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Supercross & Motocross
SX: The Holeshot - St. Louis
The always wild St. Louis Supercross lived up to the hype once again and set the stage for an intense second half.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Kawasaki Racing)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Daytona Supercross will air LIVE on SPEED on Saturday, March 9th at 7:30pm ET.
With St. Louis serving as the official halfway point of the 2013 season, there was something of an added level of tension out on the track last Saturday night. With eight races down, the ninth main event represented 'go time' for virtually the entire field. With half a championship under their belts to dial in the bikes and their respective programs, St. Louis was an opportunity for everyone to demonstrate what they have in store for the run down the stretch.
As expected, all of the big guns -- particularly the four former champions -- rose to the occasion. For the first time in 2013, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart, Chad Reed, and Ryan Dungey claimed the first four spots, with Villopoto emerging with his fourth win of the year. If someone would have said prior to the season that it would take this long before these four riders paced the field, most would have called them crazy. However, the depth of the 2013 class has more than lived up to the hype, becoming perhaps the single most competitive season in history.
As the “Big Four” stepped up, Davi Millsaps stumbled, failing to make the podium for just the second time this season. More significantly, he posted his worst result of the year on the same night his nearest title rival took the checkered flag. As a result, only 12 points sit between these two riders with eight rounds still remaining. Millsaps’ once comfortable points lead and unmatched momentum are not so comfortable or unmatched, potentially forcing him to consider a more defensive approach in the races ahead.
Millsaps did not ride as a lower level in St. Louis. In fact, he was probably as fast as he’s been all season. His lap times were essentially on par with those of Villopoto. However, a bad start, combined with strong starts from virtually all of his toughest competitors, ultimately resulted in a solid night and solid finish, but a costly one in terms of the big picture.
All season long, every rider but Millsaps has experienced how difficult it is to even post a top-five finish following a bad start while pit up against such an incredibly talented field. We’ve seen riders known for their ability to dominate find trouble just working up through the field. Millsaps was able to avoid this struggle by almost always starting in the top four, immediately slotting into podium contention. Based on racing logic, Millsaps was inevitably going to have to deal with it at some point and St. Louis was that time. It just happened earlier than Millsaps would have hoped.
As we head into the second half of the year, the championship has renewed excitement with the reigning double champ closing in. Villopoto is the series' back-to-back king for a reason and he probably smells blood in the water now. What has vaulted Villopoto into the position to be able to rightfully claim that he's "the best rider on the planet" is his killer instinct. If you’ve been to a race this season, you’ve seen that represented by his Terminator-themed intro video for opening ceremonies. He’s been on a mission since faltering at the opening round, but now things have intensified.
The focus has shifted squarely to Millsaps and how he responds to the added pressure. He hasn’t given in to any of the anxiousness or nervousness that might come with being the points leader thus far, and you have to think last week's result won’t phase him either. After all, it was still a good ride and decent finish. However, now the championship heads to the true wild card event of the year -- Daytona. Who knows what could happen on Saturday night?
With St. Louis serving as the official halfway point of the 2013 season, there was something of an added level of tension out on the track last Saturday night. With eight races down, the ninth main event represented 'go time' for virtually the entire field. With half a championship under their belts to dial in the bikes and their respective programs, St. Louis was an opportunity for everyone to demonstrate what they have in store for the run down the stretch.
As expected, all of the big guns -- particularly the four former champions -- rose to the occasion. For the first time in 2013, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart, Chad Reed, and Ryan Dungey claimed the first four spots, with Villopoto emerging with his fourth win of the year. If someone would have said prior to the season that it would take this long before these four riders paced the field, most would have called them crazy. However, the depth of the 2013 class has more than lived up to the hype, becoming perhaps the single most competitive season in history.
As the “Big Four” stepped up, Davi Millsaps stumbled, failing to make the podium for just the second time this season. More significantly, he posted his worst result of the year on the same night his nearest title rival took the checkered flag. As a result, only 12 points sit between these two riders with eight rounds still remaining. Millsaps’ once comfortable points lead and unmatched momentum are not so comfortable or unmatched, potentially forcing him to consider a more defensive approach in the races ahead.
Millsaps did not ride as a lower level in St. Louis. In fact, he was probably as fast as he’s been all season. His lap times were essentially on par with those of Villopoto. However, a bad start, combined with strong starts from virtually all of his toughest competitors, ultimately resulted in a solid night and solid finish, but a costly one in terms of the big picture.
All season long, every rider but Millsaps has experienced how difficult it is to even post a top-five finish following a bad start while pit up against such an incredibly talented field. We’ve seen riders known for their ability to dominate find trouble just working up through the field. Millsaps was able to avoid this struggle by almost always starting in the top four, immediately slotting into podium contention. Based on racing logic, Millsaps was inevitably going to have to deal with it at some point and St. Louis was that time. It just happened earlier than Millsaps would have hoped.
As we head into the second half of the year, the championship has renewed excitement with the reigning double champ closing in. Villopoto is the series' back-to-back king for a reason and he probably smells blood in the water now. What has vaulted Villopoto into the position to be able to rightfully claim that he's "the best rider on the planet" is his killer instinct. If you’ve been to a race this season, you’ve seen that represented by his Terminator-themed intro video for opening ceremonies. He’s been on a mission since faltering at the opening round, but now things have intensified.
The focus has shifted squarely to Millsaps and how he responds to the added pressure. He hasn’t given in to any of the anxiousness or nervousness that might come with being the points leader thus far, and you have to think last week's result won’t phase him either. After all, it was still a good ride and decent finish. However, now the championship heads to the true wild card event of the year -- Daytona. Who knows what could happen on Saturday night?
SX Seattle
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