Salt Lake City SX Practice Report
Saturday, April 30, 2011 | 7:40 PM
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Practice is complete here at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Despite our best journalism attempts, we haven’t found much salt around this city at all. Don’t even see a lake, either.
But salt might have been needed as snow actually came down this morning! It was cold, and flakes started landing at about 10 am and didn’t let up until noon. The snow didn’t really accumulate on the track, and eventually the sun started shining and the snow went away. But it hasn’t gotten warm.
The track is actually pretty tricky. One rhythm lane doesn’t seem to offer a “correct answer” as both main lines through it are difficult. The fastest technique is to end the section going on-off-single, but bouncing off that final single may be tough for 20 (or 15) laps. A few riders are jumping over the table, which looks smoother but not quite as fast. That could change tonight, though.
The whoops are also very unique. They’re fairly flat, but spaced far apart, with a big gap after the fifth whoop. The gap is so big that most riders just drop in and then jump out of the whoops by going triple-triple. But James Stewart just blitzes across the top.
Stewart was the fastest of the SX Class. His best time was a 42.6 from session one, and he also landed a 42.7 in the second session. Villopoto logged a 43.32 in session two for second overall—that’s a pretty big gap. Ryan Dungey went 43.37, Chad Reed 43.42 and Andrew Short a 43.58. Kevin Windham, Davi Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Austin Stroupe and Tommy Hahn rounded out the top ten. Jake Weimer was 16th fastest in his return to racing after breaking his arm in the off season.
As if anyone doesn’t know, there are only nine points separating the top four in points, and of course those four where the fastest in practice. Stewart seems really sharp in practice—even sharper than at the last two rounds, which he won. But in this crazy season, it seems like avoiding trouble is more important than simply going fast, so anything can happen tonight. Throw in some championship pressure and drama, and we’re set for some heat in the cold.
In the Lites class, the spoilers are making their presence known, with Martin Davalos topping practice with a 44.20 over title contender Eli Tomac’s 44.24. Cole Seely (44.58), Josh Hansen (44.63) and Kyle Cunningham (44.66) rounded out the top five, followed by Ken Roczen, Broc Tickle, Tyla Rattray, Travis Baker and Ryan Morias.
Tickle, Hansen and Tomac are battling for the title, with just seven points between them. Riders like Davalos, Seely and Cunningham could play a big factor in the points tonight.
Follow our twitter updates @racerxonline for up-to-the-minute stuff from the race. The show airs on television tomorrow afternoon on CBS (SX class) and SPEED (Lites) so if you want to know what’s happening as it happens, follow us!
But salt might have been needed as snow actually came down this morning! It was cold, and flakes started landing at about 10 am and didn’t let up until noon. The snow didn’t really accumulate on the track, and eventually the sun started shining and the snow went away. But it hasn’t gotten warm.
The track is actually pretty tricky. One rhythm lane doesn’t seem to offer a “correct answer” as both main lines through it are difficult. The fastest technique is to end the section going on-off-single, but bouncing off that final single may be tough for 20 (or 15) laps. A few riders are jumping over the table, which looks smoother but not quite as fast. That could change tonight, though.
The whoops are also very unique. They’re fairly flat, but spaced far apart, with a big gap after the fifth whoop. The gap is so big that most riders just drop in and then jump out of the whoops by going triple-triple. But James Stewart just blitzes across the top.
Stewart was the fastest of the SX Class. His best time was a 42.6 from session one, and he also landed a 42.7 in the second session. Villopoto logged a 43.32 in session two for second overall—that’s a pretty big gap. Ryan Dungey went 43.37, Chad Reed 43.42 and Andrew Short a 43.58. Kevin Windham, Davi Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Austin Stroupe and Tommy Hahn rounded out the top ten. Jake Weimer was 16th fastest in his return to racing after breaking his arm in the off season.
As if anyone doesn’t know, there are only nine points separating the top four in points, and of course those four where the fastest in practice. Stewart seems really sharp in practice—even sharper than at the last two rounds, which he won. But in this crazy season, it seems like avoiding trouble is more important than simply going fast, so anything can happen tonight. Throw in some championship pressure and drama, and we’re set for some heat in the cold.
In the Lites class, the spoilers are making their presence known, with Martin Davalos topping practice with a 44.20 over title contender Eli Tomac’s 44.24. Cole Seely (44.58), Josh Hansen (44.63) and Kyle Cunningham (44.66) rounded out the top five, followed by Ken Roczen, Broc Tickle, Tyla Rattray, Travis Baker and Ryan Morias.
Tickle, Hansen and Tomac are battling for the title, with just seven points between them. Riders like Davalos, Seely and Cunningham could play a big factor in the points tonight.
Follow our twitter updates @racerxonline for up-to-the-minute stuff from the race. The show airs on television tomorrow afternoon on CBS (SX class) and SPEED (Lites) so if you want to know what’s happening as it happens, follow us!
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OMG..OMG...did i get the "holeshot"?? Who cares.......Go get 'em JS!!
43 second lap times, WTF!!
once again JS kills it in the whoops is he just that good or just that crazy??
39.5 second range as stewart launches the whoops into the crowd
@ronnie, I agree with you about the 43 sec lap times..... just lame. Where did those good ol' min lap times go, it sucks watching the races that last 15 min or so.
looks like martin davalos has got his pace back, remember him and roczen battling at anaheim?
nice holeshot "Whatever"!! lol. does James practice times Jinx his main results tonight? His last two wins, he wasn't fastest in practice, right? that means Reed wins and stewy beats RV and RD and their friendship is renewed? lol. gonna be fun!!!
short lap times SUCK
Nope stewart will smoke em again, technical track and are you serious billc. Have you seen anyone without skills on a bike go through sx whoops, so when you take a person like windham who handles the whoops, and then go a whole new level, I Would say it's a little off to call that being crazy
if hes not fastest in practice, he doesnt want to be #chucknorris
W need some 55 second tracks..... like back in the 90's You never saw short small easy tracks back then..... i think this is what led to MC killin it for almost 10 years.
Key word was "comfortable" ....When Bubba looks "comfortable" he is on his game......Glad to see RV 2nd in timing...last few races he wasn't up their in practice....I see a 7, 2, 22 finish.....but a 2, 7 , 22 would be better.
What a cool week , First the Royal wedding , and all of those fabulous dresses, and now Motorcross racing on sunday , I hope its a good safe race , and all those boys ride slow as to not to fall and mess up all that chrome on their choppers
If it was up to me, lap times would be a minimum of one minute.
....but it isn't up to me, so I'll shut up now.
20min plus one lap...thank me later.
i think JS is gonna throw it away .when hes under pressure he rides faster and over his head and crashes ,never fails hope he can get in his comfort zone,but gonna be hard when he has to win.RV , REED ,RD will be the results ,JS will try push it and make mistakes
Stewart posts a 42sec lap. AMA needs to look at making the mains 20min + 2 laps for the 450's and 15min + 2 laps, I mean it looks like they will have a 13 min. main even for the 450's and around 11 min 250 main. At this rate, CBS could show the heats, LCQ and main tomorrow and still have all the commercial times!
I would be pissed if I brought a family of 4 to an event that your gonna pay at $150 (tickets and maybe a drink/food item each) and all total you get less than 55 minutes of racing the entire 3 hours advertised!
since I'm on a rant, I just looked at the maintenance schedule and realized the friggen bobcat operator will be on the track more than any single rider all night, maybe he should get the spotlight on him for the opening ceremony
@Justlikemx I never thought of an outdoor like timed event, great idea.
Under Pressure , They are all under pressure , just to make it through the first turn, I think James is used to the pressure , you speak of , he has been doing this his whole life . He will win tonight , no pressure .
If all the SX races were 20 + 1 lap the TV guys could plan accurately on how to produce the show, and we not see so damn many Toyota & progressive commercials.
Arenacross lap times tip over 30 seconds and up a lap for 25 laps. IN supercross we are getting 40 to 50 second lap times for only 20 laps. Going to loose fans with such a short race!!!!! I'll wait for the outdoors!!!
Chad has a little extra motivation also, his sons Birthday. Happy Birthday Tate.
Could everybody at Racer X get on the same page and spell Morais' name right? Half the time in these online articles it's spelled "Morias" (More-eye-ass) and the other half it's "Morais". Just sayin'. Maybe it's just one writer who does this.
I'm all for 45 minute motos. This 20 minute BS is for amateurs. These guys aren't even breathing hard after a 15 minute main. Look at their interviews.
One other good reason for a 45 minute moto is that there would be a lot more opportunities for lappers to T-bone the Rent-a-Cop wannabe.
25 laps...thank me now.
And Miss Mary's comment got me imagining 20 guys on the line wearing giant multicolored prom-style dresses with matching hair and makeup. It's wild! (Dungey and Bubba look REALLY pretty, btw.)
slowtime is back with all the hate he has for Supercross , things were staying pretty cool until this moron commented. Now it will be a Bubba bash for the next few days , Who is tired of this idiots comments ....... anyone huh !!!!!!
Maybe there should be a two-moto format like outdoors. Considering the "sprint" nature of SX, if you mess up you're screwed. If it's a long and grueling race, those in shape will be able to catch back up with enough motivation, with no real need for a second moto.
@whoops_Blitzer, they tried that back in the 80's. IIRC the AMA felt the average viewer couldnt keep up with the scoring. (yet they seem to be able to figure it out for the outdoors)
JS pushes it to much when hes under pressure and throws it away thats why hes behind in points ,and now he needs to push it to win and make no mistakes.hes never been under pressure like he is in now there are three other fast riders that can win
LAST!!! Don't worry... Not the first time.
Yeah, the current SX format is definitely the more user-friendly, but I don't see why it should make that big a difference to people. I don't always know which outdoor moto scores will combine for the win, but then the announcers tell me and it's problem solved.
It's probably pretty easy to follow if you stumble upon it on TV, compared to basically every other sport in existence. The simplicity of racing is a beautiful thing. It's just RACING, and we want more of it. The riders do get a week off after each race, you know.
Oh shit, sorry yz.
But wait... I thought I was LAST!!!
JAIRTIME = DOUCHEBAG!!!! ENOUGH SAID!
I concur BD...Someone up above said that JS practice times were not the fastest the last couple races and not to be nit-picky, but Im pretty sure he was the fastest in those practices too.
all SX races should be as long as daytona SX... or 20 min plus 2 laps.
Villopoto won the moto, nomesane...Prehensile better sharpen his pencil. The elf got twelfth, bessa beleedat!
OH SNAP! Fastest qualifier on the planet got his butt handed to him once again by....let's seee.....Oh yes, the fluke champion.....The whiner....and the redhead. Let the excuses begin! Dungey has beaten Stewart straight up this year....all you haters chime in. Stewart has been healthy every race and has lost the championship to all of the peeps that everyone said the last couple of years would never have happened! HOW SWEET IT IS!
just like i said PRESSURE COOKER JS chokes under pressure once agian .like i said on my last post RV,REED RD. I also think RV ran a 42.7 lap time in main .i thought JS was the fastest man on the planet .I think Ive seen JS crash more than any one ,and his broter crashes just as much
To all you clowns b!(th!ng about lap times @ 43~45 second range, perhaps you would like to see 1.02 sec times with one guy that goes out and destroy's the rest of the class by half a lap or more, that would be way better than the lame season we had this year hey.
If any of you mouthpieces can make it any better then DO IT!!!!!!!
The 2011 sx season has been the best racing in years and all you GOOFS can do is whine. If you don't like it then find something else to whine about or maybe take up knitting and make a noose for yourself.
When the green flag drops the bullshit stops!
@Grawz13 and Bob, please go back to ask ping, if you will.
Well, I guess Stewie didnt kill it in the whoops, the whoops got him. Great ride RV2, one to go. Goos ride by Reed too.