The List: FAILS of 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 | 5:05 PM
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Highlights are easy: It was the year of Ryan Villopoto, Team USA, Dean Wilson, American Motocross, packed SX houses, live TV, Ashley Fiolek.... But what about the lowlights? We left the big, sad tragedies out here. We also left the unfortunate decisions like the “Mini D” class at Loretta Lynn's out. Here are 10 FAILS for '11.
10. Dean Wilson at the Motocross of Nations: For the third straight year in a row, Deano got dealt a bad hand at the MXoN. In '09 while riding for Canada his team did not make the main in Italy. In '10 he got stuck in that spider netting that surrounded the track at Thunder Valley. And then this time he breaks his hand... So no one outside the AMA tour understands just how truly fast this kid is, because while he's the AMA Motocross Champion in the 250 class, he's yet to show his true speed at the MXoN. If they did, they might not be so quick to rate past world champs like Tyla Rattray, Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen ahead of him!
9. Tony Cairoli at the MXoN: Super Tony almost always finds kryptonite at the ‘Nations. Despite all of his success in the GP tour, one moto at the big season finale (or both, in the case of this year) always seems to throw him down hard, and the 2011 event was no exception, as he crashed about 300 feet into the race. When he’s on two wheels at this event, he’s battled with the likes of Villopoto, Dungey and Reed. But his overall results at the end of the day almost never show it.
It was another tough year at the MXoN for Cairoli and crew.
Photo: Ray Archer
8. The fastest man at Southwick: Okay, Mike Sotille wasn’t supposed to be the fastest in 450 qualifying at Southwick. It took a freak chain of events for it to happen—he’s a local who knows the track, his practice was first out when the track was smooth, and seconds after he logged his one glory lap, the rain came down and slowed everyone else. Then he finished 18-28 in the motos, well behind the big dogs that he out-paced in timed qualifying. Next year he’ll still be an unknown!
7. Josh Grant at Phoenix, then Red Bud: JG was pumped to be back on Honda, the brand that he built his career on. But he was rarely, actually, on the bike, with a knee injury served up by Jeff Alessi (and/or the universe) at the Phoenix SX, followed by the same injury in the other knee during his summer comeback. Now Grant’s off riding a different color again.
6. MotoConcepts’ French Connection: The Christophe Pourcel move really, really didn’t work out, as he made it to just a couple races for the team before ending it. And while new team manager David Vuillemin sure seemed to work hard, the team went in a new direction at the end of the season, and DV ended up one-and-done as the head man.
Pourcel signing with MotoConcepts never worked out.
Photo: Simon Cudby
5. KTM 350: It just hasn’t work out yet. At least, not here in the U.S. Andrew Short had a tough season on his bike, and while Mike Alessi didn’t light things up outdoors on a 450, either, well, he still chose not to race the 350. For the average guy, less displacement in the big-bike class could be more fun. But Shorty is far from average (and the works 350 that Tony Cairoli rides in anything-goes Europe is likely far from average too).
4. Travis at X Games: The worst part here was that Travis Pastrana actually walked away from his first failed attempt at his Rodeo 720 trick. But then like a bad movie ending, seconds later he remounted and tried again, crashing even harder, breaking his leg and ruining his entire debut season in NASCAR Nationwide. His stock car peeps over at Pastrana/Waltrip racing now know what it’s like be Roger DeCoster.
3. Ryan Villopoto at Jacksonville: Never before has a supercross points leader straight-up failed to qualify for a race without getting injured. But then again, never before has a rider failed to qualify for a race yet still come back to win a championship!
A devestating night for Villopoto in Jacksonville.
Photo: Garth Milan
2. James Stewart and the dirt: Too many gnarly soil samples here for JS7—Daytona, Jacksonville, Las Vegas… you get the idea. And the implosion of his L&M/San Manuel/JS7 team… Let’s just move on to 2012.
1. Women's Endurocross: Good for GNCC Women’s Champ Maria Forsberg, who won gold and stayed on two wheels the whole time. But this event wasn’t headlined by the winners—the mass chaos and carnage all around didn’t do much to sway opinion for the better for women’s racing in general. It was so bad that the best thing to come out of it was that Elizabeth Bash got a neck brace endorsement!
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what a shit show
What about Jessica $$$ Patterson? Won the most races, literally spanked all the women but did not get the title. Hope she has a better season this coming year!!!
Love to see the women duking it out on the track!!!
Wilson at the 2011 MXDN got his bike stuck under a wooden fence on a hill. This was not mentioned but was the main reason he lost out on so many points. Trying to rip a fence apart to get to your bike isn't easy in full mx kit nevermind when your wrist is broken!
The Women's Endurocross was a great idea, but poor execution. Those courses require a lot of technical skill and even though there are classes for Women in the Off-Road community, there is nothing to really prepare them for the reality of what Endurocross is. If you show up at an EX race for the Amateurs, watching them struggle gives you a good idea how tough this really was on the Pro Women of our sport.
Who wrote this article? And why are they bashing on Sotille so hard? I'm not a local from up there nor do i know the kid, but it think its low to drill the guy for where he qualified. Its not his fault the conditions played out how they did. He just went out and qualified the best he could. I think the only "fail" about that is him being in this article - after all what the kid did is a lot more than most can say.
You "failed" to mention Izzi! He was an epic failure. Especially after he made that vid saying he was going to make a comeback, and how serious he was. He was going to show all the "haters." ha ha
http://www.racerxonline.com/2011/04/02/racer-x-films-dallas---kyle-regal
How about L&M/ San Man/ JS7 Team sitting out the nationals and costing Kyle Regal a chance to ride a factory bike and wasting a year of his life? It would have been nice to see the #30 and the #7 haul ass in the outdoors on the Yamahas. Any bets for 2012??? Sooner or later Joe Gibbs will be removing his boot from JS7's ass. Let's hope he makes it to Hangtown!
I was glad Motoconcepts fired Pourcel and picked up some hardworking privateers who scored points regularly and/or finished near the top 10.
Here's my take:
Most of the failures as this article is called is mainly speculative. Everything happens for a reason. As for the comment for Stewart not racing outdoors, for the last time, it was not his choice on a team that was only in operation to race supercross. If he was on a team that was racing outdoors, he would have been there, period. As for him being a role model, he is NOT! He is a professional motocross racer who is also a human being. Noone is perfect! The only role models out there are parents and even they fail!
MWs02. I couldn't agree more. I DO live up here, and the kid went out when he was told to, rode hard, and turned the fastest lap. I guess that makes him a failure, or maybe writing that makes the auther if this article a looser. Yup, I think thats the ticket.
what about dungey at A2 when his chain came off. that cost him huge points and southwick. GO RV1
Dungey's bike should be on this list four times, and you completely ignored it. Those were easily 4 of the 10 biggest because each one could have changed a title in the end. To bash Sotille for his accomplishment is just disgusting, I don't care one bit about the circumstances. How many of us would love to be able to say we were first in qualifying for a 450 national? I for one sure would, and there is no way any kind of circumstances could make it any less sweet for me.
What about Marvin Musquin.We did get to see the real Marvin.
Number 12 Chad Reeds freaky crash ruined his killer outdoor season.
i dont no mike sotille from a hole in the ground but he was still faster than the trash that wrote this article at southwick in 2011
What planet is HJ on? JS7 and the team were supposed to ride the nationals this year. That's why Regal was signed! James said 100 times he was riding the 2011 nationals and and then backed out at the last minute.... Just like when he got his ass kicked at dilla in 2010 by Dungey and then Quit for the rest of the season. Oh, Monster cup of 2011????
I think you guys misread the part about Mike Sotille. He is a great kid (I met him at the race) and he's dad is an extremely nice man, no questions! The weird part was being fastest in practice by several seconds and then not being close to the times in the race. It was not his fault -- he was in the perfect place for all those things to come together. But the results in the afternoon were nowhere close to his showing in the morning. It's not a "fail" like the other ones listed here, so maybe it doesn't belong by comparison, though Jason Weigandt has huge respect for that kid and every other privateer out there. Sorry if this come off wrong...
DC
MX Sports
Whoops, sorry if this came off wrong.
DC
Great Job Sotille for qualifying 1st at Southwick. I agree with the others despite the apologies. His accomplishment should be on a success list, not a fail list.
I also agree with the comments regarding Dungey's bike and Stewarts interesting choice in Florida this year...:)
Gotta call BS on the whole "Pro Racer's are not role models" argument. They take huge paychecks to represent their employer and their sport, they grew up wanting fame and all that goes with it. One of the things that goes with it is kids looking up to you. If kids look up to you, you are a role model, like it or not. You don't have to try to be good at it, (lot's of parents don't try at all), but you can't say kids won't emulate what famous people do.
And I will call BS right back at you! Let's face it, there are many positions out there that kids are exposed to that they want to emulate! Either that be a doctor, a lawyer,a basketball player or even a professional racer. But being a kid myself once, I didnt want to be a Rick Johnson or a Bob Hannah! I wanted to be the best for myself! Even I had the sense at ten years old that these grown men were individuals who were not perfect by any means. None of us are! Even Charles Barkley, love him or hate him, stated the exact statement. He said he is not a role model. So you can say what you want but just stating a fact. Regardless of how kids look up to someone.
I'd love to FAIL at Southwick - what a dream track lap
JS has pussed out on numerous occasions and I am tired of people defending him saying he was sx only, blah, blah blah.... guys is paid to RACE and if I was a prospective sponsor, I would not even look in his direction. Hope all those band wagon Stewie fans finally seen his true colors last year and start rooting for the true hard working professional racers like RD, RV or a host of others who take their careers seriously and WANT to race! I cannot wait to hear the boos when SissyStweie is introduced.... Going to be fun at A1!
Elizabeth Bash bashed her head! lol
I would say there are things missing from this article, but I would also not like to bash on the professional level of MY sport. That line about "knowing what it's like for Roger DeCoster," ooh that was one of the best things I have read in a long time.....
Yes, A1 is going to be good. I got my ticket along with 5 others for my friends at the local Yamaha dealer. Support those that support the sport.
While Chad's big air crash over the summer was bad for his points chase, it was certainly good for the sport. I saw replays of the crash both on ESPN and on my local news sports report(socal).
When Mike Sotille, is a old man sitting on his porch, telling his grand kids how he blew away the field back in 2011, won't really be a lie ? Ya know, the older ya get, the faster ya were thing, will aplly here no doubt. WTG Mike. Hey we're talking about ya at least!
Then all the grand kids will want a new 2095 turbo Whiz Bang 975 w/ nitro.
Reed pulls anymore of those big air crash's, A depend sponsor on the 22 team truck, would not look outta place.
Maybe the REAL fail is a pro mx system that had qualifying races, but now takes the ability to do one fast lap decide gate position.
@ HJ. I wasn't trying to belittle what you said just throwing my opinion about the role model thing out there. It is interesting the 2 athletes you mention, it makes me think we must be close to the same age. I remember when Barkley made that comment, and thinking the same thing I do now, anyone who kids look up to is a role model. I know you say you didn't emulate what your hero's did but a lot of kids do. Let's face it, most parents aren't cool enough to have their kids want to be just like them. I was a Rick Johnson fan like you and I emulated some of the things he did. His bar and lever position, his gear, riding style, his never quit attitude, and especially his need to speak the truth. I picked up values from a lot of people other than my parents. Fortunately, I was always a fan of the good guys and never liked the ones with negative attitudes or bad behavior, but a lot of people gravitate towards those types (look at how many fans J-Law had). I'm not saying it's right, but if you're in the limelight, you are a role model to someone. Or you could be right, it's just my opinion. Anyway, have a good New Year, and let's hope the SX season is as good as last year.
Wow, folks are taking the Mike Sotille thing a little too far and personally I dont think its a fail of anykind and really shouldnt be on a list of "fails".... For one, the dude had the fastest lap time when the track was practically a freeway....yes the lap times count and it was impressive for the local boy who rides the track all the time to come out in B practice and top the overall timed leader board for practice , however when the track became the track it is known for (deep rutted rough and tuff southwick) .....the kid was quickly brought down to earth....I was suprised they made such a big deal about it in the first place.....oh well. Pourcel and MotoConcepts I think was the biggest fail.....that relationship lasted less time than the kardassholians....that was a water and oil mixture...a shame as well....
Stewart and Reed over the past few years have seemed to split the boo's at races....last year is a year I am sure JS7 will put behind him as did Reed with his 2010 Kawsaki "fail".....Booing riders is lame anyway....it isnt a frickin' WWF wrestling show....like the guys or not, they are all talented guys and deserve respect...some more than others, but it is what it is......Should be a great year and by mid season i think alot of boo's will be cheers....!
Here's the good news good or bad press for Mike Sotille. We are all talking about a local kid who put himself on the map by banging out a hot lap. At least he had the nerve to go out and race the big boy class!
I raced with his father Steve in the late 70's he was the first one the get the rm125 when they came out. He won the first moto and was leading the second moto with one or two laps to go and ran out of gas. As far as people go he was a class act all the time. Now we have a little family history lets see what happens next year.
Hopefully he can get to a few more big races.
Oh HJ...silly silly boy. While I understand and agree with your thoughts on who should function as role models, the truth is that there is a billion dollar industry that thinks you are freakin' idiot. I'll put it very simply- you ever heard of a "paid endorsement'? It's this thing where a company will pick someone from a certain sport or a celebrity, or someone like that, and then pay them a $hitload of cash to say they use the companies product. Now this is where it gets tricky- the company does that because it turns out that some people actually want to emulate the folks that excel in a particular field. Yep, strange...but it happens. Gosh, there is a whole line of basketball shoes (Air Jordan's), a kabillion NASCAR fans walking around with a "3" on something, and then in motocross companies even "sponsor" (same thing as a paid endorsement) the athletes because the fans want to be like the stars and use the same things that they use so they can be more like them. If motocross and every other professional sport operated on the premise that the stars are just people and no one should want to be like them, like you think it does, there would be no professional sports. Otherwise, how would those dudes get paid? James IS a role model- it comes with fame, and he knows it and accepts it every time he makes a bank deposit. That's the deal you make with the devil...you can deny it all you want but the marketing and advertising industry are calling you a big fat stupid.
Pointing out all these "fails" serves no one. Racing has a degree of luck both good and bad. If its failure you are looking for look no further than the loss of Josh L at Red Bud. AMA and MX sports have an obligation to our athletes, not much is done for the privateers and that needs to change.
It was a sad day at Red Bud. Conditions exist, be it pro or privateer. Conditioning, training, health, and luck. The 'Sandbox', way to go Sotille. Each event has a local who shows up and tries hard. Mike just made it worthwhile. Junk Yard Dog, the 'Ol Man' still is #16 for another year. See you all at the outdoor nationals.