Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Rev Up. Time to return to the show, ladies and gentlemen. One of the best supercross races in the world takes place in a few days with the 2014 Monster Energy Cup. With a cool million up for grabs, an ultra competitive line up of racers will go to battle on a diverse track. Everything about this event sets precedence: from the gargantuan prize opportunity to establishing an early pecking order of 2015 Monster Energy Supercross title hopefuls. I’m having trouble finding the words to set the “awesome meter” heading to this weekend, as almost every rider shoving to the starting line is on a new team. Be sure to check out Weege’s Redux column if you haven’t yet.
The element of the unknown is at a fever pitch with the bittersweet vacancy of former event winners James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto. I may be wrong in saying this, but I think the racing will be fiercer in their absence (Stewart’s status is still up in the air as of today). Everyone feels like they have a shot! Is there a rider in the field with a chance of winning all three main events and taking home $999,999.99? I believe that briefcase is safe this time around; the competition is just too tight. That being said, the motocross community should be jacked up to the moon about this one. There are favorites, underdogs, and sleepers galore. Let’s get in to it!
First off, let’s talk about this track. The folks at Feld are hyping up the high speeds this year, with ski jumps coming into and out of the stadium, and more frequent and larger airtime. The triple jump will be 100 feet, and the metal ramp will be sending guys way up to offer maximum potential for showing drain plug. They are also making the sand roller section gnarlier, as it will be longer and have larger constructed sand whoops. The overall theme is faster, bigger, and longer as the section outside the stadium has also been expounded upon. In my opinion, this all contributes to a better event for the competitors and fans. It is also my opinion that this type of track design favors the four-stroke machines. Hey, these guys are the best in the world, and it is going to raise the hair on your arms when you hear one of those factory 450s come thundering into the stadium at 60 mph! I think the start is going to be the most spectacular aspect of the event. Just check out that animated track map again. It’s going to be something to watch as that first heat race fires off.
Secondly, it just seems like the talent pool is growing with each passing year. Let’s see here: (taking a deep breath) Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, Josh Grant, Justin Barcia, Weston Peick, Jake Weimer, Chad Reed, Cooper Webb, Dean Wilson, Justin Brayton, Malcolm Stewart, Josh Hansen, Andrew Short, Jason Anderson, Brett Metcalfe, Cole Seely, Justin Hill, Zach Osborne, Nick Wey, Mike Alessi, Martin Davalos, Matt Goerke...ok, I’m out of breath! And maybe even defending champion James Stewart. In a ten-lap race any one of these guys can bang a holeshot and let it all hang out. There is no “getting into a pace” or “letting the race come to them.” It is going to be balls-on-the-gas-tank, wide-open aggression for three short motos going for the big cheddar. It’s going to be pure entertainment, folks.
Not to go anymore “WWF” than I already have, but when this kind of money is on the line and zero points are up for grabs, we are going to see the track workers picking up some fork guards in the seven 180-degree corners. Keep an eye on old rivalries between Malcolm Stewart and Jason Anderson, and Justin Barcia and, well, everyone else on the track. The AMA sanctions the event to maintain a little order, but for the most part it is going to be The Wild West out there. I say, hell yes to that!
And, bam, I almost forgot about the Joker Lane, an integral part of the race that recent history has shown will throw the riders for a loop. We all know there is one guy that won’t forget it this year! Again, this is great in my opinion. This is a one-off race, and stepping outside the box is the whole theme. So, when should the racers take the Joker Lane: on the first or last lap, or in the middle of the ten laps? We’ve seen varying strategies, but most frequently we’ve seen the guys wait till the end of the moto.
I think the vibe is stout heading into the weekend. It’s all out in Vegas, folks! Pick your poison: MMA, BMX, Best Whip, Harley Wheelies, and the Monster Girls. We’ll be able to see it all—and maybe, just maybe, #7 will be able to race. I’ll be making the trip out for the event and will be roaming the pits all day. Hit me up at andy@racerxonline.com if you want to bench race more about MEC via e-mail or meet up in Sin City. Let’s go!
Thanks for reading, see you at the races.
