Observations: Anaheim 3
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 | 10:10 AM
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PrintWelcome to Observations, where we’ll wrap up what we saw this past weekend at the final stop at Anaheim stadium, look back at last year and look forward to the series finale. The series is five rounds down with twelve to go and the rider with the fourteen-point lead in the series is still considered an underdog. Wacky, right?
First things first. I was amazed at how basic the track was. Like, so basic that most everyone figured it out really early. It was very tight in sections, as well. I almost think that there was a lack of dirt, seeing as how this was the fourth weekend in January that the dirt was used (three SX’s, one Monster Jam). Like, the guys were out of dirt and therefore had to “skimp” on obstacles. Maybe I’m wrong but everything seemed small and easy this weekend. The one rhythm lane where you could do something different was a quad over a tabletop and double out or triple on and single out. The teams I talked to say that there was virtually no difference in times no matter which rhythm you did. All in all, I wasn’t a fan of the track this weekend and not many racers were either.
My boss Weigandt is on me to switch this column up so I thought we could take a look at the difference in points from some racers from one year ago when we wrapped up Anaheim 2, the fifth race of the 2012 supercross series. Hope he’s happy (Editor's note: We'll see.)
Davi Millsaps-2012 points- 56/2013 points- 107/+51 points better
What can you say about The Duke? An amazing turnaround by Millsaps and his second at Anaheim 3 was much like the rest of his season: Impressive. You only need to go back one season to see the difference with Millsaps. At Anaheim 2 2012, he started in fifth, finished seventh and his lap times deteriorated by almost two seconds by the end of the race. This weekend he was second, dropped to third and fought back to a second with lap times that were within a second of his fastest lap with two laps to go. He’s a new man on a new machine.
Millsaps still controls his own destiny as the series heads to San Diego.
Simon Cudby photo
I was talking to the guys on Millsaps' old team (JGR) about him and they’re as surprised as anyone with this Davi Millsaps 2.0 we’re all seeing. I was also speaking to Jim Holley about Davi on the Pulpmx Show and he mentioned that as guys get older, they get a family and they realize that they need to provide for said family. Davi’s worked hard these last couple of years and is finally realizing his potential. You have to think Ezra Lusk is part of this. Maybe it’s because he’s such a cool guy and one of my favorite dudes out of all the old retired guys, but I just feel like Lusk has quietly been a real help to Davi. The Duke is for real, no doubt about it.
Percent chance he wins the title - 35 percent (these percentages are SUPER scientific by the way).
Ryan Dungey-2012 points- 103/2013 points- 93/ -10 points worse
What a night for Dungey at A3 -- he probably had to chug a bunch of Pepto after it was all said and done. An air shock failure on the line forces him to the LCQ where he barely qualifies and then wins the main going away. It was his first win of the season and it puts everything back on track for The Dunge. I think he’s been struggling a bit so far this year (three podiums in five races is struggling? Yes, for him it is) but with two LCQ’s and all his bad starts I suppose only a ten-point difference from last year isn’t too bad. Would I put an air shock back on my bike if I was Ryan seeing as how he won the main with a traditional spring shock? Hells no.
Percent chance he wins the title - 25.3 percent.
Dungey got a big win at A3. Will the trend continue in San Diego?
Simon Cudby photo
Trey Canard-2012 points-16/ 2013 points-92/ +78 points better
These results are obviously skewed quite a bit because of Trey’s injury a year ago (remember he missed A1 last year with a collarbone injury and was landed on at round three), but he’s been very good. He has two second places (and was four turns away from another podium in Phoenix) but is coming off his worst finish this season at A3. Trey’s been quite a story this year and for me, he’s just got to keep on keeping on and he’ll be fine. Just make it through the season and it will be a win for the Okie. I know I’ll get hell for this at the races but I can’t see him making a run for the title. He’s still a little sketchy in the mains and has a few too many of those “cover your eyes in the press box” moments. But I hope he proves me wrong. And by the way, did you hear that he’s working with Tim Ferry? Yeah, that’s awesome.
Percent chance he wins the title - 16.4 percent.
Trey Canard has had the biggest turnaround from a year ago.
Simon Cudby photo
Ryan Villopoto-2012 points-108/ 2013 points-90/ -28 points worse
Ryan Villopoto after five races in 2012? Two wins. And he’s got the same number in 2013 but is 28 points off his pace from a year ago. Obviously his bad races are really bad and so far in 2013, only his starts and his own mistakes have beaten him. At A3 he got involved with the Justin Brayton/Chad Reed crash but even after that, he was still eleventh and probably would’ve gotten a podium. But then he went down again and it was all she wrote for the ginger warrior. When he’s been raced heads up, no one can touch him. He’s only beating himself so far, which is why methinks when he figures it out, he’s still the favorite to win this title even though he’s 27 points down.
Percent chance he wins the title - 42 perent.
RV has two wins thus far in 2013 ... the same number he had at this time last year.
Simon Cudby photo
Chad Reed 2012 points- 105/ 2013 points 81/ -24 points worse
Chad’s A3 was wrecked by another early race crash. Like last week, he was the principal rider involved but unlike last week, he wasn’t 100 percent responsible for this. It was a racing move he tried to make on Justin Brayton and it didn’t work. Blame the incredibly tight track that saw numerous pileups in almost every race in the same area if you want to wave that blame stick around. Anyway, Reed fought back to fifth in a good ride that he was happy with at the end of the race. He’s 24 points off his 2012 pace (and three positions in the standings back as well) but he feels like he’s getting better and has things figured out. He’s yet another person in a string of about eighty-four that I spoke to who is looking forward to getting back east. So for all the above reasons, I’m not counting him out of this thing, despite being over a race behind the leader. Are you?
Percent chance he wins the title - 21.3 percent
Reed bounced back from an early crash at A3 to salvage fifth.
Simon Cudby photo
Andrew Short-2012 points-59/ 2013 points-71/+12 points better
Somehow, Short’s better this year than last despite his team folding up, him not getting paid for a long time and his whole life being in flux. He’s one of only four riders to finish in the top ten at all five races this year (last year he had two poopy races in the first five) despite being without his factory Honda at the last two. But you’ll never hear the “Woe is me” stuff from Andrew. He’s got a positive attitude and is working on different ways he can keep on going after San Diego. I have no clue what he’s got planned, but I’m impressed with his season so far. Showa Works forks to KYB production air forks? No worries. A bike that has everything modded to a bike that has very little modded? No worries. What about the fact that he’s probably now racing on a bike that could be ten to fifteen pounds heavier than what he had? You guessed it, no worries. Andrew’s truly an amazing guy on and off the track. I would have been reduced to flipping everyone off as I rode around the track if I were him.
Percent chance he wins the title - 8 percent.
It's been a stressful season for Short off the track, but on the track he has been solid.
Simon Cudby photo
Justin Barcia - Rookie (therefore his point total in 2013 is much better than 2012)
Bam-Bam is the real deal, no doubt about it. That sound you hear is Dean Wilson and Eli Tomac drooling while watching Justin in the 450 class because they’ve always matched up well to Justin and should be expected to do about the same in 2014. Barcia’s won a race and no matter what happens from here, he’s had a great season. Yeah, he’s been a bit erratic but that’s kind of what we thought we’d see. We also all thought that he’d win a race but not as quickly as he did. Barcia’s awesome and his future is bright.
Percent chance he wins the title - 9 percent (miracles can happen folks, the Kardashians are still on TV!).
Bam Bam has shown he is the real deal in his rookie year.
Simon Cudby photo
James Stewart-2012 points-95/ 2013 points- 56/ -39 points worse
Stewie had his best race of the season at A3 as he fought hard to get up into second and if you closed one eye, the old #7 was back there for a bit. But alas, it was not to be as James got caught and passed by the guy he caught and passed earlier (Millsaps) and for good measure, Barcia got him as well. To me he looked a bit tired out there and he probably was. After all, he probably hasn’t been able to moto down with his knee injury and staying sharp is hard. A year ago he had a win but appeared to be fighting the bike and this year he seems to have the bike but is being held up by the body. That’s really a damm shame because Stewart is something to watch out on the track. It’s like some sort of actor is out there is portraying the rider previously known as James Stewart. We should applaud him for being out there racing each week because he’s certainly taken plenty of grief for appearing to pack it in at times in the past. After the races, I’ve seen him out there signing for fans and hanging out so props to JS7 for that. I just want a healthy James Stewart out there and I have to admit I’m sort of upset at his stupid knee right now.
Percent he wins the title - 1 percent (I’m only putting him this low because he told me he thinks his title shot is gone so if he’s not a believer, then I’m certainly not).
Can Stewart find the podium for the first time in San Diego?
Simon Cudby photo
Justin Brayton-2012 points-53/ 2013 points 53/ 0 point difference
JB10’s got the same number of points and is one spot better in the standings from a year ago. But, and there’s always a but, he missed the main in Dodger Stadium last year so in a way, he was a bit better last year on points per race. Brayton’s due -- there’s no doubt about it. He’s won two heats, grabbed some starts here and there and has looked good but it hasn’t come together for this Hawkeye. Yet. But if you’re hoping he’s going to win this title, sorry folks.
Percent chance he wins the title - 6 percent.
JB has the same number of points as he did a year ago.
Simon Cudby photo
Let’s take a look at the A3 results shall we?
250SX Results
1. Ken Roczen KTM 250 SX-F- Kenny was great at A3. His scrubs were insane and he seems to be a bit happier this season for whatever reason. And it shows in his riding. 2-2-2-1-1 on the year and a nice points lead with one race left before the break.
2. Martin Davalos Kawasaki KX 250F- Probably one of the best nights of Martin’s SX career. Maybe it was due to being a bit lighter in one ass cheek because of Mitch Payton chewing it off all week long. Davalos was actually catching Roczen for a bit before he “tightened up,” which is approximately the 1,853rd time he’s used that line on the podium when describing his race. Still, nice night.
3. Eli Tomac Honda CRF 250- Tomac’s start killed him. He actually had a faster times than Roczen in the main event but it’s tough to get up there when you start where Eli did. Remember when he seemed unstoppable? Yeah me too. Weird huh?
4. Kyle Cunningham Yamaha YZ250F- Two great rides for Kyle on the Yamaha. KC landed on Max Anstie at round one and was battling the flu the following two weeks. These finishes are more in line with what he’s capable of.
5. Jason Anderson Suzuki RM-Z250- Ho hum, another weekend and another great ride for Anderson. He went from sixteenth to fifth in the main event and was on fire for the whole fifteen laps. Or maybe that was just his number one fan (Jason Weigandt’s) crotch? [Editor's note: Hey!] Either way, J-An (see what I did there?) was in traffic for most of the race and was still one of four guys (the other three were the top three) in the 53-second range. 2014 is going to be Jason Anderson’s year. Stamp that.
6. Travis Baker Yamaha YZ250F- Baker had his best ride of the season by far. Baker’s on the Valli Motorsports Yamaha squad. That team uses the old Factory Yamaha hauler (they even have the old factory Yamaha driver Pat Muras!) and therefore there are a ton of Yamaha guys going in and out all day long. Jimmy Perry, Bob Oliver, Mike Guerra and Keith McCarty are all around a lot and if I’m Baker, the only guy on the team, I think I’m feeling some pressure. I wonder if those Yamaha guys tell Baker all about a Steve Matthes who worked at Yamaha for three years as one of the top mechanics to ever come through the doors? Probably not. [Editor's note: Top?]
7. Joey Savatgy KTM 250 SX-F- I un-followed Joey on Twitter and it caused a bit of a rift between us (this is where we’re at in 2013; un-following is the new slapping someone in the face with a glove in the 1850s) but I smoothed it over by explaining that I’m too old to get his references and he Tweets too much. He seemed to accept this reasoning and we’re on good terms now. Whew!
8. Austin Politelli Honda CRF 250- Lost in the “Savatgy” hype, Politelli has done a nice job so far this year. For those of you that can’t get seats on the Savatgy bandwagon, check out the Politelli one. It’s pretty empty but I think it will be filling up soon.
9. Max Anstie Suzuki RM-Z250- There’s also plenty of room on the Anstie bandwagon in case you’re wondering.
10. Zach Osborne Honda CRF 250- Zach crashed in the same spot in both the heat and the main event. He had to go to the LCQ with a crash that left him sitting on the side of the track staring out like he’d seen a purple bigfoot or something. Not sure what was going on inside his head at that point.
11. Jessy Nelson Honda CRF 250- Nelson was docked one spot for jumping on a yellow. It’s weird man, I go by their truck at the races and at the Anaheim rounds it just seems so, so, so busy all the time. I don’t know what Troy has going on under there but it sometimes seems like Le Black or one of those other high-end clubs.
12. Cole Seely Honda CRF 250- DEFINITELY not what the TLD Honda team wanted, not sure what was up with Seely but his starts weren’t there and with Cole that’s a key part of his deal. He was up to fifth before crashing back.
13. Christian Craig Honda CRF 250- You can say this for the TLD Honda team, they’re backing each other up in the results.
14. Josh Cachia KTM 250 SX-F- Don’t let the Murrieta, California AMA results sheet fool you, Josh is all-Aussie.
15. Scott Champion Honda CRF 250
16. Kade Mosig Kawasaki KX 250F
17. Jean Ramos KX 250F- Jean Carlos Ramos is…THE MAN IN THE MAIN EVENT. Starring Matt Damon and that chick with the bug eyes.
18. Dakota Tedder Kawasaki KX 250F
19. Tyler Bereman Kawasaki KX 250F
20. Derek Anderson Kawasaki KX 250F- Derek’s first main event of the year and truthfully, he should’ve been in at least a couple of others because he’s been close. But I have no idea why he got last in the main.
Kyle Cunningham finished a seasons-best fourth at A3.
Simon Cudby photo
450SX Results
1. Ryan Dungey KTM 450 SX-F
2. David Millsaps Suzuki RM-Z450- Millsaps went to the air forks this weekend and it seemed to work out ok for him. But we might have to remove his pseudo-privateer status due to the fact that those are indeed pretty trick and full works. Just saying. As well, you’re welcome Erin Bates for that little tidbit.
3. Justin Barcia Honda CRF 450- Justin had two DNFs in a row so his coach Jeff Stanton answered the bat phone and came out to A3 to “get the train back on the rails.” I’d say that it worked out pretty well as Barcia rode a great race to get third. If anyone sees a bound and gagged Jeff Stanton getting stuffed in the Honda truck after each race to ensure he shows up, call the cops.
4. James Stewart Suzuki RM-Z450
5. Chad Reed Honda CRF 450
6. Andrew Short Honda CRF 450
7. Trey Canard Honda CRF 450
8. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki KX 450F
9. Broc Tickle Suzuki RM-Z450- I don’t know about Tickle. He’s been ok but with a works bike under him (although let’s face it, his PC Kawi 450 last year was basically a works bike) and Ricky Carmichael on board to help out, I feel like he should be better than last year but he’s sort of the same.
10. Justin Brayton Yamaha YZ450F
11. Matthew Lemoine Kawasaki KX 450F- Considering that Matt was kicking his bike when the 30-second card turned sideways, this career-best result for Matt is especially impressive. Lemoine got a few sniffs from a top 250 team seeing if he had any interest in racing the East Coast.
12. Jimmy Albertson Honda CRF 450- Like in Phoenix, Top Jimmy again was forced to ride the LCQ and again, he beat Ryan Dungey to win the thing. The LCQ was stacked with some fast guys and it was an impressive ride for Jimmy. With Dungey coming on, Albertson caught and passed LCQ leader Phil Nicoletti to take the win with the eventual main event winner breathing down his neck. Once in the main, Jimmy was forced to toss his goggles with the light rain coming down and still placed an impressive twelfth.
13. Matthew Goerke KTM 450 SX-F- Goerke got into a collision with RV as he was moving through the pack that left a hole in his clutch cover, as well as in his results. He was ninth when it happened and dropped back to fifteenth and finished the race with oil spewing everywhere. I didn’t see it but I know that Matt’s team wasn’t happy with the ginger.
14. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha YZ450F- Chisholm’s finishes this year: 13-13-15-13-14. That is consistent but probably not the kind of consistent that he’d like to be. Just like last year, I cannot remember one time where Chiz was top five off the start. I’m no Gary Semics, but to get out front in the start is huge.
15. Vince Friese Honda CRF 450- Pretty good interview with Vince this past Monday on the Pulpmx Show. We talked about a lot of things and he was pretty honest about all of it. He admits that he’s made some poor choices in the past but this year, he’s working on moving forward and trying to get better. Whatever he’s doing is working.
16. PJ Larsen Honda CRF 450- Larsen made his first main event of the year and as I’ve said before, you’ve got to get into these mains consistently before you can worry about actually doing really well in them. Larsen has a couple of top East Coast 250 teams looking at him to perhaps fill in when that series starts so lets keep an eye on him to see if he stays on the big bike.
17. Mike Alessi Suzuki RM-Z450- The good news is Mike’s main event starts appear to be back in form (after a lot of “detective work” by Tony Alessi, who used those words exactly. Does anyone not think that he did indeed go over everything with a microscope?), but the bad news is that he was involved in a couple of crashes that knocked him back. In particular, the first one with Millsaps could’ve been really ugly and Alessi was lucky to bounce right back up.
18. Joshua Grant Yamaha YZ450F- Kyle Lewis has been helping out Josh for the early part of the year and it’s interesting to see these older dudes coming out to help out the new(ish) guys.
19. Chris Blose Yamaha YZ450F- Blose’s YZ450F motor made a grinding and banging noise so he pulled it in early. Bummer.
20. Jake Weimer Kawasaki KX 450F- Weimer got run over by Matt Lemoine on the first lap and looks like he’s got a couple of broken ribs to deal with. Double bummer.
Some quick notes (dedicated to Tom McGovern at Kawasaki).
- Bobby Kiniry didn’t make the main event despite starting third in the first 450 heat. He ended up tenth and didn’t even fall or anything! He was telling me that he wished he had fallen because then that would be an excuse. In his defense though, his mechanic had made an error and put on the pit board that he was seventh (when he was ninth-the last qualifying spot) so when Georke passed him for the last spot, he didn’t fight it, figuring he had a spot into the main. In the LCQ he was looking good going into the second turn when Les Smith started a pileup that left him, and his main event hopes, finished. Bobby’s got a lot going on in his life with a new baby, a wife in New York, a banged up knee and a team that’s in shambles. So you think you want to be a motocrosser?
Kiniry missed his second main of the year in Anaheim.
Simon Cudby photo
- If you’re a regular reader of this column you know that I’m a pretty non-biased reporter when it comes to gear and what the riders wear. Fly Racing’s involved in the Pulpmx Show, JT Racing advertises on Pulp and Thor MX sponsors the Racer X Podcasts. I could totally just run the company line and love all the above brands (and to be clear, I am a sucker for JT stuff, I love most of it. Call me crazy but I’m all in when it comes to putting spots from a breed of dog on a pant) but I can’t do that. That wouldn’t be me being me. So with that said, Chad Reed’s Shift gear has been, in the words of David Pingree, mopping the floor with just about every other gear company out there that doesn’t put dog spots on their gear. This weekend Reed’s new color way topped his A1 color way and yeah, Shift has got it going on this year.
- You know you’re putting out nice looking stuff when the other gear guys are slowly nodding their heads going “Yeah, it’s all right…” and then just trailing off. Hey you gear guys reading this, you know who you are.
- I put out on Twitter that if I was an Oakley athlete I would never, ever not wear any goggle strap that didn’t have the old-school Oakley lettering on it. I would insist on it in my contract actually. Justin Brayton doesn’t really agree with me but what does he know? The old-school lettering on the strap is iconic. That is all.
- Mike Alessi said it was too wet up where he lives so he was forced to ride motocross all week. And at this time we cannot confirm that Tony was outside at midnight soaking down the house and Mike’s window to make him think it was raining.
Send me an email if you want to chat about Anaheim 3 or really about anything. I’m pretty lonely and I don’t have any friends. [email protected]
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Nobody believes me. ^^^^^^^^^ told ya were goin down the toilet!
I really hope this last race wakes Dungey up, its time for Minnesota to shine again!
I will be astonished if Stewart doesnt win a race this season, maybe racer x should rethink that putting James #4 as great SX racer all time.
I would like to see both Reed, and Stewart win one more title before retirement, but that elusive THIRD title is proving more difficult than ever. All the more reason Stanton should have been higher on the list!!
Can D.Coombs please lobby to at least have ONE off season two stroke race for racer x where all the top pros show up? I would like to see just ONE two stroke race a year and see if the racing ends up how I think it would, or if we are smoking the crack pipe thinking todays racing is better with 450s. We will never really know the truth unless we try,
when is shift gonna get their shift together and start selling the 22 gear reed has been wearing? I'm due for some new gear and that 22 gear looks bad ass.
My observation: The Reed/Brayton incident was just that, a racing incident....But, I do say but because after watching it a few times - could it have been avoided possibly? Here is my take/question on the incident....Reed is obviously one of the most experienced guys out there...he is a true veteran of this wonderful sport....coming out of that 2nd turn going into that section before turn 3, it was obvious Brayton was heading towards the inside for turn 3 and it was pretty narrow to begin with.....Reed could see this coming out of turn 2, yet he seems to charge even faster towards the inside as well as if to beat Brayton to the turn, rather than just maintain pace and avoid collision....Brayton cut to the inside yes, but I also think like Oakland, Reed went for it when he saw a possible opening and it cost him....thoughts, rebuttles..stabs and lashings????... again, just a thought...
Great write up Steve.
I hope Weimer is okay and gets back out there soon because we need more guys to fill the spaces between the always up front Millsaps and the charging from self induced crashes (and sometimes not!) Ryan Villopoto so that Millsaps can pad his lead. I don't think anyone would argue who is faster but Millsaps starts are the most consistent and thus he is. I want to see him win this thing!
I think we may have a number 7 a number 22 and a number 1 on the pine this weekend....kind of like an old school podium. (for you yung guys on here)
This weekend I also think Roczen plays it smart. If he is getting pressured by ELI I think the kid is smart enough to check up a bit and settle for second. But looking at the times lately he might well race him straight up. I think Anderson (Jason) could get his first podium this weekend as well. He is the fastest 250 rider to not podium yet.
Killo
I haven't watched the replay but I'm thinking Reed is feeling the pressure of the pace these guys are having to run to win races this year and is forcing things a little too much...at least too early in the races. He needs to accept the start he gets and settle in for a half a lap or so til the field sorts itself out a bit......but what do I know......I don't even run hand guards on my keyboard.
Oh and by the way...Mike Alessi - keep straight in the rythym lanes, turn in the corners - is that too harded to absorb?...that moving over crap is dangerous. I watched the incident three times (from the front) - not the cameragle showing the lane from the side...when Mike started the section he was damned near out to the tuff blocks...as millsaps gets a drive on him he starts drifting over...smarten up kid.
Villo's roid rage was pretty evident as he threw a 220lb. bike away like it was a bmx...good stuff champ. The crash was your fault - no one elses.
@ dino
put your dislike of RV aside for a minute and tell me what happened with RV and Alessi. TV didn't show it very well but it looked like after RV washed out (again) Alessi seemed like he had time to miss him but didn't....then took his sweet azz time getting his bike off RV's?
Indeed Dungey Poto - That was my thought basically....is it a "desperate times require desperate measures" scenario for Reed and he uncharacteristically rushes things? I think that is more likely at A3 than Oakland...Oakland he just got out a shape...but there seemed to be some "rush" behind it....Not the band.
haha, I dont run hand gaurds either, but still run fork boots
I knew someone would take that ball and run with it - DungeyPoto you get the prize. If you were a fish you'd be on my grill young patawan...
I respect all the racers and no I do not believe that Villo is on PED's but it is possible?
i think JGR should maybe try a different color plastic
is JGR KTM too many initials for a racing team?
Lighten up - some on here act like these guys are family or something. They are young kids basically prome to acts of frustration and emotion - let go.
@ Dino.
Not so fast Bob Izumi.......I may have just jumped back in the water!
Never commented on your PED comment cause I wouldn't care either way.
You made it sound like you were either at A3 or have found better camera angles and I was wondering if Alessi took RV's mishap right in front of him as an opportunity to have some kind of impact on the series other than being a lapper most races. He must have a great deal of resentment for RV by now.
@ DungeyPoto - RV was down Alessi was landing from a (small) jump and in my opinion had no where to go. Grabbing the binders would have resulted in his own washout and thusly a third crash...just my OPINION of course...Villo was heated as he was having a crap race and i'm sure seeing it was the 800 thjat ran into him made things no better...but that bike did fly - kind of...
TV showed the best angle of Alessi's drifting over in that rythym lane.
Not to many have gotten away btw! There have been a few however...
Would like to apologize in advance to all whom my posts my offend. Not quite sure what to say nowadays....
Alessi / RV - Although these guys have a lot of history, I dont think Alessi purposley ran into the fallen RV...Looked like MA800 tried to avoid it, but failed to do so...RV was charging and Alessi may have been in la-la land after his 2nd lap get off...However, he was apparently having a hard time removing his bike from RV's and maybe taking too much time so RV helped him out, just like Reed did with Stews bike in Oakland...RV grabbed the rear wheel and picked the bike off of his....Alessi's bike was still on the ground and the bike basically flipped over rotating on the handle bars/steering column...its not like RV picked the entire bike up off the ground and tossed it aside....
Thanks Dino.....and I generally don't take offense to any posts. Everyone has their fav's.
Makes me think of Matthes tweet a couple of weeks ago when RV passed into the lead.....'Hulk Smash' !!!!
Piece out posters......I've wasted the morning away, gotta do some work now.
Sure like this Jason Anderson. Saw him a couple years ago riding in Mesquite at the Mini O's on a 250. He has a fun style to watch in the outdoors. Kinda Hannah like. Shirt untucked flying and flayling.
I know.. since we are all so goofy on these boards, lets do a conspiracy theory!
Alessi purposely landed on RV, taking himself out of the race and risking potential injury, out of spite and jealousy!! Alessi used to trump RV in the amateurs, but RV has since gotten the better of him. That really makes sense...
Nobody is going to comment on California banning black cars? People here really are braindead.
Do I need to say something racial to make a stir about the black car ban? Do I need to mention that Obama wanted to paint highways and roof tops white?
I took a lot of astronomy in college and I have one question to the smart people of the world about global warming that they seem to be missing.
Our sun is a large star, and stars go thru certain stages. They start small, then grow and grow and grow.. before they explode. How do the environmentalist plan on stopping the SUN from growing before it swallows the earth? Things will be real hot I would imagine before this ever happens as it gets closer to us.
They predict the sun will swallow the first 3 planets within a half million years. I really hope someone comes up with a good plan.
Do I need to say something racial to make a stir about the black car ban? Do I need to mention that Obama wanted to paint highways and roof tops white?
I took a lot of astronomy in college and I have one question to the smart people of the world about global warming that they seem to be missing.
Our sun is a large star, and stars go thru certain stages. They start small, then grow and grow and grow.. before they explode. How do the environmentalist plan on stopping the SUN from growing before it swallows the earth? Things will be real hot I would imagine before this ever happens as it gets closer to us.
They predict the sun will swallow the first 3 planets within a half million years. I really hope someone comes up with a good plan.
@ rick
this one goes out to you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m39piBT2vE
RacerX posted RV's GoPro footage with Millsaps/JS's earlier today. Check the RV footage and tell me MA was trying to get his bike off of RV's? If you watched the SPEED replay, CR cuts to the inside and MA looks to have plenty of room to the outside. If not RV's bike was flat on the dirt and stopped, any rider that can rip triples should be able to use a KX for traction. RV has done the right thing and been quiet, but i'd love to ask him what he thought about the incident. They were 8th and 10th when it happened, and when they got up they were 18th and 19th. RV passed 10 guys to finish 8th, MA passed 2 guys to finish 17th.
@rick--give it a rest and take your fear mongering someplace else.. Oh yea, by the way, your guy lost in November!!
@rickamatuzio, I think that is partially right. Some stars do explode but I believe most die out and essentially fizzle, having used their combustible gasses over the life of the star. I recall scientists stating our sun would not explode and that that it has passed its peak and is slowly dying out. If 1 is the birth of the star and 10 is the death, our sun is at a 6.
The global warming theory relates to atmospheric gasses surrounding the Earth, not the temperature of our sun, and how the trapped gasses potentially create heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. Of course, I just ride motorcycles………
P.S. Waiting for someone to take the bait on the other stuff you mentioned. A bit too testy for me to venture there.
@ Rick
don't think anyone suggested Alessi purposely ran into RV and fell on him but he didn't seem to be in a big hurry to get his bike off his. The Gopro evidence supports the theory. He appeared to be really struggling to pick the bike up and was actually rolling it further over onto RV's....the Raging Red-Head threw it over / upside down. Angry Bird
@DungeyPoto - i'll take it a step further and say MA purposely parked his bike on RV's. If you watch the SPEED replay after watching the GoPro footage, MA comes to a complete stop, hops off of his bike and then you see the front of the bike lift up, which must be when MA's bike ends up on top of RV's. Then all of the sudden MA isn't tough enough to get his bike off of RV's and RV lends him a helpful two hands so he can attempt to make up the 9 positions he lost. I was impressed with MA last year, finishing all the SX races and 2nd overall in MX, but tough to be a fan after Saturday night.
@rickamatuzio: Did you check the date on that black car ban article you posted? It is nearly 4 years old. And to top it off, it is bogus:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/darkcars.asp
And you should probably leave the science to the professionals -- or at least those who paid attention in their astronomy classes. Our sun will never explode, just begin to expand in its red giant phase, leaving a white dwarf core behind. In several BILLION years it is projected that the inner three planets will be consumed by the expansion. However, Earth will likely be rendered uninhabitable in somewhat less than a billion years by increased solar output.
As JonR145 noted, global warming is not related to the Sun's grand cycle, and its effects will likely be felt much sooner. I don't agree with going overboard on trying to control human behaviors that may contribute to greenhouse gases. But encouraging R&D, energy efficiency, and cleaner forms of energy seems sensible.
@Mathes I liked the article a lot! Showing the points from last year to this year tells a lot, although I'm pretty sure RV is only 18 points down from last season and not 28. Also Holley is right about having a kid can change your perception of whats important.(Davi) Watching the GoPro footage from Davi shows that he had a terrible start ( not in the top 10 coming out of turn 1) and still ends up on the box shows how serious he is this year, not to mention that RMZ looks to be cornering on rails. Great article, Jason shoul be very happy!
we all know that the earth heats up and cools down there are ice ages its natural we are just in a heating up time right now. global warming is a myth. look at how much carbon gasses a volcano emits compared to cars i can not remember the stats on it but it proves we are not making an impact
unless all your info comes from the science and history channels and natgeo you will never get it
Ripdown, I love it!! Back at ya
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PoAD3kUmN9s
Amen villaslowdoh. Amen brother
Villopoto can't be touched heads up? He's only beaten himself so far? Absolutely false and disgusting that you would say such a thing. There are multiple guys who can just plain beat him at any time. Of course he's still in the title hunt but he's made it tough on himself and he's not just going to all of a sudden stop making mistakes. He's always been prone to them because of his aggressive style. To say he's the favorite for this title right now is just plain silly with him down over a full race already.
Last bike- the article was old, but there are talks again. To even THINK about that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.
I know the cycle of a star, some super nova, nova, some don't. They burn helium (I think and hydrogen) and eventually carbon. I do remember reading that our sun is ever expanding and will envelope the eArth in years to come. My point, was to be cynical. Funny. It's something so far out of our control, like the planet warming.. That its stupidity to think carbon is causing the problem. CO2 levels in the eras previous were OFF the charts compared to now, and the earth was WAY cooler. Also, we had recovered from an ice age before industrialization. How did that Happen? It's a cycle, and we have data back 104 years. A grain of sand on the time scale of earth.. It's arrogant stupidity to think we know what the climate should actually be. I want the government to release a statement that says the mean annual temp needs to be 46.74 F of something is wrong.
Typing on my phone sorry for mistakes and short cuts
@ warrior
correction......RV is down 17pts. i think Matthes was using our metric math system when figuring the points. RV also has two wins.....and if he could've avoided the Reed / Brayton thing he'd probably have 3 wins now.
He needs to get the loose front end figured out but ys.....I'd still say that with 12 rounds left he's still gotta be the favorite. That #1 plate does reflect that he is the current champ and has won the last two Championships
Last thing: government mandates were to increase solar reflectivity starting in 2013, full on 2016.
So what exactly should the earths temperature be anyway? And says who? Where is the literature? Did god, or evolution leave a script for us regardng our climate?
I realize this has little to do with motorcycles now, but it IS indirectly going to affect us. In time
@villaslowdoh:
I'll assume when you use "global warming" you mean "man made global warming." Neither are myth -- except to those more willing to believe the cherry-picked factors used by those with an agenda, than the thousands of scientists directly studying climate change.
Volcanic emissions compared to vehicle emissions proves nothing. There are certainly natural cycles at work, and human impact is by no means clearly understood, but our link to rapidly increasing carbon levels is undeniable. What the result will be is certainly open to debate, as is what should be done.
There are plenty of nuts on both extremes. On one are those who point at every climate event like its compelling evidence of MMGW, or want drastic measures taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without proven and necessary benefit. On the other are those willing to dismiss the real science in favor of fake science.
What is fake science? It is using elements of scientifically produced evidence to arrive at conclusions not supported by the totality of the related evidence. It is the cornerstone of several movements: anti-vaccine, anti-MMGW, anti-evolution, etc.
Thankfully, most of our scientists ignore all the bs and just keep working on collecting evidence or creating new technologies.
Sine when do percentages add up to a total of 163.7? If you're going to add a pointless guess to this article, at least make it follow the rules of statistics. However, I would prefer that the percentages just be left out. We're only 5 races into the season and injuries are very unpredictable. Other than the pointless percentages, I enjoyed the article =)
lastbikerm250
you know there are alot of scientist who have alot of evidence against your man made global warming I have heard both sides and one side is rediculous
rickamatazio
exactly what i think they say the mean temp is off lol, I argued with a guy about that once so dumb. I think even if humans where trying to destroy the earth thru global warming they couldnt do it the earth straightens itself out
........and the message boards take another strange turn
most of the discussion on here is pointless anyways i dont like to comment so much about the article its usually kinda boring and not worth it.
oh yeah and about evolution didnt they just discover that the sealithcat of today is not the same as the ancient one like there DNA is completely different.
i will stop my rambling now
New format sucks. I like Matthes just rambling on much better. Observations and Ask Ping were my two favorite columns to read during the week.
It's ok. He also has 108 points minus 90 for RV equalling 28 points. I thought it was an honest mistake but then he backs it up and says RV is 27 points behind Milsaps. RV is 17 points back and 108-90=18 as several others have stated . Also, Brayton gets a healthy 6% even as he is 54 points out?
It is funny how out of shape people get when something like "RV has beaten himself so far" is stated. Nice job Warrior462. Until you see someone pass RV in the heat of battle and beat him at the line, that statement holds true. As pointed out above, he is 17 points out, not a full race.
Here's a dumb stat: RV is still closer to the lead right now than he was after the conclusion of A1 where he found himself 20 points behind Milsaps.
RV is the man period.
He can only beat himself. No one can challenge him.
Dungey fanboys need to chill, he won a race, cool, good for Dungey. But handing him the championship already is just laughable. Did you guys forget the last 4 races where he was getting smoked like he was back in the deep sands of Lommel?
Chad getting riding lessons from local Dade City C class racers? I think so.
Stewart had a good race. Hopefully he can string some podiums together if he's going to stay out there.
Barcia needs to get back to being Barcia.
The more guys like Stewart and Barcia step up the more they will mess with the points and make it interesting.
@persona, I notice one omission from your list - the guy with the red plate all 5 races in a row and the points leader. Are we to assume you give him no chance at all?
By the way, who knew you could go to RacerX and get up to speed on all things SX while getting schooled in evolution, global warming, and science?
@ Jon
The bikes are getting more advanced and apparently so are the riders/fans haha
Looks as though Grant's wad was hard enough to have him going for a MRI on his shoulder. And he has some lower leg damage too, check out vitalmx.com. I think we will not see him for a few weeks....as predicted he cannot stay healthy.
Sounds like Twitter can be hard on the psyche! Sure happy I'm not on board.
Looks like there is a 143% chance someone will win the 450 class
@ricka Don't you know the temperature should never fluctuate from the day you were born. Forget all that stuff you learned about climate fluctuations over the last few million years. The ice age is just a rumor.
Reed 100% at fault.
Brayton 0% chance of winning the championship.
Alessi and Villipoto...not the first time Alessi's parked himself on a Kawi!
MATTHES....sorry dude...you lost me when you said the track looked easy....for a guy who couldn't ride a moped to the end of my driveway without hurting himself to say anything intelligent about a supercross track is simply amusing....and then you use the phrase "just saying"? really? are you still in high school? If so...then work real hard on your math skills because your percentages just don't add up...does racerx actually pay you for this garbage?
I don't want to start a big global warming debate but it is relevant to the future of dirt bikes. Those of you in California know how CARB sucks. The EPA isn't any better. If you don't think the government nanny state would like to ban them eventually think again. Who would've ever thought they would try to regulate the size of soft drinks? I'm sure the environmental wackos don't like us needlessly burning fossil fuel for entertainment.
Just so you know atmospheric Co2 peaked at 7000ppm over 500 million years ago. Long before the industrial revolution. We are currently around 380ppm. The recent increase is only a small blip when graphed over geologic time. Yes temperature is naturally warming. We are coming out of a prolonged period of relatively cold temperatures. Over time the average global temperature has fluctuated between roughly 12 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees C. What is the "proper temperature" for Earth?
Nikola.. Oh that's funny. Yes a strange turn indeed.
Here at racer x we solve all the worlds problems.
While the track my not have been up to your "standards" it certainly made for excellent racing. The tracks need to be safe for the riders, but they certainly do not need to please them. The fans and sponsors are the ones that get the vote on this issue.
STOP with the people that "doubted" DM18. People didn't doubt anything, people knew he didn't work hard enough in the off season to amount to shit. When did anyone ever say DM18 didn't have talent? He lacked fitness, and we all knew it. So stop making crap up....
Don't trees "breathe" in CO2 - and "exhale" O2? That being said wouldn't more CO2 in the atmosphere be beneficial to the growth of trees which would then as a result release more O2 into the atmosphere?
This stuff is great...
I am not a huge Davi fan or apologist, but happy to see his success again this season. But good god, how many interviews does Davi need to do to get it through these writers heads that the reason he is doin well this year is that he was signed with his new team very early on, he is the #1 guy in the truck, everyone on his team supports what he is and what he and the team wants to do and he is healthy. He was the JGR B rider sitting in the back of the Toyota truck while Bubba was the A rider with the big contract and best guys around him. Davi got 2nd place last year on a piece of crap Yamaha that Bubba hated so much he quit the team over. 90% if winning is what's going on in a rider's head, and being the man on his team, coming off a 2nd place last year is why Davi is doing well. Forget this 2.0 crap and he's a different guy nonsense. The dude could always ride, he's healthy and has the 100% support of his team, that is what is making the difference and what he has said every week since his A1 win. That is all.
Sorry about this long climate change thread, but it seems like quite a few want to continue it.
For the record, I don't agree with either extreme on this issue: The Al Gore types that have concluded that MMGW is an imminent threat that requires radical shifts in human behavior; nor the MMGW deniers that claim human behavior has zero impact.
Quite a few of you have cited specific evidence, such as the enormous CO2 concentration 500 M years ago, various climate cycles, and the fact that plant life consumes CO2. All are correct, but just pieces of the climate puzzle. One cannot look at them singly, or even in limited groupings, and draw valid conclusions about climate change. Real climate scientists model the climate with every input possible. It is an evolving science, which like most improves over time.
Look at where we were 40 or 50 years ago with weather prediction. We used to look at barometers and basically take wild ass guesses what would be coming in the next day or two, let alone next week. The accuracy of current weather modeling is amazing in comparison.
The scientific consensus is that we are in an accelerated period of warming that is due in part to human activity. The most notable consequences are how it will affect agriculture, water sources and sea levels. It is important that we understand this so we can take prudent actions.
I think it is perfectly reasonable to debate what actions, if any, should be taken. But denying the scientific consensus, or distorting it to the extreme, only poisons the debate.
Man made global warming is a religion, with no scientific basis. There are certain given properties that govern mass, energy, thermodynamics, kinetic energy, potential energy, and the like. The laws of thermodynamics are quite certain. Given the known laws of thermodynamics, what property does CO2 possess that creates this warming? Does it contain an energy component? Nope, its Btu content = 0. Does it fail to transfer heat through conduction? Nope! (Note only that, the void we call "space" is a vacuum, and in a vacuum conduction cannot exist, just as the potential to transport sound waves in a vacuum does not exist, so the earth is completely insulated from conductive energy transfer). Does it have a reflective property, and reduce convection? (If it did the earth would be cooling). Does it reduce the reflectivity of the atmosphere, allowing more of the sun's rays to warm the surface? No, in its minute concentration, it has no impact on reflective properties. Given no physical property of CO2 can be associated with warming or cooling, it can only be concluded there is no scientific basis for MMGW. MMGW must be considered not only a religion (and a bad one at that), it is also bad science. This government sponsored BAD RELIGION is an infringement of my constitutional rights, as the bill of rights protects me from Al Gore's bad religion through the first amendment to same:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
@gigs:
The religion label may apply to the extremists in the global warming camp, but certainly not the science.
Throwing around scientific terms does not equal science, although in this case it provides plain proof of a basic lack of understanding of the mechanics of the greenhouse effect. CO2 is only one component of the greenhouse gases, that include methane, ozone, water vapor, etc. Without getting into details, these gases trap infrared radiation (heat) emitted from the earth's surface and atmosphere which otherwise would radiate into space.
Hey Matthes, if you are going to compare seasons why don't you compare this season to the 2011 season when all the top guys were healthy...you know, the one that TC won 3 mains (you know who TC is don't you. He is the one that you cannot see making a run at the title). Check out the results from the 2011 season and then do your comparison story. It would be much more interesting. But maybe you are more interested in making 2013 look like it will be all RV from this point.
@lastbike
Please spend no more than 10 minutes researching heat transfer in a vacuum, as that is essentially the medium in which the earth is immersed in.
First, heat can convey (transfer) in 3 forms, convection, conduction, and radiation.
Second, heat is a measure of molecular energy, ie how fast molecules move. Since there are no molecules in space, convection and conduction can be eliminated as means of either transferring, or trapping heat, (don't take my word for it, spend 1 minute confirming this in any physics book or any other reference source including unlimited internet sources).
This leaves radiation as the only mechanism which could allow for energy transfer away from (or out of) our planet, or to be trapped within our surface/atmosphere.
Third, there are no scientific properties which CO2, methane, NOX, et al possess that can substantiate your claim that these gases can affect the thermal radiation properties of our atmosphere. If you disagree, I encourage you to take a glass column and fill it with 100% CO2. Install a radiative plate on one side, and thermal detection equipment on the other. Measure that rate of heat transfer. Now repeat this effort with 100% methane and determine same. Lastly, perform this measure given atmospheric conditions, and/or any combination thereof. Compare those results and you will find no delta from one rate of heat transfer to the next. If you disagree with me and can prove differently, the above mentioned case will make you vastly popular with the global warming community, and very, very, very wealthy.
Scientific terms and principles provide a platform of discussion, proving and/or disproving scientific theories. In the case of "greenhouse gas" MMGW, its easy to debunk with science, but what sensationalism is there in that.
The fact remains that the sensationalism the left has placed on this topic has allowed the under informed to be sucked into their web of delusion. The "greenhouse gas" theories to MMGW are a farce. Truth be known, its a means of control and taxation and nothing more than such. There is no more correlation to greenhouse gas MMGW and the combustion engine, than the rise of Apple's stock price and global warming, (they are both trending up, COINCIDENTALLY). Again, if you dissagree, there are certain known, defined, given, scientific principles, and I challenge anyone to present a case, (other than correlation), which supports these theories. (I will save you the time knowing that none exist, or.... ummmm... it would be a scientific fact). Sorry for the inconvenient truth!
Lengthy post, but hopefully worth the effort of challenging the readers of this blog to think, and research, for themselves.
Onward to much more important things such as waking my kids and starting my day.
Just dumb. Everyone knows that the additional weight of 4-strokes coupled with the addition of a valve train are what is responsible for global warming.......and global cooling as well, when the trend reverses on itself! All the additional bean oil sitting around unburned isn't helping either.
Seriously, when the posters here can't agree on what they saw a certain rider do, when it is DVR'd and being watched on a 50-inch high-def screen in slow motion......how does anyone expect them to follow, let alone comprehend, the global warming factoids. 80% still think the 4-stroke is a conspiracy that only occurred to raise bike prices and increase parts sales. Don't even try to explain the simple possibility that a 2-stroke may have been more profitable to build and sell.
One monster volcanic eruption will do the trick and block out enough of the sun's rays to make everyone wish we had the good old days of global warming to worry about.
At first I was going to post an apology for getting baited into an off-topic discussion. I've had a sick grade-schooler home for 4 straight days and I've been a bit stir-crazy. However... one more, and then I will go back to doing my best to restrict my comments to SX/MX.
@gigs:
I appreciate your followup post. To be honest, your first one seemed like cut-and-paste Glenn Beck. Omitting radiation from it was rather glaring.
Your followup is still littered with politicizing and absolutist statements which undermine your position. But to the rest of your post, I am aware that neither the GHE or MMGW are universally accepted, and that a not insignificant number of scientists in the related fields are in dissent. At this point I am more convinced by the large majority that makes up the current consensus. But I do take the serious dissenters (Postam, et al.) seriously.
I strongly disagree that the science can be easily debunked. Drawn into question, certainly. Easily debunked -- no.
I am disturbed by the agendas behind both sides on the extremes. What we're ending up with is the general populace influenced by one side claiming, "global warming is a myth," and the other, "we're doomed and we must immediately drastically cut our GHG emissions."
I imagine there is one thing we can agree on -- alarm-ism is not the answer, further study is.
lastbikerm250 you need to research more on the topic like I said its a myth there is no scientific proof when I mentoined the volcano it does show proof i would have to look it up again ben years since i read it but something like one volcano puts out like 100x more pollution than all the gas burning motors have since they have existed.
now its something like that not for sure dont want to spend the time lookin it up
My moto lovin brothers of the same heavenly Father, I am saddened for the way you treated my gifts to you. Earth is precious, you must listen to those who study it, and heed the warning else riding will cease, as will your grandchildren's lifestyle.