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Supercross & Motocross
SX: Monster Million’s High Rollers
Can Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, or Chad Reed claim the Monster Million, and are there any underdogs in the field capable of springing an upset?
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopto and TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Monster Energy Cup from Las Vegas, NV will air LIVE on SPEED and SPEED2 on Saturday, October 20th at 10:00pm ET. Free practice will air on SPEED.com at 3:30pm ET.
In just a matter of hours, the official pre-race press conference will kick off the festivities for tomorrow evening's Monster Energy Cup. With the sport’s biggest names expected to speak, the conference will also serve as the unveiling of this year’s Ricky Carmichael-designed Motocross/Supercross hybrid track. Fans looking to get an early taste of what lies ahead can watch it all via live online stream.
With so many new contracts coming into effect this weekend, the Monster Energy Cup serves as an ideal opportunity to make formal announcements and flash a preview of what lies ahead for the 2013 season. The biggest news thus far came out this morning with the official announcement that 450cc rookie Dean Wilson will ride for Jeff Ward Racing next year. While this would typically be followed up with Dean making his maiden voyage aboard the big bike tomorrow, his surgically-repaired shoulder is still on the mend and Wilson will unfortunately be sitting idle until January at Anaheim.
Other newsworthy topics include the retro 2013 line-up sported by Joe Gibbs Racing featuring Justin Brayton and Josh Grant, who each rode for the team back in 2010, Davi Millsaps making his move to Rockstar Energy Suzuki official, and a myriad of riders aligning themselves with new gear sponsors, which has its own unique niche interest similar to paint schemes in NASCAR.
While the unofficial start of the 2013 season is no doubt the underlying storyline of the Monster Energy Cup, it all really boils down to whether or not someone can win that coveted Monster Million. With Ryan Villopoto accomplishing the daunting task in its first go around, the million dollar prize has become a very real expectation for some riders, the headlining trio of Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, and Chad Reed in particular.
The odds swayed heavily into Villopoto’s favor in the inaugural Monster Energy Cup. He had been riding his 2012 Kawasaki since August while most of his competitors were still on 2011 machines. Dungey -- his biggest concern -- was racing aboard a KTM for the very first time after signing with the manufacturer a couple weeks prior. And several of the sport’s biggest names chose to forego the event, unsure of what to expect. When you look back at it, betting on RV to win the million really didn’t have that much risk involved. Nevertheless, winning three consecutive main events on the toughest stadium track ever designed without the slightest bit of a hitch is no mean feat, and RV was as dialed in as ever that night a year ago.
But Villopoto faces a considerably more difficult route to repeating his million dollar effort in the second annual Monster Energy. In fact, I’m not convinced the million will be in play at all this year given the competition. Let’s lay it all out.
Based purely on the fact that he’s the defending Supercross Champion and a Monster Million winner, Villopoto must be considered the favorite, even if tomorrow night will be his first race in six months. There hasn’t been a rider who bounces back from adversity better than Villopoto in recent years. As a reminder -- less than a year removed from a severe leg break, RV went out and won the Supercross and Motocross titles in 2011. His latest setback just adds to his drive to dominate and when you factor in the all-out nature of this track, it lends itself to RV’s high-speed, high-momentum style.
In just a matter of hours, the official pre-race press conference will kick off the festivities for tomorrow evening's Monster Energy Cup. With the sport’s biggest names expected to speak, the conference will also serve as the unveiling of this year’s Ricky Carmichael-designed Motocross/Supercross hybrid track. Fans looking to get an early taste of what lies ahead can watch it all via live online stream.
With so many new contracts coming into effect this weekend, the Monster Energy Cup serves as an ideal opportunity to make formal announcements and flash a preview of what lies ahead for the 2013 season. The biggest news thus far came out this morning with the official announcement that 450cc rookie Dean Wilson will ride for Jeff Ward Racing next year. While this would typically be followed up with Dean making his maiden voyage aboard the big bike tomorrow, his surgically-repaired shoulder is still on the mend and Wilson will unfortunately be sitting idle until January at Anaheim.
Other newsworthy topics include the retro 2013 line-up sported by Joe Gibbs Racing featuring Justin Brayton and Josh Grant, who each rode for the team back in 2010, Davi Millsaps making his move to Rockstar Energy Suzuki official, and a myriad of riders aligning themselves with new gear sponsors, which has its own unique niche interest similar to paint schemes in NASCAR.
While the unofficial start of the 2013 season is no doubt the underlying storyline of the Monster Energy Cup, it all really boils down to whether or not someone can win that coveted Monster Million. With Ryan Villopoto accomplishing the daunting task in its first go around, the million dollar prize has become a very real expectation for some riders, the headlining trio of Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, and Chad Reed in particular.
The odds swayed heavily into Villopoto’s favor in the inaugural Monster Energy Cup. He had been riding his 2012 Kawasaki since August while most of his competitors were still on 2011 machines. Dungey -- his biggest concern -- was racing aboard a KTM for the very first time after signing with the manufacturer a couple weeks prior. And several of the sport’s biggest names chose to forego the event, unsure of what to expect. When you look back at it, betting on RV to win the million really didn’t have that much risk involved. Nevertheless, winning three consecutive main events on the toughest stadium track ever designed without the slightest bit of a hitch is no mean feat, and RV was as dialed in as ever that night a year ago.
But Villopoto faces a considerably more difficult route to repeating his million dollar effort in the second annual Monster Energy. In fact, I’m not convinced the million will be in play at all this year given the competition. Let’s lay it all out.
Based purely on the fact that he’s the defending Supercross Champion and a Monster Million winner, Villopoto must be considered the favorite, even if tomorrow night will be his first race in six months. There hasn’t been a rider who bounces back from adversity better than Villopoto in recent years. As a reminder -- less than a year removed from a severe leg break, RV went out and won the Supercross and Motocross titles in 2011. His latest setback just adds to his drive to dominate and when you factor in the all-out nature of this track, it lends itself to RV’s high-speed, high-momentum style.
SX Seattle
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