10 Things to Watch: High Point
Friday, June 8, 2012 | 4:00 PM
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PrintBy Aaron Hansel and Chase Stallo
Down in a Hole
Following nearly a week of speculation James Stewart confirmed yesterday that he would be participating at round four of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series at High Point Raceway; just one week after a hard crash at Thunder Valley caused him to pull out of the race early with a wrist injury. Stewart tweeted the following late yesterday afternoon: “I'll see you guys this weekend in Pa. Looking forward to racing in front of my fans!” After a 50-point swing in points at Thunder Valley, can Stewart begin to crawl his way out of a 36-point deficit at High Point?
The Elements
When it comes to unpredictable weather, High Point is one of the true wild cards of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Regardless of what the weatherman says, you just never know if you’ll need a rain coat and boots, or a tank top and flip flops. Last year, both sets of attire were necessary, as a short storm came through (nearly blowing the media tent over in the process) between motos and turned the track into a muddy mess. Minutes later, it was hot and steamy again. As of press time there is currently a 0 percent chance of rain, but you never know what Mother Nature will bring when it comes to High Point.
Head Turner
Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar’s Nico Izzi was on this list last week, and for good reason. Although he had yet to finish a day without crashing in at least one moto, his results were still pretty impressive, which made us wonder just how well he could do if he was able to stay off the ground. Well, Izzi answered that question last week at Thunder Valley by keeping it upright in both motos and finishing fourth overall, via 5-5 finishes. Before 2012, Izzi was unsure if he’d even have a ride for this year. At Thunder Valley, he recorded the best result of his career in the most prestigious motocross series in the world. Can Izzi keep the wheels rolling this weekend?
El Chupacabra
Last year Blake Baggett started putting in a series of amazing come-from-behind rides that would eventually earn him the nickname, El Chupacabra. Baggett’s legendary late-moto charges started at Hangtown, but people really started taking notice when he pulled repeat performances in both motos last year at High Point, despite going down and losing the use of his visor in the second moto. When he remounted, Baggett’s pace was so furious that he posted lap times up to four seconds faster than anyone else, and not surprisingly, he went on to record perfect 1-1 finishes on the day. Can we expect more of the same from El Chupacabra this weekend?
Up For Grabs
After three rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, we’ve seen three different 250 riders take overalls. As entertaining and exciting as the racing has been, it should come as no surprise, as the 250 class is jammed with talent, both foreign and domestic. With so many fast guys on good equipment racing in the same class, you just never know what could happen next. Will High Point see the season’s first repeat 250 class overall winner, or will yet another new face join the winner’s circle?
Can Baggett repeat his success from 2011?
Andrew Fredrickson photo
Breaking the Cycle
After dealing with unfortunate occurrences at the first three rounds, like weird mechanical issues and having thousands of dollars of equipment stolen from their truck, the Pennsylvania-based Eleven 10 Mods team is due for a break. What better place to turn their season around than their home soil? With Darryn Durham (who rode for Eleven 10 Mods last year) leading almost the entire first moto last year at High Point on his practice bike and Alex Martin going 13-6 for tenth overall, the team has shown that they are capable of getting good results here. Will current riders Martin and Phil Nicoletti put Eleven 10 Mods back in the top ten this weekend?
Let it Byrne
After missing supercross with a broken neck suffered when his rear sprocket broke, Michael Byrne jumped right back into competition at Hangtown. Byrne took twenty-second at the opener, but showed drastic improvement by finishing in eleventh place the following week at Freestone. At Thunder Valley, he took it a step further by putting the BTOSports.com / Butler Brothers MX RM-Z450 in the top ten with an eighth place. Will Byrne keep his upward trend going at High Point?
Return of the Wounded
After a breakout supercross season, which ended with a runner-up finish to Ryan Villopoto, Davi Millsaps carried that same momentum with him to the opening round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown. A second in the first moto of the season had many gleaming of what Millsaps would bring to the table. But a crash while testing the following week, which resulted in internal injuries, would sideline Millsaps for the proceeding two rounds. This weekend Millsaps will make his return to racing at High Point Raceway. The question left remaining; can he pick up where he left off and continue his red-hot 2012 season?
Millsaps returns to action after missing the past two rounds.
Simon Cudby photo
Can Marvin Match the Four-Horsemen?
Through three rounds (six motos) Marvin Musquin has finished fifth a resounding four times. Musquin is on the cusp but has yet to really challenge the four-horsemen of Baggett, Barcia, Roczen and Tomac. While the former MX2 World Champion has yet to fully recover from a hand injury suffered late in the supercross season, many were expecting the Frenchman to challenge for podiums early and often. Will Musquin be able to break through and capture his first career podium at High Point or does another fifth loom?
Aussi, Aussi, Aussi
Injuries have hindered the J-Star JDR KTM team throughout the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. After losing PJ Larsen to a season ending knee injury in supercross, just days before the opener at Hangtown Matt Moss had to pull out due to a problem with calcium deposits. But after missing the first three rounds, Moss will make his season debut at High Point. This will be Moss’ first race in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship since a disastrous campaign with Factory Suzuki in 2010.
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Lets get it on! Go Dunge!!!!
Not one mention of the Dunge?
@Preston,If Dungey is Vanilla, what Flavor is James? Glad Bubbles is healthy enough to ride. Looking forward to a great battle.
I hope James does go 1-1 so all the guys posting negative on here this past week can go crawl back under their rocks. MX is much more enjoyable without all the hatred and gloating.
@bigtireguy James is like nicotine, if you can call that a flavor lol.
Cant believe they are STILL trying to get the stupid El Chupacabra nickname to stick.. NOBODY uses it except a few guys at Racer X. Its dumb and not very catchy, and Bagget himself says he DOES NOT like it. He said "Who wants to be called a mythical creature who sucks the blood from goats?" So give it up guys, they nickname is dumb and nobody calls him that.
BB gun is just as bad. Something you can buy from walmart and cant kill anything with haha. GO James!
no love for Dungey Oach. its BBgunn not chuupistupid
Dungey 2/1 +overall, Baggett/Tomac split motos
@bigtireguy- slick! you tried baiting him but he wasn't biting!
Also jairtime likes chocolate! lol
Good see to lil Stewie find his way back to the starting gate. but no love for Dungey? Ryan has that big Bull's Eye on his back right now. Hopefully we will see a few more guys stepping up to the plate.
Starting to sound like Baskin Robbins on here!
Chupas Cabras Dip Sh*ts http://blakebaggett.com/?page_id=12
James' flavor would certainly be Rocky Road.
I didn't know El Chupacabra was so irritating. I shall use it more often. He must really hate it to put it on his website bio.
only two things to watch #5 and 7 ...who cares about the distant, not even in the same class 3rd palce and beyond .
Memo to James:
You can't make up 36 points in two motos.
JimM
Pala374
Sounds like a 70's porno channel,, strawberry, vanilla,,,tootie fruitie,..... I'm going with the boys over at the Factory Hodaka pickup/van. I hear they have a new titanium powerband.
@preston, @czmark, very funny stuff! We need Stewart healthy to battle RD5. Regardless of their flavor!! And on that topic, what would CR22 be? Veggimite??
@Lbiggie: I agree with you on all counts! I am sick of all the hating and racist crap! I would sure love to see anyone of those people try to beat James!
Stewy could and should make up the points. So, it still seems that the 450 season was over when Stewy announced he would be racing.
The 250 class, on the other hand ....
All it takes to win a championship is one point more than the person behind you. Consistency is the name of the game.
Do ya'll really think James can come back from a 36 point deficit??? The Dungenator is cool and calculating and will not "over-race" regardless. His lack of pure agression (and no fuel in Texas) cost him this championship last year. If he stays on two wheels, the title is his to loose. James will tip over again, because it is in his racing DNA to continuously push the envelope of speed and traction.
@seventiesracer
If James had a 14 point lead after 4 motos then obviously it is possible to make up 36 points with 18 motos to go. I'm not saying he will but it's certainly feasible. If Dungey's goal is to simply stay on two wheels he will loose it. He's going to need to get more aggressive and actually beat Stewart head to head a few times.
Dungey only won both motos last week and is currently the points leader, why would you write about that. I mean, whats the point, let's write about the guy who DNF'd both motos. And the RacerX bias continues!
c'mon RacerX, still no love for Dungey, and way too much man love for Stewie. All this talk is just that, but you still have to finish moto's to win and I can't give Stewart the championship for just showing up like a bunch of people here. 24-0 a few years ago, awesome feat no doubt, but to me whats more impressive is how many crashes he has walked away from since then.
Stewart wins in TX by a couple seconds in both moto's and the Stewtards are screaming how he crushed the competition, I call it a barely beat Dungey day and Im considered anti Stewart, funny.
Dungey and KTM will get faster, Stewart will as well, long season boys and girls!! Great season for us as long as both are healthy, baring any mechanical failures I'm betting it will come down to the last round.
Yeah Preston gets all pissed off at the JS haters but he does the same at RD. Go figure. I'll bet your a classy person in real too.
Some funny stuff on here today! I am a Dungey fan and have been since he stepped up. He's the home boy,as I have said. As a Dungey fan, I learned from last year that anything can and will happen. RD 5 isn't immune to bad luck. It's racing and stuff happens. We've all seen it turn back and forth before. RD isn't noted for crashing, but isn't immune either. And a mechanical is always there. And JS 7 isn't fooling around. All this, in my mind, makes this still a close series, and I want to see what happens next. It's all good. And a shout out to Racer X for mentioning my other home boy, Alex Martin. I actually have the privilage of knowing the whole Martin family, so I am a bigger fan of Alex and Jeremy than the Dung. Always better to watch a moto if you actually know one of the riders. Ya know?
Didn't mention Dungey... Boo FU@king Hoo.... Give me a break... His win last week needs an asterick thanks to the Fuktard photographer...
@ KYFHO69
Oh, I wonder who you are pulling for? Who's the hater's now?
@KYFH--- So Dungeys win gets an asterisk?? I guess Stewarts get an asterisk too because RV1 and Reed are out right?? Those two have waxed Stewie the last two years in head to head racing, so Stewie is getting gift wins and gets that asterisk too correct??
@ToothPerry--Do you have anything intelligent to say ever?? You are just a typical "one-rider" race fan.. Rip everyone who isnt in love with your boy. Take your flat billed hat and go away. Come back when you grow up and grow a pair.. All you do is insult and cry and whine. Be a fan of all the guys on the track, because they can all lap you in a 5 lap race.
you guys and this "asterick" thing kill me. You still have to finish moto's to win, period. Fastest guy on the track doesnt always win, and for sure the "fastest guy" on the couch can't win crapola, that fact is tough for some people to take I guess.
Not mentioning Dungey is crappy, more focus on the guy that crashed out of another race and didnt finish than the guy who won. If thats not biased reporting, wake up bro.