Bench Racing Ammo: Channeling Villopoto
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 | 10:30 AM
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PrintBack in their kid days, Ryan Villopoto and Blake Baggett used to run around together. At Loretta's, if you saw Ryan you often saw Blake with him, and vice-versa. As they rose through the ranks together with Team Green, the Washington-born Villopoto spent a lot of time staying at Baggett's house and riding with him in California.
Today, there are still parallels. Baggett is now lead dog for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, the same spot Villopoto used to fill. Same team and bike, same Thor gear. They're both trained by Aldon Baker. And at the Motocross of Nations, Baggett runs #2 as Team USA's MX2 Class entrant. That's RV's career number, and when you check that digit, their size and riding style, the bike and graphics….well, they look the same! But looks are one thing and performance is another. At the MXoN where Baggett needs to channel his inner Villopoto.
RV has always shined at this race--in fact, he carries one of the best records ever at the pressure-packed event. In four races, Villopoto has won his class all four times. His 1-1 overall scores on a 250F in 2007 stand as one of the greatest performances in the history of the event, and his clutch third-moto win last year saved the day for Team USA.
On a 250F in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Villopoto took overall moto scores (while racing against 450s) of 3-2-1-1-10-1, making him the top MX2 rider at the event each time. In the three 'Nations since, Team USA has struggled in the class. In 2009, Jake Weimer took 8-25 finishes in his motos, making his seventh best in the MX2 Class. In 2010, Trey Canard went 12-7 for third in his class. And last year, Baggett could only muster 17-17 finishes, for fourth in the class.
Two things to consider. First is the gate pick. Each team picks two gates per moto, and lately the U.S. team has put their 250F rider in the worst of its two gates. Combine the bad gate with a starting-line drag race against 450s, and Weimer, Canard and Baggett found themselves way, way back off the start in their races. Other times, the gates have been more fair across the board (and at Budds Creek, Villopoto, incredibly, pulled holeshots on his 250!).
Experience might play a factor. Since Villopoto, Baggett is the first Team USA MX2 entrant to go to the event twice, and he and his family have admitted that last year's debut was a totally new experience (Baggett had never even gone to Europe before). They feel like everything they learned last year will help mightily this year, although Baggett also admits sand is not his best terrain.
Can he carry his #2 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki to the front of the pack like the other #2 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider used to? Team USA could certainly benefit from it.
Baggett hopes to improve upon his performance from France in his second year with Team USA.
Huub Munsters photo
Ryan Villopoto's MX2 results:
2006 3-2 (overall moto finishes, first overall in MX2 class)
2007 1-1 (overall moto finishes, first overall in MX2 class)
2008 10-1 (overall moto finishes, first overall in MX2 class)
Team USA MX2 results since Villopoto:
2009, Jake Weimer 8-25 (overall moto finishes, 7th overall in MX2 class)
2010, Trey Canard 12-7 (overall moto finishes, 3rd overall in MX2 class)
2011, Blake Baggett 17-17 (overall moto finishes, 4th overall in MX2 class)
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RV has always been Clutch just like RC before him. I do recall RC giving him the first gate pick and then getting involved in a first turn crash at Budds Creek. It is team work like this that has influenced the domination of USA. I know BB will do well this year and unless he gets a horrible start will win the MX2 class.
Okay, here is my two pence worth. MX1 Antonio Cairoli MX2 Marvin Musquin MX3 Jeffrey Herlings. Overall Team USA. Second Belgium. Third. Great Britain ( hey I,m British you gotta have hope and Max Anstie flies in the sand )
Wonder why Herlings did not ride MX1, laffing.
Yes, Blake's 17 & 17 last year was a big surprise/disappointment. I've got a feeling that he is hell bent on correcting that situation. Go BB!!
@ YOUNGBLOOD42, not bad. I would pick Roczen in MX2 though. There was an article recently about A.C.'s spotty MXdN record and compared to Dungey's solid performances in 'des Nations competition, I think that might be the difference in MX1.
This gay ass Herlings person you all speak of, will he be faster than Baggett after 15 minutes of balls to the wall racing? The GP nancy-boys hit cruise control around the 15 minutes mark. How many time Roczen have the lead off the start this year to be freight trained by the Americans in the second half of the race?
i think that Baggett is the next big thing for Kawi. the USA is gonna sweep it all
GO DUNGEY!
The Dunge factor !
I think that Baggett has the perfect riding style for sand! Going fast in sand is all about keeping momentum and his wide open out side line approach is the perfect fit for sand.
@ Claxton; It's because he'll do the back to back moto's. He is the fittest and fastest in his team. Makes sense.
I believe Baggett had some bad luck last year. Pity the best Euro 250 guys are on bigger bikes. Would have been good to gauge thier speeds. This is going to be a great race!
what the euro's should be aware and afraid of is that bagget is our weakest link.... think about that for a second mitch said barcia is flying in the sand on the 450 and by the way he said it it seemed as if he meant he was going faster than even dungey herlings made a mistake he would have better served his team on his bike racing our weakest sand rider (who's still fast as shit in the sand) barcia will be fast dungey will be consistant and i believ bagget will shock the world in his class rogers toughest choice may be who's score to throw out haha
MX1 Dungey MX2 Baggett beats Marvin ... again MX3 Jeffrey Herling
Hey Carlsbad, Roczen would be my second pick in MX2. I kind of agree about Cairoli and Dungey ( I am a Dungey fan ) but Cairoli is an excellent sand rider and he does have something to prove. Either way I have been following the Des Nations since 1981 and I cant remember ever being this excited about an event.
Guys guys guys. Calm down will you. Your yankie doodle dandies haven´t got anything for the sand riders. Really, trust me, you are expecting waaaaaay too much of these guys. They are going to get well and truly smoked. Baggets 17/17 scores from last year are going to look really good after Sunday.
They are on a hiding to nothing. Rumour has it Dungey and BB were crying like babies about their bikes bad handling at Grevenbroich. Evidently Ryan never completed more than 2 laps without the suspension being taken out and altered. And that was on a relatively smooth surface. Wait till they get onto the rough stuff. It´s going to be murder. Only Barcia looked half way decent according to my spies and he got schooled by Roczen on his 250.
The reason BB was riding the outside lines was because it´s always the smoothest. Even on a flat track he´s looking for smooth? When Lommel gets chopped up, there are NO smooth lines, not even around the outside where you need to be traveling twice the speed to cover twice the distance. This is going to be a lesson in humility for all of you guys. Just don´t say I didn´t warn you.
I´m offering 2/1 on the Americans. Any takers? Nah, didn´t think so. LOL.
EuroMike cutting and pasting his comments from last year and just updating the names and track. How is anyone going to bet you when you promised to never show your face here again if the U.S. won last year? The fact that you are here posting says that, obviously you don't honor your bets.
I certainly am not saying a U.S. rider will win every moto as there are a few Euro fast guys, but you make it sound like the U.S. is sending over trials riders to ride a discipline they've never attempted before. Baggett isn't his best in sand, but who won Southwick this year over 2 of the best Euro's that everyone is supposed to be fearing so badly in Belgium? Herlings and Cairoli will be hauling for sure, but so will the U.S. guys and we will see some great racing between them. Don't forget, the U.S boys will let a Herlings or Cairoli go as they also have to worry about breaking. Herlings and Cairoli are only worried about individual results and if they break they break.....even if they win both of their classes, their team isn't winning without an American injury or break down. Only bad luck or bad choices will stop the U.S. from winning. I'd take your bet if I thought you'd pay. How about just going back to that whole "If the U.S. wins, I'll never come on RacerX again" bet you proposed a year ago and welched on? Double or nothin'.
B-KR it wont happen, Euromike is a HUGE BLOWHARD!!! Also a Hypocrite lier!!
@B-KR wrote: "....the U.S boys will let a Herlings or Cairoli go as they also have to worry about breaking. Herlings and Cairoli are only worried about individual results....".
Yeah, right. LOL.
Dear oh dear. The excuses have already begun, and it´s only Thursday.
I love you HillbillyC, really I do. LOL.
Hey BK-R good point about Cairoli and Herlings. Their teams cant win so its personal for them. Also Team USA has Roger Decoster in their corner so you just know that he will be controlling the race stategy and maybe he will hold your guys back for the sake of team points ? but only after the first two races, I think.
But this is what I love about the des Nations, so many variables, so many possibles. Good luck to all of them its going to be Epic !
Hey Euromike, America is #1 and you SUCK!!
@ Euromike.......If there ever was a troll on here, it's you. Same sh*t every year, same results every year.
Yup Euromike said the same crap last year. He call's it an excuse, mike try and get this thru your thick head, IT IS A TEAM RACE, the TEAM from the USA is there to WIN the overall NOT moto's. I don't recall the moto winners EVER getting the Chamberlain trophy but I do recall TEAM USA taking it home MANY TIMES. LOL you are a TOOL!!!
@HillbillyC But I thought you said you had the fastest riders in the world Billy boy? Why should they have to go into defence mode to win it overall? Surely, if they are the best they should be able to wipe the floor with all those slow euros? You can´t have it both ways Billy boy.
Just one more point I think you hill billies overlook. Team USA is the only team where all three riders have factory support. But then we all know private bikes are much better than the works jobs, don´t we. Idiots.
I believe that Team Belgium, Clement Desalle Suzuki, Jeremy van Horebeek KTM and Ken de Dyker KTM also have factory support for all three riders.
You CAN'T be that stupid euromike.......Can you??? Yes I believe YOU can be.
This is the first year I fear there could be an upset for Team USA. RD will be solid. RD may or may not win but he won’t implode. RD is also pretty darn good in the sand, as shown at Southwick last season when he missed the start. I would feel MUCH better with RD, RV and Baggett or Barcia rounding out the three.
Barcia and Baggett had solid performances this outdoor season. However, they have imploded in a number of races, especially Barcia outdoors last season and Baggett’s 17th last MXDN. I also look at Barcia’s Bercy SX performance, which was difficult to say the least. Though Barcia and Baggett could totally dominate, the sand is a great equalized and I hope they did not use up all their mojo on this outdoor season.
@YOUNGBLOOD42. Correct. My bad. Point is still the same though. That still leaves 30 odd teams with inferior machinery. I mean, how many advantages do you want?
I think I´ll just sit back from now on in and let you yankie doodle dandies blow smoke up each others asses. Sunday is D day suckers. Enough of the talking.
LET`S JUST GET IT OOOOOOON.
@Euromike: Funny you should refer to Sunday as "D-day" considering what it represents... USA coming to France saving Europes ass.
BB has a tough road to hoe if anyone really expects him to live up to RV's legacy at MXDN on a 250f, but I still think he has the stuff to win the overall. He is a natural figher and never gave up on a single outdoor national moto. He'll be alright.
LMFAO jstr244 you beat me to it!!! D-Day!!! LOL mike you steped right into that one!!!
@jstr244, a point of clarification. I believe we (the US) became involved in WWII because of Pearl Harbor, not to save Europe. Hitler had already taken over the European continent and Japan was ruling the Pacific theatre. We got involved to prevent a new world empire of Germany in Europe and Japan in the orient.
Rest assured, our involvement in WWII was to save ourselves much more than Europe. We feared world domination by a Germany-Japan alliance so we allied with the USSR. Yes, we partnered with communist USSR to win the War. Did Europe benefit? You bet. However, our goal was to prevent German and Japanese warships off our coastline, not because we were fond of croissants.
All Euros can suck it!
Good post Jon. You ask, did Europe benefit? Well, lets look at where are today. A hell hole where muslim trash and african rapers infest our lands. Hey, thanks America.
@Euromike, not sure how you can blame America for a “hell hole ........” Europe in a post-WWII environment was far too liberal with its immigration policies. Once Europe had its post WWII freedom, it was up to each country to elect its own leaders and develop its own policies. We cannot take responsibility for the election of ultra-liberal politicians. We also cannot babysit the world forever. In fact, I favor a much more isolationist policy without the babysitting. Babysitting has become expensive in terms of dollars, rebuilding infrastructure and American lives.
USA all the way!!!
JonR290 GREAT post's!!! Euromike wants to blaim the USA for everything!! ultra-liberal politicians got you where you are today micky!!
@ Jon " Europe in a post-WWII environment was far too liberal with its immigration policies"
Jon those weren´t our policies. They were the policies imposed on us by America.when we lost the war. We had no choice in the matter.
@BillC STFU you moron. I can see why you are the most dispised poster on this site. You talk absolute shite. You have no idea what is going on.
@Euromike...You really dont think that you are more dispised than BillC? It's close cause your both tools but you take the cake on this one you moron. Go smoke a cigarette you Euro-fag.
euromike at least I do what i say unlike you you hypocrite!!!
.ronniebarnhardty...Im sure their are a few who think you are a tool also.
ok whatever BillC...everyone knows i rock
euromike your a total f**k man the USA is the greatest country in the world, so you can f**k off
OK that make 3 votes for Euromike!! LOL
.ronniebarnhardt... We all do in our own minds!!! LOL
What are the chances of BB going 17 - 17 again ?
Yes he did go 17 -1 7 and where did the Chamberlin Trophy go ?
Good luck with all that weight Herlings ......
JImM
Pala374
Everyone is going to be amazed at how well barcia rides in the sand- my guess is that him and dungey are going to be right at the front when the checkered flag flys. As far as bagget, he will also win the MX2.. In the end, USA wins by a mile!