Will AC ever win a 450 main event?

I hope he can just to quiet the doubters. Great personality, good guy and great speed.

If Roczen can win on an outdated Suzuki surely AC has a chance.

I highly doubt it. Pretty crazy to think he won’t get one unless something drastic happens.

How many 450 races has he completed? 18…

that’s one full season IF they were consecutive and we know they were 3-4 at a time. 

as far as 450 games experience he’s barely past his ‘rookie’ season…

he’s capable of winning…but not this year. Finish and build. 

cheering 

I say Yes!

Nope.

We can work with speed! 

since when was grateful and  defeated the same thing?

also Trey was number 41. Not 14

I'm starting to doubt it. If he wins, it will be a bit like Brayton at Daytona. Out of nowhere and a big surprise.

I don't understand the whole if Roczen can do it, AC can thing. Roczen and Adam's careers are nowhere near the same arc, as Roczen has multiple championships and many, many more wins. Hard to say, but Adam's career arc is not even a "has been", it is "never was been". 

Even giving him the benefit of the rebuilding year, after Indy, it looks extremely doubtful he’ll take a win in SX. He’s just not showing the flashes of speed that he did in the past, as that is what ended up biting him, so that necessary extra few percent he needs to win is no longer there.

I think the stars will have to align to even see the podium. No hate. He just doesn't seem to have the grit to grind with the big dogs. But I thought that about Roczen too.

...maybe he needs to be on a Suzuki?

i don't follow. but you're right that I got Canard's # wrong. d'oh.

I like AC but I'm afraid he's going the wrong direction right now.  If he can get through SX safely to outdoors, he might have a shot at regaining confidence and speed.  Then he can hopefully carry that into 2024 SX.  

He's still young enough, and the talent is still there underneath. I do think he perhaps needs a new change of scenery mentally (assuming he gets that chance) and for his body to recover physically (assuming he gets that chance...).

Then, on the right night, after building up as a consistent top 5 - 3 guy, he could pull a 'Nathan Ramsey @ Pontiac' type win. I  think that's still on the cards. Whether he could be Jason Anderson 2022 type rider, who takes wins consistently and is a serious threat, that of course is more questionable. I'm sure he's trying and I hope at least one of those 2 scenarios happens for him.

It happens to a lot of guys.. they get hurt, show flashes, get hurt, and repeat. I think he is closer to a Josh Grant type career. Maybe he sneaks one out. Be good to see it if he can!!

He has the propensity for immense speed, but I think tapping into that speed at the moment is a catalyst for AC yardsales + injuries. Judging by the dozen or so interviews with him that I've seen recently, it sounds like that's the general sentiment around his camp as well. 

He was transparent going into sx that his focus was going to be centered around creating a base to work off of. It sounds like (based off of his emotional interview after the other night) he wasn't all that proud of where that base was until Indy. BUT he seems to have cracked the code that many other injury-prone phenoms can't - learning to actually back it down and stay mindful when the adrenaline hits. He said this is the first time he's been proud of himself in a while, and that was a 6th place. I don't think it's a wild notion that newfound confidence, comfortability, and shaking off some learned helplessness could increase that base, putting him around P4-5 (and potentially a podium) by the end of the season. Then a motocross season, another offseason of training and further wrist rehab, and I think he could be up there next season. Albeit there are some killer rookies stepping up as well.

Or he'll get caught up in a race and catapult himself again. That mistake in the whoops on lap one the other night wasn't the first AC close call this season. 

I'd rather see him pace himself to solid top 10's and do the job he loves than push himself have to see the poor dude get carted off again. 

🤔

I expected this thread right when I figured out he was using this as a building year. Thats right folks, a BUILDING year

I think he can do it, indoors or out, but the stars have to align, get a good start and his body has to be cooperating that day. Riding the bike fast enough doesn't seem to be his problem. Some of the faster guys will be retiring in a few so he is in a good place for a potential championship if he can outlast them, and maybe get lucky.

NO WAY.

*pours Ayahuasca tea into tank to see if that'll help AC "connect" with his bike like Barcia

A building year?

If AC was a builder he'd have a few unfinished buildings he'd struggle to sell.

He won his first ever SX race in the 250 class 
Got injured and had to rebuild 
in his last year on 250 he won the National title and was one mistake away from the Regional SX title 
He won his first major 450 race at monster cup 
Finished 2nd to Zac in the 450 Nationals that year 
IF History repeats itself AC will be back on top in the 450 class 
He is still young and has quite a few years left to race 
 

If the stars align for him he could definitely win a main. He has the speed and sometimes, on the right day, that’s all it takes. 

Will he win one is a crystal ball question, “could” is the only one that really matters.

I hope so, the sport is better off when he is doing well. 

I'm puzzled as well

larger seat?