Racer X Notebook: Seattle
Monday, April 18, 2011 | 2:25 PM
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Print- A week ago, everyone was predicting rain in Seattle (shocked?) and riders and teams were greeted with plenty of it as they rolled into town. But by Saturday, the sun actually came out, and not a drop of precipitation hit the ground. The Dirt Wurx crew had actually sent personnel in early to get a jump on the track, and the course was complete by Tuesday and covered before the big rains came in. The jumps were built to be a little less steep that usual to prevent them from getting cupped out at badly. Track builders also saved an extra pile of dirt and kept it covered, as well, and then added it to the track. The Saturday morning free practice sessions were cancelled, but both timed practice sessions ran as usual. Despite all the hard work, the track was still very tough—Eli Tomac said it was tougher than the mud race he won in San Diego earlier in the year.
With Canard's injury who will American Honda Racing pick up for the start of outdoors?
Photo: Simon Cudby
- Trey Canard’s broken femur was the big story coming into the race, as the American Honda Racing rookie was still well within title contention before being knocked out of the series with a crash. Honda Team Manager Erik Kehoe explained that the crash took place at Competitive Edge in Hesperia, California. Late in the day, Canard was scrubbing off of a big drop-down jump, and apparently overjumped the jump and landed hard. Canard still tried to make it to the inside of the next corner, but apparently miscued doing so and went down. No one is sure what caused the break—such as contact with the handlebars or the ground—but the good news is the fracture is non-displaced (not broken all the way through). Canard already has a rod in that femur after surgery from a femur break at Washougal in 2008. The prognosis is six weeks for recovery, but Kehoe notes that it’s pretty hard to make an accurate prediction this early.
- Canard’s absence leads to a lot of speculation over Honda’s plans for the Lucas Oil Motocross Championship, as both Canard and Josh Grant aren’t scheduled to be back until a few rounds in. Kehoe explained that the team has spoken to both Kevin Windham and Chad Reed, but Windham is not sure if he will race the whole series or not, while Reed obviously would. Kehoe did say the team would be able to house three riders if a replacement started the season, and then Grant and Canard came back. Reed, however, said his TwoTwo Motorsports team is working hard behind the scenes to find additional funding to stay on the road for the summer.
- Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer will be in action for the first time at the next race, in Salt Lake City. Weimer hasn’t raced in nearly nine months after injuring his back during last year’s AMA Motocross Championship, and he wants some race time before this year’s motocross tour fires gets underway. That means that the replacement rider, Fabien Iziord, is headed back home to France. In his final race for the team, Iziord finished thirteenth.
Hansen reinjured his hand in practice at Seattle.
Photo: Garth Milan
- Josh Hansen is making a habit out of riding through pain. After surgery on his broken hand during the break, he crashed in practice and hurt one of his already-injured fingers again. He also tweaked his shoulder, and many wondered if he would even be able to race at all. He did, riding through pain for the third-straight race to take sixth. Luckily, Hansen gets a weekend off this week.
- And Eli Tomac was hurting, too. Over the break, Tomac had looped together three different tracks at his Colorado practice facility to create a 10-minute off-road lap. The track crosses over itself at one point, but it was designed to do so in an area where the riders could see each other coming. Somehow, Tomac and another rider failed to see each other, and they collided at high speed. Tomac suffered a concussion, the other rider’s condition was worse, including a broken knee. Tomac says his concussion was not too bad. “I didn’t throw up or anything. I took about a week off. My dad was pretty smart about it and we just waited, then I did some stuff at a high heart rate to make sure I was okay. So I’ve been back riding for a few weeks now, it wasn’t a problem.”
- With Ian Trettel out, the Rockstar Suzuki team was looking for a replacement rider for AMA Motocross, and rumor has it that Nick Paluzzi, who is currently filling in for Gareth Sweanapol in supercross on the DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Yamaha team, will get the spot.
Tomac gained valuable points with a second place finish in Seattle.
Photo: Garth Milan
- And the silly season is beginning to heat up. Who will end up where next year? Expect to hear some good gossip by the time the Las Vegas supercross rolls around.
- Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers returned to supercross for the first time since 2009. The Monster Energy Babbitt’s Kawasaki rider is receiving some help from factory Monster Energy Kawasaki, including some engine bits. Bowers has also been riding at the Kawasaki supercross test track all year. For the supercross race, he also revised the suspension setup on his bike for supercross. He took 17th in the main event.
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Hanny is tough! Surgery on a "hang" must've hurt.....
WTF? why in the hell is Paluzzi gettin the ride with rockstar suzuki for outdoors? Gared Steinke has beat him straight up in both mains he got in! give the kid a chance on a " factory" bike! bet he would make all the mains!!!!
So, 2 races left and man it is exciting. The outdoors will be awesome but too bad no Glen Helen, I would make the drive for that!!!!..
I guess the 3 Race Win insurance policy Two Two has isnt going to pay off with 2 races to go??? he has the cash to do the outdoors, but maybe he should be a real privateer and roll from state to state in a box van instead of the Factory Rig...might save some money.....interesting arrangement for Honda although Reed isnt going to hang with Bubba and RV
Not a doctor, but I am betting the existing rod in Canards leg caused the fracture. Sounds like he landed hard ala Doug Henry over jumping the down hill....
gillen936, Paluzzi rode well in a replacement role for JGR last year at a few nationals, with a couple of rides well into the top ten in the 450 class. As well Paluzzi rode Suzukis all through his amateur career. Seems to be a solid choice to me.
Paluzzi showed me the first friggin round he has a set of nads on him, hope the kid gets a shot.
not bagging on Paluzzi. kid does rip and deserves the chance. wish him luck!
I'm a lot more excited about Tyler Bowers' 17th than The Felonious Cop Imitator's finish. Bowers is ten times the man the Imitator is.
Stewart reminds me of NASCAR. In NASCAR, we had the Intimidator. In AMA Supercross, we have the Imitator.
One more thing, it's not Sweanapol.
Bowers made that bike look like a 80 on the starting line !
Dirt
Rick Melon It said he went down in the next corner so im not sure the jump broke it, the corner crash it sounds like. All RV needs to do is go 2-2 and its his no matter who went 1-1. But to do that he better get some starts!!
what's up with Dungey's starts? it looks like he gets the jump, then lets off about 20 ft before the corner.
Duude, like seriouslay, Hanny totally deserves the championship bro. But dude, with his hand like totally knarled dude, it probably won't happen. Bro.
Bowers grew up about an hour and half from me. Him and a boy racing the east coast Levi Kilbarger they both are awesome people I would like to see both of them in the top 12 at least
jairtime, enough of your soap opera, get over the JS incident off track, we've heard enough about it haven't we? I bet u never made a mistake in ur life either! How about we focus on the next 2 races & see what happens there, it's alot more interesting to see who is going to win the Supercross Championship!
Bummer about Trey Canard.
Looking forward to the last 2 races - it's gonna be an epic finish!
give the rockstar ride to malcolm or let him ride a 450 outdoors with his bro that would be a scary team
county orange or black and white pinstripes? I always chuckle at that boys expense. Keep them coming.
When Stewie is on his game and stays away from the yard sales, there is only one question. Who will finish in second place?
How about Pourcel to Honda??
A Virtual Cornucopia of Yard Sales
Q: Where does James Stewart spend most Saturdays?
A: Yard sales!
Q: Where did James Stewart say he bought his cop lights?
A: A yard sale!
Q: How does James Stewart get new fenders, plates, handlebars, clutch perches and levers?
A: Yard sale!
Q: How did James Stewart get to the Bahamas for his vacation?
A: A yard saleboat!
I keep thinking that if all the top 4 riders work together, maybe there's a way they can all tie for 1st in points at the end of the season, just so no future year can quite match 2011. Somebody else can do the math. I'm sure some tie breaker rule will still decide a winner, but the concept is interesting.
@ That'd be interesting if the riders worked out a compromise like that. Dungey would agree, Villopoto would agree, Stewart would agree...
Reed would bluff like he's playing along, but then he would break rank on the last lap and take the title all for himself.
And...Tomac collided with another rider when his track crossed back over itself? That's funny, the same thing happened to me last week while I was playing ATV Offroad Fury.
A: James Stewart
Q: Who has invaded the shallow depths of Jairtimes mind?
A: James Stewart
Q: Who is it that Jairtime is so jealous of, he just cannot quit talking about 'em?
A: James Stewart
Q: What well known SX/MX racers existence haunts Jairtimes every waking moment?
A: James Stewart
Q: Who does Jairtime wish he could be??
A: James Stewart
Q: Who OWNS Jairtime??
"J-Time".......Number of wins would be the tie-breaker in that scenario!!
Man if JS wins the last 2 and the title there will be some unhappy people around here LOL. I still hope RV does it but if JS wins the last 2 he will most likely be the champ, Unless RV can get a 2nd and a 3rd he will be the champ. RD and Reed are out of it unless RV has a real bad race IMO.
Yes that would be somthing to have a tie in the supercross final what an ending for a wild sesson. I had to laugh about the crosover stuff with Tomac, I am sorry they got hurt. How nobody got hurt when I started riding had a figure 8 in the field behind the house we played chicken but we did crash and only got banged up. It help we were on minibikes and honda 50 mini trails and stuff though.
I would really like to see Hanny win the West SX regional title this year, cause he really deserves it w/ the rides he was putting in this year and the tail end of last season. I know there's a lot of people that dislike Hansen cause I used to be one of them but he has shown a lot of heart this year and I honestly believe that he's taking racing seriously now. When he points out of Lites SX this year (some correct me if I am wrong on this) I hope that he can find a decent 450 ride in 2012 cause he has earned it IMO...
I hope you have been on the choof there acejas