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Racerhead #2
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PrintOne down, sixteen to go. Welcome to Racerhead, coming to you from the road to Phoenix, where Round 2 of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross tour takes place. Last weekend's opener at Anaheim more than delivered in drama, excitement, and intensity. The 1-2 by Rockstar Energy Racing's Davi Millsaps and Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard was the big story, as preseason favorites like Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart struggled with crashes (RV) and injury (JS7) or did not show last year's speed yet (Ryan Dungey and Chad Reed). But there's nothing you can take away from Millsaps and Canard. Both rode hard and smart, and the back-and-forth at the end made this opener at instant classic. Can they repeat tomorrow night?
The 250 class had drama and intensity as well. The popular favorites—GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac and Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen—delivered as expected, but behind them was a mess of a night for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Blake Baggett and Martin Davalos. TLD's Cole Seely also reached the box, but his teammate Jessy Nelson suffered a frightening crash off the start that marked an otherwise stellar supercross debut. More on that later.
Take a look at that red plate!
Photo: Austin White
You can watch tomorrow night's Phoenix Supercross live on SPEED, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 on the West Coast (remember, PHX is Mountain Time). Racer X Online will be working the pits, the press box, and likely the TGI Friday's that hovers above the left-field wall of the stadium—tough work, but someone has to keep an eye on things from above. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@racerxonline) and don't forget you can watch the live stream of practice tomorrow afternoon from 3:50-7:30 p.m. Eastern on www.supercrossonline.com
Let's get into the week that was and what you should be looking for tomorrow. (Pieces written by someone other than me will have bylines.)
RED PLATES
Nobody but maybe Travis Pastrana, Rockstar Energy's Mike Kelso, and Feld boss Charlie Mancuso could have guessed before the main event that Davi Millsaps would leave A1 with the points leader's red plate, but Davi put in the race of his career so far. Now the question is whether this will be a game changer for #18, as he looks fitter than ever, sounds more confident than ever, and certainly has a new perspective on everything. (Welcome to parenthood, Davi and Brittany!)
A hint that he was going to do something big came on Thursday during the press conference. Millsaps, second in the 2012 final rankings for supercross, was not invited to sit up front for the conference. In fact, he was barely mentioned, as they focused instead on RV, Reed, Stewart, Dungey, and even class rookie Justin Barcia. That oversight seemed to ignite some old fire deep inside Millsaps, and he went into Saturday's race with a purpose.
Although second overall in points last year, Millsaps was not invited to sit up front at the big table for the press conference at Anaheim 1.
Photo: Simon Cudby
He also had the inspiration of being on the least supported of the three Suzuki teams this year, as the pecking order seems to be Stewart's Yoshimura Suzuki first, then the RCH Racing bikes of Broc Tickle and Josh Hill. Millsaps' team boss, Bobby Hewitt, has invested heavily in Davi's team, as has Rockstar Energy, so seeing them win Anaheim was a very cool turn of events. Davi's dad was also there, and afterward he had tears of joy in his eyes.
As for the 250 class, Tomac looked fantastic from start to finish, and with good reason—Roczen was there with him in lap times during practice and qualifying, and riding with the same aggressive kind of fun that didn't really show last summer but was on full display at the Motocross of Nations. It will be interesting to see how both of these guys do this weekend, now that they have an idea of what the other man is about in 2013.
QUESTION MARK
What was missing from the Anaheim 1 podium? It certainly wasn't emotions—Millsaps and Canard were wearing those on their sleeves. It wasn't potential, as Tomac and Roczen and Seely could very well be on a 450 podium someday in the future. And it wasn't beauty, since Kelly Louch of The Connection has once again corralled a bevy of black-clad beauties who make Miss Alabama look like a county-fair runner-up. Turns out the missing ingredient on the podium for Monster Energy AMA Supercross' opening round was an actual Monster Energy-backed rider. With Villopoto going down often, Reed and Jake Weimer riding with opening-night caution, and the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasakis of Blake Baggett and Martin Davalos getting caught up in a first-turn exit crash, the only visible Monster claws on the Monster Energy Stage were on the stage itself.
After a heat race win, Martin Davalos got caught in the first turn pileup in the main event.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Was Monster pissed? No, not really. The company was born through supercross, and they understand the nature of the sport—win some, lose some. They have also fortified the series presentation with more claw marks than you’ll find on Ryan Gosling's back. (Sorry, I asked my wife for that reference.) So when you watch a four-hour TV presentation or you’re sitting in the stadium grandstands enjoying the event, they’re comfortable that you’ll think of Monster Energy, with or without the trophies. And if even all of that added up doesn't work, there's always Dianna Dahlgren to ponder.
WHAT THE HELL?
And then there's Monster-backed Josh Hansen, who seemed to be in position to earn himself a transfer spot in the LCQ before he landed on a Tuff Block and crashed all by himself. For some yet-to-be-explained reason, Hansen apparently decided to take out his frustrations on an unsuspecting Alex Ray, who was riding out the LCQ in pretty much last place. Hansen drilled the kid in the last turn, literally knocking him off the track. The move caught the attention of a lot of folks, both on the floor and in the grandstands. Even Phil Nicoletti gave Hansen a piece of his mind after the checkered flag.
If you read Steve Matthes' Observations column on Wednesday, you saw this email from Alex Ray with the riders' own take on what happened.
“I've never had any problem with him. I've never even talked to the guy, so obviously he doesn't know me,” wrote Ray, who hails from Milan, Tennessee. “I didn't even know that was him behind me. I wasn't expecting it at all. It was the last turn of the LCQ, nowhere near the front of the pack, so I don't know why he did it. After the race I went over to his pit to ask him what he was doing and why he did it and he couldn't give me an answer, so I don't know what his deal was.”
Ray said Hansen hit his leg so hard with his front wheel that it broke his knee brace and knocked him over the berm. So what's going to happen? The AMA and FIM have a meeting in mind with Hansen in Phoenix today … as soon as he shows up. If there's a fine, I hope they use the money to buy Ray a new knee brace.
Now we're hearing whispers that his team may do something internally as well.
Photo: Simon Cudby
STATUS UPDATE
Andrew Short is still in the Chaparral Honda rig, as the team is still working on its sponsorship issues. James Stewart is racing this weekend but his knee is a very big question mark. Josh Hill is out for at least three weeks after his big crash in practice. Blake Baggett is questionable due to the wrist injury he survived in the main event. Tom Brady should be okay.
THE NUMBER: 4... or is it 5?
Last Saturday's upset win for Millsaps was a big one for Suzuki. It marked only the fourth time in the brand's history that they won the opening round of supercross, as my esteemed colleague Jason Weigandt pointed out in The Vault on Wednesday.
Tony DiStefano won the 500cc class at the '76 Daytona SX (the last year for that division), Kent Howerton won the '81 Anaheim opener, and Greg Albertyn shocked the motocross world when he topped the '97 season premiere at the Los Angeles Coliseum—and then of course Davi last weekend.
The Man himself, Roger DeCoster, won at the 1974 Daytona 500cc Supercross.
Racer X Archives
However, there is a season of results missing for the old 500cc Supercross class from some forty years ago, way back in 1974. At that race, reigning 500cc World Motocross Champion Roger DeCoster came across the pond from Belgium to compete at the Daytona race, which was part of what was being called the Yamaha Super Series. The Man won on the #1 Suzuki, then went back to Europe and suffered an off-song year on the Grand Prix tour, losing the 500cc world title to Husqvarna-mounted Heikki Mikkola. DeCoster came back to the States, won the Trans-AMA Championship, then went back to Europe and won two more 500cc world titles (and two more Trans-AMA titles, for that matter). We will get The Vault cleaned up and add that all-but-forgotten chapter of 500cc Supercross in America. Sorry, Weege!
BREAKING NEWS
Racer X Online has just learned from the AMA's Kevin Crowther that Josh Hansen will not be racing in Phoenix this weekend, as his team has decided to bench him as punishment for last Saturday night's hit on Alex Ray. Said Crowther: “The AMA has decided to fine Josh Hansen $4,000 for his actions at Anaheim and place him on probation for personal conduct for the rest of the series. He will not be suspended as his team is doing that on their own, and the AMA fully supports their decision.”
THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS – By Aaron Hansel
The Monster Energy Supercross opener at Anaheim was action-packed, and as you'd expect, we had plenty of content. Here's a list of some of this week's highlights.
Digging Deep Davi Millsaps and Trey Canard going 1-2 at Anaheim was a surprise to just about everyone, but perhaps even more surprising was a very uncharacteristic sixteenth-place from reigning champ Ryan Villopoto. Check out DC’s 450 Words writeup to get his take on the action up front, Villopoto’s meltdown at the back, and everything in between.
Photo: Simon Cudby
The Improvement Department From Martin Davalos’ DNF to Josh Hansen failing to qualify for the main to the DNFs suffered by MotoConcepts’ Mike Alessi and Jake Canada, the opener was one that a handful of racers would rather forget. For a look at some of the racers who are likely to improve their results tomorrow night in Phoenix, check out this list I put together.
The Ensemble Cast Jason Weigandt used his regular online column, Redux, to take a look at the returning cast of Monster Energy Supercross’ heavy hitters this week. Weege examines how guys like Millsaps, Canard, and Justin Barcia stepped up in Anaheim to fill the void created when many of the familiar frontrunners weren’t in their expected places.
Sounding Off Every Saturday night after the main events, the Racer X staff heads into the pits to get the riders’ take on the race while events are still fresh in their minds. Check out this week’s Open Mic, featuring mini-interviews from Trey Canard, Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen, Cole Seely, Jake Weimer, Kevin Windham, and more.
A Day at Milestone. Finally, Chad DeRosa headed out to Milestone to get footage of Dean Wilson and Kevin Windham pounding out practice laps. Check it out!
HEY, WATCH IT!
GoPro footage of Davi Millsaps' A1 victory:
Phoenix Animated Track Map:
Passion: Chad Reed:
DC Shoes: Moto Defined by DC Teaser Video
PRO PERSPECTIVE
TLD supercross rookie Jessy Nelson was impressive in his Anaheim debut. He pulled the holeshot in his heat race and held off Cole Seely for second and then got the quick jump in the final and pulled the holeshot there as well [though Cole Seely was mistakenly given the award on the podium]. Unfortunately Jessy didn’t hold onto the lead for long. As he entered the first set of jumps exiting turn one he hit neutral, flew over the bars and slammed into the face of a jump. The next several seconds after a crash like that are terrifying. You know the feeling of flying off your bike and having a thousand things run through your head in the time between knowing you are going down and actually hitting the ground? Well, now add twenty adrenaline-filled kids charging right at you as you try to do a quick self-assessment to see what’s broken. You switch into survival mode and even if your femur is fractured you quickly drag that limp tube of broken bones off the track. You can deal with getting your foot to point the right way once you know you aren’t going to be used for traction by a competitor. Once you are safely to the side of the track or resting on a tuff block the pain starts to set in and you begin to realize the extent of your injuries. Thankfully Jessy just had the wind knocked out of him and he will live to holeshot another day. This weekend in Phoenix, actually. Good luck at Bank One Ballpark this weekend, guys. Maybe next Friday I’ll tell you what it’s like to break a bike into two pieces.
PRO PERSPECTIVE - By David Pingree
TLD supercross rookie Jessy Nelson was impressive in his Anaheim debut. He pulled the holeshot in his heat race and held off Cole Seely for second and then got the quick jump in the final and pulled the holeshot there as well [though Cole Seely was mistakenly given the award on the podium]. Unfortunately Jessy didn’t hold onto the lead for long. As he entered the first set of jumps exiting turn one he hit neutral, flew over the bars and slammed into the face of a jump. The next several seconds after a crash like that are terrifying.
You know the feeling of flying off your bike and having a thousand things run through your head in the time between knowing you are going down and actually hitting the ground? Well, now add twenty adrenaline-filled kids charging right at you as you try to do a quick self-assessment to see what’s broken. You switch into survival mode and even if your femur is fractured you quickly drag that limp tube of broken bones off the track. You can deal with getting your foot to point the right way once you know you aren’t going to be used for traction by a competitor. Once you are safely to the side of the track or resting on a tuff block the pain starts to set in and you begin to realize the extent of your injuries. Thankfully Jessy just had the wind knocked out of him and he will live to holeshot another day. This weekend in Phoenix, actually. Good luck at Chase Field this weekend, guys. Maybe next Friday I’ll tell you what it’s like to break a bike into two pieces.
CLOSING NOTES
Do you plan on going to the Phoenix SX? If so, swing by the Racer X booth in the pits to see what colorways we have available for our killer 100% goggle subscription deal—subscribe and you’ll get a free pair on the spot! It’s an unbeatable deal, and it’s only available at select rounds of 2013 Monster Energy Supercross.
Ryan Dungey made the cover of the online Motocross Illustrated.
Cover photo by Simon Cudby
MX Geoff Meyer sent us the latest issue of Motocross Illustrated. It's now online for your perusal, with interviews, a special tribute to the late Georges Jobe from Joel Smets and David Thorpe, and a lot more. It's also got Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey on the cover, featuring a photo shot by our own Simon “Govnuh” Cudby.
Okay, gang, that’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. See you at the races.
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The Monster Energy Supercross tour is staffed by an intensely dedicated group of sponsors and support staffers. Here’s what life is like on the SX road. Page 136.
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Red plate comith ! Red plate goith away ! STAMP IT !!!
1 Dungey
2 CANARD
3. Barcia
Stamp it
Dont care what anyone says... The #18 on the red plate looks great..... BBBBBBRRRAAAAPPPP
Re-stamp it.
1 RV
2 TC
3 RD
Millsaps red next week, after A1 I am saying he will be top 4 this weekend & keep the plate.
@dd4130. I can agree with that.
1. Villipoto
2. Canard
3. Dungey
4. Millsaps
5. Reed
@ confused-sious
You have to really not like RV to not have him on the podium this week!
I am sure he regrets going so hard after the win, that he hit the deck a couple times last week. He could have finished on the box with a steady controlled push to the front. Instead he went aggro, tried to make it happen in a few laps and we saw the result.
I am sure he worked on starts all week and I am betting we see a much different RV this week.
I believe Alex Ray is from Milan Tennessee.
Good to see DM 18 have a good weekend. I would like to see a repeat performance.
Well, one thing is for sure. Whether or not Davi keeps the red plate, there is NO WAY RV1 is leaving with it.
I say Millsaps will crash this weekend trying to hold on to the red plate.
1. Villopoto
2. Canard
3. Barcia
4. Reed
5. Dungey
I'm so glad they parked Josh Hansen. He is a PUNK pure and simple. His dad was a classy champion. Too bad the kid didn't learn anything from him.
Yes, Alex Ray is from Milan, Tennessee
Awesome on board of Millsaps - flies by in the whoops!!
One race suspension for someone who may or not make the mains anyway doesn't seem enough. Remember last year when Hansen was getting top 10s each week and people were excited he looked to be turning a corner??
@ Red54m
I love the lil toto dog but he will not quailfy dnf bike issues ! Just a crystal ball ! LOL
I'm sure Hanson's team is glad they "put something together around him" as Hanson stated in his interview. Way to go team!! Couldn't have picked a better guy to represent you.
I hope RV2 wins it this week. After the race he had with all the crashes and frustration, he stopped and congratulated DM18 at the finish like a man.
Will RV rise from the ashes in Phoenix and stand atop the podium? While he not longer has the red plate, he is still the champ and awfully fast with an uncanny ability to pass where others hesitate...If he starts inside the top five I vote yes.. Dungey and Reed might be up there as well, both are really good using throttle control and that may be the key, since they say the track will be slick do to the dirt...
Phoenix could be the first time this year we see the "Sensational Seven" freight train around the track. Image if you will, what it would be like to see our dream come true. It could happen, seven riders on the same second, battling for position, 2 or 3 wide in each corner, wow good stuff, but more than likely one or two of them will falter off the start and have to come through the pack allowing the other members to get away...I think things get back to normal this week fewer surprises in the 450's ...
as for the 250's maybe the slick ground will work in favor of Roczen, Euro's do well when it is sandy or slick..Eli may have to back it down a notch on the track aggression, so watch for Kenny to challenge Tomac all race long...the riders 3-8 should put on a great show! There is a lot of talent out on the track, they are just a hair off the 1/94 pace...Enjoy the races every one!!!
that hansen kid is a good canadate for anger management,,maybe all that ink got into his brain..really to bad cause he does have good riding skills however acting out like that on someone is like shooting an un armed person in the back..COWARDLY COLD.
Lil "honey" should get strapped to the landing of a double or smthng and get landed on by Ray..... Lol
Maybe too much:D
Good call by his team and AMA none the less
A $4000 fine, oh well... put it the pile with the rest of them
Go Dungey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do they mount RV's GoPro without a case? Are they trying to save weight?...
Hansen is a punk want to be nothing but trashy young man that got himself all tatooed up like some jail bird crime dog.
Hansen was too high to know what he was doing.. He was higher than
MisohH-EYE
RV1
DM18
TC41
RD5
CR22
It's time for Hansen to move on.
Hansen did one of those tri-vector joints from pineapple express before the LCQ. He got another tattoo because he looks cooler, 27 werent enough, then he lit up all three ends and got the tri-fecta effect of that super joint. This coupled with high estrogen made him extremely emotional.. What a knob, a waste of print.
If he hit the kid for the qualifying position I wouldnt care..
Dungey wins tomorrow. RV crashes but podiums..
I would like to see the Portrait of a Douchebag named Josh Hanson !
What would it look like ?
What would we call it !
Who would get the commission to paint it !
These are the big questions .........................
Phil took the outside (w/o checkin up) in a LCQ with Hanny behind him. A better rider would be a lil' wiser.
Notice Hanny never gets taken out? He's cognizant of riders around him.
Notice we're talking about Hanny?
Notice that other kid wasn't injured?
Notice the action made the evening that much more enjoyable?
No need to take a bunch of Hanny's $$$$.
All's well that end's well, and Hanny's an amazing talent that many of us pay money to watch.
But hey, I know a lot of c*nt hairs who can't appreciate a takeout, so the AMA decision makes sense.
Hanny needs a couple of good races so we can say he's matured, he's a great guy, go lil Hanny, besides it's not like he roosted a down rider & medic...or stood on someone's bike so they would'nt win the tittle.. ..
Hanny needs a couple of good races so we can say he's matured, he's a great guy, go lil Hanny, besides it's not like he roosted a down rider & medic...or stood on someone's bike so they would'nt win the tittle.. ..
life has a way of cleaning a dirtbags clock...this guy makes a habit of this kind of act...so much that HIS OWN TEAM has had enough of it...try just racing the bike in a semi-decent fashion and use some of that talent and silver spoon to get some results or just move to the beach and smoke blunts...1-51-22-41-5-18.....7??? if he makes it through practice he'll be top 3.......
1- RV
2- Canard
3- Milsaps
4- Dungy
5- Reed or Stewart
Trip and Endo They are not all over Hanny because of his take out to move into 2nd in the LCQ, which would not be the first time some one was taken out to make a main..They are fining him for his take out of Alex Ray, who was next to last, on the last lap, in the last corner before the checkers of the LCQ and Hanny just t-boned him for no reason, sending over the berm and to the Asteric med unit..While I have never met Hanson, he may be a nice guy off the track and I am not judging him, but that was a bone head move that deserves punishment...just lucky it only broke Rays knee brace, rather than his knee...
funny to see a beautiful yellow bike in the pits, With -out it's namebrand on it.....
Keep the fire burning Davie...
@Seattle MX, I could not agree with you more. Hansen pulled a thoughtless take out move because he was having a bad night and on the last lap where it didn't matter who hit the checker first. I am glad his team has more integrety than he does and pulled him from Phoenix to teach him a lesson about sportsmanship... I am pulling for my home state RV2 to put last week behind him and get on the podium tomorrow. Great job DM and TC, both you guys deserve it and maybe they will invite you both to the Press Table this week.LOL!
Kick some ass Alex Ray! Represent for Milan, Tennessee!
Lil Hanny, NOT a chip off the old block!
Donnie and Becky Hansen are a class act, Josh is the clown parade for a reality show about dumb and dumber.
Thats right Dfesmire99! Kicks ass seabass!!
Is Ray a decent sized guy?? He should bounces Hansens head off the pavement a few times in the pits Saturday night for good measure, then I will feel a little better and lay off him.
As for being aware of riders around me.. If I am in 19th place in a LCQ on the last lap, NOT knowing anyone was behind me, rolling thru the corner at half speed.. I would not expect to be tboned by Cheech and Chong.
Jake the snake takes the Win~ Ktm Air Shock Blew & Started Main Event First Corner mayhem
I find Jessy Nelson's riding to be the polar opposite of "impressive". Although one could argue that his ablility to ride out of control does leave an impression of sorts. I sincerely hope he does not get seriously injured, or cause the injury of another rider with his recklessness.
Millsaps red plate one more week.
1. Villo
2. Barcia
3 Millsaps
4 air shock.
I like that the kid went to Hanny's pit and the moron can't even give ANY sort of reason for his jack-assery......not even an "I'm a moron, whattaya expect?" Just slack-jawed brainlessness. Closing in on 30 and he's still by far the biggest punk on the track....or in the pits if he can't qualify to be on the track. Hurray for a team with some balls to put a wayward rider in place.
Davey and Trey should be sending a Christmas card to Josh Grant for all the blocking he pulled off at A1, hope he gets pay back this weekend!!!!
what the f@*&^% ?
I signed in just to say that Hansen is such a D-Bag...I'm embarrassed for his sponsors. I hate that kid...
Who did 33 block ?
RacerX you need to add the Dec.1975 Anaheim Supercross that TonyD won to the Vault.It it have to have a astrisk by it though because the promoter dropped the ama at the last minute for the race.
Thanks for telling us Alex Ray was from Milan Tn everybody.I guess ya'll didn't actually read Racerhead.Pretty sure Davey covered that.
The count down is on
A 4000$ fine for Josh Hansen??? What a JOKE! He probably gets more $ than that for his allowance. What a spoiled little brat- he shoulda kept the number 100.
1) Josh Hansen
2) Tyler Evans
3) David Vuillemin
4) Mike Alessi
.. oh, sorry i thought this was top 5 moto douchebags ..
did anybody see how "bummed" mike alessi was to be DNF'ing on saturday. dude was thanking his sponsors and grinning like a guy who was super pumped to have a reason to get the hell out of that race
Fred- earlier it said texas, it was corrected. Nobody cares, but people feel the need to correct it anyway.
5) ryan hughes
Ping wrote: You know the feeling of flying off your bike and having a thousand things run through your head in the time between knowing you are going down and actually hitting the ground? And "the pain starts to set in and you begin to realize the extent of your injuries."
My answer: YES!!!
@deeg....i'm sure you wouldn't have any nerves at your first A1...and it looked like a missed shift or a problem...the kid has been impressive....he made a mistake,,,he'll make more...he'll also win some races....good thing nobody but him was reckless at A1....causing damage to themselves or another...did your mom make you move back from the tv.....give the rookie a break...looks like hes tryin hard to me...
@Jefbre and all the haters, Hanny didn't injure the kid, chill. If you go to your local track you'll see takeouts between friends who laugh about it after... it's part of racing. When you take out your buddy does he flip out and hate you? Hell no.
This Ray kid has nothing to worry about, he wasn't qualifying anyway, what did he loose? A knee brace? aaaahhhhh is that what this is over??
I get it now.
aaahhhh Hanny broke some kid's knee brace everybody, if only Hanny was like Donnie and Becky... he'd be a class act at raising a douchebag son. lmao
Like his Dad, Lil' Hanny seems to have talent...
but not the same integrity and respect for the riders.
...around him.
Milsaps is on a 3rd tier team for a reason he has produced very little over the years,HENCE he is 1 step from the door hitting him in the ass !! Plain and simple !
@tonewall: I have nothing against the kid or any other rider for that matter. I hope he does well. Here's to hoping he can keep the bike upright. Crashing out of every race is just not impressive to me.
I've been to a lot of races and never saw someone T-bone their "friend" so hard they broke their expensive knee brace.
@ TripCarlyle
Hansen's actions are indefensible, period.
Uh, the knee-brace that was broken was protecting a knee. If the knee needed re-construction would it still be no big deal?
As far as commenting on the the Hansen's parenting skills, sure, there may be an argument there, but it's totally irrelevant (and poor taste) to tie their child-rearing abilities to his on-track antics. Obviously you've never walked a mile in their shoes, so you have zero experience in these matters besides an (abusive) opinion.
@Kflorida, I thought Josh's moms name was Lori?
I don't know about anyone else, but for me $4000 is a lot of money. I'm disapointed any of this had to happen.
Public outcry was bad enough that his team was forced to take action, that's horrendous. The words he's going to be hearing a lot of now are "bad press" and "black mark on yor resume".
Hansen's sister is so Hot ! Word to your Mom !!!
Stew must be happy that the haters are bagging on Hansen. Speaking of Stew ....
mike was thanking the people who pay his fuel bill from San Diego to Dallas.
My spidey senses are wondering if there is a sort of power struggle or something for Suzuki's affections from the RCH & Rockstar teams?
Knowing what I know right now (the same as everybody else), I would say that Milsaps is Suzuki's best shot at final standings in the series, winning races, and positive exposure.
Maybe somebody needs to say a "pretty please with cherries on top" to borrow Josh Hills' equipment while he's not using it........
It's odd to see Yamaha's JGR represented-team & bikes looking so trick and well-funded, and the teams representing Suzuki are so hard-up for support.
@MX bob i guess i've never riden at your local track, is the dirt nice?
Carlsbad, of course if the knee was injured it'd be a big deal, that was my exact point: the kid wasn't injured so there's no issue other than the brace. You don't seem to understand me.
I wasn't being abusive, I hate abuse, that's why I'm defending Hanny from you redneck wolves. Maybe that's why you missed the satire in the parenting joke.
It doesn't matter anyway.
Whatever.
GIVE HANSEN THE BOOT.
@carlsbad ..why do you keep bagging on Suzuki to give Millsaps a bike when the bike hes on looks to work really well...http://youtu.be/-lsz3SvzVCw.......does yanking that Honda like that look like it needs help to you....Maybe he likes that bike..Maybe it just works good cause they don't change what works every year (making the previous model worth zip) just to sell you something that still needs dialing in..I notice ktm's still don't come with the good shock and there already onto new territory..... Aless's problem is not having JS7's bike...... where are the privateer KTM 450's.......
Josh Hansen is done... hang it up.
@Rickamatuzio I should of realized that
I say fire Hansen and hire Tedesco.Has anyone seen the clips of him during practice a this weekends Dortmund German SX.He looks fantastic.Tedesco said he hasn't been riding and didn't even have a bike.The way last year went with all the injurys you would think Tedesco would be training.There already is an opening at his old team.Tedsco is a total dumbass or he just straight up is ready to retire.
tripcarlyle, the issue with hanson is HIS actions period. It is stupid to say it would be different if he had broke the knee. Hanson t-bone someone for no reason that he didn't know and that is STUPID. The bigger problem I see is I have witnessed the punk doing the same thing many times over the last ten years.
I am 49 and have rode and raced since I was 13 and still race and have never done that to anyone and had it done to me once and was injured. I do not like ANYONE that intentionally takes someone out and if you did it to me I would whip your punk #ss. Hanson could have passed the first rider he took out cleanly but he chose to be a punk and take out his front wheel, he then was cross jumping Chisim when he went to far and landed on a tuff block. Chisim was smart and know hanson is a dirty punk held up and escaped injury.
For you to defend him says you might just be the same way and that is the biggest black eye to our sport- 90% of the racers are good clean racers that don't intend to hurt or take out anyone. The punks that do should be banned and I'm glad Hanson was and I would not let him ride again until he paid the fine.
Unfortunately Ray isn't fast enough for payback. I remember Stephane roncada pulling on Hansen on RC in 2000 outdoors.. RC went mental and whipped the bike so hard at Roncada that Stephane retired after the moto and started taking pain pills!
I wished RC could clean Hansen out into the next weekend and teach the him a lesson.
Hanson can sit his punk ass on the couch and watch the race as he smokes his weed and drinks a beer, and telling himself how he could have won the race,lol
@rickm...I think Hanshole was smoking bath salts with Twitch. No amount of weed makes you an ass. Is it possible Twitch looks worse for hanging with Hanshole?
Chisholm passed Hansen for second place cleanly with no take out move like 99% of the other riders would. Chisholm is a professioal and rides like one. Hansen is just a punk always has been and always will be. Filthy Phil should have kicked his scrawny little ass. As far as the the take out on Alex that is inexcusable and I cant believe there are people on here that are defending it. You can be a Hansen fan but come on there is no way you can convince anyone that was ok. You just make yourself look like a d-bag as well. How long is Hansen going to run that beanie until he is 35. Grow up
Brayton
Chisholm
Partridge
Balbi
Howell
Nicoletti
Blose
All these guys were in the LCQ. Hanson can hardly beat these guys. No wonder he was riding dirty. I hope he has a back up plan, because the local VET PRO class doesn't pay very well.
TC41 is a class act. He looked like he was as happy for Davi to win as Davi was. Not pouting because he got passed on the last lap. Pretty awesome these days to have a guy not be stuck on himself.
I think Hasens actions are great ! Because it makes you guys look real bad ! Losers !
@ beancanyon
And he might find himself sleeping in the bushes with tattooed head( from arse whooping ) for his actions. Lol
Lil honey's aggressive pass on Phil was alright. It's racing. His take out move onRay. Was unnecessary Dumb and fargetlike!
@ meankx
Your either a punk kid who thinks hes bad riding an old kx Or and older guy that thinks he's a bad ass on Viagra which is it PUNK
Everyday reminders will always exist as to how dumb some people are (i.e. to feel Hansen needs defending), but then to drop it down 30 more IQ points to actually put it down in black and white. I guess since Alex Ray wasn't hurt it's all good. So anyone can just go punch him in the face too.....as long as he doesn't suffer any injury? T-boning an unsuspecting guy could've broke his leg. It is pure luck that the only injured part was a knee brace. Think having a knee brace snapped while it is strapped around your knee is a painless event? I can't imagine what retard class Trip races in where the last two guys are getting t-boned by their friends and have no problem with it. If you're incapable of thinking before you start typing away, just make an across the board rule to not type period. I applaud his team/sponsors for the benching, but maybe this is a good time to just send him packing and go after someone else (Tedesco?).
@ Sloan
You really seem to like lil" honey's" nut sauce! Lol
That's fine... You could easily do it these days, without hiding in the closet. At least now your boyfriend lil" honey" won't race today so you could spend quality time together. Does your butt feel tingly already??
You're one tough keyboard cowboy.... Lol
Ray was hurt, taken off on a stretcher and brought to hospital. I saw his picture with his leg in a splint..
I suppose we've beat this topic to death.. let's just agree if Hansen made that move toget INTO the main its fine. However, after the race is over like he did is just rude.
His career is over, he knows that so I'm sure he is upset.. he made his own bed. I've said it before.. more training, less tattoos and partying he could have been good .
@ Tonewall
Matt Georke finished 12th on a privateer KTM. Pretty good for I always thought of him as an "outdoors guy".
@ josh "loser" hansen
Why do you think they call it DOPE?
Is the last lap,last place,meltdown takeout online somewhere for viewing?
" Blake Baggett is questionable due to the wrist injury he survived in the main event." Whew, those wrist injuries are usually fatal!
I just looked at the new Transworld MX magazine 450 shoot out. More bogus dyno charts!! How can they publish phony charts like that?? Almost as bad as Motocross Action printing stuff that's WRONG all the time.
Again, don't believe what you read. That's why I like racer x, they print the truth and if they don't know the answer, they humbly ask.
Transworld needs to understand that torque=HP always at 5250rpm, this can't change. They have obscure lines drawn all over the place and the numbers don't jive. Crazy stuff to accept for a gear head like me.
I have a different take on the issue which tracks with the RC posting by @rickamatuzio. If Mr. Ray (whom I presume is a nice young man) has an issue with a cheap take out, he has 4 options. One, he walks over to the Hansen trailer extends his hand and attempts to have a conversation. If that does not work, second, he walks over to the same trailer with a baseball bat and resolves the dispute. Third, he takes Hansen out on the track because turnaround is fair play. Fourth, he simply does nothing and licks his wounds. I think the first and third options are preferable, though the second has a certain flair that cannot be denied.
This is an issue between the riders. Unfortunately, when dealing with a bully, you must inflict pain far worse that what the bully deals to get your message across.
@rickm...Explain that torque=hp @5250 a little more..got my interest peaked.
Misoheye explain what the hell Misoheye means greenback wet back !!
@sloan....Hooked on phonics worked for me!
Bring on a race already ..
I'm tired of listen to all this crap........
You people need to get a life..
It's
RD
TC
CR
JS-7 CRASH WITH LIL PIN HEAD POTO SEASON DONE
STAMP IT !!
Because torque and rpm are divided by 5252, torque and horsepower are always equal at 5252 rpm. If you solve the equation at 5252 rpm, the rpm value cancels out, leaving horsepower equal to torque. If you plot torque and horsepower curves on a graph, the lines will always cross at 5250 rpm (rounded off). If they don't, the curve is undoubtedly bogus
hp is a measurement of how much torque is occuring per given amount of time. Torque is a measurement of force per distance. At 5250 rpm, 1hp equals 1 ftlb of torque............go RV....51....
@john430 Your question yesterday about who JG33 blocked. Have not looked back to confirm this but I think he is one that caused RV1 to grab a handful of brake and go straight off the track to keep from getting punted into the stands. If you notice JG33 (I think) does not even attempt to go around the berm, instead he goes straight where Villo would be if not for checking up. RV1 may have gotten only 5 points but he may have saved his whole season, and avoided the schapel, by that move. I will check tape again. If wrong, do not mean to be.
OH! And Davey, Miss Alabama looks better with a sweat shirt on than all the women in black spandex. Do they not have any classy women in WV?
@tonewall....Thanks. Never heard of the 5250 part. Only ever seen 1 dyno run and that was for flat track bikes.
canard need to sit hansen down for a little jesus talk...
Yeah! Went back and looked, think Villo may have been momentary seeing images of broken broken bones through that rhythm section, after having a front row seat of Grant going after Stewarts knee, 2 turns earlier. Seems like Grant cannot resist bad knees, al'a Alissi. Wrong knee on Stew though and only got as close as rear shock.
Yeah! Went back and looked, think Villo may have been momentary seeing images of broken broken bones through that rhythm section, after having a front row seat of Grant going after Stewarts knee, 2 turns earlier. Seems like Grant cannot resist bad knees, al'a Alissi. Wrong knee on Stew though and only got as close as rear shock.
@ tonewall,
Suzuki is a cheap-o company. They have a history of this behavior, so it's not just me picking on poor, poor Suzuki and I'm not giving them a pass just because they're your favorite brand.
If they owe Mr. Hewitt support (money) PAY UP! Do for the people that do for you. I've been in situations similar (auto racing) and it disgusts me to see them crying poor after a commitment has been made. Chicken shi* unprofessionalism.
I couldn't care less if they had the best bike ever, if the support is not there, you have gained nothing. This is PRO RACING, I'm amazed that after having been in the business for 40 years, they haven't figured that out yet.......or simply refuse to accept that money must be spent to compete at this level.
Suzuki went from being a powerhouse in the DeCoster-led RC / Dungey era, to the S-house when they stopped paying. Nobody's fault but theirs.
Why so troubled with KTM? Are you bothered that they took your team's manager off the unemployment list when Suzuki simply wouldn't re-hire him?
Maybe upset Dungey left after Suzuki couldn't pay his win bonuses?
Maybe K-Roc's leaving Suzuki to follow DeCoster is a sore spot?
Sounds like sour grapes to me.
The way I see it, KTM's success is largely a part of Suzuki's cheapness or incompetence. KTM is picking up all Suzuki's unwanted (unpaid) toys and making good use of them.
The people that designed the Suzuki MX bikes did a great job. The "Suzuki factor" (cheapness) between design and excecution is what has hobbled those bikes. If Honda would have built the Suzuki design, it would probably be a perrennial shootout winning bike and a fan-favorite. Fastener quality, poor clutch material / design and quality control make those bikes a step below the other J-brands and this is not a new development. It's been that way since my father paid for the privelege for my brother & myself to race their product.
I want to like Suzuki (I like their bikes), but they keep pushing me away.
What a bunch of girls better not watch any ice hockey,NFL,or NBA(elbows)or you might cry.now that we all cried and hugged after giving up the win on the last lap maybe hanny could coach trey on just a tad more aggression on that last pass attempt and get the win.hanny raced aggressive to the checkered flag and didn't roll back to the pits after his fall like so many spoiled overpaid pros.oh, don't watch any arenacross either.
@rickamatuzio: You're always fast enough for a payback. You wait for them to come around and lap you and then t-bone them big time. I did that once to a guy that was famous for his dirty riding up her in the Northwest. We both sailed over the berm and while we were picking our bikes back up he was screaming "but you were being lapped". I screamed right back "you're right and I'll take you out every chance I get if you ever f...k with me again". I never had another problem with that guy.
Thats right, we have 3 dynos at work and we used to play on them all the time. The old dyno had a water brake right off the flywheel that measured torque. You take that torque reading at any given RPM, and the formula is TORQUExRPM/5252= H.P
Basically H.P. is just a measurement of time.. so a motor that makes the same torque but 1000 rpm higher, may make another 100h.p.
He is right, the dyno graphs ALWAYS crisscross torque and rpm at 5252, if not.. its BS. Transworld has a habit of making dyno graphs with a pencil that look like the rocky mountains.. a bike doesn make 1hp less from 1800 to 1850, then make 2 hp more from 1850-1900, then 2 less at 1900-1920. Its more of a smoother linear line thats not so abrupt.
MXA is always also spewing bogus stuff, like that four strokes use a different carb than a two stroke because they make more vacuum at wide open throttle?!! Well, a motor doesnt have vaccuum at WOT. If a vaccum signal is present at Wide Open Throttle, the carb is not big enough for the motor. Most motors have 10in-20in of vaccum at idle, depending on cam size and idle quality, and as the throttle open, vaccum steadily goes down. At WOT there is 0 vaccum, but more absolute manifold pressure. Another things MXA, The fuel screw and air screw are BOTH fuel screws, but they are at different ends of the carb. One lets more air emulsify with fuel, while one lets more fuel into the air stream.. but they both DO the exact same thing, but they are on a different side of the venturi so the name changes. The fastest bike I ever rode was Junior Jacksons built YZ250f for canadian nationals, it had a Mikuni two stroke Carb on it. NO BOG, it ripped.. amazing motor.
Then MXA says the new Honda 2013 450 moved the Cam gear to reduce overlap. FALSE.. Overlap in ground into the camshaft, its the split between the center of exhaust and intake and cannot be changed on a single cam. Overlap is when both intake and exhaust valves are open at the same time, for a small duration, which affects the powerband like a pipe on a 2 stroke. A 106 LSA cam (lots of overlap) has radical idle, narrow power band but hits hard. A 114 LSA (not as much overlap) has smooth idle, wider rpm range..
Honda moving the cam gear simple advanced the cam timing for better low end torque had nothing to do with overlap.
Its these little details that drive ME crazy, because how can I believe anything if nothing is accurate? Most people probably dont give a sh*t, I wished I didnt either but I am wired like that.
MXA said on their website the Honda "B" Piston was bigger for two strokes, which also pissed me off because the "A" piston measures .0005 bigger!! Which doesnt seem important, but if someone has a worn cylinder, getting the right piston will be the difference between in spec and out of spec.
Useless information to most people I guess.. Guys like Villipoto just twist the throttle and dont care about anything, amazing talent.. but all the information that I think is important is EXTREMELY important to his mechanic. He needs to know stuff like this.. For Ryans sake!
thanx for the lesson. yes I do give a hoot.
thanx for the lesson. yes I do give a hoot.
I shouldnt bag on the magazine because I love reading them.. just seems like RacerX is alot more connected with the people and humble. They have PING that says it like it is, and speaks truth (he strikes me as a good fellow republican family man) and Davey not only voices his opinion, but also asks the readers what they think and listens. MXA just seems so self proclaimed, and arrogant. However, they have cool articles and I like it.. Just wished they didnt act like the KNOW-ALL of MX so much.. because they make ALOT of mistakes. Like everyone else..
So I took Ken Roczen and RV tonight in a 5$ bet, and my buddy took Tomac and Dungey. He took 5$ off me last week, I hope to get some back.. Tomac seems to get average starts, so I think Roczen has a shot
@ rickamatuzio, I agree that false information is frustrating. I do however, believe that the error is at the writer level and not the technical level. Those guys have the best / brightest (technical people) at their disposal and the disconnect from motor guy to editor is sometimes a chasm.
I love technical information and learning how / why bikes tick. I'm from the generation that had to work on our bikes, so it probably has something to do with that.
U guy's are getting way off the topic.. Let's get back after it ! Hansen's sister is Hot !
stewart is finished