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Supercross & Motocross
EMIG: Villopoto Still In Charge
SPEED's Jeff Emig writes that while Ryan Dungey did exactly what he needed to last weekend in Atlanta, Ryan Villopoto is still the man to beat.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 9 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from St. Louis, MO will air LIVE on SPEED Saturday, March 3 at 8:30pm ET. #SXonSPEED
We were treated to great competition all night, in every race last weekend in Atlanta. When I look back on it, the Lites Main Event was the only race where the primary battle wasn't for the lead, but that was still a really competitive race for the podium. There were over 70,000 fans in attendance and well over half a million people watching our live broadcast on SPEED. Sounds like a pretty good night of Supercross racing if you ask me.
Ryan Dungey executed the race just like he needed to. He put the pressure on the other title contenders to step up and do something special (and possibly make a mistake along the way). But don't get too confused the result, Villopoto is still the man. Everyone else on the gate has a ways to go before they put him in a pressure situation. But we are only at the halfway point, and you can lose the points lead just as fast as you got it.
The biggest thing that James Stewart did right in Atlanta was not fall down or crash all day. It would have been really hard to build Rome if you worked on it six days straight and then crushed it on the seventh day. James is out of this title chase unless the leaders run into major problems, and I don't see that happening. It will be interesting to see if he starts to lay a foundation for success and wins again this season.
To be honest, I thought Jake Weimer and Justin Brayton would have notched more podiums by now. Justin has been riding with a fractured bone in his lower leg, so I give him a reprieve, but Weimer is expected to be there with teammate Villopoto.
Cole Seely's impressive ride at Atlanta was just what I expected him to do. He has a tremendous amount of talent and speed on the motorcycle, combined with a little chip on his shoulder, which to me is the right combination for success. If he limited his bad days, he would be a title contender at every level.
Justin Barcia has really matured this year -- you can see it in his riding. He's not so 'busy' on the bike. I can tell he has put in the work necessary to succeed. That said, we have yet to see how he handles adversity this year.
Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett should be the guys to answer that call to challenge Barcia consistently. Both have the capability to ride as fast -- if not faster -- than anyone on the track on any given night. So with a holeshot they could take control of the main, grab the full 25 points for the win, and put some pressure on Barcia. I’ve also got to tell you, Barcia's new rookie teammate, Justin Bogle, may just be the man to provide the champ with something to think about.
I have always felt that the tracks built in football stadiums are made for better passing. The 180-degree turn is an iconic track feature of our sport because of the block passing, falls, and outright slams that it produces. And for the most part, the football stadiums have more 180s, along with a controlled environment, which isn't a bad thing when you’re crisscrossing the country in the winter and early spring.
I’m looking forward to seeing what else these riders have in store for us, because the first half of the season has been pretty incredible to watch unfold.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
We were treated to great competition all night, in every race last weekend in Atlanta. When I look back on it, the Lites Main Event was the only race where the primary battle wasn't for the lead, but that was still a really competitive race for the podium. There were over 70,000 fans in attendance and well over half a million people watching our live broadcast on SPEED. Sounds like a pretty good night of Supercross racing if you ask me.
Ryan Dungey executed the race just like he needed to. He put the pressure on the other title contenders to step up and do something special (and possibly make a mistake along the way). But don't get too confused the result, Villopoto is still the man. Everyone else on the gate has a ways to go before they put him in a pressure situation. But we are only at the halfway point, and you can lose the points lead just as fast as you got it.
The biggest thing that James Stewart did right in Atlanta was not fall down or crash all day. It would have been really hard to build Rome if you worked on it six days straight and then crushed it on the seventh day. James is out of this title chase unless the leaders run into major problems, and I don't see that happening. It will be interesting to see if he starts to lay a foundation for success and wins again this season.
To be honest, I thought Jake Weimer and Justin Brayton would have notched more podiums by now. Justin has been riding with a fractured bone in his lower leg, so I give him a reprieve, but Weimer is expected to be there with teammate Villopoto.
Cole Seely's impressive ride at Atlanta was just what I expected him to do. He has a tremendous amount of talent and speed on the motorcycle, combined with a little chip on his shoulder, which to me is the right combination for success. If he limited his bad days, he would be a title contender at every level.
Justin Barcia has really matured this year -- you can see it in his riding. He's not so 'busy' on the bike. I can tell he has put in the work necessary to succeed. That said, we have yet to see how he handles adversity this year.
Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett should be the guys to answer that call to challenge Barcia consistently. Both have the capability to ride as fast -- if not faster -- than anyone on the track on any given night. So with a holeshot they could take control of the main, grab the full 25 points for the win, and put some pressure on Barcia. I’ve also got to tell you, Barcia's new rookie teammate, Justin Bogle, may just be the man to provide the champ with something to think about.
I have always felt that the tracks built in football stadiums are made for better passing. The 180-degree turn is an iconic track feature of our sport because of the block passing, falls, and outright slams that it produces. And for the most part, the football stadiums have more 180s, along with a controlled environment, which isn't a bad thing when you’re crisscrossing the country in the winter and early spring.
I’m looking forward to seeing what else these riders have in store for us, because the first half of the season has been pretty incredible to watch unfold.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
SX Seattle
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