10 Things to Watch: Indy
Friday, March 16, 2012 | 1:45 PM
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By Jason Weigandt and Aaron Hansel
Bad Things Come in Three
Eleven 10 Mods’ Phil Nicoletti has had disappointing finishes in the last three races. Thanks to a series of crashes and bad luck, Nicoletti has either DNQ’d or DNF’d every race since his brilliant career-best fifth-place finish in Dallas. In Daytona, he scored an impressive third in his heat race before running into bike problems in the main. Will Nicoletti turn it around this weekend in Indianapolis, or will he once again end up exiting the track before the checkered flag comes out?
Easing In
After wrapping up the 2012 arenacross title, Tyler Bowers decided to try his hand in the larger stage of Monster Energy Supercross, starting in St. Louis. The AX champ had a bit of a choppy start, qualifying through the LCQ and crashing out in the main. In Daytona, however, Bowers was able to keep it together to finish in fourteenth. It’s far from what a champion expects, but it’s much better than a DNF. Now that Bowers has had some time to adjust to supercross, expect him to record his best result of the season tomorrow night in Indianapolis.
Luck has not been on Nicoletti's side as of late.
Cudby photo
Danger Davi
Davi Millsaps has been steadily improving over the last few weeks. He’s recorded several great finishes and has joined the short list of riders who have led laps in the Supercross class this year. In Daytona, that speed culminated in a season-best second behind teammate James Stewart. We’ve watched Millsaps long enough to know that when things are going well for him, he can be dangerous. The question is, will he be dangerous this weekend?
‘Poto’s Approach
Yes Ryan Villopoto now has a big points lead due to the exit of Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey, but don’t expect the defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion to back off now. At Daytona, RV maintained that the best way to get the title is to keep on doing what he has been doing all along, which is race for the win. How far will he push knowing his doesn’t need to win races in order to win the title?
Grant Returns
Josh Grant has had a rough go of it lately. Last year, injuries prevented him from showing the world what he could do on a factory Honda CRF450R, while a deep-muscle contusion near his shoulder blade sustained in L.A. has kept him on the sidelines for most of the current season. Well, tomorrow night Grant will jump off the disabled list and roll back into competition in Lucas Oil Stadium. While it’s doubtful that Grant will make a run at the top five in his first race back, it’s going to be interesting to see where he stacks up.
How will RV handle the stretch run?
Cudby photo
Roczen Rocked
After a disappointing fourth in Daytona, Ken Roczen tweeted that he might have to go back to eating burgers at In-n-Out and drinking Cokes like he used to, because that used to work for him. Apparently, a clean diet and hard work aren’t allowing him to get the results everyone expected. We’ll see if he can finally start delivering on his potential this weekend.
Momentum Carried
For Blake Baggett, it’s clear that a little pump-up session from Mitch Payton after the St. Louis Supercross, combined with a return to a place where he has won before (Daytona), helped him get his season on track. At Daytona, he was every bit as fast as Justin Barcia, which is something he couldn’t say after the first three rounds. So now we’re back to an indoor stadium, a far cry from Daytona. Does Baggett’s speed carry over, or did the Daytona track just suit him that well?
Back To The Front
Cole Seely’s tremendous ride in Atlanta is now nearly a three-week-old memory—and three weeks is a long time in supercross. To give you an idea, we left Atlanta thinking Ryan Dungey was about to launch a run at the title. Yup, a lot has changed. Since the ATL, Seely rode well in St. Louis but crashed out, then had a ton of problems in the Daytona mud. We’ll see if he gets back on track this weekend—if he does, we know he has podium potential.
Windham Rallies
Kevin Windham always seems to save his best stuff for the second half of the season, and lo and behold we’re once again at the halfway mark and K-Dub is ratcheting forward in the results. With potential race winners Reed, Canard, and Dungey out, Windham can see light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, in 2010, Windham struck for two opportunistic victories late in the year.
Could a win be up for grabs for K-Dub?
Cudby photo
Stewart’s Time
A few weeks ago, James Stewart seemed bummed on his season. But after his rough night in St. Louis, he finally seemed to ease off the pressure and laugh off his string of bad starts. The positive vibes continued into Daytona, where he donned his old #259 in front of his home-state fans. Now he has a win, and he doesn’t have championship points pressure to really worry about. Will the good times continue?
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OK I will start ,top 3 in Indy will be
1:RV
2:JS
3:CS
1: JS7
2: RV1
3: DM18
1. JS7
2. RV1
3. KW14
Also read something intresting about J-LAW. i guess hes racing 'hare scramble racing' locally. i guess he's taking "woods" racing seriously.
J-LAW is a jack-ass, but if he's racing "local" hare scrambles I bet he's killing it. There's some "fast" local talent out in the woods, but he's got some mad natural talent.
Where's he from (or located now) anyway?
1. RV
2. KW
3. JS
JS7
DM
CS
I think rv is having a tough time with his performance at daytona. Yes, he charged through the pack to salvage some very valuable points. I think his points lead plays an enormous role in his mental state of mind, and ultimately COULD lead to his demise. It will take a lot for him to lose this title but ultimately it will be based on his performance from here on out not the rest of the field.
1:JS
2:RV
3:JW
Magic 8 ball has been repaired.
Lites Class?
Think Bowers should ride a 450 indoors. I know he rode a 250f in ax, but with the injuries in the 450 class he could easily qualify.
1. Kevin Windam
2. Cole Seely
3. Jason Thomas
STAMP IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
snopro35x - Are you kidding - Jason Thomas is the most overated rider ever to race SX...How this guy has gotten the recognition and sponsors to date is a mystery to many MX/SX racers...He either has pictures of someone or has deep pockets to keep filling all the wells. In any event, you most personally know this guy or you wouldn't be predicting a top 3 finish from someone that making the main is a huge accomplishment... No disrespect to Thomas, but get real, top 3?
450's = I'm interested to see if RV can watch JS reel off win after win while he "plays it smart" and takes points and the title. That said, there's certainly no garuntee JS will suddenly be "the guy".
250F's = holding pattern continues. If it's going to happen, I'd like to see Roczen be the one to stop Barcia's streak but, I'm not holding my breath on that one.
It's hard to read too much into Daytona. It's not going out on a limb to much to say that JS and RV are likely to go 1-2 or 2-1 for the rest of the season.
If the situation calls for it, I think RV will battle and ride aggressive, like he has been. Just can't see him "letting" JS, or anyone else, get a win.
come on phil, show those c*nts who's boss!
This weekend should be good, although I wish Reed and Dungey were still in the mix. With that said my predictions for this weekend are.
1st-James Stewart
2nd-Ryan Villipoto
3rd-Cole Seely
I can't wait to see Seely back on the lites bike shredding Wilson and Tomac to pieces.
1st- Cole Seely
2nd- J-law
3rd- Danny Storbeck
Lites class is an easy pick. Barcia, he will only get beat by himself.. I predict an RV1 bounce back this week in Indy.. But honestly I will be there and just want some good racing. RV has the title unless something goofy happens, but he is due for a win, its been 2 weeks.. LOL!!
Before James' magical mud-ride in Daytona, he garnered a 6th, a 3rd, and a 5th in the previous "East" rounds where now the talk is all about how he's turned it around.....and those are without Reed being out there.
In the 3 "West" rounds before his horrible San Diego ride he went 3rd, 1st, 2nd.....and that was with Reed and Dungey out there.
Yet now a whole bunch of people are picking him to reel off wins?
As for RV having trouble dealing with his Daytona ride......I think he is happy with it. Last to 5th=good. People make it sound like he went first to 5th. Remember what happened after he had to go last to 4th in LA? He only won 4 out of the next 6.
RV
JS
JW
If RV gets a top 5 start and JS is not in front of him, I say RV will go for the win.... If RV starts top 5 and is behind JS, I say he follows JS home for a safe 2nd.
Be really intersting if RV pulls a holeshot to see IF JS can catch him as dont see RV playing it safe and letting JS catch and pass him.
Grant will most likely not make the main in Indy!
450's
JS7
CS34
RV1
250's
KR70
JB1
DD
Also, allthetruth is not the sharpest spoon out there, it is called sarcasm, dictionary.com if you need to look it up.
WOW, it looks like a whole bunch of people have JS7 winning the rest of the races this year. The guy wins a mud race and everybody forgets he crashed in 8 of 9 races before that.
RV, CS and KW in SX
JB, KR and BW in lites
Button
Webber
Alonso
AS29ET - You want to talk about an an elevator that only goes 1/2 way up...look in the mirror shit for brains... Also you may find Thesaurus.com some help as you obviously didn't go very far with your "lack of education. Um let me see DD 3rd in the lites....not... or better yet CS34 2nd in the 450 class. Those are two highly thought out selections...Don't wake yourself from that little thing they call a dream. You may find some extreme disappointment.
"Predictions in Supercross" Ha! I predict it won't be rained out. I predict Ralph will provide all the hype the mic can handle in the upper vocal register. I predict Emig will relate most any action on the track, was one he did in his day but, just a little better, with his thumps in his suit pants pockets. I predict Ricky will be more informative and professional than the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that. Erin, will look even better dry. Other than that, it's another race event leading into the second half of the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross that no one could ever predict. And that is why I love this sport....
PS Oh, and I predict Leprechauns will be all over, under, sideways, backwards, forwards, square and round...will be present. But everyone knows, they are invisible to the naked eye!
RV could have let his beard grow, and then cut it to a point for the Saint Patty's Day SX. He's already on a green bike. I don't think he rolls that way though.
How can you not pick RV today??? Its ST. Patricks day!!! LOL
B-KR, you are becoming so f--king annoying with your continual mission of downplaying JS or anybody who makes a comment that you disagree with about him......seriously, you are so god damn one sided and biased against the guy that it is difficult to take anything you say seriously. Don't be such a douche, the guy won last week in the same conditions and on the same track as everybody else, no big deal but he got the win.........every single thing you post has some negative reference to James....or his fans....what in the hell is your problem dude?? Shut the "f" up now and then would ya?? Now you have a protege in KM306 too...u must be so proud......d-bags!!
It's always been my nature to root for the underdog. I guess that's why I have never been a Stewart fan. Until now.......
REF-Man buddy, take it easy there, pre-puberty strokes are pretty rare but you might just be in line for one there pal.
Nah, i'm good big guy....you turds just annoy the hell out of me.....but it is what it is and you are what you are!!!
12.17.12 2:00PM Yeh, I have my Crystal Ball out and waxed up nice and shiny. Hokis Pokis in my Spokiss, I see a red flag in the 250F main, resulting in a random start, (whatever that is) and the leader (oh it's on the tip of my wickerbill) J-Law that's who it is, in the lead at the restart and pulls over to let Barcia come by so he can flip Barcia off and then a fight breaks out between Barcia and J-Law, that is so frightening that they stop the race again, just to watch the fight. Ralph, Ricky and Jeff are now calling the fight instead of the race. Ralph has hyped up the entire Lucas Oil Stadium of 376,000 Monster Energized WWF Fans and they all begin a grudge match and drive to Milwaukie for a quick Brat & Brewskie. Game over, No Winner, the entire class DQ'ed.
The 450 Class...not much new, RV1, JB10 and DM18 by a nose.
That's the way the Crystal Ball bounces. God, I love it when my predictions are almost perfectly executed....
I think, I''ll take a nap before the race. That really takes a lot out of me to be so perfect all the time.
Wait My Crystal Ball is flashing. It says something about JS7, KW14 and the entire state of Indiana in a pile-up on the 405....Like that would happen!
Stupid Ball, anyway!
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