Observations: Dallas
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 | 4:15 PM
Share
Comment
Email
Print
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and when you pull up to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, you begin to understand what they're talking about. The stadium just comes out of the ground like some sort of spaceship from the gods. Once you get inside, everything is set up very nicely, including the massive HDTV hanging from the ceiling. As good as the venue is, the racing in the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross Series is even better, and that—not the dome—is what I was most looking forward to this weekend.
Here's where we're at in this nutball season:
-The defending champion who won six races last year and then absolutely decimated the outdoors can't get on track this year and has only one win, yet sits just outside the points lead.
-The guy who strung together three straight wins to take a one-race-plus lead in the points loses that lead when he doesn't qualify for a main event. He's still got the most wins in the class, so there's that.
-One rider who couldn't find a ride with anyone, was on his fourth brand in four years, and was written off by just about everyone gets a win and uses consistency to all of a sudden be in the points lead.
-Most people's favorite to win the title wins three races but crashes out a bunch, has some off-track troubles, and for the first time ever looks very mortal out on the track. He's also fifth (!) in the points.
-A rookie comes out and is very fast at times, crashes a few times, but wins two races and hangs around the points before appearing to get some sort of that valuable momentum going.
The house that Jerry built.
Photo: Simon Cudby
There are so many subplots to the year (a trainer jumping sides, a team manager fired midseason, an OEM stepping up for a privateer, an ex-champion who could never win a supercross helping a rookie win two) that even Hollywood couldn't make this stuff up. It's been a great year, it should keep going in the outdoors with the addition of Christophe Pourcel! (More on that later.)
As we always do, let's get to the track: this week in Dallas it was gnarly. The dirt was hard and slick, and what made it gnarly were the whoops. They were nasty and big and caused many riders many problems (more on that later) and to top it all off, there were two sets! The one rhythm lane was also pretty tricky and riders made mistakes in it, which cost them some time if the dude behind them did it properly. I saw more crashes than usual this weekend, and most riders did struggle with the whoops. Oh, and I loved the sand in the first turn—but then again, I was in the press box and not getting a face full of Lommel each and every lap.
Trey Canard won in Jacksonville with a great ride, and too bad for Trey but he was overlooked a bit because of all the chaos behind him and with the points leader not qualifying. Well, it was déjà vu this weekend as once again, Canard sped off with the lead and there was a massive poop storm going on behind him that caused most people to not watch the disappearing #41 but the stuff going on behind him.
I'm sure Trey's fine with that—the checks cash, his name is in the books as the winner of the 2011 Dallas SX, and more importantly, he's pulled in close in the points. Everyone's favorite Okie has gone from being 52 points down to 16 back with four rounds to go. Yeah, the odds are long that Canard will pass three guys in the points, but with 1-3-1 scores the last three weeks he's now as hot as any rider out there. All he needs to do is keep on keepin’ on.
Canard's win in Dallas gives him three on the year.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
It's amazing really that Canard, with three SX wins, an East Region 250 title, and an outdoor national title, is now by far the best rider to ever come out of Oklahoma, surpassing his childhood hero Guy Cooper. It was probably real close until Canard won these 450 Sxes this year, which in my eyes puts him above Coops as Guy somehow never managed to win a premier-class SX.
The whoops got Canard also as he took a nice header in practice and appeared to knock the wind out of himself, so don't think he escaped unscathed on the night.
Trey's life coach Tim Ferry was there to watch his pupil win in Dallas and he was there in Jacksonville two weeks ago. But he wasn't in Toronto and Canard lost. I'm just saying.
The big battle I was speaking about was going on between rivals Chad Reed and James Stewart for second behind Canard. Reed was there first, Stewart jammed his way by in a nice move, and then Reed reeled the seven back in and made the pass back. It was an awesome battle, and with everything that had gone between them, everyone inside the giant spaceship was watching these two. Then Reed screwed up the rhythm section and Stewie pulled up tight going into the big, nasty, scary whoops.
It was then that the 1,793th OMG moment in this series happened. Stewie lost control in the whoops and plowed into Reed, sending him over the berm and onto the concrete. It was not something that James planned to do by any means, but it was just an awesome racing moment. Unless your name is Chad Reed and you’re getting piledriven by a Honda CRF450R. Short of James coming out wearing a giant fluffy Barney costume and winning a race in it, I'm not eliminating anything from happening this year.
Reed and Stewart were at it again in Dallas.
Photo: Simon Cudby
James’ Yamaha tweaked a radiator in the crash, Reed's Honda had the seat pull out from the tank along with a side panel caught in the chain. Both men rejoined the race with bikes that looked like they were caught up in a demo derby.
Stewie was in third when he got buck wild, and he actually ended up in fourth, so not too bad for what had happened. Reed got back up to seventh and then ate poop in the whoops thirty feet from the checkers to eventually get eighth. I have to say that, as Reed and I talked about in our post-race podcast, it's admirable that Stewart just does not know what the words “back it down” mean. Stewie had more than a few close calls in the whoops in practice, the heat, and the main but yet the seven was still attempting to go through them at Warp 9. When it worked, he was by far the fastest guy through them. When it didn't- well, we all saw the results.
I got an email that asked me why I suckle up to Reed so much and don't ever have a reaction from Stewart in my post-race podcasts. Trust me, I have tried to reach out to James to get an interview or a podcast here or there, but so far, no dice. We did speak the week before Toronto to try and get something done but then his arrest came and I haven't gotten a response back from him yet. I like James—he's a good guy and can be really funny at times—but I believe he's a little wary of people in general (maybe he got burnt in the media a lot as a kid coming up—I don't know because I was a mechanic at the time).
I was also on Reed's team for three years as a mechanic and am friends with his team manager and mechanic, so it's easier for me to just walk in and look around to find Chad. The guys at San Manuel are cool but I definitely do not know them as well as other people in the pits, and with manager Larry Brooks out of the picture, it's not as simple as me going in and asking where JS is.
Villopoto rode to a quiet second place in Dallas.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
Just like some would say that Ryan Villopoto got lucky with his wins in Atlanta and Daytona (I wouldn't say the Daytona one was but some would), those same people might say that he got another one as he went from being in fifth and not really coming on to ending the night in second and reclaiming the points lead. But grasshopper, I would tell you that RV actually got unlucky in the fact that he had a bike problem happen off the start that affected him the entire race.
What happened was the front of his seat pulled away from the catch on the tank and therefore nothing was holding it down. Hence, RV was having trouble holding on tight in the whoops as well as not being able to seat bounce like he would have liked to. There was a triple after the first turn and RV was the only top dude going inside and double-singling the thing when outside-triple was clearly faster. It was hard for Ryan to do everything he wanted to do out there, and he was going to have to settle for what he had instead of charging, but his steadiness was rewarded with a second.
So here are the standings right now with four races remaining:
Ryan Villopoto 255pts. (5 wins)
Chad Reed 249pts. (1 win)
Ryan Dungey 248pts. (1 win)
Trey Canard 239pts. (3 wins)
James Stewart 234pts. (3 wins)
So as you can see, it's still tight. In fact, it's tighter than last week, which was tighter than the week before and so on.
Stewart was my pick for the title before the year began, but his chances are pretty slim right now: he's twenty-one down and has to leap four riders to do it. Sure, one of these guys may have some bad luck, but four of them? I just don't see it happening. And what a trying season for the seven. To me, RV is still in the driver’s seat, but he's got to get a win here real soon to put his mark back onto this thing.
Another thing to admire about Reed is the fact that he'll up his game when he has to. He may not have Stewie or Villopoto speed, but in the main event, when he needs to, he will figure things out and up his pace to match the guy who's right in front of him. He was catching Canard (not much, but still) this weekend, he caught Dungey last weekend in Toronto, and in Jacksonville he caught Canard late in the race. Somehow, some way, Reed makes it happen out there.
The Wilson/Barcia rivalry is starting to heat up.
Photo: Simon Cudby
This just in: Dean Wilson and Justin Barcia don't like each other. There's not a lot of love lost between the two going back a while now. I don't know what happened, if anything, in the amateur ranks or if it's just a case of Barcia rubbing someone the wrong way (which he tends to do). And these two are going at it for the East Region 250 title tooth and nail, which will be settled soon. Dean has rebounded to win the last two and pull to within 13 points with two rounds remaining (St. Louis and Las Vegas). I still think that Barcia has this in control, but watch out.
The two riders spent a ton of time banging off each other in the heat and main event this past weekend, and as I said at the first round in Houston, both of these lads worry me with their attempts at getting at each other. You can totally tell they’re worried about each other and not trying to get away from each other. One of these times, someone is going down and lose major points.
Wilson won this battle in a thrilling main event, and if I was Barcia, I wouldn't even worry about Wilson and getting back at him. Imagine if you're Barcia. Okay, you ready? Okay, besides having a ton of money, probably having chicks groping you all the time, and a ride on one of the best teams in the sport, you're also riding with some broken bones in your wrist, you're holding a nice points lead, and you want to risk a crash or an injury by repeatedly trying to dive bomb the guy in first? To me, the absolute best revenge to Wilson would be to stand on that podium in Vegas with the #1 plate.
But for me, a jerky in the press box, I love seeing these two go at it each and every corner. Just not sure if GEICO team manager Mike LaRocco feels the same.
Baggett has struggled since his win in Daytona.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
What has gone on with Wilson's teammate Blake Baggett? Man, ever since getting the points lead at Daytona with his win, his world has imploded. The friendly kid from California can't seem to get off the gate to save his life and is crashing here and there. Baggett had another off-night with a seventh. He needs to get one of those “talks” that team owner Mitch Payton seems to like to dish out now and then.
Speaking of Payton, I dropped by his pits to see what was up with him. I love talking to Mitch—he's always a great storyteller and full of information. I asked him what was up with his old rider Christophe Pourcel and Mitch said he'll help CP out for the nationals if he has to. I got the sense that Mitch thinks Pourcel is close to signing with someone, but if it comes down to it, Payton says the right thing to do (even if it's money out of his pocket) is help the kid out because he deserves it.
When I asked if he would put Pourcel on a Kawasaki, he didn't know what he would do, but he didn't think Pourcel could fit under his truck. It would have to be a separate deal. Myself, I would bet that you wouldn't see Pourcel on a Kawasaki because of hard feelings on CP's end that Kawasaki picked Jake Weimer over him.
I had heard Pourcel to Honda on Josh Grant's bike for the nationals, but I spoke with manager Erik Kehoe and he told me Grant's on target to return for the third or fourth round of the nats. I didn't ask specifically about Pourcel, but I would doubt they would do anything if Grant is coming back.
Hahn had a seasons best seventh place finish in Dallas.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Good ride for MotoConcepts Yamaha's Tommy Hahn in getting a seventh in his first race back in a while. T-Hahn has not had a good year so far with his best being an eleventh combined with a bunch of crashes and injuries. I thought that to come out at this point in the season and run inside the top ten was pretty good. Hopefully there are more good finishes ahead for one of the sport’s nice guys.
Mike Alessi got the holeshot once again and appears to be back to his old form of getting the start NO MATTER WHAT. Yeah, sure, once out front the 800 went back very quickly due to his absolutely horrible form in the whoops. Mike was so bad in them that I had to ask his brother Jeff (who was right in front of me in the press box) how in the hell someone so fast could be so bad in one particular section of the track. Jeff replied that they have some whoop tracks built for them by Pops in the desert and that Mike rides them all the time to get better but it's all mental for Mike at this point. Jumping through them was not the move this weekend.
Mike is outdoor testing this week in California, and he'll make a choice between a 350 and a 450, but seeing as he's been riding the family’s 450 during the week to get ready for MX, I'm betting he picks the factory 450 for this summer.
The Poles were out in Dallas and that would make Ping happy.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
Let's take a look at the results, shall we?
AMA Supercross Lites Class East:
1. Dean Wilson Kaw
2. Justin Barcia Hon
3. Blake Wharton Hon- Wharton made the box in a strong ride. I love what he's doing for this fourth grade class, real cool for sure and the kids were there to see him get on the box.
4. Malcolm Stewart Suz- Yeah! My Mookie fever is back on right now as Mookster got his career best finish in D-Town. I know talent when I see it and I'm telling you people, Mookie has got “it” and by “it” I don't mean the clap.
5. Matt Lemoine Kaw- Lemoine went down with two laps left while in fourth but still had a good ride on the privateer Kawasaki to get a top five.
6. Darryn Durham Hon- Didn't notice Durham all that much to be honest but I'm sure Tim Ferry did!
7. Blake Baggett Kaw
8. Gannon Audette Yam
9. Alex Martin Hon- Good ride for the diminutive one.
10. Tyler Bright Hon- Yeah! Bright had his best finish of the year to get into the top ten. I had no idea who he was but he wears X Brand goggles so I help him out this year and he seems like a cool kid. His vision is probably great also!
11. Hunter Hewitt Suz- There's tough love with your kid and then there's pops not keeping a spot open on his team. Still, Hewitt's been pretty good as a privateer.
12. Jason Anderson Suz- Anderson needed this finish. He's wobbling down the stretch here.
13. Taylor Futrell Hon
14. Lance Vincent Hon- Vincent just got picked up by KIlbarger Racing and so that means his boss finished two spots behind him.
15. Hunter Clements Hon
16. Levi Kilbarger Hon
17. Ryan Sipes Yam- Oh man, this is one that Sipes is going to look back on and wonder what happened. He moved into the lead early and I (and many others) figured he was gone. But he actually got reeled back in a bit and then in the corner after the whoops sort of just rode off the track and went down. It was definitely a dorky crash and one I'm sure Sipes doesn't even know what happened.
18. AJ Catanzaro Hon
19. Justin Sipes Kaw- NOT a good night in the Sipes family.
20. Nicholas Myers Hon
Lil Stewart rode to a solid fourth in Dallas.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
AMA Supercross Class:
1. Trey Canard Hon
2. Ryan Villopoto Kaw
3. Ryan Dungey Suz
4. James Stewart Yam
5. Kevin Windham Hon- Hey, great ride for KW as he had to go to the LCQ after a crash in the heat race.
6. Andrew Short KTM- I spoke to Shorty after the race and he was just happy to have gotten through it in one piece. There were guys dropping left and right. This was a hometown race for the Shorts.
7. Tommy Hahn Yam- Also a hometown race for Hahn. Who's more of a Texan? Colorado guy Short or Kansas guy Hahn? Any Texans reading this email me and give me your opinion.
8. Chad Reed Hon
9. Austin Stroupe Yam- If Stroupe was tweeting about his night in Dallas, it would go something like this “Woodchucks Beavers oil in the moonlight ninth”
10. Mike Alessi KTM
11. Weston Peick Yam- Great ride for Peick to get eleventh even though he had to “move” Chris Blose out the way causing Blose to cut the track and chase after him. It was that kind of night in Dallas.
12. Fabien Izoird Kaw- Izoird might be on until Seattle or even longer as Jake Weimer heals up. Really though, I bet it's all SX because why bring Weimer back for two races?
13. Chris Blose Kaw
14. Michael Byrne Suz- Byrner has to be frustrated, for every one step forward he takes, it's one backwards the next week. He stalled it in the main.
15. Ivan Tedesco Kaw
16. Kyle Regal Yam- Or is native Michigander Regal a real Texan?
17. Justin Brayton Yam- Brayton DNF'd with a crash in the whoops.
18. Nick Wey Yam- Wey DNF'd with a nasty endo when his bike hit neutral.
19. Cole Seely Hon- Seely DNF'd when he went down in the second turn. He's done in the 450 class now. Bummer way to go out but he still impressed in his short stay with the big boys.
20. Davi Millsaps Yam- Millsaps DNFd with Seely with an injured hand. I sense a bit of frustration from the JGR team towards Davi and his riding this year.
I feel bad for saying this (because he already wasn't a fan of mine at one point in his life but I think he's coming around), but Ivan Tedesco is really struggling right now. The #9 Kawasaki is crashing, crashing, and then sometimes he's crashing. He had a good ride in Jacksonville but he's scored single-digit points in three out of the last four races. He's riding with an ACL tear in his knee which can't be helping, and due to Wey's problems this week, he somehow moved back into the top ten in points, but I definitely (and I'm sure he did as well) thought he would do better this year.
IT has struggled all year with crashes.
Photo: Simon Cudby
One thing about Tedesco is he doesn't give up, and if anything, he pushes it too much at times and hits the ground. Oh well, he's got four more races and then he's probably going to have to go under the knife this summer.
Matt Boni of the Ti-Lube Kawasaki team hit the deck hard in Dallas and broke his tib and fib through the skin. Ouch! That's too bad for the former top privateer of the year, and he'll be out awhile. The Ti-Lube guys started the year without Matt Goerke, then got him back before he wadded up and went out for the year and now Boni is out. Tough year for the guys, but they did pick up Cody Gilmore for the rest of the year to fill Goerke's spot.
Thanks for reading. Appreciate the time we spent together today, and you can email me with any thoughts you may have on this race at [email protected].
Did you like this article?
Check out ACTION FIGURE
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely is a man of many talents— skateboarding, BMX, import drifting … and he’s pretty good at this motocross thing, too. Page 156 .
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
Honda really should cut their loses with Josh Grant and pick up Pourcel for the nationals... Considering they already screwed up by not getting Reed for this epic SX season.
A GREAT article with but one measly error; 1,793th should read 1,793rd. Other than that fantastic.
BTW, go REED!
Great write up steve....as always, keepin it real!!
it has to be some team with pc support.....with mitch adding some money like he said...if thats the case hmmm witch team it might be....two two, vali, who knows
So Alessi is fast on flat straight away's only?
Lookin' for the gingers to pull thru for me!!
What is that pole for, CRtutu to dance on ?
Matthes, just a hint.... Nobody is exactly a fan of yours. Not just Tedesco.
Great Work Matthes!!!, hopefully CP377 on Two Two Motorsports!!!!
As intense and exciting as this SX season has been, can you imagine if CP was also racing? It is a crime he wasn't racing SX this year.
Maybe Alessi can get some pointers from Windham how to go through the whoops.... (you'll have to go back to Mike's rookie season and his own pointers to #14).
PS: the photo atop this page.....there's a racer in Moose gear. Did they run an EnduroCross in Dallas, too?
Reed will not want a rider on his team that can smoke him hands down...Reed is like a spoiled single child and cant be on a team with others that are better than him
yamalink ur a retard. and wtf r the poles for? lets see an article on the sneaky poles that keep popping up. possibly some transponder for when red arrow makes his debut?
Matthes, good job, keep trying on those JS7 interviews and maybe, just maybe, even his loyal followers will be interested in what he has to say that isnt written for him or pre planned. Sure is nice that the ENTIRE rest of the SX racers have no problem giving interviews.
I hope this close racing and win trading and close points carry into MX, just imagine how tough it will be to pick Team USA if 5 guys ( Reed & Frenchy excluded ) are this close come July, AWESOME!!!
dw504- Who's Nobody? I read RacerX because of Matthes. Don't be a D Bag.
Whiskey throttle...'nuff said.
Great article...more, please!
I respectfully disagree with him saying Dungey cant get on track, just because he isn`t winning does not mean he`s not on track. He`s sticking to his program, putting up good honest results and is extremely appreciative of all those around him, stewarts the one who can`t get on track. There`s no bs with dungey, he`s a good role model for the kids and there is no reason why he cant end up as champion this year. Dungey is doing absolutely fine everyone.
CP on a Honda or KTM, NOT a Kawie.
Stewart camp not giving interviews shows the untouchable, rockstar status they think they've achieved......BOOO! Yet another reason for me to dislike their whole program. Too bad, because he started out with potential (isn't that what we say about all problem children?).
60% of you think RV failing to qualify at Jacksonville was the most shocking moment of the season. Maybe, but it wasn't a disaster or anything. He would leave with the points lead no matter what, so I didn't think it was a huge deal.
Mine would probably be what happened in the aftermath: Stewart's best chance to close up in the points and he gets thrown across the track like a rag doll six seconds in and taken away on a backboard. No bueno, supermoon.
But that wasn't an option, so I chose Stewie's crash at Daytona. Not that James Stewart crashing is anything new, but at the time he was the only one who could stop Villopoto. That incident changed everything. Also, perhaps I was thinking "most shocking" as in head trauma.
Oh, and the Arizona Cardinals' stadium is pretty cool, too. I wish they'd host a supercross there so I'd have a reason to go inside. It's pretty out-of-the-way compared to Chase Field, though :(
@Carlsbad
The media always says they can never get a hold of Dungey, either, and he's supposed to be one of the humble ones. Not that anyone really WANTS to talk to Dungey, from what I gather.
HA!! Dungey probably reads off a cue card....Great kid, awesome rider but no personality. I hear he is somewhat of a pre-madonna of the track....hopefully not a victim of too much success to quickly. Maybe he is different off the track. He did say "a step in the right direction" again this week on the podium
Dungey's Famous Quotes - The man above, we'll keep working, still got some things to improve on , J-law who?, a step in the right direction
Hey carlsbad, are you talking about this season, if so yeah you are right, he started great and has just made real stupid mistakes that most likely have already killed his chances, but if you are talking about his career, are you forgetting he has 4 championships.
Maybe you could get an interview with JS if you pulled him over to the side with some flashing blue lights......just sayin.
Dungey was couched to say the right things so people wouldn't talk shit but they still do, go figure.
Melon Dungey wasn't the only one to talk up God. All on the box was talking God. God is great, beer is good and people are crazy, is what one of them should of said.
@rick melon
haha yea i am a big dungey fan but your right he does say the same dam thing on the podium every week.
This season has GOT to open Stewart's eyes, it's just GOT to. He's made so many mistakes since A2, he gets up, comes back the next week like nothing happened, rides too fast and crashes again. It's been bad before, but not like this.
I really hope it's just a focus issue, because he CAN beat these guys. See 2009 for proofs. He rode so well no one could've touched him, says me. But it's only going to get harder from here on out. Way more fast guys than there used to be--this may have been his best shot. (It's not ALL due to his error, though, which eases my mind a little.)
Mr. Matthes,
If you are not born in Texas you are just living in Texas. I have been here for 12 years and I am not from Texas, I just live here.
Some other Texas sayings, I am not from here but I got here as soon as I could. Or, I know others do not like Texans, but we like ourselves enough for them.
So, who is more Texas, I would not know what to say. Maybe the one with a Texas wife and ranch.
who...blits..,
What are you talking about? You are trying to compare 2009 performance against up and coming new talent, and existing talent that gets better.
That is a waste of time. Every one of the top 5 guys are all riding comparable to one another. The days of JS dominating performance was JS at that time against that talent pool.
These new riders are the next thing, just as Jeremy was, Ricky was, and James was.
It is the evolution of the sport and natural.
I think Bubba has 5 major championships, not 4. Two 125 outdoor, two Supercross, and a perfect 450 outdoor season. Just saying. The only way this championship could get much crazier if it kept tightening up until it was a 5-way tie going into Vegas. I still think it's RV2's to lose, but there's not much margin for error.
Steve, I love your stuff and will always read it but you are listenting to whining people too much. First you give up the cool gear award. Now you tone down anything with Reed because of whiners. Reed was WAY faster than Canard on that track, not just hardly as you said. He closed half the rythym section in 2 laps before j-bomb lost it and gernaded him. God I would hate to ride with that guy if I was Reed. At least Reed does a hard pass that j-bomb could see, and j-bomb still holds it on and hits him.
Also, way to go Jeff Allesi for throwing Mike under the bus. Steve asked why he was so slow in the whoops and he said he had a whole track of whoops to practice on. Basically meaning he should be awesome in them, but instead sucks. Damn that would hurt if I was that guy and my brother said that.
Actually I take it all back.... I've just been kidding!!! I have the utmost respect for Reed.
Leaving his home country with nothing, carving a name for himself in Europe and then coming to the USA to become one of the most succesful riders in the world of the last decade.
A hard competitor and true professional. He has kept racing a hell of a lot more interesting here. He'll go down in history as a true legend. GO REEDY!!!! CR22.
Me?......Well I really am just an unknown sad & bitter nobody from Hicksville.
PS - I have some used leather chaps for sale and a typing for dummies book if anyone is interested? Email me boys. ;)
@Open Class--It's just deduction. Reed rode AMAZING in '09, possibly better-than-Carmichael good.Stewart said that year that Reed was the toughest competition he'd faced, yet he handled him with an incredible mix of speed and consistency.
If you think that Dungey, Villopoto or Canard are already "better-than-Carmichael good," I think you're crazy. You may think I'm crazy believing that of Reed, but I think it's entirely possible (in SX). He's been in the game a long time.
Oh, I didn't even know Reed went to Europe before coming here. Hmm...
Ivan tedesco should be proud of tenth for this year. I think he would be the fastest tenth place finisher in the last ten yrs at least. He does the tenth position proud.
Andrew short will show everyone that his 350 is holding him back. Hopefully he will show it by placing high outdoors, but either way it will happen when he makes a return to a magical 450 motocross race bike. 6th is one spot worse than his best finish this year. happy, happy, happy
T-hahn has got more skills than ryan sipes.
Ryan sipes seems to have anxiety issues. He locks up, makes mistakes, finds it difficult to be consistent or be a good starter even though hehas good reflexes and timing. I say he should be like tedesco and see a sports psychologist. top athletes should have em'
If reed could manage to win this title and another two races he could probably afford to bring CP on board with the insurance payout and extra support.
@Whoops_Blitzer.. Reed ended 2nd in the world MX scene 250 class.. Losing the title against a ageing Pichon...
Reed rode ok.. Did not set the world on fire that year.. The french & Aussie press just gave a loat of attention.. You can already guess why the frogs gave so much attention.. Just to validate Pichon's winning the championship.. And the aussie.. they were just happy their latest and birithest hopefull to do well overseas...
Reed made a smart move leaving the world MX scene for the US... As Reed quickly understood.. To be the best you do not need to waste your time on the world MX scene..
My hats off to the pro's that can race ,do tv shows,deal with a ton of distractions I can't imagine, and still win. Heck to win the b class consistantly I had to revolve EVERYTHING I did around the sport. EVERYTHING. guess I dont have to take my hat off anymore. things are looking like they should I think. Joe.
while i think js is an overall decent, good person, i also think he is very hard headed. way too much has been said and blown out of proportion on his riding style and the "feud" between him and Chad Reed. he looks just like he did when he was battling with RC4. When RC4 retired it left only Reed and KDub for competition. Reed was having his own problems and KDub was already on the decline so there wasn't the pressure like it was with RC4. now that Reed is settled and some new, young, fast riders have come up through the ranks js has had to turn up the intensity to stay ahead of them. that's where the crashing re-enters the picture. with js, more pressure equals more crashes for him. he's not a "thinking" racer, he rides purely on feel and reaction. overall it has worked for him to this point, but this is a sport for the very young and js is at the peak or just past the peak of his skills. granted, he will still be fastest in qualifying and single lap times almost every race for a few more years but his age is definitely beginning to show. that's why Reed rides so consistent, his skills have diminshed and he has adjusted for it, i.e. only 1 win this year. RC4 saw the writing on the wall and he moved on before he hurt himself or someone else because his style was very similar to js's, the difference being that RC4 was a thinker and not just purely a reactionary rider. my final thought on js; cut your dad loose and hire proffessionals to manage your business. his dad seems like a big bully and i think it adds to the pressure on james, which isn't fair to him.
Well imagine that, a seat problem causing guys to have problems in the whoops, hmmm... But a great article, and Stewie wont give interviews, and I blamed Stewies ducking the media stuff on Larry Brooks. maybe not the problem. Reed has done a great job building his team. And still getting up there in the points too. But I cant understand the surprise of him being were he is in the points. He has never been blown out of any title chase. When RC Stewie and Reed al ran the same season, Reed was tied with Stewie with 366 points I think, at the end of the season. RC won the title, Stewie got a made up titel based on more wins, but the points was tied with Reed. So he is always right there in the mix. Not like this should be a surprise. And SLICK, I dont thin k RC retired for fear of injury. He ritired because he had other oppurtunities, what else did he have to prove in moto. He only got 15 titles in 10 years!!!! What more do you guys want??
bd200,, You ar a Reed fan I see.... His seat had nothing to do with his crashing the last lap. He hit a whoop and his front tire turned, then he came down and hit the face of another whoop, and his front tire was still turned.. Thats how he crashed.. Just keep making excuses for him....
://www.naughty.com/news/Pamela_Anderson/Sex_Tapes/Pamela_Anderson_Blowjob_to_Tommy_Lee_Video.php
@ Rick Melon imposter - Thanks for stealing my name kook.
Actually I don't question Reeds dedication to his sport, skill or desire to win, never have. He is obviously a great rider, no question. However, He is known in the industry as a cry baby pain in the ass who wants everything his way because he has an EGO the size of Australia. He has never received the amount of attention, respect and been placed on the same shelf that MC, RC and JS7 have been put on, and it eats at him every day. Unfortunetly, his 2 SX championships came when the favorite to win that year was out, same goes for the outdoors title, shit Alessi wasnt even there half the series ....he still won, but like Dungey last year a lot of folks (not all) dont think he "beat the best"....Reeds parents are very well off from what I understand and Reed is a spoiled brat who at 28 still acts that way...
" Stewie got a made up titel" LOL bd200 no he won the world SX title over RC. It was REAL not made up. Wake up!!! time to go to school bd200
The only way that Stewart will win this championship is if he takes everyone else out...which is definitely do-able for him.
BillC..........he's not the only one that thinks those World SX titles are BS, Heath Voss won one for F sakes. If you consider that important then Chad Reed's 125cc titles from Australia are relevant as well lol.
IF you weren't born in TEXAS your not TEXAN, but i think Andrew Short fits in the best. Plus he did marry a TEXAN and his kids are TEXAN. And he owns a Ranch.
The Hahn bros just dress in Camo and shoot guns. thats doesnt mean your TEXAN.
None of them are arrogant enough to be true TEXANS.
Retardcross weather its bs to U or not, The facts remain the same, RC and JS both raced all 19 rounds and JS had more points at the end. When Voss won it none of the top guys raced all the rounds.
This is the greatest racing season since my first year racing at the famous Snake Pit Racway track in 72 at Hannabal MO. Wow now that was a track that was do or die ilf the rocks did not get you the snakes would!!!!!!!!. Oh and the dust was great cause you could not see the rocks......
Retardcross,,, BillC has a point there..... I know it hurts to face reality sometimes, but you can handle it,, I think...
RC retired because he wanted to end his career on top of his game.. And also.. he had nothing more to prove... Many sport athletes or racing drivers on two or four wheels do this.
As for the other opportunities.. He Never hide it that he wanted to continue racing on 4 wheels after his two wheels career.. hence Nascar seemed to fit the bill.
He seems to be doing ok... And hopefully he will be able to win soon.. And hopefully move up the ranks within Nascar.
Rick Melon... Parents of Reed are hard working class of people, and manage to do alright through out the years.
Only after the 08' title in SX, did Reed make up with his parents.. Notably his old man.
As for Reed being a spoiled brat.. ha.ha.. I tend to agree.. even though, since he is a team owner.. he seems to be more communicative.. To the extent of being funny.. And respect for starting his own team and investing "millions" (According to Reed), in such a endeavour.
However.. i still am 100% behind RV2.. And he shud wrap up this title!
I guess winning the main event is just not exciting enough to talk about. How about TC performance the last three weeks. Last year people said this guy was the future. The future is now. I can't believe people knock him for mentioning Christ on the podium. With his results, its hard to argue. Too bad Honda has a contract with Grant - Canard needs a team mate. Man, a TC/CP team would be wild.
Dungey robots his speeches because thats how Decoster taught him. I know he misses his old coach.
No, JS would not have passed Reed in that turn if he had not gotten squirrelly. He would have blown the corner.
No, Reed would not have won the race if he had not gone down. He may have caught Canard but beating him at his home race would not have happened. Remember Jacksonville.
I think Sipes would do well on a 450. He's small but tough. He would have to learn to respect the beast. His time in the Lites class is about done anyhow. Man if you were at the race you would have seen a wild battle between Wilson & Barcia that lasted the whole race. No one mentioned that Baggett won his heat race and looked really good. I think he got caught up with a downed rider on the start. CBS sucks. Privateers shoud be paid more. My .02 worth.
mxmofo, I just know what I read on here, glad you have all kinds of inside knowledge, how do you know the seat didnt cause the crash, Did Reed tell you?? I just know what was written, and same as you. I dont need to make excuses for the guy, he is doing pretty good, unlike you Stewtards. I put that in there (made up title) just for you Billc, I knew you would like it. Its a crap title if ALL the races dont count. If Daytona would have counted(which it didnt) RC wins that one also. What a crap title that doesnt count all rounds.
WOW bd200 that is the dumbest thing I have heard on this one. ALL the races did count for the world title that were counted for the world title BD200 infact there were MORE races in the world series than the AMA series so I would think that would be a harder one to win., All the races that would count for the both titles were known before the series started and RC and JS DID THEM ALL!!! You sound like a little baby " IF DAYTON COUNTED" WELL IT DID NOT AND RC AND JS BOTH KNEW THAT before the year started. Also You talk about others saying and say "glad you have all kinds of inside knowledge" So I ask you...DID RC TELL YOU he did not care about the world title?? NOT!!! I would guess RC never got behind a gate and said I think I will not try to win tonight because I don't care. LOL you are a piece of work bd200. Why is it so hard for you to say RC got beat??
bd200,, You may kmow what you read, but I know what I seen.. Watch it again.. His front wheel caused the crash,, My God dude ..... Just watch it.. If you cant see that, get your eyes checked..
mofo bd200 make up his mind and thats that, There is no going back. One time he made up his mind on hear say then weeks later a Vid came out that showed it and he said "I don't care"
I can see him doing that..
Both Wilson and Sipes are wussies with a "p" out on the track. They allow Justin Barcia to bully them. Wilson needs to grab some balls and park Justin in Vegas.
@BillC.. Well... From the AMA championship point of view... RC was the better one, in winning championships.. Some consider this to be the ultimate in indoor racing.. And i am one of those who think so. I reckon BD200 is also.
And the FIM WGPSX seemed like a farce as to why it has ever been created.. I can only guess.. it was a way for the FIM to show how meaningless the AMA is vs the FIM and at the end they are now working together.. But I do remember distinctively.. The bonus's the riders could generate by participating where more than attractive...
So.. RC, JS & CR did take the series to a certain degree serious.
So, in those series.. one could easily argue.. RC did get beat... And I doubt RC will be the last to deny this.
But at the end... All riders have a pedigree of success... One more than the other, and in various ways.
Didierlotsyeng I agree, The SX was the better and bigger title but bd200 likes to piss on the world title and I think that is very wrong because RC would not have raced it just for fun IMO.. He raced to win.
``Mitch said he'll help CP out for the nationals if he has to. I got the sense that Mitch thinks Pourcel is close to signing with someone, but if it comes down to it, Payton says the right thing to do (even if it's money out of his pocket) is help the kid out because he deserves it.``
This is why you should buy your products from Mitch!!!! Racing is his life
BILLC, you are such an idiot.. I know you are still hung up on the Des Nations, it a riot. Especially when Ping said BT was "way to aggresive", and BT himself said" I did whatever it took to win, if he went down, so be it". That made up my mind and I TOLD you that, but you just like to be a dickhead. So who cares what you think anyway, you arent anyone important. But you must really think I am, you comment on every post I make. MXMOFO I dont even have the race recorded , and honestly, I dont think its that big a deal to waste my time with it. Who really gives a shit what caused him to crash again in the whoops. You only do because you hate Reed so bad. And you hate the idea that Stewie crashing like an idiot caused bike damage to Reed. But since I have read 3 times on this site alone by DC and Matthes that Reeds seat came lose from the crash, and caused him problems in the whoops, I am inclined to take thier word for it. Hell Matthes was a pro mechanic for Tim Ferry for god sakes, he has probably forgot more about dirtbikes than you will ever know.
BILLC, its so funny you still get excited over the WSX Title, its so funny. Do you realize I sit and laugh at your dumbas# getting pissed off about that. You are like a little puppet, I can pull your strings and make you do whatever. hahaha, just like the BT101 takeout of Short, its a freakin riot. You are so gullible it isnt funny.
Haha - Glad you can see the funny side.
A couple questions Mr Melon because I and I'm sure others are curious and you seem to be very rich in knowledge about Mr Chad Reed -
Do you know Chad Reed personally?
Have you ever met him?
Are you his parents' banker?
Have you ever been to Australia?
Melon imposter..... No...yes...no ....yes .....been around a long time an seen or heard about it all...
Ok Mr Melon - Fair enough. I've been around it all a long time too.
Regarding your opinion of his ego, don't all these guys need a bit of that edge to them to compete at this level? Kinda like fighter pilots IMHO. Risking life and limb and having the ability to transcend to that maximum level requires a special mindset.
And they're young! Damn I look back at my early 20's - what a dhead! So, as they "mature" to the ripe old age of late 20's (!) they tend to become a little more rounded, humble and measured - much like I think Chad has done. I wasn't a "fan" and now I guess I am. He has converted me in the last 2 or 3 years. But really, I don't care too much about their personalities as much as their riding tenacity, longevity and competitve spirit. Something I think CR22 has by the dozen.
Anyway - trying to log in to get my own name but the system isnt responding - you can have your name back!!
I like that black & white photo at the top.
@BD200 you Tard, now your swinging on RC4 nutsack, just you admit it boy. Even with daytonna into acount it still means bubbles is the king so there! R/Ctard!!!!!!
On the seat thing./anyone ever raced even a 20 min moto w/o a seat? Lemmie tell you I did in 1977, on one of them fancy smancy RM's they came out with.....even had aluminum seat bolts .I snapped them off just before my moto.......muddy day at portland michigan, and the seat came off in 1 lap. (duct tape) Oh i finished 4th.....but it is now 2011 and my legs are finally back to the size they should be, :) If i knew my seat might come off in a sx race (did 1 1978) no thank you.) I'd be very concerned and im sure it would at the very least hinder your ability's. try practicing w/o a seat a few motos at home.....builds character. joe.
HAHAHAHAHA bd200 I am far from pissed YOU are the one who can't post without calling people names so It sure looks like you are the one who is out of control. Silly little boy u are.
BILLC, I must admit it is few and far between that I comment on this or any other page. But after seeing how childish you are I have to comment. You chase around BD200 like a child. You attack and make remarks on everything he says if it isnt exactly the way you like it. Its obvious you feel protected behind your computer, but its funny how you act as if you are always right and nobody else has an opinion. Which is what this site is about, peoples opinions. Just because a persons opinion is different from yours, doesnt make it wrong, just different. And from reading these post, you are still hung up on an opinion from months ago at the Des Nations race. Its obvious you are one of those people who has always gotten their way, and cant stand not getting it here. You do have issues, please get over them. Others on here are tired of seeing you pick arguements and taking over a blog..And GROW UP BILL.
We finally got to the bottom of it... bd200 doesnt even have it recorded... hahahaha.. He's going to go by words rather than looking for himself... hahahaha..
Big Red.. I guess in your eyes it OK for bd200 to call people names and act like a child though. Funny how also you tell me you know how others feel and that I should not be talking all over the blog... So you own it?? Also not hung up on anything from the Des Nations I was just letting Mofo know what he is up agents. Funny how Mofo just pointed out how bd200 is, bd200 aruged about something then in the end says he did not have the tape so again he does not care. You can take anyside you want but I find it very funny you go after me only and stick up for a guy like bd200 who is a very insulting person and can't have a debate without calling someone a name. Guess it tells me the kind of person you are too. Have a nice day.
Ummmmmm....Big Red are you single?
I'm an insulting person who cant have a debate?? hahah, YOU BILLC are the one who said what I wrote was "the dumbest thing" thats not insulting?? Yes and YOU started that crap. WorldSX Title really?? You started the insults, and you say I act like a child?hahaha You say, "so you own this site" how childish is that??MXmofo, why would I have it recorded?? I watched the race, gave my opinion. thats it. Its just opinions, NOBODY including you, knows the answers to what we debate except the persons on the bikes. But you assume you are all knowing, and nobody elses opinion is correct. Just like BillC. No wonder you two ladies get along so well. And yes Mofo, I would take Matthes opinion about motocross racing over yours anyday. Since he was a pro mechanic for years and all. And BILLC, admit it, you started the insults, and the arguements, I just gave my opinion. Like a hundred other times, and you make some smartass comment. It looks like someone else saw it too, and you dont like it.
Bd go read some threads, YOU name call all the time. Probley ten threads on the home pg that will show it. How many can you find where I called someone a name?? Thats insulting. As for me saying that was dumb.. Well Thats an OPINION right?? I did not sayyou were dome I said that what you said was dumb, and You just said that opinions are ok right?? Just in this thread alone you said "Stewtards" "IDIOT" twice, "Dumbass" "little puppet" so Like I said you can't debate without name calling.
Its also funny how evertime the JS "FMOP" come up you flip out and say the one who wins is the FMOP, BUT that just YOUR opion right BD200?? But EVERYTIME it comes up YOU TELL everyone there wrong if they say JS is the FMOP... Hmmmmmmmmmm More hypocrocy from bd200. I have said many times FMOP means dif things to Dif people but YOU insist that YOU are RIGHT!! Also its funny that you think any of this bothers me!! This is FUN to me, a way to unwind.When you or anyone goes off on me I laugh.... a LOT. Smiling right now in fact!!
Yes I give my opinion, but I dont tell someone "that is the dumbest thing I have ever read" when they give thier opinion, I just say I dont agree. I never said I was right, I said I dont think Stewie is the fastest man. And you want hypocrisy, you say name calling is insulting and you dont do it. WOW!! what a liar you are. and YOU threw out the insults first saying my comment on your precious Stewie's world title means sh#t. was the dumbest ever. THAT was the first insult you hypocrite. So if you feel insulted, quit jumping on every "opinion" I make. Like you have for the last week or more. EVERY post I make you slam for some reason or another, so stay away. Your like a stalker, and you NEVER answered my question. I say the same thing dozens of others say, and MY post are the only ones you rip on. Why?? Because you are a shitatarter, period. A way to unwindf, its obvious your just so spoiled you are used to getting your way.
BILLC, I just went through some threads, and every one, I comment, has NOTHING to do with you. And you jump in and make some comment about me that is somehow insulting to me. Look at Monday wakeup call for example. YOU always start the arguement, it never fails. THAT IS INSULTING.
chill out guys... BD200, BillC, mxmofo, retardcross.. Make these posts or threads interesting.. And forgive me if i have left out some other names..
makes reading the racer x online news worthwhile...
bd200 I have answered your question 10x's at least!! YOU must not like the answer. Here it is AGAIN!!! YOU have an Avtar, You post here all the time, LOTs of the other guys are not here all the time or are one post wonders so I don't wastes much time talking to them. GET IT?? Please don't tell me I don't answer!!!
"One rider who couldn't find a ride with anyone, was on his fourth brand in four years, and was written off by just about everyone..."
Since you are so close with Reed's camp, you should know that Reed could, in fact, find a ride for the 2011 season. He had a year remaining on his factory Kawasaki ride which he declined. He was offered a ride with factory Honda which he refused. Late in the negotiating season, none of the remaining factories offered him a salary similar to what he was paid in 2006. Big surprise.
I believe what you are all missing here is that these guys get worn out, burnt out, and just to the point where they don't wanna train as hard. A very good example of this would be my favorite Kevin Windham. After breaking his femur, Windham had lost a alot of drive. What did it for him was having to start all over, without the help of the Factory Ride. And if you remember right, that was what it took to get him to where he is today. He definitely came back with FIRE! He happened to be the only rider to put it to Ricky Carmichael in the outdoors. So you guys can say what you want about all of your least favorite riders, they might change your mind some day.