The Moment: Salt Lake City
Monday, May 2, 2011 | 11:00 AM
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The 17-race Monster Energy Supercross Championship consists of 340 laps, but none may have been more critical than the final one on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the waning moments of the series, the fantastic season-long championship battle was finally starting to eliminate contenders, and at that point, only two riders were left with a shot to make their own destiny.
Dungey and Reed lost valuable championship points to RV at Salt Lake City.
Photo: Simon Cudby
The Big Five gang of contenders whittled to four when Trey Canard broke his leg a few weeks ago. Four riders still had a great shot at the title by the time the series reached Salt Lake, but the race there furthered the process of elimination. James Stewart crashed once and then again, perhaps finally completely eliminating him from title contention. And Ryan Dungey rode well, but wasn’t quite quick enough to keep pace with the leaders in a race where he really, really needed a win.
As the white flag flew, we were down to just two: Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed. Just six points separated them in the series, and just 1.3 seconds separated them on the track. Villopoto led, and Reed knew he had to find a way around. If Reed finished second, he would head to the finale down nine points, which would mean Villopoto would only need to finish in the top six at the finale to clinch the title even if Reed won the race. But if Reed won in Salt Lake, he would be down just three points heading into the final, and then he could win the title by winning the Vegas race and watching Villopoto finish third or worse.
Villopoto held off a late charge by Chad Reed to capture victory in Salt Lake City.
Photo: Simon Cudby
So 1.3 seconds stood between them with a lap to go, an entire season, possibly, in the balance during that final 43-second lap. Reed pushed hard. Over the final few laps, he had finally figured out the best line through the whoop section, and started blitzing his Honda across the top, while Villopoto stuck with the safer blitz-triple-triple jump out technique. Packs of lapped riders stood in their way, too. Under pressure, Villopoto hit his marks, didn’t override any of the sections and maintained his pace. Reed lined up the whoops and ripped off one last gasp attack. He blitzed, Villopoto jumped. Reed closed in slightly, but not enough. Villopoto got to the last turn before Reed could get to the inside and try to make a move. He then worked his way past the final lapped rider, and launched toward the finish with victory in hand. He won by .95 seconds.
In a series this close, that final lap, that final margin if victory of less than one second, may ultimately decide the championship.
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Reed knows a thing or two about last-race efforts aka takeouts. Gonna be good.
I really hope all the top guys wil race outdoors and stay healthy, this has been the best season and I believe it will only get better as more and more really good racers come into the 450 class, it would be cool if TC could just ride around the first couple of rounds to maybe gains some points, Hope JS and CR will race, Worried about JS, hope he hasnt had too many concussions and can't keep his focus anymore, I wish he would never go down again, it has killed him.
Anybody notice regal hold up reed on his last lap charge? Reed was nearly to villopotos rear wheel when he stuck behind regal again...
@David Langford - you make an important point. With Barcia, Pourcel, Tomac, and a healthy Canard in the 450 class, Titles will be even more difficult and hard fought. Bad news for the riders - good news for the fans.
I believe we will soon have a 450 class where on any given weekend, 1 of 10 guys can and will win. I expect we will see a lot more rubbing, racing "incidents" and crashes. It will be a mess for points because there will likely be big swings in the points from week to week.
Regal didnt hold Reed up, Reed followed Regals line and RV didnt have any problem getting past him and he has had issues with Regal this year on the starts....If Regal held Reed up, you know we would have heard about it on the podium....Reed is a puss if he has to take RV out in order to win.....Rubbin is racing and takeouts happen....but if your sole intent is to delibritley take a man out, your a puss....
I hope RV2 pulls this one off ..I think he has earned it this time around. He feels really confident about the outdoors too, and that's a good sign.=)
@ Rick Melon
is hanson a puss?
Hansons a puss of epic proportions. F that piece of crap.
PLEASE AMA next year sx give us the fans, YOU know, the ones that pay for the most, 20 min plus two of main event sx !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 250 class 15min +2, it won't cost you a thing ! We are their for the race, and we get cheated a little more each year !!!
hahaha i agree. just wanted to make sure melon's definition held true with every rider. i was so happy to see eli stay up and hanson fall
I don't know who's a puss or not, but "Rubbin is racing and takeouts happen....but if your sole intent is to delibritley take a man out ..." I heartily agree. Something is wrong with that. They're supposed to be racing. Remember Reed waiting and following and not passing Stewart at Vegas 2 (?) years ago? Then plowing into him at the right moment? I don't know what Reed was thinking of course, but I can only think of one reason to do what I saw done. You may disagree with my opinion, but I think my short description of what happened is pretty accurate.
Why is RD considered out of it?
He is only 3 points behind Reed. For Reed to win the title some thing has to go very wrong with RV. If (big if) that were to happen then RD has win the race in front of Reed and he wins the title.
I think reed is saying to RD. " I think were F ed" LOL
@Why is RD out of it? no one within 24 points is 100% out of it, But for Rd to make up 13 points on RV or even Reed to make up 10 RV would almost have to DNF, He could start last and still get 4th with no trouble. So for anyone to win this RV needs to havea very bad night IMO.
Hansen tried too hard to take out Tomac and it bit 'em! That's a byproduct of being overly aggressive in racing. Calling him a puss is a bit much. How many races have you won with injuries at the AMA Pro level? He’s no Sally; a douche…maybe
I lost a lot of respect for Reeds attemted takeout of JS at Vegas in 09
I agree it's a long shot for either RD or CR to win the title. My thought is that if Reed can still win it than so can RD.
There's a lot of talk about take-outs and rubbin and whatnot. I'd just like to say to go "all in" is completely expected by anyone with a competitive spirit. Ever since the "Let Broc bye" incident of 1977 (and even before that really) we've known everybody from the manufacturer to the rider right on down the line to the fan in the stands is all about getting that Championship. If your rider gets beat by a guy that "rode dirty" or whatever, too bad, this isn't the coutesey leauge, it's Motocross and someone next to you wants it just as bad, if not worse. Suck it up, put on the big boy pants and prepare for the hardest, gnarliest sport in the universe. If you're not prepared for that (at minimum) you are grossly underprepared.
@Carlsbad - precisely. Complaints about a guy riding dirty are less about actual dirty riding but instead their favorite rider being the alleged victim. I agree with you. It is ALL racing.
In a hard fought championship guys are going to get rough and make mistakes. I think Stewart was just being aggressive all season as was Reed. It is also interesting the bench racers take far more insult than the actual participants. All season Reed and Stewart have said "Its just racing." I will let their opinions rule the day on this issue.
@yamalink, are you still upset about the little tap Reed gave Stewie at Vegas?? He could have put him on the ground if he wanted. I say its payback for Stewie moving over on him over the jumps at Jacksonvile in practice. Reed didnt hurt him anyway. And I dont see Reed doing anything dirty to RV.
And JonR290, you make a good point about the young guys for the future, but remember one thing. Pourcel is alot older than all the other guys you named. He is older than Dungey even. But yes, the future looks great for us fans.
@rick melon yea forming your own team with your own money and being in a title hunt...? Yea I guess that makes him a piss. If u can't handle a lil rubbon then don't turn pro.
The television brodcast didn't show hansen blow Seely off the track in the first corner. He had made his turn but then took the oppertunity to clear Seely out.
The little tap Reed gave Stewie at Vegas in 09, I rememeber what Reed said after the race. " it was not a take out move it was a whats up beotch move" LOL
Weigandt's math is wrong. Reed is nine points down. If he won and RV finished sixth the title would go to Reed by one point. 25 points for 1st, 15 for sixth = 10 point swing. Reed wins and gets 25, RV falls back to sixth, that's a one-point title for Reed. Having said that, I hope RV2 pulls this off.