AMA Supercross

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I just finished watching the 2011 Supercross Preview Show on CBS, covering the Premier 450 Class. It looks like it’s going to be a great season with James Stewart, Chad Reed and Ryan Villopoto all back from their 2010 injuries and ready to take a shot at Champion Ryan Dungy.



Coming up from the Lites class in 2011 are Trey Canard, Jake Weimer (West Champ) and Brett Metcalf. Uh…hmmm….is there a name missing here? Oh yeah, Christophe Pourcel (East Champ). Get this, he doesn’t have a ride.

Mucho speculation late in the motocross season about where Tampa’s Chad Reed would wind up after breaking ties with Monster Energy Kawasaki. With Roger Decoster’s defection to KTM and the Decoster-Reed relationship from the Makita Suzuki Team, I’d speculated that Reed would be on a KTM in 2011…nope. Chad started his own team with key sponsor Bel-Ray Lubricants…and he’s riding a CRF450! Introducing the Bel-Ray Two-Two Honda Team.





So, with both Chad and Haines City’s James Stewart back…finally…do you think it’ll be possible for them to get back to the fighting, feuding, and bickering that we’ve so missed for the last two years? Geeez, I hope so.



Well, the Supercross may be “all about” Chad and James (in their minds), but everyone out there needs to watch Ryan Villopoto, because had he not broke his leg last year the outcome may have been different. At the time of his fall, he was closing strong on Ryan Dungy and the outcome might have been different had the crash not occurred.



Oh hey, old guy, K-dub is back. Yeah! Kevin Windham is back is back for the 2011 Season.

More important, you’re likely wondering though, is who is Miss Supercross 2011? Well, same as last year. Yeah, Mercedes Terrell is Monster Energy’s Miss Supercross again in 2011. Guess she did a good job!



Here’s the race schedule and television coverage.

Race date…Television date…Location…Coverage…Time
01-08…01-08…Anaheim 1…SPEED…10PM
01-15…01-15…Phoenix…SPEED…9:30PM
01-22…01-23…Los Angeles…CBS…12PM
01-29…01-30…Oakland…CBS…12PM
02-05…02-06…Anaheim 2…SPEED…6PM
02-12…02-13…Houston…CBS…12PM
02-19…02-19…San Diego…SPEED…10:30PM
02-26…02-26…Atlanta…SPEED…7:30PM
03-05…Daytona…(TBD)
03-12…03-12…Indianapolis…SPEED…7:30PM
03-19…03-20…Jacksonville…SPEED…6PM
03-26…03-27…Toronto…SPEED…6PM
04-02…04-03…Dallas…CBS…12PM
04-09…04-10…St. Louis…CBS…12PM
04-16…04-16…Seattle…SPEED…6PM
04-30…05-01…Salt Lake…CBS…12PM
05-07…05-07…Las Vegas…10PM

Okay, who’s going to Jax with me this year…or Daytona...or both!

Need a recap of last year? Here’s the Thread: http://bikerflorida.com/forum/index.php/topic,452.0.html

[v65infla]

Man, I miss riding and racing so bad.  I need to stay away or the bug might bite again and that would not be good for my health.   

The wife and I even postponed our honeymoon for two weeks so we could take in the Atlanta Supercross in 1995 while on our way to TN.  Our early relationship revolved around riding and racing.  Keven Windham was a young pup then, Timmy Ferry was practicing here locally and would show up once in a while at our West Palm races on his CR 125.  I even remember Ricky Carmichael and James clearing the big ass table top up in Reddick when they were like 12 and 8 or something.  It was awesome watching Bubba launch his KX 60 and you knew then they were both going to be something special.  Of course Jeremy was the man then and I have some great pictures of him doing a knack knack in Orlando and then hanging out in the pits after.  Awesome, awesome times.  Miss the hell out of it.

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When I go watch these things, I feel old. 

Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Stanton were both on a panel, along with Carmichael and Emig, discussing the 2011 SX season on that CBS Preview. Good to see Jeff involved. I hope we see him doing some of the events too.



I’ve been doing a little research on Christophe Pourcel and, while on the preview show they seemed to indicate that he simply can’t get a ride for 2011, I’m reading that the problem may have more to do with the dislocated shoulder he got in the final MX round at Pala. I got to see the Fast Frenchman in action last year in Jax and, if we can assume these teams are interested in winning, he’d be a top candidate to put them on the podium.

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Bubba? Is his head really in this anymore? Bubba’s World, rock bands, parties! I was excited when he was able to get back out mid-season MX…then I was kind of bummed with the way that turned out. I guess we’ll see.

[gearhead400]

I can't wait! I hope everyone stays healthy this year, but anyone that races or even rides knows you have to push it to that edge to be competitive. Daytona takes its sweet time to get here. I'm stoked that chad is on a Honda! It's so hard (for me) to be loyal to one fan since there are so many good riders. But if there is one person, over all the rest, that I'd like to see on top of the podium at the end of the season, its trey canard. With bubba, reedy, RV, and dungy in the race though, I'd just be happy to see him in the top 10 overall this year, which i'm sure he'll do. Maybe even top 5.   

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But if there is one person, over all the rest, that I'd like to see on top of the podium at the end of the season, its trey canard. With bubba, reedy, RV, and dungy in the race though, I'd just be happy to see him in the top 10 overall this year, which i'm sure he'll do. Maybe even top 5.   

At a minimum, Ice Trey has a leg up over the other rookies having been brought up from the West Lites to the 450s last year when Andew Short crashed and got hurt out in San Diego. I'd have to go back and look at the results, but iirc he was pretty impressive in the premier. Plus coming off the Lites MX with the Championship this year, his head will be in it too! Plus it’s not like a rookie never won the SX in their first year. Heck, he might take it all! 

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West Coast Lites and Lites Shootout Champ Jake Weimer is out after breaking his arm practicing for this Saturday's debut of the 2011 Supercross Season in Anaheim. Bummer.    No word on replacement for the Monster Energy Kaw rider. Maybe an opening for the Fast Frenchman.

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One other bit of cool news is that the Motoconcepts Yamaha Team (riders Kyle Chisholm and Tommy Hahn) will be joined in Phoenix (round 2) and thereafter by Euro racer Cédric Soubeyras on a YZ250…2 smoker! 

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Wondering where your favorite sx racers are? Below is a link to a good run down of all the teams and riders on VitalMX today (includes Lites). Christ! It’s like the NFL with all the changes and trades. I was wondering when Josh Hill was going to show up…remember he led in points through about half last season without a win. I guess back on December 22 he signed up with Dodge/Hart-Huntington on a Kawasaki KX450.

http://www.vitalmx.com/news/news/Silly-Season-Final-Next-Stop-Anaheim-1,3502

[v65infla]

Damn how old is "Rev'n" Kevin Windham??  I remember when he was announced at the Atlanta Supercross in 1995, came out to center track, did a stoppie and endowed.    

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He’ll be 33 next month and can still usually be found somewhere at the top of the pack when the dust settles. He’s definitely a fan favorite.

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Just a reminder that Anaheim 1 will be live on SPEED tomorrow night starting at 10 PM. 

Set your DVRs.

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Oh, looks like Mercedes got booted this week. The NEW Miss Supercross 2011 is Dianna Dahlgren. Okay, she works too…

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Ryan Villopoto took an early lead in the main event last night in Anaheim passing Ivan Tedesco who had grabbed the holeshot and he didn’t look back. Both Ryan Dungey and James Stewart had to work their way up through the pack, but Bubba started nearly in the back of the pack, maybe around 15th. Having earlier watched Bubba easily catch and pass RV in their heat race, I’m left with the sense that if Bubba got a better start he’d have been at the top of the podium. Perhaps he is back!





Supercross Results (pts):
1.  Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki (25)
2.  Ryan Dungey, Suzuki (22)
3.  James Stewart, Yamaha (20)
4.  Trey Canard, Honda (18)
5.  Chad Reed, Honda (16)
Full Results

Other notables… Trey Canard couldn’t transfer from his heat race, but went on to easily win the LCQ. K-dub put on an awesome show in his heat race, coming in second, but couldn’t fully reproduce that effort. He had a respectable sixth in the main. Reedy was pretty much in play all night, but pretty low key..not a lot of attention on his new Two-Two Honda team.




On to Lites… It looks like Mitch Payton’s Pro-Circuit Factory Kawasaki Team is as strong as ever (or as usual). All green on the track and the podium when the dust settled. Lots of new names and faces in Lites this year.





West Lites Results (pts):
1.  Josh Hansen, Kawasaki (25)
2.  Brock Tickle, Kawasaki (22)
3.  Tyla Rattray, Kawasaki (20)
4.  Martin Davalos, Suzuki (18)
5.  Cole Seeley, Honda (16)
Full Results



A1 Photoblast from MotorcycleUSA

[v65infla]

I don't know if I should love you or hate you but I know which way my wife will feel.     After watching because of this thread when I hit my weight loss goal, I am seriously wanting to ride/race again.  Only 67 pounds to go.   

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Only 67 pounds to go.   

Holy smokes. That's 34.36% of me. 

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I don't know if I should love you or hate you but I know which way my wife will feel.     After watching because of this thread when I hit my weight loss goal, I am seriously wanting to ride/race again.

Are you a member of any off-road groups? If not take a peek at Florida Trail Riders. FTR has more forms, classes and age groups than any other of the states active off-road groups...imo anyway. They pretty much break it down by region so I'm not sure about your part of the state, but it may be something to look into.

http://www.floridatrailriders.org/index.php

[gearhead400]

I had to youtube the race. A great start to a great season, no doubt. I was stoked to see trey finish in fourth.
I wonder why chad reeds name only came up once? Maybe because he was just consistent the whole race, never really did anything crazy...

Daytona '09 i watched bubba fall in the first turn, hop on someone ELSES bike, get back to his, and fight from 20th to 7th(oddly). I think he is strongest when he's fighting through a pack. He picks people off like he's riding at a local track sometimes.

The clip they showed on villopoto's crash last year was the first I had seen of it. Man was that brutal...

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Based on what I’m reading, Reedy actually was with or behind Stewart out of the gate way in the back of the pack. So being that he came in fifth, he really overcame a lot of racers, too. Everyone said the track at Anaheim was tough for passing so I think this weekend in Phoenix will give Chad an opportunity to show if he’s going to really be in it or not.

[v65infla]

I don't know if I should love you or hate you but I know which way my wife will feel.     After watching because of this thread when I hit my weight loss goal, I am seriously wanting to ride/race again.

Are you a member of any off-road groups? If not take a peek at Florida Trail Riders. FTR has more forms, classes and age groups than any other of the states active off-road groups...imo anyway. They pretty much break it down by region so I'm not sure about your part of the state, but it may be something to look into.

http://www.floridatrailriders.org/index.php

Yep, I am aware of the FTR, but it has been a long time.  I never did any wood's racing although as big as I was even back then my buddies always said I was way way faster in the woods than I ever was on the track.  Maybe, something I should look into??  I know the wife would be happier if I was to never attempt a 90' table top again, especially at 43 years old.   

I mostly raced local C class stuff, Clewiston was my first race ever, then Naples had a track for a while, then West Palm Fairgrounds and finally Dania where I broke my femur on a 40' double out of a 180* turn.  In between there, I raced at Reddick in Ocala a couple of times, once in MI while up there on vacation and outside of Macon, GA in a regional Loretta Lynn qualifier in which I promptly got my butt kicked all over the side of the hill.   

I was never even close to being a superstar, much more like super squid but it was a great time of my life and the memories of hanging out at the track, traveling a bit and racing will put a smile on my face every time.   

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Yep, I am aware of the FTR, but it has been a long time..............

I just put my issue of FTRs most recent quarterly mag in the mail to you. Not trying to get you to join…I don’t do much with them up here for sure, but there’s a lot of info in this particular issue about the formats, results, contacts, etc… Thought you might like to flip it. 

[v65infla]

Yep, I am aware of the FTR, but it has been a long time..............

I just put my issue of FTRs most recent quarterly mag in the mail to you. Not trying to get you to join…I don’t do much with them up here for sure, but there’s a lot of info in this particular issue about the formats, results, contacts, etc… Thought you might like to flip it. 

Thank you!!  My wife is going to really hate you.   

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Thank you!!  My wife is going to really hate you.   

I'll keep my distance.

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Daytona is going to be tough, but not impossible for me to get to due to work related stuff. But it's not too early to start talking about a group showing at Jax. March 19. Anyone interested?

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So, who’s it going to be at Phoenix tomorrow night? Another RV (2) night? I don’t think last week is any indication. Both James Stewart (7) and Chad Reed (22) have, no doubt, been working heavily on their starts all week. As for our Champ Ryan Dungy (1), although he looked soft last week, let’s not forget what a bad day he had in the first round of last summer’s mx before he went on to take the championship. And lastly Trey Cannard (41), who I think did great, has had a week to get the jitters out. I think Phoenix is going to be the round where we see where the competition is this year…but I think it’s those five.

SPEED Channel…Live…9:30PM