Going for the W: Anyone Else?
Friday, February 3, 2012 | 11:10 AM
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PrintFour rounds, four winners, four brands. That’s the big story in Monster Energy Supercross and if we had a dollar for each time we’ll hear this stat over the weekend, we could build a domed stadium out behind the office and hold a supercross in Morgantown. Maybe even get a Super Bowl or two.
Yup, this one is going to be talked about quite a bit, and we should savor this week since four winners in four races hasn’t come around since the U.S. bicentennial more than 35 years ago. Thirty-five years! Kevin Windham wasn’t even born the last time this happened.
But just imagine if the unthinkable happened. What if someone else won this weekend? What if we pushed it to five winners in five rounds—and even crazier, what if a fifth brand peeked through and collected a win?
Can Weimer find a way to stop the momentum of the top four?
Photo: Garth Milan
Well, that would mark the craziest start of all time, because even in ’76, someone (Jimmy Ellis on a Can-Am) repeated by round five. Since Husqvarna, Husaberg, TM, Aprillia, Cannondale, ATK and others have not really found much success in AMA Supercross, we’re going to put the onus on Suzuki to deliver win number five. So that means we’re looking at you, Brett Metcalfe. Or you, Mike Alessi. What’s that? Mike’s team says he is riding a MotoConcepts Racing 450? Well, maybe Mike and Metty can both get wins and take us up to six.
Mike started the season with some decent rides but has since hovered around the top ten. Metcalfe started slowly but has come around as of late. But a new winner this weekend, regardless of brand, would be a shakeup. We know Trey Canard could get it done, but he’s going to be out for awhile. So that leaves the likes of Kevin Windham, Andrew Short, Justin Brayton, Jake Weimer, Metcalfe, Josh Hansen and Davi Millsaps to get a win. ‘Saps and K-Dub have done it before, but so far no one but Weimer has shown the stuff to mix it up with front pack. But he wasn’t happy with his Oakland ride, which included a heat race where Dungey, Windham and Reed went past him, and an eighth-place finish in the main. We also hear Hansen wasn’t pumped about getting the start in the main, then heading backwards fairly quickly, and he'd like to do more if he gets another shot.
Yup, plenty of motivated riders in this pack, but so far nothing this season has shown us that anyone besides Villopoto, Dungey, Reed and Stewart will get the W. Doesn’t mean we aren’t hoping someone else can get one, though. Imagine how dollars we'd make with all the five-in-five talk next week!
Can Windham be the fifth winner in as many weeks?
Photo: Garth Milan
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Still can't see anyone else but The 4 winning a race this year, but in a long series, who knows? If you go back to Toronto of last year, all five brands have won a SX race. That might be a (rather obscure) record.
Metty or Alessi getting it done for Suzuki this year? Better odds on the Vikings winning next year's Super Bowl. Ponder that.
Unless all 4 crash at the same time with 1/4 lap left there isn't anybody out there that can beat them. In fact lets have a mini SX series with just those 4 so we don't have to hear all the garabge about bad/good starts, having to come from behind, etc...Alessi? Hasen? Really Jason?
4 winners, 4 brands in 4 weeks seemed unlikely to happen last week and that stat alone seemed to work against JS7.....but he pulled it off..... 5 different winners in as many weeks seems even more unlikely and I think it will be win #2 for 1, 5, 7 or 22.....hopefully all 4 start up front and we see some good racing....would like to see JS7 dig out of that points deficit and grab W- #2.....Oakland to me looked JS7 was on a different bike from weeks past....he simply looked more comfortable, even on the roughest track of the series....JGR seems to be getting that bike dialed and JS7 seems to be getting his groove back....JS7 or RV will take A2...
I think the top 4 have proven even if they started last, they could still lap the whole field. We'll have other guys on the box but the top 4 are taking all the wins.
Go Windham!! or what the heck you could do it to it also Metty!
This week end we will see a repeat winner.. No one else has the speed of these four....
It could rain and be a mudder.Metcalf is a good mud rider.Just saying.
i have this premonition of stewart going back to back this weekend and the whole world sighing a collective "uh oh..."
no rain expected......should be nice and warm.........see you at A2
Weimer or maybe Windham, nobody else.. Matthes, I see RV getting back on the top step. But we will see..
Its gonna be just those four winning this yr. This week, id go with RV or Dungey. I still think RV would have won Oakland. He has been the fastest guy so far this season. If RV gets a good start its over for everyone unless JS7 is able to tweak a little more speed out of that blue tard but we havent seen that this season.
is there a possibility that one of the lites riders may step up to big bike class this year such as D. Wilson or E. tomac if he has the lites rapped up ? Be interesting to see ET on that big bike to see what he could do !
I think part of the reason Stewart looked better last week was because the dirt was more "East Coast" then the previous rounds. His style seems to work better in softer dirt. Unfortunately for him, the same might be said of rut-master, berm-destroyer, Villipoto. It will probably be back to the CA hard-pan this week though.
Weimer might be fast enough if he can get hole shot... No not really villipoto is the guy.
5,22,1,7,14 my prediction.I am a REED fan.
Anything can happen in SX and perhaps a first turn crash where Stevie, RV go down, dungey and reed get bad starts or dnf because of bike problem may lead to a KW, Weimer or Short win if they start in front..... it's possible although not likely.
My picks this weekend 1,7,5,22
Anything can happen in SX and perhaps a first turn crash where Stevie, RV go down, dungey and reed get bad starts or dnf because of bike problem may lead to a KW, Weimer or Short win if they start in front..... it's possible although not likely.
My picks this weekend 1,7,5,22
better chance of one of Bob Villas neighbors sleeping in on a sunday morning than having a fifth winner this season.
I would not be surprised to see DW and ET on the 450 in the East, DW especially since he's kind out out of the west coast hunt and I think this his last year on the 250. ET was asked about whther or not he would ride a 450 in the East and he was vague enough about it to lead me to believe that he will. And in the spirit of Ground Hogs day I will make my prediction for Sat 1, 7, 5, 22, 21
@mb moto, You are correct. It is racing and an upset is possible but not probable. As for your pics, could be-don't think I wanna go there, if I pic I might jinx some one.lol Didn't think bubba would bounce back as fast as he did, I thought he was out of shape and it would be more of a struggle, but he did it. I was wrong. It's all good. Better racin'.
@dgizzy1 - Tweak more speed out of that Blue Tard... Classic!...
For me I cant predict one guy, so I go with my 2 guys....RV or JS7... RV will be there all year and JS7 looks to be done dusting the cobwebs off.... I think these two bearing any disaster will break away from Reed and Dunge going down the stretch...but a lot of racing to go....I dont quite buy the Reed "riding like a girl" in Oakland trying to down play his finish....to me he looked like himself and seemed to be falling back into old habits with the tude and pouring champagne on the ground...after a few interviews, he realized that himself and changed his tune......good race for all is what I want to see! Heel up Trey and Morais....Good to see both up and about...and that matters more than the rest right now!
Having another rider stepping up to the plate would be cool, but not likely. mbmoto has an interesting thought, not totally impossible. After 4 rounds you aready see who is charging the front and who is fadding behind.
Bucky, good choice! As I look to see who will win, I too decided to let it go. So this way there is no disappointment or jinxing myself. The hard part is I can't believe I am not going. Maybe I can get some more tard pills from Fred.
I hear a lot of people saying in these forums that JS7's bike looked more dialed in the oakland race and although Im sure some changes are being made, we'll have to wait until we get another hard-packed and slick track before we can say anything for sure. he'll do better on the tacky tracks because he won't have to worry so much about his front wheel tucking as much.
Let's not forget that one time Jason Lawrence almost won Daytona- What if Reedy's bike had crapped out on the last lap again? In this sport ANYTHING can happen!
Rv already proved twice he can come from last and beat eveyone else..
It will be one of the Big 4 (probably Villo') this weekend. And yes Weege, Alessi will win, but only the LCQ.
there already is a dome motorsports stadium that is also used for football games, its in indianapolis...............and its hosting the superbowl. weird.