by Andy Bowyer
One Industries Thursday Rev Up: High Point
Thursday, June 9, 2011 | 11:00 AM
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Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Rev Up. Summer is up to full song and after a week off it’s time for the boys to get back to work. Round 3 takes us to historic High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, PA. Not to get too heavy, but the area is a special place to me. I’ve left little pieces of my heart all over the country, but High Point and nearby Morgantown, West Virginia, will forever be one my favorite places in the world. For starters, the High Point national was the first pro outdoor event I ever went to in 1993. I’ll never forget seeing the fans and locals literally walking out from the trees. It’s a really different area of the country. It’s a little bit country, a little bit “East Coast,” but all beautiful. Of course WVU has always been a podium contender for the #1 party school in the nation, and in addition her student body is nearly 3:1 female to male. So, ahem...it’s pretty stout.
Thus, the legend of the old days when they used to let the fans camp out (with camp fires) the night before the show; I’ll never forget seeing and smelling the smoke billowing over and around the rolling mountains that embrace the track.
Round 3 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship kicks off at High Point on Saturday.
Photo: Simon Cudby
And the track...on man, the track. No doubt my favorite track—the off-camber corners and crazy elevation changes are challenging and super fun. She has just enough jumps to keep it interesting, and if you want to gain time on someone, just nut up and tape it open longer on one of the downhills. Careful you don’t overcook it or you’ll end up in the trees at the bottom.
Before anyone gets to thinking I’m sucking up to DC or his family, High Point was my favorite track ten years before I worked at Racer X. I haven’t been an employee of Racer X for four years and I drove my own ass there last year to race her on amateur day, then drank beer with Rupert X and Danger YZ on Saturday. It’s my favorite track, and home to some of the most amazing (non-moto) people I’ve ever met. OK, you get it, I love the place and I just can’t wait to get there this weekend.
On to the action.
250
Blake Baggett is going to come back with a vengeance and drill the field. He earned respect at Hangtown this year and I think he’s the guy in the 250 bunch. Unless it rains a little like last year, and then Justin Barcia will go all Bradshaw again and win by a half a lap. High Point is tricky, though. The short uphill start is deceiving and throws a lot of guys off. I say short, but it really isn’t that short. It’s just long enough to teeter on the brink of second and third gear. If you don’t hit them just right, you’re screwed and have to come through the pack. Like I said though, you can do that at High Point. There will be bar banging and lap times within a couple seconds from first through 20th. Look for local boy Darryn Durham to make some noise and get the hometown crowd on their feet.
Darryn Durham will try and bring the hometown crowd to their feet this weekend.
Photo: Simon Cudby
450
Ryan Villopoto is going to take his first win of the year. Wait, what?! Yup. Something has been amiss in the RV2 camp and they fixed it over the break. He’ll be ready to eat trees and shit Dunlops. Hmm..yeah, that works. Yes, Chad Reed has brought back The Thunder and dominated the opening two rounds, and yes he earned his first outdoor win at High Point in 2002. Be that as it may, he didn’t even score points there last year and I think he’s going to play it safe this time around. I could be very wrong though. Reedy is riding so strong.
And what about Ryan Dungey? Is Roger DeCoster’s absence the deal? Did he make too much money last year? Couple things about Dungey this year is he isn’t having the big crashes, but he isn’t winning either. A couple of weeks ago I said that the championship canvas begins to get some ink after High Point and it’s time for #1 to paint some yellow gold.
While thinking about all this two words came to mind; Trey. Canard. He would have been awesome at HP this time around...
Can RV get his first win of the year this weekend?
Photo: Simon Cudby
But, look at Millsaps beginning to pour it on. I know my man has been down here riding in the heat every day and he knows which side the throttle is on. Davi can run if he gets a start. Look for him to lead some laps and contend. Andrew Short led the better half of both motos last year and he might be ready to break out on the KTM350. Christian Craig showed some very real speed at Texas. And we can’t leave Kevin Windham out of this week’s race. KW holeshot and led as a rookie at High Point in 1994 and the only thing that stopped him was Doug Henry...who simply can’t be stopped.
I can’t wait to get there! Follow me @Hattica77 and I’ll be sending out the scene from 7:00 a.m. race day until they throw the final flag. High Point baby! It’s so cool when the pack thunders up the start hill and pretty much never let off all the way around the sweeping left-hander and come barreling into that tight right with the giant rut before the Carmichael Double. The fans are so good there. They run fence line to fence line and literally get annoyed at the fence posts for costing them a milli-second of the charge.
High Point. She's going to be another good one, I just have a feeling.
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
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So psyched now Andy! Great story. Congrats to Clint for the W last night also.
RV = Hungry
lets do this!!
Eat trees and shat dunlops. Liking it!
Go RV2! Make a statement this weekend
Andy Bowyer is cool as hell. I lined up next to him last year and he was one of nicest guys I ever met...... and fast as hell too
We will arrive @ High point around 11am tomorrow morning, so pumped!
Hmm, RV is hungry but Reedy's comfy.. And tbh i think that Reeds the man this year. RV seams to be a bit loast outdoors this year. Would be good to see him pull a win here. Along with a bit of redemption for Dungey. Hope he gets the win he's owed for last week..
Check-out the Cool Ernesto Fonseca Model Bike Kit on Ebay! Where is he now? Looks like a Good buy I may bid on it!
yes! Highpoint is awesome. And yes I have to agree... this is where RV2 will make his opening statement.. strong and hard. I can not wait... let's get racing!!
I'll be there flagging again this year. I agree, it is one of the greatest places for MX and run by a great group. The Coombs family and Tim Cotter are died in the wool Motocross people. I'll bet I don't get a wink of sleep tonight, anxious to get on the road early in the AM. See ya all there. I'm hoping to get the same flag position right behind the start in the white tower just before the uphill triple. Come by and say hello.
Larry
What a track....looks so much fun to ride no matter what your skill level.
RV - Should have all the bugs worked out (of the bike and his body) this weekend and hopefully he can get some good starts and win this sucker.
Reed - I dont think "dominate" is the word to use although it looks like that on paper....good luck doesnt equal domination when your 20+ seconds behind the poor guy who should have won the overall ......but it is what it is and Reed is looking good on that Honda.
Dungey - Will be on a mission, but hopefully he doesnt over do it and go the opposite direction. Based on the SX series, I am sure he will just go out and do what he needs to do under his comfort level....
Alessi - May make it to the gate.....not a fan....but good to see him back in action.
Eat trees and shit Dunlops........Classic !!!
VilloMoto is gonna kick some serious ass !!
MUDDER! MUDDER! MUDDER!
Mount up the M203/204's & MX31's it's gonna get wet!!!!!
Maybe the Yamahas will do better when everybody's steering with the rear.
Who will be the first to fall in the mud? You know it's gonna happen....prepare for the points to get shaken up.......again.
What do you mean "What about Dungey?".... did he "make too much money...?" He would be leading the series if it wasn't for his fuel boiling! He never has had big crashes and we are only 2 races into the season anyway, and he has been there in EVERY moto and HAS won 1. You watching the series Andy?
Is that Jairtime in the article header photo...3rd from the left????
"Did Dungey make too much money last year?"
I don't get that point at all....is it supposed to mean that he now takes it easy? Smoking the field in the heat of Freestone - and the training that it takes to do that - until his bike stopped.....too much money means he does that?
DeCoster gets too much credit for what Dungey accomplished last year. DeCoster may have been his good luck charm and took his rabbits foot and horseshoe with him when he went to KTM but even if he was still at Suzuki it wouldn't have changed the bad luck streak Dungey seems to have had. Dungey was right there at the end in SX and he will be right there in MX. I'm not seeing any real magic happening over at KTM.
Andy...Haha its so funny that you are asking those stupid questions about Dungey. Do you realize that this guy would have won supercross if his chain didnt fall off? Do you realize that Dungey would have won last week in dominating fashion if his fuel wouldnt have boiled? Those questions you asked about him are ridiculous and I hate how bias you are sometimes.
Ya know what? call me a dummy but the fuel "boiling" "evaporating".."vapor locking" "disapearing", or stole by martien aliens, is just not acceptable for a factory lawnmower team, let alone motocross factory.I dont buy it, put some damned gas in the thing allready.
I'll do it,.....Dummy!
RV looks very hungry. Very hungry indeed!!!
In fact someone give the poor guy a cheeseburger he looks like hes starving!!!!!
"Doug Henry, cant be stopped"
love it!
Gonna be great racing this weekend!
@is that jairtime - haha
Thanks, man. I needed a good laugh.
Take it on easy on dungey, your comments are wack, like everyone else said he absolutely destroyedddd folks on the hottest most difficult race of the 4 this year, he needs to make more money.
Dungey will make more money next year.. Either suzuki steps in and gives him a lucratif contract.. Or for sure KTM will give him a more than good salary to be orange next year.
Another point, for those who care... CP377 will NOT be riding this saturday... Problems between DV and him... According to some french website, he did not even get a practice bike from motoconcept... You gotta love the frogs...
Hey Bowyer, were you serious with "what about Ryan Dungey?" Are you watching the same races the rest of us are? Granted the competition is much stiffer this tear, but had it not been for a fuel issue causing a DNF, he would be tied for the points lead. Dungey is riding fantastic and I wouldn't bet against him to still win the title.