Observations: Millville
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 | 10:20 AM
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We’re going into the second half of the AMA national motocross series with all guns firing right now. There are three rider battles in both classes and the racing has been great for the most part. And now we’re visiting some of the toughest tracks (the very rough Millville, Unadilla which has more rocks and is tricky to ride, and the sand at Southwick) with the temperatures soaring and the dog days of summer upon us, the riders are going to be tested to the max. What’s going to happen? I don’t really know because just when we think we have it all figured out, some people fly through the air thirty feet.
First off we need to talk about the track and maybe not in the best way. Generally speaking the Millville facility is great, the track is awesome and is tough and challenging. But there were a couple of things that caused me to pause and wonder what exactly some people were thinking. First off, the first practice was stopped in the middle so that a switchback up at the top of a hill could be cut out. One of those drop off sections with a sponsor banner had deteriorated to the point where the riders were hitting the wood supporting said banner. The track had taken on really heavy rains the few days before the race and I suppose the dirt just sort of melted away. I’m not sure. A few riders crashed on this section (Chad Reed and Christian Craig being a couple of names) so the decision was made to eliminate this section and the drop off, so the riders were routed without going all the way up the hill.
Millville was pounded by rain all day on Friday causing muddy track conditions during practice.
Photo: Brian Robinette
That’s a good idea, rider safety should come first but who’s idea was it in the first place to not check and see if it was still fine? Maybe they could have not used it in the first place? The jump obviously wasn’t built as well as it could have. Also, coming out of the sand section there were a couple of single jumps that served no purpose. They were too close together to launch off as singles and they were built too strangely to double. It just caused a big back up and was pretty silly to be honest.
Here’s my biggest problem with the stuff. The first unseeded 450 practice had already gone out there and dealt with these inane obstacles. So shortening the track was going to cut some seconds off from the unseeded dudes. Luckily for the unseeded guys, the track came around so much that the times from the first practices were irrelevant to how the guys qualified anyway but in the future, build the stuff right the first time or wait until the first sets of practices are all finished before making drastic track changes. If the track had been dry and some unseeded privateers had gotten screwed out of making the field (and Feld did exactly this to the guys at San Diego a few years ago, and actually one guy developed bike problems in the second practice, and although his first practice time was good enough to get him in, the track changes mid-practice bumped him out) I would have hated to see the torches and pitchforks out at the officials trailer.
I feel like the winner of the event, Ryan Dungey, might be a tad overlooked because of a certain someone’s crash so we’ll start with him. Come to think of it, I’m sure Ryan doesn’t care because the first place check will still cash and all those points he made up will still be there. I felt like Dungey had to win this weekend, he just had to. It’s his home track, he absolutely flies there and he needed to win to make up points. When he followed Reed home in second in the first moto I was thinking “Same old story this week…” and then when Ryan Villopoto stretched out a big lead on him in the second moto I was thinking “I can’t believe Dunge is going to get beat yet again by a guy going 3-1…” and then I was thinking “I wish I had a Sno-Cone…” but after that thought, things started changing.
And changing for the better for Dungey. He started making up time on RV, he was down almost ten seconds at one point before Villopoto starting hitting lappers, Dungey started to find some new lines and RV started wearing down from the heat (how do I know this? Because Villopoto himself said so) and not too long later, Dungey was all over Villopoto and making the pass in the sand whoops. And it was over, Villopoto crashed the moment he was passed (doubtful he would’ve mounted a charge though- generally speaking when you get caught that bad, you’re done) and Dungey won the overall. He did it. He held serve, if you will. Big win for the defending champion no doubt about it.
Dungey captured his second overall of the season in front of his home town fans.
Photo: Brian Robinette
Chad Reed won the first moto in what was, to me anyways, a little bit of a surprise. He had to limit the damage at Dungey’s hometrack and he actually gained some on Ryan so that was impressive. We all saw what happened in the second moto. On the Pulpmx Show on Monday, Reed went into detail about the crash and what happened. The hole he hit was pretty big and after he crashed there, no one else really went in the spot the rest of the moto. Reed flying through the air sans bike will inevitably be stuck in my head my entire life. Seriously. My. Entire. Life.
As a matter of fact, I’d like to request right now that “He saw Chad’s Crash Live” be inscribed on my tombstone because it was a moment. No doubt about it. From my perch in the team managers tower (thank you stolen Jason Weigandt credential!) I couldn’t see anything after Reed landed. But I could hear the roar of the crowd just fine and I have to say, it gave me goose bumps. I knew that Reed was up and attempting to get going just by the fist pumps and screams. It was amazing to be sure and the moment was incredible. Just being there, hearing Dungey’s fans cheer and yell on an Australian who was battling with their beloved hometown hero because he, like Rocky in Rocky IV when Drago seemed to have him beat, was getting off the mat to fight back.
I’m telling you, not even the Hallmark channel can script this this stuff!
Reed rejoined the race and somehow made it to 14th. He scored seven points with a ride that was very reminiscent of James Stewart’s Daytona crash this year (only without the crazy-ness of people questioning doctors and Stewart himself) and whatdoyaknow? Reed’s still in the points lead by six points. The stroke of luck that Reed got in A) not making himself into an accordion upon landing like Wil E Coyote and B) his Honda somehow surviving the plunge is akin to the Kardashian sisters somehow becoming famous. It’s simply incredible.
Reed overcame a devastating crash in moto two, to finish 14th.
Photo: Brian Robinette
A little surprised that Villopoto got caught and passed by the Dunge in the second moto, no doubt about it. Ryan’s been able to (moreso than the other two guys) get away from everyone and win with commanding leads. He just has to get in the lead and it seems that the races have been over. (Even Reed himself admits this and that’s why he blitzed it by RV on the first lap in the second moto like some sort of kamikaze pilot. He didn’t want RV to get out alone.) So yeah, color me surprised that RV got ran down. But how about, instead of asking RV what happened, we salute Dungey for a good ride. I do think that RV didn’t get by the lappers nearly as well as Dungey did and that was a part of getting caught. Still, if you’re Ryan Villopoto, you closed in to within six points of Reed and you’re going into your hometown track at Washougal. Life’s still good.
Just like Dungey needed to hold serve and get the win, I believe that Tyla Rattray had to make a statement at Millville as well. And his statement was ,“HEY YO, I’M STILL IN THIS THING!” with a great 2-1 win on the day. Ever since he grabbed the points lead early in the year, Tyla had struggled a bit (and lost the points lead). Bad starts mostly have doomed him but in Millville he got great starts and almost went 1-1 when he charged hard on first moto winner Dean Wilson on the last lap. Good ride for the South African and I bet he uses this confidence to keep the roll going this weekend.
Yup, round seven and the points leader Dean Wilson has still yet to win a race. Which isn’t that big of a deal because I don’t think that you would find anyone who wouldn’t say he’s either A)the fastest guy in the class week in and week out or B) 1B to Blake Baggett’s 1A. After Redbud, I thought Dean was on suicide watch because of his 2-2 performance but this weekend he was much happier with his ride. He put some points on Baggett and tied with Rattray so all was good in the Scottish rider’s world.
I figured that it wasn’t a good sign when, after the first moto that Dean won, he was walking back to the truck in a zombie-like state looking like a wet rat. He was shirtless and sort of looked like a dude that had wandered the desert looking for water. About 15 steps behind was Rattray also shirtless and laughing and joking with someone. Wilson was much more affected by the heat than the South African. Imagine that, a Scottish/Canadian kid not being as used to the blistering heat as much as a South African. Weird ain’t it?
Villopoto came up just shy of the overall at Millville.
Photo: Brian Robinette
Speaking of the heat, after the tragic turn of events at RedBud, this was another pretty muggy one. Especially in the second motos. Only 29 guys finished the second 450 moto. And Eli Tomac pulled off with a couple of laps to go in moto one even though he was in a good positive, because he was feeling it. Darryn Durham also pulled out with heat problems and I counted eight guys with their goggles off in the second 450 moto. Kevin Windham admitted to me that Millville was extra tough on him because he was so worked from Redbud, and that was two weeks ago!
It’s not going so well for the GEICO Honda team this outdoor season. In supercross, the team was about five laps away from sweeping both coasts but as it is, east Lites SX champ Justin Barcia has been struggling with illness and crashes, Eli Tomac has been so-so but really hasn’t taken that leap that so many of us thought he would. Wil Hahn is just getting back from injury, Blake Wharton is out for the year and times are tough. This sport is fleeting sometimes (unless you’re the Pro Circuit team and then you look at the guy who got sixth this weekend and wonder why he can’t get up there) and right now, the whole team is working hard and not getting the results needed. Barcia has six holeshots and is seventh in the points which is a crazy stat to me. This weekend he broke his nose in a nasty crash in the first moto. Kudos to him for lining up in the second race, it hows what a trooper he is.
No matter what, it could be worse for the GEICO Honda guys, they could be the Rockstar Suzuki team! I’m sort of kidding, sort of not. The team has been struggling this year but at Millville, they got a couple of solid rides from Martin Davalos and Jason Anderson. Seventy-three-year-old Ryan Morais is also returning to the team for Unadilla and Les Smith’s stint as a fill-in guy is over.
Let’s take a look at the results shall we?
250 Overall
1. Tyla Rattray (2-1) Kaw
2. Dean Wilson (1-2) Kaw
3. Blake Baggett (3-3) Kaw- Baggett crashed and hurt his collarbone last week in California and I guess it was pretty sore. He’s fighting through it but he admitted in the press conference that it affected him. Still, he did his usual Baggett thing coming from way back (21st in the second moto!) and charging.
4. Kyle Cunningham (4-4) Yam- Very quietly Cunningham is having a solid outdoor season. He moved into fourth in the points this weekend with a couple of consistent and steady rides. Who knew?
5. Alex Martin (7-5) Hon- Martin’s dad owns the track so you knew he would do well this weekend but even his 5th OA is a little surprising. The Ewok Warrior was strong in the second moto and picked up privateer hero status from his teammate Durham.
6. Broc Tickle (6-9) Kaw
7. Wil Hahn (9-8) Hon- Wilbur’s doing just fine in his return. He’ll get better as this thing goes on.
8. Gareth Swanepoel (5-12) Yam- Swanepoel got fifth in the first moto. Good ride but I never noticed him.
9. Gannon Audette (15-10) Yam- Audette is from Minnesota as well and this a good ride for the kid.
10. Jason Anderson (14-11) Suz- Anderson took some time off that the team called “family reasons” but it was more “my family is going to kick my ass if I keep struggling” reasons. He made his return at Millville and had his best race of the season. Looks like team manager Dave Gowland’s decision to push the “reset” button on Jason’s mx season was a good one.
11. Martin Davalos (10-15) Suz
12. Justin Barcia (36-6) Hon
13. Eli Tomac (29-7) Hon- With three laps to go in the first moto and while in sixth, Tomac pulled out because the heat was getting to him. Bummer for Eli, if he had held on to that spot, he’d a been fifth overall.
14. Darryn Durham (8-33) Hon
15. Malcolm Stewart (11-31) Suz- This is why you have to go to the races to report on them. Mookie crashed 100 feet out of the gate in the first moto and was dead, dead, dead last. He got up and ended up 11th which was a great ride but you might not ever know it. Second moto he was around 7th when he crashed his way out. A 11-31 day that very well could have/should have been way better. MOOKIE FEVER!
16. Mathew Lemoine (12-36) Kaw- Lemoine was $500 richer because of a bet that Steve Cox paid up on.
17. Travis Baker (22-13) Hon
18. Nick Paluzzi (18-16) Suz
19. Ryan Sipes (13-35) Yam- Sipes is hot and cold every week. He’s like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you’re gonna’ get.
20. Cole Seely (23-14) Hon- At least he has drifting and Chipotle.
Gannon Audette finished a very quiet ninth overall at Millville.
Photo: Brian Robinette
450 Overall
1. Ryan Dungey (2-1) Suz
2. Ryan Villopoto (3-2) Kaw
3. Trey Canard (5-3) Hon- Canard made his return this weekend and to be honest, he was better than I thought he would be. I had him for sure in the top five but he was strong and right there with the leaders for a while. He also flew private to the race when his original flights got jacked up. I need to get in there and replace Red Dog ASAP so I can start flying private like Trey “Baller” Canard.
4. Mike Alessi (4-4) KTM- Mike rode two pretty strong motos and tied Canard for overall. Too bad for the 800 he probably didn’t get much TV time or much notice but he was very fast.
5. Chad Reed (1-14) Hon
6. Brett Metcalfe (6-5) Suz- Metty was a little cheesed off that the promoters sent out a few riders behind him in the points out on a parade lap instead of him (Brett’s 4th in the points) and you know what? I think he’s got a right to be.
7. Jacob Weimer (8-6) Kaw- Jake went off the track a couple of times in the first moto in the exact same spot which caused his mechanic Dana Wiggin’s stress level to probably go from one to two or something.
8. Andrew Short (7-9) KTM- Guess what did Andrew in this weekend? If you guessed bad starts, you’d be correct. That’s about all I’m going to say on that.
9. Justin Brayton (12-7) Yam- Good ride for JB in the first moto as he came from a crash to get 12th.
10. Kevin Windham (11-10) Hon- Windham is struggling a bit right now and we’ll see if he can get the magic back at Washougal, a track that he’s ridden so well at before.
11. Jimmy Albertson (10-11) Hon- Top Jimmy is getting a try-out with his old team Valli Yamaha for this weekend and maybe beyond which is good and bad. Good because Jimmy’s a privateer who’s struggling to make it to the races but bad because really, how is he supposed to do when he just jumps on the little-weird-of-a-duck Yamaha YZ450F?
12. Tye Simmonds (9-12) KTM- This was Simmonds best race in America (or Ameriker as Reed calls it) because I really noticed him coming through the pack in the first moto. He was on it for sure.
13. Michael Byrne (13-13) Suz- 13-13 for 13th? Seems about right.
14. Tommy Hahn (33-8) Yam- Hahn’s not happy with his motorcycle, it’s just not working out. Tommy’s a Libra and it’s a Leo and they were destined to never get along. Time to break up.
15. Fredrik Noren (14-17) Hon- The Swedish rider had his best finish of the season and good for him. The Swedes are usually so used to the heat!
16. Travis Sewell (16-16) Yam- A flying Sewell brother in the top twenty is a world I want to live in.
17. Nicholas Wey (29-15) Yam- First turn crash in the first moto made Wey a little off all day and he struggled.
18. Ricky Dietrich (15-24) Yam- His teammate also struggled big time and scoring ten points in the last five motos is not a good wave to be riding.
19. Vince Friese (20-18) Yam
20. Ben LaMay (17-32) Yam
I’ve been on the record before that I don’t like the guys having permanent numbers and feel that dudes like Mike Brown and John Dowd should be forced to surrender them to active racers. But then a new rule came in this year saying that a guy has to earn 25 points to keep it and I’m ok with that. It’s a compromise that I can live with. (I’m sure the big wigs at MX Sports are exhaling right now saying, “Whew, Matthes can live with the new rule, everyone put down the razor blades!” but whatever)
Dowd continues to plow away at the age of 45.
Photo: Brian Robinette
So this weekend Dowd came out to the track where he got his first legitimate win in 1994 (he had previously won the one-moto 1991 Hangtown national but let’s be honest, that was proved to really be a jet-ski race where ISJBA boss Bruce Stjernstrom should have been) and went 18-22. Dowdy is getting ready for his annual “Cheer on the old folks, they’re just like us” tour that starts and stops in Southwick. John’s good people, a nice guy and I always have time for him whenever he shows up at a race. By the way, he’s going to be 46 in a couple of weeks. Yes, I said 46.
Thanks for reading, email me at matthes@racerxonline.com and we can chat. See you next week!
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Good Read, Holeshoooaaat!
I will be at the Dilla and Southwick!! can't wait!!! the 2 week break is going to suck!!!
PS. how could u be wishing you had a Sno-Cone when you were holding 3 hotdogs 2 hamburgs a large fry and a pork samitch!! LOl
Great write up as a always Steve. Reed made his point on the Pulp Show. "let's leave MX tracks MX and stop making them into SX". When you reference the jump may not have been built right for that debacle with the switch back you further make the point. Why are they even building a jump? Millville and many other national tracks have excellent soil, elevation, hills etc. MX Sports and the promoters have have to stop adding all these stupid jumps and walls. Let the outdoors be the outdoors.
What about RC's #4? Has that number been retired? If not, I think it should be...
Man Tomac really can't handel the heat at all. Thats a shock for a top guy like that and with his dad too. Hmmmm
#4 will be up for grabs this year.
Seventy-three year old Ryan Morais, lol, that was a good one Steve
Its not MX sports adding the jumps they had a private company this weekend (seems like its up to the track to decide who builds it). To me Millville has always built their lips far too tall for the highspeeds of outdoor motocross (ams included try jumping some of that sh*t on an 80 back in the day). But who are we to tell them how to build their track i guess. I just stopped racing there.
and if i remember correctly RC's number is retired for a few more years and will be made availible in 2012? maybe longer I am not sure.
Its weird, the 250f Yamaha is having decent success, (3 in the top 10) and its been a good bike all year, and its the only Carbuerated bike in the class.
But the 450 is a total pile. I know many riders who don't like it in the pro ranks, and I have two friends that purchased 2011 models, and both have had to buy "lowering linkage arms" and other suspension work done to get em to turn.
Both have complained alot about that bike.
Shorty would be in the top 5 mix with Allessi and Metcalfe if he was on a 450, no doubt about it. He's still got it, he's just being held back.
I always like this article and who cares about the typos I cantype that well with my wore out hands. Anyhoooo (hope Ping has not put a patent on that) @ jairtimesucks and jairtim and anybodey els that has raced in both the midwest heat and the Texas heat I will take 100 degrees at 35% humidity anytime over 92 degrees and 97% humidity anytime!
At Washagaiul (sp) lol it should be good for all. ya I gota wbsters. It looks like most ereryone had mismatched results. Yes I agree with Steve about the track changes should have been done better.
I will take #4 it is easy to make with black elictrical tape ??? Ya I raced when we did 3 moto's.....
With regards to the caption:
"Reed overcame a devastating crash in moto two, to finish 14th."
The crash was not "devastating", brutal, spectacular, etc, yes. It was miraculous that it was not "devastating". It was not even devastating to his championship hopes.
Hey Matthes, those 2 singles after the sand wash were possible to double. I had several people tell me that Jeremy Martin was doubling them on Thursday or Friday. Probably before the torrential downpours, but I have no doubt that if the track was dry, the guys would have been doubling them. I do agree however that Millville has way too many jumps, and all of the jump faces are super steep! Plus, there are parts of that track that are no more than 10' wide. WTF is up with that? No wonder it is one lined, there is only room for 1 bike in some of the corners. A few years back they used to have a really tight left/right corner before the finish tabletop and the track was probably 8' wide in there. The new finish line jump is better, but could get crazy if you had 2 guys drag racing to the finish, only to overjump that massive kicker.
Go REED!!!
I think Shorty is too good of an employee and too loyal to those who help him to ever really bash them, but I know he is biting his lip over that damned 350. You just can't give up 100cc's to this competition. Yeah Cairoli is riding the 350 but how much worse would he be beating those guys if he was on a 450? I also understand that he is actively looking for another ride for next season. JGR might want him, or maybe Larry Brooks and Mcgraths new team could get him.
Bet if Dungey goes to KTM he is not on that 350.
Sand whoops section was not as long as it used to be, probably a good thing thing considering the heat. Not sure why they put a wall jump just after the 180 turn in middle of that section. They also had 4 roler jumps going up bikini hill, and the section didn't even go all the way up the hill around the tree, like it used to, before they re-worked it in practice.
On the good side, they did an amazing job getting the track into shape after 2.5 inches of rain Friday. It's a great track to visit and ride.
Look, congrats to Reed for not injuring himself, and what not, but stop kissing his ass already. I am not going to take away anything from how "gnarly" the crash looked, but he did get up, as he admitted, uninjured. The bike too, was in working order with bent bars and clutch lever. So it is not like he had a broken jaw (a la Ryno) or a broken wrist, or a torn ACL, or anything but the wind knocked out of him. My questions is, why could he only salvage 14th? If he is that bad ass, one would think he could have cracked the top 10...
The only reason Short is looking for another ride is because he knows he won´t be retained next year. You actually have to get results if you want to keep your place on a works team.
Ain´t nothing wrong with the 350. I got one and it´s a match for any of the 450´s, plus it´s like riding a 250, light and nippy. Best bike I´ve ever had.
What happened to Davi Milsapps? A no show!
I agree that on some tracks it is competitive, but in deep dirt, sand or mud? Alessi is running top 4 and last season was in the same shoes short is in as far as results go, then he moves back to a 450 and is up to where he is. Short was a top 4 guy last year and now on the 350 is down where Alessi was last year. I feel like the bike is playing a part in it. Yeah the 350 may be awesome at lower levels of competition, but against the best guys and you are giving up 100cc's going in? nah.
Only question I have is if these 450 4 bangers are so tough and fast why dont we get a 500 cc 2 stroke out there and then we will see who can really ride? Ever see Bailey and Glover or Ward go for it on one? And they are only doing 30 plus 2 now.
@MNmoto. Good observation. I always assumed John Martin built steep faces due to the sandy soil. As you probably know, the jump faces tend to deteriorate very quickly at Millville even with the District 23 races and the faces get huge ruts. There has always been a ridiculously steep face on that backside triple. I will say this, the new straight finish line is way better than the old one that had all the twists and turns.
Just a thought, but maybe all the riders that pulled off are still spooked by what happened to Josh(RIP)? It would definetely be in the back of my head as soon as I started feeling funny.
@ acejas,, I thought the same thing. I think it spooked everybody and maybe some of the boys are monitoring themselves a little closer during the race than what they used to, to the point of being a little hyper sensitive about it. get a little funny feeling and get nervous about it where before they would just push on thru? IDK, just a theory, but I would not be surprised if that were the case this soon to what happened. Makes alot of people nervous and to be honest (I race bicycles now days) I have thought about it on some of my rides lately and have been a little more detailed during the day to make sure I am getting enough fluids for my workouts. I think this tragety gave everybody a good wake up call. Hopefully it will save some athletes from some serious injuries, sickness or at worst death.
Short was a top 4 guy last year, BUT NOW Reed is there, RV is there and K-dub and TC so Short is now a top 7 guy 350 or 450 IMO it wont matter he is NOT going to beat RD, RV, CR, TC... and maybe even, BM, DM or MI.
That's a good point and true. But he was alot closer last year, battled with Metcalf alot and was able to run up front a little more. not even close this season.
@ AS29ET19n2k12 --- THANK YOU!!..... Very knarly get off indeed, but like I posted before, it " looked" a lot worse than it was obviously as Reed and the bike were not damaged too severley..Yes, he got his bell rung like any good crash will do, but he was up and back on the bike faster than RV was after his first moto crash at Red Bud and RV rode a bike that was falling apart up to 9th ..Reed got 14th and 8 riders didnt even start the second moto at Millville.. I am glad nothing serious happened to Reed and it was an awesome crash to watch, but enough already with the Reed is a badass......
Good one Steve.. Reed got lucky very lucky.
Man, Reed has to be the champion of complaining about the track.....I read another article where he complains about all the jumps and the track layouts....Sounds like Reed wants to go back to GP racing to me.....Or he just wants it to be the way he likes it (surprise) so it suits his style best....He crashed on a jump in practice so it must be removed from the track.....If he doesnt like the tracks, dont race....None of the other guys are crying about it......Its the same for everyone.....one line track I can see some complaining.... but MX tracks have jumps.....
Where is JS7 HEP? And where have you been....maybe down in Florida suckin on a Stewie hotdog?!?!
A couple of guys where doubling that double you spoke of that Jeremy Martin was doing Friday (small double after whoop section on way to camel back). I watched Barcia do it twice in practice, 2nd time he almost ate it, but guys where doing it before they took it out on Sunday. The jump in the whoops has been there for a couple years. Last year Brayton was launching off of it into the whoops in practice but really wasn't doing it in the race.
Good job Matthes.Reed said on you show the other night that he hit a rock that was hidden in the sand.
Boys I've been dissapointed with RV2.I'm pulling for Reed but I really thought RV2 would get close to a perfect season.I think that boy needs to add some carbs. and fat to that diet of his.Maybe even some sugar.That crack-ho diet that hes on just ant cutting it.Hes seems to be running out of gas.
Just to make sure, Reedy logged more air time than Stewie with his yard sale.
HEP's Gone wrote:
Where is JS7 HEP? And where have you been....maybe down in Florida suckin on a Stewie hotdog?!?!
Bwahahahahahahahahaha
@ Reed It .... I must concur with you.
Reed's crash was NOT "very reminiscent of James Stewart’s Daytona crash this year" as the article incorrectly states. Among other dissimilarities, Reed was in the air a lot longer than Stewart AND Reed's dismount was different.
Reed's crash reminded me of RC's crash at Washugal when he and James were battling. Kind of the same situation but RC's jump face wasn't as big and didn't throw him UP like Reed's. Of course RC was as tough as a brick ball bat. I really don't see how or why one would compare Reed's crash with any of James' crashes.
As far as RV's fitness, I think there may be a little issue there for sure. I wonder if Baker is putting RV thru the same regimine that he had RC going thru? It's two different people so their bodies wouldn't nessecarily respond the same way. Aldon is a pro at it so I can't second guess his program and I don't really know it but there does seem to be something a little funky going on. I can't imagine that it would be a case where baker is being hard headed and not wanting to tweak his program if he sees RV fading. Hard to look at what's really happening from watching it on TV and the computer.
Aldon has proved his worth. RV just had a bad day due to the heat and humidity. Aldon will get that right. No one is perfect. Give the guy a break. RV will be back, with a vengance.
What is it they say? The first person who gets blamed is the trainer.
In this case it´s hogwash. Aldon Baker has proven, he´s the best there is.
@Beef Stew - I beleive mathes is comparing the 22 and JS7 "comeback" ride after the crash and the wow factor that they are jumping back on the bike after what appeared to be a "devastating" crash....Comparing crashes is a little on the silly side....all crashes are different and all crashes suck!!...you can get off like Reed did at Millville and walk away unscathed, or fall over in a turn and break your hand like he did when he took out Stewart at PHX last year......
Lots of hangtime for Reed on this on for sure, lots of style points!!! but the impact of Reeds body to the ground (most important) was not nearly as hard the JS7 crash at Daytona or even Canards digger at Dodger Stadium during his heat race this year in SX ....Reed in a sense ran and jumped off a two story roof and basically landed on a 1 story soft grass hill in a half ass baseball slide.....he did bonk the noggin at the bottom a little, but I think his loss of breath came from being flung into the air like a sticky booger and being scared of what COULD happen next..It would have scared me too.....
None of Ryno Trained boys can handle the heat..... (i.e. Tomac, Sipes) the only thing working out is none other then Florida's owen JP$ holding it down in the WMA
Shortys 350 is a piece of crap. I was at millville and he was reving the crap out of that pumpkin trying to power and getting roosted by the field. Albertsons honda looked way better than the "factory ktm" and I bet shorty would do better on a stock crf with suspension and a pipe.
Why are the 250s doing faster lap times than the 350s if they are so down on power?
Am I the only one thats sick of hearing the word "program"??? The riders training, riding, practice, eating, sh*ting and banging their fake blonde girlfriend is now considered a program??? I miss the days when MC said "I was out on the lake 3 days this week" and mentioned nothing else. These guys make it seem like all they do is train. Nobody does that, so get off it. These guys are good at what they do, but give 'Saps a glass of red wine and take him to the beach with a couple girls and he could care less about a "program". Bet me and lose..
Last year Shorty had many hole shots on the Honda. This year you can't even find him at the first corner. Not saying the KTM isn't fast, I'm sure it is, but the Honda seemed to fit Short much better. Reed is very picky about what bike he chooses to ride and has mentioned numerious times his Honda is the best bike he has ridden. If the Dunge doesn't stay with Suzuki, I hope he picks up a ride with factory Honda. They seem similar in handling and performance.IMO
A little harsh on the track in your open paragraphs. Were you there Friday, it rained like 5 inches. What other track would have pulled off what Millville did with that much rain.
All else very good reading.
Try runing fast lap times when you get a crap start because you are 100cc down and you can't pass anyone because your competition has more power coming out of turns.
Lap times and races are two different things fool.
Steve can You cut the Scottish Kid some slack please! I know your one of the few angry Canadians that can't seem to let go that Dean and His family are actually Scottish, for the record I am Canadian. By my counts Dean has 4 moto wins, yet You say Yup , round seven and the points leader Dean Wilson has no wins? I think You mean overalls. If this is Your strange way to motivate Dean I gotta tell yah I think He has that covered. The way I see it 3 riders have a shot at the title one is Scottish, one is South African and one is American. My money is on the Scottish Kid! and yes it will likley go down to the final Moto.
Did I hear Emig call Audettes bike a Yamadog just after Stewart crashed? Not as newsworthy as Reeds getoff but still pretty funny...
" After Redbud, I thought Dean was on suicide watch" Mathes you are a fool for this one. LMAO !!!!
"8. Gareth Swanepoel (5-12) Yam- Swanepoel got fifth in the first moto. Good ride but I never noticed him."
And your piece is called "OBSERVATIONS"?
LOL
@tired of it,,, Program is about as good a term as any for it. Wake up, eat a certain breakfast that is part of your diet, do your scheduled work out or practice. eat a certain lunch that is part of your diet, do any training or practice, eat your dinner that is on your diet, get the proper amount of sleep. repeat. Personel time in between. Pretty much a program. I am a former pro-am rider and now a cyclist. I pedal 40 to 100 miles a day 6 to 7 days a week including races. My diet completely caters to my cycling, my rest periods and down time is planned. even what I drink during the day is a part of the end game of cycling. I have a trainer that builds my every day of the week for me. My coach doesn't call it a "program" but a "plan". Pretty much every hour of the day has a focus toward my plan in some manner.
I was racing "against" MC back in the day. (on the track at the same time) and yeah he may have had more down time than some, but his everyday was revolving around SX/MX. He did practice and work at it. Maybe the "programs" back then were not as organized as they are now, but they were there.
I get what you are saying, and some of the lower level riders plans are not as defined as say what RV's is. But there are Programs, Plans, routines, habits that every rider uses if they are really trying to be serious about being the best that they can be.
wonder how much "old school" training these guys do. You read about guys in the 70s hauling logs through the mud then duckwalking with it on there back. Road bikes and airconditioned gyms do not provide the grit.
@Jaittimesuks--forst of all the Yamaha 450 is fine, it won 5 supercrosses and almost every heat race it was in, and Millsaps was getting podiums on it, and he hasnt done alot in the lst few years, there is NOTHING wrong with the bike.
@BIILC, I know you arent a fan of Short, but he is beating K-Dub, as much as you dont want to admit it, heck you never liked him, didnt even want him on the Des Nations because you wanted James on it..
@bunch of haters I like Short just fine so don't think you know more than you do., K-Dub has had a few 4th's Shorts best so far is a 5th I believe. He has not beat him very many times either way.
@Bunch of haters, Short is down by almost 30 points to Windham on that 350. He beat him at Milleville, K-Dub said he is out of gas, Short will probably beat him from here on out though. But Short is behind Millsaps too and he didnt even race Millville.. So that proves ther is NOTHING wrong with the Yamaha, especially when you can change almost the whole bike to fit your style.
MTY I just got a New Specialized road bike, Have been riding a Specialized S works MTN bike for years and am just now getting into the road thing. Got the bike the other day and have 50 mi so far and really like it. Doing a 75mi tour in 2 weeks. Can you give me some tips on hard days/easy day's how many each weeks ect? also leading up to the Tour when should my last hard day be?? What is a good AVG speed to hold over 75 mi?
Yeah, those techniques are pretty goofy. It's fun to think that the riders of the 70's were complete Iron men tough guys that ran the same lap time in lap 1 as they did on the last lap. those guys were on god awful bikes that they could not over ride at all and had to pace them selves and be smooth as they could be so the bike would make it to the end. There was no just drop the hammer, scrub the jumps, and let it hang out for the entire race, the bike couldn't take it so they had to set a pace. It would be nice to see some lap charts from the 70's and see how the riders fitness was back then.
As far as cycling not offering "grit", I never suffered as bad on my dirt bike as I have in a bicycle race when it comes to a pure battle of attrition. They physical ass whooping of motocross is worse. the skill set is way more demanding, pure strength is more. But the pure cardio side of cycling offers plenty of "grit" to the training side of mx. If duck walking with a log was a great training technique, then I'm sure RC would have been doing it, but I'm pretty sure he used a rode bike quite a bit and I can tell you first hand, that dude was pretty stout on the roadie!
You can't change the frame BD200, and go read the newest thread, Now Tommy Hahn has said the Yam is junk. The list is VERY long of people who don't like it.
ps. bd200 K-Dub is all done for the year so yes Short will beat him from now on.
BillC- cool man, Really with only a couple more weeks to go before your Tour ride, you should just concentrate on getting in saddle time. 75 miles sitting on the road bike can be uncomfortable and is something you kind of build up to. At this point just log some miles at a low/moderate pace and just work on extending your base and getting your muscular endurance up. I don't know how much free time you have to put into it, but at least a couple hours a day maybe 2 days on and 1- 45 min low intensity easy pedal on the third day and then repeat. Pick a weekend day and try and do maybe 3 hours. 75 miles could take you up to 4 hours or more. I don't know if you ride with a heart rate monitor but that can be handy in making sure you don't blow yourself up. With just 2 weeks, you don't want to do anything to aggressive as that will just whoop you for the big ride. Two days before the ride, just do an hour of small chain ring low intensity spinning. don't do any sprinting or anything. They day before you can do another light ride if you want, very light. Carb up heavy the day before and hydrate. on the ride day, prepare plenty of foods/gels/bars to get you thru the ride so you don't bonk out. eat about every 45 min to an hour during the tour.
I don't really know the caliber of rider you are so I am giving you pretty beginner advice and I may be way off base for sure. The thing about base training and trying to do those long rides at a good pace, it takes months to build the muscular and cardio endurance. For this years racing, I started training last october and I spent 3 or 4 months doing base work before I started doing strength and another couple months before I started doing VO2 Max work but it really pays off taking the time. You should always look at fitness training like a pyramid, broad base and gently working up the intensity part. You can't start with the pointy/intense part down or the whole thing will just fall apart.
Good luck tho, it sounds like a fun ride, I used to use bikes to train for moto and getting into the bike racing was a natural progression. It's not the same but it's alot fun.
I find it funny that people keep talking about Villopoto's "home track advantage" this week. Can anyone tell me the last time he won an overall at Washougal? Oh, right, he hasn't. With all his success, yet not a win at his home track, I'd say he's at a disadvantage going in there. It seems to me that it's not one of his favorite tracks, the fact that it's close to where he grew up means nothing. I'm not bagging on him at all, I think he's got a great shot at the title, I'm bagging on the idiots who forget or ignore the past in making predictions for the future.
Haters --- The Yamaha 450F won 5 supercross races due to the guy who was riding it.....And had the front end issues not persist, that 5 races would have been 7 or 8 and a championship....
I remember back in the 80's when Johnny O was riding Suzuki's at the time. He and Damon Bradshaw were at a practice together for whatever reason and Johnny was having a hell of a time getting up over this step up and Damon was killing it. Johnny asked Damon if he could ride his bike and He hopped on it and had no trouble producing the power and getting up and over the jump. At that point he was furious at how weak his factory bike was compared to another. the point is, it is entirely possible that in the hands of a factory level rider that a bike just aint cuttin the mustard.Suzuki's in the late 80's, the first aluminum framed honda's, The RM/KX 250 F combo bike of 04. now this yamaha has just been aggrivating the piss out of alot of riders. The last Yamaha I raced was the 07 YZF 450 and I will say it was the strongest 250F I had ever riden:)
Thanks MTY, I am a beginner in the Rodie world , But have a lot of saddle time in the woods, The last few years not so much, I Have been rode riding my MTN bike hard for 2 months so i finaly got a road bike. I did the 50mi last Sunday, (first ride new bike) Then did a lite 25mi on Tuesday and I will ride tonight as well. I planed to preride the 75 mi corse on Sat or sunday, I should not push to hard then right? Maybe do the 75 at a nice comfortable pase? The Tour is on 8/7/11. Next week I am on Vacation so I plan to ride everyday.then the week leading up to it shoter less intence rides.
.Sorry for the thread hijack Guys but Ya don't get to talk to someone Like MTY everyday and i want to learn as much as i can.
.Thanks MTY
Hey how about some respect for Alex Martin? Just because his dad owns the track does not guarantee a good result. He went out there and gave it his all. Beating all riders on Geico, running with the Kawi guys for a bit, he deserves every bit of credit for that ride.
BillC,
Yeah man, no problem. You have to look at it like this, you are not going to get any big gains by pushing yourself for an event that is two weeks away. Generally, when you start training for an event, your performance actually goes down right out of the gate because you fatigue and stress muscles in a way you may not have used them as much. So what becomes important and the most useful to you now would be just getting as comfortable being on the bike for extended periods as you can.
Have you had your bike "fitted" to you? If not, do it and that will help out a good bit. It shouldn't take too long at a local bike shop to do it and will make a good difference on a 75 miler.
If you have, make sure that they didn't set you up too aggressivley. Mainly low or high bar positions. Starting out, I would avoid a low bar position that closed your hips down too much. Run your bars a little higher and that will give you a little more power and open up your chest better for breathing but mainly it will take alot of stress off your lower back, shoulders, and neck. The big difference between the road bike and the mtb is you get to move around alot on the mtb like a dirt bike, but the road bike, you get into one position sometimes for hours and it can be brutal on your back and neck. The higher the bar position and more up right you are the less stressers, BUT it cuts down your aero-dynamics big time, so you give up that for comfort and in the beginning, that's important. down the road you can drop yourself into a better fighting position as you adapt. Now don't get me wrong, some guys are just able to get down low and it doesn't bother them but more often than not, the lower position hurts for a while.
If you are unable to get fitted, be sure and carry some tools on the rides leading up to it and get yourself comfortable on the bike. seat height and angle and all that are super important and you cann make adjustments along your rides to get more comfortable. don't want the seat too low as it will kill your quads or too high or it will kill your crotch.
remember on easy days, ride in the small chain ring and keep your cadence high and easy spinning to flush the lactic acid from your legs doing maybe 45 min rides
Once you are trained, days leading into a race I usually pick up the intensity and lower the volume to try and peak depending on the event. In your case being new, maintain the intensity and lower the volume. it's ok to ride all the way up to the event provided you cut back and on the last day just keep it light and short.
Don't try any sprinting or anything like that. In 09 I pulled a hamstring cause I was early in training and my muscles were not ready for that kind of stress and I couldn't pedal for a long while so save the sprints and stuff till you get deeper into your base work.
Also try and keep your cadence higher, 90 rpm's or better. I don't know if you have a computer on your bike or not, but a cadence meter is handy. your much more effecient at a higher cadence and you tend to blow up your legs if you are pushing a heavy gear all the time. Some guys can do it, it all can depend on your build and pure leg strength and how good your cardio is.
The best advise I can give you is by Joel Friels Cycling Bible. If you are planning on being a little more regular on the road bike, this was one of my best buys. lots of great info and can really help you build a good cycling program. My coach bases alot of his work on Friels techniques and so do alot of MX trainers who use cycling in their programs.
Good luck and have fun with it!
Yeah, I was pumped for Alex, I really think it would be great for him to get in the top 10 at some more races and get some more support for next season. very cool and he seems like a good guy too so that is even better.
Gp read the comments again BILLC, Hahn comments himself and saif there is nothing wrong with the bike. No more excuses for the Yamaha riders..
Thanks again MTY, Yes they did fit the bike for me and it is a little more upright and better for longer rides they said.. So far I am feeling it in the Quades, They Feel a bit tired the next day but when I ride I feel it in my upper hamstring witch is something I never had years past. I do think I ride to high of a gear though, I will try to spin more and that may be the answer. I have to say I am hooked I think, Have lots of big plans. I did a little MTN bike raceing years ago too after i blew out my knee at Southwick i really got into the bikes, Always rode a lot for training wile I raced MX so like you the Bike feel right into place.
Well bd200 he did say the front end just washed for no reason. I don't know why you seem to think the bike is fine when so many say it's not. I have never riddin one but I sure hear more people say there not good than say it's great. Even the mags seem cool to it.
Yeah, Low cadence takes more strength and wears on you for longer rides. When you do light days especially after a long ride, just make yourself ride the small chain ring at a real high cadence for 45 min or so and that will help break up the lactic acid and flush your legs and cut way back on being sore.
sounds like you have a decent bike shop and they set you up correctly and that's good. When I was getting into it and I went in there talking about Motocross and all that and I figured they were under-estimating me as an athlete, but that turned out to be a good thing and they really were helping me by setting me up as a beginner cyclist cause that was what I was.
Have fun and let me know how your ride goes, that's cool to get into. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.
@Larry Andrew Short has always been a 5th place rider, being on a 100cc lower or not he has never been able to stay up front consistently.
Fool.