St. Louis, Missouri, marks Round 14 of Monster Energy Supercross. This event is one of the staples of the series and has played host to many historical moments in the sport. Time and time again, we have seen this Midwestern stop throw a little bit of crazy into the mix when everyone least expects it.
St. Louis was the site of Jeff Emig’s big win in 1996 that ended Jeremy McGrath’s streak and prevented the first ever perfect AMA Supercross season. In 2006, it saw both Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart have horrific nights and lose maximum points to that night’s winner, Chad Reed. Carmichael would suffer a broken shock collar early in the main event while James Stewart had a mid-race crash that relegated him to the back of the field. Then, in 2010, Ryan Villopoto would see his season end with a violent crash during a main event battle with eventual champion Ryan Dungey. In all of these cases, there was no indication that wild times were upon us but nonetheless, the results speak for themselves. Are we in for another St. Louis curveball? Time will tell.
The track itself is made of dirt that riders love. It’s always tacky and soft but not rutty and as difficult as Indianapolis was. The layout is a bit unique and to be honest, I am not sure how it will turn out. It has some of the most open sections we have seen this season immediately followed by some of the tighter sections, too. The one good sign is that I think we will see fairly long lap times. The track winds back and forth quite a bit, which will slow riders down, and the open sections travel the width of the floor. After back to back tracks with forty-five second laps or less, hopefully this track gets us a longer main event.
The start is a bit shorter than last week but should be fair for everyone. The long 180 gives the outside riders a chance to sweep around while the inside can work if maneuvered correctly (think Ryan Dungey). It crosses underneath the finish line jump which means the finish line jump will have to be big enough to clear the first turn gap. The first few sections after the start are jump-filled and prototypical supercross. There is the standard supercross triple along the far wall that will present challenges for the 250 riders, especially in the softer dirt and if any ruts develop. The next section has an on-on-off that will be tricky to do the most efficient way. Out of necessity, watch for the lower tier riders to downside the first tabletop and then tabletop-to-single the final jumps. These sections can really separate skill levels and give others a chance to make up time. There is a whoop section a couple of turns later, but whoops in St. Louis don’t tend to hold up very well. They generally get a couple of grooves in them or knocked down enough to enter with reckless abandon. The final sections are made up of three straightaways with 180 degree turns and a bit of sand thrown in for good measure. There should be some opportunity for block passes in these turns, especially being just before the finish.
Who’s Hot:
Ryan Dungey and Ken Roczen share this spot because for the last two weeks, they have been thisclose. They have been the bright spots in an otherwise uneventful last two races. They are pushing the pace to unprecedented levels and their lead at the checkers is visual evidence of their intensity.
Aaron Plessinger won his first ever supercross in front of his hometown fans last weekend. He is only ten points behind leader Malcolm Stewart and if he can close the gap even more at St. Louis, I think the competitive spirit will outweigh any desire to dance the night away.
Blake Baggett turned in his best ride of the season with a fifth place finish. It was a quiet performance in the rough and tough conditions but had to feel good for Blake as he ponders his 2017 plans.
Gannon Audette capitalized on the opportunity that Mitch Payton provided, landing his first ever podium finish. He grabbed the holeshot and rode solidly, taking advantage of mistakes by Jeremy Martin and Martin Davalos along the way. Audette’s ride was the feel good story of the night.
Who’s Not:
Jeremy Martin had a big crash that left his handlebar/triple clamp assembly broken, thus ending his main event. He gave up valuable points to the leaders and dug himself a very deep hole moving forward.
Eli Tomac crashed while near the front and then had more troubles later, sending him to the back of the field. This track looked to be right up his alley but small mistakes turn into big mistakes on a track like Indy’s. Hangtown is probably all he can think about.
Justin Barcia had another rough night, finishing fifteenth. I am not sure what is going on with Bam Bam but I do know he is better than where he is finishing. He struggled similarly last season until his breakout ride at Budds Creek turned everything around. He has to be wondering what the key to unlocking that potential could be.
Marvin Musquin missed the Indy round with the sore wrist he sustained in Santa Clara’s practice crash. It’s a bummer for Musquin as he was riding a wave of momentum down the stretch. As we all know, riding injured does no one any good so I think he made the right call in order to ride to his maximum level.
Tyler Bowers just can’t seem to find the magic from a year ago. He came in underprepared due to off season injury and surgery. That just hasn’t sorted itself out yet. He has flashes at times but his main event results just aren’t happening. Audette landing on the podium couldn’t have sat well with him and hopefully will fuel him to rebound in St. Louis.
Bold Predictions:
Malcolm Stewart agrees to be on Dancing with the Stars next season.
I develop some sort of medical issue after overdosing on coffee due to the 7 a.m. track walk.
Hoodlums and thieves protest over the early schedule as it unfairly disallows darkness and the opportunity to steal everyone’s vans, trailers, and bikes from the St. Louis side-streets.
Ken Roczen finally wins after a hell of an effort in recent weeks.
Aaron Plessinger makes it two podiums in a row.
My Picks
250
Malcolm Stewart
Martin Davalos
Aaron Plessinger
450
Ken Roczen
Ryan Dungey
Jason Anderson
