450 Words: Dallas
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We expected this year’s Monster Energy Supercross chase to feature two battles—a crop of big names dueling up front, and a hungry chase pack fighting each other for top-five real estate while hoping to bridge the gap to the proven champions in the field.
That is exactly what has happened, although for 28-straight laps through San Diego and Dallas, Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed threatened to the turn the series into a two-man show. But Reed’s crash now leaves Villopoto with a solid advantage in points and momentum—and possibly speed—over everyone else. The lead pack is beginning to break apart: Trey Canard is out, Reed is out in California hoping he doesn’t get terrible injury news, James Stewart is struggling, and Ryan Dungey hasn’t seen the leaders for several weeks.
But that chase pack is going at it! Every week, the momentum shifts in that group. Justin Brayton had the best result at Anaheim 1, then Jake Weimer went a step further with a podium in Phoenix. Andrew Short has had a few good nights, Brett Metcalfe scored a fourth last week, and Kevin Windham is riding well as usual). Quietly, Josh Hansen is piecing together a solid season and has delivered back-to-back top fives. And this weekend in Dallas, another name jumped into the conversation in Mike Alessi. Alessi got another of his typical good starts, and he didn’t block or luck his way into a fourth-place finish. He just rode well.
Mike Alessi put his Suzuki, er, MotoConcepts 450, into the mix.
Cudby photo
“I feel like, for the first time ever, I’m racing supercross and not just riding it,” said Mike after the race. “I’m always trying to just survive supercross healthy to be ready for the outdoors, and then I end up crashing out of outdoors anyway. So I’m just going to hang it out in supercross, and if I crash out or get injured in supercross, at least I’ll know I gave it everything I had.”
Meanwhile Short was too beat up from his San Diego crash to compete in the night show in Dallas, and Brayton is still dealing with an leg injury from last week. While Villopoto has made the results at the front look the same for the last three weeks, the action behind him has been anything but predictable.
But the big question still remains: can anyone from that chase pack bridge the gap to get on the podium consistently, or even get a win? Once again, Weimer has come closest. He rebounded from a few rough weeks to put his Kawasaki on the box again at Dallas. He fought Dungey hard through the final two laps to try to hold onto second. But Dungey put another aggressive move on, and the contact busted Weimer’s shifter and left him powerless to fight back through the last few turns. Regardless, right now Weimer could be voted most likely to join the lead group. However, for most of the riders this year, momentum seems to only last for one week!
Of course, there is one rider in the pack can actually claim to have beaten anyone out there on the right night--K-Dub can never be counted out.
Cudby photo
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Hey Weedge, you commented on Mike Alessi and I too thought he rode one of his best races in years. Not exactly a fan of his but thought he a good job to cover 4th. Also lil Hanny did well too, these guys are creeping closer to the box each weekend.
@czmark - check this out
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2727317920100380284Rvpcmw
Never been a fan of the alessi clan. Still not. That said, 800 is clearly making strong efforts to raise his game and at their level, that commands some respect.
Hanny is a great surprise and I wish he would get some air time. Has great form and it would be good to see it.
Man, I hope CR is ok, but you got to believe that even if is is a no surgery injury it has to keep him from being at the top of his game for a week or two.
RV, oh yeah. what can you say.
Never been a fan of the alessi clan. Still not. That said, 800 is clearly making strong efforts to raise his game and at their level, that commands some respect.
Hanny is a great surprise and I wish he would get some air time. Has great form and it would be good to see it.
Man, I hope CR is ok, but you got to believe that even if is is a no surgery injury it has to keep him from being at the top of his game for a week or two.
RV, oh yeah. what can you say.
Haven't brought this up in some time, but................................................................
.............................................is Alessi still right where he was on the 350?
@CR500AF- sweet pics, thank you! I was out at Glen Helen last week for a vintage race and they had some clean CZs, Maico's, Husky's, even one really tricked out Hodaka. When I see some of these bikes, I have to pull a cover over my ugly duckling 71 CZ 380, but its getting there.
Reed threat is over, even if he can race, he'll not be up front; you saw his exit, we all know what that meant.
Dungey will rachet it up a bit given the series is 'coming to him' and a bit more effort will be necessary to have any chance of possibly pressuring RV into crashing out, his only chance, but a slim one. RV can count.
RV will not race Js for a win should they both be upfront, not worth it, he's too smart for that, and no need. He wants the championship and won't let his ego on a single race let him put his goal in jeopardy; this isn't JS, he's smart and focused on the prize and WILL let crazy balls go if he's in front of him. Too much danger trying to pass him, and then having that nut behind him....forget about it!
Whiner is the wild card but not too wild, still remembers his last injury when racing, and not much of a card, he's too far back to play much of a role in the title.
@B-KR, maybe! It didn't seem like Alessi rode backwards as far a he normally does. Mikey tends to fade and give up a lot of places, but I think he held his own this last weekend. Like they say "Even the Sun Shines on a Dogs Ass once in the while". So some credit is due for his efforts.
I hate that Reed may be out or at least hindered. I like RV but want someone to make a race of it. Reed seemed to be the one capable of doing that. Now who? Dungey with a start? Stewart with a start and no crashes? K-Dub on a special night(the 200th)? Right now, I see no one derailing this RV2 train on a consistent basis other than Villopoto himself or plain ol' bad luck. Both can happen. It is a long season.
@TheChosen1- a Cadillac would be a good fit for Bubbles, being that it has four wheels, maybe he won't fall over anymore.
you should be trash talkin reed or canard they are both out js is not to bad obut morris canard took him out he should have pulled over. god should have told him that
P.S. I can't help but think everytime KW does that transfer that it will be the genesis of one of the most tragic events in SX history; sorry but I feel it every time he does it, and for what, a little applause?.
Tracks I understand where your coming from, but K-Dubs a professional and if he thought one of the transfers he comes up with is too far fetched he won't go for it. He's obviously getting closer and closer to the edge but like I said he'll be smart about it and make sure what he does he is capable of.
Hope you're right. His crash last year in Houston while leading sent a chill down our spines till he got up.
I can't argue with you there, to see KW go down is so rare.
Big RV fan.But,think Reed had him covered before his crash.Sucks to have one more guy out.Really liking Hansen right now.he is keeping his mouth shut,and just putting in solid rides.Sweet! Never liked him before,but actually hopes he gets a podium.
check this out some funny stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4eNtt2MTE
@tompound
That is some funny stuff!! I usually hate the youtube spoofs but I couldn't help but laugh hard on that one.
Still so bummed about REEDY going down. DAMN he was hauling!!!!!
Reed Needs to Find J-law & have Dave get him on the Honda
Did anyone hear RD5 interview when he said he felt like a balloon ready to pop!!!! LMFAO!! Sucks that reedy got hurt he was the only one putting it to RV. JS7 something is really going on besides the bike. He has no urgency whatsoever to get on the bike at all. Its oh well im gonna chill on here and settle for this and get my money until Yamaha fixes this Blue turd. Seriously most weekends its only 2 yamahas(JS&millsaps;) and 3 including Izzi if lucky that make the main event. That says a lot about the bike. Most privateers are on green and red
I think Js7 will figure it out but by the time they do, it will be too late and Rv will be laughing all the way to the bank. RV could just sit back and say he let JS win anyways bcoz Js isnt in the points
in Dungey we trust.
Dunge will continue to be just mediocre and hope for an injury to Villopoto.
That's his strategy. Hope for injuries.
You can't blame him though. Looking back, this is where all of his success comes from each and every season. He stays healthy, rides just slower than the best, but faster than the rest, and waits for the best to push it a little too hard.
It's a solid strategy, but it won't ever make me a fan.
I just can't figure JS out.. In the main, he hits DV, and stalls his bike ?? WTF?? Then, like RC sdaid, he didn't even have a sense of urgency to get it started again.. I just don't understand. It almost seems like he knew he could not keep up with Reed and RV, so he's creating an excuse as to why he got beat.. It seems a little fishy to me....
Spottedmarley.........wow that's some assessment. Did you think that up on your own? I guess the other 18 riders that make the main are pieces of shit too!
Reed was dialed in at Dallas, to bad he had to go down because that was shaping up to be a heck of a finish. Stewart just looks lost out there!
I meant he hits DM
way to go rv..sorry to see chad go down,the last few weeks he is the 1 pushing the front..now time will tell if js7 will get up there and dungey i just dont see him pushing rv he looks as uncomfortable as js7..rd needs everyone to get bad start or crash simple..those suzuki years will be his best unless rv gets hurt......period.....and bogle needs to grow up along with the whole lites class..almost reminds of c class ..malcolm too hold your line for petesake..........
The way things are going RV could have a dnf and still win the title, he is 13 up on RD and if he won 4 more that is 25 points to cover the dnf. There are no excuses about bikes, Ifs, buts, and maybes. By now even the competitors know they cannot beat RV but they will continue to try. Windham said that RV is the fastest in corners he has ever seen. Now if you can prove you know more about racing then him I will honor your assessments.
I liked how Stewart tried to blame Millsaps for stalling his bike out. Sure, it was unfortunate that Davi went down right in front of him but he did not cause him to stall his bike. Come on dude you are a professional, you gotta twist that thing on the right before you let go of the thing on the left...
Totally bummed about Reed going down. I hope this isn't the wreck that takes the wind out of his sails like in the outdoors.
RD is mediocre? 1st year on a new bike, one win and 2nd in championship points. I dream of being that mediocre!!!!! If anything happened to RV (which I hope will not) and RD were to get the title, people still would not give him credit, because everyone else crashed out! You have to be there the whole season to win. If you crash out., you lose!!!!!!!
Stewie acts like he doesnt have that fire anymore. He finished 4th last year and had that desire. And he is in 4th again. He might luck into a podium finish for the season now that Reed wadded it up. But Stewie is the type that if he doesnt feel he can win, he isnt going to be there. He just isnt handling the fact that there is a few guys faster than him now. Dont forget, RC retired at Stewies age.
Guys need to back off of Dungey because he isnt winning. NOBODY is winning exept RV1, and people want to make excuses for Stewie, but none for Dungey. Dungey is the one on a new ride..
Odd things is with Reed, Last year outdoors before he played SuperMan he said he will not let RV holeshot and run away like he does when he gets a holeshot....Then the SuperMan.....This past week he talked it up about how anything goes and he will push to win and what happens... he wads up again. Both times the consitent Reed steps out of his zone he got bit. Sorry to see it the race could have been very good. RV is so strong he just needs to stay healthy and its a repete. He really has no worries other than that unless RD really picks up the pace but I don't see that. RD will be up there like always but RV has that speed in his back pocket if he needs it.
PS. My Guess is an ACL for Reed. IF so could this be it for Reed?? Will he put someone on his bike??
Watching the Reed crash in slow-mo, I agree he likely tore up his knee. Looked like his boot was somehow caught on the footpeg or frame and his leg definitely bent in ways it should not have. If CR22 is out for the year, and the rumors are true that Cole Seeley will be on the TC41 machine, I think 22 Motosports should give Gavin Faith a shot. For a guy who only raced his first SX a few weeks ago in the Lites, he has come a long ways and with full backing I think he will continue to progress.
Finally, to the Dungey haters - his entire career has been based on consistency and riding his own race. I would say the same thing about Reed, except that BillC is correct, every now and then Chad lets his emotions and desires exceed his ability and has a big crash. He did it against RC, JS, and now RV. It is much less likely that Dungey fall prey to this, he is just too calculated in his racing. He'll still be within shouting distance with 3 rounds to go, and despite the incredible speed and consistency shown by RV so far I think he is also prone to throwing a race away and could have that night where he scores 5 or less points. And that's all RD5 needs to get "in". The X-factor is this series is now JS7, if he gets it going and really pushes RV then chances are higher for RV to have a bad race due to a crash or takeout.
Dungey mediocre! You've got to be kidding?? You must have missed Southwick!
Billc, I am a RV fan but sat night it looked to me RV was making more mistakes then Reed, until the crash and that looked like he spun going off the jump face. I guess my point is he was riding relly well but didn't look out of control at all. It is funny to see him step it up when JS passes him, almost like a light switch
Bd200: I agree with everything you said. It seems most people who post here are either completely bias and follow only their own favorite riders situation or they have only been following the sport for 2 or 3 years. Some are in both categories. I pull for Dungey big time-hands down. I like and respect RV. I have warmed up to CR22 the last 3 or 4 years after rooting for anybody but Reed when he was racing my favorite of all time, RC4. I do not like Stewart at all-mainly because of the arrogance of the "Bubba's World, Stewart Machine he and his handlers created that tried to make him MUCH better than everyone past and present. BUT I can be reasonable about the whole thing. RV and his team have been together for a long time now and they are simply the best right now. CR22, in only his 2nd year with this bike/team is not far behind. Stewart has been challenged by the top guys(esp Reed) the last few years and can't rely on pure talent and speed anymore and he has been cracking.Great point about the GOAT retiring at his age. RD5, as you said, is on a brand new bike/team. Last year's Bike/team were a lot different and not nearly as good as the 2010 one. We all know the problems they had last year when Suzuki let Decoster go. Dungey had everything in place in 2010 and he rode his best. Dungey will be fine going forward.
My point: People please quit declaring this one the best or that one washed up from week to week. Sit back, enjoy and learn form all the teams, riders and SOME of the talking heads. There is a reason RV is the best right now and it's not because he has "tiger blood" that he is "WINNING"!!
I think any comments about Dungey are based on the idea that most asked before the season started....."He's gonna ride a KTM?" At that point some thought he would struggle to be up there with RV, while others said no way he'll be right there, and the KTM will be better than the Suzuki. Now there is a lot of talk about it being first year on a new bike, still working on setup, they'll come around, etc. Well that is what some of us were saying before, that it will take time....maybe a LONG time. It took RV all year last year to setup the KX and they still never got there, the switch to the 2012 made the difference.....and that is a basic design that has been around for years. I doubt Dungey thought he would still be struggling with bike setup at this point. I think the proof will come out in the MX series, where trying to go with RV is going to be tough on a new bike that is still in the teething stages. We know he was able to run RV's pace last year, so if he can't this year we will know some of it is bike......and the rest of it will be RV.
The series is far from decided. It is a shame when we lose competitors due to attrition.
RV has done an outstanding job so far. He has earned it. What I root for is the nail biting cliffhangers after each stop in the series. Locking up the championship before the Vegas round is good for the victor but not for the majority of fans. I never want to see things go the way they have for ET, but it has breathed life back into the West lite series. All things will end and whether your favorite takes it or not is not as important to me as the wild ride it can be when all the riders have left nothing on the table.
The 250 East was stellar entertainment. Nothing like having human emotions on display for all to witness. I have not understood political correctness from the time I first heard that statement.
Policy of Truth Depeche Mode
From chad reed's twitter page: Reed ruled out of AMA SX remainder, aims for outdoor return - official update with quotes from @CRtwotwo http://www.motoonline.com.au/2012/02/21/reed-ruled-out-of-ama-sx-remainder-aims-for-outdoor-return/#.T0LPNy55Jcg.twitter
Crutches + broken ribs = #Hell not a lot of moving around from me