Dallas Morning Report
Saturday, February 16, 2013 | 3:05 PM
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PrintWe’ve headed east in Monster Energy Supercross, with Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, er, Arlinton, Texas, serving as host. The stadium is gigantic, it has an incredibly large video screen, and pretty much everything else is huge also. We’ve been in this building for a couple of years now, but we’ll probably never get our heads totally wrapped around it.
The dirt is hard here (and slick) as usual in Dallas. Most of the rhythms seem pretty simple, we haven’t seen any major changes or moves yet. Those that watched the animated track map provided by the SX folks during the week noted there were whoops after the start, but since the track blueprint came out, the whoops and a rhythm lane have been flipped, so riders now hit a rhythm off the start. At the end of the lap comes the whoops, which are deep and tough, and the football layout returns us to the more traditional rectangular layout, with some good bowl berms. It will all probably come to the way the soil shapes up—the track could be one lined once it breaks in. We’ll see.
Ready to rumble here in Big D.
Weege pic.
This is the kick off of the East 250 Series (in case you haven’t noticed). We’ve talked to rookies Zach Bell and Justin Hill and they seem excited, but they haven’t put expectations on certain results. We’ll see how the nerves impact them, but so far they seem to be doing a good job treating their first supercross race like any other race. So far. Dean Wilson is here and most see him as a favorite in the east—and he topped everyone in the first timed 250 session. Marvin Musquin, Wil Hahn, Gavin Faith and Vince Friese were next.
From the massive screen here, we caught Chad Reed giving Dean Wilson some pointers after practice.
Weege pic
In 450s, James Stewart logged the fastest time in the first timed session, but then later had a big crash when he went over the bars in a rhythm lane. He was eventually able to get back up, but he then rode back off to the pits--the crash was pretty gnarly. We'll update you if we hear anything there. Trey Canard looked much quicker here than he has the last few weeks, which didn't go so well for him. He was second fastest, with Ryan Dungey, Justin Brayton and Ryan Villopoto rounding out the top five.
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Slick, hard, and one lined, must not have moved far enough east yet!
dallas was hard as a rock and slick when i raced there 25yrs ago in the old stadium. it used to be a east/west combo round, which i think would be cool to bring back. heres hoping atl is sticky and rutted up, like back in the day, but last couple years its been pretty hard packed too, but not as slippery as west coast dirt
mb they should consider giving bonus points for fastest qualifier? and paying points in the heats too?
really!! nice big stadium. and they build a track that produces 45 second lap times!
The streaming coverage of practice on Supercross Live has been pretty poor in my opinion. It is nice to have something rather than nothing, but...
- They spend way too much time following single riders around for several laps, and almost always the guys at the bottom of the class, rather than the contenders.
- They completely miss crashes and the aftermath. Today, Stewart ate it and the announcers never noticed, and the camera passed right over it. They don't need to dwell on it, but at least give it a little attention.
- Half the 450A 1st timed qualifying, the announcers were talking about the KTM junior class thing. They should leave that for filling in between sessions, and pay attention to the action.
Dean Wilson the favourite? Wow. Clearly the East coast is the weaker of the two lites series this year....
The dirt is hard here (and slick) as usual in Dallas. Is that because the bulldozers are continuing to pack the dirt down all weekend? Can't they figure out how to fix this so its nice and grippy? Seems like the track builders just deal with it. Our is that just the way it is?
45 second lap times? pretty soon we'll have 10 minute mains. Why not add things like a dragon back or more sand sections.
Stewart going over the bars in practice?? Not good, hope he is alright>>
I wonder if the 250cc will have faster lap times again? I belive the top three 250cc riders , are just as fast and would podium if they raced there 250 with the 450's .
I know this has been said many times before, but I like the idea of the final main made of the top 250 and 450 riders. Too bad there is no financial incentive for this, but it would make for some good racing.
I think all SX tracks should be built to where the top guys are doing about a minute... anything less is kind of ridiculous. And speaking of ridiculous, I don't have a problem w/the 250 main, really (15 laps), but why don't you give those guys a little more of a chance and make their heats 8 laps, and their LCQ 6 laps, like the 450's? That would add a whopping 5-6 MINUTES to the entire night's program.
Saps is on the gas he just one practice.
.saps JS and rd the only guys to get in the 44's small track. I thought everything was supposed to be bigger in Texas
@Localexpert
45 second lap times are BS for the fans and racers. We need to Get the word out in all these forms and send letters to AMA that we want timed main events. We as fans and the riders as well need 25 minute plus 2 lap mains. Let's give the riders a shot of comming through the pack if they get a bad start. And let the riders give us as fans something more for our money. It cost me close to $300.00 to go to the Anaheim SX and we got to see less than 1 hour of racing for the night, heats, LCQ and Mains. Come on race fans make our voices heard.
@mit12--I agree at least a 20 minute plus 2 main event.. But it wont happen, they are too worried about the "TV package"..its why they cut out the Semi's in the 450 class.. We as the paying customer is who is losing out too.. @BILLC--look at the pics they took earlier, they didnt even use all the floor, there is another 50 feet or more on one end that is still not dirt covered..
@mit12- I had to go A1 and stretch it out to A3 just to get some race time in. Yes, I dropped more money than usual.
@bd200- I thought the same thing, what is with all that open space out there. Sad isn't it. The TV package is turning out to be a lame excuse every year. In that same time frame maybe show more racing and less bull$hit. I usually record all the races and have to fast forward through all the crap to watch actual racing.
WAAHHHH - I get to watch live audio/video qualifying on my pc . . . . WAAAHHHH - We get live timing and scoring coverage of every session . . . . WAAAAHHHH - All of the racing is live on TV tonight . . . .
Life is good boys, quit crying.
Tomorrows headline:......Davi does Dallas.
jimmy15: Not sure if you've watched much SX but Dean Wilson can ride with anybody in any class.
GO DUNGE!!!
TRACK BUILDERS TAKE NOTICE!!!
It is bad enough that tracks are one lined, then to shorten the main by having 44 and 45 second lap time capability SUX!!
We have all been to a race or ten and wished the main had been 5 minutes longer. You have to figure out a way to make a minimum of 53 to 57 second laps. The first couple rounds looked like we were headed in that direction. Now it is back to the same old sprint.
Shelling out 2 to 3 hundred bucks to show up at noon, watch practice, eat and prime yourself with a few beers. Bet with your buddies or do what we do, which is put all the riders numbers in a hat. Then have everyone pay 5 bucks a pull from the hat, winner take all. This adds a lot of live bench racing, banter and downright excitement to the main. Only to wish after 15 minutes, the race would go 30 laps because it was just too damn short!
I wish the mains were 25 laps with 55 second lap times. It could be done rather easily and would add a lot to the fan experience. Also time to run the 250's the same length as the 450's. That extra 1/2 hour of racing would go along way to quenching the thirst of the die hard fan that lives anywhere other than So. Cal. It would make the TV viewing better as well. If they were afraid it would impact the broadcast contracts they can cut about 10 minutes of Ralph SheHAM out!
any lap under 1 minute is pure bullshit...here we go...all the TV and corporate crap.
HOWEVER THANK YOU SPEED..FOR STEPPING INTO OUR SPORT....
Never understood, why they cant do something to make the main a little longer, as a spectator/racer, especilly the racer part of me could do without most the circus part of supercross, basically i want to see the main period, you pay good money to watch a less than 20 minute race, its getting harder to justify the drive, tickets for wife and kids a few shirts, beverage, parking. I will drive 3hrs and pay what ever i have to to watch a national though. Glad to see windam doing commentary, ton better than listening to emig take digs at RC and how great emig thinks he was. Get Damid Bailey and Keven Windam and you would have to good people that would call the race and not talk about them selves, notice when champions bike got stepped on emoig had to say that windam and him had a few altercations. Im picking Stewart to break out, Dallas has been somewhat good for him. COme on Bubba, its time to get on top the box. Stay away from the carnage and the haters.
with the short lap times; just look at all the empty floor space at these sx races at infields and sideline's. no wonder.