10 Things to Watch for at Phoenix
Friday, January 13, 2012 | 2:15 PM
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By: Chase Stallo and Aaron Hansel
Rockstar Recovery
Rockstar Energy Suzuki caught a lot of heat in 2011 for failing to deliver the results that are/were expected of a factory-backed squad. The team made some adjustments during the off-season, bringing back Hunter Hewitt and signing Blake Wharton—both will be racing the East Lites series. But the real challenge for the team was to get former AMA Horizon Award winner Jason Anderson on track. Martin Davalos stole the headlines early, winning his heat race, but would bow out of the main early with mechanical problems. After one of the most bizarre starts in SX history, Anderson was a deer in headlights and was stranded at the back of the pack. The New Mexico native would put on a charge that rivaled Eli Tomac's, as he recovered to finish seventh in the main event and keep his title hopes alive. What will we see from Anderson with a good start? Only time will tell.
Welcome to the RV Show?
After winning anything and everything in 2011, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto began 2012 with a dominating performance at the season opener in Anaheim. RV gapped the field by over ten seconds—could have been twenty—sending a resounding message that the 2012 Ryan Villopoto may be even better than the 2011 version. But as last year showcased, things can turn on a dime in a matter of moments (remember Jacksonville?). Can Villopoto continue his championship-defining pace this weekend in Phoenix, or will the rest of the field adjust and find another gear?
Will RVs dominance continue at Phoenix?
Photo: Simon Cudby
The Time Is Now
Simply put, Anaheim 1 was brutal on a number of contenders. Tommy Hahn, aboard his new privateer Honda, finished a disappointing twentieth. JGRMX’s Davi Millsaps started just outside the top ten but faded to sixteenth. And veterans Nick Wey and Austin Stroupe failed to qualify for the main. Not exactly the results these riders expected. This will probably just be a minor blip in the overall scheme of things, but with a talent-stacked SX class, the time is now for these contenders to rebound.
Canard Returns..Too Late?
American Honda golden boy Trey Canard made a late decision last week to sit out the opener after injuring his collarbone during off-season testing, and all signs are pointing to a return this weekend. But is it too late for Canard to contend for a title? Common sense would say yes. You can't spot this field 25 points and expect to contend, right? But we must not forget that Ryan Villopoto won the title last year with a DNQ at Jacksonville, and Ryan Dungey was in contention until the bitter end after a DNF at Anaheim 2.
Marv Attack
Marvin Musquin quietly reeled off a fourth-place finish in his maiden voyage in supercross last weekend at Anaheim. His fluid style helped him carve his way through the pack after rounding the first lap in eighth, but questions still remain. Anaheim, according to the majority of riders and media, was not your typical supercross track. With the series heading to Phoenix—which, if you have viewed the track map, is more along the lines of your typical SX layout—can Marvin back up his resounding debut on a much more diverse layout?
The Track
In Anaheim the riders were greeted with a track that was unique, to say the least. Passing was made difficult by several tight, one-lined sections, and the layout wasn’t a hit with most of the racers. On Twitter, Tommy Hahn likened it to a state-fair replica track, while Ivan Tedesco compared it to an Endurocross track. The upside? Lap times never fell below one minute.
This weekend, Phoenix will feature more of a traditional supercross track with longer lanes, although the dry, slick conditions typical of this venue may still make passing difficult. With the combination of much different soil and a different track design, we could see a completely different type of race this weekend.
The LCQs
With the classes as stacked as they are, the LCQs could provide some of the season's most intense racing. In Anaheim we saw names like Eli Tomac, Ryan Sipes, Gareth Swanepoel, Austin Stroupe, Justin Brayton, Tommy Hahn, and Nick Wey in the LCQ. Look for Phoenix to provide some of the same qualifying drama we witnessed last week at A1.
TireGate
Although James Stewart officially runs Pirelli tires, he chose to experiment with a Bridgestone front in one practice and a Dunlop rear in another at A1. This weekend the series rolls into Chase Field in Phoenix, where traction comes at a premium due to the dry and slick dirt. The team did some tire testing in California this week, and it will be interesting to see what kind of tires Stewart ends up on. Will the testing be enough to get Stewart dialed in with Pirelli, his official tire sponsor, or will we see another Tiregate fiasco unfold?
Metcalfe needs to bounce back from a tough opener to reestablish himself as a podium threat.
Photo: Simon Cudby
In Need of a Bounce Back
Brett Metcalfe did not have the ride of his life in Anaheim. The lone Yoshimura Suzuki pilot was slowest in both of his practice sessions and, after running in seventh for a few laps in the main, ended the night in eleventh. We’ve seen better results from Metcalfe in the past, and we’re sure to see some better results from him sometime this season. Will Metty bounce back and find his groove this weekend in Phoenix?
The Return
Osborne showed some great speed at the opener, especially for somebody who hasn’t raced supercross since 2008. Osborne qualified third-fastest, did well in his heat race, and took ninth in the main. After the race, Osborne told our own Steve Matthes that he plans to compete in three more supercross races this season and would like to make the podium at least once. He’s definitely got the speed, and after refreshing his supercross skills in Anaheim, that podium finish could come as early as this weekend in Phoenix.
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the RV show hmmmmm.........lets sea!!!!!!!!!
Ryan Villopotto is the fastest man on the planet.
Hooray! Back to the same old SX track we see all the time! Can't believe all the complaining about last weeks track. They should just pre-build all the obstacles on big sheets of plywood and they can haul those from city to city and put them together like a big Lego set every week. You can use the same dirt all the time so guys will always know what tire to use, and everyone can build a replica at home and practice on it. Just think how exciting that would be.
NEWS FLASH From Kuri Kuri Austrailia!!
Chad Reed finishes 4th at Phoenix!
Ryan Villopoto runs in second pressuring James Stewart until Stewart washes out.
Once in the Lead RV1 cruises to victory while Ryan Dungey and his KTM notch one step higher on the podium in Second.
Stewart comes back and runs Reed high on the last lap to finish 3rd!
Going to the race tomorrow night and can't wait! Hope my fortune cookie was right!
Trey's got the speed to win .he's just not that smart.(reminds me of Ezra Lusk)
sorry TC fans but it's true, saying all his crashes are bad luck is like saying his wins are lucky. I hope the best for him . but too many more auger in's he will lose his speed or force retire. boy i hope not....Tc is fun to watch... but a title is a long shot..
the 2012 version MAY be a better version of RV than 2011??? You better belive he is better. He has had the same trainer for over a year now, and he is on a better bike that he has had since Unadilla. He is miles ahead of where he was this time last year. Does that mean he will dominate every week?? No Way, there is too much depth of talent out there, but I would say he is alot better than this time last year. And the favorite to win the title this season.
bd200, you are spot on!
I dont want to hear anymore excuses, just good racing...you finish where you finish because thats as good as you could be that night.......
@bd200,, you said last year the bike doesn't matter,, remember ?
I pretty much agree with Endo4. I like TC and I think he is very fast a smart guy(until he gets in a heated battle), but he's probably more dangerous than Stewie now days. I'm afraid he'll crash and hurt himself and/or someone else pretty soon. Having said that, if healthy enough, he could win a lot also. RIGHT NOW I think RV is the perfect mix of speed and discretion-like RC was in his last few years. If Trey(too aggressive) and Dungey(too cautious) ever get to the point to where they are that balanced, I think the sky will be the limit. And I think the Dunge will start picking his spots to go for it this year at that KTM gets dialed in. GO RD5!!!
God will be sitting side saddle on the back of Treys bike this weekend, you know, ready to jump if needed. really cant blame Him.
@ MustardDog..Now that made me laugh! Funny visual. Can totally see it!
RV better look ahead, based on that picture!!
The talent pool is deep! For second place..... James is still the fastest man on Pirelli's but not the planet!!! The only hope for anyone else is an injury or DNF. RV could have stopped and had an energy drink if he didn't hit cruise control the last 10 laps. The best races will be in the lites if ET starts at the back. If he get's a start it will be over soon.
I think the way the red and white of his gear ties into his #1 plates is BAD ASS!
MXMOFO1 just Busted BD200!!! LOL
I don't know how anybody can say Canards crashes are a result of him not being smart. every single guy on the gate crashes a few times a year,it's a product of pushing the envelope, Canard just needs to drink more milk. It's not like he lands on people or crashes trying to do stupid things, he's just pushing hard and when you do that things happen. Would we rather see him just ride around slowly not taking any chances? Our sport is all about taking chances, and Trey Canard IS a smart kid, his bones just suck.
Nikola Tesla, He does push VERY hard all the time whitch I LOVE but he has not learned to back off yet. Look at last year when he broke his femer at the nat. He was only on the bike for a few weeks at that point and he was trying to run with the boy's and BAM!! If he backed off a hair there was a 3 week break after that race he could have got stronger but insted he went for it and broke his femer again.
Busted?? HUH?? Give me a break, RV said he likes this bike alot better than his old one. I NEVER said the bike doesnt matter. I said the "Brand" of bike didnt matter.. You guys blamed the Yamaha for Stewies troubles. It must not have been the bike since he chose to stay on it. Stewie never blamed the bike, the Stewtards did. That is why I said the bike isnt Stewies problem. And I must have been right or he would have left the Yamaha for the Suzuki.. So no, I'm not "Busted" at all.
The brand of bike nowadays does not matter. They're all on par with eachother and it comes down to rider preference and setup. See Dungey for reference on that "piece of crap" KTM everyone was chirping.
I agree BillC, but some guys (like myself) are more likely to crash bad when they try to back it down. I don't know if that is a problem that Trey has, or if anyone else has that problem, I'm just saying it's not fair to say he's not smart because of his injuries. Some guys just get injured when they crash, and they all crash. Trey already had a podium race under his belt when he broke his leg again, I'm sure he wasn't feeling like he needed to take it easy at that point.
Exactly BillC. NikolaTesla I do think Trey is a very intelligent kid. I just think when he's going bar to bar with the big boys he needs to be smarter. Yes his "race like it's the last lap and for the championship" is exciting and will result in several wins for him, but I'm not sure about any championships in the big bikes until he starts thinking big picture. I would say the same for JS7. There can be great racing without crashing each other (e.g. JS7 and CR22) and I think that's what were in for tonight and hopefully the rest of the season. I can't wait until the gate drops!!!
I agree on the Trey Canard stuff, he is a "gor for broke" kinda guy, it seems to be his nature. But that is what got him to the top in this sport. He seems very smart, but if he would have just backed off a hair, he would have made it to the 3 week break BillC. mentioned.. But that isnt his style and its one of the reasons people enjoy watching him race.
Ask Reed if the bike matters? He will be on Honda till he retires. How many times have you heard riders complain about the bikes? Not much, they are paid not to.
Really good point bd200. I do love to watch Trey ride. And I'm not singling him out from the other "big five" in that, given today's level of competition, I think they all will have to back it down a notch on some nights to win the championship. RC won his last few championships realizing you win championships on days when you and/or the bike just aren't quite as fast as the other guy. I know it's not sexy (sort of like baseball's "a walk is as good as a hit" attitude) but I guess that explains why I'm still pulling for the Dunge! :)
If Canard plans on racing he better back it down a notch, he's not 100% & he doesn't need any more injuries, if he keeps crashing & gettin injured his career will be over sooner than later! Get 100% then twist the throttle!
"But that isnt his style and its one of the reasons people enjoy watching him race."
.The same can be said about JS ....right BD200? You always say I love JS but its his go for it style that I like. Any guy who is willing to push that hard ya have to give props to. Sure he crashes but thats cuz he is not scraed to push it and I respect that. Not saying it's the best way but it fun to see.
Good conversation. I like how nobody is pissed off or throwing insults around.