Monday Conversation: Ryan Villopoto
Monday, March 19, 2012 | 9:55 AM
Alpinestars has been delivering performance of the highest level on the motocross tracks of the world for almost 50 years. Racing on Sunday and developing on Monday is a way of life at Alpinestars. Welcome to the Racer X Monday Conversation.
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Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto is getting really, really good at turning the potential for bad news into the opportunity for good. At Daytona, he overcame a first-lap crash to salvage solid points with a fifth, and at Indy he overcame a subpar start on a very difficult track to snag another win. Meanwhile, his championship competition continues to crash out around him. Matthes caught up to him after the Indy to race to get his take on a variety of topics.
Racer X: Great race, took awhile to get in your groove, but once you did you caught those guys.
Ryan Villopoto: The track was…unreal. Tough. The whoops were so rutty, and then the rest of the track was so, so slippery. Like, by far the worst one all year.
Were you taking it easy?
No, I wasn’t taking it easy, I was trying to pass those guys, but the track just wasn’t there where I could push, and ride the way you wanted to ride. You were kind of at the track’s mercy. Any time it would open up, it would bottleneck down to the next turn, and you couldn’t really drive it in anywhere.
A couple of crashes today, one in your heat and one in practice. Just slick?
Yeah it was slick, and everyone had problems today with crashes. The track was real hard and technical.
Villopoto came through traffic to get the Indy win.
Fredrickson photo
I talked to Brayton and he said you were a little more aggressive than him coming out of the turns. Do you agree?
I don’t know. It’s hard to say. It was maybe a little bit everywhere, I guess. He was blitzing the whoops still, and I think at that point in the race jumping them was a little bit better. And fitness wise, obviously, jumping them is way better than trying to blitz those things like that. I was just trying to tippy-toe around the track but go fast. It was hard.
One time by the mechanics area you did like a sideways slide the full 100 feet.
Yeah it was slippery there, and the next turn, the rut going into there. Every turn was slippery, really.
Were you trying to do anything with tires?
No, pretty much sticking with the same thing. We were running a new compound that Dunlop had, but other than that, same tires we always run.
Kind of a weird night, huh? Nick Wey and James Stewart crashed out, and the 250F riders had to do a staggered start.
Yeah, it was. The track wouldn’t let you do what you wanted to do, and it made it really technical. It was really easy to make mistakes.
His familiar podium rivals are out, so RV will focus on racing just the same as if they were there.
Fredrickson photo
I think I know the answer to this, but I have to ask you anyway. With James going out in the heat, was there at all a lack of motivation for you? Did it make things different for you in anyway?
No, not really with how the how technical and slippery it was. But I don’t care who you are, what kind of racer you are, when you get put in that situation, you’re starting to think, “Don’t take any chances.” Your brain starts to wander, you know? And that’s the easiest way to make a mistake. So my goal is stay put, stay in the same mode, just trying to win races.
Were you down there when they did the staggered start?
Yeah I was. It was pretty crazy.
Had you ever seen that before?
Not really! In the rulebook, Mikey [mechanic Mike Williamson] said it was because it was four laps into it….I don’t even know. I don’t even know! Obviously if you’re the guys in the lead, it sucks big time, but at least they did a staggered start, and you’re still in the lead. If they had lined back up on the gate, that really sucks if you’re in the lead.
Let’s go back to Daytona. Happy with the ride considering what happened early on?
Yeah it was a good salvage for sure. Last to fifth in those conditions. It wasn’t great. We made a little bit of a tire choice that we know now we wouldn’t have done. Nothing major. The track was tough. I had fallen on the first lap, and I don’t care what tire I had on, falling on the first lap wasn’t good.
Is fifth the best you can hope for laying on the ground on the first lap?
In those conditions, yeah. Even Mikey said, when you were halfway through you were tenth, and that was good, and then we got fifth. To get top five in those conditions and with how spread out the field was, it was good.
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I was'nt a fan of RV's last season but he sure is growing on me. He's a freaking machine!
Nice to see RV lose over the finish line jump. He does not do stuff like that to offten. Very smart ride by him also. Took full advantage of others mistakes. Did not push it rode very smart to the front.
I was expecting a Blake Wharton conversation.
Vilomoto..... the whole package
It sounds like he is finally able to take a deep breath and realize its all his for the taking. Ride for wins but if they dont come... it doesnt matter. Last man standing, good for him.
But, what if he slides out on the face of some small little double and hurts himself enough to miss races like has happened to so many this season? Even if it happens in testing or practice during the week. Man, thats got to mess with your head no matter who you are or how big your lead is. Makes you want to stay parked on the couch all week. Scary aint it?
Oppps..typo.... Villomoto
Blake would have been nice too! He's been going extremely fast. How many times have we seen guys pull their first win and then go on a tear, and never look back? He seems incredibly focused and not the least bit surprised to win. Thats a winning formula right there.
The "Juggernaut" strikes again.
It is so refreshing to hear someone speak about their success without sounding so canned. He listens to the question and answers. No agenda, no ego. Love it.
They should do a two part monday conversation with both 450 and 250 winners. Good interview RV. At least he knows he still needs to stay focused.
Matthes is a terrible interviewer. I enjoy his actual written pieces, but whenever he interviews someone, he asks small, closed questions that don't allow the riders to really say what they think. All of his interviews come off sounding like that awkward conversation you have with an ex you haven't seen for 5 years. I've thought the same thing every interview of his I see, but I always just chalk it up to a bad day, but now I realize that every one of his interviews is like this and it frustrates me.
Good to see Brayton up there with that ride, Davey too. I mean Ryan has to have someone to race with. Watching Ryan getting a hole shot and leading 20 laps up front with no one challenging him would look like the RC days.
Wharton's conversation would've had the words "Chuck Norris" and "gotta be cool and let it flow like a Unicorn's tail in the wind."
RV, hope he races hard the rest of the season for wins and also hope RD and others come back soon and finfsh strong. I have a lot of confidence in CR, RV, RD, KW and now JB, CS, JW, to race hard and remain injury free (most of the time) would love it if TC and JS could stay in it, and feel like we will get DW, Barcia, Muskin and a few more that will dominate the top ten for the next few years. I think its really going to be good.
Its cool to see that RV doesnt brag and say Yea it was easy and I had it under control etc... but rather I really had to work hard and it was tough- I watch him carefully and he has had to really push it to win this year (and last)
GO RV !!!
@ Jess_Wilder I feel the same way, his interviews are the worst, I dont even know why this guy is even employed in this business, He should be working for Dunkin Donuts as a taste tester.....
questions like, are you testing for outdoors already? and how do you NOT punch mike alessi in the face? and how hard do you laugh when you see mike alessi? how about, is it important for you to do things in this sport like a perfect outdoor season, most wins, most championships? do you think like RC and say at 26 or so retire healthy and great, and move on??
Until the Lites class becomes a full series, it will remain not as relevant as the SX class. Great work by Wharton, but still a lesser series.
Those seem like questions that are fitting for the Supercross/motocross season wrap ups. Not so much after a win in the middle of a series. Great questions though. They should offer fans a chance to ask one or two every week.
Thanks for taking down Kdub again James. You and Alessi should be on the same team.
BTW that was sarcasm and not a compliment.
mxguy - Thats pretty funny about Mike Alessi. I would like to know how arrogating it is for Tony to see RV win all these races and championships while Mike can't put it in the top 5 most of the time. Gotta be so frustrating for their whole clan...
Also, if I'm RV, RD, JS(if he's riding) or anyone that is riding Outdoors, I'm gonna start testing for Outdoors, not saying RV has this one in the bag, but it's looking pretty good. I can't wait for May, hopefully Outdoors it better, I think RV and RD are both better there.
Funny the race I watched looked like he was pushing hard when battling Metty and Brayton , Man if he was'nt pushing it what does he look like when he is........its really quiet in Reed and Dungey land and if its any consolation he would have spanked them anyway . Whats that i see Rocky/havoc getting up off the mat.....geezus stay down Rocky just stay down....@p-bob "arrogating' that is hilarious and i'm using that in every Alessi take from here on out.lol......@yamalink ...funniest line ever.lolol
czmark.. I am not so sure Brayton or anyone else will give RV that much trouble on a "NON Ice skating ring" type track. We will see
JS needs to start thinking of ways to get out of the Nats now because it's going to get real embarrising for him to get creamed two series in a row.
Lol thanks Tonewall, I didn't know a word a to use to describe it...
An article about RV yet JS7 is still the topic of conversation in the comments. I think everyone secretly gets a woody for the #7.
I would hope he was more aggressive in the turns than Brayton....he does have the #1 plate.
here you go Endoman 38 but i bet DC takes it down.. censorship is un-american.
http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/INDY-250-WINNER-BLAKE-WHARTON-TALKS-ABOUT-THE-STAG-8766.aspx
Bill C, what do you mean didn't push it? Sounds like you didn't watch the race
Braaaaap, so if you had a website and someone posted links to your competition, you'd leave it up? BTW, that's not censorship...
Rv is an Alien , Just look into his eyes , He has no soul , but sure can go fast , wish he had more of a personality , Like Brayton or Barcia , or JAMES 89 AMA wins , not counting SX Lites...Tied With MC ... one more win and he will pass MC ..Perfect season outdoors , ...Try all you want , but you guys cant change Stats. If he goes outdoors , Rv will have his hands full , and we will all get a treat ,to watch the TWO fastest Men On The Planet! and it aint Reed or Dungey
eyes like a shark
preston the record that js7 wants to break (72 supercross wins) js7 has what? 43? 44? maybe he gets rc (48) but with rv out there i dont see it happening soon and he can forget about getting mc graths IT WONT HAPPEN
@alezx9... Thats not what I said !! re read post please .... I t w i L l H a P p e N
Preston, you funny. RV is tied with King James right now with 5 titles and is poised to go ahead in 2 months time. James will have his hands full with all of them, especially if nhe doesn't get his starts in check. He ain't gonna dig battling with Alessi very much. But, I do want to see him out there. The more the merrier!
@Preston: "Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces."
PinBall.. He rode smart, did not crash, took his time working to the front, Most times he blitzes to the front.
You're dreaming Preston, maybe when he goes more than a week at a time staying off the ground you can talk, I see a whole lot of Unadilla 2010 coming up. Stop living in the past.