Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey (Photo: Simon Cudby)

The tricky track also resulted in some scary moments for several others including Dungey. In his heat race, Dungey was launched off the track when another rider went down in front of him. He was unhurt and re-entered the race, but it proved to be a preview of the frustration to come for the KTM rider. After escaping through the LCQ (in second place), Dungey had the last gate pick in the Main Event and got caught up in a first-turn incident as a result. He still managed to claw his way to eighth, but it wasn’t what he needed or hoped for. Mark Anaheim 2 as a bounce back event for Dungey.

Chad Reed was steady yet again, positioning himself in the upper half of the field and logging a consistent 20 laps en route to fourth. Last week I said that Reed will be racing his way into shape and I still am a firm believer of that. Come the tail end of this first West Coast swing, Reed should be more of a factor, but he’s going to need to continue to dial in his new Honda in order to get it on the level of his red-mounted compatriots, Barcia and Canard, who are both meshing with their bikes.

Once again, James Stewart was the fastest qualifier in Phoenix. He even backed it up with a heat race win. However, a mid-pack start stalled Stewart’s progress from the get-go and he didn’t look as though he had the drive to move forward. The knee has to be bothering Stewart because the zip we’re accustomed to from him hasn’t been there. There’s no doubt that the speed is still in him, but a 20-lap Main appears to be a demanding task with his ailing knee. Could things get better? Only time will tell, but if Stewart is able to hover around the top five like he has been, he could very well stay in the hunt. At this point, he’s tied with Villopoto and Andrew Short in the points.

Somebody (namely Ken Roczen) better step up and stop the impending freight train that is Eli Tomac. In two 250SX rounds, Tomac has been much faster than any of his rivals. In the past, starts have hampered Tomac’s ability to win with regularity, but so far this season he’s been on the money. The more he does that, the harder it's going to be for anyone to stop him. Roczen has the ability, but he hasn’t had good starts and thus isn’t able to learn the pace of Tomac. If he’s able to start with Tomac, it will be fun to watch.

Fun Fact: Tomac currently has nine career wins. If he’s able to run the table this season and win all eight races, which at this point has to be considered possible, he’d end his 250SX career with 15 victories. That would place him in a tie for second on the all-time wins list. Pretty incredible considering Tomac has matured into the racer he is today, compared to other “it” riders that have come before him destined for greatness. It’s in Tomac’s genes to be exceptional at his craft and we’re seeing him begin to reach his potential right now.

The third round of the season might be more anticipated than ever before based on how this season has opened. Can one of the former champs emerge victorious or will Millsaps, Barcia, or even Canard keep the “underdogs” on top?