by Davey Coombs
Racerhead #15
Friday, April 13, 2012 | 4:15 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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PrintWelcome to Racerhead, coming to you from Bourbon Street in New Orleans.... Okay, that's not exactly true. I may or may not be on Bourbon Street by now, just somewhere near it, or even lying down on it. But I am in the Big Easy. At least I hope I am. I wrote this part en route to New Orleans and then sent it along to the boys back home as the executive management of Racer X—Bryan Stealey, Julie Kramer, and myself—were all forced into taking one for the team and attending this race as day laborers at our little Racer X booth. Yes, while jet-setters like Jordan Roberts, Steve Matthes, and Andrew Fredrickson get to go to the high-end, super-exciting events like St. Louis or Salt Lake City and even the extraordinarily hip Oakland, Bryan and Julie and I got stuck with the short straws and have to go to New Orleans instead. So bummed.
Ryan Villopoto is already the champion, but you just know he's going all-out for the win anyway
Simon Cudby photo
Seriously, I think it's going to be an awesome event. They all have been really good this year, and it will be cool to see if someone like Justin Brayton or Jake Weimer or Mike Alessi has a first win in him, or Davi Millsaps can keep rolling things forward, how Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco do in their returns to action, and hopefully a real race between all of the fast Lites guys: Barcia, Roczen, Baggett, Wharton, Durham, etc.
Then again, it's New Orleans, and that usually means a good time. Racer X is sponsoring a party somewhere down on Bourbon Street at a place called The Beach, with Sycuan Casino Dodge/Hart & Huntington, and we're due later on for a visit to my favorite spot in the Big Easy, the Preservation Hall. At least that's the plan. This town is like Las Vegas, only with cheaper drinks and none of the pretty light shows. But the music is 100 times better, and unlike Vegas, what happens down here will probably follow you home.
I do wish James Stewart were here to get himself back up to speed and help put to rest some of the noise racing around him. My esteemed colleague Jason Weigandt penned a piece about Stewart's recent struggles in Redux, and I honestly can't remember seeing more varied feedback than some of the reader banter and blowback at the bottom of the page. It's a good read, but it lacks an ending right now.
With the New Orleans race coming up this weekend, I went digging into the Dick Miller Archives to pull some of his old photos from the 1976 New Orleans 125/500 National that was held at Moto-Cross West Cycle Park outside of town, on the banks of the Mississippi River. We found some slides and ran some wallpapers here of the race, which was won by Danny LaPorte (125) and Kent Howerton (500).
What was really cool for an avowed bench racer like myself was seeing some of the responses online and by email. For instance, here's a note and a couple of photos I got from friend Jeff Greenburg, a former pro from Ohio:
"Awesome article on the '76 Nat. I have great memories of that race and track. Here is a picture that I believe was from that race. Brock putting the pass on my #98 Honda. Ha!! My AMA pay stub from that race. My total payday = $35.00 !! Wow! Paid for my gas back to Toledo."
That's future multi-time champion Broc Glover leading future Racer X reader Jeff Greenburg back in 1976 at the New Orleans National.
Greenburg's paycheck stub for $35.00 He cashed it to pay for enough gas to get him all the way back to Ohio!
"As a REAL privateer pitting out of my '65 Chevy truck, it was my goal to get into the top ten OA for the series. I had to beat John Ayers to do that and he was very fit. I was very pumped at the time to finish 8th for the day and top ten for the season! John went on to sell t-shirts. Best of all was prize money for dinner and a hotel room for a shower!"
Riding a Husqvarna, Sun indeed finished eighth, while Ayers, riding a Maico, would placed eleventh overall. Sun would go on to be the AMA 500cc Motocross Champion in 1980 while riding for Team Honda. He would also anchor the 1981 Team USA triumphs at the Trophee and Motocross des Nations. Ayers is now the owner of Gear Racewear and Moto-Tees, as well as the operations manager for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships.
The strangest news of the week must come from either the road racing world or college football. First, before MotoGP kicked off in Dubai, Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa had to apologize to his sponsors and fans for getting arrested the previous week in Valencia, Spain, for cheating on a captain's exam he needed to pass in order to pilot a yacht. Police raided the examination room and apparently found Pedrosa wearing an earpiece. Pedrosa was arrested, along with some twenty others, for participating in the cheating scandal.
Meanwhile, down in Arkansas, embattled football coach Bobby Petrino was fired for lying to police about a motorcycle-riding accident that occurred earlier this month. Petrino told police he was riding the bike alone when he crashed, banging himself and his face up pretty good. But when the police report came out it turns out that Petrino had a 25-year-old woman on the back who happens to be a recent hire to the University of Arkansas football program, as well as a former U of A volleyball player. Petrino admitted an "improper affair" while wearing a neck brace and showing a face beat to all hell because he wasn't wearing a helmet. Add it all up and he's looking for a new job and a new motorcycle (and probably a divorce attorney).
What a weird week it was for now-former Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Bobby Petrino and his motorcycle....
"I'm going to ride (not race - LOL) in the Marty Tripes' 100 Revenge event," replied Wise. "I will be riding same bike I raced at Hangtown in 1976. A works Kawasaki! I really looking forward to riding at DD's and sharing with the precious people Sunday morning."
Steve Wise and the bike he will be riding at Diamond Don's next weekend.
The American Motocross Facebook page on Monday afternoon with 56,000 likes.
And now it's 59,102. We've been keeping it light, with a Moto Plate of the Day, as well as the countdown to Hangtown, which features photos of riders with corresponding numbers each day, and right now we're getting down to the big-hitters: #39 Bob Hannah was featured on Monday from back in 1976.
That's Bob "Hurricane" Hannah at the 1976 New Orleans National.
As you know, Ben Townley is coming back to the states to pursue some unfinished business, going back to his chase after the championship in 2007 with then-Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Ryan Villopoto. The guys at MotoOnline caught up with Ben last weekend to discuss his return; the video is also cool because the tracks look so fun and green down there right now!
I plunked down the $94 to be able to watch all of the Grand Prix races this year online at www.mx-life.tv. The opener was last Monday in the cold and fairly wet Valkenswaard, and the series as a while looks pretty good. As expected, Jeffrey Herlings destroyed the Lites class, winning both motos by ridiculous margins and showing Stefan Everts-like sand skills—maybe faster, but not quite as smooth or elegant. But then again, he's 18 years old! His closest competitors were Tommy Searle, Joel Rolents, and Jeremy Van Horebeek; his most distant rivals were Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin, the last three world title winners in MX2 but they are now in America, where Herlings hopes to be as soon as 2014.In MX1 it was Tony Cairoli, as expected, and the Italian legend looked superb out there in the sand, an area he once struggled in until making the commitment to move to the Lommel, Belgium, area and submersing himself in sand-riding culture. He's now very tough to beat. The Belgian and French riders Clement Desalle and Steven Frossard were fairly close, but Desalle is from the French-speaking, more hard-pack part of southern Belgium and is admittedly not much of a sand master. I imagine he will be tougher when they reach Sevlievo next weekend.
I will say that I could not help noticing the lack of “global” riders on that tour. Yes, it's the FIM World Championship, but there were no Americans to speak of (Zach Osborne is hurt), which was no surprise. But there was also the missing presence of anyone from Australia, South Africa, or New Zealand—a change from the recent past. This is not a knock on Youthstream or the Grand Prix tour but rather an observation. They want to expand across the world soon, and that will most certainly include another foray into the USA, but it's got to be tough for motocross teams based in Europe, and with European riders and Europe-based sponsors, to foot the bill to go race all around the four corners of the world, just as it's tough for Monster Energy Supercross here in the States to go much more outside the U.S. than that single race in Toronto. Yet the crowds are healthy on both sides of the ocean—particularly U.S. supercross, though the hardy Dutch fans stood out in the cold and rain and seemed to really enjoy Valkenswaard—which makes expansion a risky proposition.
Herlings dominated the MX2 class at the opening round in Valkenswaard.
Ray Archer // KTM Images photo
As far as what might interest U.S. fans about the GP series, as I mentioned on the VitalMX forum, I think Herlings will be extremely tough to beat at the Motocross of Nations in Belgium in September because it's on one of the sandiest tracks of all in Lommel. But I couldn't tell you who the next closest Dutchman was. And Cairoli and David Philippaerts were fast for Italy, but that third man has yet to emerge. Belgium seems the most well-rounded, with Desalle and Ken De Dycker possibly, and maybe Reolents and Van Horebeek. But I still think RV, RD, and either Barcia or Tomac or Baggett will be tough to beat as a team.
One other funny note from Holland: On the Saturday before the race I received a frantic email from Max Anstie, the Englishman who is back in Europe, and he was freaked out because he was lacking his proof of an AMA Pro license, which would allow him to his FIM license clearance for the race. Max was looking for help from anyone, and since I was all the way over here at Steel City doing an amateur race, I tried calling Kevin Crowther of the AMA to see if he could help. Crowther was actually already headed to the AMA office in Ohio with a key to open the place up, find Anstie's paperwork, and fax it to Holland so he could race. It went though fine, the FIM accepted it, and Max had a good ride for 10-5 in his two MX2 motos, even after starting dead last in the first moto.
Also, let's not count out Team France, though they did not have a great day. The aforementioned Steve Frossard was mostly solid, though he ran off the track a couple of time while battling with Cairoli in the first moto. And Gautier Paulin had a hell of a ride after crashing off the start and coming from last to I believe seventh in the first moto, taking full advantage of every tear-off he had on his 100% goggles. Add Marvin Musquin to that team in September and they could be fast.
The biggest disappointment was Christophe Pourcel, who was said to be sick before the race and mostly rode like he was. Not sure what's going on with CP377, but he's still nowhere close to where I thought he should be. Maybe he can turn it all around in Bulgaria.
Okay, they’re playing Robert Johnson on the jukebox, which means it’s time for me to shut this off. Here's Steve Matthes:
After a week off, we’re back to SX racing. The Big Easy has seen the SX series races come and go over the years and sometimes I can remember a really big crowd while other times, well, I think the fans in NoLa had somewhere else to be that night. So we’ll see what 2012 brings and I’m definitely bummed for the hometown fans, as one of their own will be a DNS on the night.
After a long layoff, Andrew Short makes his return to racing this week.
Simon Cudby photo
GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham drilled himself into the ground before the break and is out for the rest of the year. I know how much Windham was looking forward to this race, and truthfully I thought he could win the whole thing. The post-broken-leg Kevin Windham has a habit of rising up to the circumstances. I’m betting that we’ll see KW still get the loudest applause when introduced for opening ceremonies, and who knows, maybe he’ll run really fast and jump from one lane to another in sort of a mini-transfer.
The news came down yesterday that JGR Yamaha's James Stewart would miss New Orleans with a hand injury, and really, most people saw this coming. I have no doubt that James is dealing with a broken hand, but he raced Houston with it (although not successfully) and was plenty fast there. So he probably could race the rest of the races this year as well, but if there was an official injury report for Stewart I believe it would look something like this:
Stewart, James: OUT (Hand, Frustration)
Everything is quiet in the JGR camp (at least publicly), but I believe in talking to some people in and around the scene that there's a chance James is quietly trying to get out of his deal with JGR.
Notice I say chance, because there's nothing for sure, but I do think there's a chance. And you know what? I think JGR would let him go. There's no denying this isn't working, and what I see happening is Stewart getting out of his deal and pulling the plug on 2012. Then I see him striking a deal with Suzuki and coming back in 2013 on the bike that he initially wanted to ride this year but couldn't make happen.
Will this happen? Maybe, maybe not. Let's see how this plays out in the coming weeks. I'm as interested as anyone, because if this happens, it will mean that the #7 bet on himself. It means he turned down a lot of money to keep going on a Yamaha and decided that it is the bike that's the problem. As a fan of stories, this would be the biggest one yet.
James Stewart will miss New Orleans with a hand injury.
Simon Cudby photo
Nick Wey, Ivan Tedesco, and Andrew Short are back, which is trying to turn a negative to a positive. These vets have been hurt and missed a bunch of races and they are a welcome sight to the fans and their teams. Look for Short to be under the factory Honda tent with his usual team manger (Larry Brooks) and mechanic (Mark Valcore) as the team looks to regroup (using Brooks’ words) after losing their primary sponsor.
The 250 series should be wrapped up this weekend with just the Las Vegas round remaining. GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia has a nice points lead, and unless disaster strikes, he should clinch his second straight 250 East crown. I’m also looking forward to him being wheeled out strapped to a gurney with a Silence of the Lambs mask on after his meltdown in Houston. I may have just made that last sentence up.
It was podcast time in the Matthes household and this week I tracked down 42-time Canadian champion Ross “Rollerball” Pederson for this podcast and as well I spoke with Yamaha R&D rider, Dirt Rider test rider and former pro racer Kris Keefer for this interesting podcast. I know you’re thinking “Kris who?” but it’s a good listen from a guy behind the scenes who has some good info.
Speaking of Pederson, this column I wrote years ago where my tongue was fully in my cheek came to mind the other day. I still think about the hate mail that this got me and it makes me laugh. And it proved to me that no matter what you do, some people just won’t get it.
Thanks for reading and remember, if your bookie offers you odds that someone from the industry will be arrested on Saturday night on Bourbon Street, take the odds and make that money!
A preview of New Orleans.
Jeff Canfield photo
Thanks, Steve. Okay, some random notes to close this out....
The boys at Fox has been spending a lot of time with RC lately and will be releasing a three-episode video feature titled The Road Back to Loretta’s.
Episode 1: “The Decision” will debut this Monday, April 16. Basically, RC wants to go back to Loretta Lynn’s with his entire family, camp out in a motorhome and spend the week racing in a couple of classes. It’s a low pressure situation with a high fun factor, according to Ricky!
Episode 2: “Putting in the Time” will release in June (after his LL Regional Qualifier) and the final Episode “A Week at the Ranch” will debut shortly after the most prestigious amateur race in America concludes.
RC at Aonia Pass, sizing up the fun in Georgia
Additionally, Fox and RC have produced a five-part riding tips video series. Part 1 will be released May 1. Look for a subsequent new riding tip video release each month thereafter. These riding tips are a prelude of the Ricky Carmichael University (RCU) which could be coming to a National near you this Summer.
That's awesome. I was with Ricky at the Aonia Pass Area Qualifier, and he had his dad as his mechanic, some old friends like JH Leale and Winn Peoples along, and it's easy to see that the greatest of all time still just loves riding his motorcycle and having fun. This should be a cool summer for Carmichael and his family.On a totally different note, we received some tragic news from Britain earlier this week from my friend Rob Kinsey:
Wish I didn't have to write this but the whole Vintage Motocross community in Britain is in shock from the tragic events that happened at the opening round of the National Twinshock Series on Easter Sunday at Polesworth. The second race of the day, the Elite/Expert class was red flagged after 2 laps when Matt Murphy crashed hard and sustained head injuries. Paramedics and Marshalls were immediately on scene and the Air Ambulance was summoned, together with a doctor. Matt was anesthetized for the short flight to hospital and admitted to Intensive care Unit where he was reported as stable. He was taken to the operating theatre but sadly didn't make it through the operation.
Matt was only 22 years old, a fun loving lad who was the life & soul of the party. Together with his dad Gary and younger brother they developed Long Lane, Telford into a championship class circuit and raced all events on the National circuit. This quote on his facebook profile summed up his outlook on life!
“MATT TO SOME, MAD MURPH TO MANY, BORN WITH PETROL IN MY VEINS, LOVE BIKES & CARS AND THE ODD WOMEN. LIFES TOO SHORT TO BE BORING, SO BE WILD WHILE YOU CAN BEFORE AGE CATCHES YOU OUT. MENTAL AND UP FOR A LAUGH LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL ANY TIME OF THE YEAR!"
Sincere condolences to his family and friends and their tragic loss.
The Racing Paper is back! Racer X's regional amateur racing newspaper has returned with renewed efforts and a brand new look. We're providing readers with written and visual rundowns of who the fastest up and coming riders are in the Northeast week in and week out. Check out www.theracingpaper.com and www.facebook.com/theracingpaper to find out how you can get in on the action.
Want a little motocross history? Check out this website Scott Wallenberg found that is dedicated to the accomplishments of legendary California motorcycle racing brothers Bud and Dave Ekins. Both were excellent racers and highly respected all over the world (though Bud is probably best known for his work as Steve McQueen's stuntman and jumping that fence at the climax of The Great Escape).
And what about this gem from Dave himself, back in 1964 while they were racing around Europe:
"While we were all waiting at the border Bud made his way back a few more cars and heard two young men speaking French. Still teenagers, Roger DeCoster and Joel Robert were wondering about the delay. Bud, who spoke some French, jumped into the conversation. Joel Robert had just won his first World Championship, the youngest ever to do that. He and Roger were going to ride this Six Days and wondered about the holdup. Bud invited them to stay with him if they came to race in the U.S. Three years later they did just that! This was the beginning of professional motocross in the U.S. Edison Dye was promoting the first motocross races held in the United States."
Check out the latest Unplugged video over at Vurb featuring Racer X’s Garth Milan.Ebay Find of the Week: Matt Davis of Throttle Jockey spotted these very rare Fisher Price "Adventure People" complete with a "moto van" from way back in the day.
The only drawback is the asking price: $400!
Style Check
This weekend, and deep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, round two of the ECEA off-road series will be going off. The event is called The Stump Jumper Hare Scramble and is organized by MCI (Motorcycle Competition Inc.) and in partnership with Eagleswood Township. And yes, that is really in partnership with the local township.
Some readers might recall that the winner of round one a few weeks ago was none other than (the real) Jason Lawrence. No one knows if J-Law is going to show up again, but regardless, the event is worth checking out.
If you’ve never done one of these events before, they’re lots of fun and include some of the best scrub-brush trails on the East Coast. It’s a two-day event, with the kids racing on Saturday and a full schedule on Sunday starting at 10 a.m.
The first round of the All-Japan MX Series kicked off last weekend and our friend and correspondent Yuichi Furukawa sent us this shot of his crew out to support the event and promote Think Pink! He also sent this YouTube link of action footage:
Motocross in Morocco? You bet! Check out the video here.
Okay, that's it from near Bourbon Street. Or maybe I am on it. Or maybe it's already Saturday. Who knows! But thanks for reading Racerhead, see you at the races, and looking forward to wrapping up Monster Energy AMA Supercross and heading on out to Hangtown. See you at the races.
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Forty years ago, Team Honda arrived on the American motocross circuit with a brand new motorcycle: the game-changing Elsinore CR250. Page 170.
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Bingo...holeshot!!!!!
set em riders......watch the gate......bebebebeeeep just a little bmx lingo.
Ricky is looking a little chubby... Maybe they should film an episode called the road to McDonalds
Racerhead is not all that great anymore. All the writers are industry ass kissers.
@2134 Not funny , But It did make me LOL !
The issue I have with Weege's column...yeah, you can say people make stuff up, you can blame the vital members all day long that post crap about Stewart....but at the end of the day, what has the media done to squash those rumors and what have they done to get the story straight from the horses mouth. We get nothing from anyone in the MX media world about what 's going on with JS7...we get nothing regarding things that have happened to JS7....thus, people are left to speculate, opine, discuss, make stuff up, and write half truths....
Here’s the paragraph that alludes to my point:
For the record, Stewart has never uttered one bad thing about his team or bike. But he doesn’t have to for people to get talking. For example, while it seems widely known and understood that James doesn’t get along with the current generation Yamaha, he has never once actually said that in an interview. And even now, while rumors swirl that he could be out at JGR, either by his decision, theirs, or both, you’ve never heard a word from Stewart, not once, about not liking the team or wanting out. Somehow, with Stewart, these things either leak out or simply get made up. In the case of not really getting ACL surgery in 2008, it wasn’t true. In the case of 2012? Anything is possible. That’s James Stewart for you.
What HAS James said about the bike? Has anyone straight up asked him what is the issue and pressed him on it? What is going on with the bike? What is going on with him? Why can he win a heat race, but folds like a lawn chair in the main? He can holeshot the heat, then gets a terrible start in the main, why? It seems widely known and understood that James doesn’t get along with the current generation Yamaha??? On what basis do you write this…did you ask him?
Journalists are scared to death of upsetting the cash cow, the biggest thing in SX, the fastest man on the planet. Sure, we get your run of the mill Q&A, we get some team press releases, or maybe we'll get a letter signed by Bubba explaining what is going on (that most likely wasn’t written by Bubba....likely a handler). I just find it so odd that the biggest thing in SX/MX has the press by the short hairs and everyone is too damned afraid to ask some tuff questions that will make him confront what is going on and hold him accountable for his actions and decisions he's made. It's like, whatever James says or the way he tells it is the gospel and that's what we're gonna write. And then if people speculate or say stuff different than what James said we’re going to call them out. I don't get it.
Great! More Stewie news......now we'll have to read more about it here on this post as if we haven't read enough about it on the other posts.
Not to be a grumpy gus but, sheesh, I'm over it already.
One undeniable JS record: More talk vs race wins than any other racer EVER.
This is a hands-down record. If there will be an award handed out for this in Ohio, James, you are the GOAT, King, Hurricane and Golden-Boy all wrapped into one.
Now I'm over it.
As a local NOLA native and avid fan of the city, I've been looking forward to this race all season. I don't really care about the results--I'm really more excited (Hopeful) that the industry likes the changes to the superdome, enjoys their time in nola, and keeps the city on the schedule for many years to come. It's great to have a stop on the schedule that's 12 minutes away from my house.
See y'all at 8am!
I'm still not buying the Stewart / Yamaha problem. The bike is fine enough in the heat races to even beat RV2? Its fine for Davie too. Riders are now at James pace & he is not getting out of the gate then riding over his head. As far as I'm concerned, win or not James on the track is great entertainment
Pictures of Marty Smith & Bob Hannah..., Golden. Thanx, D.C.
Anyone notice Stewart may be trying to get out of his contract now with not many SX rounds remaining? Funny how with the outdoors approaching he may be trying to get out of JGR since that was one thing that was in his contract was him HAVING to race outdoors.
Im waiting to see that big headline "Stewart done racing" for 2012 and then give a big ole excuse on why after
DeCoster could drag those bars pretty good too. I like it when you can see the dirt squirting up from the lever and grip-Not enough handlebar dragging nowadays imo.
Meanwhile the New Sheriff having already completed his rounds ,takes a nap and dreams of days when 'saddleback and carlsbad were bi*ch-en old tracks and not just old men bi*ch-en...lol..suffering through the week in Nawlins sounds just fine to me. Havoc owes no one anything.. EXCEPT JGR ...for not getting it done...and sorry but some REAL fast guys also had something to do with that. I like Havoc but he can get a Suzuki ,get a new mojo bag and burn candles and carry snake eggs ...whatever ...he STILL has to deal with major mofo alpha dog RV1 and he ain't playin and has his bars and pegs adjusted to 'win everthing all the time' ...and soon the new breed will be here(450's)...and it won't get any easier. Havoc reminds me of his buddy Pwince(the artist completely full of himself) .....and in the words of some old N.O. blues man ....."i love what he does but I can't stand how he do"....!!!!
SPECULATION? He did say that is all it was but if true, he has got James sitting out the nationals again.
That will give him a lot of time to train and get ready for the 2013 Supercross season BUT he is still going to need someone to develop a bike!
I guess he would be counting on the naturally good handling of a zook to fix the WOES.
Meanwhile, RV and RD will have their bikes even further dialed by then, so it will still be a tall challenge! One thing is for sure, if he skips the outdoors again, I do not believe we will ever see him out there again.
If he does go outside years down the road, it won't result in a title with the current guys we have and the young crop coming. FOLKS, you have likely seen the last MX Title for JS7, perhaps last title period??
Funny tonewall, funny.
There was a picture of Ron Lechien somewhere (possibly old JT ad) laying his KX over in the dunes (Cantamar supposedly) dragging clutch lever AND a hand off the bars cutting a swath through the sand as well. THAT was bar draggin'.
Ok, when Stewart is lawn darting again next year on a Suzuki will it still be the bike? Stewart and crashing are one and the same. Look at his history. He will miss a Nother year of nationals. Anyone think this will help his speed?? He has not completed a complete year since 2009 no wonder he is struggling tring to ride at the pace RV is setting. Again I am not bashing on Stewart I am calling it as I see it.
I named my cat after RC because he was the fastest orange cat on the planet, and was fearless at what he would jump, and then he got older, and a little rounder, and now my sister in-law calls him Honey baked, good to see the real RC plumping up nicely, proves he wasn't a robot sent from the future to ruin young riders hopes and dreams as the GOAT.
Easy there Saddleback, I aspire to be an industry ass kisser!
My sincere condolences to Matts Family and friends.
Its good seeing RC enjoying himself now, he deserves it! So what if he gained some weight...at least he has a good nickname now SNACK-PACK ! I enjoy his commentary so much more than Jeff Emigs during Speeds telecasts.
Interesting pay stub from 1976.
What's the payout today for anyone in the top 10?
I have heard it's not much.
Who cares about Bobby Petrino and college football? This is a motocross website last time I checked.
Millsaps seems to be suffering like a mother on his JGR Yamaha.
Back in my amateur racing days, it was a joke to some of us when other racers would blame their issues on their bikes.
But it appears that when you make it to the pros, the wannabees do it for you.
Excuse me ....My spelling appears to be as bad as a RacerX editor. It is "wannabes" and not "wannabees."
So Bubba,if you or so unhappy w/JGR'S YAM'S-get out of your contract,get a backdoor semi-factory 'Zook and go racing!Forget about a big paycheck and win races.Bonuses can be your salary.Prove your a racer's racer and win outdoors.I used to hate seeing you win everything,but am rooting for you now.I am just as bored with RV/RD benefits.If you don't now you will regret it later-youth is no longer your friend.So ditch Lil'Wayne and Prince for now and go down to the crossroads on the way from Florida to Hangtown.Hitch a ride with the GOAT;he knows a thing or two about nationals and 'Zooks.After you have demoralized the troops;indoor success will follow and maybe soil samples will be greatly reduced.Run #259 and KICK ASS!If you sit out the rest of the season it is unforgivable and cheating yourself and race fans.
@handlebore ...if I actually was a rental cop I would smash my golf cart into you right after running down billc (he would agree with me for doing it) and scrubnuts , then eat a donut , go back and pick up preston and davidl ....and together we would go back and get some more pirelli style traction on the greasy spot..............@osteo "wannabees " is what aborigines eat when their training.......
hey DC Aussie Dean Ferris will be competing in the MX1 GP's with Raikkonenn's ice one team on Kawasaki's. he broke his elbow at a pre season race and was forced to miss round 1 but he'll be at round 2.. just FYI
Bummer we're not seeing Windham and Reed for the rest of the season (perhaps even the year for KW).
To this day, I have been wondering why James Stewart STILL rode a Yamaha after the way 2011 went for him; at first, I thought the first thing he had to do was get the heck away from his dad -- now, he's having continuous troubles all because his "so-called" deal with Suzuki went down the toilet. If I was Stewart, I'd have gone with the Suzuki for this year -- then he'd be in title contention. I knew JS Would have problems on that Yamaha, but he just doesn't learn.
IF Stewart gets out of his contract, he should immediately get on a Suzuki and race the outdoors. He doesn't have to win and he can race at a decent pace to get his bearings. He won't though, because he will need to have a deal all done so he makes sure he gets paid. At this point, he needs to get some results to prove it IS the bike if that is what he thinks. JGR bet on him and lost big. Can't imagine many would give him a big James Stewart deal right now when it looks like he will crash away 50% of the time. Plus,he needs to be outdoors to get that edge back that he has lost (and he has lost it). If he sits out the summer AGAIN, it won't matter what color the plastic is.....it will still get all broken up and torn off too many times in SX 2013 to be anything but an enormous fail.
you guys do realize your missing out on the biggest story of the day...BT101 was injured in Australia....HIP
not implying anything other than RacerX is missing out on the biggest story in MX right now. I'm super pissed that BT101 is out.
http://www.motoonline.com.au/2012/04/14/confirmed-townley-injured-in-coonabarabran-mx-nationals-practice/
Good grief I just logged on and I missed a lot yesterday, Gonna go backwards like the startin gate and read Racerhead and check out all of the links! I am doing a personal promotion for "THE VAULT " because it is so nneat, I think my (n) key is bouncing?
Back at ya later.
Dropping down from the article to make some comments. WOW Just like I have said in prvious posts unless you have not saw Marty Smith rail a berm you have not saw the best that includes todeays riders.
Also back then we could make more money at the Outlaw races as you can see with the $35 dollat paycheck. Then again the Outlaw races paid cash.
JS --- The turning point for me as a fan was the lack of urgency getting back on the horse after a tumble in a race early in the season. I don't recall which race, but it was a minor spill and had me thinking he does not want the title.
RV --- Well done and well deserved.
RD --- Thank you for keeping the racing legit.
CR --- Wow. Like a bottle of wine, getting better with age.
KW --- Respect.
2011 Season vs. 2012 season = Yin and yang. (2011 yang 2012 yin)
Thanks Muhamed, I appreciate real news, even though it may be bad for Townley and 22motosports.
BarDragger are you serious? "telling a bunch of fat "affirmative action guys" how to run around a field..."
Are you trying not be racist? What the hell are you trying to say? Your colors are showing from under your white sheet.
BT101 got hurt?? How bad??
It's a WIN - WIN for Suzuki if they get JS, If he win's there bike looks GREAT if not no one will blaim the bike. I don't see how they can lose if the deal ever happen. I for one would love to see it just to end all the guessing.
@scrubthis , @handlebardragqueen .... You two are one in the same , Reminds me of a guy , that started all the backhanded racial slurs last year, Jairtime ... could be any one of you .. Pretty sure based on your comments that you are both At an age where Maturity should have taken affect by now , but just couldnt , stick to your White Sheets .Sad where you guys want to take this great sport , But truth be told , you guys are a minority , even in Motocross , Todays youth are completely unaffected by guys like you two , unless they where brainwashed by there parents . Hope you two dont have children , if you do I feel sorry for them , because your actions , will only hurt them in the future , You Cant Stop Evolution ,
@scrublilstewsnuts ...HA HA you are hilarious ..really you make me laugh ....anybody who writes at least 5 times on every topic but ALWAYS and i mean A L W A Y S turns it to back to JS7 then calls someone else a stewtard has GOT to fit YOUR low IQ profile ...geezus... Now even I want the guy to quit ....just to throw a wrench in your psyche ,as there doesn't seem to be anything in that loaf of wet meat on your neck EXCEPT for thoughts of your one true obsession ...HAVOC7 and maybe some half-as*ed politic ramblings no one else cares to hear on a moto site....go on lets hear some more ,I enjoy watching you making an a*s out of yourself.And your damn good at it.
@scrubnuts ....I rest my case.
Wow too bad for BT101, should have known it would be to good to be true. Looks like the outdoors will be the RV1 and RD5 show. I guess the next time we will see lil Stewie, will be as a cardboard cutout at 7/11 hold a slurppy. I see that jairtime is really on a roll today.
Interesting there's a whole bit about a coach from a sport I did not come here to read about, and yet there's some vague allusion to Short's team folding or at least in some sort of turmoil, which is relevant to the sport this site is about... where's the story Racer X? Seems news worthy to me...
For @ScrubThis- after your last really retarded rambling rant you ran away too soon-
"And as stated above, if CR fans had low IQ like the stewtards, that would be claiming that CR is the greatest because of his 2009 MX title. But they don't have the low of an IQ."
Medium'Stew is not the 'greatest' but he has done more than Reed- two 125 outdoor titles to Reed's zero 125 titles- 28 consecutive moto wins in 125 outdoors beating Carmichael's record (in which r/c's was attained with a little extra help from Mike Brown)- what is Reeds longest winning streak? Beat Carmichael straight up in an outdoor moto or two- how many times did Reed beat Carmichael outdoors? Perfect session season 24 and 0- how many for Reed? Won some outdoor motos by over a minute- how many times for Reed?
"Using Google for an ESTIMATE:
valentino rossi - 25,000,000
travis pastrana - 7,280,000
nicky hayden - 5,490,000
kenny roberts - 2,740,000
jeremy mcgrath - 725,000
james stewart - 453,000
ricky carmichael - 414,000"
Funny- I just typed 'james stewart bubba' at google and got 1,390,000 not 453,000 which is still twice as many as McGrath- and 3 times more than Carmichael- making him the highest listed mx'er on google. It's interesting that there are 3 road racers with WAY more than the mx'ers, I didn't realize road racing was so popular, I don't watch it at all myself. And Pastrana is in a completely different category- having crossed into so many different off road genres.
"And why was lil'stew given his own show? Personalty, appearance, wittiness, intelligence, speaking ability, charisma, ..."
Was Medium'Stew GIVEN a tv show?? I thought he bought it with his own money? Reed could have a tv show too if he wanted one- he just doesnt want one. It is true that Medium'Stew would have been much better off without his stupid tv show.
"Whatever the reason, it is likely the same reason he was named one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World" in the April 2003 issue of Teen People magazine."
And who are the other 19 teens?- did any of them "change the world"? Or is Medium'Stew the only 'failure' on the list? More information please...
"Other than Chad Reed, lii'stew has yet to beat any significant top tier ride for a title."
Medium'Stew beat the reigning 125 outdoor champ Mike Brown in his rookie year. For three years he beat Grant Langston. But I guess according to your on-the-down-low standards he is not a "top tier rider' what with only a 125 world gp title- a 125 outdoor ama title- a 450 outdoor ama title- and east and west regionl sx title. After all there are '100 other riders who could have beat him' right?
You cannot hide your creepy fixation on Medium'Stew no matter how hard you try. As far as calling the names, I do not see the the exclusive trend for only Stewtards to be calling names- it seems that all tards call names on here- you are just looking through Stewtard colored glasses.
@ScrubThis has been afflicted with an on-the-down-low psychiatric condition called Limerence-
"Limerence is a term coined in 1977 by the psycologist Dorothy Tenov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated. Limerence is considered as a cognitive and emotional state of being emotionally attached or even obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings - a near-obsessive form of romantic love. Limerence is sometimes also interpreted as infatuation, or what is colloquially known as a crush; but in common speech, infatuation includes aspects of immaturity and extrapolation from insufficient information, and is usually short-lived."
This explains why ScrubThis is secretly in love with the "lil'Stew"- and secretly wants to BE lil'Stew in his deepest and darkest fantasies (no pun intended).
It is tearing him apart on the inside- and his excessive raging rants are merely an attempt to quiet the demons lurking inside.
@scrubthis ...what a mess you have made of this comment board , you have wasted enough of my time , and everyone elses ,on here , so at this point@ Jairtime, I am through with you , and your Racist inuendos , I think if the rest of your Haters , will do the same , the better this planet will be , Your voice does not need to be heard , and your Hillbilly Agenda , ( hillbilly ,a deragatory term used to describe backwards thinking people , ie: white trash ) is counterintuitive , Try not to burn your hand when lighting the crosses .
@BillC, Ben Townley dislocated his hip. Not a big surprise, he is hurt all the time.
@Bill, you said you wanted to see Stewart on a Suzuki to "End all the guessing" To end what guessing?? Why Stewart crashes?? Because he always crashes, he always has. I cant for the life of me wonder WHY people think Stewart crashes because his bike is blue... He crashed all over on the Kawasaki too.. If the Yamaha was the ONLY bike he crahsed with I could understand. But have people forgotten all the crashes and missed seasons when Stewart was on a Kawasaki?? I and a few other readers have asked a few guys the question, but they dodge it and dont answer.. "IF ITS THE BIKE WHY DID STEWART CRASH ALL OVER THE PLACE AND MISS SEASONS ON THE KAWASAKI????
@Preston--we have heard all this from you before.. And why be a racist Preston and assume all hillbillies are white, that is racist in itself..
Stewart didn't crash nearly as much on Green as he does on Blue. He won 28 consecutive motos on green- how do you do that while crashing your brains out all the time? In regionals he had a crash that wrecked his '03 outdoors- but it was after he already clinched indoors. He only had one big crash on the kawi 250 in '05 in his second ever big bike race. '06 he was racing Ricky Carmichael and came up 2 points short indoors- and oudoors he had a big one when he cross rutted- and another one when his motor locked up in mid air. Carmichael the goat also had a big crash that season- and had to be immediately air lifted to florida for evaluation. In '07 he had a low speed crash in a turn that twisted his knee- and cost him 2 seasons. And that is it for Green- unless you can think of more. For Blue we have 2 big crashes in the same race resulting in a broken wrist- ruining 2 more seasons. Then the 2011 crashfest highlight reels- and now for 2012 he makes 2011 look good. I have to disagree with you that he has always crashed at this high rate.
And he landed on Carmichael's back at unadilla- and crashed a bunch after that too- the 250 experiment was a complete failure for outdoors. But still a lower race to crash ratio on green than blue. Things have really gotten out of hand lately.
It's official. RacerX comment sections have "jumped the shark." Since it's unfortunately illegal to eliminate the morons, Rx should eliminate the section. DC, you've always said, "It's not a party unless everyone's invited", but seriously, would you invite some of these people to your house? They'd be the thankless fools insulting your family, stealing your belongings, spitting in the punchbowl, and putting butts out on the carpet. It no longer bolsters the enjoyment of the site...it's degrading to the sport and the hard work you've done. I say kill it, but it's your house.
you people fuel the fire, muhammed has a point, ive often wonder why he is getting beat by some riders that im sorry dont have near the talent nor speed RV is on that mark but other than him he should not be getting beat by anyone else. there is know way you can deny that no matter what you think of him for him to get beat by someone who places in the top five somethings wrong, theres no way you can deny that james is not fast the guy is unreal with what he does on a bike, plain and simple RV should be the only one hes having to race with. reed cant beat him put aside what you think of james when ever he was behind reed it wasnt will he pass him it was when, then what would happen reed would take a cheap shot and knock him down always, always never failed, and every one thinks reed is great. hes dirty, a chump and a piss poor loser, watch a few mains he did the same thing to dungey, reed rides a wide line, i would get sick of it, there a bigger picture when it comes to james he should be winning hands down, my wife says he doesnt want anymore i say he tired of all the s&&t he gets from his so called fans hes always tried to keep it clean, im a fan and im going to stick by him, if i got crapped on as much as james does i would tell the media or haters anything but blow me.
expected response , when you run out of ideas
DC : Great writing job, too bad a few missed the humor.
WOW!A little bench racing bs quickly turned into a ugly hatefest.I can only hope board moderater can block posts w/racist agendas.Now that would be affirmative action!A little sarcasm and attempt at humor seemed to ignite the vapor trail emitted by a few.If only the magneto on my old Chay-Zed had provided such a spark;I would'nt have needed a Motoplat.
Enough about JS7 - Doesn't matter what color bike JS7 rides, he'll be fast and it'll be entertaining, but same roller coaster results. At this point just stay on Blue, race a couple of time a year, finish out and move on to NASCAR.
So where's RD5's paragragh updating his situation?
I noticed none of the excuse makers for Stewart could answer my question... So that tells me something, that they are just excuses when blaming the bike..