Racer X Outstanding Performance: Marvin Musquin
Monday, April 23, 2012 | 5:10 PM
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Obviously, no one deserves more credit or love from the Seattle Supercross than Andrew Short, who is two weeks removed from the injured reserve list, riding for a team that doesn’t even have a rig to pit out of right now, and pulled off his first ever SX victory in absolutely shocking fashion. It’s the only win that could have made Ryan Sipes’ Lites victory look predictable!
But we know about Shorty and Sipes, and we interviewed them earlier today on the site. The Racer X Outstanding Performance Award is supposed to go to an unsung hero, a rider who doesn’t have a first-place trophy but can at least find some solace in this little article, which talks about an award that actually doesn’t exist (and that’s why we occasionally give this award, even though it doesn’t include an actual award, to a rider who does win the race. When you’re not actually handing out a trophy you reserve the right to change the rules as you go.) This week, the rider who deserves that extra credit is Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin.
Why? The Marv Attack was third on the KTM hype depth chart with Ryan Dungey back in action and Ken Roczen giving the 350 another go. But he quickly built his own story by topping the first Lites practice, and then he did it again in session two. Sweeping both practices! Then he won his heat race! The two-time MX2 champion was getting set to get his first win in U.S. Supercross.
Musquin rebounded from a bad start to finish second in Seattle.
Garth Milan photo
Then he blew the start. Said he tangled with Martin Davalos’ handlebar down the start stretch. First few laps were crazy, but he settled down and found the same crazy speed he had in practice, and started carving through. From 11th on lap one, he eventually rolled through Davalos, Billy Laninovich, Jason Anderson and Travis Baker, then kept on climbing, around the wounded Dean Wilson, past the very-fast Cole Seely, and on the last lap, around Eli Tomac. And since Marvin was so far back early, and because no one expected Ryan Sipes to win the race, he thought the pass on Tomac put him into the lead. So he pulled a big heel clicker over the finish.
He later realized he finished second. He blew the start and that cost him the race, so that heel clicker was for nothing. Unless he just wanted to celebrate grabbing the Racer X Outstanding Performance Award?
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Marvin is a good dude, thought it was classy to hold up Sipes arm even though he thought he was the winner, his day will come soon enough
Muskin is really coming into his own, he has great racecraft and I like this kid. Man do we have a lot of great tallant coming up the ranks !!!
Marvin seems so laid back and happy to be here racing..He smiles alot always good things to say, I liked when Musquin remarked Hahn was a good guy for not taking him out, holding up Sipes hand, he is makin the effort to fit into the US style. I wish him well in the Great Outdoors, really like to see him beat Roczen.
If Marv & Ken get on it like 2 years ago in the Gps there will be some class racing, I still think they have there work cut out over there, they won't walk it like they did here in the gps. Your outdoor lites is going to be stacked with talent this year.
I'm not sure but I think that James "The fastest man on the planet" Stewart might need a Honda?
Lets all talk about Bubba!
@Mrmoto lets not.... Marvin looks happier to just be racing than anyone out there. His enthusiasm and genuine joy of being here and racing is refreshing...... Hes building his speed and I bet he gets after it outdoors....he'll need to ...gonna be some carnivores lining up this year.
Me to bd25, its so refreshing to see this kid just say it like it is and not brag and I am already sick of roczens excuses- EVERY time he has something to say
Marvin seems to have his head on straight and is doing very well for himself. I like how he doesn't make excuses and tells it like it is. But (and this is nothing against him as a person) I find it very hard to listen to his interviews, but that is far from his fault, I just gotta learn to understand a french accent. Good luck Marvin, hope you do good in the Outdoors.
@ penguin_bob, really you don't understand Marvin ? His English is as smooth as his attack ! LOL.
Marvin, you have done huge progress in English, but our beautiful South West French red neck accent doesn't help !
I'm glad and proud to read this page about you and all these great comments. You still have 2 races to win a SX, I'm sure Salt lake is for you !
The outdoor gonna be awesome and you will be part of the title battle for sure.
Gooooooooo Marvin.
excellent article Marv is awesome so bummed he hit that soft spot in the track earllier in the season otherwise he would be right in the points hunt. his interviews are always great and smiley gotta love the guy keep it up, KTM has a killer line up of riders can't wait for the outdoors!
The first French fast guy that came over here,remember Bayle.He was a quiet guy and all he did was smoke everybody in all 3 classes (SX,250MX,500MX) in 91 and American fans hated him for it.Now I think we are way past that and will be happy for Marvin if he wins titles.
Yeah, Jim. Ditto what you said. It's all good.
VISTAJIM...you are all correct about Bayle...it was sad see him leave MX and US soil ...but he could never understand why Americans hated him, he was as far as you come from being a dirty rider, he just smoked them ALL, remember that he had a 20sec lead in one heat outdoors, then got a rear puncture, he still won with 20 sec...if you think that RV2 have been dominant, then you should have seen Bayle.....happy though that Riders now from different countries seem much more accepted, and judged by their skills.