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Supercross & Motocross
SX: The Holeshot - Anaheim 2
It was only a matter of time before Ryan Villopoto broke through for a win. Now it’s up to his rivals to keep him from taking hold of the championship.
Monster Energy Kawaski's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Kawasaki Racing)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 4 of the 2013 Monster Energy Western Regional 250SX Class Championship from Oakland will air on SPEED on Sunday, January 27th at 5:00pm ET.
You could see it coming. The uncharacteristic performance Ryan Villopoto registered at the season opener was just a bad night, something every single professional athlete experiences at times during their career. The following week in Phoenix, he was the RV of old, overcoming all obstacles and bulldogging his way to a runner-up finish. And finally, after what felt like an eternity even if it was only Round 3, Villopoto captured his first win of the 2013 season and did so rather convincingly.
It’s almost as if an early hole to dig out of works in favor of Villopoto. Motivation has never been an issue for the Kawasaki rider, but now when he's on track there's an added bit of urgency; he has ground to make up if he’s going to become the fourth rider in history to win a trifecta of titles in succession.
The return visit to Anaheim was vintage Villopoto. He got a solid start and before long he was riding Trey Canard’s rear fender for the lead. And once out front, he checked out and left the entire 450SX field on high alert. The sleeping giant is awake.
This weekend in Oakland could be a pivotal round of the developing championship. The momentum is now with Villopoto despite him still sitting fourth in points, 11 out of the lead. We all know what Villopoto is capable of, and nobody understands that more clearly than his rivals.
With a win under his belt and the points lead, Davi Millsaps simply needs to keep it on the box. Trey Canard has played the role of bridesmaid too often this season already and just wants to get a win. He’s been the best rider who has yet to capture a main event this season and it seems to be just a matter of time with the consistent speed he's displayed. Knowing that he’s been so close at each round this season should compel Canard to push even harder during the week. Keep an eye out for him Saturday night.
As for the likes of Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey, they’re currently headed in opposite directions. Since the opening round, Reed has done nothing but progress, finally securing his first podium result of the season at Anaheim 2. Reed’s starting to figure it out, and he’s going to be one of the more intriguing riders to watch as the season moves on. There may not be a rider better than the veteran at sneaking up to the front and it sure looks like that’s what is starting to unfold.
As for Dungey, he can’t seem to shake his bad luck. He’s been caught up in matters not of his own doing the last two weeks in his heat races, which have all but erased his chances in the main event. Getting a good start is paramount these days and when he’s starting on the outside, it becomes unlikely that even a rider of Dungey's caliber will find a way to run up front. Lady Luck has smiled on Dungey for a big portion of his career and because he’s so consistent, he’s bound to recover from this. However, he’s already given up his cushion over Villopoto in the championship, which means he needs to turn things around immediately if he’s going to keep pace.
Justin Barcia experienced the polar ends of the emotional spectrum over the last two weeks. After dominating en route to his first career 450SX win in Phoenix and hinting that he may actually be a legitimate title threat, Barcia looked like a rookie in Anaheim, coming up way short on a triple and slamming his face into the handlebars of his Honda.
He pulled off with blood dripping from his nose and eyebrow and has suggested he might be dealing with a broken nose for a while. In a matter of one week, Barcia’s stock went from being the highest it could possibly be, to taking a huge hit. The injury shouldn’t keep him out of action, but we’ll have to see how his soreness will affect his ability to compete at a race-winning level.
James Stewart confirmed that he has a torn ACL last week, but he will not bow out of competition to get it fixed as that would more than likely bring an end to his entire 2013 season. Stewart was definitely banking on this year to be a comeback campaign of sorts, returning to the form that we are all so accustomed to seeing. And while that plan has definitely been hindered, it's admirable to see him continue to give it a go out there.
You could see it coming. The uncharacteristic performance Ryan Villopoto registered at the season opener was just a bad night, something every single professional athlete experiences at times during their career. The following week in Phoenix, he was the RV of old, overcoming all obstacles and bulldogging his way to a runner-up finish. And finally, after what felt like an eternity even if it was only Round 3, Villopoto captured his first win of the 2013 season and did so rather convincingly.
It’s almost as if an early hole to dig out of works in favor of Villopoto. Motivation has never been an issue for the Kawasaki rider, but now when he's on track there's an added bit of urgency; he has ground to make up if he’s going to become the fourth rider in history to win a trifecta of titles in succession.
The return visit to Anaheim was vintage Villopoto. He got a solid start and before long he was riding Trey Canard’s rear fender for the lead. And once out front, he checked out and left the entire 450SX field on high alert. The sleeping giant is awake.
This weekend in Oakland could be a pivotal round of the developing championship. The momentum is now with Villopoto despite him still sitting fourth in points, 11 out of the lead. We all know what Villopoto is capable of, and nobody understands that more clearly than his rivals.
With a win under his belt and the points lead, Davi Millsaps simply needs to keep it on the box. Trey Canard has played the role of bridesmaid too often this season already and just wants to get a win. He’s been the best rider who has yet to capture a main event this season and it seems to be just a matter of time with the consistent speed he's displayed. Knowing that he’s been so close at each round this season should compel Canard to push even harder during the week. Keep an eye out for him Saturday night.
As for the likes of Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey, they’re currently headed in opposite directions. Since the opening round, Reed has done nothing but progress, finally securing his first podium result of the season at Anaheim 2. Reed’s starting to figure it out, and he’s going to be one of the more intriguing riders to watch as the season moves on. There may not be a rider better than the veteran at sneaking up to the front and it sure looks like that’s what is starting to unfold.
As for Dungey, he can’t seem to shake his bad luck. He’s been caught up in matters not of his own doing the last two weeks in his heat races, which have all but erased his chances in the main event. Getting a good start is paramount these days and when he’s starting on the outside, it becomes unlikely that even a rider of Dungey's caliber will find a way to run up front. Lady Luck has smiled on Dungey for a big portion of his career and because he’s so consistent, he’s bound to recover from this. However, he’s already given up his cushion over Villopoto in the championship, which means he needs to turn things around immediately if he’s going to keep pace.
Justin Barcia experienced the polar ends of the emotional spectrum over the last two weeks. After dominating en route to his first career 450SX win in Phoenix and hinting that he may actually be a legitimate title threat, Barcia looked like a rookie in Anaheim, coming up way short on a triple and slamming his face into the handlebars of his Honda.
He pulled off with blood dripping from his nose and eyebrow and has suggested he might be dealing with a broken nose for a while. In a matter of one week, Barcia’s stock went from being the highest it could possibly be, to taking a huge hit. The injury shouldn’t keep him out of action, but we’ll have to see how his soreness will affect his ability to compete at a race-winning level.
James Stewart confirmed that he has a torn ACL last week, but he will not bow out of competition to get it fixed as that would more than likely bring an end to his entire 2013 season. Stewart was definitely banking on this year to be a comeback campaign of sorts, returning to the form that we are all so accustomed to seeing. And while that plan has definitely been hindered, it's admirable to see him continue to give it a go out there.
SX Seattle
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