The bikes have yet to even hit the dirt for practice here at Angel Stadium in Anaheim we’re already looking at a crazy night of racing. In the 450SX class, there are so many storylines to follow right now that it seems as if the race itself is merely a small slice of the legend that this 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season is quickly becoming.
James Stewart admitted to us in this video that he does indeed have a torn ACL, reigning champ Ryan Villopoto has yet to finish a race without crashing and Chad Reed’s inability to come completely to terms with his new air fork setup has, so far, produced a pair of mediocre (by Reed’s standards) fourth place finishes. And speaking of suspension, Ryan Dungey’s KTM is once again sporting the trick new WP air shock that the team experimented with at A1 before removing it for Phoenix. Then there is Justin Barcia, who streaked to what looked like an easy career first 450SX win last week, and Trey Canard, who is currently authoring one of the greatest comeback stories our sport has ever seen. Last but certainly not least, we have our points leader Davi Millsaps. Nobody expected him to win the opener and few expected him to still be wearing the red plate, but so far he’s proved the doubters wrong on both accounts. Can he keep the magic alive tonight?
In the 250SX ranks, there are far fewer question marks. Eli Tomac has established himself as the king of the class. Nobody has been able to run with him so far, and his closest competitor, Ken Roczen, has been unable to get the starts he needs to battle it out with Tomac. Right now, Tomac is holding all of the cards.
The track here at A2 is interesting. There are three rhythm lanes, all with multiple options, and it’s going to be really fun to see what lines start popping out in practice. One of the sections features a pretty big exit option, which consists of big gap (at least 70 feet) with a precise tabletop landing. It looks gnarly, but as is the case with most ridiculous rhythm options, it’s only a matter of time before some comes out and makes it look easy on the first or second lap. The track also features a nine-whoop whoop section, which is preceded by a speed killing single jump with a three-foot face that’s nearly straight up. There’s also a long sand section with a couple small jumps worked in, but unless they maintenance it constantly, it will quickly break down into a super rough and nasty segment. The dirt is also harder and more packed, thanks to the monster trucks that ran in Angel Stadium last week.
Be sure to check back here frequently and follow us on Twitter, @racerxonline, for updates from the third round of supercross, all day long.
