Time to head east! Well, kind of. This year’s Arlington SX (it will always be Dallas to me) will officially be a West Region event, but it also marks a significant shift out of the West Coast, as it were. For the past six rounds of Monster Energy Supercross, we have been bouncing up and down the western states. I for one, am ready to change it up. Arlington offers a much different feel than the outdoor style stadium events that we consistently see out west. Jerry Jones’ AT&T Stadium is one of the most impressive venues on earth and a great host for the sport we hold dear.
Everything is bigger in Texas, right? I suppose that’s generally true and when you account for the enormous Jumbotron, massive party deck, and overall size of the stadium itself, Jerry’s World delivers. There is one downside to this event, though. The dirt at Arlington is always hard and slippery. It can be better or worse depending on the year but it always presents a huge challenge for tire manufacturers and the EFI technicians. Riders will be complaining all day about wheel spin and not having enough “feel.”
This “feel” I am referring to is key for rider comfort and inspiring confidence. It encompasses many aspects including how the front tire plants when entering turns, how the tire spins up when exiting both flat turns and berms and also how the tire responds in the blue-grooved whoops. In short, Arlington is a nightmare for everyone in the tire world. No rider will be fully satisfied with his traction level because the track simply doesn’t allow it. It has been and always will be a trouble spot.
As for the track layout, this one is very straight forward. Last week’s San Diego course was very busy and tight, but this track looks to be a bit more open. Many of the rhythm sections are of the standard supercross variety. I don’t love how it looks for passing, at least on paper. There are many 90-degree turns where the rider can hold the inside and basically fend off any challenge. There are two spots where I do think passing will occur, however.
The 180 after the whoops will see plenty of block passes. The whoop lane is very long and that will allow riders to pull along side and maneuver into position. It will put immense pressure on the lead rider to outsmart the following rider and keep the door slammed shut. Keep an eye on that scenario in each and every battle.
The other spot I see is just after the tunnel. There are three jumps exiting the tunnel that riders will do one of three ways. The fastest option will be to rail the outside and triple into the next berm. That route is also the safest option for avoiding a move from behind. If that doesn’t work out, the other two options will be either to roll the initial jump then double or to double then roll the last jump. Both of these offer different dynamics, but the latter option is optimal for making passes. Doubling into a section and then using the last single to jump across the turn into the lead rider’s path is a move that has been around supercross since its inception. It often times gets physical as the lead rider has no idea the move is coming and as soon as he makes his pivot… BOOM, he has a motorcycle in his hip pocket. This move slows everyone and neither rider will be able to jump the following triple, but if a pass is the only goal, it is certainly an effective method. Jason Anderson has been making use of this move quite a bit recently so keep an eye on him if he needs to move forward.
The start is very short this weekend and that could cause some bar banging. The shorter starts don’t allow for much separation and as the riders all vie for position, bars entangle and people hit the deck. The only silver lining is that the shorter starts involve slower speeds and hopefully the crashes aren’t as violent.
Who’s Hot:
Ryan Dungey was back on top in San Diego. He controlled every aspect of the race, leaving no doubt who is the man to beat for 2016. If something doesn’t shake up the points soon, this one is going to be over. Ryan is no stranger to putting a series out of reach and is in the midst of doing it again.
Cole Seely put in a great ride last Saturday. He was fast all day and night, showing the form we last saw in Anaheim a month ago. He never lost sight of Dungey and also never let the battle behind him actually reach his rear wheel. It was an impressive performance.
Joey Savatgy rode the best race of his young career. He never showed any hesitation about taking the reins in this class and solo control of the points championship along with it. His confidence is growing every week and for Cooper Webb, this is not a good development.
Trey Canard has had a rough and tumble 2016 to say the least. He took a step in the right direction last Saturday, battling inside the top five the entire main event. He should only get better as he finds his groove.
Who’s Not:
Cooper Webb may not really deserve to land here. He won three straight to start the season but has subsequently lost three straight, so I think it has to be done. He is still only three points out of the championship lead so it’s anyone’s title.
Chad Reed hasn’t been quite on the pace that he was a few short weeks ago. His starts haven’t been what he would like and he hasn’t had the main event intensity that he is capable of. He will rebound, though. He always does.
Blake Baggett came back to action but it was not a good night. He crashed in the semi and LCQ and that’s just something that can’t happen. If you drew up a diagram for how a disastrous night happens, crashing in your qualifiers is a key component.
Bold Predictions:
Jeff Alessi burns down a pizza parlor somewhere in the Midwest.
The points lead in the 250 West Region climbs to over ten points for whoever is the leader leaving Dallas.
Ryan Dungey wins the race, solves the world hunger dilemma, finds a cure for AIDS, erases global warming and single handedly defeats ISIS.
Trey Canard gets his first podium of the season.
John Gallagher… ehhhhh… I am just going to leave this alone before I get in trouble.
My Picks:
250
Cooper Webb
Joey Savatgy
Christian Craig
450
Ryan Dungey
Ken Roczen
Trey Canard
