10 Things to Watch: San Diego
Friday, February 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM
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PrintBy Aaron Hansel and Chase Stallo
Chad’s House
Rain or shine, Qualcomm Stadium has always been very good to Chad Reed. In fact, he’s won six out of the eight supercross class races he has entered there (Reed was injured in 2010 and did not race SD). If Reed takes yet another win this weekend, he’ll boast an amazing 77.78 win percentage in San Diego!
Return of the Whoops
In the first four rounds of competition this year, the whoops have been relatively tame. They got a bit crazier at A2, and the same should hold true tomorrow night in Qualcomm Stadium. According to the track map, San Diego will boast one long set of thirteen whoops. That’s more than enough for the riders to get their huck-a-bucks on!
Building Blocks
Although Nico Izzi got off to somewhat of a slow start his year, he has been improving steadily. At A2, Izzi finally got off the gate well and took fifth, his best finish of the year. If he keeps improving at this rate, we might even see him battling for the podium as early as Saturday night.
Izzi is coming off his best finish of the season at A2. Can he challange for a podium in San Diego?
Photo: Simon Cudby
Instant Gratification
Starting in San Diego, SPEED’s live supercross coverage is back in a big way. Tomorrow’s race coverage kicks off a seven-race streak of live broadcasts that will continue all the way through Toronto, and it all starts tomorrow night on Speed at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Friese Heats Up
Before A2, MotoConcepts’ Vince Friese had been struggling, taking fifteenth, fourteenth, thirteenth and seventeenth place finishes. But at A2, he turned things around. After running up front and finishing fourth in his heat race, Friese carried that momentum into the main to finish eighth, his best result of the year so far. Can Friese keep it going this weekend in San Diego?
On the Rebound
Josh Hansen has been a rock for the injury ravished Dodge Hart and Huntington team. Beginning the year with four consecutive top ten finishes, Hansen had everyone salivating at the potential he could bring to the H&H team. But things came unraveled at Anaheim 2, as Hansen suffered a first lap crash and damaged his front brake in the process—leading to a seasons worst 20th. Having slid outside the top ten in points, Hansen is looking to regain his form in San Diego and break down the walls of the top ten again.
Hansen is looking to rebound in San Diego after his worst finish of the season at A2.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Looking for Redemption
Lost in the shuffle of Eli Tomac streaking towards his first career Lites title has been the struggles of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. While most teams would be ecstatic with one win and four podiums (combined between Dean Wilson and Tyla Rattray) through five rounds, Pro Circuit isn’t most teams. They want wins, and they want a lot of them. Now with Rattray on the mend with a neck injury, and Wilson struggling to find consistency, Pro Circuit is staring down the barrel of losing another Lites title to GEICO Honda (Justin Barcia toped Wilson for the Lites East title in 2011). Can Wilson stop the Tomac freight train in San Diego and salvage a season gone sideways?
Next in Line
Many have tried—Kevin Windham, Justin Brayton, Jake Weimer, Andrew Short, Brett Metcalfe, Davi Millsaps—but most have failed to solidify themselves as the top contender behind the “Fantastic Four.” Weimer started strong with his first career SX podium at Phoenix, but has since faded. Brayton also threw his hat into the ring early with a fourth at Anaheim 1, but followed it up with a very inconsistent stretch, before regaining his form with a fifth at A2. Windham, as always, has been there, but has become increasingly frustrated by not being able to lock down a podium. Short has also shown flashes of brilliance, but like the others has struggled with consistency. Same goes for Metcalfe and Millsaps. Windham currently sits fifth in points, but the way these guys have played musical chairs throughout the better part of the year, he may have a tough time holding down that spot. Who will be next to place their name in “Big Five” talks this weekend at San Diego?
Windham and Brayton, among others, are battling for fifth in points.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Too Early To Tell
At one point or another we have all been guilty of drinking the Kool-Aid of the hottest rider from week to week. But as last year showed it’s way (WAY) too early to crown a champion at this point in the race. With four bona-a-fide championship contenders sitting behind the starting line, it’s anyone’s game at this point. And hopefully we will be ringing this same sentiment at the final round in Vegas. For now, though, if Villopoto goes and leads every lap again, we're going to do our best to stay calm.
Wings Needed
Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey hasn't had a chance to mix it up for a podium at the last two races, mostly because of bad starts. Have the likes of Villopoto, Stewart and Reed stepped up their game, or is the Dunge just a holeshot away from more KTM glory?
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Seven straight weeks of live on Speed! I know what I'll be doing the next 7 Saturday nights. Well, unless I can get a date.
With Osborne gone and Sipes hurt, Izzi is The Yamaha Guy in the 250s.
When Bates was reporting Hansen's DNF, she made it sound like the brake broke before the race even started. I didn't think that sounded right.
endoman- Girls < Supercross
I'm sure RC will be glad there are some big "hoops" this week.
@ MX Bob, you're right when they were lined up Bates commented about the brake issue with Hanny.
Get well soon Trey and Ryan!
It seems like Poto, Stewart, Reed and Dungey all have the same base line speed but Villopoto and Stewart are the only ones capable of taking it up another notch to ludacris speed if needed. The only problem (for us spectators) is that Villopoto seems to be able to consistently maintain that speed while Stewart can't. Hopefully, the top 4 will go 1,2,3,4 in the main event start and we can see some good racing up front Saturday.
Iwanna seeReed win again at San D. It is Karma. Ok ya it sill works my keybord got caught in my foot. Ayhooooo This is the last race for a while for the CA supercross season It will tell us a few things but we wont know till Datona? This is one tough season, now say 1000 and one in your head that done when you practice do it and see how much track you cover. it is that close. Oh and these hoops (RC) they are big. I used to do the front wheel tap on every three or four I dont think that works any more. I do hope the lap time are close to a mnt and I do wish they woud go to 20mnts plus 1 lap or 2.
LETS RACE!!!!!!!
PS: Guys I said thanks for backing me up in the "ping" commments!
dungey can't make passes on the other three guys; he needs a holeshot or a mistake from the other three if they're in front of him to win. dungey needs a kick in the balls (or whatever makes him mad) before the gate drops...
dungey passed stewart at A1
Imagine this in my best Korean shop owner voice " CBS you suck , you go now...You stay away till cow come home. If you golf game Tiger quit....You suck so bad my eye commit hallie kallie....." The new sheriff has his bars and pegs set to "continue spank"........Hope 22 doesn't get the holeshot and throw out the Dungey anti-pass force field.....Maybe Havoc will continue to improve and NOT make the main without a make a grown man cry dirt-beating of some sort......Maybe Wilson will wear the plaid riding gear and get back to bizzness... Go RV there can be only 1.....tuff blocks must be punished..!!!!!!!
"or is the Dunge just a holeshot away from more KTM glory" The only way he get a win is start in front of RV, JS and maybe even Reed.... That or he needs to get MAD!!!
Anahiem one 2010- Dungey leads Stewart for 17 laps, and almost repasses him at the end. It's in there somewhere- just need to bring it out again. Ryan Dungey = diamond in the rough.
I think Dungey has to make up for having less bike. If he and reed switched reed would just go home.
Just looked at some 2010 supercross and it looked to me Dungey had the best bike on the track. His KTM is a work in progress and will continue to get better and will work well on some tracks now. I don't think he will push the bike if it has issues. Two weeks ago RV stayed in 3rd place for more than 15 laps because it didn't feel right on that track with the conditions that night. It is a long season and if RD can stay close and the bike comes around he will be in the hunt.
All the bikes are so close it doesnt make much difference, its the riders that are off now and then. Dungey is very able, he just isnt as hungry for the W. Go JS7
I want Reed to win, (he is my favorite), but i'm calling it RD5 1st, Reed second, Brayton 3rd. (Rv and JS7 collide and finish 5-8th respectively. How wicked cool would it be if I was correct???
@penguin bob, I loves me some supercross, but GIRLS > supercross
Im going to call it Right Now!!! Stewart goes DOWN in the whoops 2morrow. Anyone wants to bet?
Why anybody thinks the KTM is not working is beyond me. Looks just fine on the track and on the lap time charts ......and Dungey can haul .....just get better starts and bang baby bang.....get used to it. the other 3 ain't playin .and next years crop WILL definately bang.... got to work hard now to be alpha dog...!!!!can't just count on anyone going down.......he may do just fine on cruise but if it comes down to it he WILL have to race not just turn clean laps. And (ole washed up over the hill,never win again ,can't finish blah blah blah,your words NOT mine), Havoc7 with all the haters and all the soil tests is STILL ! right in the hunt.....just think if he didn't have a wicked buckin bronc with spicy baloney rolls wrapped around its rims.....Go RV1 ........
dgizzy1, I think that your call on JS is definitally a possability but you forgot one thing. Who will he take down with him in the whoops?
why are you hating on stewart you should be on trey canard for not pulling over and finishing morris future he can blame god for that one
@porcupinetree-- Its because Stewie has a long history of crashing and taking another rider with him. Trey does not. Its not hating, just fact.
@bd200,, You are right, Trey hasnt taken other riders out,, simply because of the fact he's ALWAYS hurt,, and thats a fact...
It's encouraging to see there are some of you out there who understand what's going on. It gets really discouraging at times reading these articles and comments. (I thought this was a good one). For instance, Dungey wasn't even mentioned in the other main articles the last couple days even though he's in 3rd place-5 out of first. As already mentioned, in 2010 RD's bike(and I'd add team) were much better than last year and the KTM is not where the 2010 Suzuki was-yet. We can find video of RD passing all these guys-please don't make me :). He definitely has a different philosophy but when he HAS to and CAN, he will pass. Why do you think Kawi had to get RV a better bike outdoors last year? Most definitely RD has had trouble getting around CR22 and I think that has fed the "Dungey can't pass" argument. Remember when that crap Suzuki wouldn't crank last year and he started almost a full lap down? He almost passed the field...
Having said all that, I still see Poto as the guy to beat-I'm just one of the few who realize that the Dunge can do it without it "being handed to him". Remember, RD5 is 22 years old & he and RD"The Man" are only 5 races in to this KTM thing. I think the future will be bright for them. Can't wait for the races tonite!!!!!!!
Yes, unfortunately Trey is hurt alot. I was hoping he would be number five in the guys who would get race wins this season. Making it a five man race.. Oh, well, maybe he will be back for the Nationals at full health.
I agree that Trey doesn't intentionally take someone out but I believe that kid rides a "wider bike" than any of the top guys including Reed. Just ask RV1 about the SC Lites championship he lost to him a few years ago. I hope when he returns this time he doesn't ride over his head trying to prove he can hang with the big boys. We already know he can so I hope he rides a little smarter this time. Just think about the next few years with him coming back and some of those lites guys like Wilson and Tomac coming up. It's gonna be dog fight to win a main! You can have your NASCAR, I love this sport!!!