by Chase Stallo
10 Things to Watch for at Unadilla
Friday, August 12, 2011 | 11:05 AM
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Print10.) I’M BACK: GEICO Honda’s Jimmy DeCotis and Rockstar Suzuki’s Ryan Morais will make their long-awaited returns to the American Motocross this weekend at Unadilla after missing the first eight rounds due to injury. DeCotis, who dislocated his elbow at Seattle, will make his debut ride outdoors aboard the GEICO Honda, while Morais, who underwent hip surgery after the supercross season, will be lining up on the gate outdoors for the first time since Freestone last year. What can we expect from these wounded warriors? Probably not much, seeing as the majority of the other forty riders have eight rounds under their belts. A top-fifteen performance should satisfy the needs of each rider, for now.
9.) DOWD AT DILLA: The man, the myth, the legend: John Dowd will return to racing this weekend at Unadilla. Dowd, who celebrated his 46th birthday on Wednesday, will break his own record as the oldest rider to score points at an AMA National if he’s able to lock down a top-twenty position this weekend. Word is there could be another surprise entry at Unadilla, but you’ll just have to tune into the live coverage on Saturday to find out.
Bogle will make his pro debut at Unadilla.
Photo: Garth Milan
8.) WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES: Hot-shot amateur prospect Justin Bogle, fresh off his Horizon Award winning performance at Loretta Lynn’s, will make his highly anticipated debut this weekend at Unadilla. In preparation for the return of Jimmy DeCotis and the arrival of Bogle, GEICO Honda has leased Justin Barcia to American Honda—to compete in the 450 Class. The other big prospect who was ready to hit the pro ranks this weekend was Star Racing’s Kyle Peters. But Peters, who took down Bogle at Loretta’s to win the 250 A title, will miss Unadilla with a small fracture of his T-10 vertebra following a crash at the Ranch.
7.) LIVE MOTOS: Isn’t it nice to come back from a long break and have live coverage of three of four motos and same-day coverage of all four motos? It’s like coming home from vacation to find that someone mowed your lawn and raked the leaves. Put the honey-do list aside for a day, take a break from the triple-digit temperatures, and enjoy more than four hours of racing on Saturday. Remember, 450 and 250 motos can be seen starting at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on FUEL TV or Allisports.com (a half hour earlier than usual), with the second 450 moto following on NBC at 3 p.m. The second 250 motos can been seen later that night at 11:30 on Speed.
6.) WILSON’S WINLESS STREAK: You have to go back to the season-ending Pala National last year to find the last time Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson captured an overall in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Yet Wilson holds a 13-point lead over teammate Tyla Rattray and a 17-point lead over teammate Blake Baggett. Can Wilson take home his first outdoor title without winning an overall? Up to this point in the season, if there is any frustration in not getting to victory lane, it hasn’t seemed to affect Wilson’s performance, as he continues to light up the podium like a pinball machine. But Wilson has been chomping at the bit to capture that elusive victory and will stop at nothing to get it. Will the streak come to a halt at Unadilla?
5.) CAN REED REBOUND?: Washougal was the first time all season Chad Reed showed a little weakness. After the “crash heard round the world” at Millville, Reed looked out of sorts in the Pacific Northwest. And to be honest, who can blame him? Just surviving that crash was a miracle. Reed salvaged what points he could going 7-4 for fourth overall but lost at least a share of the red plate for the first time all season. Reed now finds himself nine points back of leader Villopoto with only four rounds remaining. This could be the first time all season Reed is feeling the heat. He isn’t in a must-win situation yet, but he can ill afford to drop any more points to the Ryans.
Can Wilson break his streak at Unadilla?
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
4.) THE RYANS: Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey have engaged in an all-out bloodbath the last two rounds vying for supremacy atop the motocross food chain. Separated by one meager point heading into Unadilla, “the Ryans,” as they’ve come to be known, have had more than two weeks to sit and think about what’s on the line. And let us not forget Villopoto will be debuting a new machine (more on that later). The question now remains: Who will leave Unadilla with the points lead and the momentum as we head to Southwick? (And remember, it could end up being a Chad, not a Ryan.)
3.) BAM BAM: GEICO Honda’s … er, American Honda’s Justin Barcia, the native New Yorker, makes his return home this weekend at Unadilla, and he’s got a shiny new toy to bring along with him. After the outdoor retirement of Kevin Windham and injuries to Josh Grant and Trey Canard, American Honda found itself without a rider. Lucky for them, GEICO Honda had Jimmy DeCotis returning from injury and Justin Bogle ready to hit the pro ranks, which allowed them to loan Barcia for the rest of the year. Remember, Barcia rode a 450 to victory at the Bercy SX last fall. This could be a great learning opportunity for Barcia, as Honda is probably grooming him for a move up the ladder at some point. If Barcia can follow in the footsteps of former teammate Trey Canard, who made a splash during the ’10 supercross season when he made a brief cameo appearance on the 450, he may just find himself under a different tent next season.
Will RV leave Unadilla with the red plate?
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
2.) GOING THE DISTANCE: With only four rounds and eight motos left in the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, it’s looking like a real possibility that Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki may finish the season undefeated. The team has won all sixteen motos to date, have swept the podium in five of eight rounds (Hangtown, High Point, RedBud, Millville, and Washougal) and currently hold a 96-point gap over the next closest competitor. With the fiery Justin Barcia making the jump to the 450 class and teammate Eli Tomac failing to live up to expectations, it now seems all the pressure falls on Star Racing’s Kyle Cunningham to break the streak. Four rounds. Eight motos. Everyone else is struggling—Cunningham’s teammate Ryan Sipes came down with an illness, and while it’s not as serious as mono or Epstein-Barr, he’ll probably have to miss some time. And Marvin Musquin has been off the bike as much as on this year. Can Cunningham and company stop the PC winning streak?
1.) TO THE FUTURE: It’s 2011, but Kawasaki is so pumped on its redesigned 2012 KX450F that Villopoto and Jake Weimer are going to race it starting this weekend. Visions of Grant Langston grabbing the 2008 Yamaha YZ450F at the end of the 2007 season—and reeling off a bunch of wins and a championship—can go dancing in the heads of many. At the works-bike level of RV and JW, the biggest change for this bike will be a new, slimmer chassis. Those who have ridden the bike say it’s better than the 2011. But did the green team seriously get in enough testing time for the new bike to already be better than the race-proven (and SX-title-winning) 2011?
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braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap, holeshot! Can't wait for the races!!!!
Dowd raced Millville this year
HOLESHOT. Baggett for the championship!!
Damn elusive holeshot
its going to be langston racing this weekend. just a guess.
Should be a great race as both classes are paralleling this years SX Chase.
You forgot #11 though. Once proud track is now super smooth with (Ghast!) man made obstacles. See link for proof http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQyI8jt_Lag&feature=player_embedded#at=185
BTW, I live breath and sleep all things Unadilla. Isn't it time to move the track over 25 feet and get back to real MX?
@Mike; yeah, that is where he set the record for oldest rider to score points. Now he can break his own record at Dilla. He needs a total of 25 points to keep his no. 16 for next year.
If baggett or wilson wins the championship, then I'll be happy. I'm not rooting for rattray.
New bike...GO POTO!!! FTW
IT IS GOING TO BE EMIG WHO LINES UP THIS WEEKEND!!!!!! WHO ELSE?
BROWN
LANGSTON
GO.... Cunningham, He will be the one the break the streak...
Regal is racing on the btosports Suzuki http://www.vitalmx.com/news/news/Kyle-Regal-Joins-BTOSports-com-BBMX-Palmetto-Suzuki,3626
Lakert23, that is cool footage! I miss the ungroomed uphill before screw U. That thing was a killer...I'm old school too in that i don't like the man made obstacles there. They don't add anything to the racing IMO. Dilla is all about line choice...
Looks like Jj261 got to it before me, but it looks like Regal is back in action...guessing that's the hidden rider this week.
It's gonna be Windham off the couch
Lakert23 Thanks for the video thats great! I have about 100 pics from 79 and 80
I'm looking for them (my wife packed them away and i hope that doesn't mean threw them away) Maybe i can scan them and make a slide show.
I look forwad to dilla every year this is no exception. The racing will be great.
Surprise rider will be JS7 he's missing all the attention that the Ryan's and Chad are getting!
The other side sucks!
is gncc champ josh strang racing this weekend?
"If Barcia can follow in the footsteps of Tre Canard"
Yea right. That's a big "IF".
the suprise is flyin ryan mills on a kx250f...hees bakkk..and serious..
EMIG...That would be very cool...How about RC?? Glad I will be there.
Cant wait for the racing to begin tomorrow AM.....Out here on the west coast its a 9:30am start to the madness...so cant party too hard tonight...
Secret entry huh.....? Would be sweet to see Fro out there, but doubtful....
JAMES STEWART??????......,Mike Brown????...... Ricky Carmichael???????
hopefully those boys at kawi got enough testing in on the new 2012 model. i hate to see the bike break down due to lack of knowledge on it. the title race is to good to end like that
GO RV2!!!!!
can someone tell me why there has not been a race for three weeks! what other pro sport takes off three weeks in the middle of a season? could you imagine if football or hockey didnt have a game for 3 weeks? talk about killing the hype! i can understand one weekend off but 2?
Dowd is just getting ready for Sowthwick! It will be interesting to see if Barcia can do it to it. Now if it was the old Dilla Reed would walk away I think, gotta see what happens. The secret is Welker will show up!!!! LOL,,,, Now Bogle will have his eyes opened up as this is not the easy pickens no more. Just hope we dont have see "let Chad by" Ya think Cowie has not been tesing the 2012 enough get a grip.
the thrilla from Dilla!! Lets Race!!!!!!!!!!!
MC ON A 250!!!
Johnny O'Hannah unveils the new-for-'12 single shock Montesa OR 360 (O'Hannah Replica).
@ vacation usa,, I dont think you understand ... Seriously,, think about it.. Its not to difficult to figure out.. You must be new to this sport.
Justin Barcia wowing the hometown crowd with a 1-1 steamrolling of the established 450 crowd.
Andrew Short dropping the 350 to begin testing in earnest of the 450 for you-know-who..........................and moving up 3 positions immediately.
Stewart shows up to revitalize his relevancy but, gets waxed by the "new world order" and ends up dropping out of the 2nd moto, sighting "boot malfunction" after breaking a buckle on his Nike's while kicking his YZ450F on the ground after his third crash (two washouts & one whiskey throttle....taking out a hapless privateer in the process).
I am about to miss my vaction just so I can see who the secret entry is. EMIG.......MC.......I would kill a baby seal to see that.
@the real deal....Flyin ryan mills yeah yeah trickstar 167. Glad to hear the local boy is back. Where did you read this?
Stanton
I dont think Emig will be out there. I dont think he is allowed to race at an AMA pro race due to insurance reasons. Maybe I'm wrong but that was the last thing I heard when his career ended. It would be nice to see MC, Fro, RC, and even JS out there. But fat chance!
@ vacation usa......you are probably more acustomed to your sport of choice which I'll go out on a limb and say is either lawn bowling or badminton. This is motocross you meat head AKA the worlds most physically demanding sport bar NONE!! Actual moto people understand how these breaks are much needed and keep the action fierce!! Now back to chassing your little birdie........Queer.
Bracia on a 450 = same as Barcia on a 250............ up front for awhile with more up close and personal interaction with the unadilla dirt. But still going to be cool to see him on the 450 as he will indeed be fast and you never know, home state has it's advntages. As for Bogle, he will be right there in the top 10 range and battling with Jason Anderson and perhaps it will be more motivation for Anderson to get himself to the gym. Also, I do belive Musquin will get on the podium before year is over and it will not be a PC sweep for the ENTIRE year Either way, PC is having their best year ever!
I thought that there was going to be a bunch of Euro GP riders at this race? What happened to that? I would say the rider surprise is Windham or Stewart but they said that in the same breath as Dowd.So if its some old geezer that hasn't raced in a while who cares.Maybe it's Hughes.
Wheres Ping? Crap they posted another Road to Lorettas.It a little late for that now.Please no more LL's.It time for the real racing now.
Could it be Pourcel?
Oh yeah! The other side sucks
bones lay off the red bull! it makes you mean. i'm so sick of hearing how physically demanding moto-x is. you dont need three weeks to recover from a race. i'm pretty sure pro football,hockey,soccer etc. players are in just as good of shape as any pro motocrosser. and they dont need a three week break in between. if your job is to do two 35mn motos on sat. i'm pretty sure you could handle it once a week. emig used to go out parting the night before and show up and wax everyone.
RD1 leaves with the red plate, RV2 and CR 22 will be all over him,.
Question: Can a rider panic rev a 450 over every jump?
Answer: The fans should get to see and hear Barcia do it this weekend.
The suprise rider is Matt Moss,You know they showed that vid of him yesterday.Hum.Maybe Tedesco or Hill.
Part of the reason is because MX Sports does Loretta Lynns.That is why the break is so long this time of year.You should of known dumb a$$.
They take a break so the entire MX industry can congregate down at Loretta's and support the very important amatuer side of our sport - the backbone and lifeblood of MX. Without all us "weekend warriors" and "up and coming hopefuls", there would be no pro-mx. The OEM's, pro teams, journalists, promoters.....everyone shows up to support.
@ vacation usa,, Motocrossers are in much much better shape than and hockey and football players.. It has been proven in magazines many times.. Are you telling me that football players don't party ?? hahahahaha... Why is it when you are a pro mx'er,, 30 is getting old ?? Soccer playes on the other hand,, they are in great shape.
o.k. fine. sorry i asked. thanks for answers. it just seems really long. the riders still have to keep in shape, so its not like their really getting a break from the physically demanding part of it, lorettas is only one week also. not 3. why not give them a extra week off between the off season? sorry i cant quit
Vacation USA why don't you just say it your jonesing for some motocross!
@carlsbad...Dude thats the funnest thing ive read on here! LOL Hope thats how it plays out!!
Ping just lost his job.
mx mofo, i'm pretty sure ovechkin, and sydney crosby are in just as good of shape as dungey and villipoto. they're all amazing athletes.
@vacation usa
You're right, Loretta's is only a week. But the week before Loretta's is Ponca City. There is factory support for riders at both of these races. Because these races begin and end on weekends it is necessary to take 3 weeks off. You're right, the riders don't take much time off, but the factory teams are at both of these huge amateur races to support their future pro riders.
thanks jammin george! thats exactly right, cant wait for tomorrow!
No SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Unadilla - it's an ancient Portuguese Greek word that made it to the Americas. The natives in that valley had a catapult that they used in ceremonies. We're talking hundreds of years back. They shot fire rings to "the Unadilla" for his protection in sea battle because they had boats and were once sea farers . Those same Hobokens also roamed around the Binghampton/ Meadow Valley area but they tried hard to have permanent villages in the Unadilla Valley.
I HOPE IT'S JO JO KELLER
Is JO JO riding again?? I know a few years ago he started again but then did not hear much.
The actual race at Loretta's is a week long.MX Sports had to prepare for Loretta's you know.Soooo,I would imagine that it took at least a week to prepare for the race so that covers 2 weeks maybe more of the break Remember MX Sports does the AMA nationals.Can't be at two places at the same time..Idots I'm telling you.I mean Idiots.Hahahhahahahaha! Thats funny I don't care what you say.
That would be awesome! Riding a factory TwoTwo Motorsports Honda
Deano is going to go 1-1 and put all this "no overall" talk to rest and gets a stranglehold on the title. He's goin 1-1 at Pala too...
Looking for Reedy to be back up to speed. Dungey is a bad dude right now...
MOTO!!!
BillC I'm pretty sure JoJo is always riding. There is some hidden motox tracks in Plymouth MA. I found one it was a nasty sand track on the powerlines. that got closed down to anyone who couldn't ride from thier house.
PS Have at unadilla
Carlsbad LOL!!! that sounds right.
go dungey and bam-bam!!!
What he hell is a Portugese Greek word?
Portugal and Greece are pretty far apart.
Leave it to MXMOFO to just be an as$ instead of answering a guys question. Maybe he is new to the sport, its great to have new fans, its the only way this sport can grow. But he may not be a fan much longer if he thinks all fans are as$holes like MXMOFO was when he responded to vacation usa's questions. MXMOFO cant you just be normal and answer a question?? Tough guy behind a keyboard. What a jerkoff.
Mike LaRocco? Larry Ward???
Probably just J-Law...
The surprise entry is none other than... JASON LAWRENCE !! J-Law returns and is riding well.
I bet is Stewart to try to get on the Des Nations team again this year. I bet both ryans with baggett will be the international team this year! Dream team for sure
RV and Oscar-Meyer Weimmer should be able to bolt on the 2010 suspensions and roost everyone!!!!!! Jus sayin....
I remember when Ward Robinson (sp?) would just re-seed the track, and leave it till the next year. I'd love to see that with Unadilla again. Matterly Basin, where the 06 Des Nations was held, is having it's first race since then, for this years British GP. That's also the sort of track that would be great to see unplowed, as well..
The 11th thing we should all look out for is JS#7 sneekin in without payin. Damn, dat guy´s always trying to get a freebee.
Scott Sheak!! he's been racing a lot lately including Loretta's, and he is fast as ever.
My sources tell me it's JoJo Keller as the surprise rider this weekend. Remember, you heard it here first!
JO JO is riding ! I was riding vet practice at a recent Crow Hill NESC event and we caught some slower riders . I hear some SCREAMING going on behind me like the " Scream " character was sitting on someone's back fender and stabbing them in the back. I look to my inside to tuck in, as this screaming is like something i have never heard ! A KTM 350 blasts by and explodes a sand berm chasing Pat Barton....JO JO KELLER ! Add that to a long list of Jo Jo Keller stories !
The Other Side sucks ! As does all the SX bs that now liters the once beautiful UnaDilla facility !
Yeah Jo JO and Dowd going for it would be a time warp. where is "Back to the Future
' when you need it????