by Aaron Hansel
Bench Racing Ammo: Supercross Depth
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 | 3:40 PM
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There is no better time to be a supercross fan. The competition is great, the depth of talent is deeper than it’s ever been, and there are bunch of guys that can win on any given night. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back and calling this the golden age of supercross. To better understand just how stacked the field is, let’s have a look at some of the accomplishments of 2011’s top twenty.
Ryan Villopoto SX Lites Champ, MX Lites Champ, SX Champ, MX Champ
Chad Reed SX Lites Champ, Multi-time SX Champ, MX Champ
Ryan Dungey SX Lites Champ, MX Lites Champ, SX Champ, MX Champ
James Stewart Multi-time SX Lites Champ, Multi-time MX Lites Champ, Multi-time SX Champ, MX Champ
Trey Canard SX Lites Champ, MX Lites Champ, has multiple SX race wins
Andrew Short Multi-time Dave Coombs SR. East/West Shootout winner
Kevin Windham Multi-time 125 SX Champ, has multiple MX and SX race wins
Villopoto won his first career Supercross Class title last year, but can he repeat with such a deep field looking to take over the reigns?
Photo: Simon Cudby
Davi Millsaps SX Lites Champ, has multiple SX race wins
Nick Wey Has an MX race win
Ivan Tedesco Multi-Time SX Lites Champ, MX Lites Champ
Mike Alessi Has multiple MX race wins
Brett Metcalfe Has an MX race win
Tommy Hahn Has an MX race win
Austin Stroupe Has SX Lites wins
Fabien Izoird
Chad Reed looks to be a title contender in 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
There are more championships in 2011’s top twenty then there are riders! And to make things even nuttier, there’s several notable racers that aren’t on that list because they were either injured for a good portion of the season or are moving up.
Jake Weimer SX Lites Champ, has multiple MX Lites race wins
Josh Grant Has multiple SX Lites race wins, has an SX race win
Kyle Chisholm Won 2011 King of Bercy
Broc Tickle SX Lites Champ
Josh Hansen Has multiple SX Lites race wins
With this much talent, it’s very possible that the SX LCQ could feature some of the best racing of the night. One thing is certain, we’re in for another great year. 2012 can’t come fast enough!
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Ryan Villopoto may have locked up his 450SX title a week early, but the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship finale still had drama and excitement to spare. Page 124.
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Get as excited as you want but the 450 field is no more challenging this than it was last year. If anything it's less due to the new Canard injury. No Lites rider who's moved up will be able to challenge with top guns of Villopotto, Stewart, Reed & Dungey. It's now a 4-man battle versus 5-man with Canard injured. Every other top 450 rider is a 2nd tier rider not capable of beating this group which includeds riders like Hanson, Weimer (maybe 3rd tier), Millsaps (best of the 2nd tier), Tedesco, Grant (best days behind him), Alessi (shouldn't even be in this group when you're talking SX)... So in the end of the less competition than last year. Now if Barcia, Roczen, Wilson, Bagget, Pourcel (would join the mix) or Sipes were to move up ...then we'd have some serious racing contenders
Years like these make me want the old qualifying system back (with heats, semi's and then LCQ's). Would make the series much more interesting for everyone involved.
@vetracer19 you may be right that 2012 is no more stacked then last year BUT 2011 happened to be one of the best EVER!! Jacked for A1 !!!!
Field is definitely deep, but not as deep as Anaheim 99. There were 19 factory riders on the gate.
McGrath
Ward
Windham
Lusk
Button
Henry
Albertyn
Carmichael
Pichon
Emig
Huffman
Reynard
Dowd
Larocco
Tortelli
Vuillemin
to name a few
@albeerm, RC rode the 250 class in 99 ? hmmmmm
All we need now is Porcel in there Rocxen,wilson,barcia and we would have the supercross year of a life time.
Now if only these guys will keep it on two wheels until A1...we all want that gate to be as stacked as this list is. Bummer for TC41...that's alright he'll pick up where he left off I'm sure.
@Dak446.It wouldn't make the racing better it would probably get worse.It would give the top riders 16 extra races to get hurt in thus screwing up the championship.
Ditto Vetracer19
@albeerm......you are exactly correct! If only all posts were like urs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
McGrath-champion
Ward-champion
Windham-no champion 125 dont count
Lusk-no champion
Button-no champion
Henry-champion
Albertyn-champion
Carmichael-GAOT
Pichon-champion
Emig--champion
Huffman-no champion
Reynard-no champion
Dowd-no champion
Larocco-no champion
Tortelli-no champion
Vuillemin-no champion
ALL GREAT riders but at the time only 4 were proven champions...
A1-2012 4 guys who have proven and odds are one will win the Championship
mxmof1 - YES RC#4 started in the 250 class in 99, took him 3 years to figure it out, remember those days....
Hey Dak446......Why? That old qualifying structure sucked! We seriously need a 125cc SX class as part of the series! Jumping from an 85cc to a 250F is fu^&ing; stupid? I love and ride a 4-stroke but hearing a finely tuned 2 stroke 125cc class would be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Dak446......Why? That old qualifying structure sucked! We seriously need a 125cc SX class as part of the series! Jumping from an 85cc to a 250F is fu^&ing; stupid? I love and ride a 4-stroke but hearing a finely tuned 2 stroke 125cc class would be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry Alessi but you tried. The pros just weren't meant for you. This will be your last season as a somewhat somebody. I gaurantee it. You will drop out of the SX class after not making the night show a few times. Outdoors u will barely be a top 20 guy. Your only hope in hell will be Mitch Payton and telling pops to FU&k off. I type this IN 100% HONESTY..........BELEIVE THE TYPE!!!!!!!
Im just praying for a stacked gate, as in all the contenders are on the line. god bless this country and this sport
@cxd56.......god bless the riders of this sport! God bless this country?..............shut up please! Please leave whatever religion ur brainwashed by out of motocross.
God does not care about internal combustion dirtbikes that only the well to do get to ride and watch. I wonder if Allah follows MX? "And on the twelfth day, god created carbon fiber footpegs"! OOOOOOOHHHH and Buddha hucks a triple! " Hey man did you see Noah blitz those woops two by two"? Joseph Smith has definitely come prepared for A1! He has an amazing pit crew......Wait......why is he making out with his 12 yr old daughter? Well Jeff, team polygamy is unstoppable tonight!
HBT1, that's Larry Ward not Jeff. Larry was never champion.
yeah Alessi is crap in SX but for outdoors hes still solid. im still wondering why Justin Brayton gets a factory Honda ride when he has no success at all in 250/450s . and now with Trey canard being hurt it seems like another injury plague season for American Honda. give Barcia that 450 ride Honda!!
Funny it does not say "Multi-time" in front of some of RV's titles....
@BillC Yup, MX Lites Champ should be preceded by Multi-time in RV's entry