Racer X Race Report: Hangtown
Saturday, May 19, 2012 | 11:35 PM
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PrintNormally, the opener for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, represents a fresh start after a five-month run through Monster Energy Supercross. That fresh start scenario was totally apparent at the at the 2012 National MX opener at Hangtown, where Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett erased forgettable supercross seasons by dominating the proceedings en route to 1-1 overall wins.
Stewart’s much-anticipated full-time return to the series after a four-year absence included a late switch to a new team, Yoshimura Suzuki. Any thoughts that Stewart would have some outdoor rust on him, or wouldn’t be able to adapt to his new bike, were gone by the first lap of the first 450 moto. Chaparral Honda’s Andrew Short grabbed the holeshot, but Stewart battled him and then made a pass halfway through the lap. From there, Bubba rode a solid race, made few mistakes, and went on to an unchallenged victory.
James Stewart's return to motocross went as well as it possibly could.
Stewart and Shorty battled for the holeshot in the first moto.
Simon Cudby photos
Behind Stewart a great battle raged between Short, JGRMX Toyota Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps and Stewart’s teammate Brett Metcalfe. Millsaps rode strong early and challenged Short for second repeatedly, but Metcalfe rolled up on them and eventually passed both for second. Then Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey appeared on the scene after a bad start. Dungey, the 2010 Series’ Champ, was on a roll and got around Short and then challenged Millsaps for third. But Millsaps responded, found new lines and ended up passing Metcalfe back for second. Dungey then got Metcalfe as well, but Millsaps got away to take second. Dungey, Metcalfe and Short rounded out the top five.
At one point Brett Metcalfe rallied to second and made it a Suzuki 1-2.
Davi Millsaps rode well in the moto and charged down the stretch to take second.
Ryan Dungey overcame a bad start to take third in moto one.
Simon Cudby photos
In the second moto, Mike Alessi grabbed a trademark holeshot on his MotoConcepts bike, but Dungey and Stewart were with him. The three traded lines early, and Dungey made a quick pass for the lead. Alessi responded and got Dungey back, though, and then Stewart made a pass on Dungey, also. Stewart then made the same pass on Alessi that Dungey had made, but he protected his line and prevented Alessi from getting him back. Then Dungey passed Alessi, and the hyped-up Stewart versus Dungey battle was on.
Dungey stayed close, the lead staying between just one or two seconds for most of the race. Then the duo hit lapped traffic, and Stewart was actually able to negotiate it better from the lead than Dungey was from second. Stewart got away, and that was the end of that battle. Dungey took second and Alessi completed a solid ride with third.
“(Today) went better than I thought,” said Stewart. “I thought I’d come and struggle a bit, which I did a little. This (season) is one of those things where you continue to build and we got a good start on it. I’m just here to enjoy it. I didn’t come to be the fastest; I came to learn the motorcycle. Everything is new. We’ve got a long way to go. I’ve been away for a while, but I don’t realize how much I miss it till I’m gone.”
Moto two presented a Stewart Dungey duel.
Mike Alessi took seventh in moto one but bounced back in moto two. He holeshot and led.
Dungey got a better start in moto two and briefly took the lead from Alessi. Alessi got him back, though, and then Stewart got past both.
Dungey kept the heat on Stewart for much of the race, but Stewart handled lapped traffic better and stayed strong to the finish to complete a 1-1 day.
Andrew Short passed Metcalfe on the last lap for fourth in the moto.
Simon Cudby photos
Millsaps was up front early in the moto but had a few crashes knock him back. This left the overall podium battle between Alessi, Short and Metcalfe. On the last lap, Shorty made a pass on Metcalfe to take over fourth, which left all three riders in a tie on overall points. Alessi’s better second moto finish (7-3) gave him the tie breaker and third overall.
Meanwhile, more bad news for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, which had already lost 2011 Series Champion Ryan Villopoto to a torn ACL. His replacement, Tyla Rattray, broke his hand in the first moto and was knocked out of competition for the day.
The hits kept coming for Kawasaki, as defending 250 Champion Dean Wilson retired from competition early in the first 250 moto. Wilson’s ailing shoulder just wouldn’t stay together, and he’s now out for the summer with shoulder surgery.
GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia grabbed the first 250 moto holeshot, with Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen behind him. Barcia and Roczen hooked up in a great duel for the lead, with Roczen making an impressive pass around the outside. Eventually, Barcia’s teammate Eli Tomac closed in from third to make it a three-rider battle, with Roczen’s teammate Marvin Musquin and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett in the mix as well.
Musquin is struggling with a hand injury (he had a new plate and screws installed to replace a damaged plate two weeks ago) and dropped back slightly. Then Baggett reached into his 2011 “El Chupacabra” bag of tricks and turned up the heat. He got past Tomac for third, then kept digging and digging until he caught the Roczen/Barcia battle for the lead on the last lap. Then, amazingly, he passed Barcia for second at the beginning of the lap, and then with about three corners to go, he struck, making the pass on Roczen to take the lead in dramatic fashion. Third to first on the last lap!
The 250 class blasts off.
Blake Baggett put together another of his patented come-from-behind charges.
Roczen and Barcia went at it in this moto.
Simon Cudby photos
Barcia and Roczen started moto two 1-2 again, but this time Tomac got caught in a first turn crash. Baggett started third and went for the lead pretty quickly. On the first lap, Roczen fell over while running second. This left Baggett second, and he eventually got past Barcia to take the lead and take off with a 1-1 result.
Roczen only lost a few spots with his early crash, and worked his way back forward. He got to third, and tried to run down Barcia, but came up short and settled for third.
“I just wanted to be on the box,” said Baggett. “(Sweeping the motos) is beyond what I came in expecting to do. Every weekend I don’t want to ask for too much. I want to be in the points one way or the other with two rounds to go. I couldn’t even tell you what was going on in the first moto. I honestly was just bouncing around. I knew in the second moto if I stayed on (Barcia’s) rear wheel I could make a pass. The opportunity came and I took advantage of it.”
After a rough SX season, the win felt good for team Baggett.
Roczen and Barcia rode well but they couldn't stop El Chupacabra.
Baggett won Hangtown last year. Can he turn this year's win into a title?
Simon Cudby photo
In am impressive fourth overall came Ivan Tedesco, who was making his return to the 250 class for the first time since winning the title in 2005. Hot Sauce rode well, with 6-4 scores putting him in fourth overall. Tedesco hadn’t even completed an outdoor moto since 2010!
Meanwhile, the Rockstar Suzuki team had a good race going in moto two, with Martin Davalos, Jason Anderson and Blake Wharton up front. Anderson looked set for a fourth-place finish until he stalled his bike late and dropped to ninth. This put Tedesco in fourth and Davalos fifth.
The WMX class kicked off their season as well. The first moto showed similar action to last year, with Ashley Fiolek grabbing the holeshot on her factory Honda and battling with Jessica Patterson before going on to get the win. Lucas Oil Troy Lee Honda’s Tarah Gieger was third. But all heck broke loose in moto two when both Fiolek and Patterson crashed early. This opened the door for a shocker, as little-known Australian Meghan Rutledge, on a Kawasaki, railed to the moto win. Patterson, meanwhile, had popped her shoulder out of the socket in her early crash, but somehow popped it back in, dug deep and rallied for second. That was enough to give the Rockstar Suzuki first overall with 2-2 scores—despite the busted shoulder!
Fiolek ripped two holeshots.
Patterson had a rough day. But grabbed a win!
The 250 podium.
Simon Cudby photo
250 Overall Results:
1. Blake Baggett 1-1
2. Justin Barcia 3-2
3. Ken Roczen 2-3
4. Ivan Tedesco 6-5
5. Eli Tomac 4-10
6. Martin Davalos 14-4
7. Kyle Cunningham 9-8
8. Jason Anderson 8-9
9. Marvin Musquin 5-14
10. Wil Hahn 7-13
11. Jake Canada 10-11
12. Blake Wharton 16-6
13. Travis Baker 15-12
14. Gareth Swanepoel 12-15
15. Justin Bogle 21-7
16. Jessy Nelson 13-17
17. Kyle Peters 11-30
18. Hunter Hewitt 17-16
19. AJ Catanzaro 18-18
20. Shane Sewell 19-19
21. Alex Martin 23-20
22. Killy Rusk 20-37
23. Dakota Tedder 24-25
24. Scott Champion 34-22
25. Tevin Tapia 39-21
26. Malcolm Stewart 25-39
27. Topher Ingall 35-31
28. Joey Peters 22-28
29. Zack Freeberg 26-35
30. Brad Nauditt 29-26
31. Travis Bell 30-32
32. Robert Noftz 28-34
33. Landen Powell 31-29
34. Steve Roman 32-33
35. Chris Plouffe 33-36
36. Dean Wilson 36-40
37. Phil Nicoletti 40-38
38. Johnny Jelderda 27-27
39. Preston Tilford 38-23
40. Jason Potter 37-34
The 450 podium.
Simon Cudby photo
450 Overall Results
1. James Stewart 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey 3-2
3. Mike Alessi 7-3
4. Andrew Short 5-4
5. Brett Metcalfe 4-5
6. Broc Tickle 6-7
7. Davi Millsaps 2-14
8. Jake Weimer 10-6
9. Josh Grant 9-8
10. Nico Izzi 11-10
11. Kyle Chisholm 13-9
12. Robby Kiniry 12-13
13. Jimmy Albertson 17-12
14. Tommy Hahn 8-27
15. Matt Lemoine 19-11
16. Vince Friese 15-18
17. Sean Collier 14-24
18. Ryan Sipes 25-15
19. Justin Brayton 24-16
20. Nick Wey 16-36
21. Kyle Regal 28-17
22. Michael Byrne 18-22
23. Derek Anderson 23-19
24. Kevin Rookstool 38-20
25. Ben LaMay 20-35
26. Billy Laninovich 21-23
27. Justin Sipes 27-21
28. Les Smith 22-28
29. Austin Howell 26-25
30. Sean Borkenhagen 32-26
31. Jason Thomas 30-29
32. Preston Mull 31-30
33. Michael Giese 34-31
34. Dalton Carlson 33-32
35. Dustin Pipes 29-37
36. Josh Greco 36-33
37. Blake Ballard 37-34
38. Dakota Kessler 35-38
39. Ryan Hughes 39-39
40. Tyla Rattray 40-40
The WMX podium.
Simon Cudby
WMX Overall
1. Jessica Patterson 2-2
2. Ashley Fiolek 1-5
3. Tarah Gieger 3-3
4. Meghan Rutledge 8-1
5. Sayaka Kaneshiro 5-4
6. Kasie Creson 6-6
7. Mariana Balbi 7-8
8. Sara Pettersson 11-9
9. Lindsey Palmer 10-11
10. Hailey Larson 9-13
11. Jacqueline Strong 14-10
12. Sara Price 4-31
13. Amanda Maheu 30-7
14. Alexah Pearson 19-12
15. Sade Allender 16-15
16. Amanda Brown 13-18
17. Taylor Miller 17-16
18. Sarah Whitmore 12-21
19. Brittany Marcotte 29-14
20. Jackie Ives 15-29
450 Class Championship Standings
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 50
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 42
3. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 34
4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 34
5. Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki, 34
6. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki, 29
7. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha, 29
8. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 26
9. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki, 25
10. Nico Izzi, Rochester, Mich., Yamaha, 21
250 Class Championship Standings
1. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 50
2. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 42
3. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 42
4. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 31
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 29
6. Martin Davalos, Quito, Ecuador, Suzuki, 25
7. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Yamaha, 25
8. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 25
9. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 23
10. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 22
WMX Class Standings
1. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 44
2. Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda, 41
3. Tarah Gieger, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico., Honda, 40
4. Meghan Rutledge, New South Wales, Australia, Kawasaki, 38
5. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Osaka, Japan, Honda, 34
6. Kasie Creson, Vallejo, Calif., Honda, 30
7. Mariana Balbi, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Honda, 27
8. Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM, 22
9. Lindsey Palmer, Conifer, Colo., Kawasaki, 21
10. Hailey Larson, Green Brae, Calif., Honda, 20
R
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james stewart is back.
Ryno's finishes match his age.
Congrats to James. This was just as I expected. Also congrats to Leeroy and Buzzard. With James and a good ride by Metcalf today Team Suzuki is in the mix again.
wo what up with NBC, whats this cycling being on right now... i think we need to go to speed again
I'm pissed too. All I have is stupid cycling racing also. What Happen DC.
Sooo sic!!!would love to hear what all the haters got to say.....hahaha
The person that was in charge of the decision to agree to have 2nd motos at 9:30pm should be fired.
They probably could have gotten a better time slot on the Home Shopping Network!
MX Sports did a great job on the track.This was much better than the rice hulls or whatever it was they used last year.The track was one lined last year.The first six tracks were over prepped and one lined last year.I hope they do as good with the next track as they did with Hangtown.I was susprised by Tedesco he did much better than I thought he would do.Barcia susprised me at how well he did.Barcia is the new holeshot king.
I was also susprised at how good the online stuffed worked today.Since it was the first race I figured I would have problems with the internet but it work better than it ever has for me.
look at my username!! look at it!! Way to go James Stewart......how many people said you were not gonna do what you did today?? How many people said you were gonna get your butt kicked?? How many people are absent from these boards right now?? Quite a few is the answer to all of those questions!! It is only the first race, but it is an absolute fact that it couldn't have gone any better than it did!! 1-1 at Hangtown.....just stay in it man, stay focused and shut all of these doubters up!! Nice job today!!
@CZMark.Who did you pick to win today? I went with Roczen and JS7.
It would have been cool to see if their wasnt any lappers for dungey, but have to give props to stewart. GO BB, cant wait till next weekend!!!!!
I too was impressed with the online stuff today, I was expecting some problems, like last year there was no commentary, so it was good. I was also impressed by JS, there were a lot of people who were really confident in him and I didn't know why, and I guess they were right. I guess I can be dubbed a ''JS'' hate but man he was flawless, so smooth, looked effortless. Could be a long summer if you're not James Stewart.
Congrats to stewie.. But, this is just the first race... At least the guy (Booba) seemed humble enough NOT to be c*cky...
Milsaps rode great (moto 1), and due to some mistakes in the 2nd moto.. I remain he is showing that the yamaha was NOT the problem... And sincerely hope he will match his SX season outdoors...
Short.. Yeah!! Being the best Honda rider!!! Hope he improves...
Kawi shud kick out Weimer & send back Tyla back to either SA or to Mitch... What a disappointment... RV would have gone 1-1.. And look how patethic the results are with those two??? Best bike out there...
Baggett.. Damn.. He keeps this up... I predict a perfect season by him in the lites...
How in the hell can you say that Milsaps is showing that the Yamaha was not the problem?? He is Davey Milsaps, James is James, i think JS made it very apparent today that he is feeling much more comfortable on this bike....i do not believe at all that he would have finished 1-1 if he was on the Yamaha!! I agree with "itwasthebike"......IT WAS THE BIKE!! RV going 1-1 is pure speculation dude!! I think we are gonna se a different James Stewart from here on out...the old James Stewart!! Hell Ya!!
Ya Stewart showed everybody that he's the real deal! Too bad for Wilson, get em next year, Pro Circuit Kawi Baggetts year to shine, put the Honda's in their place!
Here are a few of my favorite posts from the last few weeks:
B-KR wrote:
3:35pm May 7, 2012
Newguy: I'm not at all worried. See, I don't think it's the bike at all, so I expect nothing new from James on the Suzuki. Add to that that he hasn't ridden outdoors for so long and I expect nothing more from him than what happened in SX. I watched the video of him on it and I see him riding the same smoothed out track with zero holes and cross ruts and realize he still is practicing for show and not go.
Do you still feel that way B-KR??
B-KR wrote:
3:01pm May 9, 2012
Oh wait, Rattray......James will finish 6th.
Hmmmm, how did Rattray do and where did James finish??
B-KR wrote:
7:40pm May 15, 2012
Whoooaaaaa, a scrub at 3:22! Never saw James scrub before. You can pause the video at a spot and see a guy doing a backflip which neither James or Dungey can do but it isn't going to help that guy win Hangtown
Interesting B-KR, because he still won anyway!! Hmmmm
J_Sloan wrote:
10:44am May 16, 2012
Yet Stewart has been out of the outdoor game for three seasons, had one of the worst SX seasons in recent memory, and y'all think that just because he is on a Suzuki that he is now going to dominate. It's OK to have an opinion, but you guys need to at least use some common sense.
So far so good J_Sloan!!
Still looking for another good one from "------"...i'll find it!!
@newguy... It was the bike according to stewie... Just because the guy was not capable in setting up the bike and adapting his riding to the bike.. Milsaps is proving that you can ride on the bike and get good results..
As for the speculation... Let's be honest.. 3 top guys are out... Dungey is the only real top guy stewie has to focus on... It's making it a bit easy...
Anyway.. The real test will come in 2013... Stewie wants to prove he's the best... Beat RV... Simple as that...
Provided RV started up front he would have smoked those guys. The 450 times were barely faster than the 250 times and the 250s were on a rougher track both times. Baggets fastest lap was the last after 30 minutes one .4 slower than James fastest. Also Dungey is on an inferior bike and even though won some supercross races was off the fastest pace when RV was racing. Too bad RV got hurt, woulda/shoulda, guess we will have to wait until next year.
"@Scrub This" just fell on his sword... Details at Eleven.
@didler ...its not Havocs fault other guys are out and if you can't SEE how much better the championship winning Suzuki (thats definitly out of the shed...actually kicked the barn doors off)) pull your head out of your a*s and clean your glasses. I'm an RV fan and hes not racing...the real test is EVERYTIME you line up at a national , don't start that * crap and coulda woulda. Dungey is making it easy you say...your an idiot. Go join your friend J-sloan on suicide watch.@green59 sorry but there will be lappers every week...Havoc does them just like RV...just blows by...Dungey has a problem being tentative...that won't cut it anymore. @newguy , i am totally enjoying watching your serve up tasty crow to the haters...!!!! Baggett holy smokes...that dude flat kicked some butt...what a great first moto..bummed for Wilson and Ratty. On to the hell that is Firestone and more great racing...i'm just glad its on,i'll deal with the times , channels etc etc.no problem...
@tonewall... Like the nickname you give to stewie...
Blabla line up at a national and ur doing the real test.. Blabla.. Wow.. It's their job you moron to line up if u are participating in a championship...
Havoc wins... Fact will remain THE best rider is injured... And you call urself a RV fan???
And a bit of common sense... Dungey is the only real threat for havoc.. Unless he takes a liking to taste dirt again... That will be his second threat....
awesome track and racing. James Stewart is back. Enjoyed that first 250f moto! Have to say that the kits of Short and Rozken looked pretty awesome. Bummed about Tyla...hope the styla is not out for the season. 2012 turning into a forgetable year for him. Season is young and james will not always get amazing starts. Dungey must improve his starts....
Online coverage was great, and crystal clear. Hats off to them. Seriously guys....chupacabra chupacabra chupacabra...get it out of your system and knock it off...gayest nickname ever
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
. OK J_Sloan get the Pic of you licking your tolet seat like you said you would if JS beat RD!! Also B-KR, TomKTM, Scrubthis...and all the other haters who said he does not train, He is not in shape ect, also the guys who told me I should know better than to say JS CAN win!! Come on man up!!!!
J_Sloan wrote: 10:19pm May 18, 2012
I think Weege wants to body-paint Ryan Villopoto. IF Stewart wins tomorrow I will lick my toilet seat and film it and send it in. I am THAT confident in Ryan Dungey. Any of you Stewart fans that confident?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh what a GREAT day to NOT be a JS hater!!! LOL LOVE IT!!!
. to the Guys who said Barcia would Kill it and I was just a "hater" for saying other wise!! laughing at you too!!
The delayed 2nd moto coverage was retarded. Imagine waking up on Sunday morning ready to watch the 2nd motos and the DVR has recorded bicycle racing. PISS POOR!
I for one don't want to hear the "lappers" excuse!! RD STARTED IN FRONT OF JS, JS PASSED RD AND BEAT HIM!!! so don't cry about lappers RD had the lead and could not get the job done.
Poor J Sloan. At least his diarrhea of the mouth is going to the wright place. No excuses, Stewart spanked him.
Yes. It was a good night for JS & BB. And I see a lot of people here having fun with it. Right BillC? lol Poor J_Sloan. He's "lickin his words this morning-and filming it!? Good start to a great series. Good clean racin'. JS suprised me. A little. Hard to doubt him, with his resume, but I admit I was. With his recent history, a little doubt was reasonable. But he's back. Let the season unroll.
YZ450F..."Backwards Technology"! GOOD JOB STEWART! You looked more comfortable than ever.
@pugue-you are so right on the "if" thing. It really shouldn't come into play. The riders that are out didn't choose to be, in most cases, they would certainly be there "if" they could. However, it is understandable to wonder what "if". But in the end, no one will ever know what "if". Speculation never won a moto. Example-What if Dungey wouldn't have ran out of gas last year at Freestone? He may not have won as he could of crashed or a number of other possiblities before the checkers. I doubt we will ever here the end of what if? Prolly gonna have to live with it.
Well booba certainly needed a lot of luck for his 2nd moto win but it was a good ride by him so hats off. It should have been though since he has had 2 months to test and rest. Too bad Alessi was a douche and held Dungey up and then those squid lappers held him up too! He definitely was the fastest guy on the track so it's too bad.
I'll get out my fork and napkin and eat some crow, good job JS7. It's still one race so everyone let's calm down and leave the trash talking to the end of the season. If RD can get consistent starts the 450's will be a lot more interesting with those two single digit guys running up front. I'm still kind of wondering about JS7 and his hand issue at the end the SX season. Was he really hurt that bad or was he just refusing to ride the bike ? Some of you insider types got any answers or was it like Reed in 2010 ?
Hey tomktm, Too bad you did not attend the race and see what happened because luck had nothing to do with JS winning. I am not a JS fan but he looks great on that Suzuki and had RD covered easilly. JS went into those lappers with his throttle on and they either moved or were moved off the track. RD being his usual tenative self backed off with caution like always. JS suspension settings were a bit off as he kicked a few times but then he found smoother lines. The advantage was not the lappers but that Zook under JS now instead of RD which I can see he misses. It was entertaining sitting close to Roger D watching his facial expressions especially the lapper incident which I know he would have handled flawlessly in his hey-day.
JS7 really surprised me, that's for sure. I had no idea he would be able to do that after not riding the outdoors for so long. Dungey also surprised me. I really thought he was going to win. I didn't think it was going to be a cake-walk for him like so many folks on here thought but I did think he was going to win. Had a friend record the race for me, or so I thought. Very bummed to find out that I am not going to get to watch the second motos. What a bunch of crap.
Great racing in both classes yesterday. Congrats to JS (some of us had faith in you) and especially BB. Man that was an insane last lap in the first moto. Hopefully RD and JS can both get good starts/bad starts together this year. They seemed to run at a pretty close pace. RD is going to need to get that what seems like his tentativeness when needing to make quick passes out of his system, as it really plagued him last year and hopefully not this year. I think both guys learned a lot this weekend (bike setup, pace, etc) and will be stronger from here on out.
See, the luvahs just can't win without all the gloating and accompanying accoutrements. You guys understand that gloating is not such a positive trait, right? As if you had anything to do with James' performance anyway?
So here we go. Hangtown does not show a need for much endurance. If you fade at Hangtown, you are in BIG trouble at other rounds. Both Dungey and James turned lap 15 in moto 2 MUCH faster than their 2nd and 3rd laps! Close to or over a second on one lap for both.
Awesome that Newguy is going back and quoting our posts. I guarantee Newguy that you have made no post worth going back and analzying and especially not quoting it. What is so hard about enjoying James' awesome ride? Do you have any clue as to how ridiculous that is to be worrying about me or JSloan? Did James not win a few SX where he got good starts as well? In fact James won 3 of the first 5 in 2011!!! I still expect him to go down hard when the tracks get really rough and fast. Had a couple of close calls yesterday and we should just be talking about how good he did and how good this series is going to be. Instead you tools just want to keep on with this nonsense....and it is nonsense. James was "back" (in your minds) after Oakland and Daytona this year but in the long run looked bad. One race makes it all about the bike? Maybe it does. I think if the bike was that bad then what the hell was he thinking getting back on it for 2012? If he is so awesome, he should still have dominated on it instead of needing a perfect setup to compete. What will the temps be in Texas? Don't expect that the 15th laps there will be faster than the 2nd and 3rd, because they won't be close. I made the point elsewhere that you can expect about a 5 second a lap drop off during the race there due to the heat and track conditions. Round one is out of the way, time to see what is really up for 2012.
Claxton, if you were at the race then we saw what happened much better on TV. That "I was there and saw what REALLY happened" is crap. We get to see different angles and replays of the action. James actually got held up as well, so much for being there. Dungey got held up more though. Not an excuse....a fact. Not saying Dungey would have won if not for that at all, but I can't stand the whole you have no idea what you're talking about because I was there talk. Every race I ever attended, I found out what happened at times when I went home and watched the tape from TV.
Fred- believe it or not, I was hoping to see Bubbles win. With the talk of the Yamaha being heavy at the front end and James likes to ride way over the front of the bike, wanted to see if there was a difference. So I guess yesterdays race answered my question. For all those who watched James during he SX season, it was like night and day on that Zook. I was also hoping that Roczen would win. That first moto battle on the last lap almost made me fall out of the chair. Baggett blind sided everyone. Also want to see the video of J-Sloan lapping up that toilet seat.
Helmets off to James, reminded every one he has not forgotten how to ride, to Dungey also, he and the KTM still have some work to do, but he will be there each week..it is a long series and he was smart not to press, that is his style..Alessi put in a great effort in the second moto, Millsaps suprised me with his first moto and was looking good in second moto till his soil sample...Shorty and Metty had a good race going on those two will have some close racin all season..to bad for Tyla think he would have been in the mix for a top five ...
Wow what a first moto for the 250's...thats what every one likes to see...close racin between 5 guys..BB brought his amazing self this week, his line choices were better than the rest...Barcia showed his outdoor skill is there and that Geico Honda has gotten faster with out PC...Roczen put in a great first moto, he looked winded on the podium compared to BB and Ban Bam, Kenny's fittness will need to improve.. Hot Sauce proved he can still ride a 250 and might be a player for a podium as he gets better adjusted to the bike...
Things I learned ...JS is still way fast, RD is cool and calulated, so the top two have not changed...the Second Seven guys will need a start to keep them in sight and between them the racing will be tight..the 250's showed us what the 450's would look like if the 2,22,41 were healthy...
Great first race in the Great Outdoors....
To those of you saying the "best" guy wasn't out there, i think we need to wait until 2013 when "RV" is back out there and racing James on this bike before we call somebody the "best". RV had a lot of help in winning those last two titles, and yes he did his part by riding great many times, but you chodes definitely shouldn't start talking about who is and isn't out there....umm, anybody remember SX this year, 3 top guys out by midpoint.....wouldn't you say that made it "easy" on RV?? Ya it did!! Don't start that crap already!! And i agree with claxton about lappers, i did watch on TV only B-KR and i could tell that when James got to them, he made something happen, it slowed him up a little bit, but the guy made the effort to get through them as quick as he could. Not stroking him here, but it is the truth, and RD does still have that problem of not being aggressive enough, he just held up way too much when he came up on them. Go watch it again and i think you will see the difference!! Great first race James, no, if's and's or but's!!!!! @tomktm, pull your head out dude, he has not been on that Yoshimura bike for 2 months...try 13 days!!
Know what the problem with James Stewart is???? Well it's not him at all....it's the majority of his fans! Ignorant, myopic and worst of all blatantly disrespectful to anyone else who throws a leg over a bike in the AMA.
First off.....can we please put a moratorium on the term 'Hater's'??? ( for the true Stewart guys that means stop using the word ! )
Just because someone has an objective comment or negative comment directed towards JS does not make them a 'Hater' or a racist......get a life!
Secondly any of you who don't think he would have won on his Yamaha yesterday are in complete denial......is the Suzuki better...hell ya but he'd of found away to beat Milsaps and Dungey on the blue bike.....he is one of the best riders to ever race don't forget!
Third......congrats again to James on his performance yesterday.....could only watch the first moto but he looked like he was cruising......could be along summer! At least until RD gets himself and the KTM dialed in.....cause he's up against it. Stewart has the championship winning Zook and zero pressure! That's the bike that RD won in 2010 with, and the bike that he was able to run with RV all summer last year!
So without being called a racist or the other word......I'm wondering what the results would've been yesterday if the Dunge still had his Zook? We'll never know but I hope he gets better starts and his orange bike dialed in better or this will be more boring than the SX series which is not good for the sport....
You crack me up B-KR......telling me it is ridiculous to worry about what you say...hahaha, that is what you do every week man, you look for whoever is making positive, complimentary, or hopeful statements about James Stewart and you make it a point to respond to nearly every single one of them. Thats totally fair for you to do that, just don't turn around and say it is ridiculous when you get called out for things you have said....turnabout is fair play!! Also, i think James has answered the question about why he decided to get back on the Yamaha....the "deal" was good and they simply told him they could fix it...don't blame him for the fact that they said that....they obviously talked about what he didn't like about it and they said they could fix it!! They didn't do it, and i think he rode all season on a bike he wasn't confident on, it doesn't matter if it "is the bike" or not if you think in your head that it is....and that makes sense!! It is just one race, but anybody who couldn't tell that he looked much more comfortable and much more like he used to look on the Suzuki must be blind. We will see whagt happens from here on out, i don't think for a minute that he is gonna just roll through this series, but that was one hell of a way to start!!
@Ripdown, he started ahead of James and was in the lead for a bit at the start of the second moto!!
I don't understand why people are talking about RV, he wasn't even out there. To say he would of won is speculation, I'm sure he would of been up there but we don't know.
James looked really comfortable and looked as if he had more to give, could mean bad news for RD. But RD has some work today, like RV last year. Should be a good summer.
The NBC Sports coverage was ridiculous. Didn't end up coming on here until 1 A.M. The track looked brutal. What happened to Brayton?
@Newguy ???? ok......so what's your point? Pretty sure I said RD has a lot of work to do or this is gonna get old in a hurry??? This is exactly what I'm talking about....you're the captain of the Bubba club so you had to chime in with a meaningless comment........he was also faster than RD in practice...what's your point?
baggett was amazing today. really hope he can show that speed at the other eleven rounds. stewart was good, but dungey hasnt always been the best at hangtown, and he was dealing with a brand new bike. remember stewarts suzuki has been developed by reed, rc and dungey. and to that guy talking shit about weimer and rattray about being on the best bike there out of the top thirty on lap one and made his way up to tenth. and rattray was coming back from a broken back and ended up braking his hand five minutes into moto one.
baggett was amazing today. really hope he can show that speed at the other eleven rounds. stewart was good, but dungey hasnt always been the best at hangtown, and he was dealing with a brand new bike. remember stewarts suzuki has been developed by reed, rc and dungey. and to that guy talking shit about weimer and rattray about being on the best bike there out of the top thirty on lap one and made his way up to tenth. and rattray was coming back from a broken back and ended up braking his hand five minutes into moto one.
Weege, I like the "Chupacabra" nickname. It's a hell of a lot more creative than BB57. If they're gonna have nicknames, at least make them interesting. The initials/numbers thing is weak.
That photo of Roczen, with Barcia in the background on the podium, is absolutely priceless. As others have stated here on these boards, the 250class is really where the multiple question part of the test comes to play. With all due respect to the 450class there is an injury cloud that has unfortunately taken some of the luster off the series, I said some, not all. But this 250class (as usual) is hungry and deep with talent. Barcia knew going into this series that it was not going to be a 47sec lap cake walk, but I think he was the most (un-plesently) surprised rider on that track after both motos. And the same can be said for a young 18 year old German, with the exception of Kenny being more realistic about the whole affair. Barcia now knows after yesterday that he can be beaten by at least two others out there (more on a good day). And you all saw him attempt in frustration to take out Baggett on that left hander in the second moto, but came up just short. And I truly believe Barcia will be his own worst enemy during this series. That is as close to speculation as I will go.
I hope he proves me wrong, but we saw him try (to take out Baggett) and fail, fortunately. This is just race one. Way, too early to wish he won't resort to his old ways moving into the summer. Baggett and Roczen will play you straight up, they have both shown they are riders with both talent (and) integrity.
Oh, and nice bike you got there, James. What a difference a day makes.
I hear it gets warm in Texas....
Quick question, did they change the track or take a section out this year? Last year the top guys were running 2:16-2:18 for lap times. The top 10 this year were faster than that. Or was the track conditions that much different this year than last?
Listen close Ripdown......my point is, and the only reason i said that was because you said..."i hope he get's better starts".....don't get all worked up, i simply stated that in the second moto he got a great start, ahead of James......so he was 50% on the day on starts. They both have a little bike dialing to do. Don't start with the "fan" bashing crap either man, i've got as much right to speak like a fan as you do to give your counterpoint!! Relax!
My DVR missed the last 1/2 of the 2nd 250 moto, I thought I was screwed at first with the Bicycle race, but after fast forwarding a 1/2 hr. there was the moto's. Will also have to add an extra hour on DVR next week. Chupacabra nickname is lame, damn that X files episode. Barcia & Roczen had a good race till B.B. kicked it up! Bubba is going to be a force to reckon with, good day of MX !
I was referring to the first moto Newguy.....as seen in the moto2 with a good start RD was hanging with him until the lappers where RD sucks.....
I have no problem with fans of any rider.....but if you look objectively at the previous posts you'll see what I'm talking about.....half the post have absolutely nothing positive to add to the forum. They're simply there to incite hostility and childish banter. 50% of the posts simply just call out the 'Haters'......cause we all know if you're not a fan of JS you're a hater!
To steal a quote from George dubya.." if ya ain't with us you against us "
1. JS going 1-1 does not prove that it was ALL about the bike nor does it mean he will dominate all season. Dungey will challenge him.
2. KTMs are excellent bikes and have won many off-road and MX championships.
3 .JS stepped up his speed in the last 5 min. of moto 2, he is fit, he does train.
4. Sucked that lappers are what eventually created a gap between JS and RD. I think both guys had some in reserve and were about to make their final push. Which they did once they got by the lappers, but it was pretty much over at that point. Don't get me wrong, Stewart deserved it because his passing skills got him through quickly. I'm just being greedy, I wanted to see a showdown to the final lap.
5. JS threw down faster laps than RD before AND after the lappers. See comment # 3.
6.JS's bike was kicking and it looked to me like we was riding somewhat conservatively, = bad news for the rest of the class 'cause I think he's got another level of comfort and speed to come.
7. Some of you guys need to let go of your baggage and just enjoy the racing.
8. Where is the photo of J_Sloan licking his toilet seat?
Ok, dude, we're splitting hairs here now....you say he needs to get better starts without specifically stating you were talking about moto 1 so i come back with he did get a start in motot 2 and you come back with saying you were talking about moto 1 even though you didn't specify......this is stupid!! Lappers suck for sure but they are a part of absolutely every single race that ever happens!! Every single one, so for anyone to say the lappers were the difference is rindonkulous!! However, you did say that inj that instance Dungey sucked with the lappers, i agree and said it earlier, JS didn't fart around and found a line through them quickly, RD made his choice to hold off a little until he could comfortably get through, at that point in the first race of the series that may have been a smart move!!
@caseypons-That photo of Roczen, with Barcia in the background on the podium, is absolutely priceless. How do you begin to describe what went thruogh their heads.I am sure they were in shock, like WTF just happened out there. lol
Holy Crap.
@BK-R You should put in some laps at smooth easy Hangtown moto 2, you'd be sittin on your tongue in 2 laps. 'i quote 'time to find out whats really up in 2012' ....Heres your answer ..HAVOC and the championship winning Suzuki on Dunlops thats so obviously better than the yamaha was (just open your eyes) .Thats whats really up. .... ..and alot of "if Dungey was on the Suzuki'....he ain't......The WP's don't look to like the square edges of Hangtown...harsh is an actual setting ...lol. and now folks back to the Newguy and Ripdown Hour...lol
Great job JS7. Speaking of not being a turd on the podium, at least he didn't look for a way to inject "Gotta ride smart" 20 times in a 30 second interview while having a sh-eating grin on his face the whole time... go James.
Holy Crap.
Rip down, James said He didn't have a lot of feel with the Yamaha and it was hard to ride fast. That doesn't mean he is going to crash on it every time he rode it, but if you are pushing the limits on a bike at his level and you are having a hard time feeling what the bike is doing you are more likely going to have issues, especially with rougher tracks. I doubt JS would have been consistently fast lap after lap on the Yamaha. Let's face it, he knows more about this than we do, he's the one riding it.
BKR, you bring up the point about why people are on here "gloating" about JS winning yesterday. Personally I am hoping for a different winner every weekend, but I must say I was pulling for him to win yesterday, or at least have a solid day. As a fan of every rider out there, I get so sick of reading all of the rider bashing that goes on in this forum, especially directed at JS, to the point he is brought up by some in almost every article even if it's not about him. If it's reported hes hurt, then he's lying. He says he just can't get a feel for the bike, he's lying and he just does not have it anymore, or he sucks, etc. He's only in it for the money, doesnt care about his fans yet he is riding the outdoors under no contract. The term hater is used on here because of the fact that some people on here write like they "hate" him, which is sad. I'm sure those same people if they ever sat down with him and talked with him they would change their minds.
Next week I'll be rooting for RD, I think he needs to make his own statement next week to everyone and JS saying "not so fast".
@ Jason Weigandt; I saw your tweet after the first moto on Allisports.com. I think you did it, "just like riding a bike." I also have to say I was very pleased and a little surprised as to the stream clarity, consistency, camera placements, audio quality. No complaints with Allisports what so ever.
That said, when I tuned into NBCSN just to see if programming times were jiving with my DVR (luckily) I saw the late stages of the California Bike race in it's waning hours.
This was not a good sign for the, first race presidence to be set. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when the bike race was over to come into the middle of a 30plus2, 2nd 450 moto. But my skeptical self was proved wrong, once again. Once the programming was indeed from the beginning, I just added the additional time on the end of the recording and life was good.
I also have to say that the production on a whole was much more attuned to the dyed in the wool sheep that the RacerX (heads) are all about and not all the fluff that the previous NBC productions had, and have provided in the past.
In summary, Everybody was keeping it real and true to the sport without dumbing down to the intended demographic.
So, a big thanks to Davy Combs & Co. for putting on a top cabin racing event, NBCSN, Allisports, FUELtv and to you Jason for calling a very memorable Hangtown season opener. Cudos to all, and a huge thanks from us.
uh-oh J-sloan is out of suicide watch
Pugue. Wow that was deep! Guess I'll leave you to your Mensa studies, I'm going riding.....And thanks for the props, I didn't think I had any cred to begin with!
BKR, I've never ridden Hangtown but if I recall correctly some of the interviews before the race said Hangtown was one of the rougher tracks because of all of the square edges that it gets. Square edges will beat you up more than anything. So I will have to disagree with your statement about having endurance at Hangtown does not mean anything. Freestone will be different for another reason, because of the heat mainly. But the guys riding and training in FL will be the ones that are going to be better adapted to that.
Holy Crap.
@caseypons I like most of your posts ...but I can't help but imagine you at the grand piano in your pajama bottoms and tuxedo coat with top hat and tails and monocle playing Chopin with one hand and typing your "top cabin' take with the other in an attempt to 'dumb it down to the intended demographic".....hip hip hoorahhhh......'mother may i have Jeeves drive me to the motorcycling crosscountry event or must I watch it on the telebox..good lord I think FiFi has left a deposit underneath the Steinway.."......
@chosen1 it may stay hard all season. Ole Paint done got out of the shed...with bad intentions.
"As a fan of every rider out there, I get so sick of reading all of the rider bashing that goes on in this forum"
Stamped and sealed.
Man, I wish people could just enjoy the racing without all of this biased nonsense.
So is it the bike or the rider ? Stewart didn't like the Yamaha so he switched and now Dungey's KTM is crap according to the RacerX masses. So which is it the bike or the rider ?
Can we stop with the if so n so wasn't injured it would be different. Let's all face it, the top 20 out there would lap us all multiple times over the course of 30+2. And if Team Couch Potato (all the injured riders) were out it would be different only because there would be more fast guys to talk/complain about.
I take it Blose didn't qualify on the two stroke.
Holy Crap.
What happen to Blose? Would have loved to see what he could do on a 250 two stroke.
@J Sloan- is this not true that you are going to perform some kind of function with the toilet seat? Will there be a you tube link posted on here? So far all you have said today is" holy crap". Come come your public awaits you!
@motohead279 ...honest to God decent moto takes....are you sure you wanna be on here..lol .......I'm a Barcia fan and I enjoy 'aggresive' riding but what the hell was that pathetic take down attempt in moto 2.....dude just ride the bike and move forward don't over-rev the brain , takes away from all the right things you did....plus if I was Baggett and I saw you and Kroc with the sad puppy faces I would do a dance right there on the podium....remember its easy for him to ride like that...hes an alien. I think J-sloan is just describing the taste of the seat......
It is so true that this just one race and i don't think he will do that every weekend, and Dungey will have something to say about it..........but i think maybe Chad Reed new what he was talking about when he said "I'd rather race James Stewart on a Yamaha than James Stewart on a Suzuki"......and that was last year some time!! It's what he needed to do, now i believe it just geta him back to being James Stewart and everything that went with that on the track...these past 2 years on the new Yamaha just weren't the same!!
@call-it.....ya i think JS hit the "refresh" button a couple weeks ago, nice return James!!! Some really good racing in both classes yesterday. I hope Roczen can get that first win soon, bummed he lost that 1st moto with only a couple of turns to go, but that is why BB deserves huge props for his ride...insane!!! Pulling for you though KRoc, good luck in Texas!!
Bring on Freestone an the heat an humidity.
B-KR you don't know anything abourt Hangtown because it is one of the most punishing tracks on the circuit. Did you hear what Baggett said, "i did not know what was going on I was just out there bouncing around". Obviously you did not see anything on TV which resembles the actual riding conditions. BSers like you need to attend races before making comments about the unknown.
I agree Claxton, B-KR sits on his couch saying Hangtown wasn't a rough track!! WTF?? James himself said, and i quote..."roughest track i think i've ever raced in my life, maybe i'm saying that because i've been away for 4 years, but everybody i see said it was rough".......not sure how B-KR makes that call, but it doesn't matter really!
Looks to me like a few of the IGNORANT js haters had to eat their words.. hahahaha.. I love it. It just really shows how stupid people can be.. Someone on here said that since James hasnt ridden MX in three years, that he would suck at it ... hahaha,, Let me clue you in Einstein,, what the he!! do you think the Daytona SX is ?????
@didieryotlsing- "Stewie wants to prove he's the best... Beat RV... Simple as that... "
Uhhh- Stewart Reed DungeyVillopoto all have exactly one outdoor title over the past four years. Never mind indoors- this is outdoors. After this summer Stewart or Dungey will have TWO 450 outdoors titles in five years. Villopoto doesn't have two outdoors titles- So why does Stewart have to beat him to be considered the best outdoors? Stewart has more outdoors record and more outdoors wins doesn't he? I think this Villopoto thing has kinda gottin outa hand lately.
Kilroy!- dont erase your dvr just yet- the real races came on 1/2 hour late but they still started at the beginning. I was pretty pissed off too- I thought they were gonna join the race 'in progress' or something.
BKR- Dungey is from Minnesota- Stewart is from Florida (and even a little bit from Africa). You really think Dungey can handle the heat better?
And I must say- watching those 'ten speeds' race uphill was just as exciting as the the last chess tournament that I attended. Woulda been better if it was Downhill.
Holy Crap.
hey guys - ya is not a word - do not say hell ya - it is hell YEAH - YEAH - YEAH - HOLY SHIT YEAH
i will also set my dvr to record extra time - i stayed up to see the start of the second moto and was shocked to see bicycle racing (?) - if my tv was an older model i would have pulled an elvis and put a bullet in it
@Tonewall; I like most of (your) posts but, I especially appreciated the point you made about the "child of wild's" pathetic WWF takedown attempt in Moto2 on Baggett. I too like most riders, and aggressive riding, but clean riding. Barcia is making it real hard for me to keep him in that column of (straight up) kinda riders. Baggett seems to me, from watching him for a few years now, is the kind of guy you know what to expect from him when it gets tight out there, and you can maintain your line and feel confident he will his. Barcia, in my opinion, is (not) one of those Baggett, Tomac, Roczen type riders. Barcia has sown his seeds with me as someone who will sabotage your day in a heartbeat and present that forced (fake) smile of his on the podium when he wins at some other riders (blind sided) expense. I will take the heat from those that defend his less than honorable ways of winning, and smile a little broader smile, when guys like Baggett, Tomac and Roczen can win straight up, (as BB12 did yesterday), and he (never) came close to any WWE take-out attempts on the way to the top box. And for those of you who don't approve of my philosophy of winning straight up, blame my parents, it's (all) their fault. Honest!
Now, (Tonewall) stop thinking about my attire will ya, you worry me sometimes, dude! ;~}
WFO_UFO, RD lives and has lived in FL now for the past 3 or so years, so he is pretty well accustomed the the FL humidity as JS is by now. I moved to FL in 93 and it took me about a year and a half to get used to it. So JS and RD are the same in that dept.
Tonewall, I agree with the Barcia comment, he looked like he was a heat seeking missle with that move. I used to really like Barcia, but have lost a little of admiration this past year with the Bercy and SX series tantrum he had. I like his aggressive style but am sick of the whole "Bam Bam" thing. JBs and KRoc faces were priceless on the podium that first moto, looked like they were in a daze. Lol about the J_Sloan comment...
Wow, this is ridiculous, I just try'd to watch the second moto's on youtube, but the videos were blocked by Allisports. Like I have been saying, something needs to change, and I am sure there is plenty of you who think the same thing...
Penguinbob, the 2nd Motos are on again tomorrow afternoon.
Barcia hit no one so lets don't get carried away....he and Rockzen laid it all on the line but had nothing for Butthead er ah I mean Beavis er ah I meant Baggett.....Being a west coast (Dry) and colorado (xtra-dry) boy I moved to florida for two years ...I'd prefer jail. I almost puked just getting into gear..lol.never got used to it. @penguin yeah something needs to change......change a DVR from the shelf at Best Buy to your shelf at home....@caseypons does Jeeves help with your takes...he can translate..sometimes finesse and winning straight up requires a more deliberate and expressive actionable contact between two opposing forces...(mutha fu*&%er needs to get moved out the way.)
wow! First JS did not suprise me with his riding- I have been hoping all year he would stay on two wheels and he looked smooth, in control and not on the edge with great line choices. I was expecting a little more fron RD but know that hangtown not his favorite. Again he is too nice on the track and was not aggresive enough in line choices and passing- He was at fault for not making his pass stick in the second moto and it probably cost him the win. Bummed for Ratray and was courious as to how he would do. Kuddos to Milsaps for staying strong at the end of the first moto. Allessi cannot break his tradition of holeshotting and then looking back as other riders come up to pass him- I feel if he focused on his own race and speed he would do better, probably his best finish this year.
Now for 450 bench racing- I feel if RV had been there he would have won, BUT only because JS was conservative and not yet confident. I still believe that if JS gets his confidence and old RC battling mojo back- RV would have to step it up to stand a chance at beating him. If JS gets 2 more races like this he will be mentally where he needs to be. RD NEEDS to get his killer mindset and work on his line choices and quicker aggression, he wasn't feeling it like he needs to. Really I think he faded in the first moto and made a statement in NOT catching Milsaps- he actually lost groud the last 2 laps.
The 250 class was very interesting as Eli and Justin both seemed to fade and neither looked quite as confident as I expected. Bagget was great and if he can be consistant the other 3 are in trouble. Rokzen is very good and for real, although i am not a fan of his. Very bummed wilson is out but we all knew this was coming. I expect more heat fron Eli and Justin starting in Texas. there are a couple of guys who might run with the top 4, Muskin is real good and if his hand will heal he will be there, also I think wil hahn will do better as the series goes. Suprised Cunningham was mid pack.
PS Barcia did NOT try a dirty move on Bagget in the second moto- He hasn't rode dirty at all this year.
NBC SUCKS AND ALAWS TREATS US LIKE THIS
Motohead279, they may be on tomorrow afternoon, but I don't have NBCSN or FuelTV, and have no way of getting them. I am going to make a push to potentially have something changed, if not I'll accept it, but for now I will.
@tonewall - I have a DVR, thank you very much. But how do you expect me to record channels that I don't have? It's not that I'm not paying $60.00 a month to get a channel, it's that (and don't quote me on this) I believe, here in Ontario, we can't get them. Some people need to think before accusing people of stuff...
Sloan
Either post the vid/pic or you lose all creed. Time to put up or shut up!!!!
@penquin bob, give it your best shot! I understand having to watch highlights from youtube! good luck to you sir!
Stewart has lived his whole life in Florida and raced in the heat since he was a little kid- and there is also that Africa thing too. Dungey has lived there for 3 years now- does that really make him just as accustomed to the heat. I know he is a fast learner, but that is a little over the top imo. And I saw Barcia check up- before almost taking Bagget out- didn't anybody else see that? Bagget said towards the end of supercross that he had "figured something out" about his 'hot-n-cold' races. Maybe this summer he IS for real- wouldn't that be somethin??
And J_Sloan- theres still time to run out to ACE hardware and buy a brand new toilet seat- Install it- and get that YouTube up before sundown. Thats what I would do in your position- But I would have never made that bet in the first place..
Lol, thanks czmark! But I am going to stop complaining on here, so let me talk about moto for once this weekend.
-
I was really confident in Dungey and really didn't think Stewart would win, I knew he'd be a contender, but he was a surprise. Everyone has work to do obviously so it will be a great summer, good luck to all!
Bagget wasn't so much of a surprise, I just hope he brought some consistency along with that speed, or it will be a repeat of last year. Tough break for Deano, but we all saw this coming, and I'm sure he did to. I expected big things out of Rattray, but I guess there was something he wasn't revealing, I didn't see him crash yesterday did anyone else? I really thought Shorty was going after JS in the first moto, but in true James Stewart fashion, he wins or crashes trying, and luckily for him he didn't crash. It didn't even look like he was trying, it's either he's that good, or he's that comfortable on the Suzuki, either way good for him, I am not a fan of his but to see him come back from to Outdoors like that is pretty cool, that will definitely go in the history books.
People are complaining like Barcia took someone out, he got pretty close but I think he knew what was best for him, he realized it's a long season and that move could of ended his season. Roczen looked good, I think he needs to adjust to the heat, pace and tracks in the U.S and he'll be fine. 22 moto's to go and I have a feeling they're going to be good! Can't wait for Saturday, Freestone will be hot, and I think Dungey will shine there. Weeeeeee!
And to J_Sloan, I don't know what I would do if I was in your situation, I guess live up to your bet and move on from there. Goodluck!
I am going to run over every bicycle I see tomorrow.(in my mind)
Hey J Sloan how just putting a little BBQ sauce on the old lid to spice it up, this way it taste like ?
Or better yet- just put a trojan on your tongue.
You will get your video before this Saturday's race so check this thread periodically during the week. This really sucks.
All props to you for keepin your word- but remember- don't write checks you cant cash.
Jsloan also said he would lick the dirt off the bottom of Matt Walkers boot I believe... Or was that if he won the c-ship? I do remember the comment but not the specific details... Just make the act your profile pic. That would be epic...
@ Penguin Bob
I'm a fellow Ontario guy and I can attest ( at least for my region ) that neither of the channels are offered......real bummer. At least the Canadian nats are starting in a couple weeks......should see some of those rounds on the tube this summer. Interested to see how RV's brother does.
I find it hilarious that people keep using the rv2 card. Who was there in 09 when reed won or who was there in 10 when dungey won....injuries are part of racing and Ricky says it best....avoiding injury is part of racing and asterisk on titles is b.s! Also let me add that a few ounces of gas and dungey would have been your champ last year. Villopoto only won 3 overalls last year I believe. He didn't dominate anything outdoor...it was good close racing! So what makes anyone think the results would have been different? They may have been...just like I may poop my pants later....guess noone will know
@bkr keep back pedaling there bud! Every rider talked about how rough the track was... I'd like to see you make 3 laps around that track and then tell us it wasn't rough! James is probably not in optimal shape right now and still got it done! Just wait till he gets comfortable! You are wrong so just live with it!
The track was rough and James was clearly the fastest guy out there. I'm not worried because Dunge doesn't make excuses and will be back in about a week to go for the win!
J-sloan you forgot the "geezus i'm a idiot and boy was i way wrong" part..lol.of course RD5 will be back ...we just didn't sit around for 2 weeks baggin on Havoc. And if Havoc wins next week the only one making excuses will be you.....well actually the'll be alot of you....
"The track was rough and James was clearly the fastest guy out there." ouch, that must have been painful to say! lol
Sloan, how about double or nothing? Stewie falters next week and you're off the hook. Stewie sweeps again, and you lick it good and also eat a turd for youtube. Deal?
J_Sloan wrote: about 8 hours ago
You will get your video before this Saturday's race so check this thread periodically during the week. This really sucks.
.Props to you if you live up to what you said instead of running!!
I still favor RD for the title, I am an avid fan but I would NEVER worship a rider enough to lick toilet seats and lick dirt of Matt walkers boots if he falters - thats just weird, but hey we already know you are weird Sloan, you are great entertainment. I will be at freestone and can't wait to see what plays out. The track SUCKS for spetator veiwing, is VERY physically demanding, more riders struggle here than any other track. RD seems to excell here, but what worries me is did we see a crack in RD's endurance last week ? Is it just me or did he fade at the end of both moto's ?
Barcia, Tomac and Roczen were exhausted and gave it their all and it wasn't enough. Bagget has proved he can do it at every other race, can he be consistant this year ??
Stewart was amazing looked under control and not on the edge in his first race on a new bike and first outdoor race in years. Kind up scary when a guys rides conservative and wins, Freestone will tell us a lot.
@Tonewall
(mutha fu*&%er needs to get moved out the way.)
So, is that what you meant to say about the, "child of wilds" take-down attempt on Baggett. If Baggett wasn't expecting that take-down attempt from the "child of wild" on that cross-over move, he would have been up and over the berm, and the wild child would have been on the top milk crate, with his plastic smile.
He tried to take him.... If you need to re-watch it, be my guest. I did about a dozen times...The child knows he will have to resort to other tactics besides (straight up racing) to beat Baggett, Tomac and Roczen. Saturday was proof, amigo...
Super ride for Stewart. Rode within himself, looked very smooth and was great to watch. That being said I think he would have delivered the same result on a Yanaha with a yellow fender. He just needed to hit the psychological "reset button", relax and enjoy racing again (just my opinion)
Dungey gave Stewart a pretty good run in moto 2 until lappers came into play and I think Ryan will get stronger as the season progresses. He doesn't typically start strong at Hangtown. Wish Milsaps would have had a better second moto. Nice ride for Alessi!
Big kudos to Baggett! The last lap of the first moto was epic!! Loved seeing Tedesco in the top 5 again.
Can't wait for Freestone! At the moment the forecast says 93 and partly cloudy.
@Tonewall: I'll make it easy for ya. The 2:56sec mark on the RacerX Motocross Show highlight video gives a great angle of the child of wild going from outside to inside and trying his best to make Baggett's day a not so happy day. But, this was not Baggett's first rodeo with the child. He did not hit him, through no fault of his own, because he sure wanted to. Fool me once but, not twice...said he!