Racer X Race Report: Atlanta
Sunday, February 24, 2013 | 3:45 AM
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PrintIf you really think about it, it really didn’t make much sense. But yet it seemed so right to so many people.
Throughout the day at round eight of Monster Energy Supercross, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the vibe seemed to be pumping James Stewart’s way. Pit pundits thought Stewart could be the man to beat. And he topped qualifying practice. Won his heat race. Then, when the stadium flashed its text to vote display on the big screen before the main event, the crowd went with Stewart as the favorite for the win.
Considering Stewart had produced no better than two fourth-place finishes this season, it seemed strange to pick him as the favorite. But the Yoshimura Suzuki rider has always possessed the speed to go out and get one—it just hadn’t even come close to happening. The previous race, last weekend in Dallas, was the worst yet, as his bike succumbed to an odd clutch issue before the race even began. Maybe the racing Gods owed him one? Maybe he’s been getting stronger? Maybe he was just due? Whatever it was, Stewart seemed ready in Atlanta. Then he went out there and did it.
Stewart not only won the race, but he did it against a true test. He grabbed the holeshot, overcoming a long run of terrible main event starts, but had two-time and defending SX Champion (and last week’s winner) Ryan Villopoto right behind him. And Villopoto, incredibly fast and super fit, was there to keep some heat on Stewart the whole way, but Stewart never flinched and held on for his first SX win since Daytona last year—nearly a full calendar year.
Villopoto gave Stewart a run, making up time in various sections. Stewart did the damage in one rhythm lane. He was jumping a double off of a dragon back, something Villopoto was not doing. So as hard as Villopoto charged, he could never make up for the ground he lost through there.
Villopoto gave chase to Stewart the whole way.
But James came out with the win.
Yet another solid run for Millsaps, who scores another podium.
Simon Cudby photos
There were also some doubts of Stewart’s stamina, considering he’s missed a lot of time this season with a torn ACL. But he held strong for all twenty laps to prove he could still get it done.
“If anything, I think last week just made the team stronger,” said Stewart. ”It [means] a lot; this whole season has been going crazy and to get a victory and to get a start, it was almost a perfect day. I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous because I haven’t been out there in a while.”
Villopoto finished second on his Monster Energy Kawasaki. Points leader Davi Millsaps logged another strong run with a third, making a few early passes on his Rockstar Energy Racing machine and holding off the advances of Justin Barcia (Team Honda Muscle Milk).
Millsaps rode well again, winning his heat race and actually matching the Stewart/Villopoto pace out front once he had gotten to third. But since he had not gotten off to one of his now trademarked great starts, he couldn’t get higher than third. At one point, Millsaps took some heat from Barcia, but Millsaps pulled away down the stretch.
Then came Trey Canard (Muscle Milk Honda) in fifth, just holding off Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM). Next came Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda) in his first-ever points paying 450 race. A back-from-injury Jake Weimer was eighth on a Monster Energy Kawasaki, then Chad Reed (TwoTwo Motorsports) and Mike Alessi (SmarTop MotoConcepts) rounded out the top ten.
A rough one for Chad Reed, who started well, got shuffled back in the order, and then came back through for ninth.
In the 250 class, Wil Hahn got off the list of “great riders to never win a supercross” by taking his first career W. And like Stewart, he did it in impressive fashion, holeshotting the main event with points leader Dean Wilson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) right behind him. And then Hahn rode a near flawless race, building a small gap on Wilson lap by lap, until he had about 3 seconds by the halfway mark. Meanwhile, third-place Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) was closing on Wilson for a bit, before Wilson (last week’s winner) pulled back away. While Hahn rode near-perfect laps, Wilson stepped it up in the second half of the race, upping his pace and trying to run Hahn down. In lapped traffic, Wilson was able to close in, and then a hard sprint on the last lap brought him within striking distance. But Hahn hung tough and never let the pressure effect him—it was a well-earned win. Wilson and Musquin rounded out the podium.
Atta boy Wil Hahn!
Yeah!
Wilson rode well but not as well as last week in Dallas, which he won.
Musquin (25) was fastest in practice but couldn't replicate that in the races. He took a solid third in the main, though. Wharton (13) was fourth.
Cudby photos
450SX Class Results: Atlanta
1. James Stewart
2. Ryan Villopoto
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Justin Barcia
5. Trey Canard
6. Ryan Dungey
7. Eli Tomac
8. Jake Weimer
9. Chad Reed
10. Mike Alessi
11. Matt Goerke
12. Broc Tickle
13. Justin Brayton
14. Andrew Short
15. PJ Larsen
16. Josh Hill
17. Chris Blose
18. Les Smith
19. Jimmy Albertson
20. Robbie Kiniry
450SX Class Points
1. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 174
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 152
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 148
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 135
5. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 127
6. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 116
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 102
8. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 100
9. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, NC., Yamaha, 91
10. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM, 79
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results: Atlanta
1. Wil Hahn
2. Dean Wilson
3. Marvin Musquin
4. Blake Wharton
5. Jeremy Martin
6. Justin Hill
7. Gavin Faith
8. Kyle Peters
9. Vince Friese
10. Zach Bell
11. Mitch Oldenburg
12. Lance Vincent
13. Cole Thompson
14. James Decotis
15. Steven Clarke
16. Gareth Swanepoel
17. Adam Gulley
18. AJ Catanzaro
19. Kurtis McCabe
20. Jackson Richardson
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Points
1. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 47
2. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 45
3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 40
4. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 35
5. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda, 31
6. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 31
7. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 28
8. Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda, 24
9. James Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda, 20
10. Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM, 20
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Getting frustrated with seeing the finishing order the same as the first turn!!?
Where's all the Stewart haters at?? Villopoto kept him honest all race long but he rode strong & won it. Again, where's all the Stewart haters at?? Hello??
james will be crowned 2013 sx champ. mark my words. the boy can do wrong now, hes win em all now
What the hell was wrong with Villopoto? He wasnt doing the double off that dragons back, almost every rider was doing it.
@wiles715...Your already wrong hes pretty much already eliminated from the Championship...He would need to win out which he is not going to and everyone above him would need to DNF the rest of the season...not gonna happen lol maybe next year which is usually the same ole story with Stewart anyway
@Moto67...Actually its not so much of not hating on him after that as its more of its about time he actually won a race lol..But now no Stewart fans can use the hes not riding 100 percent excuse obviously he seems to be doing fine riding hurt..He will get back on my good side when he races outdoors even tho i am predicting he will back out of that to get his knee fixed
Great race all around I feel. Very good ride for Wilbur. Even if Wilson had the excuse\reason of his crash during the week at least he was gracious enough to give credit to Hahns performane...I like Wilson on the bike and to me he is just a wee small bit off (weird scottish/canadian accent there) of the Barcia/Tomac pace - as exhibited by how both of those riders had him handled pretty easy...
To the guys still complaining of one lined tracks being a reason why their man crush couldnt win...stfu. Plenty of variety this week and the strongest still rose to the top. A result is a result - the Track is the same for EVORYONE.
Gotta say that when he is doing it noone looks smoother or more stylish than the seven...in contrast RV looked like he was riding a bull out there...on the podium he was pretty cool about it all deflecting his loss by saying stewart is not the concern - true but his concern was right behind him...22 points..nine races left...consistent podiums. Millsaps is doing it right now and no excuses from anyone can take that away. Again the tack has been the same for everyone and the points accurately describe who has been the best.
@ mxcasey - when was the last time you won a race? Stfu then. Btw suck it jeff emig...rc was right about the rhythm sections...here we have the goat telling us where the race would be decided and the babbling idiot emig and idiot couch potatoes agreeing...stewart had it nailed rv did not. Sand might have been a problem for five though...
One of these things is just like the other
6. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 116
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 102
8. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 100
9. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 91
wiles715....
I remember when I had my first beer. I got a little confused about the points system and what terrible finishes and a dnf can do to your chances at the championship.
Great to see the Kansas boy winning for his family and friends. WELL DESERVED!!!!!
Congrats to Stewart and Mike Webb on the win!!!! WELL DESERVED ALSO.
HD Videos from Atlanta! http://motocrossone.blogspot.de/2013/02/ama-supercross-2013-i-video-di-atlanta.html
I think one thing we have seen this year is no charging from the back. RV tried it at A1 and with the tracks the way they are this year it is not possible. Flowing sections that can not be pushed and dirt that is too slippery. Everyone races to the first turn and settles into their postion. Yes riders have to get by Alessi and whoever else is in sixth, but after that it is all about settling in. We tune in every week all geeked up but at the end think about the race. JS holeshots, RV in second, DM gets into third early, Barcia was all alone in fourth - they never showed him.
Yes JS7 did what any other rider has to do this season to win - holeshot. Congrats to him.
And pizza once again mentions the president in a totally unrelated story. That's called an obsession kids.
It's called a douche bag! Integrating racism & politics into the sport we love????? Geeeeeez, Wtf? Way to go James! Right on.... Holding off RV and Davi. If that doesn't deserve credit, I don't know what does.
The sun shines on a dogs a$! every now and then. Lets see him back it up.
Stewart got the hole-shot with his mechanic at the gate and not his Dad--Hmmmm!!! Wonder how he did that??
But a great 250 race nobody is talking about--Will Hahn got his first win and this 250 East Coast may not be a runaway after all.. Awesome job by Hahn..
rmf: He did it by turning the throttle and holding it on. I watched the video, and he was the only one I saw riding the #7 bike.
Kinda discouraging to see Reed run behind all those other Hondas. The media bullseye is now on him to grab a win this season. EPIC SEASON!!
"therealmofo"...........butt-hurt by the Stewart win, just cannot get himself to say anything good, it is what it is......I feel sorry for you dude!
Another boring lame ass race. I have a party most weekends, usually people are wrapped up in the tv and nobody is watching.
The last 2 seasons? Nobody even watches after the hole shot, they were talking about Toyota pulling the space shuttle and painting bull dozers. That's how BORING SX has become.
What a shame...
Anyway, looks like MILLSAPS is on his way. I expect Stewart to rattle off a few more wins now as confidence grows
It seems no matter what happens, Millsaps just keeps increasing his points lead. It's now at it's biggest as 22. I'm not really a fan of his, but he's sure doing the right things this year. Glad to see Wilbur get a win.
endo............... please explain how milsaps increased his points lead. i musta missed that day in math class? chad reed is got to be one miserable bass-terd these days........8th place is a kick in the nuts for that guy. at this point ,if he doesnt get it together , i dont see him on the bike for '14 .
Like others, would like to see more passing and closer racing. Regardless, I watched Stewart get a hole shot, ride 20 laps and win. Really simple. Then I listened to a mature sounding Stewart doing the interview......Refreshing. And if you look at the main event tape, Stewart was riding very well. Not my pick to win, but he was the first guy to the checkered flag.
Now, if RC would be doing interviews and insider stuff instead of being in the booth.......Ralph and Jeff actually do a better job with RC in the booth. I could be mistaken, but at times it seems that Ralph works hard at keeping attention focused on the event as it is happening when RC and Emig get into past racing and the "How I would be doing it" thing. I notice Jeff is more focused when RC is not there.
And thanks to all in the booth for not beating the "start" thing to death. Now if they would acknowledge that there are at least 10 guys out there (450's) that could win.....Tomac getting 7th in this field is huge.
and james deserves a lot of credit for sticking it out and fighting back from his knee injury. I was glad to see him get a win........... the more different winners the series has, will make the series better.
Meant to say "with RC NOT in the booth." Like missing the berm I guess....
God bless the Coombs family for keeping the outdoors alive in the early '00's when there was a real threat of riders and teams going SX only. i would climb over a SX to go to an outdoor these days. thanks davey
The Nuclear Cowboys holeshot award should also be the checkered flag. It's pretty bad when the best racing is in the LCQ's.
We don't get SX's in Colorado so we have to travel in order to see one but I think we will skip giving Feld our hard earned money in 2013.
It was nice to see some new faces on top of the podium. James and Wilber both got great starts and handled the presure to the finish. The track looked fun to ride but there were not many places to make up time or pass. The track designers are having a tough time trying to seperate the men from the boys. Part of the problem is how good these riders are nowdays. The guys that are not part of the top 3 or 4 have really upped thier game.
If RV would have been jumping the dragons back light JS he might have had a chance to catch him.
I think RC is awesome in the booth and better every week. He an Emig make a good team. Each announcer brings a different aspect of knowledge..
All I can really say is MILLSAPS is impressive. He is earning this thing..
I am really suprised Stewart didn't fade on lap 15, I think RV was thinking "I got this little cocoa puff on lap 15 when he starts fading" but Stewart was strong. I am so happy for James, he has been thru so much. I watched his interview and he is very humbled by all this. Also, you want to know why he gets attention? Cause the dude has a ton of personality. He laughs, jokes, and smiles... I think the field will have their hands full with him every race now.
What would make this season even better? A canard and Brayton win.
@Ref-Man--I could really care less who wins actually.. I am NOT a one-rider fan like YOU--who NEVER shows up unless Stewart wins or its an article on Stewart.. Its a riot when you Tards come out and argue and go berserk on everyone who isnt kissing Stewtail.... Its funny how you guys take everything so personnal...kinda sad too..
@SuperStewFanman/Starplaya4life---EXACTLY--he did it without his Dad and with his mechanic...Great if you ask me..And he did ride great, I am not taking anything away from his ride..Even being pushed for alot of the race, he stayed fast and smooth..
Congrates to botth Will and James awesome rides you both more than deserved the win, James has to have the best podium interviews he shows a happy boy, not a machine like most, keep up the winning.
RV can never admit he just got beat, he says hes is not worried about James? 22 points down you better be worried about every point. Loved hearing RC say that too. OH ,He was worried just couldn't beat JS.. botton line is james owned RV 2 weeks in row, strait up!!
While I don't have a preference for either James or Ryan (I'm jumping on the Davi wagon), I will say that I was rooting for Bubba last night. Through his career he has been the most entertaining rider that I have ever seen (good and bad). His win was deserved and well earned.
I have a hard time believing that Ryan settled for second because James wasn't a player for the championship. He has made it clear that he is going to make his money and get out in a few years. Between the purse and his Kawi bonus there was too much money on the line to not attempt to close the gap, show a wheel, pressure James. Besides, he knows how huge those 3 points could be. He just didn't have it last night.
I just hope everyone stays healthy and this series ends in Vegas with a battle for the championship. I'm loving it!
@SuperSXFanMan: Yes, but if you think of the combination of toppings of that Pizza circling around in the corners of the mind of the obsessive to correlate a Motocross rider and a President of the United States in the same sentence, it makes perfect sense.
Oh, Make it a large with extra Coke-a-nut...
I'm glad for James he earned it he rode flawless last night and rv he is a brilliant rider but come on u would have passed James if u could of he beat you fair and square suck it up but again millsapps has impressed me the most this year he gets better every week he got a bad start and Still rode great was just as fast as Stewart and rv there doesn't always have To be alot of passing for the race to be entertaining watching the best riders in the world push it to the limit is awesome I have my tickets for Toronto can't wait!
I'm glad for James he earned it he rode flawless last night and rv he is a brilliant rider but come on u would have passed James if u could of he beat you fair and square suck it up but again millsapps has impressed me the most this year he gets better every week he got a bad start and Still rode great was just as fast as Stewart and rv there doesn't always have To be alot of passing for the race to be entertaining watching the best riders in the world push it to the limit is awesome I have my tickets for Toronto can't wait!
PS Good on Will Hahn for shedding that Monkey. I am certain he feels a lot lighter today. It was also nice to see most everyone in his class offer congratulations for his win, especially Deano, who at the end of this East series, may just be bang'in bars with him at the checkers for the title.
I though Eli rode a very conservative race and didn't step on anybody's boots he shouldn't have (read; Honda Camp). Speaking of the Honda Camp, what was that little break-check-block-thing the Wild Child performed on Brayton, that took him out of third, and put him way in the back of the field. Is there bad blood between Honda and Brayton, or was it just frustration on Barcia's part. It looked like a pretty cheap shot to me, and (all) three in the booth as well...
Break check? Brayton was ahead of Barcia. Brayton squared the turn and Barcia was there, nothing dirty about that. That's racing in a crowd
@rickamatuzio: If you think I thought Brayton was behind Barcia going into that corner, think again. And if you think Barcia (did not) park his bike, and wait for Brayton, then you and Barcia must have problems with Brayton. Then maybe you better re-watch and listen to (all) three members of the booth. It was cheap, and if you can't see that, well maybe you should check the prescription on those rose colored glasses. Ha!!!
Gotta love JS7 fans!!! James gets his @$$ kicked for years straight, finally gets a win on a track that riders couldn't push on with a guy who's fighting for points, not for wins, and JS7 fans still think James is the god of anything motocross or supercross. LOL
Congrats to James on the win, what a boring stupid race though. Nowhere to pass and the track wouldn't allow for riders to push it anyway, even Davi said it was like an ice skating rink.
Are they building these tracks for professional supercross racers or for the Ktm Jr 50's? I can't tell anymore. Stupid boring easy tracks.
Lets go outdoors.
If that's the case, I suppose Barcia should just sit and follow Brayton around the track like everyone else is doing. He can patiently wait and HOPE that Brayton screws up a rhythm section and Barcia gets by. If he doesn't, no crime no foul, may as well let Brayton beat him. Heaven forbid there is any contact is SX.
PS- how do you know Barcia wasn't waiting because he wasn't sure what Braytons move was? I can see now with this mentality how SX has become A NASCAR style race of freight train.
I don't belive RV was thinking about point as much as this year when he is really pushing it he ends up Drilling face first for Oil.
Villopoto would be really risking it all to mix it up with the Car Wash Wand, so it's best that he stayed the hell away and let him lead the race. I mean, what were the chances the Car Wash Wand could stay on two wheels for 20 laps? 5%? No biggie that he won, Villopoto let him win and just waited and played it safe. If Villopoto would have been ahead and pulled a lead on Stewart, he would have pulled away with authority, but he was wise to just let Stewart have his glory laps. He was close behind the whole race, it's not like Stewart pulled away. After Villo had that DNF, every point counts, and even if he would have passed Stewart cleanly, Stewart would no doubt whiskey-throttle it into Villopoto and ruin his whole season and any chance to catch Millsaps in points.
How 'bout Millsaps? The boy is doing great! You just never know who will emerge and be the man to beat.
@rickamatuzio: So, in your estimation the only way around someone is to take them out intentionally. I think maybe you need to switch channels and find a nice demolition derby race to keep you amused. Or maybe some WWF matches, or Catfish noodling contest. But not professional Motocross/SX. Have a nice day...
Did anyone notice the look RC gave Emig reminding him he only lost to him once ?
JimM
Speedshifter - If Villopoto would have been ahead and pulled a lead on Stewart, he would have pulled away with authority
Umm, no he wouldn't, couldn't and won't. Unfortunately (because I wish someone could beat him straight up) Stewart will win half the remaining races.
@motoguzzi - endo is right on the points. DM entered the race with a 21 pt lead over RD and a 24 pt lead over RV. He now has a 22 pt lead over RV and a 26 pt lead over RD, so his points lead increased and is at it's largest of the season. I think it'll tighten up, hopefully there are 3 guys with a chance in Vegas. I'm sure you were out riding the day you missed a math lesson.
Congrats to James on a great win. Maybe time to just run about 10 starts because there is nothing going on for the next 19 laps or so. Of course having the cameras follow Goerke for a few laps when 1 and 2 are 1.5 seconds apart makes mucho sense. Davi passed a few people but I don't recall seeing one of them. I used to give the tracks a pass-but this is silly.
I'm not a big Barcia fan, but that was no takeout. All Brayton's fault.
Supercross has a problem and it is these lame go nowhere tracks. I tape every race, and used to watch a main 4-5 times before the next week rolled around. I haven't done that since the race last year where RV and Reed went at it. Atlanta used to be a race with great traction. Most of the east rounds were good. What the hell is going on? Regardless of what region or type of dirt, it is always slippery now. This is supposed to be the most stacked class ever, and it kinda is, but it is like they are all forced to race on bald ass tires outs there.
Yeah when brayton made that huge mistake JB had about a tenth of a sec and a qtr of the track to use. Now if you feel in that moment JB made a caculated decision other than to go where he could. Idk Guess he should have hopped off and held brayton so he didnt go down.
i do not even remember the barcia/brayton incident i dont think it was that big of a deal or maybe i was just overjoyed that stewart won lol
they should do something about the dirt, or maybe everyone has to deal with it and thats part of the race
maybe poto did not jump the dragon hump or whatever its called because he didnt want to get tangled up with stewart who is not in the championship points. it probably would have ben an intense battle and poto did not want to risk it with millsaps in 3rd
Whoever out of Milsaps, Stewart, Villopoto gets the holeshot, will win. Maybe Barcia , Dungey, Canard and Reed if the three aforementioned are back a bit on the start. It is too much about the start. Though in more sand, ruts, whoops, and lets get these lap times over a minute please.
Geesh caseypons is Braton your boyfriend?
@rehab86: No... Barcia is! That is why I am so disappointed in his playground social skills. No milk and cookies for him. Ha, Ha, Ha!!!
caseypons "Made a mistake. He spun it around, Got a little help from Justin Barcia" Is the call from the booth by the way.
welcome to the atlanta arenacross, not diggin the track last night and im sure the riders hated it as well . it was super tight making it one lined , it was a holeshot and win kinda track , that said im happy for stewart to get a win we need all the parody we can get in this sport , cant wait to see how tomac does next week on what i hope will be a better track for passing, that kids gonna rip it up , cant wait!
Was sitting right in front of the rhythm section, poto was jumping the same combo as stewart(and most everyone else). I don't think he wanted to let stewie go, but wasn't willing to risk tripling into the corner, plus mistiming the double off the dragons back could get nasty. Not making excuses, Stewart won fair and square. It was probably smart not to risk it more than necessary.
last week was more of a one line track than yesterday and JS passed RV and pulled away. Yesterday RV could'nt do it and then comes up with a dumb comment that he's not worried about JS, he should be worried about wining though.
If RV won-out in the last 9 races, he would have the championship. It looked like he was trying, What I saw was James dictating the race speed. When RV closed in a bit, and Davi closed on RV - JS kicked it up a tad and kept it about 2 seconds. RV could have made up 5 points on Davi if he had been able to get around James - and that would have been a nice handful since he's still (now) 22 down. I really don't think he just let him have it. If he had had the speed, he would have gone for it. But I do think he rode smart and at least picked up 2 points. But 2 per race isn't going to win him the championship with 9 races to go. It's about to get interesting!
Maybe Barcia's mommy will let him stay up late tonight ....
This has been a strange season. We all thought with so much talent out there this season that there would be some serious bar banging, but instead what we are witnessing is a follow the guy in front of us type scenario most of the time. Can't help but miss the old Chad Reed James Stewart battles of the past when every fan was at the edge of their seats.
@ webman19
Track was eighties style like your dew !! You should of dig that ..LOL!! Def Leappard ! MOFO ...
Andrew short is better on a Production Bike Honda, than a factory supported BTO KTM...
I will tell as a person that does not like the dirty riding Stewart, he beat RV and rode great for 20 laps. Congrats Stewart.
For those claiming RV did not want to challenge for the lead, and how "IF HE PASSED JS", etc, you are cracking me up. RV needs ABSOLUTELY EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE POINT available. If that's hard to conceptualize, it will make more sense, if RV misses the title by ONE point....Reed was the one in A1 press smirking about everyone being so serious...That one-hander pic of JS7 above is sweet! Badass photo.
RV just needs to finish in front of DM for the remainder of the races and hope someone get in between him and DM. That is going to be a real difficult thing to do with the way Davi is riding. But if anyone can it will be RV.
The heat races have definitely been better than the mains. I think if the 450 guys rode with the aggression Hahn is they would make some passes. None of them, except Canard occasionally, seem willing to bang bars. Tomac made some good passes but started too far back. RD and CR seemed flat.
RV would have obviously benefited from putting JS between he and Davi. It's going to be tough to make up almost 2.5 points per race with Millsaps riding so consistently. I really don't see him finishing father back than 5th or 6th unless he has a mechanical issue.
Congrats to JS.
If you know how to win a series, you'll let Stewart do what Stewart wants to do and avoid him. If he holeshots, let him lead. The only thing that matters is the finishing order of the other riders (Villo and Millo). No matter what, it's just not worth getting tangled up with Stewart even one time, and he should be avoided like a nasty case of the plague with a sprinkling of herpes simplex 2 and AIDS. A smart championship-chasing contender would do whatever it takes, including letting Stewart win all the remaining rounds, to avoid the series-ruining take-out that surely looms if Villo or Millo feel like mixing it up with the Flailingest Man On the Planet.
Wow, everyone just posts a bunch of worthless crap on here.
@casey....i am impressed with your flair for the dramatic...entertaining to say the least.....I guess in this case my dvr is just a Barcia fan and is messing with eyesite over and over...and by the way i like Brayton and would like to see him do better.....
I was at the race. It pretty much sucked...this "follow the leader" crap is getting old! I think the track was too busy with technical stuff for them to race each other. Why dont they just use the same track design from 2011 that produced such a great race? I hope they do something to get some passing back into it before the whole thing goes bad like nascar. btw-jimmy johnson won Daytona...(uuuhhhgg! I just threw up in my mouth a little bit)
There was something really awkward about this evening in my opinion. The first thing is that I could not believe Villopoto was not doubling from the whoops (dragonback). He looked to be charging the rest of the track, so why risk it all, just to loose half a second not doing a jump almost every top-15 guy was doing? Stewart did look good, but both Barcia and Millsaps kept him honest, and even gained about a second mid-race. Millsaps got a worse start than usual, and Dungey seemed to fade in the end. It only takes one crash from Millsaps and everything is upside down, but in my opinion Dungey and Villopoto are out of it :-) 80% chance Millsaps will take it imho.
Stewart, RV and Millsaps made the main boring, but all rode fantastic. Stewart beat RV Saturday night, don't know why it's so hard for people to accept or expect, it shouldn't be a surpise he'd win one eventually. I don't think RV could have passed him Saturday night but I also don't think either of them was in the red zone to run that pace, and it was smart for RV not to go bonzai in his current position in the title chase. JS has nothing to lose, he might as well go balls out the rest of the series. Let the JS fans have their day to run their mouths about FMOTP BS over his first win/podium even though he's gotten spanked the past.......let's not go there. The best rider will be holding the #1 plate at the end of the series, bottom line. Race wins are just that, race wins. Championships are what people remember.
I sure hope I am wrong but I am beginning to think Villo may be the one that misses the outdoors because of knee surgery. Remember A-1 when he could not put any weight on the knee heheh had surgery on last year. His face and eyes (and riding) look like he is dealing with something he is not looking forward to. With him, Carmichael and others back in the day, they hide their injuries. Stewart and Reed start screaming about an ingrown toe nail before they pick their bikes up. Remember how much press Reed got (demanded) while riding through (supposedly) broken ribs.
@preston still contributes nothing to the conversation except hate..like always.. Poor guy really needs to get a life instead of trolling for guys who dont kiss his dreamlovers butt.. Sad sad sad...
@Retardcross--I said the same thing and caught hell for it.. I said RV didnt push to catch Stewart, and that neither of them were riding the edge either.. I said I think RV could have caught him for that matter, but didnt know if he could have passed him though.. And the Stewtards went crazy!! LOL!!!!!! Like always.. It wasnt a slam to Stew or anyone, I just dont think RV or Stewart were riding thier complete fastest on that track, it was slick...
@SuperSXFanMan & @ryanwagopoto - Trolls get kicked. Hit the "Report" and we'll make sure it's removed--either that or we'll just change it to "I love rainbows and unicorns!". Nobody needs to waste their time having to scroll through hate.
@Preston - Slow down on the trolling and contribute to the conversation, unless you love rainbows and unicorns.
@texag - The 450 guys play it a little more conservatively at times, but they have a longer season than 250 guys. There's no doubt they all want that W, but at the same time, keeping mindful of their points and health is important too. I have to believe it's hard to find a good mix with so many talented riders!
I finally made the 5 hr trek to Hotlanta to see SX, and to say I wish I had not, is a major understatement, Stewart and Hahn owned them and they deserve the credit, but the track blew big time! The designs this year do not support head to head racing at all. The track did not flow whatsoever! If you get the holeshot and keep it upright, you pretty much got it in the bag. I will say that RV did not appear to be pushing it at all (and in all fairness, neither did stewart), but it made for some boring racing. I love SX and MX with a passion, but wanted to walk out 8 laps into the 450 main. I hope Feld listens to the fans and riders and does something with these tracks. I seriously doubt I will go next year after the experience at this race.
NUMBER198 & uneasy_rider: I'm with you both. I always love Atlanta but we backed out of going this year after the first few races proved to be a mad dash to the hole shot for the victory. MX and SX(in that order) have been my favorite sports for years but I'm losing interest in SX because I don't think the best rider wins most of the time. Just the opposite in MX. SX: Bad start = salvage what points yo can and work on starts all week. MX: Bad start = twist that throttle, pass some people and go for the win. I think I'm just gonna start taping these little 15 minute, cracker jack SX races and watch them only if it's a good race or my guy wins...
HAHAHAHAHA!! How do you like that Preston--now grow up.. Thanks Jordan..
@Tonewall: And I appreciate your DVR sensitivity to the Child of Wild. Mine is kinda 180 of yours. It could have been Gomer Pyle, as opposed to Brayton. But, it just so happened to be the young, Justin Barcia, and, I have a well noted over-critical eye for that guy, which I am trying to shed, honest. So, when the replay was shown and the #51 just so happened to be in the same time-zone, my Barcia Binoculars went into macro-mode. To my (biased) eye (on first review) it appeared that waaaaaaaay back leading into that 180 bowl, Barcia knew he needed to get by the few riders in that (crowded) corner. A block-pass would be the number one choice, right. Brayton goes in deep and tries to sguare off the turn and make a pass himself, of who else(?) was just immediately ahead of him.
Now, Barcia, not being his first Ro-day-o, he approaches with caution and comes in low-and slow, as if to prepare himself for his (possible) block-pass on Brayton, depending exactly how he (Brayton) was going to exit his apex and proceed out of the completed turn. Now is when it gets complex (still with me). Brayton does in-fact (over-spins) his apex... and actually comes down and out of the bowl and into (what appeared to my biased DVR) a drooling Wild-Child ostensibly motionless, at a 90 degree angle to Brayton, and he made a perfect closed doorway for Brayton to exit (his) turn and down the track. Resulting in Brayton center punching Barcia. At that point... and only at that point... did it appear that Barcia rolled on the throttle from a dead stop, and proceed down the track leaving Brayton with one thing to do, go down, down, down.
All things considered, Barcia made his (needed) pass as this was only like the 2nd or 3rd lap and the top three were making hay. Had the tables been turned and Barcia was in front of Brayton and the exact same sequences took place, I would have thought Brayton pulled a cheap shot on Barcia. Would I have pissed and moaned like I did yesterday...doubtful, very doubtful. In-fact I would have thought pay-back for a previous Brayton/Barcia incident, and I would have said to myself,"Sobatage can be a real Bit@h, but Revenge is a Muther-Trucker." And I would have had a nice cold drink of my PBR in a frosty mug, and (brief) smile would come over my facial expression, and possibly a chuckle under my breath. ;~}}}
Tonewall, In summary, I don't have a clear and concise comfort factor of that fine line of when a block-pass is acceptable, and when it moves beyond the boundaries of acceptability and into a deliberate take-out result. Which, by the way, (in my opinion) is only used in pay-back instances, or last corners/laps, or last of the last, of a season ending championship situation. Other than that, in my opinion, block-passing has a very broad in-definable range of acceptable and un-acceptable characteristics.
Your thoughts, would be appreciated.
Thanks for the reply, dude-man! All due respect...
PS Maybe this is a question for Ping, or Gary Bailey as I don't remember reading the (actual) answer in, "How to Win Motocross." Or some other objective informative source.
So, if anyone has an opinion, I would not only appreciate it, I need to know the rules of engagement in the (professional) as well as the lessor but acceptable factors of motocross etiquette, where it is written in stone and not sand.
Seriously, Thank You.
@caseypons, can you change the wording of your question? It is hard to understand exactly what you are asking. Thank you.
@SpeedShifter: I would like to think you are serious, however I just typed what I thought was pretty self-explanatory. But before I re-type for an hour, really tell me you need me to break it down further.
All Due respect...Because you could just be screwing with me and want to see me squirm for the Halibut...
@SpeedShifter: OK, let me try to summarize my concern by stating, "If this was F-1 there are rules (somewhat) of overtaking in corners. Is this the same in 2013 professional Motocross. Or is this arbitrary. And if so, who makes the judgement call if a blocking pass was legal, of was it ruled deliberate as you took the other person out in an attempt to overtake them in a corner.
How's that for re-wording...
Thanks for your interest. As this has always seemed to be a grey area, with crucial consequences for either rider, whether it be the rider in front approaching a corner or the overtaking rider in the rear.
Muuchass-Grassiness, Compadray...
@caseypons, no, I wasn't messing with you, but now that you re-worded it I understand. Thanks.
I've never seen any organization penalize a rider for stuffing somebody. In motocross, it's like a license to kill when you're out there on the track. I've been run off the track onto the top of stacked car tires (three high) going down a straight tapped in 4th gear. Overseas there were two teams at one race who didn't like the fact that I won all four National classes of 1st motos, so in the 2nd moto they just let me lap them and then suicided into me, T-boning me at the end of long straights traveling three gears higher than me when I was squaring the turn, really trying to run me into a tree at the bottom of a hill and things like that.
However, I'll also say that I have stuffed the donkey snot out of some people myself, plenty of times, and that's how racing is. Actually, that's one thing I love about motocross - it's so real, like a street fight. When it comes to aggressiveness, it's almost like a "no rules" street fight, but you just can't cut the track, ride backwards on the track etc. That is what makes racing so fun. Nothing is more fun than brawling like a sonofabiznitch with everything you've got, ruthless as hell, and then being friendly off the track.
I used to always walk every track, and when I got out there for practice laps I would go slow, stop in certain turns, look forward and back to analyze line choices etc. One time I was sitting there on the far outside of this turn, way out of the way of any reasonable line choice, and some Intermediate rode out there, squared it at my front wheel and blasted me with a big roost. I thought that was bullying, unnecessary and, quite frankly, a tad gauche. I followed him for about 1/2 a lap to lay a lesson on the recalcitrant youth in a manner befitting someone of his lowly station.
There was a slight downhill to a 180 left hander to a double double. The common line was to swoop slightly wide exiting the 180. I gave him a little room entering the turn, railed it faster for a momentum exit on the inside, and before the base of the jump, I carved hard to the right. My line intersected his at the peak of our flight, I whipped it to align my bike with his before impact, then smacked him on his left side so hard that I took his line and he continued with the converging line I had before impact. He flew off the track in mid-air and landed off the track on the right side. I waved him on as if to say, "Come on! Let's go!" and then ripped a fast lap. Unfortunately, he lost all desire to play and went around the next turn, got off the track and went to the pits.
Justice was done. It was a good day. God, I love motocross.
Thanks SpeedShifter. Thank you very much for your reply and storied past. I think I know you. We spoke on the phone a few times. You were looking to have me market a line of marinated mushrooms in the PNW. You and some guy (who will go un-named to protect the innocent), used to water-ski together on a series of lakes on the lower Colorado in and around the Nevada/California border until one day a floating log jumped up and cut-short his career. Joel Robert used to come over to your Dad's house as a child for BBQ's. Congratulations on the 1st Superbowl of Motocross win back in '72.
All kidding aside; You mean to tell me that nowhere in the AMA Rules and Regulations is there anywhere stating overtaking another rider standards and practices, and what you can or cannot do.
So knives and AR15's are OK too then. How about maximum clip limit...
Seriously, I appreciate your rules of the road (dirt) as it were, and your historical racing account. I am glad you survived to tell your personal story. When will the book be finished, and will you be coming for a book signing in Oregon anytime soon...I need a copy of that!
Cheers!