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Supercross & Motocross
AMA MX: The Holeshot - Hangtown
There is no substitute for raw speed and superior talent as James Stewart demonstrated with his 1-1 maiden effort for Yoshimura Suzuki.
Yoshimura Suzuki's James Stewart (Photo: Suzuki Racing)
With just two weeks separating the Supercross and motocross seasons, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship really has a tendency to sneak up on you. Last weekend, the Hangtown Classic kicked off a summer of expected drama and did not disappoint.
Even though it’s been three years since he competed outdoors full time, James Stewart demonstrated that he has not lost a step. The 2008 champ was on top of the charts all day long, and to be honest, it didn’t look like anyone was capable of providing much resistance.
Stewart’s whirlwind “offseason” between the two championships was an incredibly busy 14 days. He officially left Joe Gibbs Racing the weekend of the Supercross finale in Las Vegas and then confirmed the worst kept secret in the industry by joining the Factory Suzuki effort days later.
Logic would suggest that such limited time on an unfamiliar motorcycle would prevent a rider from contending initially -- let alone dominate both motos -- but that’s precisely what Stewart did on Saturday.
The performances reaffirmed Stewart’s belief that the Suzuki suits his style perfectly and made clear to the masses why he elected to make the move.
While Stewart’s contract with Suzuki doesn’t 'officially' begin until the 2013 season, he was eager to get back to the championship in which he made history in 2008 with his perfect season (and the battleground in which he happens to be the winningest 125cc/250cc rider of all time).
I don’t think anyone ever doubted that Stewart would be fast, despite being away for so long. A great talent like that doesn’t lose speed so easily, particularly in a discipline that he grew up riding -- and it’s not as if Stewart hasn’t still spent countless hours riding motocross tracks during his downtime. However, the lack of competition combined with a race pace that pushes for 35 minutes per moto in hot conditions (not to mention the the ups and downs he recently experienced in Supercross) left some wondering how it would all pan out.
By Saturday evening, it was as if Stewart had never been away.
Ryan Dungey did well to keep Stewart honest in the second moto, and, had it not been for a poor start in the opening moto, who knows what might have been. While it didn’t look as though Dungey had enough juice to get past Stewart, he surely was able to keep pace and it has been proven that his supreme fitness tends to give him an edge in the late stages of the day. Stewart may have drew first blood in this battle, but don’t expect Dungey to back down.
While it Stewart's immediate excellence on the Suzuki was remarkable, the same should be said for Dungey as well, piloting the KTM for the first time in motocross. The orange machine proved itself indoors and although he didn’t get a win on Saturday, Dungey quickly flashed its potential outdoors as well. His ride in the first moto was exceptional. He started the race outside of the top 10, which could have easily spelt disaster in a race that only gets harder as time wears on, but continued to dice his way up through the field and chip away at his competitors. By the tail end of the moto he put himself in position to land on the podium and did just that, salvaging a decent result out of his poor start and putting himself in position to potentially secure the overall.
It's only been one stop on the slate, but already the season seems destined to be a back-and-forth dogfight between Stewart and Dungey.
Even though it’s been three years since he competed outdoors full time, James Stewart demonstrated that he has not lost a step. The 2008 champ was on top of the charts all day long, and to be honest, it didn’t look like anyone was capable of providing much resistance.
Stewart’s whirlwind “offseason” between the two championships was an incredibly busy 14 days. He officially left Joe Gibbs Racing the weekend of the Supercross finale in Las Vegas and then confirmed the worst kept secret in the industry by joining the Factory Suzuki effort days later.
Logic would suggest that such limited time on an unfamiliar motorcycle would prevent a rider from contending initially -- let alone dominate both motos -- but that’s precisely what Stewart did on Saturday.
The performances reaffirmed Stewart’s belief that the Suzuki suits his style perfectly and made clear to the masses why he elected to make the move.
While Stewart’s contract with Suzuki doesn’t 'officially' begin until the 2013 season, he was eager to get back to the championship in which he made history in 2008 with his perfect season (and the battleground in which he happens to be the winningest 125cc/250cc rider of all time).
I don’t think anyone ever doubted that Stewart would be fast, despite being away for so long. A great talent like that doesn’t lose speed so easily, particularly in a discipline that he grew up riding -- and it’s not as if Stewart hasn’t still spent countless hours riding motocross tracks during his downtime. However, the lack of competition combined with a race pace that pushes for 35 minutes per moto in hot conditions (not to mention the the ups and downs he recently experienced in Supercross) left some wondering how it would all pan out.
By Saturday evening, it was as if Stewart had never been away.
Ryan Dungey did well to keep Stewart honest in the second moto, and, had it not been for a poor start in the opening moto, who knows what might have been. While it didn’t look as though Dungey had enough juice to get past Stewart, he surely was able to keep pace and it has been proven that his supreme fitness tends to give him an edge in the late stages of the day. Stewart may have drew first blood in this battle, but don’t expect Dungey to back down.
While it Stewart's immediate excellence on the Suzuki was remarkable, the same should be said for Dungey as well, piloting the KTM for the first time in motocross. The orange machine proved itself indoors and although he didn’t get a win on Saturday, Dungey quickly flashed its potential outdoors as well. His ride in the first moto was exceptional. He started the race outside of the top 10, which could have easily spelt disaster in a race that only gets harder as time wears on, but continued to dice his way up through the field and chip away at his competitors. By the tail end of the moto he put himself in position to land on the podium and did just that, salvaging a decent result out of his poor start and putting himself in position to potentially secure the overall.
It's only been one stop on the slate, but already the season seems destined to be a back-and-forth dogfight between Stewart and Dungey.
SX Seattle
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