is more. The best thing he can do to piss these people off (though they wont ever admit it) is to focus on racing and get back on top. Silence them!! There are still many that think he can!
Im not angry, just disgusted. Prove to me that James Stewart was specifically asked to go last year and said "no" to it "05kx250". Im willing to accept being wrong if you or anyone can direct me to something other than an opinion that shows he was asked and simply refused. Lets watch the name calling to bud. Would you be willing to call me a moron if i was standing in front of you?? Of course you would, right?? This is just the internet.
I have to admit I lost a lot of respect for Stewart with this "open letter" of his. To openly say he was lied to, well that is just weak. To sit there and cry about being a "supercross only team" is also weak. To sit there and blame it all on a poor bike, again totally weak!..... If all those things were such a problem, why was Brooks out there stumping, saying Bubba was going to blow the doors off everyone, saying Dungey has nothing for the #7 etc...etc.... And then, when the #7 was obviously off the pace, they pack up and go home? So if he can't win, he has to take his toys and run away?....What is that about? That is the behavior of a child, who cannot get his way so he leaves and then lashes out at everyone he can to find blame..... I would have not lost any respect for Stewart if he just said "wow, I was not ready, there guys are quicker than I thought they would be, maybe next week we will figure it out" ...end of story....no excuses just reality.....
whatever, if Stewie would do nothing but race. And not make excuses when he gets beat. And not do dumb sprinkler dances on the track. He would have more respect here. When he started he had tons of respect and fans. His ego has gotten out of control and he thinks he is bigger than the sport. That is the problem..
whatever, I think you sarted the name calling. To anyone who dissed your boy Stewie..
depends how mad you got me... but thats another thing. yes, last year he said "the guys racing outdoors all year are the ones that deserve to go" or something along those lies. so whether he was asked or not, he wouldnt have gone either way! it was a huge discussion last year... where were you?
whatever::: I think the problem is that James took zero responsibility for himself...he blamed everyone on his team, his bike, his contract situation. Then he said he was lied to, by a man that everyone knows is not a liar or deceitful in any way shape or form..... The fact is that Roger said nothing more than Stewart would be given a fair shake. Whether or not he raced Unadilla was probably academic in their decision process...... the reality is that Dungey and Short are the best two MX racers at the moment on a 450cc machine....if Bubba had been here all year, I'm sure he would be on the team..... if Villopoto had been healthy he's probably on the team.....so it is what it is, for Stewart to cry over it, that's just pathetic...... why is he not on there saying "I wanted to be on the team, but it was not to be - good luck to the riders who were picked, and go USA!" ....What Bubba is saying, is that he cares more about himself, than he does about any team, or his country.
"bd" it appears you may be contradicting yourself yet again. Sometimes you say "why did he refuse to go last year" (he was SX only then also, and did not think he deserved to go). Then this year you say that if he really wants to go he should not be sx only. I doubt you will see the discrepancy there, but i think it is!! You take whatever stance allows you to chastise the guy, even if it means flip-flopping. I also have to disagree with your skewed opinion that he was "beat badly" on the track......3rd place 13 seconds ahead of Shorty and about 2 behind DeSalle is no where near getting "beat badly". Ok, maybe you mean 2nd moto, well it's hard to argue he was bested by everybody who finished that one, but the first moto?? Nah!! you dont "hate" though do you?? My favorite line of your last post is this one...." halfe316, is always name calling and childish crap like that, another fantard..." please tell me you see the hypocrisy in that one at least. Or is "fantard" somehow NOT "name calling-childish crap"???
sef...you call me out for name calling by way of name calling, are you sure you have never called names on here? just checking...
jesus "bd" when the hell was the last time you saw one of those "sprinkler dances" you refer to all the time?? Let it go!!!, and i rescinded the name calling which i did do on this page, which is more than you or anybody else ever does on here. FACT!!
i think stewart is contradicting himself, not bd...
Do you see what you just said "05kx250"??? Read your last 3 posts again. You go from calling me a moron because you so adamantly declare that "YES HE DID" turn down an invitation to "well, whether he was asked or not, he was gonna say no". Solid stuff "kx" HaHaHa Oh my god!! Nuff said!! I just scratched you off my list to!!
"ss97" i suggest you read the letter again. He does offer his support for the team at the end of it. Did you just ignore that part or what?? Ok, was he given a "fair shake"?? Was he? Or was he told right before the race that what he thought he was going to be given the chance to do simply wasnt going to happen?? I understand the disappointment you guys harbor for the guy, but do you not think you are a little overboard? He was pathetically crying about it?? Really, he was crying about it or stating his feelings and opinions on how it went down. To be honest, all of you ripping his ass for the whole deal are really too far removed from the situation to know s h i t about it....me either. So, until someone from the other camp decides to quit "hiding" from the issue and release a statement, the best insider info we have to date is from the guy who was directly involved in it. Is this not correct?? We dont have anything but speculation, and we have heard from one side only so far. You guys are ready to hang him already before both sides have taken the floor. That is not how justice works here fellas.......DAMN IT!!
You know I matter Whatever--lighten up. I don't dislike Stewart. I'm looking at 2 signed race worn jerseys in my office right now. Your problem is you can't be objective. When we post something negative about Stewart you come flying to his defense with both barrels blazing regardless of what the issue is. There is no point in being serious because you shoot down whatever anybody's negative comment is about Stewart.
Got to love WHATEVER he sure can sture the pot. He must be a defense lawyer he can sure argue his case and refuses to lose. I respect that but i hope some other topic get talked about later this week this one is already old! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is simply not true "guy i said i was done with"...........i would love to have a nice slow paced debate about this stuff. You think i come flying to his defense?? No, i come flying at some of the opinions expressed so quickly and rather angrily whenever it is about him. I am the only person on this page who said "if he is lying, then it should be exposed, if he is not, then someone else needs to own up a little bit." How much more fair can i be?? In contrast, you guys read the letter and start chanting collectively "Witch, witch, (he's a) Witch!!!!" You just totally assume without confirmation that he is just plain lying!! Fine if you hedge your bets that way, but come on......you think IM THE ONLY ONE who isnt being objective?? Thats rich!! Once again remember what i said yesterday and just a few seconds ago "if he is lying, then it should be exposed, if he is not, then someone else needs to own up A LITTLE BIT also"
i hear ya "yz"!!!
......and one more thing to the "guy i said i was done with and am already responding to again for the second time".......you do not deserve those 2 signed race worn jerseys!!!! IMO
If you ask me I would say there would never be a way that DeCoster would ever consider ANY rider on the MXoN team that hasn't raced outdoors in almost 2 years. I think in Stewart's interview he called them the "decision makers". I heard someone say the names Mitch and Davey. I don't know who all the decision makers are but I'm will to bet it wasn't Decoster who gave him his false hope of making the team. I miss you Whatever--acknowledge me--you know you want to.
Actually I do deserve the jerseys because I paid an excessive amount of money to the Road 2 Recovery and Clayton Memorial Foundations benefit auctions to obtain them.
what did i say that was wrong, stewart turned down or would have turned down the offer last year! he came right out and said so... you try to flip the script and make other people think there valid points are stupid, when , well, you're stupid
Whatever, your opinion is as much garbage as larry Brooks...lol. You just love to slam on anything I say, which is fine cos it makes me laugh, but you are a moron. Get Stewarts cack out of your mouth before you try to talk to me. Seeing the length of your posts, I am guessing that this is your entire life. Get out of the house a little more guy...lmao.
I dont know how old you are "JW", so you may not know what im talking about, but even through cyber-space you remind me of that little annoying antagonistic runt of a dog who was always nipping at the heels of that big strong bulldog in those Warner Bros. cartoons!! haha Im not on a mission to implicate anybody, but it's quite possible that somewhere in between all of this lies the truth. You guys just dont give it any chance at all.!! Dont forget that Roger himself said in a live interview that it was a tough decision to make(dont believe it)...just sayin'!! Oh, and were you trying to say something imbecilic "sand"......cuz ya did!!! LMAO also!!!
You know you love being the bulldog.
opinions opinions opinions, we all have them and they all are usually different. Jason does an awesome job on these articles cuz he writes em like he see's them, opinion !! The topic of Stewart is hard to avoid and it appears one either likes him or not. I dont, but hey, his talent does speak for itself. In my opinion, HIS decision to pull out of moto two for the reasons HE stated are an insult to the entire Motocross Breed. His letter, in my opinion, was a complaint and was unjustified at that. Davey, if you read these, share some "FACTS" please. IF the decision makers for team USA are Roger, Mitch n Davey, did they vote or collectively discussed the chosen members, we dont know do we. In my opinion, James in no way should have been considered for the team coming into MX season this late same as RV or RC for that matter would be considered. I hope the hype and anticipation is the same in 2 weeks in the sand and I hope the racing is a dog fight like moto 2 dilla. But I cant help but pose a question ???? Now that james is NOT on team USA, will he race Motocross ???? Was Team USA his only incentive to come back??? jus curious though I will NOT be surprised if he now returms to his SX only world and Fuel TV job. Remember, jus opinions !!!!
OK, new topic, who all is going MXoN?? I just booked everything yesterday and I am so excited to be going. What about that new "Metalicross" coming up, man o man, just might have to go check that out, hahaha, I will be rooting for Pastrana but realistically think Mr. Knight might shock everyone. Silly Season ........... come on Teams, make something happen here. Hhhhmmm, will the Nike MX Boot ever be available???
You’re a hoot, whatever! You’re done with me?! Ha! Right up until I disagree with you again. In fact, I’d be shocked if I don’t get another response to this post. Your idea, yzsean, about whatever being a defense lawyer because “he can sure argue his case and refuses to lose” ... you must not have spent much time in court (which is a good thing; now missing all those English classes is another matter). A good lawyer/debater would cut right through his BS so fast … not to mention he’d be held in contempt for his attacks on others – but he’s not alone there. And as for the idea that he’s “that big strong bulldog” out here, can we take a vote? Oh, and halfe316, I discuss and argue moto; I can’t be bothered with the kind of nonsense you were shoveling out earlier. I said, based on your rude, uncalled for insults, that I “clearly see the nonexistence of your class.” Not sure that really qualifies as “name-calling,” does it?
Hey whatever, your novella might have been upgraded to full-fledged novel! Congrats!
whatever::: Yes I saw that Bubba said "good luck" to team USA etc.... I applaud him for that, but it was a bit late after crying over the fact he was "lied to" ....Why say that at all? You are missing the point because of your blind loyalty. .. The FACT is what Stewart wrote in his letter, we all read it. He went on to blame EVERYONE as best he could.....Why?.... Do you feel that is a classy move?.... Bottom line, Stewart took the low road. He could have said any number of "truths" about why he pulled off, or why he lost, but he chose to lash out...Why? Why did he have to go that road? .....Like I said, everyone would have respect him if he said "I was tired, I was not feeling the bike, to be safe I pulled off" ..... not "we are a SX only team" and "the bike" was crap or not set up right..... that makes it look like the mechanics got it wrong, or that his contract should excuse him..... Do you honestly buy either as legit excuses? If you do I'm at a loss as to explain your rationale.........And how bad was the bike when he set the fast lap at practice?
Stewie hasnt had much reason to sprinkler dance whatever, and like I said. Stewei is all broken up about the Des Nations, then race outdoors and you could go. He turned the chance to go away last season, period. Dont act like you dont remember whatever. He didnt want to go overseas in my opinion. This year he is still supercross only, was out all season. Decided to race four Nationals since he hasnt raced and thought he owed something to his sponsers. And still hasnt run but one moto, and wants to go to the Des Nations. Sorry, not taking the chance and I dont blame them. You dont really know what shape he will be in. Noone does. And I havent called anybody names on here.
You know, I had some on the anti-Stewart crowd say we shouldn't be giving him this much attention. I think all of these posts prove why he's worth the coverage--he's someone we all want to talk about, right or wrong, good or bad. That's awesome, the sport needs this, and I'm sure we'll all be buzzing all the way until Southwick. True, I didn't call Reed out on missing the chance at Millville, and you're right, those are actually pretty similar scenarios. But in general Reed is usually willing to talk, good or bad, so I guess I gave him a pass on that one. We didn't send Erin over there during that moto, we kind of expected word to come out before moto two, and eventually someone at Kawi told her it was a neck problem. Basically, Reed pulling out at round 7 after he had already been struggling all season wasn't quite as big a deal as Stewart, who was making his return--everyone was wondering and waiting to see how it would turn out. So there was a little more of a press for information. I like Stewart, and the crazy thing is that when he does talk, he usually does a good job so I just think he could help himself if he could just give a quick soundbite. It's really for his own good more than anyone elses! but
SX and MX this season have been great, awesome, and why? Reed who ??? Stewart who ??? the whinning and blaming during podium interviews are somehow now non existant !!! hhhmmm
Weege, dont wanna be kissy kissy on you but, your damm good and you do a damm good job, Thank You
Weege, while your here, if you are still, get Davey and shed some Factual light on the "Decision makers" for Team USA. Is it Roger Mitch n Davey, is it a vote ???
One time in eigth grade I got mad when a girl I thought liked me didn't reciprocate my affections and I stomped off and refused to talk to her. A few days later I then wrote a letter so I could accurately express my emotions to her cause by that point I felt pretty stupid. Thanks James for helping me relive that memory!
Weege, I'll say again that I appreciate your candor in telling it like it is. I think if James would listen to your constructive criticism and put it to use it would be quite beneficial for him. He doesn't hear enough of that from enough people though. In the long run it hurts him. It's interesting that now that he makes the really big bucks comparable to other sports, he's seeing that same level of criticism that they do in other sports. Someone said Larry Brooks was mouthing off about how Stewart was going to romp at Unadilla? Where was that?
Thanks for responding Weege!! Thanks for being honest about the one initial question i posed to you!! Thanks also for having the ability and integrity to acknowledge what many of these guys cant do within their rants! "I think all of these posts prove why he's worth the coverage--he's someone we all want to talk about, right or wrong, good or bad. That's awesome, the sport needs this," you are very correct and just like these guys all say "if only Stewart would say this or that, or acknowledge this or that'........well, i think some of these guys should acknowledge what you just said!! ALl these guys who think im crazy dont get it that all i was looking for answers to was answered with this ..."True, I didn't call Reed out on missing the chance at Millville, and you're right, those are actually pretty similar scenarios".....and "I guess I gave him a pass on that one." Thats what i wanted your thoughts on. You followed up with more to say about your reasoning for doing that, so fair enough on that!!
"bd" what is a "fantard"...you live in a state of denial bud!!! Calling someone a "fantard" IS DEFINITELY calling them a name!!! I want you to find me proof that he was definitely asked to go last year and told them "NO". It is an honest request. Before you continue to shove "he refused to go" down my throat here, give me a link to some proof, otherwise it is only speculation. Please let me know what concrete information you can find!!
Whatever, who ever denied Stewart wasn't a lightning rod for attention, good or bad, as Weege stated? Who are you arguing that point with now, since no one has ever said it? Something you miss is that the Stewart "bashers" WANT him out there racing and WANT to hear his comments on a situation. His presence IS good for the sport which is why people get pissed when he goes SX only. Why do you not see that? There is no concrete proof that Stewart declined going in 2009, just speculation. Just as there is no concrete proof that other guys over the years have turned it down due to "injury" or some other reason. It is interesting that the same reasons he used last year for NOT going are not an issue this year when he WANTS to go. Except this year he can add an injury and 7 months off a bike to those issues. Last year, haven't raced, don't deserve to go, bike testing not where it should be etc etc. He was more prepared last year since he had no injury lay-off.
L&M YAMAHA SURE EMBARRASED THEMSELVES AND JAMES JUST PUT ICING ON THAT CUPCAKE!!! whats wrong with them .with all the resources available to them ,how could they show up at arguably the best and roughest track on the circuit unprepared.and james thinking he would leave with a spot on the MXoN team. K-DUBB would be a better choice even after riding the couch .they called he answered with solid riding and no excuses.
CR22 pulls off 1 time in an over 10 year career at the elite level ? PASS IMO. Agree gasssr4, with all their resources L&M goes to Unadilla with SX settings , Huh ? Finally big props to KW for doing what most MX'ers would not named JS would do , climb back on his back and kicks a** in M2 after a faceplant that ripped his handlebars off this bike ! JimM Carlsbad CA
Whatever" I think the answer you got from Weege was the same i gave you. I guess great minds think alike! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b26/yfZsE/?action=view¤t=jamesrcpodium.jpg
- Whatever, got to admit that I'm starting to come around to what you're saying, you make some valid points and since your name calling, foul language and rediculous accusations have vanished and your never say die attitude you have gained some respect from me. The whole Chad Reed situation I would have to look in to though, simply because I don't remember and footage of Erin Bates sitting outside the Kawi rig waiting for somebody, anybody to come out and give a statement as to what was going on, if that in fact did happen then yes, I admit it, we should be just as upset with Chad Reed and I apologize for not berading Reed as I have done to Stewart seeing how I am even less of a Reed fan than I am a Stewart fan, believe it or not. But you gotta be able to see where some of us are coming from? right? Stewart is a professional, or at least he is suppose to act like one, and to pull off the track just becuase your "too tired" and not come out and have a few words with a patiently waiting Erin Bates, was it unprofessional? a bit childish? or was it all for his show? hard to say, but the problem is that it's the same 'ol Stewart and he hasn't grown up at all.
they should of sent Steve Cox for the post pull off interview instead of Ms. Bates..... lol Cox could have given Stewart the "Wharton"
Oh man Pourcel kill the riders 2nd moto. I said so before Pourcel is so mental and when it comes down to the points he will start winning both motos again. He might let Canard gain a few but he will pull the gap again. So does Musquin. The Frenchies are mental riders. they wont push if they really dont have to.
About Stewie interview with Erin? Did y'all think he really would come out and talk after being misled till that day. obviously he doesnt care what we all think and he would rather let the riding talk. He was tired.
dgizzy, Pourcel should have won moto 2. Since he didnt ride the first one except one lap..
dgizzy, think the low humidity and 80 degree temps had nothing to do with pourcel being able to go good? As for Stewart not caring what MX fans think? If that's the case say it, so we don't have to question him anymore and all the JS supporters can see where he actually comes from. That is about the most ridiculous defense yet.
BKR, i think you may have misunderstood "dgizzy" . What are there, a couple dozen or so of us who are consistently on here?? That is a pretty small percentage of "fans" out there. Im pretty sure dgizzy was referring to us on here, not MX fans in general. We are a relatively small group of people on here who make comments, i would sure hope that racerx has more readers than just the ones (us) who post on here. I'll bet our comments dont matter as much to the riders as we might think.Especially when they get out of hand and extreme, on either side!!!
It now seem's the open letter on JS7 website has been taken down!!!
I would have taken it down too!! Reed did it once on his site in a similar situation when the "hate" became overwhelming.....i dont blame CR for doing it either!!
Well, I don't know about that Whatever. James' was taking some hard and heavy artillery on his own site and I doubt it was the dozen people on here. Maybe you never noticed the Stewart Who? or Dungey's World signs at the nationals when watching on TV? I doubt those are any of the dozen "anti-Stewart" guys here. While there are not a lot of people posting here, it really does draw the line as to what MX fans think. James' letter was on his website, Transworld's, this one and MXA's. Lots of fans read it and have their own opinions. I will agree that riders probably tend to not put too much credit into what we say here. If they were smart, they wouldn't read it. However, we know that Trey Canard posted some here earlier this year and I have seen Mike Alessi try to defend himself on Vitalmx. Not a good idea. When I originally said "enough with the open letters!", I was referring to any rider that goes this route as opposed to doing an interview.
In sx, there is much more crowd control,and supervision than at outdoors. People don't get away with holding up nasty signs at sx races, they would get booted out of the stadium for it. But at outdoors, people get stupid. Remember the redneck out at the back of the track, a few years ago, holding up a nasty sign for stewart, with the "N" word on it, then putting it away as soon as he went by? Did r/c, dungey, m/c or reed, ever have to put up with ANY b.s. like that? Then, he stopped coming to the saturday practices, and then joined an sx only team. Maybe that could be part of his lack of desire to be outdoors, but I hope **** like that doesn't happen anymore, and he will come back, and be an outdoor rider again. Outdoors is REAL motocross. Supercross is artificial motocross, dumbed down for the masses. But, unfortunately, that is where the money is at.
BUBBLES WHO?