by Davey Coombs
Racerhead #20
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PrintWelcome to Racerhead, coming to you from Hangtown's pro paddock, smack dab in the middle of the opening round of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. The long off-season (well, only two weeks, but it seemed like much more since Monster Energy Supercross was wrapped up so early) is over, and tomorrow we will start to see some questions answered at the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic.
How well will Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin stack up against #1 Dean Wilson? Will the sheer speed and power of the GEICO Honda team carry over to outdoors in the 250 class? And Tyla Rattray on a 450? He looks fitter than ever—maybe because he doesn't have to diet as much now! Ryan Dungey outdoors on the orange #5 KTM against you-know-who's #7 'Zook? And what about Ashley Fiolek and Jessica Patterson and their never-ending rivalry? What about Ivan Tedesco back outdoors, back on a Pro Circuit-backed 250? How about Mike Alessi, who looked very fast yesterday after getting through the entire SX season relatively unscathed?
Ken Roczen's press-day whips were downright mind-blowing.
Simon Cudby photo
IMPORTANT: Allisports.com will be using the new “Silverlight” technology from NBC that will allow you to check out different angles, and highlight clips that you can watch as the races are going on. It's a free download and will make watching the online races even better. Here is a headstart (CLICK HERE) but look for a Breaking News piece shortly with information on how it all works and where to download it on Allisports.com.
[Click HERE to view press release]
And we will also be posting the archived motos and the aired second motos as soon as possible, after the races.
The Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club has once again went over and above the call of duty in prepping this track, and as you probably saw in Simon Cudby's gallery of photos, the track and soil look amazing. A tip of the visor to the work of all the Dirt Diggers this week. They are volunteers, they work hard and they do good work.
But there have been some hiccups in getting here; biggest of all the crashes and injuries that have sidelined top stars like defending champion Ryan Villopoto, former champions Chad Reed and Trey Canard. Ashley Fiolek announced that this will be her last season on the WMX tour, which should only add to the drama. And even our new pit reporter Georgia Albertson has been sidelined briefly as she gets all of her paperwork in order (for now, look for her on the Racer X Motocross Show, which will appear on Sunday as we collaborate with our partners at Vurbmoto to give you a better show than ever, with all of the race highlights and exclusive interviews).
The track is looking prime and ready to go!
Simon Cudby photo
Obviously this has been a pretty hectic week for everyone, and I have spent most of it here at the track working with MX Sports and the Hangtown staff. There are a lot of things that can and will go wrong, but as long we have good weather and a good, safe race, hopefully it will be the start of an extraordinary summer.
I am also proud that the event and the rest of the series will host an area for people to sign up for BeTheMatch.org, as people all over the world—and from all sorts of motorized sports—are trying to help find the match for a possible bone marrow transplant for Kim McGrath, the wife of Jeremy, who is battling leukemia right now. If you come out to the races, please try to stop by and sign up to be a possible donor. I did it last Friday at the Lake Elsinore Pro Ride Day and it was quick and easy.
What wasn't quick and easy was last weekend's first Grand Prix of Mexico. Sebastien Tortelli, the promoter and a very good friend of mine for some 15 years now, had a lot of challenges and obstacles to overcome in trying to make a good new race in a very tough situation. Things got a little sideways down there, and as a result Sebastien has had a tough week, as you can tell in his open letter (READ HERE). I just wanted to say here that I know how much goes into trying to pull off a big event like that, and I am sure Tortelli put his heart and soul into it. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, and I really hope he has much better luck in his next racing endeavor.
Okay, I have to get back to work on some of the last-minute stuff here, so let me turn it over to the rest of the guys.
James Stewart makes his return to the outdoors tomorrow.
Simon Cudby photo
Let's start with Jason Weigandt who just arrived at Hangtown:
What a beautiful day here in Rancho Cordova, home of Hangtown and the opener for the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. You couldn't ask for better weather and the Prairie City OHV Park, which contains the track, looks awesome. But we are always excited on the eve of the Nationals, even though we are dealing with a weird situation with 450 Champion Ryan Villopoto out for the summer.
So, like I did last week, I feel we need to give RV some extra love since he will soon be out of sight and out of mind—Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto. There.
Beyond that absence, this year's field is full of intrigue. We have talked to death about Ryan Dungey and James Stewart, and also the "Big 2" of the 250 class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki and GEICO Honda. But I think we may see some surprises beyond that.
Josh Grant is one of the most intriguing riders coming into this series—even though hardly anyone is talking about him. He's been out of the spotlight for a long time, but he has actually been healthy for a while and has given motocross his full focus for the spring (he pretty much wrote SX off and just went through the motions at the races). JG hauls at this track—he won a moto here on a 450 a few years ago—and really, really needs a breakout summer to reestablish himself. He could do some serious damage if things finally start to fall his way.
Josh Grant could be a dark horse in 2012, if he can stay healthy.
Simon Cudby photo
In the 250s, it seems like many have tempered their expectations for Ken Roczen because he only won one supercross this year. And yes, he has little acclimation to Eastern U.S. heat and humidity, and doesn't know the tracks here. But you know what? Those are mere details. Talent is talent and speed is speed. We may be making a huge mistake to judge Kenny's 2012 outdoor potential based on his supercross season.
Same with Blake Baggett. Baggett's best strength outdoors is his line selection, and the ability to go where other riders don't. It almost looks like he's riding a track with 50 percent less bumps than the others, at times. But that skill doesn't apply in supercross.
Bottom line is we only have the indoor season in which to use right now to make outdoor predictions. And that info could steer everyone in the wrong direction. Remember no one would have expected the PC boys to dominate outdoors last year—their supercross season was merely average at best.
Heck, you can't even judge the series from Hangtown alone. Remember Ryan Villopoto couldn’t stick with Dungey or Reed here last year. And while Dungey won the 2010 title, he struggled mightily here, while Reed and Mike Alessi took the moto wins. Reed won the 450 opener the last two years but didn't win the title either time, while he did win the '09 title after struggling a bit at the opener that season.
It's going to be a long, fun summer, and one that could change at any moment. That's what makes the racing fun to watch.
Blake Baggett looks to rebound outdoors after a sub-par supercross campaign.
Simon Cudby photo
In case you're wondering, the Racer X Motocross show will be back this year with the usual post-race Internet show extravaganza. We've even got the original crew handling the technical work behind the scenes, with Wes Williams and the boys from Vurbmoto. We are going to party like it's 2005 but also enjoy more reliable Internet upload speeds. We will have the first post show posted here on Sunday morning. Don't miss it.
Steve Matthes, who just made the unofficial deadline, is up next with some pit chatter:
Whew, just got this in by the deadline! I’m here cruising the pits at Hangtown bothering the teams and riders while they get ready for the opening round of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Here are some tidbits from the pit walk:
-The unofficial times from yesterday’s press day had James Stewart the fastest at just over two minutes. Tyla Rattray was a second off of JS and Ryan Dungey was a second behind Rattray. Also looking good was Mike Alessi, but I didn’t hear a time on him. What do these times mean? Nothing really, it’s foolish to judge anything on these things but I’m just passing it along.
- Nick Wey is in the house doing the first of four nationals this year for the Motosport.com Kawasaki team. He’s doing Hangtown, High Point, RedBud and Millville in 2012. He’s a little behind the eight ball with lack of testing and preparation due to an injury he suffered while racing SX but he’ll be here, he’ll be wearing a Mafia vest and I suppose that’s cool.
Ryan Dungey will make his outdoors KTM debut at Hangtown.
Simon Cudby photo
- Some pit scuttlebutt that had people talking was the use of Renthal bars by James Stewart on the Yoshimura Suzuki team when the team is supported by Pro Taper. Plenty of talk about how Pro Taper is definitely not happy about this (and I checked with them and they’re not) and how James wears Answer gear which is owned by Tucker Rocky, the same company that owns Pro Taper. The deal is PT didn’t make a bar that made Stewart happy (he’s been a long-time Renthal guy) and that he asked if he could use them. Obviously Suzuki said yes and here we are. Weird deal for sure but I suppose Suzuki’s stance is that James (or a second rider) isn’t listed on the contract that Suzuki signed so maybe this is a technicality. I don’t know for sure, just spit-balling here but it’s got people talking.
- The GPS sensors that caused all the commotion in supercross last year with the L&M team are legal to use outdoors and perhaps front and rear wheel sensors as well. What these sensors can do is tell the team on what part of the track the bike is doing what. It’s invaluable and was not allowed in supercross but outdoors, they are. Interesting stuff.
-Look for Chris Blose to be a fan favorite this weekend and not because he’s out front and winning but because he’s going to be on a Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke. Yep, Blose has decided to make his racing laps miserable and try his best on a machine that will be at a disadvantage out there. The cool thing for me is Pulpmx.com is his main sponsor this weekend so, go Chris go!!!
Backed by Pulpmx.com, Chris Blose will be riding a YZ250 two-stroke at the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship opener at Hangtown.
Steve Matthes photo
- Talked to Ryan Hughes for a bit and he’s committing to Hangtown this weekend and will see how it goes from there. If he wants to do more Nationals, the Rock River/Moto Star Yamaha team has committed to throwing a bike on the truck for him. Hughes himself (he’s 39 by the way) isn’t sure and for now, this is a one-weekend deal. But with Ryno, you never know. I spoke to some teams that said they have been surprised at his speed at Glen Helen on Thursday practices leading into this race.
-I saw Tim Ferry. He is here helping out Ashley Fiolek in her defense of the WMX title. He’s looking great, podium material in my opinion. Ok, I’ll be quiet now.
Now over to Aaron Hansel who caught up with Pro Circuit's new rider, Ivan Tedesco:
We’re less than 24 hours from the first gate of the year dropping at the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic, and I can’t tell you how excited I am. The start of a fresh, new series always carries a lot of enthusiasm and anticipation, and this year is no different. Ivan Tedesco is returning to action with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, the same team he won the outdoor 250 title for in 2005. I’d be lying if I said this situation didn’t especially interest me, which is why I gave Tedesco a ring this week to find out a little more about it.
Filling in for the injured defending champion, Ryan Villopoto, Tyla Rattray has some big shoes to fill.
Simon Cudby photo
Racer X: We’ve all been hearing a lot about you riding a Pro Circuit 250F this summer. Tell us what’s officially happening with this situation.
Tedesco: I’ve ridden the bike about five or six times, right after Vegas was the first time I rode it. We started talking about it a little before Vegas, not joking around, but just thinking it’d be cool to race one of these things again. A week later they needed to shuffle some guys around because [Ryan] Villopoto got hurt and I threw my name into the hat, and things worked out.
Are you excited to be riding with the Pro Circuit team again?
I’m super pumped. I’ve worked with those guys throughout the years since I’ve left the team, but to be on the actual race team again is really cool. I get along with all the guys really good, I’ve worked with Bones and Mitch in the past with some success, and it’d be cool to go back there and have some more.
Ivan Tedesco will debut for the Monster Energy Pro Circuit squad at Hangtown.
Simon Cudby photo
They have got to be excited, because you definitely won a few titles for them in the past.
Yeah, I won two supercross [Lites] titles and one outdoor title in those two years that I rode for them. It’s just cool to ride a 250F again. It’s been seven years, and it was a little weird at first, but I’m starting to get the hang of it and hopefully at some point I can get up there and be a contender.
What about the people who say you should be on a 450?
Yeah, you know, to some of the people that are asking why I’m riding a Lites bike, this is the opportunity I had to ride outdoors. My deal [with H&H] is supercross only, and when I got hurt, I thought to myself that I should race outdoors this summer, because if I take another summer off, I’m going to be way too far behind next year. I need to be on the starting gate, so I put some feelers out there, and this was my only good opportunity, and I’m going to take it. Anybody that has any questions about me being on a 250F, I don’t really know what to tell them.
I think you just did tell them. How does this affect your contract with Hart & Huntington?
All that’s good, we worked all that out. Basically I’m going to ride for Mitch from Hangtown until Elsinore, which is the last outdoor race, and then I’ll go back to Hart & Huntington and finish out the rest of the year with them, with the Monster Cup and whatever else.
Will you be in Thor or Shift gear?
I’m gong to be wearing the full Pro Circuit kit (Thor), the whole deal. We worked all that out with the Hart & Huntington guys, and things actually went pretty good, smoother than I thought they would when I brought it up to those guys. I want to thank those guys for letting me take this opportunity. I think they realize that for me to be the best I can be next year, I need to be at the races this summer, and it’s cool that they let me do it.
The GEICO Honda stable of Hahn, Bogle, Barcia and Tomac look to capture the teams first outdoor title since Trey Canard in '10.
Simon Cudby photo
How’s the finger?
Finger’s all good. That was a rough injury for just being a finger. I had three months off the bike, and we were expecting six to eight weeks. When I got the pins out, the thing wouldn’t bend, and it took a lot of therapy and a lot of pain to get that thing to where I could actually hold onto a handlebar. It’s all good now, it’s just a matter of seat time, and I’ve been riding every day. I just need to get my fitness up and we’ll be good.
What’d we miss?
I’d like to thank Mitch for the opportunity, and the Hart & Huntington guys for letting me take it. And thanks to all the fans that are supporting me. On Twitter (@ivantedesco) a lot of people are pretty pumped, so hopefully I can have a cool summer, have some good races and have some fun.
Let's kick it over to our intern Haley Whisennand who has an update on privateer Gavin Faith:
I checked in with privateer/professional fill-in rider Gavin Faith the other day after I noticed that he wasn't listed for Hangtown. For the past couple of weeks, he had been waiting for offers to ride the Nationals. But now, Faith has decided that he's going to head down under for another year in the Australian Super X Series. Last year, he finished second and now, with the experience from the U.S. supercross circuit, expect him to make a big showing.
As for next year, though, Faith doesn't have any plans. Will we see him back for supercross in 2013? I personally hope so. Faith showed a lot of promise this season, and maybe if he got picked up by a team for a whole season and had time to test, he would be able to get the consistency and results that he is capable of.
Jessica Patterson has a new ride for 2012.
Simon Cudby photo
Heading to Freestone? Spend the day in the pro pits with the Racer X all-day pit pass, available now online (http://freestonemx2012.eventbrite.com/).
There are only 300 of these passes available, and this is the only way for you to get into the pro pits past noon. Spend five more hours in the pits!
For $40 you get 12 issues of Racer X plus an all-day pit pass, good from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. You can get the subscription for yourself or send it as a gift when you fill out the subscription information on the order page. If you need to buy more than one pass you can get a multi-year subscription to the same address.
With Lil D at the helm, the FMF apparel launch party kicked off at La Jolla Group in Irvine, CA this past Wednesday night with some heavy hitters in attendance including X Games Gold medalist Kyle Loza, JGRMX rider Davi Millsaps, Jeff Emig, Coy Gibbs, Donnie Emler along with a host of industry types and pretty girls. Red Bull provided the liquid refreshment with an open bar, while popular OC cover band "Flashback Heart Attack" kept the crowds entertained with some classic '80s tracks. The popular exhaust company has come out with some fresh casual wear, which is available now at apparel.fmfracing.com.
Racer X and Pivot Works have teamed up and are giving away a brand new 2012 Honda CRF250R (see below). All you have to do is visit the Pivot Works Facebook page, HERE, and enter the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes ends July 4, so make sure to get a head start and sign up today!
Sign up today for a chance to win this new 2012 Honda CRF250R.
While all eyes are on Hangtown this weekend, our friends back on the east coast at Unadilla are busy putting the final touches on the MX Rewind event, which is going off June 1-3. MX Rewind celebrates motocross history, and the number of past legends who are scheduled to appear is impressive. With Larry Maiers back on the microphone and calling the action riders like Jeff Stanton, Ron Lechien, Trampas Parker, Donnie Hanson, Chuck Sun, Mark Barnett, and many, many more will once again be front and center. In addition to the vintage racing, there is a number of other really cool off track events, including the MX briefs, which are motocross inspired classroom sessions that focus on a variety of historical topics. Our own Davey Coombs will be hosting one, and talking about some of the old AMA Trans-AM and Trans USA series. For more information, please visit www.mxrewind.com
Thanks for reading Racerhead, and I really hope we have a solid, exciting and safe race here at Hangtown.
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Good to know James was up there in practice times!! Can't wait to see what the real deal brings tomorrow!! Great interview with him here...http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/features/Chatter-Box-James-Stewart,36868/Slideshow,0/GuyB,64..........Rattray will be there all summer!!
It'd be great if we ALL could keep it positive on here as much as possible!! Let the riders and the races speak for themselves!!!
...sorry, i keep thinking of stuff...is there anywhere to watch video coverage of the press conferences each week?? I thought we had that in years past, those are so cool to listen too!! Anyone??
Its gonna be awesome. But here comes the smack talkers..
really looking forward to a great outdoors!! I'm really excited to see how #7 takes to the Yellow bike. Maybe we will see a rejuvenated James. I still believe its going to be RD5 and Shorty up front. I can't explain the Shorty pick, but He is my dark horse. Here is to a HEALTHY outdoor season.
@arm01: He is referring to the lap time he put down, not how much faster he was. As stated by Matthes: "Tyla Rattray was a second off of JS and Ryan Dungey was a second behind Rattray."
I hate to say it but, I don't see Barcia being a factor in the outdoors. He seems to ride a 450 outside better than a 250. I'm almost positive i'll be eating my words in a few weeks though.
I cannot wait until 4:00 tomorrow!
First of all, let's get this out of the way: Good Racerhead, RacerX...in particular, Davey Coombs... Us fans LOVE all RacerX offers to motocross fans.
OK...now on to what everyone knows I am going to say:
Weege...Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, .Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, .Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Villopoto,
REALLY? You're driving me crazy!!!!!!
And then this: "We have talked to death about Ryan Dungey and James Stewart..."
Actually you have talked to death about James Stewart (and Ryan Villopoto) and have all but ignored Ryan Dungey (the 2012 450 National Champion). First you curse Dungey by saying he doesn't get injured and now all you can talk about is Ryan Villopoto. Did Ryan Dungey steal your prom date?
I just dig how Coombs is always saying the TV coverage is great and getting better all the time? Could you imagine watching half a Laker basketball game in the afternoon and the other half at night? Moto fans always get burned with these lame TV times! I will know who won before I watch it, lame for sure. What is the big problem, pay the money and get the proper TV package, this two channel crap sucks.
Thanks America for Motocross!!! Cheers from Toronto, Canada
Really, Weege? Seriously? I tried to leave for a while and thought about it...but I came back just because I had to check once again just to make sure there was no typo or I wasn't having delusions...but sure enough you went off on Ryan Villopoto AGAIN.
And I won't even get into Matthes' comments about Stewart being 2 seconds a lap faster on his fast lap than Dungey...then he goes on to say it means nothing. It means nothing but he throw that poo-poo out there because Matthes knows he is stirring the pot. Boy, you guys really cut the cake.
It's press day, Matthes...not fast lap day.
I'm worried now. What if Stewart was really that much faster? Is there a feeling in the air? Phil Collins said it best, "I can feel it coming in the air tonight..." OK, if Stewart wins Hangtown I will send a formal alology (along with a drawing of Stewart winning) to RacerX via certified mail.
One thing you can for sure count on that will not work right is that NBC Sliverlight crap.It is a POS.The online stuff will F-up as well.
SilverLight is only available for Windoze and Mac users. What about Linux users? J_Sloan is sad.
So what year model is Chris Blose's 2 stroke.I know the 2012 YZ250 has not been homolagated.Yes I'm sure thats spelled wrong.
As an fan who used to get to watch one race a year on TV, and it was 2 months after the fact I can appreciate what we have today..its not perfect but it is a step in the right direction..advertising is money and that runs the show...as advertisers see the numbers they will be more willing to give moto a better spot ..so every one watch ....Thanks to Davey for all the behind the scenes work he does to make this happen...sure they did not come to him and ask if they could put it on TV...To Weedge, you do a good job of announceing, as your passion for the sport comes thru....Good luck to all the riders tomorrow, may the best man win ....
The number of readers who cite issues regarding the quality of RacerX editing and/or writing indicates that some readers care about how MX is reported.
And the informal debates of some readers in regards to issues addressed in the articles and/or replies to the articles indicates the true fanaticism of MX fans.
C'mon J_Sloan...fast lap is part of press day, it's that simple!! Be honest, if they had said that Dungey was 2 seconds faster than Stewart would it have pissed you off??
Exactly, it was press day, hardly even a real practice session. So like he said, means nothing, he was just babbling.
I am so excited! I just can't wait till tomorrow.Now I just want to cry because it just dawned on me how stupid and ridiculous it is going to be trying to watch the races.Heck Spain will have it much better than us.
@ arm01
this is a direct quote from your earlier post: " Lets all just stop the criticism of all the riders and hope for some good racing as this SX season was rather lame and a real disappointment."
Then you post your dribble: " Everybody notice how all the mad JS7 haters are coming out as soon as their RED HEADED STEPCHILD gets spoken about wrongly?? lol"
thought you wanted to play nice?? if you didn't enjoy the SX I would think, whether you like the Red Head or not that you'd want him out there this summer to improve the racing!
Damn tomorrow can't come soon enough......I can't make sense of any of this anymore!
I'm stoked for the racing to come.
Roczen and Barcia. Eli will come on at some point in the season, maybe not right away. Wilson will be as fast as ever, regardless of shoulder. Hope Bagget finds his groove, its fun to watch him step it up mid-race.
Allesi holeshot and stay near the front.. I won't be surprised if JS7 wins, but I think Stewart would do best to stay chill and consider that he is rebuilding his program. Hopefully we'll get to see him battle some with Dungey. Rattray will be there all summer make late race passes. Short will run near the front, and I'm picking Weimer as a wildhorse .
Although it is called press day, and it is mainly for the press, if you're riding a track with the guys you will be racing in two days, you're definitely going to want to have a faster lap time than all of them. Just like if you show up at a track and a competitor is there, you're going to try and be faster than them.
But my 2012 tile predictions -
450:
1. Dungey
2. Stewart
3. Rattray
250:
1.Barcia
2.Roczen
3.Bagget
Damn you, arm01, you got everything over there. Too bad my T.V provider won't give me NBC Sports.
I can't believe that J_Sloan said J_Sloan is sad. J_Sloan is not sad, J_Sloan is upset that arm01 posts. Press Day...come on penguin_bob, riders are not going to go full speed out there.
arm01....haha I understand you now......you ramble on sometimes cause you're baked! Good on ya.....sounds like you're set up for tomorrow! I've got the big screen and the surround sound but sadly no FUEL tv up here! Gotta stop procrastinating and figure out how to plug the lap top into my HD TV......anyone have any pointers?
Stewart on Carmichael's / Dungey' bike ?
At first glance you gotta like that combo !
Lets all take a minute and say a prayer for Mike Webb.
JimM
Pala374
Man I don't think there is a person in the moto industry, whether it be a fan, worker or basically anyone that follows this sport that is not excited for the Outdoors! I know I sure! ...... Can't wait for Weege to say something like ''Lets go racing at Hangtown!!''.
I'm voting for Bill Clinton!
@ripdown easiest way is an HDMI cable than you have to go into the control panel to "appearance and themes" and set the display how you want it that is if it doesnt default automatically my new laptop will but my old laptop is a pain in the ass and its a sony and sony tv but the HP does exactly what it should and to get the sound off the laptop you need to go into the sound/speakers menu and set the HDMI output as the default
@arm01 You smokin the "Devils lettuce"? lol
DC:
Why doesn't Rattray have to diet as much now? Did he loose a kidney or something?
You guys are smart enough (i think haha) to have checked, but make sure you do check with your cable provider to see if FUEL is available. Didn't have it here and called Mediacom and said for $5 bucks i could add the Sports and Information package which included FUEL........they flipped a switch and BAM....i'm tuning in tomorrow!!! Good luck with it!!
About Sebastien Tortelli's race in Mexico....would a third world country have enough people with money to buy a ticket to see the race???? Is it even profitable???
Put Mike Alessi on a factory team and A factory bike and then compare him to the factory guys!! Mike , get a better bike or all the online racers will say your NO GOOD!!!!
PS, I loaded that Silverlight stuff. It better F'ing work tomorrow!
@ Jeramey
thanks man.....in a perfect world it would be that easy but my laptop is a cheap one with no HDMI port. I've been told I can use my IPhone but Idon't know about that.
The races on my laptop are good enough quality but it sucks looking at my Sony Bravia in the background begging to bring the heat!
.....and ya Rip, just gotta get a cable that goes from whatever type of output your comp has to HDMI ( or whatever input your TV has)....you are still at the mercy of your internet connection speed but it's better than nuttin'!!
I think Weege wants to body-paint Ryan Villopoto. IF Stewart wins tomorrow I will lick my toilet seat and film it and send it in. I am THAT confident in Ryan Dungey. Any of you Stewart fans that confident?
How do I erase that last comment I made?
...your computer wont have an HDMI port Rip....but it should have some sort of DVI...mini DVI output...something....unless it is REALLY old, you should be able to come up with something!!
To the person that compared two halves of a basketball game to two motos, hello? Neither half of said game means ANYTHING without the other; they're two parts of a whole. Two motos are two entirely separate, points paying events. In fact, even the so-called "overall" is only a ceremonial title. Everyone who understands the sport knows that neither moto is more valuable than other when it comes to the all-important title, and overalls serve as nothing more than a tie-breaker. And I'll say it again; our sport is NOT the NBA, MLB, NFL, NASCAR - and throw in golf, tennis and hockey while we're at it. Those sports dwarf motocross in total popularity, and therefore get preference regarding network and programming. I’m with you all; I’d rather watch moto … but that’s reality.
@J_Sloan, why are you doing that?? Stewart himself doesn't "expect" to win tomorrow, he has said it many times...i don't "expect" him to win tomorrow, i wouldn't mind if he did, but i don;'t think it is gonna happen!! Shot at the title if he stays close the first half of the series???? Yes, i do think that would be possible!! you are just ready to pounce if he has an average day tomorrow aren't you?? haha
....do the toilet seat thing anyway though!!! baha
@ whatever...Matthes himself said that Stewart's fastest lap was 2 seconds faster than Dungey's. I'm worried...
Was that sarcasm "J"??? I think it was!! I just want him to have a decent showing...GET THROUGH IT......and go from there!! An RD win won't bother me at all!!
I say don't rule out Tyla or Mikey for a moto win either though!!!!
@J_Sloan - I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but I wouldn't worry because 1. Stewarts always fastest. 2. Despite me saying that you want to beat your competitor anytime you're on the track with them, they were not going all out. But I am sure you were being sarcastic.
Thanks Whatever.....I'm gonna mess around with some cables I have in the am and see what I can do.....unfortunately I don't think FUEL is offered up her in beautiful Ontario but I'll check again.
This is weird....I'm so excited for tomorrow and my guy isn't even in it.....
stewart might be being modest, he will certainly have the speed but can he get away and withstand the late race charges is what makes this season interesting everyone is questioning stewart on the new bike but RD is struggling on his new bike as well they were "trying a few different swingarms" last weekend at lake elsinore but tomorrow cant come soon enough and we can put all the speculation and what if's to rest!
J_Sloan
Stewart is fast no question....but is he ready to be the fastest for 35 mins???? That is questionable!
I forgot how awesome those Zooks look !
Whatever.......I'm with you on Rattray....that guy is tough as nails and will shine late in the motos especially when its hot. He'll bulldog the big 450 around and make some noise this summer I'm sure of it......and you know his bike is good!
That interview on VitalMx is pretty good, he talks about how he wishes the people who don't like him would just direct their crap at him and not his family and i agree....somebody tweeted his mom saying i hope your son breaks his neck.....that is bulls--t. Says he gets called the n word several times at the races but says he can take it, just leave his family out of it!! I can definitely respect him on that!!
yeah rattray is definately gonna be a factor, however i cant say the same for alessi he will lead races but he will not finish on top without some sort of incident like stewart,rattray,and dungey all crashing together lol I just dont see how he could hold the pace outdoors when he cant do it indoors
Why didn't Stewart just run a pro taper bar pad on his Renthals. Somone would have noticed, but not as obvious. I know a pro gncc guy who did this with his sponsor and the bar he preferred.
Tyla will be there....and remember jeramey, Mikey is way better outdoors than in, but true that he usually has something go wrong. Still think he would have won in '09 had he not had the practice crash...he was getting it done that year!! I'm always curious how good of a nights sleep these guys get the night before a big opener like this?? My butt would be up all night!!
@KX408 Stewart did that to prevent handlebargate on RacerX comments section.
J Sloan, Send that toilet seat thing in anyways. Win or lose !
ALESSI ALESSI ALESSI!!!! Now thats the REAL dark horse. he may just win both motos but I bet he finishes second after JS. Podium is JS7, Alessi then RD.
I'm going to set my DVR tonight to record the Hangtown 2nd motos off of the NBC Sports network. The listing for the program calls it the "AMA Grand National Series from Sacramento".
Come on Man!!!!
I think Alessi will make some noise, the last time he was on a zook hewas taking it to JS7 outdoors. Then he became a speed bump. Tyla will be there and so will Stewart, but my money is one the Dunginator the guy is a machine. The only knock I have on him is the lack of agression. As good as he is, thats the only thing that holds him back. All in all, I'm "super pumped"(that always cracks me up) for this season to get started. GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE RIDERS! AND STAY SAFE.
KEEP IT TWISTED! WOOOO!
@RYNO440...what exactly do you mean by "taking it to JS7 outdoors"?? If you mean he was the only guy to hang with James for awhile before dropping back but still finishing way ahead of third...then ok!!
Well- I just got in and I was prepared to read about six and half hours worth of ScrubThis posts - (even though all I really had to do was read the first one to get the full gist of his latest and greatest rant) but he's not here. He musta got abducted by aliens or something.
I guess I missed the announcement that this is going to be Fiolek's last year in WMX. Is she going to to try to race against the guys next year? Is she moving to NASCAR? Is she retiring? Is she going to become a fireman (firewoman/fireperson)?
@Scrub-This wrote... Read that one of the reason stewie is riding the outdoors is the new conditions Imposed by redbull he (stewie) has to ride at least 3 nationals.. And I believe Reed (mentioning in a podcast) that the Suzuki team is not the same team anymore since all the cutbacks occurred.. This leaves me only to speculate that stewie was more or less obligated to ride the outdoors... And to more or less develop a bike.. (Suzuki being the team with the smallest budget out there among the manufacturers).. Again... Stewie will seriously need to take some PR lessons from Charlie Sheen how to be honest...
@J_sloan... Do not worry... Dungey will win the series championship... KTM is way better outdoors vs SX... Practice rimes means sh&t...
_Sloan ...Go rub one out and get over it!!
Hey all I installed the "Silverlight" for the AliSports coverage, is there a way to test it before the races start?
Scrub...I will refer to you as such, because you are a joke. I genuinely pity you. On a serious note.... I truly mean this, not as an insult, but an observation...that you clearly have some type of narcissistic disorder. You belong on the Yahoo.com comment sections, not RacerX's. Again, not here to insult you, but just.....pity you. You need help man.
Back to Moto
VitalMX had one of the best interviews I have heard from Stewart. Real candid. And he nailed it...if he can just stay consistent and not try to prove anything by riding over his head for the win, he will be there in the end. I think ultimately Dungey will come out at the end of the year our 2012 champ. I think Stewart will win more moto's, but he is destined to have those "one or two" moto's that do him in unfortunately. Hope I'm wrong though. But that's why there are 24 moto's! Stationed in Afghanistan right now, I'll be up 'till 1 a.m waiting for the first drop of the gate! Keep up the good work RacerX.
I wish pizzacorner would take over our sport, so he could make everything right with our world ... or more likely, so we could all see what an idiot he is. It's easy to hate; it's hard to please the uninformed....
@scrub.... Bloody hell... Long posts.... Man, nothing much to do with motocross... Hell, get your point... Ha,ha.... But man, you should be in a different message board iso RXO.... Before you know it you will be banned like another poster going by the name of jairtime... Am pretty sure you ,it's have watched and understood the animated series "boondocks".... Ha,ha....
Usaf217.... Be safe in Afghanistan.... Have some friends who were there (when the Dutch army were still there).... Heard some sorry stories on how you lot (US soldiers) had to survive... Meaning the day to day business...
It's just after noon, time to get the grass cu, while the beer is chillin'. Then some outdoor motocross pro style at four and local racing tomorrow early.
@ BillC What do you mean, rub one out? My wife said the same thing the other day and when I asked her what it meant, she just laughed at me.
@whatever and @j_sloan, what about Shorty? any love for him? 800 will be fast early but fade like he did in SX, Short loves the Honda and the outdoors.
Some people only hear what they want to hear so they can stay on course with their agenda, James has said numerous times that he does not EXPECT to go out and win right away and it would be "UNREALISTIC" for him to think so.......has said it in nearly every interview, but for some, the obviously tongue-in-cheek "48-0" comment during an extremely light hearted interview seems to contradict everything else!! Oh well, nothing can be done!! It's getting close!!!Enjoy the races gentleman (and other)!!!
C'mon "Big", i never count Shorty out, and he may well have his moments this year....i really try not to predict too much anymore, just gets me in trouble!! haha
Stewie just under 2 seconds a lap faster in first practice!! Milsaps second, Alessi third...RD back in 10th....but it's just practice, we all know that!!
RD tightens it up in the second practice, just .735 back of JS!!
well put @Whatever!! Enjoy the race!!! 2012 here it comes!!
It looks like I'm going to be licking a toilet.
What does "You are a toilet you" mean? I feel like I am dealing with lot's of people with low IQ's on racerx discussion forums.