Observations: Mid-Season Report
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 | 4:10 PM
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Welcome to the BTOSports.com Racer X Observations column from Daytona. As many of you may know, I wasn’t at there, which is maybe sort of a good thing seeing as how crappy of a day it turned out to be. But then again, I did sort of miss it while I was just sitting on my couch watching it like all of you, “normal” people. Anyway, because I wasn’t there, I’m going to change the column up a bit and concentrate on the series as a whole. But first, here are some deep thoughts from Daytona:
Metcalfe has had his share of up and downs in 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Nick Wey is beginning to feel more comfortable on his bike, and his results are showing it.
Photo: Simon Cudby
-It looks like the track crew did a pretty good job in salvaging the track and making it somewhat rideable out there. Also, they shortened the laps, which was a good thing in my opinion because let’s face it, when the conditions get that bad, it results in super long lap times. It’s not fun to see the world’s best riders just rolling around out there exhausted.
-The RC standing on a box for TV thing is silly. Who cares how short he is compared to Ralph Sheheen and Jeff Emig? We all know he’s short, and if anyone wants to crack any short jokes, RC should direct them to his bank account and multiple number one plates on the wall and say, “Suck it!”
-I admit that when I re-watch the races after being there, I don’t really pay much attention to the commentary but when I’m not there, I depend on the three guys in the booth (and Chad Reed when he was in there) to tell me what’s going on. They generally do a great job but as I’ve said before, I think they need to get out and learn more about all the riders in the field. In a three-hour show, you have to know something about all the riders, and at times, you can see that the three guys have NO clue about anything when it comes to some of the riders. They just need to get away from the three or four big teams and start reading up on these guys because everybody at the races has a story to tell.
JGR and Stewart celebrate their second win of 2012 at Daytona.
Photo: Garth Milan
-Great to see James Stewart win; before the race, I called him for it in my podcasts and shows. Obviously with the mud, a lot of things go out the window, but Stewart must have had the entire race under control because they never really showed him on TV. That’s a good thing for the seven.
-Ryan Villopoto had a miserable race, but it’s these kinds of rides that save titles. Crashing on the first lap and getting mud on your grips, gloves, and goggles and up your butt, is not fun but he made the best out of it and got a fifth.
-Ricky Renner was out there on a two-stroke and would have easily made the main had he not DNF’d with a blown up YZ144. It’s hilarious to me that the two-stroke people, who are completely over the edge in their fanatical desire to see them make a comeback, were sitting there with tears in their eyes thinking about how it wasn’t possible the POS four-strokes weren’t blowing up, and their beloved two-stroke did. Anyways, Renner was on the gas and did a good job in the limited laps he rode.
-Josh Hansen, what were you thinking? Hansen got pushed off the track in the heat, and then instead of reentering in another area like another guy that got pushed off (Davi Millsaps who got second in the main event), just decided to cut out two straights and enter the race in fourth. Predictably, he got black-flagged which hurt his gate pick for the LCQ. Why he didn’t just enter the track behind Millsaps and either make it into qualifying position, or at least get an inside gate pick for the LCQ, is beyond me. Just another bad decision by Josh “Johnny Drama” Hansen. In the LCQ, he made a racing move in chopping a guy off going into a turn and it didn’t work out, as both riders went down. His anger towards the other guy wasn’t justified, and clearly, Hansen woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. I feel for everyone on the H&H team who all busted their asses for their one guy, only to see him just implode himself, and their hard work, with a series of bad decisions.
-H&H team manger Kenny Watson tweeting after the race about the “bad luck” his team suffered was hilarious. Bad luck? I’d say in this instance, Hansen put his own feelings ahead of everyone else’s on the team and then hurt everyone else. Many of us wondered how Hansen was going to make it through a complete 17-race series without drama and giving up. Don’t look now, but it’s started to turn south for him in recent weeks. It will be interesting to see if he can turn it around.
Windham captured his first podium of the season at Daytona.
Photo: Garth Milan
-Great ride for Davi Millsaps in getting the runner-up spot. Millsaps is a good mud rider for sure, and it’s nice to see the JGR guys go 1-2. Put your hand up if you were one of those people that thought Kevin Windham was going to get Millsaps for second. Unless you’re related to Millsaps, I’m pretty sure everyone has their hand up, and that right there is an indication of why it’s a great ride for Millsaps; he did what many people felt he couldn’t.
-When it’s going your way, it’s going your way and right now Justin Barcia is the king of the Lites class. He rode a great race and despite being caught twice by Blake Baggett, he rode strong to his fourth straight win. At this point, we have to seriously start thinking about him going undefeated. I know I will, he’s been that good.
-Good to see Kyle Regal back as a full privateer on a Honda. Regal’s got to be one of the more mysterious guys out there. He apparently wants to race really badly, but he’s also turned down rides that offered decent money and equipment. He wants it to be on his terms and that’s admirable, because many a career has been blown by going with the money or signing with teams that sucked. Still, I don’t know if he’s got the resume to do that. Anyways, he rode well in the mud as a true privateer and I think he’ll be an H&H guy as soon as this weekend in a fill-in ride.
Let’s take a look at the point standings with some comments on the guys as we’re ten rounds down and seven to go:
Supercross Point Standings
Ryan Villopoto 221pts. Kaw - Clearly it’s RV’s title to lose at this point. The announcers were going on and on in the Daytona race about the points that Stewart was making up, but c’mon, wake me up when it’s down to just over a race lead. As it is, RV has shown many times that he can beat JS7 straight up and right now, unless there’s a total disaster, Stewart and Villopoto are going to go 1-2 the rest of the way out.
Although he struggled at Daytona, Villopoto still holds a massive points lead.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Ryan Dungey 192pts. KTM - Stewart and Villopoto should run the rest of the series because Dungey is out four to six weeks with a broken collarbone. I’d have to guess he’s probably done for the rest of supercross, but we’ll see if his team wants to send him out for a couple meaningless races at the end of the series. I still think that, with two wins in nine races, his season on the KTM has been above what was expected.
James Stewart 177pts. Yam - In some ways, Stewart has an easy time of it from here on out. He’s basically got no pressure to win the title, and he can let loose and try to win out, which would allow him and his fans to ponder the question, “What would’ve happened if Stewart had gotten his bike in order at the beginning of the year?” There was very little testing down out west before the season started, and it’s no coincidence that he’s been better since the series went back east. Next year I’m betting that there will be extensive West Coast testing for Stewart and the JGR team.
Kevin Windham 143pts. Hon - The world is waiting to see if Windham can win one more race before he hangs it up. I wouldn’t bet against him either; if everything lines up and he’s feeling it, he could definitely win a race. Some people thought that win would come in muddy Daytona, but it was not to be. Windham’s in a nice spot though, he’s the fan favorite and absolutely NO ONE is going to go up to him and ask him to give more. His career dictates that we just leave him alone and be happy he’s still racing.
Jake Weimer 134pts. Kaw - Weimer has been up and down and hasn’t grabbed that “best of the rest” mantle like I thought he would. He’s just got to be more consistent and be “that” guy each and every week. No matter what though, he’s got two podiums and that is a surprise I would think. Three straight weeks of seventh places has to be chapping his ass though. But then again, he might end the year fourth in points and that is quite an accomplishment. It’s a, “the is glass half-full half-empty” thing.
Davi Millsaps 131pts. Yam - Early on it looked like Millsaps was done and just riding around. But then he started being a consistent top ten guy and now, in the last few races, it looks like he’s moved up from there and wants to be a top five guy. He’s got the talent to do it, but he needs that fire. Maybe the fact that he’s not getting paid very much and needs to do well to make more money has been motivating him lately. At least that’s what some people on his team think. Whatever it is, it’s working.
Chad Reed 128pts. Hon - Reed is out for the rest of the series and if I had to bet, I’d say he’ll miss the outdoors as well. Too bad, he had a nice year going and to me, somehow at age 29, he was getting better.
Metcalfe has had his share of up and downs in 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Brett Metcalfe 124pts. Suz - Metty’s like Weimer. Fast at times and he could always be right there, but for whatever reason, he can’t be the “best of the rest” guy every weekend. He’s got to be frustrated and knowing him, he’s putting pressure on himself to do well as the only Suzuki guy. That may or may not be advantageous.
Justin Brayton 121pts. Hon - Even though Brayton is behind Weimer and Metcalfe in the points, I’d argue that he’s had a better year than either one of them. In his first year on the factory Honda, he’s missed one main event and he’s been unable to practice many weeks because of a gnarly crash. But through all of that, he’s still been pretty fast, and has been the “best of the rest” three times. Give him a tenth for the missed main, and he’s right there with Weimer in the points (I know, I know, if your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle but still, it’s my column- so there).
Mike Alessi 113pts. Suz - Alessi told me that he’s taking supercross more seriously than he’s ever taken it before, including the factory Suzuki days when he got a podium. At times, he’s been fast, but like everyone else, he can’t seem to string two or three trouble-free races together. Like I said, he shouldn’t feel bad because other than Ryan Villopoto and Kevin Windham, no one else can either.
Kyle Chisholm 91pts. Kaw - I thought Chiz would be better this year to be honest, and I know he did as well. He’s been very close to breaking through, but five twelfth place finishes in ten races is not where he wants to be. Having only two top-tens in ten races makes him mad, but the good news is that he’s been much better in timed qualifying in the last month, and just needs to put that speed into the mains. He’s in shape but can’t get a start to save his life.
Josh Hansen 87pts. Kaw - Hansen was an early season surprise, but as noted above, his recent run of four out of six races not being good makes it hard for him to focus, and soon everything just starts plummeting downhill. He’s never done a complete 17-race series and maybe that’s getting to him. I just know that when you start pulling off in races, it gets easier and easier to quit. Hansen needs to buckle down and regroup here, he’s all the H&H guys have!
Broc Tickle 82pts. Kaw - Here’s another guy that I thought would be better through ten races, and I’m sure he and his team thought so too. He did tie his season best at Daytona but then again, we always knew he is a good mud rider, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise.
Nick Wey is beginning to feel more comfortable on his bike, and his results are showing it.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Nick Wey 76pts. Kaw - Wey’s been better lately and according to him, it’s because he’s feeling more comfortable with his bike. Anyone who has worked with Nick (myself included) can attest to the constant changes that he does to his machine over the course of a race year, and some of his uneasiness with the bike stems from his own demands to make changes. No matter, he’s been better lately, and working with David Vuillemin has no doubt also helped out the NYK.
Andrew Short 59pts. Hon - It hasn’t been a good season for the injured Short, but the good news is when he’s been able to race, he’s been much better than last year. He started riding this week and hopes to return very soon, so there’s that I suppose.
Matt Goerke 38pts. Suz- If your star rider got hurt before the season, and you had to pick a rider to fill-in him for him two races into the series, it would be a good deal if that rider soon became the top guy on the team, right? That’s what’s going on with Goerke and the BTOSports.com BBMX team right now. Goerke isn’t costing the team much in the way of salary either, which makes this a win/win deal for all sides.
Robby Kiniry 32pts. Yam - I like Kiniry, and I can’t say much bad about him. If I came home one day and found out my wife was having an affair with him, I’d still probably say, “That little rascal Kiniry,” and then giggle myself to the nearest hotel. And no doubt while he was apologizing, Kiniry would be smiling. The sport of supercross is better with Kiniry in it, and how he didn’t have a ride when the season started is amazing. He and Goerke deserve better in 2013.
Marvin Musquin 30pts. KTM - He’s in the top twenty with only two races completed. That’s pretty impressive for the Frenchman, and just like Cole Seely last year, he’s going to be ripping fast when the Western Regional Supercross Lites series picks back up in Seattle. You watch.
Kyle Partridge 29 pts. - Another rider that is done for the year, Kyle was a hit and miss rider out there in the first half of the season. Sometimes he was good, sometimes he wasn’t.
Weston Peick 27pts. Kaw - Peick’s a journeyman privateer guy who’s now on the Star Valli Motorsports Rockstar Yamaha team for what I imagine is the rest of supercross. Good for him that the bills get paid while he sticks it in the main most weeks.
Four-for-four thus far for Barcia in 2012.
Photo: Garth Milan
Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Point Standings
Justin Barcia 100pts. Hon - Four races, four wins. The kid’s on fire! He’s got Jeff Stanton in his corner, he seems to be on point this year and no matter what he does, it’s all rolling his way. I think I’m in the minority in this, but I think he’s not being nearly as aggressive as he has been in the past. I see some maturity and Bam-Bam’s come a long way from having Honda boss Erik Kehoe pull him aside and tell him about respecting his fellow racers. Unless he gets attacked by a swarm of killer bees, he’s going to win this title.
Darryn Durham 76pts. Kaw - I know Durham’s on a Pro Circuit Kawasaki, but I still put him as a surprise this year. He’s been consistent for the most part and as a privateer, that’s what he had troubles with. Look at what Durham is doing now, and at Wil Hahn’s speed over the last few years, and you’ll realize that Star Racing just gave up on these guys too soon.
Ken Roczen 75pts. KTM - I have no doubt that Roczen probably expected more out of himself, but he’s got some wins coming at some point. He came into the series at a bit of a disadvantage with an arm injury and the one time he did match up to Barcia, he was sick. Daytona was a bit of a surprise, but to be fair, we just expect all GP racers to be good in the muck. Maybe he’s one of the guys that isn’t.
Blake Wharton 72pts. Suz - I sort of cheer for Blake out there because despite winning a race, he’s been a bit of an afterthought on the GEICO Honda team his whole career. Not being able to stay healthy and then not being a factor in a lot of races while your teammates are winning races and titles is a bad combination. This year he’s on a Suzuki and is riding well.
Baggett has been hot and cold thus far in 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Blake Baggett 62pts. Kaw - Baggett’s had two second places, and two races that suck. If the trend continues, he’s due for a bad race this weekend in Indianapolis. I’m not sure what’s going on with him but he’s been a bit off, even when he’s been good. Daytona was a good race for him in that he caught Barcia twice. He’s got to hang on to that fact and turn things around this weekend.
Jake Canada 56pts Suz - Canada’s been sneaky good. I’ve been pumping up Filthy Phil Nicoletti, but I may have to jump onto this Canada bandwagon real soon. It won’t be hard for me to do, trust me. From complete privateer his whole career to now having a good ride with nothing to worry about other than concentrating on a being a pro racer, Canada’s making the most of his chance. Boy those MotoConcepts bikes are great, wonder when they’ll start selling them?
Justin Bogle 46pts. Hon - Bogle’s obviously been better than his standings indicate. He should have had a top five at the opening round but got “Mookie’d,” and he should have had a third in St. Louis but fell on the last lap. In Daytona, he got stuck in the mud. Ahhh, to be a rookie again in supercross. No worries, he’s the real deal and will get everything figured out.
Malcolm Stewart 42pts. KTM - Stewart hasn’t been as good as I thought he would be. Last year it seemed he did something every race that made me jump out of my seat and put everyone on notice that I had Mookie Fever. This year, a bad crash at one race, bike problems at another, a dumb move at one and a mudder have all equaled a cure for Mookie Fever. Like Bogle, he’s too talented to not figure it out soon.
A wrist injury has hampered Cunningham in 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Kyle Cunningham 42pts. Yam - More was expected out of Cunningham, but he’s been riding with a hurt wrist since the first round and he’s just been ok. If it were me and he was hurt bad enough that his struggles at the races are stemming from his injury alone, I’d pull him out and save him for outdoors where he was blazing fast last year.
Cole Thompson 32pts. Hon - A total privateer kid from Canada, Cole’s been great this year right from the start. He’s missed one main event but other than that, has been steady at every race with two top-tens. One of the things I like about Thompson’s program is that he’s going with a local engine and suspension company to do the stuff on his bike. I don’t know, I just like the fact he’s probably making the owners of those two companies very proud with what he’s done using their stuff.
Thanks for reading, email me at, [email protected] and we can chat about this mudder.
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I agree. The commentators need to study up on the kids. Learn how to pronounce names and do some info on the many other teams. I plan on giving them an info sheet at Seattle.
I'll start thinking about Barcia running the table after his 7th win, not 4th............really over half the races still left and you are giving him 9 wins in a row? Don't forget Roxcen won Vegas last year in the West, Baggett has an awesome race every 3rd week(which gives him 2 more great races left for the season) and Wharton is just getting the groove back after not having raced in a year.
If Renner was running a YZ144 he was knowingly violating the rule E4.1 Engines
a. Engine Displacements:
0 – 125cc 2-stroke
0 – 250cc 4-stroke
Chad may miss the outdoors , and RD may be nursing an ijury , RV and JS7 this year outdoors 1 ***** 2????
I heard he was riding a 125 ... Matthes may be wrong
I called this would happen right when Dungey got hurt.... Ok Steve Mattress, You forgot to also mention in your little love speech about your boy Stewart that now there is only ONE guy left for him to race and that will be the big reason for his finishes from here, Not the bike is better because it was never bad... Just excuses as usual . He had competition in the form of CR, RD and RV and now there is just RV ( That will be riding to protect his lead ) and all of a sudden the bike is better???? NO..... The competition is all gone with just RV left.
Do the math….Stewart was a 3rd or 4th place rider all year Take 2 away and you get …….
Dang Steve, were you just waiting for chance to rail Hansen?
I know I will catch grief from someone over this comment but too bad. Looking at the picture of the JGR Team and some hanger-on's. Why is Big Stewie holding the trophy over his head like he won the race?? And who is the clown on Big Stewies left?? Some other hang-a-round mooching off Stewie's money?? Its sad how Big Stewie is living his life vicariously through his boy.. He needs to watch and cheer and support from adistance and let Stewie become a man.. Big Stewie has made enough money and stood in his sons limelight long enough.. Has anyone ever seen RV's Dad standing on the podium holing up his sons trophy?? Or RC's, or Dungeys or Reeds, or anyone else for that matter.. All of these guys parents sacrificed for thier kids too..Back off Dad..
^ Hansen deserves to be criticized for that race. That was a dumb@ss move to yell at that guy and then quit. It was the 2nd turn of the race he still could have probably came back and qualified. Theres a lot of other privateers who would love to have the bike and team he is on and they wouldn't quit like that
@preston....stewart over dungey in outdoors? Not a chance, dungey will be healthy by then and stewart hasn't run a whole outdoor series since 08 when he was a beast.
So is everyone going to give RV the "asterisk" this season (the way everyone did to Reed and Dungey when they won titles) because he might win the title with Dungey, Reed, and Canard out of the championship? Gotta be in it to win it and crashes and injuries are part of the sport.
Stoked to see that the future of the sport has so many talented shoulders to stand on. The win is no longer guaranteed to one man. That's awesome.
good call @tls1959, if Renner was able to ride a 144 it probably wouldn't have blown up, it sure sounded good out there whatever it was
underdogs always win the mud races
@mkdp. No. Because RV beat all those guys repeatedly when they were all healthy too. Dungey did not. Chad also beat all those guys enough to not have that. I do agree that Dungey was clearly the best of who was there when he won. But until he does it against the field, no dice
Renner confirmed it was a 144 over on vitalMX. big deal. 150 is no match for these 250f's that everyones using.
props to renner for rippin it on the 2stroker.
I agree with speedracer42, Dungey hasnt really competed against the top guys since his rookie season on the 450. I dont know if its because others are healthy now and they were not when he won, seeing as all the top three guys were out in Reed, RV, and Stewart. And i really think moving to a KTM is not going to help his chances for the future. As shown in previous races, the long whoop sections kill him, and i think that has to do with the bike because when he was on the Suzuki he seemed faster. Im not a big fan of his but i feel for him, deciding what bike to ride just because DeCoster was on the team. Poor choice. but big ups for the two wins he has gotten for KTM.
@therealmofo.... Man ,what do you have some kind of weird obsession with Stewart... You are looking into some weird things brother , hide the wife and kids
What I find weird is how people think that the KTM is a proven bike just cause it got two wins. I am not saying it's bad or anything because I have never ridden one and I have heard good and bad things, so I think it's just as good. But like I said people think the KTM is a proven bike (in the US) because it got two wins, but those wins were from the same person, and the bike Dungey was riding wasn't built by KTM it self, obviously they used KTM parts and every KTM out there is built with different parts, but DeCoster and crew built Dungeys bike.
About Dungey not really going against the guys - Well in 2010 JS and CR crashed out early, RV then crashed out. So RD was lets say ''The Sturdiest'' I think he earned that title.
Steven...really Stewart has been better in the East??? He wins the Daytona murder and, all the sudden he is better on the east. Did you forget Dallas, Atlanta, STL??? Come on dude. A great ride by JS, but to say he has shown he is better on the east is kinda jumping the gun. Again great ride...but still 44 back.
In 2010, Dungey was beating RV in points until RV crashed out well after the half-way point in the series. Dungey beat RV plenty in 2010. IF Dungey gets a * for 2010, then RV gets a * for 2012.
* are something /used/abused/invented by RV fans to discredit other riders.
But what's good for the goose is good for the gander:
RV = 2011 450 SX Champion*
* Wins title while Dungey has a DNF, and wins title by less points than likely would have been gained had it not been for DNF.
RV = 2011 450 National Champion*
*Wins title while Dungey has a DNF, and wins title by less points than likely would have been gained had it not been for DNF.
RV = (likely) 2012 450 SX Champion*
*Wins title while Dungey has practice crash and is out due to injury.
Go back to 2010 and Dungey was beating RV for well more than half the SX series when RV was injured. Fast forward from 2010 to 2011 and RV has a DNQ because he crashed twice, once while he was all by himself. Note that RV's DNQ was within his control whereas Dungey's DNF wasn't within RD's control.
See the pattern?
Hey Matthes:
Sounds like your feelings are still hurt from that deal with 100 last year .Awww................
Im calling lame on this one.
JimM
Pala374
Sloan, still sore RV keeps beating RD, gee man I'm sorry. I have an exercise for you, go back and total every race that RV and RD competed in together and Post who won the most (finished ahead of the other). I think I have never seen as many people IF and whine because RD had a DNF in SX last year, these same people fail to point out that RV's dns cost him even more and was NOT his fault (or his teams) either. How could you fail to mention that RV won more SX races than RD even when he missed the last 4 in 2010? How could anyone put a * after RV's title this year (if he wins) when its everyone elses fault they were behind in points or injured. I feel RD 100% earned his title in 2010 just as much as every other title that has ever been won. I disagree with both SX and MX examples- If you wanted to be fair you would throw out the worst race for both riders and then the results would be the same- the true farest way is to score the season like it was. RD-2010 sx and mx champ, RV 2011 SX and MX champ, in 2010 RV was out, in 2011 they both were in, in 2012 Rv was ahead while RD was in and now RD is out. I am looking forward to the outdoors.
On this artical I tend to agree on Hanson- I thought he was so stupid to stand there and whine and raise his hands like a wimp when he should have been getting his bike unstuck and racing like a true competitor. Cutting the track puts him in the Allessi/ Sorby class, hope this kid can grow up one day soon. I'll call him a man when he act's like one. So far he has tended to race dirty and waste some talant with baby drama- he is a seriously good racer.
I also agree on the commentators needing to know more about ALL the racers- everyone of them are badass ! They should let Reed and Canard in the booth for the main- I think its so cool they show for the races even when injured.
J_Sloan...what are you smoking? go back and look through the last few years and see how many times RD has beat RV. It is not many.. I have lost count of the times I have read how RV's DNF was in his control. Are there that many blind people out there.Go back and watch the race, you will see that he gets run off the track. Even if it was, what the hell does it matter? RV had issues at the start of last season...I don't pretend to know what they were, but it was obvious to every one except the RD nut huggers. When he is near 100%, RD can't hang with him. Period. Unless RV has injuries that take him out, when all is said and done a few years down the road, He will be far ahead of RD in terms of race wins and championships. It will be interesting to see what excuses can be dreamed up.
PS, anyone that would think of giving RD a * is not a true fan. The guy is a true sportsman, a clas act, and an incredible racer.
Class act !
I completely disagree about reading up on the back packers. It was agonizing to watch when they would do their (usually poorly produced) little segments on getting to know the lesser known riders. I'm sorry but if you want to get involved that deeply then please get involved in your local motocross scene but these are the pros and if you want that level of attention you are going to need to produce results.
However... I would gladly welcome those little segments back if it meant losing the ridiculous Rock Hard Ride Hard intro... We've been grouped together with the monster truck crowd for so long and just as we started to get away from that stigma Bret Michaels shows up.
I could do without Bret Michaels and the nerdy rock hard ride intro
And whats with all these jokers on here blabbing about *s. There are no *s in racing. This isn't unionized basketball.
@J Sloan.. RV had a DNF in Jacksonville, so that cancels out Dungey's. Quit whining, they both ran the whole season and Dungey got beat, its that simple.. I like Dungey alot, but he lost fair and square, dont be a sore loser..
And by the way. I dont give ANYONE an asterisk for winning a title.. NObody. If you run all year and win and stay healthy, you win period. The asterisk crap is for sore losers who dont like a certain rider winning. I say GROW UP..
STEVEN M... also if you have so much knowledge about the current racers, please feel free to climb the stairs to the booth and call a live race. I would honestly love to see this, I will give you a hundred bucks to do it. You and Watson, just like pulpmx but surprise its not in your house. You have thousands of people watching, counting on your A$$ to know every bit of insight on number 187 covered in mud. I as a viewer will eagerly await the comments on the top ten guys and what is going on with them. I actually have a pulpmx account and enjoy your shows, but your comments are more like a prophet and less like a racerx writer. I can see you now, you will see RV in green covered in mud and yell Tim Ferry to the monitor...
Wow you have really chapped my ass STEVEN Matthes...I was blind enough to not even see the "you normal people" introduction. You are losing respect and fast, almost like the movie River Wild, you know with the classic Kevin Bacon. Guys who pays your bills??? The "normal people" that click on the RacerX website, the ones that subscribe to RacerX, and the ones that listen to Pulpmx and poor ass Watson( I actually think he brings a lot to the table on the show.) Did you drink a 12 pack of PBR...(your welcome Carey and Kenny for the plug.) on Saturday, or are you just that blind to see what is actually going on with the series. I am not even a RV fan but to give JS all the credit in the world for last week for coming from last to 5th, and then for not really doing it for RV at Daytona in the mud. Oh sorry STEVEN, us "NORMAL" people dont see the big picture. Glad you got to see the other side of Timmy and the rest of us redneck fans. Kenny you need to call this Canadian out on the next show. 44 back with a win and the leader taking 5th. Nutsack....
ok a couple of things Matthes. :) First of all it's funny you didn't think Datyona would end up with a track like this when you stamped him for the win? Surely you take track condition and the stuff into account when stamping things. man.
A Poto meltdown is the same as a Stewart meltdown, fifth place. Poto spoded it up it to an unmeasurable extent, and that shouldn't go unnoticed. WHY did you pick Stewart to dominate Daytona Matthes? Because he was due? He's done it before? He had something to prove after throwing away a sure win? The fact it is the most obvious race of all to predict correctly Stewart would do well?
Alright Matthes a.k.a. Fat Bastard! Way to tee off on a rider (Hansen) using personal accusations...again. The rest of your colleagues have called him the most consistent rider in the H&H stable and for a period of time, showed continually improving results. For you to come back with these overly negative and personal statements makes me wonder how mentally deficient you are that you clearly have no regard for your peers' professional opinions and that you can't keep personal sentiments out of the verbal puke you call "writing". You're an embarrassment to your profession and if I ever meet you in person I'm going to punch you in your dumb, donut jelly-smeared face.
J-slone...... I was as fast as Dungey sat. night...give it a rest. Its a bummer all the guys are hurt ....But RV and Havoc and Kdub are STILL standing.....like i've said a thousand times (especially when idiots act like havoc is the only one that ever goes down) EVERYBODY crashes ..EVERY brand of bike breaks. Deal with it,enjoy whos not hurt and if you enjoy making up weird and incomprehensible graphs and charts that end up with your "guy" on top , feel free to dream on....@realmofo...I think fathers and their relationships with their sons are all not Tony Alessi and most are capable of enjoying some success together...your just maybe kinda searching for new ways to hate Havoc now hes doing better. lol
@ RV fans: Please learn to read. I said that "if" RV fans want to give a * next to Dungey's, then the same could be said about RV. I did not say that Dungey's or RV's title's had a * next to them. If/then statements are conditionals, not matter of fact statements so no one is being a sore loser.
At any rate, yes RV had a DNQ in 2011, but it was because he crashed twice, once all on his own. So no, that's not the same as a DNF and the one does not cancel the other out.
hey steve, I believe Renner rode a YZ125. I also think that the AMA rulebook doesnt allowes 144cc smoker in the lites class. By the way, its a shame Renner didnt made it to the main. I am a big twostroke fan and to me it was great to see someone ride a smoker again in the pro class.
As an RV fan supercross is becoming boring now since he has the title all wrapped up and no more points to sweat out. The only thing to root for now is a streak of wins to pad his record for future recognition. Well there are a few things to root for like cheering when Alessi crashes and watching his families faces when they see RV taking all the wins. Yes Mikey that once mighty mini dude that woke up in a mans world that left him behind.
I think most racing fans know the top riders and don't give a hoot about the beginners since most of them won't be around long. I hate when at the start of a main event TV shows some lapper on the ground when I want to see the race.
It is nice to see Big James win another trophy to put in his trophy case he is such a stud.
Other than this Daytona win, what has James turned around in the East races to make it a pattern?
As one of the normal people, I think Steve was trying to be funny with that comment...alot of people take Mathes way to serious....he is just a guy like you and me, giving his opinion....with his tys to the industry he might have a little more insight than us...but still not any smarter than us normal people..there are alot of things to cheer and root for in our sport..favorite rider, bike brand, track, energy drink and so on...cheering or rooting for some one to crash may be a bit much..as it could be career ending, taking pleasure from some one else's misfortune does not seem right...not for a true moto fan....we all ride and the next time we fall it could be our last ride...now I will get off my high horse ...Hope to see 2-7 race for 20 in Indy and in the lites lets have 49 lead the way for 70-1E, shake the road to the championship up....
Sloan,
I did see the pattern.
Title = RV
Title = RV
Title = RV
Thanks for pointing that out!
@bd200, RV didn't have a DNF in Jacksonville, he had a DNQ..........points lost are the same, but to me there is a big difference!! Moot point though really!! Carry on with all of your petty bickering fellas!! lol
Whoever is left standing at the end of the season deserves to be the champ. Just because his competitors road beyond ones limits(except canard this year) the equipment limits or panicked don't blame it on the guy who finished healthy and on top of the points standings.
Well, the mid-week report sounded pretty spot-on to me. I suppose it's not a Matthes piece until there's a death threat in the comments section. I remember going off on him about something at one point, what it was has vanished in time.
Some years we get "perfect storm", other years we get Hannah / Ward / RJ / MC / RC -style domination. Enjoy it regardless 'cause this is clearly NOT a "perfect storm" year.
Geico and KTM have some serious talent allocated to give "evil empire" PC a run for the 250F MX title so, that should be a good show this summer.
Glad to see more people coming out to say asterisks are BS to maybe shut up some of the dummies, there's no such thing, no matter who you cheer for. The winner on the night/series is the best of that night/series. Staying healthy, on two wheels and consistent is as much (if not more) a part of racing than going the fastest.
.J_Sloan............ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
.2010 RD5 wins
.2010 RV 6 wins
.2011 RD 1 win
.2011 RV 6 wins
.2012 RD 2 wins
.2012 RV 5 wins
. I guess we can take away RD's 250 outdoor title too cuz CP had a DNF!!
.Yet another pattern!!
B-KR ... The last 3 races were all east races, JS no crashes, Rode very well at all 3 rounds...= Pattern
Sloan, First this is benchracing bullshit and I am enjoying it.
I did not see RV crash all on his own in Jacksonville, I did see him get taken out by a rider who stalled in front of him in the heat and then get shoved out of control off the track in the lcq by another rider. He did have trouble getting back on the track after that but it was a lost cause by then anyway.
If you were fair and you wanted to take away RD's worst race why would you not take away RV's worst ? Neither were directly their fault although it could be said that the chain derailment was the mechanic's (his team) I tend to think it was contact with canard. Very probably they both could have been avoided if they both had started better- so it could be said that each WAS to blame.
Outdoors, the fuel boiling / run out of gas this was clearly RD's teams fault - please remember the whole sport is man and machine which includes to whole team, who else could you blame this on ? I have seen it happen several times and never so many have failed to admit only RD,s team was responsible- RV sure wasn't so don't try to penalize him by taking that moto back !
I am calling you chicken on not posting a comparo between RD and RV on wins and finishes when they have both been in the same race, I think you know the result.
BD200 The way it was RD made one point and RV made 0, so if we threw out both bad luck races RV comes out ahead by one point- simple.
dnf=1 if you complete the first lap
dns=0
its like trying to change a pro-lifer's mind. if you are a total fan of one rider, it dont much matter what anyone else says.
biker143 sounds angry.
Disgruntled, even.
J Sloan - "At any rate, yes RV had a DNQ in 2011, but it was because he crashed twice, once all on his own. So no, that's not the same as a DNF and the one does not cancel the other out.
---------That's right!
WHEN THEY WIN A TITLE, THEY WIN A TITLE. - PERIOD.
Everybody quit crying.
And for whoever said that KTM's 2 wins this year don't mean anything because it was Dungey,
Well who was the last person to Win for Kawasaki? So does that mean the new Kawi is crap because only RV has won on it?
Or apparently the Yami is just completely Junk because no one but Stewart has won on it.
I guess since Dungey left Suzuki they shouldn't even let that bike on the track.
And Honda is just Awesome because more than one rider has won on it.
How about this; 5 bike brands, but of the top 5 riders who are legitimate week in and week out contenders on for a win they are only on 4 of the brands.
So really why does Suzuki even show up, Metty is only a Top 5 guy and Alessi shows time and time again that he can't ride SX consistant above 7th.
And for whoever said that KTM's 2 wins this year don't mean anything because it was Dungey,
Well who was the last person to Win for Kawasaki? So does that mean the new Kawi is crap because only RV has won on it?
Or apparently the Yami is just completely Junk because no one but Stewart has won on it.
I guess since Dungey left Suzuki they shouldn't even let that bike on the track.
And Honda is just Awesome because more than one rider has won on it.
How about this; 5 bike brands, but of the top 5 riders who are legitimate week in and week out contenders on for a win they are only on 4 of the brands.
So really why does Suzuki even show up, Metty is only a Top 5 guy and Alessi shows time and time again that he can't ride SX consistant above 7th.
lol..boy some people gettin worked up, Villopoto good guy, fast wins races in route to championship..Dungey good guy uses consistancy in route to championship..both have championships on 250's and 450's...Two differant styles, two differant approaches with the same result.. a championship...Cheering for one does not mean you have to run down the other...They both have my respect as proven champions, as well as each others respect as competitors...I hope we get to see them battle together in the future..along with Stewart and the upcoming stars from the lites class...as fans things are looking good...so lets toast to the growth of our sport and the competition it provides on the track...
******** for baseball steriod users only******** lol
Dungey has always improved in big spurts- If you remember, Dungey was only a top5 guy in the lites class- then he raised his game to run with Villopoto more towards the end. What makes you think he can't do the same thing on a big bike?- He is still a full year behind Villopoto in development and experience. To guys like Reed and Stewart it really doesn't matter- 10 years to 7 years, what's the difference? - but Villopoto has 3 years to Dungey's 2 years, which is f i f t y percent more. Just sayin. The Dunge is comin.
@retardcross....since you are of the "no asterisk" camp ( i am too) i just wanna make sure that you are not one of those people who have put an asterisk next to JS perfect season, or say that he really never had any heavy competition in SX or MX for that matter. Just checkin' man!!!
I posted this on another article but this one was updated more recently. I'm guessing that Regal will land on Team TwoTwo as he was testing one of Reed's bikes. Well, it has the TwoTwo Motorsports graphics on it. Look up "Kyle Regal 2012 at Underground MX" on Transworld. Here's the link.
http://motocross.transworld.net/1000123534/ugc/ugc-videos/kyle-regal-2012-at-underground-mx/
All I can say is there goes another five minutes of my life that I'll never get back...I need to really start looking at who the author is... before I read an article...Why do any of us "normal people" even acknowledge the smoke and mirror ridicule that Stephany "PhatAzzOnTheSofa" Mattress, has to say about any world class athlete? Let alone world class commentating?... RacerX...fire this clown...before other people beside myself decide to let their subscription expire
@comedian66, I, as well as many others, enjoy Matthes. I think he's one of the best media guys here at racerx.
@ RV fans in general who have made comments in this thread: It must bother you to no end knowing that Dungey was two DNF's away from two probable titles in 2011. You need to start giving Dungey more credit because history will show who won the titles, but history will also tell the story within the story.
Here is an observation ... Stewie is going to go on a tear. BIG TIME!!
J_Sloan does it bug you that RD only won his outdoor 250 title cuz CP DNF'ed a moto?? You have been saying this crap for two months, Give it a break. I think the problem is you can't satnd the fact that RV is faster and win's a lot more than RD. RD is great and all that but the fact is right now RV is the man. Live with it you have no choise.
Billc, who is this Sloan guy?? I am cracking up that he could fantasize that we are bothered that RV clearly and fairly won 2 titles over RD. Actually I am feeling sorry for him. You are so right - by his logic he should be bothered that CP was a mechanical away from his title and RD really didnt earn it.
Sloan , Dude hey wake up, are you ok ?? Most on here give RD PLENTY of credit, He is clearly the third best overall rider in the world, That is stout, right now he can't quite hang with the best and that is nothing to be ashamed about. Please don't go off the deep end hoping RV fans are bothered by your imagination, and hang in there man its ok, RD is one bad dude and like we have said before, a class act. The fact that RV has laid down a consistant pattern of beating RD in wins, titles, laptimes, Mxon wins, passing ability and raw speed, does not mean that you need to lose touch with reality. We all think RD is awesome, is it ok with you that we are RV fans ? Dang man we have all seen RD beat RV on ocaision and we hope you enjoyed those times !!
Davidl.... He has been around a lot the last few months, B-KR and I have tried to talk to him a lot and it seemed he got it at one point but then went off the deep end again. I like what you said here and I agree 100% with it.
."RD is one bad dude and like we have said before, a class act. The fact that RV has laid down a consistant pattern of beating RD in wins, titles, laptimes, Mxon wins, passing ability and raw speed, does not mean that you need to lose touch with reality. We all think RD is awesome, is it ok with you that we are RV fans ? Dang man we have all seen RD beat RV on ocaision and we hope you enjoyed those times"
As a Dungey fan, it does not bother me, as a Canard fan it does not bother me, as a ole time Decoster fan it does not bother me, winning a championship is the goal! Sometimes the fastest guy does not win the championship, some times they do. Sometimes the most consistant guy does not win the championship, some times they do. That is why they call it a championship series not a championship race! I dont care who you root for, as riders they are all trying to be the best they can be...they cant control any thing else...so to all the racers out there...RESPECT....they all deserve that, as none of us keyboard guys can hold a candle to them moto wise....if we want to beat up each other on here fine, but the guys puting it down on the track for our entertaiment deserve better....damn almost ended my season falling off my high horse...whew!!!!
Carful BD25 Them high horses can get skidish in the whoops!! LOL
After reading the responses, I guess I am right. RV fans do have a hard time dealing with the fact that had Dungey not had two DNF's, he would probably have two number one plates in 2011. Wow...just give credit where credit is due.
J_Sloan - ''give credit where credit is due'' why don't you? I believe everyone that has a title earned it whether someone DNF'd or not, and I would like to think you do to, but when you decide to play the If game, then I know your not a fan of the sport, your a fan of a rider. In 2010 RD was beating RV before he crashed, there RD won the championship plain and simple. In outdoors he dominated so he won the championship there. In supercross 2011 RD had a bike problem and RV was caught up in a racing incident, neither of there faults. In outdoors 2011 RD had another bike problem and I know this isn't a team sport per say, but you need a good team to get there job done, and Goose made a mistake and when you make a mistake you can't blame anyone but your self. RV wasn't on it the two races which is him and his teams fault. Also at Unadilla RD had a chance to take the points lead he battle with Barcia and had a hissy fit over someone racing him.
I like Dungey and RV but your being very biased, they both earned there championships so whats your problem? Plus Dungey won't win the supercross championship because HE crashed HE made the mistake, just like RV in 2010, people make mistakes, RV will make more and so will RD
Yup, Looks like J_Sloan went over the edge.
penguin_bob I have told him that a 100x's, RD was 1 point behind RV at the Dillia with 8 moto's left but it was RV who won 6 of the last 8 moto's but he is too stuck on RD to see that RV was the batter man. Very sad how one sided he is and soooooooooooooooo Funny that he thinks he is right... I wonder how old he is??12?? 14??
Gee, did not know RV worked at Waffle House as the batter man, he is multi talented...Just kidding as I mis-spell all the time...I have to agree with BillC, and I am a Dungey fan...the if's dont hold water for RD any more than they do RV...in 10 RV went out and Dungey won, I think he would have any way but we will never know..last year the Ryans gave us great racing, misfortune hit both, but they persevered went forward, all they can do...I am proud of R5 for keeping his head down and working even though he was alot of pts out, but Poto did win when he had too....Congrats to RV...that is the way it works ..Decoster won a title when a spark plug blew out of Willy Baur's Maico in the last moto of the year...if that plug had stayed in ....IF's don't count towards anything but bench racing
Even RV said that had it not been for Dungey's DNF, that he would have come up short on the title. Now to demonstrate RV fans' overly-biased view of things, most RV fans that I have brought that up to, almost always say the same thing: "He was just being a good sport." So instead of taking RV at his word, his fans have to 'interpret' what he meant. That's because you don't want to admit that Dungey rode the better series and the primary thing that prevented him from a repeat was something totally out of his control: A DNF. Heck, I even heard one desperate RV fan say that Dungey coudl have used better throttle control and prevented that DNF.
Yes, Dungey was within one point after the mid-way point and he failed to capitalize on that, but it doesn't change the fact that he still lost 25 points and was fighting an uphill battle.
At any rate, all I heard from RV fans was how lucky Dungey was in 2010, so now when the tables are turned, according to RV fans it's totally different. Funny how that works!
"Yes, Dungey was within one point after the mid-way point and he failed to capitalize on that, but it doesn't change the fact that he still lost 25 points and was fighting an uphill battle. "
.Looks to me he did a GREAT job fighting that up hill batte, He made up all the points with 8 moto's to go was down 1 point, so I say time to STOP CRYING J_Sloan,..... It's OVER... RD GOT BEAT. For someone who Likes to try and make fun of RV fans you sure sound like a cry baby. Seems you are the only one who want's to take away RV's title and "GIVE" it to RD...,.. How sad some (and I use the word loosely) "fan's" look at things. In fact are you really a Fan of the sport or just RD??
As a Dungey fan, he could have backed it down at Freestone, as he had a huge lead, maybe he would have made it to the checkers...but he didn't ...that is racing ..I do agree with Sloan on the 2010 year ..The Ryans were going at it and RV crashed...ending his season...no luck for RD...just racing... I dont consider RV lucky this year with guys out...just racing ...These two are the best in the world right now...one will be faster on some days ....just racing....That is why we love it.....just sayin...now BillC and J-Sloan shake hands and agree to disagree...lol
J_Sloan.....Based on your abysmal mindset....I can certianly see why you would have ultimate respect for a three hundred pound media guy who clearly has the expertise to criticise any world class Supercross rider....Its obvious that Matthes has the skills and riding ability to not only critique todays Supercross elite..but also the unambiguous ability to replace Jeff, Ricky, and Ralph..I seriously have no idea what I was thinking....Thank you for setting me straight