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Supercross & Motocross
SX: Atlanta Race Day Observations
Brandon Short checks in following practice for tonight's Monster Energy Supercross round in Atlanta.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto and TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 8 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from Atlanta, GA will air LIVE on SPEED tonight at 7:30pm ET. #SXonSPEED
The vibe today here in Atlanta is reminiscent of the one that surrounded the opening race of the Monster Energy Supercross season back in January in Anaheim. A capacity crowd is expected to pack the Georgia Dome this evening, meaning nearly 70,000 die hard fans will be cheering on the world’s best riders. You can’t move in the pits, the lines for rider autographs are longer than ever, and by the looks of what we’re seeing out on the track, everyone has brought their A-game south.
A lot of credit needs to go out to Feld Motor Sports and the Dirt Wurx crew for giving us a unique (and hopefully challenging) layout. There is a tough rhythm section on each side of the stadium floor that will make a rider pay for any mistake. There’s a massive wall that leads directly into the deepest sand pit I’ve ever seen, and it looks like there are ample opportunities for someone to run it in hot on the guy in front of him. I think we have the makings of an extremely exciting evening ahead.
The, ahem, “Big Three” are setting the tone in the premier class as expected. I’ve been told that James Stewart has been anticipating tonight’s race for some time because this is the soil and environment he favors. And from the looks of it, he’s feeling really comfortable and it genuinely looks like he’s flying out there.
We all know that Ryan Villopoto couldn’t be in a much better position at this point. A 13-point cushion is nice to have heading toward the season's halfway point, but it will be interesting to see how he approaches tonight. Based on what we’ve seen in practice, he’s not looking to take things safe, laying down the fastest lap of the day and standing as the only rider to break into the 50-second bracket.
However, while he’s the fastest rider in the field to this point, it's hard to guess exactly what he'll do come race time. It becomes a matter of whether it’s smart or no to put himself in a potentially risky position. If he's out quick early, the safest thing might be to run away from the field, but if he's not, he'll have to gauge just how much aggression he can comfortably apply.
He’s not one to lie down, no matter the scenario, but there’s no need to possibly throw away something he’s worked so hard to build. Like every other race this season, the start will be a defining element of how things play out. The holeshot extends nearly the entire length of the floor in Atlanta and then leads into a relatively flat sweeper that is bound to bottleneck each time the gate drops. If you can come out unscathed, you’re in good shape. Keep an eye on how Villopoto and his counterparts emerge from Turn 1 all evening long.
The vibe today here in Atlanta is reminiscent of the one that surrounded the opening race of the Monster Energy Supercross season back in January in Anaheim. A capacity crowd is expected to pack the Georgia Dome this evening, meaning nearly 70,000 die hard fans will be cheering on the world’s best riders. You can’t move in the pits, the lines for rider autographs are longer than ever, and by the looks of what we’re seeing out on the track, everyone has brought their A-game south.
A lot of credit needs to go out to Feld Motor Sports and the Dirt Wurx crew for giving us a unique (and hopefully challenging) layout. There is a tough rhythm section on each side of the stadium floor that will make a rider pay for any mistake. There’s a massive wall that leads directly into the deepest sand pit I’ve ever seen, and it looks like there are ample opportunities for someone to run it in hot on the guy in front of him. I think we have the makings of an extremely exciting evening ahead.
The, ahem, “Big Three” are setting the tone in the premier class as expected. I’ve been told that James Stewart has been anticipating tonight’s race for some time because this is the soil and environment he favors. And from the looks of it, he’s feeling really comfortable and it genuinely looks like he’s flying out there.
We all know that Ryan Villopoto couldn’t be in a much better position at this point. A 13-point cushion is nice to have heading toward the season's halfway point, but it will be interesting to see how he approaches tonight. Based on what we’ve seen in practice, he’s not looking to take things safe, laying down the fastest lap of the day and standing as the only rider to break into the 50-second bracket.
However, while he’s the fastest rider in the field to this point, it's hard to guess exactly what he'll do come race time. It becomes a matter of whether it’s smart or no to put himself in a potentially risky position. If he's out quick early, the safest thing might be to run away from the field, but if he's not, he'll have to gauge just how much aggression he can comfortably apply.
He’s not one to lie down, no matter the scenario, but there’s no need to possibly throw away something he’s worked so hard to build. Like every other race this season, the start will be a defining element of how things play out. The holeshot extends nearly the entire length of the floor in Atlanta and then leads into a relatively flat sweeper that is bound to bottleneck each time the gate drops. If you can come out unscathed, you’re in good shape. Keep an eye on how Villopoto and his counterparts emerge from Turn 1 all evening long.
SX Seattle
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