The List: Steel City Showdowns
Thursday, September 1, 2011 | 4:30 PM
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Print8. 2007, 450 Class: James Stewart crashed out of the series and Ricky Carmichael retired at Millville—someone else was going to win the AMA Motocross Championship. Steel City was the first race without either Stewart or RC on the entry list, and Tim Ferry, Andrew Short, Grant Langston and Mike Alessi were all close in points. Langston pulled out a clutch win--literally beating Alessi in the second moto by a few feet. He seized the momentum and went on to capture the title two rounds later.
7. 1994, 125 Class: Doug Henry pretty much had the 125 National title locked by the finale, but that didn't stop the drama. Ryan Hughes felt he owed Doug one after getting taken out at Washougal, so he rammed Henry. They went down, and came up fighting. Classic stuff between two of the all-time kings of heart and desire.
Canard took the pivotal win in 2010.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
6. 2009, 250 Class: Christophe Pourcel lost his points lead after a DNF at Southwick, so Ryan Dungey just needed to ride cool and calm to win the crown. Pourcel did what he could to rattle him, getting in front and then riding slow in both motos, purposely trying to get Dungey to race him and bait him into a mistake. Dungey didn't budge; he took second, and claimed the title.
5. 2010, 250 Class: This wasn't even the finale, but it was pivotal. Trey Canard kept closing the gap on Christophe Pourcel, but he needed a 1-1 to get within striking distance for the Pala finale. And he and Pourcel waged two epic battles, wheel to wheel in both motos, with Canard making the pass and getting the nod each time. Turns out he didn't need max points, since Pourcel crashed out the next weekend, but at the time, this was as clutch as it gets.
Ryan Hughes never gave up in 1995.
4. 2000, 125 Class: A very underrated finale. Stephane Roncada owned the class for most of the summer, but a knee injury and a surging Travis Pastrana drew the points close for the final round. Pastrana needed to go 1-1 to win the crown, and he won moto one easily. In moto two, he grabbed the holeshot with Roncada right behind him, the perfect one-on-one battle. And Travis rose to the occasion, pulling away to grab the points lead and title in the final moto. Yes, Travis used to be that solid in motocross.
3. 1995, 125 Class: This one is legend. Ryan Hughes and Steve Lamson were fighting over the 125 title with Lamson mounting a furious comeback after a knee injury early in the season. But Hughes won the first-moto showdown at Steel City, setting up a winner-take-all final moto of the season. Lamson got the early lead and Hughes moved to second with ground to make up. He tried everything, but Lamson's lead wouldn't budge. Hughes hung it out harder, pushed further, and finally went so hard that his chain broke on the last lap. Lamson crossed the finish with a clutch moto win and his first AMA title. Hughes pushed his bike uphill to the finish, beaten, but not defeated.
Grant Langston pulled out a clutch win at Steel City in 2007.
Photo: Matt Ware
2. 2001, 125 Class: Hard not to give this one the top spot on The List. Grant Langston and Mike Brown had literally chased each other around the world in pursuit of 125 titles, and it came down to Steel City. Crazier yet, Ricky Carmichael dropped into the class that day to get one more win and break the all-time 125-career win record. All hell broke loose. Brown won moto one over Langston and flipped him off at the finish. RC started last and got to third. Then RC checked out in moto two, Brown fell, and Langston had the title in hand. Until his rear wheel broke. He DNFed, Brown moved forward and stole the title, Langston and KTM were crushed, RC got the overall win and the record, tears were shed, hearts were broken....you get the idea.
1. 1996, 250 Class: One fan walked into Steel City in 1996 with a banner that said it all. The banner read, "#1 versus #2. It doesn't get any better than this." It was true. Jeremy McGrath, the defending AMA 250 MX Champion, dominated the early part of the MX tour, but Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, #2, surged through the second half, and when McGrath injured his foot at Millville, Emig picked up a ton of points. MC healed up and beat Emig 1-1 at the penultimate round in Binghamton, NY, leaving him just two points down (and with a ton of confidence) heading into the Steel City finale. Emig grabbed the first moto holeshot, McGrath made a pass, and then Emig passed him right back and logged thirty minutes of flawless riding, holding MC off for the win. In moto two, Emig holeshot and checked out, while McGrath got a bad start and was never able to challenge. This one came down to a winner-take-all championship showdown between two rivals. It doesn't get any better than that.
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WOW!! awesome article. i,m gonna make that same sign and take it to Pala!! #1 vs #2! yeeeeeeah buddy!
Now that is a track!!! love the artical header shot.....What is that green blur I see on the track ....Oh, its RV2......lets do this !!!
Enough of Racer X and MX Sports kissing Emig's ass already. In every broadcast he's in and every article he writes, he boasts about himself. We don't need someone else doing it for him.
Not gonna make it hime in time for Steel City......awesome pic of the track. It is probably the best track as far as a fans view is concerned
You know, I didn;t read this story because of the damn pop up. I'm leaving, hello Transworld I'm coming over.
Awesome article, that has to be the best 'The List' yet!
the 2001 125 race should be number one. That was the best battling that class has seen in a long time. I remember mike brown saying and crying on the podium, "I wish my mom and dad were here to see this." I got a little choked up. He deserved that championship more than anybody.
We are already here looking for articles to read. Covering 20% of the page that is not already advertisement. Why not make 40% ? DumB is what DumB does.
Did Hughes owe Henry's dad money too? Did Hughes ask Henry "what's you're problem, Dude?"
it doesnt look like the new popup thing is paid advertising- so no money for racerx, so WHY? delete/FAIL, get rid of it.
scroll up and down its only in conversation, GO yankees
none of you will ever go over to transworld (only mabye when you read all the new racing content or watched all the vids on here you'll go have a look) but racer x is the best hands down. But this pop up at the bottom of the page sucks!!
If your talking about the "You might like" pop up... You guys look way too hard for something to b!tch about. Have fun using TW exclusively. You'll be back in a week. TW puts out 2 vids after each race, and thats about all that place has worth checking out.
P.S. Monday kickstart is alright too I guess.
Trend Killer knows what's up!
This year is RV2011!!!
Don't forget the Pit Pass and Pin-up vids....they're not too bad either
Great write up. Remember being bummed that I couldn't get there in '96. Saw MC handle Emig at Broome and you could tell the final was going to be classic.
Too bad the current series doesn't wrap at a real mx track like Steel City. It is an absolute shame that the final is on a pos, soul less, outdoor SX track like Pala.
Get rid of the pop-up
good article if it wern't for the bs pop ups, the guy that thought them up needs to die in a fire...
Pop up makes it so I can only read a small section of the story at a time on my smaller laptop screen... so annoying. Please remove!
in 2001 I wasn't a big fan of Langston but after the race I was. He had it in the bag until his wheel came apart. After all the crap with Brown in the 1st moto. Langston still had the class to go up to Brownie and congratulate him. LLCoolG fan for life!
I was in 10th grade in 96, and a friend at school asked me if I wanted to go to the Steel City National. I loved motocross, I remember Brock Sellards was the sh@* back then... where we we're from at least. Anyway, I was standing on the hill near the finish line where the Parts Unlimited tent was set up. At the end of the second moto Emig crosses the finish line, rides up the hill and comes to a stop right at my feet...! Photographers and media people swarmed around us, Emig takes his helmet off, launches his goggles, and then hands me his black Shift gloves! I ended up giving them to my friends dad because he bought me lunch and gave me the ticket for free. I wonder if he still has those beauty's?
Great memories and a great track.There is alot of talk about spreading the nationals mainly to the south.All the current and former tracks are great but there are other worthy tracks.I think they should have 15 national tracks,but still a 12 round series.Rotate 3 tracks out each year and move it around.Each track would miss a race every 5 years.I know this will break some tradition but it could work.
Great article. Now get rid of this F'ing pop up, its terrible!
To start I love the site and I support all parts of Racer, you guys are have kept MX alive in the states. That said I got a serious complaint, your "You might like this" pop-up has got to go, please! It is just pointless and completely in the way. We know what we like and we do not need to be told what we might like. Please take that thing away. Besides that great stuff thanks for help keeping MX and SX big as it is. See you on Saturday and lets hope 37 can hold on till the end, the place would be insane. Almost as insane as the old Saturday night parties, owe how I miss the 90's.
Also, everyone who posts can we please clean up the language on here, and putting an * instead of a letter doesn't help. Anyone who uses that type of language can ruin there argument, even a good one, by putting a swear or something else inapropriate in there comment. Not to mention we might lose this great forum for exchanging ideas if it doesnt clean up. I know I sound like a prude but there is a time and place and I bet you don't want you daughter, mother or grandmother reading that garbage. Keep in classy MXer's. This can not be said enough.
Hey Spoon Man, and if you read this you know who you are, answer this if your still following the sport. It's your old roommate from the ranch, you, my dad and I. You taught me all your tricks but I'm betting your out their, let me know it's been to long.
2011- Dungey and Poto destroyed on the track by pop ups! News at 11:00 p.m.,
Pop ups take the title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey Davey are you having fun with this?
I heard the Pop-Up idea was PINGS,............. figures.
Please remove the new popup thing at the bottom of the page. It's very annoying.
I enjoy Racer X's content 99% of the time, but I agree w/ everyone else on here, the pop up's suck.
2010--Canard and Pourcel battling was great, with Canard taking it with a 1-1, it was a great season for Trey, coming back from so far down on points.
Please keep the pop ups. I love them. Also I have alopecia and all my hair fell out. I kind of like that too. Lets see what else, I like peanut butter, holiday weekends, Honda's, and girls. And pop ups. I dont see what the big deal is. Just keep them.
I dig RacerX, but the pop-up is a dud... Please pop the pop-up's bubble.
Thanks in advance...
Steel City baby! Can't wait!
Hughes' push to the line should've been #1 but, I'm biased...........Someone says "Steel City" around here and we immediately conjure images of Ryno pushing that chainless wonder. I'd wager that was a heck of a black eye for RK chain, probably sold a lot of D.I.D. chain that next year.
While not really a points showdown, the "smackdown" on the track in '94 was epic. I was thinking "Knock him out and take the win and points Hughes". Truth be told, it was a pretty low point for our sport but, still EPIC!!!
Also, a big thank you for your immediate response to popular opinion and dumping the pop-up. Way to serve your customer base. If only it were that way throughout the world.........sigh.
how about 1992 when Larocco Had his carb boot fall off and handing the cship to emig? The same year Mike Healey went 4-1 for second overall on a worn out practice bike pitting out of a Ford Aerostar he drove from California? Holding off Emig, Hughes,L. Ward, Dubach and Henry for the win.
Guys, for the POP UPS> Go to View-Refresh. It eliminated the popups. It was posted on another writeup on here.
Report someguy wrote: about 4 minutes ago
The fly-in is gone, guys. If you're still seeing it, hard refresh your browser. Sorry for the annoyance!
By RacerX Bryan Stealey
It's in the Ask Ping! thread
I remember watching the steel city race on tv when browney won the championship and RC made that one race attack to get the record book win.
lesson #1 ..kawasaki is a bike that is made from balsa wood..pile of stoolie..get a Honda or yamaha..dean wilson is gonna crash out this weekend..