Legends @ their peak speed. Who wins?

I don’t think you understand this type of hypothetical question. Nobody is imagining RJ out there on a 1988 CR straight out of a Time Machine. It’s as if we got all of these greats at the same time all at the peak of their ability.
 

Yes if bill and Ted come out of the phone booth straight from 1989, they’re going to get smoked by modern kids on fuel injected, bottomless bikes faster than anything the excellent adventure ever knew existed. 

Marty Smith was everbody's hero back in the mid 70's and was a great guy who got all the chicks and who everyone wanted to be like.

Hannah blasted onto the scene as a take no prisoners, bad-ass, and ran circles around Marty and Tommy Croft.

Some people loved Hannah, others hated him. I'm pretty sure that the concept of WFO originated with him and his style, as he was PDQ and would continue to be so if he were racing four strokes in the year 2023.........as a teenager or early-twentysomething, not as a 65 yr old.

Yeah,  and if Albert Einstein were alive today he'd just be a dim wit idiot unable to figure out how to make a phone call.  I mean my 11 year old would be so much more capable in today's society that Einstein would never survive.   

You seriously think that guys like Hannah, Ward,  Johnson, Carmichael Reed etc wouldn't be capable of doing exactly what Chase, Eli and Roczen are if they were 20 years old in this era and grew up in the evolution of these riding styles and equipment???  

Legendary people easily cross era's because it isn't the equipment or evolution of styles that separates them..... it's natural born ability,  mental fortitude,  work ethic,  ability to sacrifice for a bigger goal,  taking chances.   These human traits applied 500 years ago and will separate humans from other humans 500 years from now.  

And one race winner take all I got James Stewart.   Unmatched speed and mentally tough enough to hold it together for one race.  

This is the biggest factor in this discussion is the track. It’s arguable that mc rode the hardest tracks because the track builders then were literally trying to slow him down. 
 

The tracks went cookie cutter around the 04 mark.

RC for the championship just because he always upt his game to the comp and was just more determined to win than anyone else in the history of the sport. 

But stew would still be the fastest hands down on most nights.  

1 race, all ride to their max potential…. I’ll take Stewart.  I don’t think anyone has been faster.  
 

Make it a series and need to perform week in and week out, I’ll take Carmichael.

Lots of fast guys from the past that could make a showing, but none of them were capable of making their last lap their fastest lap.

Only been watching closely since 97 but Based on raw speed alone I would say Stewart, then a toss up between Tomac, RC, Reed, RV, vuillemin, and MC.  

Running a 90,s technical track backwards. MC wins easily a 96 Damon Huffman applies pressure for parts of the race. RC & Stew crash out on lap 4. 

The King of Supercross Jeremy McGrath . . . there's a reason why McGrath has the most Supercross Wins!

Stew dominates the most Races, RC wins the title as he never lost in prime years, Save the MC is the SX king, RC had 5 SX titles at the age of 26 part of why he is the GOAT.  RV is probably closest in a title fight to RC but would have a couple “bad” finishes. MC was ahead of his time but to race as hard as you could form the drop of the gate to the finish line was not his speciality. There is no run and hide in this group, still wins races though. 

This topic has been beaten to death.. but in this "hypothetical" 1 race scenario, where we are talking the tippy top of their prime? I will take RC, Stew, and RV and leave out the rest every single time. ET probably a very close 4th.

If we are talking flat out raw speed and a willingness to push it to the very edge and then some - Stew. If he stays on two wheels he probably will not lose.

RC - Nearly the same as above but add in a pure, colossal hatred of losing.  

RV - I would say, again, similar to the two above. But, maybe a tiny notch down and a little less willing to ragdoll himself in the process. 

We had the pleasure of seeing RC and Stew as well as RV and Stew race eachother. And RV and RC at MXoN. Never all 3 together though. Would definitely be a spectacle. If it is an SX main, I would probably have to put my money on Stew, all things being equal and him not crashing. 

The most recent ridiculous speed legends. RV/RC/Stew and now Eli. 

Each "legend" has been de-throwned by someone who has elevated the sport and found more speed and a technique that is better than in the past. 

On technical 90,s track & running it backwards. Stew trying to plow threw jumps will Not work he crashes out. RC crashes out. Along with RV. ET can’t ride a 2-st very well he doesn’t qualify . McGrath wins with Damon Huffman applying pressure being that he is the most technical rider ever. 

2014 Toronto JS7

Jett 

Villopoto doesn't get close to the respect he deserves

Bayle.

RC hands down then MC. Stew would and has crashed his brains out and out of championships more than you can count. Those are FACTS👍🙌

"They would be beat by current amateurs" 

What an idiot thing to say. People like RJ and Hannah, before they each got hurt, DOMINATED their competition of the day. And the others ones were also on top at various points in their career. 

Looks like a Supercross  race, so I will go with the KING of Supercross. 

This. In one Supercross race with all these guys, Stewart.
In a season of Supercross races with all these guys, RC. Or Tomac. With McGrath close by  

Outdoors, single race with all these guys, add Villopoto, Ricky Johnson, Buckwheat, Johnny O’Mara (remember 1986 MXDN), Bailey. Who knows?  They all are/were awesome. 

Outdoors, season, RC. Or Tomac. Or Villo.  

I feel like Bradshaw has to be thrown in the mix as well.

When he was feeling good, good enough to say in a starting line interview "my Name is Damon Bradshaw, and i am here to kick ass tonight" everybody knew he was going to be tough to beat.

When that mullet head was screwed on right it was something to see.

But this isn’t a conversation about a championship lol, so take that out of your comment and forget it. This is one race everyone at their best. James at his absolute best destroys the field and it’s not even close.

If you can read… it says nothing about a championship… nothing. One race, that is all

It's a dumb question, man. It's the same shit people do when they claim that so-and-so WOULD have won the race if they hadn't crashed because they had the fastest lap time. Like, Webb's who career with KTM has been a story of him NOT being the fastest and yet still winning. People piss and moan and say things like "well if Sexton hadn't have fallen then blah blah blah." Doesn't matter about lap times, you have to get it done.

Stewart at his peak crashed more than Carmichael at his peak. Stewart and Carmichael raced enough to show that Carmichael comes out on top every time. Feel free to cherry pick races, but athletes do not peak for one day. They are at their peak for a few years, and during the beginning of Stewarts peak and the end of Carmichael's, Carmichael came out on top.

Prime MC gets the holeshot with Stew and RC in tow.  Stew crashes trying a massive quad. RC can’t make the pass for the lead. MC wins. 

Oh, Stew gets up and goes ballistic to get back to finish 3rd.

19 year old Damon Bradshaw finishes 4th, after crashing 4 times. 
 

Rick Johnson finishes 5th with a fucked up wrist.  

I do believe James is the fastest there ever was indoors. Riders lose speed with age, Chad got a podium in 2019, SIXTEEN years after his first win against the GOAT.. it goes to show just how high their level was back then. Those guys in their prime could crash in the first turn, and come back and still get a podium no problems.
Ricky and Chad lapping up to third in 05 was ridiculous.
James’ Toronto ride was one of the best SX rides in history.

I look at this three ways.

1. If it was "who could throw down the fastest single lap" - James Stewart/Eli Tomac

2. If everything were still two strokes. - James Stewart

3. 20 laps - Ricky Carmichael

JS7 has even admitted (kind of) that when Eli goes into beast mode no one could/can beat him. Tomac can only do that on occasion though.

McGrath is the King of SX for a reason. No one close. If you are talking one lap speed record then JS7. Many probably could match him for a lap but won't risk it to the level he would. But you said 'win' so it is McGrath without a doubt.