Insight: Ryan Villopoto
Thursday, July 7, 2011 | 9:30 AM
Since 1990, the driving force for Allsport Dynamic’s products has come from the physically demanding sport of motocross. From the entire Allsport team, comes a true commitment to helping others and a dedication to make the best products possible in both design and function.
Tweet
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Share
Comment
Email
Print
Well there was good news and bad news at RedBud for Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto. The good news was he broke through and ended his little mini-slump of not winning the second moto by trouncing everyone in the second moto in an impressive ride. The bad news was in the first moto he crashed hard and had to come through the pack for a ninth. His 9-1 scores were good enough for 3rd overall but he lost points to both of his main rivals Ryan Dungey and Chad Reed.
After the race I caught up to RV to get his take on the days events.
Racer X: Hey Ryan let’s talk about this crash first off, seems like it was a big one. I spoke with Mike Alessi about it and…
Ryan Villopoto: You talked to Mike Alessi? What did he say?
He said he got center punched by a Honda and didn’t know who it was or what happened.
He crashed there also?
Yeah and so did Kevin Windham!
He was there also?
Yeah.
Hmm, I thought it was me and two other Kawasaki guys. Oh alright I guess. I want to say I was seventh or so and went down right after the mechanic’s area there, I went off the ski jump and came up to that single and was getting on the brakes on the left side. It didn’t look like it was muddy or anything like that but as soon as I hit the brakes, I tank-slapped and went down. Luckily, I was way left and I don’t know how I didn’t get hit. The bike got landed on and fell apart. I rolled around the ground for a while, got up and was last.
Villopoto charged from 37th to 9th in moto one.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
Yeah, good job coming from the back there, with the mud pushed off to the side it didn’t look easy to pass on. And you had no visor.
You really just want to pull off and just give it a shot next moto but you can’t. You have to salvage what you can out there. I ended up getting ninth, almost got Mikey there (smiles) and it’s disappointing for sure. What can you do?
Your muffler fell off there late in the first moto from the crash damage, how else was the bike?
The bars were bent but I got used to that. The only thing was when the muffler fell off, the bike got so loud. It was hurting my ears.
Which makes it sound like you’re at a tractor pull, which you probably like.
Oh that’s cool!
Second moto you rode great to pull away from Dungey and to me, it looked like you had some really good lines out there to avoid the rough stuff.
In a few areas I was able to take some different lines but from what I could see, they were the same as his (Dungey’s). In the off-cambers, it was all the way inside for us, there were a few different ones and I could make them work. It didn’t feel like I was pulling a lot on him. It felt like tenths here and there so I had to keep pushing, keep pushing and eventually I got a bit of a gap but it took a long time.
A moto two win helped Villopoto salvage valuable championship points.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
So having said that, third overall wasn’t too bad for being in last at one point in the first moto.
Yeah, I lost some points and I guess I could’ve got hit when I was on the ground and not finished. I think we were 24 down going into the second moto and that’s where I was after Texas. For me, I had my bad moto, Dunge has had his bad moto and there’s a lot of racing left. It’s very rare you get through a season without a big mistake and we’ll see, maybe Chad will have his and we’ll all be lumped together again.
Hey at least you won the second moto and broke that streak of you not making it happen second moto right?
It was and it’s not like I didn’t ride the first moto and was fresh or anything like that for the second moto. And I was able to win by a lot so that’s good.
Did you like this article?
Check out LONE STAR RISING
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
The James Stewart Freestone AMA Spring Classic in Texas has quickly earned a place on the list of must-attend springtime amateur events. Page 182.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
sputtersputter holeshot
on an RV page. i am ubber stoked
Really gutsy ride after that crash.
tractor pull loud LOL
Yeah RV2 taking it to those boys. I see lots of domination from here through pala in his future!!!
RV2 just put in an amazing come back effort. Puts James' Daytona comeback to shame. RV is a monster!!
good job by rv but i dont see how it puts james ride at daytona to shame james landed on his head couldnt even stand up on his own could barely get back on his bike and it wasnt on the first lap not to take away from villopoto im just tired of people taking away from james and this is coming from a reed fan
I was reading Racer X mag, and it says Villopoto went through 17 mufflers in one season. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
85 pairs of goggles? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
17 sets of plastic? Wow.
16 rims? I can see that.
4 subframes? Hey, it goes with the plastic.
@dan121 People take things away from James because he chooses reality T.V. shows over racing and I was to get respect for him at the end of the supercross season and then he took Windham out and then announced he wasn't racing nationals. So I have lost all respect for him.
Villopoto is the man!
Took Windham out, Here we go again!!! Some people.
RV, you're a bad dude, a real bad dude....
That was an INSANE ride in moto 1. IMO, your moto 1 ride PUTS YOUR MOTO 2 RIDE TO SHAME! Like Dunge said, riding hard is easier when you're out front than when behind someone. That must mean it's infinitely more difficult to ride hard after being b itch-slapped to the ground at 55 mph, giving the field an extra minute or two to get away, then running down 31 of them in ~32 minutes with a broken helmet, bent bars, and a perpetual Kawasaki yard sale the whole moto...
YOU are a bad dude....
When you have a guy that died out there doing what he loved and giving his all then you look at Stewart that all he does is make excuses and act cooler than the sport it just makes me want to scream that anybody would defend that bum for anything !
everytime RV wins a moto, someone says that it is the begginning of a RV take over. He wins one moto a weekend, and everyone thinks he is the baddest? that come back from 37th is damn impressive, but Stewart's Daytona come back was better. Ate shit way harder, had less time to catch up, and his bike was waaaay worse off.
@ everytime,its so true dude,people claim stewart to be there god of sx. but people treat RV, they same freakin way for mx and he has how many ovaralls this year? 1.. now thats domination man he is taking over!
i can see villopoto being another james stewart hes damn fast but when youre riding that fast ur bound to go down a few times just ask james bubba stewart , this tittle is reeds and hes to damn good to let it go, he would of had the supercross tittle if he had more time with that crf...
He didn't start off in last place. Why does he keep saying that and why do other people keep saying that? Tommy Hahn was laying on the ground and there was another rider behind Villopoto too. At least two people started after Villopoto, he didn't start from dead last. Great ride, yes it was a great ride for him but he didn't start off in last place. Maybe Mike Alessi had bike problems too so that's why he barely beat Villopoto
RV has no character, he's like a ginger robot. Good rider, no flash!
@Toby...just like Ricky Carmichael. RV blasting Alessi with little digs is funny, I love it.
@SXF - That's a really shitty thing to say, like saying that someone who doesn't want to join the military isn't a real man or doesn't love his country, otherwise he'd be dying overseas for it right now.
Go ahead and scream your head off, moron.
RV does pretty entertaining interviews. He shoots us straight info but is basically quiet about it. It's like he mounts a silencer. RV is stealthy and riden'green is a great tactic. Could this be a new Kawi ad? Hooahh RV
People need to get over the whole Stewart not racing thing! Leave it alone he's not out there.
I'd love to see him out there but he isn't so just relax all you angry computer people and enjoy the season
bad dude indeed - do not be fooled - the other guys are worried
who is stewart>!>!?!?!
James who?
anyways RV rode that bike into the ground hahaha!!!!
i still think rv will win this title
RV2 at Washougal...Home State favorite to go 1-1, simple.
I hope RV2 wins the title. I wonder if Honda/CR22 will let TC41 finish in front of CR22 when he can win the title. RV2 and BB57 corner the same.
What, no apology for ruining my hearing???
I still want him dq'd from that moto.
Don't they have black flags anymore?
Though Reed is really strong this season and has better equipment than in Supercross, I just still hope that RV can win the championship. I also hope he will not be injured and make it up to MXoN
Villopotos bike was loud even 2nd moto. That bike was stronger than the rest. AMA should have checked that bike. Nobody could touch RV that 2nd moto. I say he had more than 450ccs on than thing. It was the strongest bike out there 4 sure
If RV2 wins the outdoor title this year, it's cause of that dead last to ninth place finish in the moto. Whether you like RV2 or not, that was one hell of a ride and just proves that he is a bad a$$...
Lawlz, sorry but both the other guys remounted before RV, then Hahn pulled off a little after he got started again. There was one DNS so he remounted in 39th and
was in 37th as he went across the finish line for lap one over a minute behind the
leaders.
As fast as Stewart rides, his wrist needs to be at 100%. He came back too soon, and that is why he is not racing now, and why he did not win the SX championship. Hopefully he will be ready next year, and Reed and the Van Ryan's Express (Van's needs to make MX boots just for this marketing idea) will be back at full strength. Then we can decide who da man.
^^ Did we just hear the very first Stewart excuse--two months after the end of Supercross--that cites his wrist injury from 2010 as the reason he didn't win in 2011?
Mouth agape in 3....2....1....
Rv in that section between laroccos leap and the finish was mad! I could watch that all day!
Keep it up though reedy your killing it!!!
In stews defense.....KW said he CHOSE to ride OVER bubba in that split second ya have to decide. Myself I found that kinda telling :)............
RV -frikkin fast...like the dude.
Incredible first moto lap times, even with the yard sale! Still can't wait for Trey to get back into the fight. Then there will be 4 guys going for the top step!
@DGIZZY, your a tool. Those 450's dosnt need anymore cc's. I think they should check Stewarts engine, he nails all thoise starts, he has a cheater bike. RV is just faster than those guys. See how dumb that sounds.
@MYEAR, you are the biggest pu#sy ever, go watch fugure skating, its just right for you.
There would certainly have to be something a little funny about a guy who likes figure skating, but to me it looks like one of the toughest, most difficult 'sports' there are. Motocross wants recognition as being tougher--and its athletes fitter--than the big three (U.S.) sports, and I'd say figure skating deserves that recognition as well.
Not that it isn't fruity. It totally is. On a COMPLETELY unrelated note, Dungey might make a decent male figure skater.
Man Whoops_Blitzer you have to be crazy ! You say the dumbest crap I have ever heard ! You will like a guy that last year did not race one race then comes in thinking if he raced one race could take a spot on team USA the spot of guys that had battled all year just because he is the mighty James Stewart ? The funny part about that is he got us butt kicked ! And yes I do think that the guys that are out there in the armed forces fighting for are rights are more American than any one of us sitting over hear not worring if today is are day to die for are country and love are country more than us that would never understand like they do YOU IDIOT !!!
For christ sakes this place has gone to the dogs.
@SXF - I've admitted that being a fan of James Stewart is not an easy thing. Some of his actions are indefensible, but I'm a fan anyway. That might make me crazy.
As for the analogy, James Stewart has ridden outdoors in the past. This means that it would be like you telling a VETERAN that he isn't a real man or doesn't love his country because he is no longer in the military, ready at any moment to die for his country.
Also, the word is OUR, not ARE. OUR rights, OUR country, OUR day to die.
@you bet - Sorry, man :(
I have to say that at one point I was a James fan but for me as for you it got to hard to like the guy and to me there are so many riders out there that are easy to like and I have become a Trey Canard fan.As for the Veterans there is not one that no matter how old would not fight again for there cournty THIS I KNOW ! I just feel like James does not love this sport as much as he loves himself and we can all see it and it rubs us all wrong because any of us would love to have his talent but can not stand what he has become !
I think it's unfair to judge James for losing his love for the sport, if he in fact has. People like to THINK that they would love to be a pro motocrosser and that they would never take any part of the job for granted and that their heart would be in it forever, but they don’t KNOW that for certain. After you’ve been doing it your whole life, after you’ve had the pressure to win placed on you by fans and yourself for the past 10 years without a break, plus the pressure of not living up to your potential, you come talk to me about how much you still love it.
Everyone is different. Chad Reed seems to have renewed love for the sport. Great. That’s Chad Reed. And while it’s easier to be a fan of someone who loves the sport as much as you do, it’s stupid to hate someone for becoming jaded near the end of their career. (I do realize that this is just one of many things people hate about James Stewart.)
Hey, how 'bout that Villopoto, huh?
I still want my apology for my lost hearing
Nobody judges James for loosing his love for the sport only how he acts about it !!!
Amen !!! He is so full of himself that he will hurt other riders when he rides over his head to keep up with RV2 !!! Look at how many riders have been hurt or crashed into by this idiot this year the last one of the year almost got his ass Kicked by Windham !
If you want a how to act when you are burnt out look at Kevin Windham NOT James Stewart !!!! Because Kevin has got burnt out and people still loved him but James NODODY can stand him anymore !!! ( and it has nothing to do with him being black!)
This board's dead, but I'll respond anyway: Kevin Windham isn't burned out. In fact, he recently came out of "retirement" to race Thunder Valley.
@zoo - So James is full of himself, and the effect is he rides as fast as he can, sometimes over his head?
He was riding the same way on 125s, back when there was NO ONE around to match his speed, back when he wasn't AS full of himself, back when he rode outdoors. Back when he was "always smiling" under his helmet.
What did Kevin do when he was burt out ? He quit racing ! Thank you for helping prove the point with the word BACK ! Back then he was easier to like but look at now ! There is a reason nobody likes him and its the way he acts on and off the track ! But I do have to say if you like him more power to ya but for the rest of us he has become to hard to like or stand any more and it would not break anybodys heart (races and fans) if he did not show up and crash into anymore riders and we did not have to hear his mouth ! But I do think your a good dude and your welcome at are track anytime.