10 Things We Learned at High Point
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 | 10:15 AM
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Author: Racer X Staff
10. RAIN, MAN: Note to riders and fans: IT ALWAYS RAINS AT HIGH POINT. Regardless of the day or month, you can guarantee that you'll see mud in Mt. Morris, and this year didn't disappoint as a torrential downpour hit the facility after the first 250 Class moto resulting in a slippery second moto for the 450s.
9. BROTHERS IN ACTION: It was the first time in 2011 we got to see Indiana's Travis and Shane Sewell in action in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and the brothers were both pretty impressive in the first 450 Class moto where they finished 16th and 18th, respectively. Unfortunately they each DNF'ed the second moto, but you can expect them to be finishing inside the points at the remaining east coast nationals. They're sponsored by Cyclesport Yamaha, VonZipper, FXR Factory Ride Gear, Throttle Jockey, Novik Gloves, ProTaper, Gaerne, Motorex, GPF, and FMF
It only took one race for Alessi to prove he is going to be a player in the championship this year.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Villopoto may have gotten the win at High Point, but Reed still holds the coveted number 1 plate.
Photo: Simon Cudby
10. RAIN, MAN: Note to riders and fans: IT ALWAYS RAINS AT HIGH POINT. Regardless of the day or month, you can guarantee that you'll see mud in Mt. Morris, and this year didn't disappoint as a torrential downpour hit the facility after the first 250 Class moto resulting in a slippery second moto for the 450s.
9. BROTHERS IN ACTION: It was the first time in 2011 we got to see Indiana's Travis and Shane Sewell in action in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and the brothers were both pretty impressive in the first 450 Class moto where they finished 16th and 18th, respectively. Unfortunately they each DNF'ed the second moto, but you can expect them to be finishing inside the points at the remaining east coast nationals. They're sponsored by Cyclesport Yamaha, VonZipper, FXR Factory Ride Gear, Throttle Jockey, Novik Gloves, ProTaper, Gaerne, Motorex, GPF, and FMF
8. RV's Back: Technically, Ryan Villopoto hadn’t won an AMA Motocross race in two years, but you could also really say he hasn’t raced one in two years, either, because we didn’t see the real Ryan Villopoto at the first two rounds this year. Extensive suspension testing during the off week netted Villopoto a whole new ride, and he jetted off to his first moto and overall victory of the year. RV2, the new Monster Energy Supercross Champion, is usually better outdoors than in. Uh oh.
7. Privateers have the Power: Former privateer racer and factory mechanic Chad Sanner has been slowly building up his engine modification business and he really turned some heads at High Point after both his team riders (Darryn Durham and Alex Martin) finished inside the top ten in the 250 Class. While much of the attention was on Durham after he led a majority of the first moto, Alex Martin's second-moto charge was almost equally as impressive as he passed Malcolm Stewart, Travis Baker and Justin Barcia en route to a six-place finish. Sanner also told us after the race that Mitch Payton even congratulated him after the first moto. Now that's saying something!
6. Baggett is for real: Hangtown was no fluke—Blake Baggett really can go four seconds a lap faster than the rest of the 250 field late in the motos. On either the East or West coast. In the dry or the mud. Like the speed Villopoto showed in the 450 division, this is a big uh-oh for the competition. BTW—Baggett and RV grew up riding together.
It only took one race for Alessi to prove he is going to be a player in the championship this year.
Photo: Simon Cudby
5. Millsaps Wants It: Almost exactly a year after a devastating crash last year at Budds Creek, Davi Millsaps has fired up the rejuvination machine and is riding as well—if not better—than he did before the crash. ‘Saps put his Muscle Milk/Toyota Yamaha JGR machine on the podium at Freestone, and then he was going for the W at High Point. He crashed in the second moto while pushing to the front, but pushing that hard is a great sign from the 18.
4. Alessi Will be a Player: In his first race back after a devastating crash at Hangtown, Mike Alessi showed he belonged at the sharp end of the pack by running there in both motos. Give him a race or two to get going—like everyone else already has—and he might turn one of his patented holeshots into a win.
3. Two-Strokes are Still Alive: In the 450 Class there were actually two two-stroke 250cc riders who made the 40-man main event. Local privateer Ty Newcome made the main and finished 31st overall on his Yamaha YZ250, with Ohio's Jeff Gibson finishing 32nd aboard his KTM 250 pre-mixer. It was good to hear the Braap again.
Villopoto may have gotten the win at High Point, but Reed still holds the coveted number 1 plate.
Photo: Simon Cudby
2. Versatility Counts: High Point had it all, from dry, slick conditions, to ruts, to rain and mud. Not to mention classic motocross technical stuff like off-camber turns mixed with modern supercross jumps. If you want to win in the great outdoors, you had better have an all-around game.
1. Still Running in the Red: Even with Ryan Villopoto at full strength Chad Reed showed us he is not going anywhere. Reed settled for fifth in moto 1 after taking a rock to the shoulder, but bounced back in moto 2 to take his fourth win in six motos. It is beginning to look like 2009 all over again for Reed as he continues to apply pressure to the rest of the field.
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Anyone predict 800 being at least second in the series points by the last round?
DCO I smell 2 Strokes coming back????
Yamalink thats a LOT of points to make up IMO.
It isn't out of the question for MA to make up points.
RV didn't make a main in SX this year. He could grenade and fail to collect points in a round of MX. RD had that horrible luck at Freestone, and it could very well happen again. CR could miss a podium like moto one at High Point. This is motocross, and there has only been three of the twelve rounds completed. I find it hard to say RV is going to run away with anything this early; same went for CR after the first two rounds.
11. No one really cares if CP377 actually races.
I'm impressed with Alessi these days. Says all kinds of positive things about the fans, the track(s), the team, Asterisk & his doctors... I think he's matured a lot.
No.
it just gets better as the season goes forward. there is some serious talent yet to show up also. the deep talent pool may work to CR22 or RD's advantage if RV doesn't win out from here. they are so consistent and good at minimizing the damage of an off race. there will be five solid contenders at the gate for every moto from here on.
Pullover!
No, it's a cardigan. But thanks for noticing.
Not a big Alessi fan since I have been around that family since they rode 50's and his dad wrote for cycle news, sometimes about me even :) .....But I will say you can see a difference with Mike now that Tony has taken a back seat...that move should have happened along time ago....Soon as the kid goes factory, dad should step back....Just like Poppa Huffman, Reynard, Windahm etc did.....
I hope none of the other tracks have rocks or roost to deal with......Reed "settled for a 5th" ?.. Settled?...didnt look like he had a chance as he was trying and Windham clearly let him go by....
" Mike Alessi showed he belonged at the sharp end of the pack by running their in both motos."
Should be "by running THERE in both motos".
11. Izzi still can't last 2 motos.
@YamaLink: No.
Ken, cut them some slack on the grammar. There is more QUALITY content on this site in one week then all the other moto sites put together. Mistakes are going to happen here and there...
Pretty tall order but..............................Yes
D
Does anyone else believe that Andrew short should get on a 450 like Mike Alessi ? I believe Andrew would score better and be more consistant than Mike if he was on the same bike.
Can we please not give the title to RV because he had 1 good day !!!
Still wanna see Trey and Josh in the mix. But this TV coverage.... The 2nd moto of 450's got preempted by baseball on the Cleveland channel !! (for the first half-hour)
@ Dave C - I agree....although Shorty picked the 350 over the 450 for SX, it seems he is coming up SHORT on the power when he needs it most outdoors. Just watching the High Point race, I forget who he was battling, Dietrich I think, but he would try to make a pass and get the inside but the opposing 450 would pull on him coming out of the turns and he couldnt complete the pass....the skill for Short is there to be top 5....Whats up with Metcalf ....he was supposed to be up front
Also, i dont think anyone is giving RV the title just yet, we still have lots of races to go.....then we'll give it to him HAHA ! Honestly as an RV fan, I think there were some folks counting him out after Rnd 1 and 2 and people were claiming he wasnt as fast as Reed or Dungey....so the RV fans are just giving it back....should be a great series...hope they all stay healthy and injury free
Was there but for some reason was unimpressed with the 2 strokes (and I'm no fan of 4 strokes). They (and other tracks) need to get rid of the damn single jumps before turns. What do they accomplish??!! This was my second time here (usually do red bud and millville too) but likely won't be back. It needs a layout change.
When is Josh Grant coming back? How is Josh Hills recovery going? And is James Stewart really racing this weekend, why else would his name be on the entry list if thats even true. Stewart should ride Dietrich's bike its front end seems fine.
good for the 2 strokes, I am sorry but very few can afford 4 stroke technology, let alone exhaust systems or 8K for a new bike....... just my 2 cents, need to make this sport fun again..... I race a 125cc at 40 yrs old, cost $1500.00 for a 2005 yz, fun factor! of course...... enjoy the season race fans
To Yamalink,NO WAY.Unless there is a lot if injurys.
i agree with Dono, but all bikes are too expensive. i DOUBT any new bike costs more than 4,000 dollars to make, yet we buy them for 8, 9, and even 10 thousand dollars. the big companies dont seem like they care about the rider as much anymore
YamaLink, I'm game.
oldlocalpro, Ken Elliott, Joe Dirt & Dave C: Yes, I agree.
Pizzacorner, yes & no. I eagerly anticipated him racing but, having seen what I have, I'm unimpressed....on several levels. MCR should've given the ride to some U.S. talent that would appreciate it. Hindsight is always 20/20.
lovin the press the sewell's are getting from racer x today, good friends of mine and they are great kids who work extremely hard with very little, someone pull your head out of your ass and give these guy's a chance!
Why would any company sell a bike for less than market value? If riders are buying bikes for 7k+, no company is going to sell theirs for a lot less.
#9 is a huge plug for those guys. It even lists their sponsors, haha! Wow!
No ifs, ands, or buts, Short should move away from the 350. KTM made an attempt, and now needs to admit the 350 isn't the answer in Pro SX/MX.
JS should pay JGR to hook him up with their set up. Millsaps looks to have top notch equipment under 'em. JS's twitter feed had pictures of him throwing whips with Malcom, and one of the captions said he had a pic of better whips but he can’t show them. One has to ask “Why?” Could it be a sponsor conflict like a different bike or gear?
So if no one else is going to ask- I will! Reed looks better than he ever has outdoors... sooooo, if you put Reed right now and RC in his prime, could he give RC a run for his money? And what if RC kept racing, how would he stack up at this age, kinda like K-dub?
Shroom7 - No comparison in my book.....Although Reed looks great now, it still wouldnt match RC in his prime. My personal opinion is RC easily had 3-4 strong years left, if not more as you look at K-dub now for example.....I think RC would still be winning races if he were racing today....Carmichael is 32 right now I beleive....
Shr00m7 & Trend Killer
Since we're bench racing here, I agree there is still zero comparison between the current CR and the glory days of RC. How about CR and RV? My money is on RV with those two heads up. The match I was wating for was RV vs JS outdoors. I feel slightly cheated with that not being possible due to JS sitting out MX.
However, the comparison of longevity of KW and RC are also far fetched. RC put in (seemingly based on results and descriptions) the most work of any rider to be the best. From diet, trainning, & hour long practice motos, I dont think RC could do that for as many years as KW has been in the sport. Not to sy KW is a bum, just not the iron man RC was. I'm happy RC didn't stay around past his prime. I still dont think he was past his, but I am happy he didnt stay around as the veteran that rounds out the top seven.
rounding out the top 7? I think we will see how RC stacks up in October at the Monster SX in Vegas. If you think Ricky isn't riding right now to be in shape for his cahnce at a million dollars. Well I say you're crazy. I bet he's putting in a 30 min moto right now.
I love reading some of these posts - some of you guys say some crazy stuff!
24 races is a shedload - saying this guy or that guy will kill it is fun, but unrealistic this far out. Canard will win races and be a spoiler on his return. As can/could/maybe JS7. I would love to see MA800 and Metty win a couple too, just to add some extra pressue.
This is going to be like the SX series - awesome watching
KTM is in a bind. They and Short would probably love to be on the 450. But that will not sell all of those worthless 350s they have setting at the dealerships.
"Villopoto may have gotten the win at High Point, but Reed still holds the coveted number 1 plate"
Not to nit pick, but Dungey has the #1 plate, Reed has the red plate. You may continue with the Bubba, 350SX, 2 stroke debate.
RC putting in 30min motos right now? I doubt that. He's a driver now. RC was my favorite rider, but he didn't exactly dominate JS those last years. And now the top riders have upped their pace considerably. We'll see.
Rounding out the top seven comment wasn't literal, just a reference to guys that don't want to retire.
I have a feeling American Honda wishes they would had not passed on Reed in favor of Grant. I knew Reed's results would be better, and I knew Grant would get hurt. I don't know who's in charge at Honda, but that was a BIG mistake. I would have hired Reed.
Alessi was hauling the mail on the FoFity and Anrew was "100cc Short". Someone like Roczen could put the 350 on the box, but Shorty is a big bike rider. He needs to park that bike and get back to his old form.
dangit all! wet meself ahgain!!
I think rc could still be racing and winning races. I think he possibly could have won maybe 1 more super cross title and a few races, but that's all. But for the outdoors he would have won 07 if he finished the season. Also I believe he could have won in 08, 09, 10 also. If not all 3 at least 2 of the 3 after 07.
Also I can't believe us isn't riding outdoors. I can never really make up my mind if I am a fan or not. 1 week he is crushing the competition at dayton and crashes really hard and gets back up and doesn't give up and rides hard and I love it. Then he quits the outdoors before starting. Just don't get it. I like McGrath but he started this super cross only crap and it made it acceptable for this part-timer racer attitude. Used to be if you don't win the super cross championship you get 1 more chance to be a champ in the outdoors. I do think js lost some of his edge from this and I believe he will have a hard time in 12.
@ Dan
'us' ? Oh wait, 'js'..., got it. Agreed this Part-time SX only sh!t is weak. A lot of internal 'politics' (money) involved here -starting with ShowTime McGrath all the way to JS7- and the chief reason this happens. Most of us will never really know the full story either.
@jojo I dont think it was that Honda chose Grant over Reed. I think they could AFFORD Grant, and not Reed.
The GOAT is 29.
@Dan... No RC could not have won anymore..... ONLY because he did not want it anymore.... I agree "IF" his head was still in it he would have many more outdoor titles but he had enough and thats when you stop winning so he quit on top.
i think chad or RV is gunna win it this year, alessi cant keep it on two wheels as he puts to much pressure on himself and dungey is kinda out of it this year now but probs will still be a winner later on in the year but no championship for him,
2 strokes are cheaper, but to say that the manufacturers are being greedy by selling 4 strokes for 8 grand is absurd. Speculating is for weather men, do some research and get the facts about the companies. Don't just throw them under the bus because you cannot afford 8k for a bike. Check the classifieds if that is the case.....
Its still eqarly in the series and no one is really "dominating" the series yet in the 450's. Reed so far has been the most consistant, but in reality we should have seen 3 different winners in 3 rounds so far. Hopefully we'll see an injury free Alessi up front often, maybe JS coming back and giving it a go.
As for Short, I doubt it is as simple as just choosing to ride the 450. It is probably in his contract to ride the 350 now that Alessi is riding the 450. KTM is racing to sell motorcycles, and although it doesn't seem to be able to hang, they need to have it out there. I'm sure Short if asked without having to be politically correct would say he would rather be on the 450.
As far as JS not riding, what is the deal with their team as far as contract sponsors, aren't they a supercross only team as far as sponsors go, I know that has been the deal in the past. Sucks for Regal especially, that is the series that he really shined in.
As far as the Reed/RC comparison... there is none in my opinion. A few years ago Reed was pretty much 2nd to RC outdoors, but consistantly beating everyone else in the class. If RC still pout in the same work ethic that he rode to all of these years, I think he would still be winning outdoor championships. SX would be a little tougher, but he has always been consistant and with a season full of inconsistancy he would have had a better shot than anyone. RC really had to out train everyone because of the fact that both parents are on the heavier side and weight would have been a problem if he didn't. I wish he was still racing, but I'm glad I had the chance to watch him race all of these years.
"2 strokes are cheaper, but to say that the manufacturers are being greedy by selling 4 strokes for 8 grand is absurd. Speculating is for weather men, do some research and get the facts about the companies. Don't just throw them under the bus because you cannot afford 8k for a bike. Check the classifieds if that is the case....."Well put Seriuosly.
Maxi, RD is down a few points now but there are a LOT of motos left. RD is far from out of it. He is still my pick for the championship.
Motohead, dude he isnt gunna catch up any time soon in the points if he doesnt start winning soon even ricky carmichael has said once reed gets some confidence in him hes rock solid to beat, but who knows he might run out of fuel in at some point lol