250 Words: AMA MX Preview
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 | 10:45 AM
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PrintThe 250 class has provided some incredible racing in 2011 so far. The battles in the west between Hansen, Roczen, Tickle, Tomac and company have been great and the Barcia/Wilson rivalry on the east has been explosive all season long. And the finale in Las Vegas was one of the most dramatic main events in the history of the class. So, what’s going to happen when we take things outside this weekend? There’s only one sure answer… great racing.
Some of the key players in the class will be the same guys making noise all winter long. Justin Barcia is coming off his first title and as long as his wrist isn’t bothering him he will be a threat to win any time the gate drops. His teammate, Eli Tomac, should also be a regular front-runner. Eli came up short in Las Vegas and he’ll be looking to repeat his Hangtown performance from last year and get another national win. The 2010 outdoor season was a big learning year for the Colorado rider and I expect him to use that education to win more races this summer.
Barcia should be a major contender for the 250 class title.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Not surprisingly, the entire Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team looks strong. Dean Wilson ended the 2010 season on a high note by absolutely stomping the competition at the Pala finale. Dean has the speed, equipment and now the experience to start winning races. Look for Wilson at the front. His teammate, Tyla Rattray, will be a title contender. Tyla will be one of the most consistent riders and he will be leading the series or at least right in the hunt as the championship winds down. He is expected to win this series and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he does. Fellow Pro Circuit riders Blake Baggett and Broc Tickle will be fast as well. Tickle is notoriously good in soft or wet terrain so look for him to shine as the series heads back east. And the word on the mean streets of Corona is that Blake Baggett is on fire right now. His outdoor testing has gone very well and he can lay down the quickest lap time at will during any practice or test session. If Blake “Benjamin Button” Baggett can produce that speed on race day he could see the top of the podium frequently in the next few months.
Ryan Sipes and Kyle Cunningham are the Yamaha standouts that will be competitive. This could be a breakout series for Cunningham who typically shines outdoors. He is on great equipment, he’s healthy and he’s had plenty of time to prepare. I expect Kyle to be a regular podium contender. Sipes is coming off the best supercross season of his career. He is riding great and if he can get to the first turn with the leaders there’s no question that he can run their pace for the entire moto. Watch out for the number 25 bike.
Where will Marvin Musquin fit in? The reigning world champion looked a little off the pace at the USGP at Glen Helen last weekend but it’s tough to count out a rider with a world title to his credit. I’ve seen a lot of French riders lay up at warm-up races like that and then bring their A-game to the races that count. It wouldn’t surprise me to see that happen here. Watch this guy because he has skills.
There are a lot of riders that deserve mention here. Martin Davalos, Malcolm Stewart, Ryan Morias, Jason Anderson, Cole Seely, Travis Baker and others all have the speed to run up front at these races. These are guys that haven’t yet seen a lot of the podium outdoors but could potentially this summer.
Will Musquin deliver on the hype?
Photo: Hoppenworld.com
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Tomac and Wilson are my picks.
I predict there will be at least 6 different moto winners, and Malcolm will podium at southwick.
Roczen not racing?
Pro circuits gonna be hard to beat i think...ratray,wilson both know the tracks this yr, Tickle will be solid as well. Deano knows enough not to let anyone by this yr.
BILLC good picks but what about the unknows?
Johnny_G you have a good pick with MS but Barcia is going to take
Southwick.
It'll all be good racing!
I am thinking Wilson will be 2011 MX 250 champ. He needs a good round one and he is faster outdoors than SX..... Barcia is fast, but he rides on the edge and hits the dirt alot....Sipes like in SX will have some good showings and perhaps and overall here and there.....Tomac and Wilson will be the most constent...and Barcia will there too...
I like Wilson on speed but I fear he has grown too tall for this class and his starts will suffer. You have to be HEAD and SHOULDERS faster than everyone else to make up for a bad start with all this talent they have now in the 250f class.
Wilson all the time. Musquin, when he is 100%, will be on the podium every Saturday. Among the Americans, I hope Tomac will beat Barcia badly.
Southwick - Barcia, Tomac, Decotis.
Just got my Hangtown tickets...I cannot wait. I think the The FC Honda Team and PC will battle all year long trading wins, with a random appearence on the podium by Sipes, Stewart, Cunningham etc. (Really went out on a limb with that prediction)
Roczen is racing in Europe this summer.
Malcolm is ready to race but not James HA!
Clint good one Decotis, BILLC there's the unkown
Strictly on Daytona, Baggett looked so smooth and fast inn that rough as hell of a track. I'm thinking he will b a breakout rider that may b a bit under radar as of now.
Clint - Your Southwick picks are right on!!
Wilson all the way! Tomac, Sipes, Barcia final standings by the end of the season. Can't wait to see Dean on a 450! Good luck to all this coming season.
barcia, hondas strong.
Good picks by everyone, but it seems I am the only one who thinks Barcia will get it done. He has proven he can be kinda patient. He waxed the rest of the East Coast riders in supercross. 20 points in 8 races is a pretty good whiiping. But I really like Tomac, hes a class act with a great work ethic. Wilson of course will be good. Hope he performs better than he did in supercross. But lets not forget Sipes, he and Rattray are the older and more experienced guys. Both are older than three-quaters of the 450 class. They should get up front also.
Tomac will get the job done, he won't win the most motos or overalls (Wilson or Musquin will take them honours) but consistancy will pay off this summer. Wonder who they'll pick for the mx2 class at the MXoN? Canard might even drop down maybe? He's under 23 isn't he. Interesting.
All I can say is good luck to the whole lot of them because by and large the 250's are STACKED!!! I really cannot single out one guy right now because as we've learned with the lites is that last year's results do not necessarily dictate the next year's. Barcia, Tomac, Bagget, Sipes, Wilson, Rattray, Mookie (rookie: who knows what he's got) I'm sure I'm missing a few. I'll root for Bam Bam and Eli just to stay consistant with my SX picks but if KRoc races a few, I think he'll smoke all of them.
Last time the class was this stacked eveyone thought there could be 10 winners, Then RD amd CP took over. I hope this year there are a LOT of dif winners.
.I will be pulling for Decotis, Time for another guy from New England to make a mark!! How is his belbo?
BILLC if Rhondo from the Celtics can play the same night dislocated his elbow I think Jimmy will come back strong after 4 weeks.
I'm picking Dean Wilson to win the championship but I would like to see Ryan Sipes win the championship since he's running out of time in the Lites class. It would be nice if Eli Tomac won it too, especially with what happened at Las Vegas. I like all three of those riders.
I think Dean Wilson, Eli Tomac, Ryan Sipes, Justin Barcia, Tyla Rattray, Blake Baggett, Malcolm Stewart, Marvin Musquin will all win at least one moto, maybe all of them will win an overall. Then I think maybe one or two motos can go to any of the other guys like Tickle, Morais, Davalos, Cunningham, Seely.
My picks are Bagget, Barcia and Wilson for the most podiums. Tomac will be right there also then, sipes,cunningham, lemoine,rattray,tickle will be somewhere in the top ten. So hard to predict since they are all so good.
With all this talent its hard to pick. It's going to be a epic 250 season. Bagget moto 1 Eli moto 2.
Must've not read the press releases: is Hansen a SX only contract?
B TICKLE TOP FIVES ALL LAST YEAR. NOW ON FACTORY TEAM. TALK ABOUT CONSISTANT. WRAPPED UP WITH THE HELP OF TEAMATES.
My pics for out doors, Barcia, Tomac, Cunningham
RV, CR, RD
The reason Malcolm is racing and James is not is because Malcolm races a real bike not a blue P.O.S
I thought Deano had these guys covered when SX started. I still think he is the fastest, but Barcia can "will" himself to victories. He doesn't seem to think about it. I think Deano can get in his own head from time to time...If he stays mentally relaxed I think he takes the title. GO DEANO!!!
Deano, just let you inner flying squirrel out and have fun out there buddy!
Tomac will be very hard to beat outdoors, finished SX on a high don't forget!!!
@Epic I wouldn't call Las Vegas a high for Eli but I know what you mean, and Eli is my pick for sure. And lol 2 all the people already writing Musquin off.. Or not thinking the dude has a chance. He didn't win 2 World Championships by luck. Y'all see...
The 250s are the "real" show (as usual), so many possibilities, this class can't help but be entertaining with Mookie & Bambam around to shake the Etch-A-Sketch.
3 words: Gonna Be Awesome!