Bench Racing Ammo: Openers
Friday, May 27, 2011 | 11:25 AM
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At last year’s Rockstar Energy Drink National at Hangtown, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac won the very first race of his pro career, and Chad Reed, a Monster Energy Kawasaki rider at the time, shrugged off a terrible supercross season to dominate the first moto of the season and grab the 450 overall.
Reed was victorious at Hangtown last year, but was unable to win another race that season.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Considering the status of those riders coming into the race that was a bit of a surprise. But an even bigger shocker came over the next 11 rounds: neither Reed nor Tomac won another race all season! Was there a Hangtown curse?
Tomac won at Hangtown last year, but that was his one and only win of the season.
Photo: Simon Cudby
In the big class, Reed’s case, this may not have been so strange. In the previous 30 seasons of 250 class (now the 450 class) racing, seven other riders had won the first round of the season only to never win another. Here’s a list of those riders
Riders to Win Opening round of 250/450 Class and Not Win Another Race:
2010 Chad Reed
2009 Ryan Villopoto
2001 Tim Ferry
1999 Sebastien Tortelli
1998 Mickael Pichon
1990 Rick Johnson
1989 Jean-Michel Bayle
1984 Bob Hannah
Reed was victorious at Hangtown last year, but was unable to win another race that season.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Keep in mind that from 1985 through 1993, the 250 class ran a split season with the 500s, and the series usually only contained six rounds. Since 1994, the schedule has been doubled.
Meanwhile the 125 (now 250) class has always run the full schedule, and hence, the rider who wins the opener almost always comes back to win another. Only twice in the last 30 years has that happened.
Riders to Win Opening round of 125/250 Class and Not Win Another Race:
2010 Eli Tomac
2006 Mike Alessi
1985 George Holland
Did you catch that? Not once in those 30 seasons did the winners of both classes’ opener not win another race in the same year. In the entire 39 previous seasons of the tour, only in 1974 did the opening round winners in both classes not win more races (250 Winner, Billy Grossi and 125 Winner, Tim Hart). But the 1974 125 season only featured four rounds.
Alessi won the opener in '06 but failed to capture another victory that season.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Bottom line: Reed is certainly hoping to deliver a second victory this year, perhaps as soon as this weekend. And Blake Baggett sure is, too. For their sake, hopefully last year was just a wild improbability, destined never to happen again.
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This was a very interesting article. Keep up the awesome work racerx
Im dont ever relly have a favorite rider anymore because everone is so good but I do hope Reed wins some more and if bagget is as good as he seemed at Hangtown his compitention has some wour for them. Aslo back in the days of 40 mints pluss 2 lap motos could anyof these guys last? lol Just ask what Hanna has to say about it?
@ Welker im pretty sure these guys are fit enough to run 40 minutes plus two... Yeah they did it back in the day and there suspension and everything isnt near they caliber it is today... and These guys are professional athlete's and motocross is about the most demanding sport for a human body... Its not just a bunch of scrubs that get together on the weekend riding is what they do so to answer your question i believe yes they could do it easily but im sure they would want a bigger payout to the winner if they had to add that 10 minutes being as getting third place in a supercross race pays better then a first in outdoors!
Maybe I'm being petty, but I just want Reed to win another title because he's getting old and it could be his last chance. Also, It'll put him 1 premier title above Bubba. Go get em!
SAme here Welker, I don't like the whole root for one guy and dislike everyone else mentality. It IS cool to see Reed step up (so far) in the outdoors and push. Really missing Canard out there though, but there are sooo many story lines with each guy. I wouldn't want to go back to 40+2. I think 30+2 is just right. I don't want to see someone back it down to save themself for the next moto. I liked how it was a 100% sprint pretty much the whole second moto, especially from Reed.
I would like to see some stationary cameras in certain sections so you can see every riders different approach to a turn or jump section. I think the "casual fan" needs to see the difference in how the top five approach something as opposed to someone on the fringe of the points, as well as the guys back in 30-35th. Most of know how fast even those guys are but some don't understand (yet).
Good article Weege. Why don't we see more helmet cam coverage during the race as opposed to just the practice lap? The GP coverage this year has been awesome with usually 2 riders wearing helmet cams during the race. Really gives you a different perspective of the track.
@treewacker I agree on the cams but is there a way to get rid of the wide angle lenses? They flatten everything out and make the traks look way tamer than they are. Also you can be ten feet behind someone and they make it look like ten yards.
The best was when they had a camera mounted to RC during the 05 SX season. His head was so still.. it is still (to me) the best camera from a rider I have seen...also bubba was similar as well from that same year later in the season though...
It will be the only race Reed wins for the whole season. I don't even think he's planning to ride till the end of the season. Too much money at stake for a small payback. Villopoto is to be the champ if he is healthy, other than that Dungey may win. Lites will be crazy, Barcia and Wilson will keep rubbing each other. Fun season ahead!!
The helmet cams may not be able to stream the high quality HD yet. Remember the cams of old that always cut in and out? We may be seeing the practice laps b/c the memory card was remove and uploaded in the TV truck. Streaming is likely very difficult in MX since the topography of each round is so different it is hard to plan around the interference with the connection.
I thought many of the camera angles from Hangtown left a lot to be desired. Some made the riders look slow which is a big problem when showcasing the sport; faster is better for casual and passionate fans. More than a few camera cycles (moving from one view to another to another) were too far away in their successive feeds. This took the battles and terrain out of context. I have a feeling that the broadcast tries to capture the race with as few cameras as possible, when the addition of one or two more could make a large impact.
RV2 and RD1(5) Will run at the front both moto's. Both bike set ups will be better this weekend. RV's fitness will be better this weekend. Texas heat will be a factor but not as bad as previous years. (hopefully) Reed will be in the mix but I don't see him winning here. As the year goes on it is going to get harder and harder for Reed to win.
When RV's fitness allows him to put down 10 to 12 fast laps consecutively he will start gapping the field. The only guy going to be able to match that pace will be RD. Remember 3 yrs ago, end of the outdoor season when Dungey was chasing Villo late in moto's. Before RV went to 450's, Dungey was the only one capable of pushing that pace. Reed has said he does not like to go sketchy fast and that my friends is where RV2 intneds to take them!
TwoTwo.. Hum, I do not think Reed is that kind of a rider.
He mentioned in some interviews that the sponsors stepped up and Reed wanted to have some commitment of Honda.. Which he got.
He is now riding a full factory bike.. And not to piss off PC... His pipe is from them.
After every race or practice session, the bikes goes back into the Honda factory semi.
He might not get $$ from Honda.. But getting 1st class material and help... Is giving Reed enough incentives to make another deal with some insurance company to pay him huge bonuss's if he wins a number of overalls or the championship. Something similar he did in 09'... If I remember correctly what some magaines mentioned and DV.. he made something like 3,9 million... And knowing Reed's become quite a business man... I am sure he has raised the stakes and he will get more if het achieves the objectives.
The insurance set up either pays off or it doesnt....for SX this year, Reed lost out on some money since he needed to win the title and or 3 races......for the MX, he is getting the Red Rider contigency money that factory guys get, but no bonuses.....Now I dont know how it all works, but if Reed doesnt win whatever he needs to collect the money, his contigency money will probably used to cover the insurance policy he opened.....I dunno...kind of a risky deal.....but those who say Reed is doing it for the sport and not for money are HIGH....Sure, nobody wants to race for free....but dont claim to be doing that when reward money is your biggest concern...
At worst Chad breaks even, he gets to write off team22 expenses.
Above and beyond that I feel Chad is riding for his legacy and passion for the sport.
Dirt
Joe Dirt,
You got it right dude. I think that Chad is very under rated at the moment and I do think that his "new" speed and incentive is because he is having fun. It's amazing how much easier it is to go fast when you don't have to win but you want to.
Also, as far as the Hangtown jinx if I remember correctly, 1975, Ron Turner won his only National at Hangtown and never won again...on a 125 Bultaco.