The Moment: RV Goes Down and Back Up
Monday, January 16, 2012 | 3:25 PM
The Moment is brought to you by Factory Effex who is a world leader in graphic kits, Custom number plate back grounds, high end Factory Wheel sets and components; specializing in cutting edge decorative accessories for your motorcycles and ATV.
Tweet
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Share
Comment
Email
Print
Ryan Villopoto seemed to pack the same speed he did at Anaheim in Phoenix, but any chance of winning again went away as soon as he crashed on lap one in the sand. That one moment changed the race completely, with RV1 switching from going for the win to trying to limit the damage.
He did a superb job by coming all the way back to third. We talked to Ryan about that race-changing scenario, and his ride through traffic to make up for it.
Racer X: I don’t have any confirmation, but I think you were 18th when you went down, and you came back to get third. Good ride.
Ryan Villopoto: Not bad, huh?
Yeah, what happened when you went down?
Davi [Millsaps] actually went down in front of me. Like right in front of me in the sand and that collected me up with him.
Villopoto would rebound from a first lap crash to get third in Phoenix.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Bummer.
Yeah, it was a bummer for sure.
James Stewart went down in the sand too.
Yeah, he did a couple laps later. So I felt like my bike and myself were on all day and the win was not too far out of my reach. Yeah, I felt good. Then that happened, so it was like you have 20 laps to make something happen.
You fell in the heat too. What’s going on?
Yeah. That was my fault. The second one in the main wasn’t my fault. Wrong place, wrong time.
So you’re not a crasher? That’s not gonna’ be a headline?
Well, I don’t know, is it? You’ll probably write whatever.
I know you seem like you’re on it this year, but when you got up, did you think you’d get third?
Actually, I didn’t know that the last lap was the last lap. I thought I was fourth when I got Kevin [Windham]. I was waiting for Mikey [mechanic, Williamson] to get on my bike and go back up to the truck.
A late pass on Trey Canard helped Villopoto climb into a podium spot.
Photo: Simon Cudby
All in all, with the crashes in the heat race, and crashing in the main, it’s got to be pretty good to come out with a podium.
For sure. Like I said, I felt good all day and the bike was on and the start I had, obviously it wasn’t the holeshot, but it was just in the top five. It was right there. But, what can you do sometimes, you know? I felt really good through the whole 20 and I pushed every lap until the end.
Ryan Dungey won tonight and your teammate Jake Weimer got his first podium, so a few surprises up front.
Yeah, I think there were big surprises for everybody tonight. Seemed like a lot of chaos was going on in the back. I wasn’t up there to check Ryan [Dungey], but clearly he was riding good.
What were your thoughts on the track?
Phoenix is always a tough track to race, it’s really slippery. It’s tough to have a good bike setup and throttle control and the whole package. So, I thought the track was pretty good for Phoenix, I should say.
Share this article:
Did you like this article?
Check out BAD BOY CLUB
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
One of Europe’s fastest young racers, 18-year-old Dutch Red Bull KTM rider Jeffrey Herlings talks about his life, his career ... and his occasional outbursts. Page 160.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
Is RV blaming the bike????? Could it be?? Sounds like his set-up wasn't right.....oh man is he making excuses??? hahaha, c'mon lets hear it fellas!! Well, if his set -up wasn't right, ya couldn't tell by the way he rode, he KILLED it getting back in to third, nice ride RV!!
From way up here it appears this kid is a maniac, they should clone him.
Another lame interview by the media.....what a surprise.......
"" You seem like your on it this year ?"" No....He IS on it , NOBODY else in this class can come from last to 3rd this year but RV , He rides EVERY lap blazing fast to the end....
@whatever00HUH?? He said it is hard to get a good setup,and have good throttle control, (which is rider, not the bike) he already said the crash was because Millsaps crashed in front of him. Quit fishing for something that isnt there.. He NEVER said nothing bad about his set-up or anything, he said "Wrong place, wrong time" about the crash. RV is NOT an excuse maker..
I'm with you bd200, I'm not sure whatever knows how to read...
"So I felt like my bike and myself were on all day and the win was not too far out of my reach." -Ryan Villopoto
It was decent for a Pulpmx podcast but it's far from being good material for a headline article.
Poor RV must put up with inept reporters and incoherent readers.
OH WHATEVER
Ryan Villopotto is the fastest man on the planet.
@bd200 - I think Whatever was taking a pot shot at the Stewtards whining that James crashed due to his bike set up. I detect some sarcasm in his post. Stewart was making excuses last week and so were his die hard supporters and Whatever was taking a shot at them.
WHATEVER????????????? WHAT???
Thats my Ginger!
gotta love t hat picture... hes loking up at IT9 like hes a dog about to get flattened by a 18 wheeler ll
From looking at that picture, RV is lucky he or the bike was not damaged in that mess. It could have cost him some serious points.
stewart allways gets the most posts even drkelly steeling stewarts nick names you cant stop thinking about him
Less pointless articles, how about some more videos. Thanks
Ryan "MACHINE" Villopotto
@redneck congrats your are the first to use stewtards in a comment site about RV1 tonight.
thats the thing with sarcasim over the internet know one can tell the difference. But clearly you can tell @whatever was joking
Now referring to Kawi rider #21 as J-DUB ...
@tonewall, Well, on another thread the Stewtards were making so many excuses as to why Stewart crashed in the same spot.They were saying it was the Yamaha, or the bike set up etc. Making excuses for James even though his crash was just clearly a racing incident. That is what the Stewtards do. Didn't see anyone making excuses for RV crashing there, so that was my point in making reference to the Stewtards.
RV was on another level for sure, and James looked to me like he would rather be some place else. See the difference in urgency in picking up their bikes. Poto wanted to win, James wanted to be somewhere else.
From my couch, its not hard to see that RV is clearly on another level, @ redneckrider, you hit it dead on, RV wants it! The way he bounces up or jumps back on the track, he wants points, as much of them as he can get before the checkers. Good to see him make it out of that mess without getting run over or break a arm in the sand or such. Props to RD to capalize when it counts, and put himself up front. Really good to see KTM get that monkey off their back, way to go Roger! He's going to need all the points he can get, since RV is on fire....