by Davey Coombs
Racerhead #8
Friday, February 24, 2012 | 6:50 PMHonda is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, and the undisputed leader in motorcycle technology. More motocross riders have won titles on Hondas than on any other bike. When you’re serious about winning, Honda is the machine for you.
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Welcome to Racerhead. Been a long and busy week here as Monster Energy AMA Supercross heads to the East Coast just as our local racing season starts ramping up. Tomorrow's Atlanta Supercross will air live on SPEED beginning at 7:30 p.m. (ET). The race will no doubt be very close to sold out, and it's always a big one for the riders—who doesn't want to win a race in front of 65,000 fans?
Unfortunately, Chad Reed will be watching. Along with pretty much the rest of the supercross world, I was bummed to see #22's horrific crash at Dallas last Saturday night. It reminded me of what happened to him at the Spring Creek National last summer, only this time he didn't get back up. You know the initial damage—broken leg, torn ACL, fractured ribs—but the big-picture damage can't be measured yet. His departure was a game-changer for the drama of this series, as if the air were deflating the longer he sat on the Asterisk Mobile Medics' Mule. Will he be back by the end of the series? Will he be back for the start of the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship? And will someone like Ryan Dungey, James Stewart, or Kevin Windham be able to step back up and fill the void he's left as the lead pursuit of the streaking Ryan Villopoto? That's the unknown here. No matter, here's a get-well-soon to Chad and his whole team.
Here's a preview of what lies ahead in Atlanta.
Photo: DMXS
I will let the other guys get into more of what's going on in Atlanta, but I want to address something that happened in Dallas. Weston Peick definitely got the short end of the stick last Saturday night, the stick being the one that the checkered flag is stapled to and the finish-line flagman waves to end races. And that was half a second after he got the better end of another stick: the PVC pipe that runs cable through the base of the finish-line jump for transponder scoring. Peick was .002 seconds ahead of fellow privateer Gavin Faith when they went past the first stick (the pipe) but, according to the flagman (second stick) and the manual-scoring officials at the actual finish line—the peak of the jump—Faith was in front as they crossed the peak of the jump and took the checkered flag. The scoring tree showed Peick in second place, as it goes by the transponder signal, but the officials and scorers got together, went over their perspectives, and decided to change the results to say Faith crossed the actual finish line as the second and final transfer for the main event.
Confused? So was pretty much everyone else. The flagman and manual-scoring officials do not go by the timing loop—they are at an angle above it—so they do go by what they see at the top of the jump. And the transponder counter itself is not at the very peak of the jump because the bikes used to cut a rut down to it. So there's an inconsistency that caused the chaos and some real criticism of the whole system. (We had a similar dilemma at Steel City two years ago, but it was before the actual race that we realized the problem, so John Ayers and Marc Peters worked well into the night to dig up the timing loop, which was maybe 20 feet before the actual finish line, and get it within a couple of feet of the peak of the jump.)
Another shot of the track from the guys at DMXS.
Photo: DMXS
I am sure this has be discussed at length by everyone from Mr. Peick to Mr. Feld, as well as all of the AMA and FIM race officials, who took a collective ass-whipping this week over the snafu, and understandably so. But it should be pointed out that it had nothing to do with the riders involved or who they were (and weren't) riding for, as some in the blogosphere have been shouting. Gavin Faith was not riding for GEICO Honda; he was pitted out of a van in Dallas, not the big rig, as his days as a full-in rider had ended. He was as much a privateer as anyone out there. As for Weston, he is a hard worker and a good rider, but the breaks never seem to go his way. The scorers down there wouldn't know either of these guys off their motorcycles, and they don't care who they ride for. (For Gavin Faith's take on the situation, check out Haley's interview with him right here.)
The scoring officials were in a tough spot, and the riders were in a tough spot, but there was an easy fix, in my opinion: Why not just send both to the main event? There are 22 gates down there (two are for backup). It was a finish that could have gone either way, in a race for last-chance qualifier, so why not give the guys the same score—second place—and put them both in the main event? Just think: If Weston Peick was also out there, he might have saved Mike Alessi $500 because #800 might not have been able to angle his bike on the far outside, which is a no-no in the rulebook, but obviously quite effective!
Another view of the track.
Photo: Dave Prater
Okay, off my soapbox. Let me turn it over here to Jason Weigandt.
First of all, if you’re even thinking about thinking about the Atlanta supercross, you need to watch the 1990 Atlanta race. It’s required.
I’ll argue with anyone that this race was the best SX ever, and I will not lose that argument. There are probably 100,000 people claiming to have seen that race in person, but in reality very few were really there. Back then, the Atlanta SX wasn’t a big race on the schedule. The old roofless Fulton County Stadium and February race date were a bad mix, as this race was usually super cold and often a full-on mudder. It was never nice! Moving to the new Georgia Dome in 1992 fixed that problem, and that coincided with the sport’s tremendous growth in the Southeast. By the early 2000s, Atlanta was drawing the largest crowd of the season, and that will probably be the case again tomorrow.
All of that leads many to think the Southeast is a hotbed for SX. The Jacksonville, Florida, SX was supposed to capitalize on that crowd but didn’t. And unfortunately, other venues in the Southeast, like Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte, don’t work for supercross (there’s basically no place for parking and pits at that stadium. We’re lucky the Georgia Dome is attached to the massive Georgia World Congress Center, which offers indoor pitting).
The guys at Monster Energy Kawasaki getting RV's bike ready for tomorrow.
Photo: Carl Stone
However, I think the big crowd in Atlanta is misleading. It’s not just southerners in that crowd! At this race, I run into motocrossers, GNCCers, and heck, even ATV riders and old friends from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. This race has become a destination event, a fun road trip to get out of the frozen winter at home and catch a race in person after watching all the California events on TV. Similarly, the Indianapolis race has grown tremendously as well, and that’s because it’s about as close as it gets for fans in the Northeast (except for Toronto, which more people should go to—it's a cool event and a great city).
You’ve got cool side events in Atlanta as well, like tonight’s DMXS Radio party at Tounge & Groove downtown And the 9th annual DMXS Ride4AT charity event on Sunday.
Just want to mention a few cool stories we posted this week. We interviewed Cole Seely about his jump to a 450, we talked to Ryan Dungey about his season so far on his new bike (and got The Dunge to open up a little more than usual), and chatted with Gavin Faith about that whole LCQ deal. I uncovered some cool stats for Kevin Windham’s 200th SX in Bench Racing Ammo. How many races does K-Dub need to get the all-time starts record? Check it out.
And don’t forget our Dallas post-race interviews in Open Mic part 1 and part 2.
We’ve been cramming a lot of stuff onto this site every week, and I don’t want you to miss anything. See everyone this weekend at the ATL SX, where strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.
A look inside Monster Energy Kawasaki.
Photo: Carl Stone
Here's Ping, who did a little testing this week...
This week the Racer X crew got to ride the bike built for Ryan Dungey: KTM's 450 SX-F Factory Edition. KTM only built the minimum numbers of bikes required (400) to meet the AMA's homologation rules. Right now they only have eight of the bikes allotted for race-team use, which isn't that many when you are continuously testing a developing a brand new motorcycle and supporting one of the best riders in the world. There are only a couple designated for media right now and we met KTM's Tom Moen at Cahuilla Creek Raceway for a turn on one of them.
The first thing you notice is that this really looks like a race bike right out of the box. It comes with a gripper seat, Red Bull graphics, orange frame, black Renthal 996 Fatbars (a new bend for the Fatbar), a #5 on the number plates, black rims, and an orange Renthal sprocket among other things. The bike was supposed to come with an Akropovic exhaust but they didn't have them into production in time. It’s a good-looking bike.
Ping testing the KTM's 450 SX-F Factory Edition.
Photo: Matty Fran
The next thing you notice before you even click the bike in gear is the throttle response. I know some elderly trail riders will argue that a carburetor works as well as EFI, but that just isn't true. The bogs and slight hesitation between the throttle and the real wheel, traits of the previous KTM 450, are long gone. The motor makes great power from down low to way up top. The engineers spent a great deal of time designing this motor and reducing the gyroscopic effect created from spinning parts. Their efforts are noticeable as soon as you lay into your first turn on the track. This bike is agile and responsive, and its predecessor was neither. The handling was surprisingly good. The shock was predictable and stable and the front, while it was a little stiff for me, didn't have the nervous, over-weighted feeling that the original 2012 SX-F had.
The price tag for one of these beauties is almost $10,000. Despite the steep cost, the Factory Edition bikes are already sold out to dealers around the country. So, what happens next year? According to Moen, the 2013 KTM 450 SX-F will be a refined version of this motorcycle but will no longer be called a Factory Edition. That means the orange frame goes away, as do the Red Bull graphics. Either way, KTM has made a huge leap forward in competitiveness with this motorcycle, and it is showing in Ryan Dungey's results. And it will show in the results of anyone who buys one of these bikes also. Well, maybe not. Go to www.ktmusa.com for more information about all of KTM's models.
Check out the video we made from our day at Cahuilla Creek right here.
Another look at KTM's 450 SX-F Factory Edition.
Photo: Matty Fran
Here's Steve Matthes:
If there was ever a time for Dungey and/or Stewart to step up and try to get with Ryan Villopoto, it's right here. It’s like a home race for the Tallahassee-based Dungey, as well as close to Orlando where Stewart lives. Both riders ride every single day on the red clay that the Atlanta track is made of, and familiarity with the soil leans towards those guys having somewhat of an advantage.
Generally speaking, the Atlanta track has been harder-packed and more slippery than it used it be because of the heaters that get turned on while the track is being built. Back when I first went there and raced amateur day (it was the morning of the Atlanta Supercross—that’s how much things have changed!) in 1989 (Jeff Stanton’s first career win by the way when Rick Johnson fell with a couple of laps remaining), it was very soft and rutty and continued that way for years. But in the last five or six, it’s been more like a Phoenix than an Indianapolis, if that makes any sense. This year we could be in for a change, though, as BTOSports.com rider Jimmy Albertson did press day there and tweeted that it was tacky and more old-school. So I guess we’ll see.
Supercross.com Honda’s Andrew Short is definitely going to miss Atlanta and probably a race or two more as he tries to heal up from a shoulder injury. If the R&R doesn’t go well, it’s surgery and a huge chunk of time missed by the #29.
Short is expected to miss the next couple of rounds with a shoulder injury.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Between Short, Honda’s Justin Brayton (who’s not riding during the week trying to recover from his San Diego crash), Trey Canard, and now Chad Reed, Honda’s hopes for wins and podiums has taken a blow, big-time. We were touting the Red Riders as having too many fast guys before the season and here we are, not even halfway through the circuit, and Honda’s filling in. TLD Honda’s Cole Seely will step in for the next few races, and the word is after that it will be Wil Hahn on the big 450 until the West Region Lites picks up. The real question is who’s going to be on the bike for outdoors? Honda would probably like a full-time guy for all twelve rounds and not be jumping around, so this should be interesting to see who they pick. The obvious pick is Justin Barcia again, but there’s a sense in the GEICO Honda camp that Justin, working with Jeff Stanton and maturing, could really be focused on an outdoor title this year. Barcia knows it’s his last chance at it before he moves up to 450 full-time.
One more note about Honda in the Lites class. Phil Nicoletti. Fifth? Yes! In case you missed it, Aaron Hansel interviewed Eleven10 Mods’ Nicoletti earlier in the week for our Shoei Privateer Profile. Turns out Nicoletti was planning on racing in Australia again this year but ended up getting himself banned from the country for three years. At the very last second he picked up a ride with Eleven10 Mods—Chad Sanner's privateer speed shop that helped get Darryn Durham where he is today—and with minimal time on the bike, pulled out a career-best finish in Dallas.
Thanks for coming, don’t forget to check out Pulpmx.com once you’ve read every single thing on Racer X, and remember, kids, cheaters never prosper.
GEICO Honda getting ready for Atlanta.
Photo: Carl Stone
Okay, some random things to close out the week...
Sign of the Times: Shaun Martin sent us word yesterday that Honda of Houston was parking its amateur support rig indefinitely. The Texas shop has been a huge contributor to amateur motocross over the years. Here's hoping that their hiatus is brief. Click here for full PR.
Old friends Chad Reed and Sweet, Sweet Lou Lopez at the Indy Show.
Photo: DC
Also, JT Racing was at the Dealernews Trade Show last week, but the day after the show ended, a press release from CEO David Dray came out that explained that he is no longer with the company. Dray resigned and is being replaced by Gene Gershman, who was acting as president.
The new JT Racing is in flux right now.
Photo: DC
The big international preseason races are underway in Europe. Tony Cairoli won in Mantova, Italy, as expected, and some of his primary rivals for the MX1 FIM World Championship this year—Clement DeSalle, Gautier Paulin, and Stephen Frossard—led the way in Vallence, France.
It was at the race in France that Antoine Meo, a motocross prospect-turned-multi-time world enduro champion, rode a KTM 125cc two-stroke to ninth overall against 450s and 250Fs. He wore a helmet cam for Gautier Grollemund, and it was posted on MotoVerte.com's website. Check it out, but look out for those walls!
Issue #14 of the online magazine Motocross Illustrated is out. Besides the big Grand Prix preview, there are some stories that U.S. fans might find really interesting, including a look at the career of former AMA Motocross Champion and three-time World Champion Greg Albertyn, as well as Steve Dixon, who is Zach Osborne's boss on the Bike-It Yamaha team. And then there's a fascinating piece that our own Eric Johnson penned about the minicycle rivalry of Mike Alessi and Ryan Villopoto, harking back to the days of their heated battles at Loretta Lynn's Ranch and how they would shape their careers as professionals.
Speaking of Mike Alessi, I mentioned that $500 fine. The AMA rulebook explicitly states that riders must line up straight behind the starting gate, but Mike moved his motorcycle over a bit as the 30-second board was up. He ended up with a great start, beaten to the first turn by only one rider: little brother Jeff Alessi! Jeff earned $1,500 for the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot bonus; Mike lost $500 for the illegal start.
The Alessi brothers were both fast starters last Saturday night.
Having such vast photo collections and resources here at Racer X, every now and then I stumble upon a photo of a friend from way back in the day that I used to race with or just know from growing up in and around the sport. But I was truly shocked when I found this big pic of some fierce-looking young Yamaha rider from Dick Miller's old photos of a race he went to in Chile back in the late seventies.
We immediately knew it was Tommy Rios!
And here's another interesting clip, the trailer for a Joey Dunlop documentary called No Ordinary Joe. Dunlop was the world's greatest street racing rider, winning the Isle of Man TT many times before his tragic death at a race in Estonia in 2000. Check it out:
Here's a long-distance good-luck to the very fast and versatile Tucker Hibbert, who is on the other side of the planet for the FIM Snowcross World Championship, which will take place in Semigorje, Russia, on February 24-25 February. Hibbert is arguably the GOAT of snowcross racing, and for years he made some great finishes in the motocross world. Now Tucker is focused primarily on the snow racing, and he will wear #3 on his factory Arctic Cat in Russia—he was the fastest qualifier today!
Contrats again to Mr. and Mrs. Johnny O'Hannah!
Want to know what life on the road can be like for the mechanics, media, and pit crews of the riders who travel to all of the races? Carl Stone told us about what happened last night when he and some friends went out to dinner in Atlanta:
Big B [Brian Barnhart], the Kawasaki factory big rig driver, was talking about a place he wanted to go in Atlanta to eat. He was talking about this place since last weekend in Dallas. The name of the eatery is called The Vortex and he had heard about it on the TV show "Man vs. Food." The sandwich he saw on the show is called the Triple Coronary By-Pass and he was determined to try it! So Brian, Mike Williamson [RV's mechanic], David Villopoto [RV's uncle and bus driver], Loren Lowrey [Ward Racing's big rig driver] and myself drove down to The Vortex after they were fini shed building the bikes. The idea was Brian was going to get the legendary sandwich and split it with whoever wanted to share it with him.
The Vortex attracts world-class eaters like, well, Big B!
Photo: Carl Stone
Long story short, David was going split one with Brian but then for whatever reason decided to get his own, which meant there was going to be two of these monster sandwiches on the table! The rest of us just ordered something else and wanted to watch them eat.
Surprisingly, Big B finished of all his sandwich (okay, maybe not such a surprise, there is a reason they call him that name!) And David came close. Loren and myself had some of David's sandwich and I have to say it was damn good. Yes, something that bad for you of course tasted amazing!
Add up the meals of Brian Barnhart and David Villopoto and you have a a Double Triple By-Pass Artery Buster!
Photo: Carl Stone
Here’s a note from the editor of The Racing Paper, Jordan Roberts:
“I stopped by the Eleven10 Mods shop yesterday afternoon. Like many teams mid-week, they were breaking down and rebuilding their race bikes in preparation for the second East Coast round in Atlanta. But unlike many teams, they had their regular weekday customers to take care of, were still a little behind in regards to race prep, and had a certain broken down black box van to deal with. Although the occurrence of these types of issues less than two days before raceday are a hindrance to any team in the pits, don't discount Eleven10 down in the runnings. They've been known to turn little-to-nothing into nothing short of incredible in the past. Keep tabs on the biggest little guy in the pits to see if they can pull the rabbit out of the hat again once again this weekend.”
The annual Racer X Hockey Challenge took place as part of the fun at last week's Indy trade show. Once again the Canucks came out on top in this year's grudge match, but the fine play of former New England MX star Pat Barton, the Joynt Brothers from DeCal Works, Rian Timmons from Scott USA, and Alex Fuentes from Fly Racing made it interesting. Nevertheless, Team USA remains 0-and-Forever at this game.
Thanks to Hindle Exhaust and MXP-sponsored Team Canada for bringing down plenty of Molson for everyone. Captain Wallenberg of Team USA says, "Wait til next year!" [Ed. note: Scott, maybe we should try basketball next year.]
Finally, here's a big collection of whips and jumps from Crazy Money Productions, called Filthy Animals:
That's it for Racerhead. Thanks for stopping by, and see you at the races.
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Tyler Bowers has become a star on the Amsoil Arenacross circuit, but the often-controversial racer just hit another peak—a surprise win at the 2013 Las Vegas Supercross. Page 148.
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As I have stated before, Mike Alessi has always been and always will be a CROOK! If you look up the word "Cheater" in the dictionary you will see a picture of Mike.
I use to love the old JT racing, sad to see where it is at, "it's just awful". hopefully Gene can get things turned around.
The link for the new Washougal web site does not work.
Never mind, I was clicking the first two hilited Washougals in paragraph, the complete URL at the end works.
speaking of lack of pit parking,(Daveys reference to Charlotte) I belive that is one reason there is no longer a supercross in michigan.Others being massive security costs to protect the teams rigs,which alot of were parked on side streets surrounding Ford feild,ticket sales I'm sure was the biggest influence in the decision to drop the event,But the Silverdome lives on up the road hosting recently snowcross and a monster truck event will they ever consider racing there again ?
Why don't you just go away Alessi and take your family with you! Every time that I think that you have changed and pulled for you...you show your true colors. You stated at your Dallas interview about haters well you have no one to blame but yourself (and father). It would be so nice to watch a race that you are not in or your brother (ride along little Jeffey) because no matter what you cant just ride and be civil. I am done!
One other thing, I was going to buy a new set of JT gear because thats what I used when I was young. Not no more, anyone that sponsors you has to be a fool and will not get my money!!!
WoW! Alessi haters emerge! lol you guys have made him the new Jason Lawrence....LOL As for JT, they sponsor other riders too. You really should not undermine there efforts as well, just because Mike and his Dad are Douchebags..
Its almost like saying, Im not going to buy Racer X Mag because they do articles on Mike Alessi, JT sponsors the Moto Concepts team, The Alessi's just happen to be on that team. FOR NOW!
Personally I think the Stewart's are Douchbages, But buy saying that in this day and age, someone will somehow call that a racist statement...no! I just think he is lazy now he made his money...Nuff Said.
GO RV!
Canceled my plans for Daytona...no Speedy Reedy no fun...Reed has made Daytona since he ate RC's sand that one year...always kills it there even if he didn't win...he made the race...Heal up Champ...hope the team stays together and can be back on track by mid summer...
@TheChosen1,When you make your long journey to the US on your mule.I want you to remember that the mule is for transportation only it is not your girlfriend.Just remember that.
I was in Millville when Mike turned pro..his dad was running his mouth about how Mike was going to win first race ....he got smoked that day ..and has never tasted the success of his youth...Karma is can be cruel
I remember Mike Alessi taking out Ivan Tadesco and then standing on top of his bike at Glen Helen so Ivan couldn't get going. I think it was the final round and they were in a battle for the championship at Glen Helen.
I could not believe what I was seeing.
Anyone out there with an itemized list of all the Alessi cheatery. Its got to be a mile long.
So after watching the 1990 Atlanta race I'm reminded of a question I asked myself all last year whenever Weege (or anyone else) declared 2011 as the best SX season ever - how is it that he 2011 SX season was better than most any of the seasons between 1980 - 1992?
Hannah, Bailey, Ward, Johnson, Stanton, Glover, Barnett, O'Mara, Cooper, Bell ... need I say more??
Congratulations to Mr & Mrs. Johnny O'Hannah!
I gotta say, this weeks Racerhead seemed a tad on the weak side. Random notes was definitely much more interesting than usual, but I have read many better Racerheads in the past... Just sayin.
Mike Alessi is a rider who I always look forward to watching, (more in moto than super) But after hearing about these shenanigans, kinda makes me a little embarrassed for the 800. It's like, they can't make it happen naturally, so they will go to such extremes to try to get a start! REALLY!!!!????!!!! Come on guys... If your going to hunt for a gate that is a few mm's lower than the rest, ok, I get it. But to be so blatant as to taking it beyond breaking rules??? Really? It's hard to still want to root for a guy to be a dark horse when the guy is literally going to cheat with such pitiful tactics. I bet Villo is just chuckling to himself saying"Do what you gotta do boys, and i'll just keep telling you what the top step feels like". That really just bums me out. I lost alot of respect for sure. There is a fine line with cheating, and taking any available advantages, and I am thinking the Alessis are gonna have a legacy that not many racers would be "pumped" to have. It's almost like their career has gone backwards. But hey, They will always have the "kings of amateurs" title. I think if Mike would have really gave it a go, when his dad was out of the picture, instead of stinking it up til all of a sudden his dad came back into the picture, he might of surprised himself. Kinda seems brainwashed that he can't do it without his dad alongside. I wonder if he atleast gets to shag without his dad coaching him!!!???!!! Come on Mikey, HARDER HARDER HARDER FASTER FASTER FASTER!!!!!!! And thats Tony screaming! Ha ha!
If I were a sponsor of the Alessi's, I would be pissed, ashamed, and embarrassed! Cheaters never win! and all actions like that are going to cause, is "the universe going to get you". Karma is real and it will be the one to get you... Wait a minute, it is.
boy those alessis sure go outta their way to make sure people have all sorts of reasons to not like them. i wonder if it's genetic. is there a douchebag gene?
How the hell do you get banned from an entire country for 3 years? Thats pretty badass, can someone explain that to me?
Ps: Does anybody know whats up with the Goat. Is he out of nascar and truck racing now?
Does this track look small to anyone besides me? Are all those red seats on the lower level there for football or is this the SX seating configuration? Just wondering because it looks tite.
That 1990 race was great,there were at least 8 riders that could win any given race back then.
I hate to sound like an old fart, but that racing from 1990 is better than anything we've had since MC ushered in the era of domination. More talent, more places to pass, aggressive racing, no waiting or mind games, just great talent who all wanted to win and believed they could.
* KDub may have a lot of Supercross starts, but he races SX only which makes it easier to do. Reed was going for wins not top 10.
Mike Alessi angled his bike on the start line to gain an advantage, he was fined, who cares! Seems like the army of keyboard warriors do.
The only answer is to send him and all his family to prison and throw away the keys as they are obviously evil. LOL
Mike Alessi is a Holeshot specialist, and this is a FACT. That may be his biggest claim to fame in SX, however his little brother beat him to the first corner this last weekend in Dallas. Little Brother Jeff, picked up his first $1,500 Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot bonus ever, and for that deserves props.
But for the record Here in Germany at the Stuttgart SX, we saw Mike do the same thing on the gate and go on to win the event. Thus Mike became the King of Stuttgart 2011...Yay Mike! The truth be told, as an American living in Germany, I went to this event just to see Mike race, but was very disappointed in his after race interview...What A Tool. He acted as if he just beat RV2 or something when really, he just got the best of a couple of Americans and a host of some Euro B level riders. But for him it was a big win, nevertheless.
It was after this event that I stopped routing for Mike 800 and started routing for Kyle Regal as my favorite underdog. I will always be a RV2 fan till the end for personal reasons, and the fact hes from my home town, kind of. Seattle / Pulsbo.
I don't hate any of the riders, but I do have a question for Alessi. Mike, why do you continue to race full on when the blue flag is waved and you are getting lapped? I just don't see the logic behind this. Is their no respect for the leaders? You are getting lapped anyway, so why not do the right thing.
I think it would be interesting to have a event in were it was just Brothers as teams. We could have Will Hahn / Tommy Hahn vs Jeff Alessi / Mike Alessi vs Christophe Pourcel / Sébastien Pourcel vs Ryan Sipes / Justin Sipes vs Malcom Stewart / Bubba Stewart vs Marvin Musquin / Mickael Musquin vs Matt Moss / Jake Moss vs Kyle Chisholm / Cody Chisholm vs Goerke Kyle / Matt Goerke just to name some..
But it probably wouldn't matter anyway because RV2 would win this event too...WHAT YOU SAY?
Everyone knows about Ryan Villopoto, But did you know about his little Brother that is also really fast and could probably make a main in a SX event as well?
Tyler Villopoto, He raced in Europe this year at a few SX events and Im thinking he may make a move to MX this summer in the States.
why would a supposed holeshot-master need to cheat to get a holeshot?
i remember the last year mike was at loretta's he was on the line for one of his motos and James Stewart was doing some demo for Kawasaki and rode over to the line, stopped on the start straight and pointed to Mike and then motioned with his finger as if to say "come get some" and then laughed and rode away. he did this because, even then, the Alessi's were high on their own stink and were talking mad bs about how they were gonna come into the pros and take everything from the top guys.
FAIL
I still regret coming down on Grant for ramming into Mike A's leg and putting him out for the season. But looking back it was deserved Karma Mike brought on himself. It is wonderful to see that RV turned into the best motocross racer in the world while Big-Time Mike turned in cannon fodder.
Where's Ping?
MC724... I do know RC's sponsor (Monster, I think) decided to give their money to someone who actually knows how to drive. Don't know who, 'cause I sure don't follow that NASCAR stuff.
Transponders aren't 100% accurate. I've seen instances before in roadracing where it was obvious one bike crossed the line first, but the timing system scored the 2nd bike ahead of him. Could the sensor cable be put above the finish line, where the big 'finish line' sign is? And again, where's Ping?
Ping is in Europe with his family skiing.. I know everybody hates the Alessi's, but I think 95% of that can be attributed to his Dad, who is a complete tool. Everything that happens to that guy ius deserved. But I dont see were Mike has done many things that badly. Him standing on Tedescos bike was one, but it isnt nothing anyone else has done. Heck STewart did that after the crash with Reed in Atlanta, he stood on Reeds seat so he couldnt pick his bike up first, and Stewarts parents are almost as bad. Stewarts Mom confronted some fans at a race for booing her son, at a National--Really?? It happens in every sport in the world. Imagine Tom Brady's Mom comfronting a fan at a Jets game for bad-mouthing her baby?? What kind of negative press would that get?? And Big James coming down on Mike Browns mechanic during the race once for Bronwie rubbing with Stewart during another National, it happened. So the Stewart family isnt much different..Just they arent as big Douchebags as Tony can be..
All of you guys are a bunch of Crap ! , I cancelled my plans to Daytona because Reed is not racing , I dont like Alessis Girlfriend , I wish he would just quit , Big james said this , and so and so said that ....None of you know any of them at all , and act as if you do , James is a Thug , now thats a funny one , A thug that grew up around a bunch of lily white boys , Give me a break ! Johnny come lately fans , yeah you know who you are ...
Ping can't ski and do his column at the same time? What's up with that?
@endoman38 - Looks like the GOAT got screwed by Monster Energy in courtesy of NASCAR politics. Same kind of thing happened to Ricky Johnson with Penske too
http://www.sirius-speedway.com/2012/01/carmichael-rug-pulled-out-from-under-in.html
@CR500--It does kinda look that way doesnt it?? I hate Kyle Busch too. Glad RC has more class than that to race for him. And I think the Busch team is driving Toyotas, dont want to see RC driving that truck either..
@bd200 - I spent a few minutes this morning searching the web about RC, Monster, and the Busch brothers this morning since I hadn't heard much about this.
It looks to me that Monster made a business decision that didn't include Ricky, which I find interesting. Ricky put Monster on the map in MX/SX, and got Monster involved in NASCAR, which they weren't before Ricky went there with Monster backing.
As soon as Monster got a letter from Kyle Busch, Monster dropped Ricky like a bad habit. RC got blindsided in an interview in Oct 2011where the interviewer knew more than he did, and RC had met with the Monster CEO within a week of the interview. That says a lot to me about the pitiful ethics of Monster.
Ricky's choice not to publicly badmouth Monster shows a lot about his character as a true professional. Hope he can line something up for a few races in 2012 and then a full season in 2013.
RC shoulda never left this great sport. I pulled for the GOAT every time he raced. Imagine if he hadn't retired in his prime for that NASCAR crap...
Heading to Atlanta race in a few!!! If you ever get a chance, go. Biggest crowd every here every year.year. We need 2 races in Atlanta FELD!!!!
Go RD5!!!!
@thechosenone...calm down man , I did say who i thought was full of crap , ..All Of You .. Relax man its just fun ! your a wigwam , your a tee pee , no , your just to tense LOL
Personally, i think KevinKain is a douchebag.......'nuff said!!! What a VILLOTARD!!
@therealmofo,, Not sticking up for JS's Mom, but I think the fans were doing alot more than booing at that national,, if you know what I mean.. I was at Red Bud, I think in '05, and I couldn't believe what the fans were saying to JS as he was racing. It was UNBELIVABLE,, and I'm seious...
Joey Dunlop..... epic man of motorcycle racing. The TT is on the bucket list of of anyone who thinks he likes bikes and racing.
@mxmofo.... I have heard it as well , made me sad that the Moto Community would act that way , but they did , A lot of you pick on James , but imagine if you had to put up with the crap that the Racist fans , can put out , Damn , what year is this !!!! Two Stewarts will podium tonight !
Was at the millville national to see Mike's debut and I thought on a 450 against the best he rode well..... unfortunatley, then Jerk Dad disked Honda, mike went to KTM, then Suzuki and his career has been a fraction of what it could have been....... really just a shame and the Geln Helen national where he not only stood on tedesco's bike, but also tried to hit the kill switch was his desperation shot at a title.... EPIC FAIL!
I was at Millville as well for Mikes debut. He did ride well. But yes, his dad is a major issue in that camp. Too bad...
@preston,, I agree..
@mofo--I do know what you are saying, but this instance Stewarts Mom said she didnt like that they were booing here son, and once when he went by one fan flipped him off. So in her words, "I took issue with them doing that to Bubba". C'mon really, he is a man at the highest level of this sport. RV and Millsaps had thier fathers a big part of thier racing coming up. But when they went pro, they allowed the team to do thier jobs. Alessi couldnt do it, and neither could Big James, I think they both are worried about getting rich off thier kids, kinda sad really..
And I read the article in the new RacerX with the Alesses--and ignorant Tony complaining about Honda NOT stepping in to help them this season. "After everything we did for them in the past" he said. Maybe Honda remembers the stab in the back they got from Tony Alessi when Mike turned pro and didnt sign the Honda offer, and went to KTM instead, just so they would sign Jeff too.. Paybacks are hell Tony..
And I dont think there are as many "racist" fans as some make it out to be.. About 99% of Stewarts fan base is white. If somebody isnt a fan, it doesnt make them a racist, just not a fan. Alot of people root for a brand of bike. Myself, was a fan until his ego outgrew the whole state of Florida, and he started JSEntertainment, instead of JSRacing. That told me were his true allegance lies, $$$$$$$$>>>>
Another great racerhead as usual,Now iam all reved up! I always like the added links that are in the article that were not in the daily web articles.
about M Alessi lineing up angled behind the gateI did think it was llegal in the AMA and the races now days but I used to do it also back in the day. Yes why would he need to do that being he is considered a holeshot artist? I too was thought of one in my days and I would try to figure out every little advantage I could get. Never liked the concrete starting pads though.
Now What I am wondering supose Mike pulled the holeshot and and just somehow the race had other people crashing out or breaking and he went on to win? Then would he only have been fined $500 dollars and still get the win? If that is so it would be worth the $500 dollar gamble!
Just letting my mind wonder on that one?
You are an idiot therealmofo, don't downplay what it must be like to have people yelling n---er and other racial slurs at you in this day and age, just because you are a black guy in a white guys sport. It is what it is, but they have dealt with that for several years and it is b u l l s h i t!! You are a hater and that is the simple fact!! How many times do you suppose RV or Windham or even RC were called a honky by anybody?? You need to STFU and not try to downplay the truth or try to put Stewarts mom in some sort of bad light....you have no idea dude!!
@therealmofo,, I don't think theres anything wrong with getting rich off your kids. The parents are the ones who got them there. Yes, Tony Alessi has burned a lot of bridges..
Comment #2 I forgot to send in my injury report to Racer X. I happened last race day on Sat morning. There I was WFO at 5am SAt morning time to go get the lmorning paper in the yard. I was already on cruthes from a flare up of Gout in my left foot and ankle. It was pouring down rain, I go nooooo! so I bravely dashed WFO to the paper about fifteen yards away. Made it back inside and tossed the paper to my easy chair. Then I had to take off my raincoat and hange it up. I had just got if off and hung was just standing on my right leg and one crutch went to get the left crutch and my right one flew out from under me because of the water,I frantically grabbed the other crutch to get a save! no such luck that one also went zooooom! Managed to save my self from falling with my great MX skills! (I just had got a new left hip last spring) Without even hitting the floor! I messed myself up though?
The Dr's injury report---Left ankle, acute sprain and broken bone. Left knee, severe sprain and sleight tear of ALC. Left elbow, severe sprain small bone fracture and chiped bone.
This is not a joke, it did happen, now I am using my puter chair for a wheelchair.
Comment#3 Its Atlanta !!!!!! May the best ,Fastest and Most Lucky person win!!!! May the Fesivities Begin!!!!
LETS RACE!!!!!!
I say JS7 wins practice and the main.I say Mookie kills everybody.
I guess not
@thenewguy ...True Dat
Personally, I think "newguy" is Tony Alessi's Ball Sack Massage boy.
(SATCHEL SLAVE).
You have obviously OD'd on EX-LAX and this is the reason for spewing such Sh*t!
beat it @KevinKain .. Adults only here !
@newguy, shows how some Stewtards are. Just make a statement with your opinion and suddendly namecalls--newguy sounds like a real big baby to me..And tells me I have to STFU--hahahaha!!! real classy. expect nothing less from a Stewtard. NO CLASS!!!!!, and then he says I have no idea, like he really does?? hahahaha!!
@preston--"true dat" really?? cant even spell..
a lot of haters on here, what a joke you haters are! LOL It's a bit of drama in a pro sport, big deal!!! These racers have a lot of stess!!! So in my opinion sh_t happens...
Malcom Stewart needs to get a trainer and loose some weight!! He may have great skill on a bike but you can't compete properly if your not in amazing shape...OUt of shape riders get over there head and get hurt...Get in shape Malcom.