by Davey Coombs
250 Words: Phoenix
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 | 3:55 PM
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PrintIf anyone needed a reminder just how short and intense 250SX championship chases are in Monster Energy Supercross, they need to look no further than the West Region. After just two main events and thirty laps of racing, it's down to a two-horse race for the title and one long shot.
Before the gate dropped on the main event at Chase Field in Phoenix, the vaunted Pro Circuit team was pretty much done for this coast. First, 250 outdoor champ Blake Baggett started the day injured, then made it worse with a practice crash. He will now go get that hand/wrist fixed and look forward to wearing his #1 plate beginning at Hangtown in May. He should also hope it's luckier for him than #4 has been so far.
Next came former world champ Tyla Rattray, who simply looks off the pace indoors. He followed a modest eighth at the Anaheim opener with a mediocre twelfth in Phoenix and is now 22 points behind the leader—almost a full race in what's only a nine-race sprint.
The third man, Martin Davalos, was pretty much out of contention before this one started due to a last-place finish at the opener. He rode to a spirited third, but he's not going as fast as the guys up front either.
After consecutive runner-up finishes, Roczen sits six points back of leader Eli Tomac.
Simon Cudby photo
Rockstar Energy Racing's Jason Anderson is now 32 points down after failing to qualify due to a crash in the LCQ, and TLD Honda's Jessy Nelson was a solid fifth after last weekend's spectacular trip over the bars off the start, but he's now 31 points back—the same as Malcolm Stewart.
The two guys everyone is chasing—GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac and Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen—are so fast and fluid, with machine-like consistency to boot, that this title fight will obviously came down to the two of them. The long shot is a game Cole Seely of the TLD Honda team, who has the chops to win races but is already 12 points down.
This is the new look of what it takes to win in 250SX: pure speed, a lightning-fast bike that will help you get a good start, and the ability to lay down fifteen straight laps going almost as fast as the top guys in the 450 class. In fact, just a year ago, Justin Barcia, Saturday night's 450 winner, was one of these guys.
No matter how this title turns out, I honestly can't wait to see what Tomac and Roczen (as well as Seely) will do when they move up to 450s. If they can ride a bigger bike like they ride these ones, the old guard in the 450 class is going to have their hands even more full.
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No other bikes around me?? Must be a holeshot!
So when will Ken get that start he needs to run up front with Eli in the main?
When it's warm. Racing in the cold is tough.
Tomac's a Beast. Ever since his visit to NZ for the World Junior MX Champs the kids been hot property. His reign will be long and illustrious. Get used to that #1 on his back folks, he's one for the record books in the main game.
The two horse race can materialize, if K-Roc can get a start. If you had told me, that Tomac would get better starts than Roczen, I would not have believed you, but that is whats happened so far. Hopefully Kenny and Eli can get out of the gate, side by side, so we can see the two thorough breds, go neck in neck down the stretch, causing a photo finish....
I think Tomac has Kenny covered. So I would like to see them go 1(Kroc) and 2( Tomac) so we could see a battle.
If Tomac gets holeshot, he'll check out.
Have you ever raced in the cold trip? Have you ever been sitting around the floor of a sx waiting for the main?
No place in the sport for Metro sexual looking guy like a Brock Sellards wantabe not ! 2 place fiddle
I like Kroc but I think tomac will pass him for the win every time, just like what happened all summer. Krocs only chance is if tomac crashes.
You just wait till deno is in the hood or wait till AC 92 comes a knockin !
Sloan I'm guessing you are from the midwest with no style or just plane have midwestern style. You must be a little jealous of the looks. Just cause your stuck in a decade doesnt mean someone else. You are a little behind the times.
Oh, and Deano is far more metro than anyone. I'm sure he pulls the most tail as well.
Curious to see AC92 and Webb go pro.
PW29 Hey pee wee herman I'm a south beach dude and dated a lot of mx chicks like miss Rad N bad in 80's thru monster in the 90's and beauty pagent runner up from Alabama and then married a Lawyer from Princeton AND still ride ala RC and Ferries place .. SO na na way off base............
bANG PIT TOOTSIE YOUR DEAD ............
Ah, I see the tie-in to "450 words" now.
Dean Wilson & Adam whatever vs E.T. & K-Roc? Man, I'd love to get a piece of that action if I were a betting man. A twelve round title bout that ends in a first round knockout. Sorry, meankx, I just don't see DW & AC getting a whif of their vapor trail.
IMO Tomac has better fitness and a better mental game than Roczen at this time. I think Ken is a little full of himself at times. After Phoenix he said he made a mistake off the start and it was the first time ever he has done that, and he should be allowed one. Did he forget about last year when he dumped the clutch and wheelied into the gate and then blamed it on the bike by saying it just took off on its own. Both Tomac and Roczen are looking incredible and no one else is in the same zip code. All the racing has been killer and its a great time to be a fan!!
At this point, Eli Tomac could beat'em on a '74 Bultaco 125.