Fun to have not one but two big off-season races, with the Vancouver Round of World Supercross (Eli Tomac’s Red Bull KTM debut!) and the Paris Supercross (Malcolm Stewart dominates) taking place over the weekend. Here’s a few things we learned:
Vancouver
Eli Tomac Can Ride a KTM Quite Well:
In his first race on a Red Bull KTM, Eli Tomac didn’t just win the FIM WSX GP of Canada in Vancouver, he looked good doing it. He pulled great starts all night, and he put the bike to the test in a series of huge speed duels with Ken Roczen. On slippery dirt, steep jumps and tough whoops, this was far from an easy cruise, and Eli overcame a few mistakes to net the win. Even the mistakes were okay to see, because it meant he was pushing the pace and dealing with very tough conditions (the Vancouver dirt, as always, is very slick). That all means he collected some great data on his new machine. That’s a win and a win of another kind for Eli and his new team.
KTM Is All In:
Sure, the race took place in North America so that makes logistics easier, but still, it’s encouraging to see Team Manager Ian Harrison and the whole KTM race squad up in Canada to back Tomac’s effort. The crew seems pumped on the opportunity to work with a legend like Tomac, and Eli himself sure seems happy. Very few growing pains, very positive vibes. This partnership is off to a great start.
Jason Anderson is Getting Better:
Following a season marred by health issues, Jason Anderson is trying to find his fitness and form while adjusting to the Progressive Suzuki. He admitted that had WSX started on its original round one date, in October, he would have been in big trouble. Instead, round one got pushed back, Anderson got a few more weeks and…he still wasn’t up to par at the Argentina opener. A week later, in Vancouver, he was much, much better. Not quite Tomac and Roczen level, but better.
Ken Roczen is Still Ken Roczen:
Not that there were any doubts of this one. Roczen versus Tomac has been great theater for over a dozen years now, and Vancouver was just another chapter. The second race, with Roczen leading and Tomac trying to catch him, was another classic. Eli ended up with the Canada win, but Kenny was just as fast. Change the order on the starts and Kenny might have gotten the win. Always good to see these two set for more time at the top level.
Max Anstie is Just Good:
In Canada, another SX2 sweep for Max makes it look like an easy night. It was not. The Brit was sick all week and came into Vancouver at less than full strength. This was just an effort to secure points and keep his championship going, and he more than did that by winning everything.
Shane McElrath is Searching:
Shane and Max have been the top 250cc riders in WSX the last few years, but this year has been a struggle for Shane thus far. His team had some bike issues in Vancouver. Maybe that was the issue in Argentina, also? Whatever the reason, McElrath needs to get back to his old level to have a shot at defending his title. Right now, he’s getting shoved off the podium by others. See below.
Coty Shock Never Stops Improving:
There was a time long ago when Coty Schock looked to have no business on a supercross track, especially in the whoops. We’re not kidding. He was scary to watch! He’s come so, so far over the last five years, to the point to where we once named him Racer X’s Most Improved rider in supercross. These days he’s a legit 250 podium guy. Could he get a race win? In WSX, at least, he’s getting close, pushing Anstie at times. Yes, Max was less than 100 percent but the building process for Schock (who races for Rick Ware Racing Arby’s in WSX and ClubMX in the U.S.) is impressive. More speed, more control, more confidence plus, Coty’s talent is getting the attention of ClubMX stalwarts like Chad Reed and Justin Brayton, who are eager to help him. Because everyone loves Coty!
Paris
Just Give Malcolm Stewart a Set of Whoops:
You can’t really compare Malcolm to Eli since they were racing on different continents, but just humor us here. Tomac is a legend with hall-of-fame accolades. Let’s just give Malcolm some shine and say that for one weekend he was the Fastest Man on the Planet. Sound good? Sounds good! You know, there was one other race were Malcolm had this kind of speed, when he ran down Chase Sexton in Tampa earlier this year. You know what Paris and Tampa had in common? Insane whoop sections. Everyone who raced Paris said this was the biggest set they had ever seen there. Malcolm eats whoops like that for breakfast! He also ate up the competition. He also said he had only ridden six times since his SMX Playoff injury and didn’t think he was ready. Then he does this. Give the man some whoops! It cures everything!
Jett Lawrence is Human:
Never, ever read too much into an off-season race like Paris, as riders always arrive in completely different states of readiness, and on different levels of equipment. Hey, maybe the Lawrences used the last month as (much deserved) time off. Hey, the Lawrences didn’t even have factory engines or their full race bikes. So, let’s not overstate the fact that Jett got straight up beat at times by Malcolm Stewart. BUT. I think many thought Jett could show up off the couch on any bike and still win at this point. Don’t take it from us, here’s what none other than the Monster Energy Supercross Champion [Cooper Webb] had to say:
“I came here expecting Jett to be on that level, which don't get me wrong, I'm sure in January or next week he can get there, no problem. He's a specimen. But it is cool to kind of see like, ‘Hey, there are multiple guys that can go even faster, this is the pace’ and yeah Malcolm’s a little older than me, right?”
Encouragement comes in all kinds, and athletes will always look for the positives. Having said all that, we doubt Jett is worried, by the way.
Cooper Webb Does Cooper Webb Things:
Ken Roczen hauling in short sprint races in WSX is so perfect for Kenny. Cooper Webb is the exact opposite kind of rider, so actually Cooper grabbing second overall in Paris is actually so perfect for him. Coop won King of Paris last year, but Jett Lawrence was faster, he just crashed it away. This year Malcolm was faster than Coop but didn’t crash. Still, this is exactly where Coop wants to be. He watches, he learns, he stays in the hunt and uses all of that knowledge when the AMA points are on the line. We can say this: he has looked way, way worse in Paris before and still came out swinging at Anaheim.
