by Chase Stallo
High Point 450 Moto 1 Report
Saturday, June 9, 2012 | 2:05 PM
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PrintAs round four of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship got under way on the picturesque hillsides of High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, PA, the pits were abuzz with the return of James Stewart just one week after a hard crash at Thunder Valley threatened his season. The hype slowed to a crawl as Stewart seemed content to cruise through practice, in an attempt to save himself for the main. But a last ditch heat seeker on the final lap placed Stewart at the top of the charts—sending the already raucous High Point crowd into a frenzy.
Unfazed by the media whirlwind surrounding Stewart, points leader Ryan Dungey continued to quietly go about his business at High Point. But first he had to fend off the pit bull Mike Alessi. Last year Alessi entered High Point just a few short weeks removed from a hard opening round crash at Hangtown that sidelined him for the first two rounds of the series. But just like last year, Alessi would storm the gate, grab the early lead, and open up a small gap over Andrew Short, Dungey and Jake Weimer.
After disposing of Short early in the race, Dungey set his sights on Alessi. Meanwhile, Stewart was buried and having trouble getting out from underneath.
Unlike previous weeks, where he showed lightning speed early on, Stewart, hampered by a wrist injury, couldn’t seem to find the early spark. Although he moved his way up to fifth by the end of the race, Stewart was clearly suffering from the effects of his hard crash at Thunder Valley.
Up front, Dungey had worked made his way around Alessi and began to distance himself from the pack. But behind Dungey things were heating up between Jake Weimer, Andrew Short, Brett Metcalfe and Broc Tickle as the battle for the podium took hold.
In the end it was Weimer who would take round out the podium with Short, Stewart, Tickle, Metcalfe, Izzi, Millsaps and Grant finishing off the top ten.
- Ryan Dungey
- Mike Alessi
- Jake Weimer
- Andrew Short
- James Stewart
- Broc Tickle
- Brett Metcalfe
- Nico Izzi
- Davi Millsaps
- Josh Grant
- Justin Brayton
- Ryan Sipes
- Michael Byrne
- Kyle Chisholm
- Matt Lemoine
- Vince Friese
- Ben Lamay
- Jimmy Albertson
- Justin Sipes
- Billy Laninovich
- Austin Howell
- E. Mikhaylov
- Travis Sewell
- Sean Borkenhagen
- Kyle Regal
- Drew Yenerich
- Nick Wey
- Cole Thompson
- Robbie Marshall
- Jason Thomas
- Travis Bright
- Seth Rarick
- Robert Lind
- Heath Harrison
- Dalton Carlson
- Michael Stryker
- John Greco
- Les Smith
- Dustin Pipes
- Shane Sewell
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Dungy Nationals Champ.
Stamp it.
He most certainly will be now "ditch"!! Thunder Valley changed everything!! That is NOT the same JS we saw at the first two rounds!! I doubt he will run the second one, wrist is obviously an issue for 30+2!!
Dungey looked pretty good out there.... hats off to Stewart for giving it a go....those 20th place starts are not going to help.... Still a lot of racing to go before you can "stamp it".... Just look at last year
Dungey looked pretty good out there.... hats off to Stewart for giving it a go....those 20th place starts are not going to help.... Still a lot of racing to go before you can "stamp it".... Just look at last year
Stewart just needs to take a break and let the wrist heal, no sense in creating a stress fracture or anything. Cheers to Dungey for a nice ride, wish Stewart could have showed his true colors. Going to Budds Creek next week, gonna look forward to the 250 class for the intense battles/entertainment. 450 class will probably be a bit boring now, Dungey will cruise to another championship with Stewart hurt.
KoLauGHLiN971 wrote "wish Stewart could have showed his true colors"....
I think he does most of the time.
What Impessed me was the way Dungy was bouncing into the Berm/Rut and bouncing out on the inside!!! wow they might have that suspension figured out. That alone is at least .025 second alap!
Stewart has put himself behind the 8 ball, with little chance of recovery for this years championship. He has shown how fast he is on the Zook, but also that he still falls down from time to time.
MXdN he should be OK for, I hope.....
2013 SX / MX will be the next place he has to shine, but must stay on 2 wheels in order to reign in RD, RV, and CR.........we'll see.
It was a stellar performance, by James, in the first moto with the wrist injury, but we all hope he doesn't injure it more by racing the rest of the season. Only he knows what he can do or can't. The fans seem to be putting alot of pressure on him to race.....I hope he listens to his body and not the fans..........
RD and his Katoom looked very balanced in the first moto. The best it has looked so far. The Dungenator was able to put his bike where he wanted, when he wanted. Go Dungenator.........
What happened to Georgia Lindsey, was hoping to see her back this weekend...is she still having Visa problems?
What happened to Ashley Fiolek? I am proud of her because I went deaf. I used to have about 25% of normal hearing. no more though? I dont want any feel sorry stories.! Only GOD knows why. Gee I miss racing it is the other injuries that keep me from it .
LETS RACE!!!!!
@Welker.....she received a concussion last week and was questionable all week long, and finally decided not to race....
Let it heal Stewie, we need you healthy for the Des Nations. You are in a deep hole points wise, so let it heal and come back 100%.
@ seventies racer I just found out that also! Not good I have had too many myself. From racing and other stuff. I never had more than 20 to 30% of normal hearing and am deaf now. I know what she has to deal with and the thing is we can feel what hearing people cannot. the thing is I had to deal with people saying I took them out? heck I did not even know that they were there. Ya I was pretty good raced against some of the best.
Why does anyone think Stewart will get picked for the MXDN? He is still terribly inconsistent. I'm not hating on him, just being real. Decoster could have picked him the last couple of years, but didn't for a reason.
uneasy_rider, picking Stewart for the MXoN would make sense only if they gave trophies for the first to crash, best crash and hardest crash. Stewie would sweep that event.
Based on the first 2 races, JS looked pretty damn good. His crashes are sporadic at worst. IMHO JS, when a member of Team USA, would settle down and race with more patience as his results would be critical for the overall.
JS has shown some maturity since his "blue light" incident, and that has carried over to the race track. No one can doubt he is one of the top 4 racers in the world, and can arguably be the fastest when the conditions are right. We must give credit when credit is due............
All of the above depends upon his wrist injury and the subsequent healing.
@Chowderhead.....keep your hater comments to yourself please. They are old now....
To bad it is his throttle hand otherwise I think he could race. Did not most of you practice raceing /riding with one hand, I did. Still cleared the doubles. Kinda sketchy though?
The article says, "Although he moved his way up to fifth by the end of the race, Stewart was clearly suffering from the effects of his hard crash at Thunder Valley." In reality JS moved up to 5th by lap 7, which is halfway through the race, not "the end of the race" as you would want everybody to believe. Come on RacerX, quit making excuses for JS. It was not too long ago that Dungey raced with a broken collar bone. No excuses please, it gets sickening.
The whining by irrational, fantasy land dwelling JS nuthuggers is the sweetest sound of Spring.
Oh, and it never gets old.
Man i would like 5 minutes to talk to you in person chowdercrotch!! You are a piece of shit!! Gonna be at Millville by chance big mouth??
I already told you, "call-it", you cannot give me a blowjob at Millville.
boy, did James Stewart make a fan out of me, this week! It's obvious that he feels good on the suzuki because at Yamaha, even while SLIGHTLY injured he didnt want to ride. Anyone here that rides, know when your hurt its easy to make an excuse to stay home and relax. James has choosen to gut it out for the fans. I think he has realized that he dug himself a hole with us.. and he has maken the right choice to get himself out of it. Its working..
Anybody here that wont admit he is still the most talented person in the world on a bike is a complete fool. He can beat Dungey out of shape.. and I am friend of Dungeys.. he's awesome... he is the hardest worker out there. But Stewart has talent in spades, and only Dungey can beat him thru a "Stanton-like" work ethic which is such a great showing to the sport.
Go James, Go Dungey.. and ALESSI!! Good for you, make your dad proud. We all know he is an assho*e, but its because he wants you to win. Its good you can make him happy in the process and make your life easier.
Quit knocking these riders down clamchowder.. I am still willing to bet your hiding behind that keyboard. I bet your 15 years old, 145 lbs.. and smoking pot with a mom thats embarassed of you. You should respect these guys.. I do... I have an AMA pro license, and I know that the got that got 40th today, would still show up to ANY LOCAL event and lap everybody there including me. This sport is SO hard.. I have qualified for a national.. I got lapped by RIcky Carmichael TWICE.. and I was one of the top riders in Minnesota for a short spell. I respect the 40th PLACE rider even more because he is on a STOCK bike, paying his way, with no help. Every one of these riders is amazing..
thank you call- it
Ill tell ya what chowderbrain, if you have the balls to click 4th gear into a supercross whoop section like Stewart does.. I'LL give you the blowjob.
Your balls would shrink to the size of raisens and you would roll them in first gear,
I can tell just by the way your talking.
Hey,
Next time, just type the following and save yourself about 300 words and a heap of BS:
"I, rick matuzio, am a gibbering idiot and no one is impressed with my stupid story."
Boy, it sure is easy when a little boy hides behind his keyboard and monitor, afraid to use his real name. It's so easy to type and riducule the fastest rider in the world when one can't ride himself. I am impressed.
@Chowderhead im impressed with rickamatuzio story, pretty much sounds to me like your sacking it to call-it... just saying
Thumbs up @rackamatuzio.....isn't chowderhead the nickname of a yeast infected pen*s?...just asking :s