by Aaron Hansel
450 Words: Marking Reed
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PrintYou already know who won the races. Each week, Yamaha Parts' 450 Words gives you a different look at a different story in the 450 class:
A1 has come and gone, and by now you know that Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto won the race in dominating fashion, leading 17 of 20 laps. You also know that Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey took second, followed by San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart. But what happened to Chad Reed?
When the gate dropped, Reed suffered a lousy start, and for the first several laps, was outside of the top ten. Stewart also had a poor start, and when the two found themselves battling over twelfth, it almost seemed like the crowd might see a repeat of the 2010 Phoenix round. Stewart had an easier time coming through the pack though, while Reed struggled with the long rhythm section along the third base line. By the end of the race, Reed had managed to charge up to fifth. It was a solid ride, one that would have left many riders ecstatic, but Reed is used to winning races and finishing on the podium, not rounding out the top five.
When the roost settled, Reed found himself nine points out of the lead with just a single race in the books. In this stacked field, you could say that making up points is going to be incredibly difficult this year, but depending on how you look at it, you could also argue that a talent-laden class has the potential for it to be easier to make up points on the leaders.
Reedy en route to a fifth.
Cudby photo
Confused? Let’s break it down. Think back to past seasons when it was a two man race; Kevin Windham vs. Reed circa 2008, Stewart vs. Reed in 2009, or the Ryan vs. Ryan battle we saw during the second half of last year, it doesn’t matter, the concept will remain the same. If a rider has a bad night in the middle of a tight, two-man points race, it can be very difficult to make those points back. He either has to claw his way back by stringing a bunch of consecutive victories together, or hope the other rider has a bad race of his own. In 2009, Stewart had to win six races in a row before he was back on par with Reed. This year, there are so many fast guys with frontrunner speed that nest week Villopoto could just as easily get a bad start and finish fifth, with Chad Reed taking home the win.
Of course, it’s a long season, and this is just one of many different scenarios that could play out. Reed has beaten these riders before, and he could do it again. The question is, will he be able to do it often enough in 2011 to claim his third supercross title?
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When I read 250 and 450 words every week I do not get any additional information I don't already know from watching on speed,following the week long internet gossip or holding a ticket stub...Give us something we don't know or cant dream up in our heads...Use that press pass to dig deep and give us something new, blow us away with some behind the scenes info...
Good points DTMx19: Maybe Aaron could tell us about the tall wooden pole the race organizers put on the inside that turn just before the 450 final. The turn that a few riders had been cutting by double jumping and flying over the inside of the corner. I'd like to know the thought process that the race organizers used when they put up that pole. On TV during the parade lap we saw a guy standing by the pole waving a yellow flag. The TV announcers said nothing about it. I'm assuming this was done to inform the riders that the pole had been placed there. Were the riders also verbally told about the "corner cutting prevention pole" before the final? What would have happened if a rider had forgotten about the pole during the final and jumped into it?
Good job Aaron, the points chase amongst the top 5 this year will also have a few spoilers this year as some of the other riders get their legs under themselves too(Windham Metty Grant Tedesco etc). Holeshots are as important as ever this year!
I agree with you both.. and I wish they wouldn't have put that pole up! that line was so creative and it was hardly cutting the track.
Yea from the shots on TV it did not really look like the corner was being cut, it looked like it was just a good line that only a few smart rider had spotted.
I thought the article brought up a good point. A few years ago (05-06?) -- no matter how bad a start, RC JS and CR would always end up 1-3. They could always get back to the box. This year with a 4-5 man show, it's going to change the dynamic for sure.
I just checked, and they did indeed have problems with several racers cutting the track, which is why they placed the pole there.
good read, good reed. Chad Reed will be an interesting read all season... keep it comming my RX bros!
Hate to say it but if JS starts in the top 3 or 4 he is going to win a LOT. I think RV will give him the hardest time IMO.
This piece seems goofy. Why is the article about the fifth place rider? Why gloss over the four ahead of him? I am not a Reed fan and starting to question Racer X with their silly devotion to certain riders they like regardless of their results or actions. ie J Law and Racer X's love of the criminal turd. Now Reed is the first article of the season when he did the least to drum up attention opening weekend.
They made a good point about the starts. Whoever of the top 4 gets the start, will probably win. When the class is stacked like this, any guy can go from a win to a 3rd real quick. And I like it. It looks like it did in the '80's, when you have 3 or 4 guys going for the points lead every week. Lets just hope they stay healthy. I will wait to make my picks (guess) when I see the track map.
If you noticed on the 3rd lap, Reed was directly behind Stewart within 1 second. By the end of the moto, Stewart had 12 seconds on him, that is a massive amount of time to gain while going through the pack, congratulations to Villo but 5 laps in he had over 13 seconds on James, at the end it was 4. That was worse scenario for James with that start and he came out 3rd, whole different level.
I don't think anyone comes to Anaheim JUST to win. They go to Anaheim to sort the equipment out and try and get points...then get out in one piece. When you look at the statistics on injuries, I don't know why some riders just race the outdoors.
Chad, RV and James are gonna be battling for the #1 spot most of the season. I still think JS has changed and this yr he is riding smarter than ever so at the end he is my pick for the title followed by reedy and RV,RD and canard.
This was the first of many great races this year cant wait. As for the posters saying Bubbles was so mutch faster if only he had been in the top 3 on the start. He wasn't he got 3 get over it RV and Dungey killed it Bubbels rode grate not taking any thing away from him. What if Dungey would have pulled the hole shot would he have checked out he did not that's racing. And i cant wait tell next week to see it all over again and hopefully put my ending to my post that should be there every week. DUNGEY ?!?!? Have a great night!
gdizzy If you think for one minute that Reed will beat Dungey you have to be kidding. If Reed makes 10 races without quiting I will be amazed
Reed AND stewart got horrible starts! must be down on power. I have heard that Tedesco and Villopoto are using a hi-performance gas cap that gives them a 3/10th hp advantage. There's no overcoming that!
I just want to see all 5 of them start 1-5 and see them swap positions throughout the 20 laps, with them all within a bikes length of each other. That would be a great race!!!
Direct quote from RV on this website today: "Oh, itâ
Sherpa = n00b
About cutting the track go to pro am sometime the factory backed riders have so much political clout I have seen them cut entire sections, and if you protest they always find something wrong with you!!!!!!! So much for pride and a job well done when you can just steal it. Goldcup/Winterams
I totally missed the fact they stopped them from cutting the track. This season is stacking up to be a good one. Can't wait for Phoenix this weekend!
Reed is and will always be big news!! (imo). This is going to be a great season, whomever wins the title, he will have a HUGE battle to overcome. First he must stay healthy. Reed, JS7, RV2, that means you........
The top five will most likely remain to be these riders in diffrent order each weekend with a suprise ride from a several other hungry riders hoping to claim their stake! This should be a great season for fans!!!!
Reed has the most to prove of the fast guys, new team, new bike, new everything. I hope he is in the mix with this stacked field.
Ditto BillC, Gonna be a 2 - 7 championship, kinda felt that all winter.
I was standing in the knothole talking with guys who have won MX, SX, World GP championships, they said the track was not very difficult and they predicted the podium by lap 4 and they were right.
Thanks for giving Reed a shout out, as from the race coverage you only found out he was in the race when late in the race he worked his way up to 5th. And what is #800 doing getting lapped? Did he crash or is he that much off the pace on that KTM?
yzsean, I accepted all of last year when you were a beloved and devoted Dungey follower...but this post is unlike you, it seems you are a stewart hater, or else you can't just compliment the guy on how seriously fast he really was...in the first turn 7 only had two bikes behind him...rv got the holeshot...5 was about 5th...when 7 got into 3rd he was 12 behind rv, he finished just under 5 behind...but you say he wasn't fast...ok
also, I think 22 did just fine...first time out, new team, back from sickness, he will be fine...already looked better than he ever did on the piece of crap kaw. They must have put all their good parts on Rv2's bike last year.
@halfe316 agree. Not to mention he had to play it safe trying to make it around "I'm super pissed you're faster than me" Tedesco, who had a vendetta against James (may or may not be a legit reason for it) either way he was hesitant passing him for obvious reasons. Poto never seems to do good in qualifying but is always strong in the mains. Dungey didn't look very aggressive all night. Didn't have that "Eye of the tiger" feel to him. Alessi = Pathetic. He battled over the final transfer spot with his privateer younger brother Jeff who qualified with faster lap times and looked better all night. I do have to admit the mature James Stewart is quite as exciting to watch coming through the pack like on his 125 days but the talent is there just the same. If he get's a start no one can hang. It was pretty obvious in the heat race who the faster of the two (RV2 and JS7) was. But the fastest man doesn't always win and RV did an awesome job. Hats off to him. I think it's due time Dunge has some bad luck. Everyone else has had it and he has been 3 or so seasons now with relatively no big issues.
This was only the first race , glad they didn;t take each other out of the season yet!But you know it's coming. Stewart was fast as usual but played it smart at the end. Dungey looked super pumped as always, and villopodium will see the box many times this year. Looked like he was struggling a bit though. I love watching windham but maybe it's time to start making videos for him. Sick of him pulling a windham every year. Sorry but the kids/old man's lost the edge!
I don't think its a wide open as you think BD200.
Ive seen a lot of people on the web wondering why Tedesco went at JS... No one saw what JS did to IT in the heat? I was hoping stewart would have went down. I dont say that because I dont like him, but because Stewart going down early on in the season keeps it interesting. Like its been said on here, Stewart is clearly the fastest, and if he gets a start, cue lil flip, cause its GAME OVER for everyone else. I really dont have a favorite rider, nor do I really dislike a rider (though alessi the corporate puppet really annoys me) Im just a fan of the sport who wants to see good racing.
The I.T. vs J.S. thing is a non-issue. Tedesco is showing some sack, good on him! My mind was blown seeing him up front! Didn't think he had it in him anymore. I think it's clear to CR & JS this isn't a two man class anymore and they have to think about others besides themselves which, in itself, is a great sign of a compet*tive field. Could we possibly have 9 or 10 different winners in this series, that would be awesome!!! Maybe a fuel filter full of benzyne or nitro for the 350's on the start to help out.
9 or 10 different winners is not going to happen and the 350 is fine, If they can holeshot up hill at 6000 feet they can do it on a hard packed SX track. Even if Short holeshots don't expect him to make top 3 andyway, Prolly hard to make top 5 if all the fast guys start clean.
Frog188, geeze! think you might have been a little too hard on Kdub? 6th place isn't bad at all considering the feild of racers. Kdub is a grinder, he usually gets better as the season wears on. His strenghts are his consistancy and patience. He is not one who goes balls out in a race where nerves and adrenaline are at their peak. Especially the 1st race of the year. It's a long season and avoiding big mistakes is always a factor when the championship draws near. Besides the A1 track was not a typical Kdub style track. He performs better on technical tracks. rutted, choppy, slick and muddy is where his silky smooth style gives him his biggest advantage. Not to say he can't do well on a usual track though. Dispite the way things appear now, I still believe somehow good ole kdub is going to find a way to have a banner series. There are still 16 races to go, alot can, and will happen between now and and Las Vegas. Not that I'm a honda guy, but I think Canard might be the one to match Stewies speed eventually. He just seems to have that stubborn you're not better than me attitude. We will see. Man I'm happier than a wino in a liquor store that Supercross is back!!!!!!! GO #14!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the novel.
JS smacked Tedesco hard in the heat race to take 1st, then Tedesco came back and JS took out Tedesco front wheel before the long rhythm section. Now the first hit was all JS, the second was a combination of the two. RV maintained his lead as he needed it, with 5 laps left he had a 12 second lead on Stewart who took forever to get around Canard. RV didn't need to hammer the last 5 laps he just cruised. RD maintained the same 5-6 second gap from the time he got around Tedesco on lap 4 or 5. Canard was the worst one in jumping the corner where they put the poll up before the main. They put it up after the big bike LCQ. It was a good race, I think all the riders rode within there comfort level and have alot of speed left. I think Reed started around 15th or worse. He was sleeping on the gate.
Happy New Year MX community,It'll be interesting to see how Dungey deals with the pressure. GO YELLOW !!!!!
GO YELLER!!!!
ride4ever nails it for me! And when has it been that so many dudes could win?? Now if only they would fix a "good-for-the-gatedrop-only" first turn. As an advertiser, I would NOT be keen on such a roll of the dice, each and every freakin moto...pretty dumb. IMHO, it would honestly be better, for all concerned, if they released them in two rows, based on qualifying time! Now, one a diff subject, which one of you pc-guru's can make and post us a movie, using the clips of RC and Emig listening to Sheethead spout off, and show RC with one of those comic-strip "inner-thoughts balloon" over his head?? THAT would be some funny sheet. [Pun in'td.] RC's face gave him away. Esp. at S's comment "we have ridden together".... Heh.
you have to admit that chad reed is a grate racer but latly he has been slacking i think he should retire will he can
reed needs to quit,hes a has been..be a team owner and move on like RC.McGrath is my alltime favorite but,,,,,,he needed to stop while he was ahead,but hey he didnt know better..RC saw jeremys mistakes and stopped on top,thats the only reason people have better outtakes on RC over 7 time mcgrath..i would love to see a fantasy race,all riders on top of their game and close to the same age..RC,mcgrath,dungey,stewart,canard{although he needs work},short..NATE RAMSEY!!!! yea he exists still..mike (the rock),RV,maybe even eric sorby when he was on top of his career instead of fat...and a perv now,lol..bubbas world is only better due to malcolm and eric.."you bring bick-in-i???"