New Orleans Practice Report
Saturday, April 14, 2012 | 6:20 PM
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PrintPractice is complete here in New Orleans and we had some surprises. It started with Nico Izzi jumping to the top of the board not once but twice in the seeded 450 A sessions! The Star-Valli Yamaha rider actually topped SX Champion Ryan Villopoto in the first timed practice session, and then jumped to the top of the board immediately in session two. Eventually RV put the hammer down and got the top spot, and Davi Millsaps, Jake Weimer and Justin Brayton also logged fast laps. But Izzi has at least shown he has the speed to run at the sharp end of the pack tonight.
RV, of course, was fastest overall, continuing his dominance of the season. But since he has the title wrapped, the attention can shift to the Lites class, where Justin Barcia could wrap another championship of his own tonight.
But he’ll have some competition for the race win, as Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen ended up on top in both sessions. The Lites leader board changed up and down throughout the sessions, with Barcia, Blake Wharton, Justin Bogle and Kyle Cunningham also running near the top. But Roczen went fastest of all.
RV continues to roll.
Carl Stone photo
The track hasn’t presented many jumping options, and the hard dirt has some loose stuff on the top, which means riders will probably try to stick to the main race line—it will get slippery on the inside or outside of that. The start section, which features some tight stuff right after the first big sweeper, is also going to jam the field moments into the race. A bad start is always bad, but it will really hurt on this track.
Times are below. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @racerxonline for the live updates tonight.
SX Class
1 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki KX450F 52.681
2 21 Jake Weimer Kawasaki KX450F 52.857
3 18 David Millsaps Yamaha YZ450F 52.879
4 50 Nico Izzi Yamaha YZ450F 53.190
5 10 Justin Brayton Honda CRF450 53.625
6 29 Andrew Short Honda CRF450 53.689
7 11 Kyle Chisholm Kawasaki KX450F 53.763
8 81 Robert Kiniry Yamaha YZ450F 53.849
9 27 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki KX450F 53.950
10 24 Brett Metcalfe Suzuki RM-Z450 54.327
11 33 Joshua Grant Kawasaki KX450F 54.329
12 58 Wil Hahn Honda CRF450 54.468
13 800 Mike Alessi Suzuki RM-Z450 54.497
14 82 Justin Sipes Kawasaki KX450F 54.548
15 25 Broc Tickle Kawasaki KX450F 54.578
16 36 Kyle Regal Kawasaki KX450 54.593
17 801 Jeff Alessi Suzuki RMZ450 54.989
18 54 Weston Peick Yamaha YZ450F 55.193
19 9 Ivan Tedesco Kawasaki KX450F 55.352
20 87 Matthew Goerke Suzuki RM-Z450 55.373
Lites:
1 70 Ken Roczen KTM 250 SX-F 53.400
2 1 Justin Barcia Honda CRF250 53.647
3 956 Blake Wharton Suzuki RM-Z250 53.700
4 49 Justin Bogle Honda CRF250 53.802
5 12 Blake Baggett Kawasaki KX250F 54.123
6 37 Malcolm Stewart KTM 250 SX-F 54.209
7 19 Kyle Cunningham Yamaha YZ250F 54.393
8 715 Phillip Nicoletti Honda CRF250 54.568
9 35 Darryn Durham Kawasaki KX250F 54.581
10 981 Austin Politelli Honda CRF250 55.108
11 60 Matthew Lemoine Kawasaki KX250F 55.209
12 74 Tyler Bowers Kawasaki KX250F 55.210
13 93 A Catanzaro KTM 250 SX-F 55.258
14 46 Les Smith KTM 250 SX-F 55.285
15 57 Jake Canada Honda CRF250 55.301
16 714 Shawn Rife Honda CRF250 55.346
17 30 Alex Martin Honda CRF250 55.595
18 96 Kyle Peters Yamaha YZ250F 55.654
19 126 Hunter Hewitt Suzuki RM-Z250 56.059
20 68 Shane Sewell KTM 250 SX-F 56.301
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Go RV. Keep pilling up the win total.
no news on Ricky Renner on the 125!
no news on Ricky Renner on the 125!
Please let tonight be the Barcia Roczen battle I have been waiting for! 15 Laps!
If you get beat KROC no effin excuses okay? You cannot still have the flu ok?
Barcia if you get beat suck it up and take it to the punching bag! Then go celebrate your championship!!
Izzi?? on a YAMAHA?? arent those things sleds? - smirk....
ricky was in the top 40 - we will see him in one of the heats
What's the story about JS7 on a Suzuki? Just rumor?
Yeah it would be nice to see someone else on the top of the box but the way RV has been dominating it seems the only way that will happen is if RV throws it away. If he wins out the last 4 rounds he'll be tied with Hannah for 6th all time SX wins (27) after only 4 seasons, and that includes 8 missed mains due to injury (and that one DNQ last year at Jax). 2 SX wins next season and the only guys in front of him are MC, RC, JS and CR . . . elite company. Hopefully there's some good racing tonight and nobody blows a post-race gasket like Houston.
@motodog77 - I have to say it - RV is Elite company...
izzi's yamaha looks fast and is handling good.????????????????????
@dino - I totally agree, what he's done in the amound of time he's done against the comp he's lined up at the gate with . . . very impressive. I don't know when his current contract is up but if Kawi is smart they'll give him a blank check.
does Unit make diapers, lumberjack clothing, or tattoo remover?
honda will chase poto with a massive cheque.
thats right motodog i think they will give him whatever he wants i think he is a safe bet for the outdoors dungey may battle with him here and there but i think right now the guy is on fire and with his hard work and training if he stays out of harms way he would only be faster for 2013 i wish show up in 2013 with another bike just so rv kick his butt anyway, let see what his die hard fans would say then
i wish js7 show up on another bike i didint put js7 sorry
Even IF JS7 bails on JGR I dont think we would see him outdoors. Could he through an outdoor effort together in a matter of weeks and go do it right?
arent you js7 haters happy no js7 racing makes for a boring race rv all buy himself
This seems like the kind of track where if RV got a terrible start, he may not win. If he comes out of the first turn in the top 5 - 7, I can't see anyone holding him off.
I could see Nico Izzi on JGR 2013 or 2012 outdoors and JS7 to Suzuki 2013. Lets face it that blue isnt for JS7 and Suzuki never replaced that spot they had for JS7 so if you figure out if things arent working out on blue, he would rejoin Yellow once the season ends. Suzuki actually matched and extended the deal but it was a bit late as JS had already signed blue. Doesnt take a genius to figure this out.
I have come to the conclusion that RV trail rides faster then the others race. He is an RC knock off that will be dealing out punishment for the next few years.
Izzi can go fast but he needs to finish a race at some point in time.