Riders that coulda, woulda

AndrewVA_949
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AndrewVA_949 9/11/2018 9:30pm
9/11/2018 9:30pm
zookrider62! wrote:
What injuries did JLaw have?
plowboy wrote:
He was born with a crainial/rectal inversion...his head was in his ass. Too bad, cause he could fly.
CG118 wrote:
Plowboy.
I laughed out loud when I read that.

Jlaw was FAST, but had a 10cent head.
Was at REM a few years ago when JLAW decided to show up. Granted its just a local race with the really fast guys being local pros....but it was very, very far from it being even remotely close. How fast he was going was just unreal. His 450 sounded like a 250 bouncing off of the rev limiter all day
braaaaaaaapp 9/11/2018 9:33pm
9/11/2018 9:33pm
Agree with most of these ahead of mine but Casey Johnson will be the one ill add to the list that hasn’t been named. The 1999 west coast sx title was his to lose that year... sucks that he did. He’s honestly one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and one of my favorite riders ever.
1
BigDaddyG 9/11/2018 9:53pm
9/11/2018 9:53pm
Lots of names in here that are good dudes. A few that come to mind for me are Mike Pascarella, Eddie Hicks and a few years back Landon Currier who was killing it in the amateurs.
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TG130
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TG130 9/11/2018 10:07pm
9/11/2018 10:07pm
Bob Hannah. He was the RC of his day and would have had many more titles and wins under his belt if he had not hung out with Marty Tripes that one day. He missed a whole year of his prime and didn't get back to his winning ways until he joined team Honda and then got hurt again and again for the rest of his career.
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Doddy
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Doddy 9/11/2018 10:58pm
9/11/2018 10:58pm
What about Lamson?
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drt410
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drt410 9/12/2018 12:28am
9/12/2018 12:28am
Stroupe.
Racer331
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Racer331 9/12/2018 1:00am
9/12/2018 1:00am
^^ stroupe for sure. And Wharton.
VET176
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VET176 9/12/2018 1:21am
9/12/2018 1:21am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2018 1:45am
BT101

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VET176
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VET176 9/12/2018 1:31am
9/12/2018 1:31am
...and this poor lady:

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lumpy790
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lumpy790 9/12/2018 6:24am
9/12/2018 6:24am
Same as last year and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and ......
mikec265
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mikec265 9/12/2018 6:32am
9/12/2018 6:32am
I knew a couple kids that made night shows. Both had dad's who let them travel by themselves at 18.
Both screwed it all up with drugs too. I imagine there's been a lot of kids like that.
Sweetd31
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Sweetd31 9/12/2018 8:18am
9/12/2018 8:18am
Bradley Graham, the guy vanished in to thin air

- His story is somewhere in a similar thread here on vital, never the less, a name worthy of remembering
psychotronBR 9/12/2018 8:36am
9/12/2018 8:36am
Doddy wrote:
What about Lamson?
The dude won TWO national championships. How is he a 'coulda, woulda'?

I'd say Stroupe, his name instantly came to mind.
adamdf
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adamdf 9/12/2018 8:58am
9/12/2018 8:58am
Shae Bentley kind of disappeared fast right? Although he did win a 125CC Supercross title in 2000.

What about Bobby Bonds?

Agree with others on TP199.

And even though JS7 had many many titles, its still amazing he only has 2 Supercross titles in the premier class. James still had an amazing career though, including a perfect 450 season outdoors in 2008.

But I think the OP needs to clarify what is meant by "Woulda Coulda" . Is he referring to winning titles or having successful careers? Because Canard had a successful career in my opinion...
freebroctickle 9/12/2018 9:22am
9/12/2018 9:22am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2018 9:22am
bama205 wrote:
Jlaw.

Hate to be the guy.
zookrider62! wrote:
What injuries did JLaw have?
bama205 wrote:
Mental??
LOL. JLaw actually claimed in one interview that Ryan Dungey was the one with "mental issues." Projection at its finest. Not to mention one of the sport's stranger rivalries...both riding and personality wise, you couldn't get much different than JLaw and Dungey.
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murph783
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murph783 9/12/2018 10:05am
9/12/2018 10:05am
nealb129 wrote:
Broc hepler, Austin stroupe, Ben riddle (seems like he was hurt a good bit, could be wrong) .. you could probably argue Travis pastrana as well.
Shawn142 wrote:
You're not the first guy to include Riddle in a list like this. I'm curious what you saw that made you think that? He basically raced...
You're not the first guy to include Riddle in a list like this. I'm curious what you saw that made you think that? He basically raced pro for one full year with a ride, 2001. He did okay in 125 SX netting a few top 10s, but in outdoors he struggled to even score points. I never got the impression he had elite potential.
nealb129 wrote:
I thought he had an injury derail his career, but I didn't bother to go back and look it up once I made my post. So...
I thought he had an injury derail his career, but I didn't bother to go back and look it up once I made my post. So scratch him off the list
Yeah but I think based on how well he did in the amateurs, and the injuries racked up there you could still count him. Watson did a podcast with him I believe, it was a pretty interesting listen.
Mace-x
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Mace-x 9/12/2018 10:11am
9/12/2018 10:11am
i liked Darryn Durham a lot, never understood why did he stopped racing for procircuit and vanished.
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Husky807
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Husky807 9/12/2018 10:31am
9/12/2018 10:31am
Broc Hepler. I was still pretty young when he was coming through but he really sticks out as being blazing fast. Kinda similar to Trey Canard.. God i loved watching Trey that last year on the 250.
magoo1982
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magoo1982 9/12/2018 11:03am
9/12/2018 11:03am
Mike Hartwig , Very fast Husky & Yamaha rider . Won first pro race held at Red Bud . Would have won a lot more but had to quit after couple yrs due to bad back injury...
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JustMX
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JustMX 9/12/2018 11:04am
9/12/2018 11:04am
I see a lot mentioned that got distracted by other things that boil down to decisions they made, whether it be drugs, lack of training, or.just a poor attitude.

A better example of a rider that just didn't meet expectations because they were just dealt a bad hand would be somebody like Brian meyerscough and his battle with hypoglycemia.

It wasn't even due to injuries, just a medical condition that was poorly understood at the time and was hard to accommodate in something as physically demanding as our sport.

he had the speed, the work ethic, and the attitude to be a champion.
FWYT
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FWYT 9/12/2018 11:15am
9/12/2018 11:15am
Hanny.
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FWYT
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FWYT 9/12/2018 11:18am
9/12/2018 11:18am
It's crazy to think about all the really incredible riders that it didn't quite work out for.
Be it injury, lack of focus, bad luck or it just simply didn't quite pan out. Dang....
dmoore611
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dmoore611 9/12/2018 11:23am
9/12/2018 11:23am
Jesse Masterpool. So rad to see both of his little brothers out there carrying the torch! RIP 956
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Rs444
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Rs444 9/12/2018 11:37am
9/12/2018 11:37am
Gp's - tom Söderström, Johnny Linde, Peter Johansson (the everlasting 2nd) , Jörgen Nilsson who was 1st in the standings (500cc class) in 93 and decided to race a sx race in between the gp's, crashed and got paralyzed. He had such a big pts lead so he ended up 2nd even tho he missed races after the crash, he would probably have ended up being one of the all time greats in the sport. Filip bengtsson, he has the speed but have always been on slower bikes in messy teams. He could have been great. Freddy Norén etc.

Nationals- barcia, could have been no1 years past, jlaw, windham, probably the best rider to never have won a title, musquin the last couple of years, Jessy nelson, mike allessi etc etc
Rs444
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Rs444 9/12/2018 11:37am
9/12/2018 11:37am
Gp's - tom Söderström, Johnny Linde, Peter Johansson (the everlasting 2nd) , Jörgen Nilsson who was 1st in the standings (500cc class) in 93 and decided to race a sx race in between the gp's, crashed and got paralyzed. He had such a big pts lead so he ended up 2nd even tho he missed races after the crash, he would probably have ended up being one of the all time greats in the sport. Filip bengtsson, he has the speed but have always been on slower bikes in messy teams. He could have been great. Freddy Norén etc.

Nationals- barcia, could have been no1 years past, jlaw, windham, probably the best rider to never have won a title, musquin the last couple of years, Jessy nelson, mike allessi etc etc
cablecable 9/12/2018 12:33pm
9/12/2018 12:33pm
pretty much... Suzuki + Amateur prodigy = Crash fest
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bradnelson
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bradnelson 9/12/2018 12:41pm
9/12/2018 12:41pm
adamdf wrote:
Shae Bentley kind of disappeared fast right? Although he did win a 125CC Supercross title in 2000. What about Bobby Bonds? Agree with others on TP199...
Shae Bentley kind of disappeared fast right? Although he did win a 125CC Supercross title in 2000.

What about Bobby Bonds?

Agree with others on TP199.

And even though JS7 had many many titles, its still amazing he only has 2 Supercross titles in the premier class. James still had an amazing career though, including a perfect 450 season outdoors in 2008.

But I think the OP needs to clarify what is meant by "Woulda Coulda" . Is he referring to winning titles or having successful careers? Because Canard had a successful career in my opinion...
Yeah, sorry guys. I just meant "more" successful than they were. Trey had a good career, but man, what could have been.

You guys have brought up a lot of good examples. And poor Courtney is starting to fall into this group too. I remember when she showed up at Hangtown and dominated on a 2 stroke.....then got hurt.

When Weimer started with Kawi (450), he got some podiums, then bam ! Injury after injury.
bradnelson
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bradnelson 9/12/2018 12:43pm
9/12/2018 12:43pm
bradnelson wrote:
The silly season threads make me think of the riders that just couldn't escape injuries. First guy I think of, is poor Jake Weimer. That dude...
The silly season threads make me think of the riders that just couldn't escape injuries.

First guy I think of, is poor Jake Weimer. That dude has been hurt every season for how long ? Heck, his last injury wasn't even his fault.

Then you think of .... Reynard, Canard, Grant, Will Hahn... who else ?

Getting close to this group is Wilson, AC92, Bogle..... I know I'm missing some names. Just sucks for those guys to be that talented and get nowhere.
TogaSet wrote:
What about you ? You reach the top 5% of your profession?
Ha ! No. I said "talented". Laughing

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