First, here’s the cover of the latest issue of Racer X Illustrated, featuring Team Honda’s Trey Canard (shot by Simon Cudby). Trey won his second race last weekend, and he could not have picked a better one, as the HRC boss was there visiting from Japan. Honda has recommitted itself to racing in a big way, and they are going on a global push to make their point. But they know they have their work cut out for them, even with their best-ever start for the CRF450 in supercross, with three wins in the first six races.

And speaking of fast starts, the fact that Dungey is wearing the aforementioned red plate after six rounds means that KTM is off to their best start ever—the Austrian brand has never held the points lead in Monster Energy Supercross this late into the season (and only Dungey and his former teammate Roczen have ever worn the red plate at all for the brand—or any European brand, now that I think of it). He’s leaving California in a good spot, but he’s not the only one who will probably be more at home as the series heads back east. Eli Tomac is tough on any track, Trey Canard is from Oklahoma and Ken Roczen is from Germany! Any one of these four guys can win this thing tomorrow night and then take some real momentum to the ATL for that double-header.

As far as the 250 East Region goes, it’s a whole new ballgame for guys like Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Martin Davalos, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s 1-2 punch of 250 Motocross Champion Jeremy Martin and the ready-to-break-out Anthony Rodriquez and GEICO Honda's RJ Hampshire, and a whole bunch of other fast young men (and one woman). But I am most curious to see how defending champion Justin Bogle’s health, strength and speed are on the #1 GEICO Honda, and also what newcomer Arnaud Tonus does in his first AMA Supercross.

But as we start the East Region, it’s amazing to think that Cooper Webb, who had never won a 250 SX until the second Saturday in January, is already just one decent finish away from the West Region title. While we’ve seen flashes of brilliance from others in the West (Jessy Nelson and Malcolm Stewart) it’s the red-hot Cooper Webb that will hold the red plate for the long hiatus that’s only just begun for the Westerners. Like Ryan Dungey, he got there by being fast, strong and consistent—only he’s won four races, which is three more than Dungey. That’s what you have to do when you race the 250SX West, and Webb has done it spectacularly. 

So who will be the Cooper Webb of the East? Guess we’ll start to know more in about twenty-four hours!

HAPPY RETURNS AND UNHAPPY NON-RETURNS (Jason Weigandt)

He hasn't missed any races, technically, but we really haven't seen Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Davi Millsaps much this year. At least not the Davi Millsaps we expected to see. After a month of sub-par rides I finally got Davi and his team to crack and partially explain what's gone wrong. Davi apparently caught an illness during the off-season and it took, as he told me, months, not weeks, to get over it. Davi is finally over it and can now log consistent laps at the Kawasaki test track—he says he went months only being to ride two laps at a time. Now he's trying to rebuild his fitness after all that downtime. He still shows flashes of speed at times, so one of these weeks could be the week where the real Davi Millsaps does some battling for 20 laps.

And after a few rough weeks of injuries, the 450SX pack actually gains some strength this weekend as Weston Peick returns to his Autotrader.com/Toyota JGR Yamaha. After breaking his foot in Phoenix (while running third!) and reinjuring it the next weekend at Anaheim 2, Weston went in for another surgery and a few weeks off. He started riding this week and said the foot felt a little tight, but not bad, and the only question was if he had a legitimate twenty laps in him after the time off. By Wednesday, he knew he had it and decided to go racing. On the other end, teammate Justin Barcia found out he has a fracture in his pelvis, and will be off at least two more weeks. That's a painful injury. Whenever Barcia can get back on the bike without too much hurting, he'll be back. In the meantime, Phil Nicoletti will be racing. This backup rider program is really working.

Ben Lamay didn't race last weekend after Team CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha gave his 450 ride to Josh Hill. Both Hill and Lamay have struggled to put their bikes in the main events this year, but Hill would at least appear to be an upgrade for the team in potential (Hill had a podium just last year, Lamay has never made the top ten). But Hill missed the main again last weekend in San Diego! Lamay will be back this weekend as a privateer. Let's see if they can both make the main this time. 

I hate to call a rider injury-prone, but man has GEICO Honda prospect Jordon Smith been through a rough year. Injuries prevented him from getting his RC Road 2 Supercross races in AMSOIL Arenacross last year, so he hit some rounds a few weeks ago to make the cut. Then he broke his hand last week. Talking to the team, it appears this is only a boxer's fracture, which is pretty routine (though painful), and we've seen riders compete with this injury before. But the wound from surgery was just too fresh for him to race. He should be back by either Atlanta 1 or Atlanta 2.

A BETTER MOUSETRAP (Steve Matthes)

We’re six rounds down into this Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and so far, I like what I’ve been seeing from the tracks. We had a litany of injuries a few years back and I think the promoters swung the pendulum way too far in terms of trying to “dumb down” the tracks. We’re a few years removed from that and through the opening rounds this year, I think the majority of tracks have been pretty good. Heck, we even got an over/under bridge!

I like to see elite riders do elite things so there should be some obstacles out there that only a few guys can do. This puts the risk into supercross and I know we’re always afraid of injuries, but this just in: racing motorcycles is dangerous! We’ve only really seen one long whoop section that hasn’t broken down and become easy but you must have you seen Todd Jendro’s Instagram of the whoops this weekend in Dallas?

I’m not sure if they’re going to stay like that or not but wow, they look gnarly. (And Jendro gets iPhone Photo of the Year honors to date, because at 12,000-plus likes in about twelve hours, he’s already got more likes than a Ken Roczen-selfie with kittens and rainbows!)

Another thing I think the guys have done well is the length of lap times. We’ve generally seen longer races this year and that’s always a good thing. The tracks should use as much of the floor as possible with as much dirt as possible to make the tracks as long as possible. With today’s four-strokes and the skills of the riders, the above is, to me anyways, paramount to having a good track. So far, I like what I’ve been seeing when it comes to the tracks.

HONDA'S CRF450 HISTORY (Andras Hegyi)

American Honda and its racing company, HRC, increased their activity, investment and efforts in the AMA Supercross/Motocross scene going into the 2015 season. Now they are reaping some early returns. Honda debuted the CRF450 in supercross in 2002, and the first winner on the bike was Nathan Ramsey. And it's been since 2002 that Honda was able to get six podiums in each of the first six rounds of Monster Energy Supercross. And it's been since 2003 when Ricky Carmichael was on top (and on a CR250) that Honda was able to get at least three wins in the first six rounds (one by Eli Tomac, two by Trey Canard). And it's been since 2011 that Honda was able to get at least three wins in an entire SX season. Add it all up and the four-stroke CRF450 model is having its most successful season ever. But it's still been since Carmichael in 2003 that Honda has won the AMA Supercross Championship, and that was on the CR250—the CRF450 has yet to earn a #1 plate in AMA Supercross.

PRO PERSPECTIVE (Jason Thomas and David Pingree)

JT: Go east, young man… Okay, that's not the correct phrase but we are going to do it anyway. For the past six weeks, we have been hopping all over the West Region following this Supercross circus. Now, that we have mostly wrapped up, there is a bit of self-reflection for everyone on how it has gone and where each individual stands. The tracks will be changing along with the geography and climate. Traction will increase, as will the intensity of the racing.

There are still four riders with realistic expectations of taking this championship home. How they adapt to the changing conditions is crucial. The toll that this marathon of a season takes on their bodies and minds can't be overstated, as well. Ken Roczen has shown a tendency to really struggle through the middle rounds of past championship runs. Will 2015 be the same?  For Eli Tomac, this will be the first time he has raced a 17-round championship so he can't be sure what to expect. For Trey, he is on a hot streak right now, winning two of the last three races. Can he minimize his mistakes while still pushing the edge like he loves to do? 

And then there is the Dunge, one of them most consistent riders to ever swing their leg over a motorcycle. He is your points leader and doesn't tend to hand red plates back once he earns them. But he has to win races on a consistent basis—that is his biggest challenge moving forward. 

All four have different individual challenges to face. How they respond and adapt will be the difference between holding a championship trophy and just saying things like “oh well, already looking forward to next year.” The eastern swing of this championship starts tomorrow and the halfway point is nearly here. There is no time to waste. 

PING: Ricky Carmichael used to always say the series really began once you got to Daytona. Personally, I don’t really understand that too much but it seemed to work out pretty well for him. I guess his theory was that if he just stayed in the hunt until close to the halfway point, he would outlast his competition and wear them out on the tacky, rutted circuits back east. And he did just that—five different times. In fact, he never won the opener and didn’t seem unstoppable until the racing got much closer to Tallahassee.

So, what strategies and tactics are these guys subscribing to now? Is Ken on Ricky’s program? Can Eli or Trey afford to slow roll it early in the season? Does Dungey ever stray from his “always be consistent” mantra? I think each rider has their own set of circumstances to deal with and they are planning accordingly. The bottom line is that none of them can afford to be off the podium and since there are four of them [plus guys like Reed, Seely, Anderson, Millsaps, Barcia, etc., who could be on the box on any given weekend] that is no easy feat. This may sound a little Fro’s-Keys-To-The-Race-ish but getting starts, minimizing mistakes, finding the podium and getting wins when you can are truly going to be keys for all these guys. The increased traction always brings out another level of aggression when we go back east and Dallas looks tacky. This is getting good. 

Oh, and if you’re looking for a 250 East Preview, check it out here.

GIRL RACE (DC)

Tomorrow night Vicki Golden is going to try to make one very big step for women's motocross when she tries to qualify in the 250SX East Region. No girl has ever qualified for a supercross, or even the evening program for that matter. I remember back in maybe 2001 or so when Tania Satchwell and another girl gave it a shot at Houston, and also Steffi Bau trying once, but they didn't get far. 

Golden, on the other hand, has been on the Ricky Carmichael Road 2 Supercross and while she didn't win any AMSOIL Arenacross races, she has put in her dues and deserves a chance to enter and try to qualify. She's also had the advantage of getting to participate in press-day and early-morning TV work prior to the Arlington SX and so the track itself will not be brand new to her. In fact, Tony Alessi posted a video on his Instagram that shows her doing some fairly technical stuff earlier today.

If Vicki gets into the night program, it will be a very big deal. But she's a long shot at best at this point. But the time is coming when one of the girls does make the grade and race with the boys in a Monster Energy Supercross main event. Good luck to Vicki and her team.  

World Cup Ski Racers Love MX (Kurt Stewart)

CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha’s Alex Martin has some big time fans in Sarah Schepler and Resi Stiegler of the US ski team. Sarah will compete in both Giant Slalom and Slalom events at The World Championship Ski Races at Beaver Creek, Colorado, being only the 3rd time this prestigious event held on US soil. She does a great fun impression of Ryan Dungey podium speeches and is starting her 7-year-old son, Lasse, on the MX journey this summer knowing the benefits of cross training from MX to ski racing.

Resi Stiegler became a huge SX/MX fanatic after spending the day with Alex and Christina Denney at the Utah National, and she plans to one day be a team owner/manager when finished with her ski racing career. Stiegler loves the sport and its similarities and flashed a giant smile when saying she would enjoy training with Eli Tomac and his father John on mountain bikes. She will race this Saturday in the Slalom event, all of which can be seen on NBC.

THE LIST: REDUX (DC)

Got a cool letter from longtime reader and friend Jim Myerson about The List, which was about foreign imports and their SX debuts: 

"Regarding auspicious / inauspicious Euro Supercross debuts, you might acknowledge the debut, and first European to win, a Supercross in America--wait for it -- the 1974 Los Angeles Coliseum winner (and de facto 1974 FIM 250cc World Champion) Jaroslav Falta!  Yeah, yeah, I know, it wasn't an integrated series at the time, but he was the first Euro winner AND won on his first try -- definitely worth a mention. Remember, prior to that win Americans had never even heard of Falta (who hailed from Czechoslovakia) but afterward he became an American moto-hero and household name in American MX, and everyone wanted one of those bitchin' red-framed CZ "Falta Replicas." Forty-one years ago... how soon we forget.

Also in Racerhead, you might mention that Roger DeCoster technically won his first "SX" also (1974 Daytona 500cc Class) but Roger's actual Premier class (250cc) stadium races were the 1974, '75 and '77 Los Angeles Coliseum races, with results much like he had at the Carlsbad U.S. Grand Prix of Motocross (up and down, never a winner). Want another inauspicious SX debut?  500cc World Champion Hekki Mikkola at the 1975 L.A. Coliseum, where he looked like he hatin' life (and supercross). That race marked his first and also last Supercross (though he did ride the "Inter-Am" SX that was the 1973 Superbowl of Motocross).” 

Great memory, Falta winning that race, though I only read about it in Cycle News and Motocross Action! But, technically speaking, the first European to win an SX was Pierre Karsmakers, who won at Daytona in 1973 (when it was a Florida Winter-Am race) and 1974 (the first "Supercross" race of the Yamaha Super Series of Stadium Motocross). And the winner that same day in the 500 class was Roger DeCoster. 

However, the 1973 Superbowl of Motocross was actually the first “supercross” for both Falta and Mikkola, and that’s where it gets really, really complicated. The race counted as both a 250 National and the Inter-Am Series, which overlapped at the time.

Jaroslav Falta got fourth in the '73 race behind Marty Tripes (Honda), Jim Pomeroy (Bultaco) and Antonin Baborovsky (CZ). But you won’t see his name (nor Mikkola or Baborovsky) because their points and finishes were only recognized for the Inter-Am Series, not the nationals, because the AMA pulled out anyone who was not racing the whole series! It’s in The Vault, but not under “Supercross” but rather “250 Motocross.”

Here’s more on The List, this time from Justin Hatcher, who shed some light on the debut of Roncada at the second round of 1997, because there was much more to it that just Stephane’s first race:

"I enjoyed The List of import debut finishes and wanted to chime in because I remember why Stephane Roncada didn't race the first LA round in 1997:  He was actually an East Region rider in '97. The AMA started that weird rule that year where if you weren't in the top 10 in points on the coast you were racing, you could race on the opposite coast but weren't eligible for points.  The loophole was that since the East hadn't started those guys could race on the West. I'm not sure why they waited until the second round (maybe no one knew til they showed up the first week) but a few of the East guys raced that night for experience. If you look at the results, Ricky Carmichael actually made his supercross debut that same night and Pingree raced as well even though he was on the East Region for Pro Circuit.  If I remember correctly Mitch had Ping and Carmichael sit in the gate until everyone else was halfway down the start straight so they wouldn't interfere with the race.  The Pro Circuit guys just did that one night but Honda of Troy kept Roncada out there racing for a few more and he even got a second the next week in Phoenix that didn't even count. Anyway I just remember it being a weird deal, maybe Ping could provide some more insight since he was in the middle of it all as to why they waited tip the second week."

DUANE DAUMGRAS (Andrew Fredrickson)

Duane Baumgras, owner and operator of Oakland Sports Center, a KTM dealership out of Waterford, Michigan past away last week. His close friends James Wingler and Mark Smith had some nice things to say about the life he lived and the memories they’ve shared.

From James Wingler:

“Always supporting AMA District 14 and MRA racers in his racing programs. He would take care of you no matter how good you were. He just wanted you to be safe and have fun. He sent people parts and let them pay when they got the money just to keep them going or take parts off his own bike even if you bought it from another dealer. He would stay open after hours when you needed something at the last moment. When racing with Duane, he was always joking and always offered help if something went wrong with you or your bike. He had the best KTM dealership ever. It was old school. Just about anything you would need would be in stock. He was very proud of his dealership he did an amazing job! God speed Duane.”

From Mark Smith:

“Duane raced in the same class against Dave Coombs Sr. in the GNCC series in the early nineties and they would trash-talk each other while they both smoked cigars together before the race! Duane and I pitted with Scott Plessinger (Aaron’s dad and a GNCC and National Hare Scrambles Champion) for years, starting in 1993 before KTMs became what they are today. Duane was at one time top 5 KTM parts sellers and even raced a Rokon in pro MX! H was was truly an icon. So many people in the Industry knew & respected him. He never asked for much and always sacrificed, he dedicated his life to the sport. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Rest in peace, Duane.”

PULPMX LINKS (Matthes)

Our new guy Troy talks to Kyle Chisholm about building his own team and doing the double national last year here. 

Vuillemin breaks down his suite life at San Diego here. 

Our man Tony Blazier reaches #100 in his GP’s Classic Steel column and profiles the bike that started it all here. 

RANDOM NOTES

Heading to Arlington this weekend? Stop by the Racer X booth—located in the Party in the Pits—to pick up a free copy of Racer X Illustrated. You can also sign up or renew for just $20 (60 percent off the cover price) to get a one-year subscription, a FREE pair of Racer X socks, and an extra issue!