Posts
8
Joined
3/5/2010
Location
Chico, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 5:35pm
Originally posted on my site, www.vision-mx.com
March 5, 2010 Daytona International Speedway needs no introduction. Be it supercross, road racing or Nascar, the facility is easily one of the most famous and historic events in all of racing and a win there is a career highlight for any competitor. Racers always want to win, but the desire is at an all time high when supercross makes it‘s annual stop at this storied venue. Maybe that’s why it always seems to be one of the wildest and most unpredictable stops on the circuit.
Remember last year when Stewart crashed off the start? Bad boy Jason Lawrence came out of nowhere to lead almost the entire race, and he would have won if it weren’t for a determined and hard-charging Chad Reed. Daytona was also the site of the muddiest, wettest and sketchiest supercross race of all time in 2008. Reed had it won until his engine expired on the last lap, handing the win to Kevin Windham. Of course, who can forget the insanity of 2005 when Josh Hansen and Josh Grant took each other out on the last lap of the lites race while Reed beat Ricky Carmichael straight up on a two-stroke? Everyone wants to win Daytona, and even in a predictable season, nobody really knows what’s going to happen there. Let’s take a look at some of the possible scenarios that might play out this year.
In the Lites class, we’ve got Justin Barcia vs. everyone. His throttle-whipping, block-passing, run-it-in-deep style may not be making him the most popular racer with his peers right now, but he sure is fun to watch. He rides with the kind of seemingly reckless aggression that makes amateur racing fun to watch.
The difference is that he has the speed to back it up. By now, everyone knows about the multiple lead changes and bar banging that went on between Barcia and Pourcel in Atlanta. Pourcel actually had a race on his hands, and on more than one occasion showed that he was willing to give the rookie a taste of his own aggressive medicine. Barcia took himself out of the race when he crashed in a rhythm section, but you can bet that he’ll be looking for some redemption this weekend. Barcia won a national last year, and Daytona’s motocross-style track (Check out this link at Racer X Online to see some photos of the track taken by Davey Coombs) could lead to an epic battle between him and Pourcel.
Of course, don’t expect the other riders to ride for third place. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe has finished second two times this year and he nearly took the win in Atlanta before washing out in a corner. He’s in a great position to take advantage of a mistake by series leader Pourcel, and if he keeps it mistake-free and brings some of that speed he had in Atlanta, he stands a good chance of topping the box.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson could also be another podium factor this weekend. Wilson holeshot and led for nearly nine solid laps in Atlanta, but his lap times dropped dramatically after he was passed by Stroupe. Despite fading to fourth, he showed that he has the speed to compete at the front of the pack. If he can get his endurance figured out, he’s going to be even more fun to watch.
Another rider to keep an eye is Blake Bagget. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider crashed on lap three last week while running in fourth and lost five positions. Undeterred, he remounted and charged all the way back up to fifth place. He’s going to be a threat if he can keep it rubber side down on Saturday night.
Let’s move on to the premiere class. We are in for something big in Daytona, race fans. What can happen when you combine a season like we’ve been having with a race like Daytona? We’re going to have to wait until Saturday night to find out, but rest assured, it’s going to be one for the ages.
Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto are of course, the heavy favorites going into the weekend. Dungey just came off of a very convincing win in Atlanta and is enjoying a 20 point lead over Josh Hill. After getting his first win in Phoenix, he followed it up by taking another win at A2, and he could very well get his second back to back of the season in Daytona. If he wins, he extends an already comfortable lead and picks up steam with less than half the season remaining. Good for Dungey, bad for RV, who crashed in Atlanta and finished 19th. After sharing the points lead with RD5, Villy now sits 23 points out of the lead and is facing a must win in Daytona. If Villopoto wins every race from here on out and Dungey places second in those races, RV takes the title by just four points. Villopoto has won three races this year, and there’s no question that he has the ability to take his fourth in Daytona. His motocross abilities are also outstanding, which should give him an extra boost on a brutal motocross-style track. Just like Atlanta, Daytona is another pivotal race for the Ryans.
Then there is Josh Hill. Hill has stumbled the last two races, and needs to get back up to speed before RD5 builds to much of a lead. Unfortunately for Hill, Daytona is one of the toughest and most grueling races of the year and after getting banged up in a practice crash in Atlanta, Daytona might end up being more about survival than points for the San Manuel Yamaha backed rider.
Kevin Windham hasn’t won since Seattle in 2008, but if you have been following his lap times in practice and his heat race performances, you know he’s going fast. When K-Dub is on, he’s on, and this season he seems like he’s been on more often than not. He’s also the only rider in the field (unless Reed returns to action this weekend) that has won at Daytona, and even though he’s out of the points race, he’ll be gunning for the top spot when the gate drops.
Another rider who could steal a win is Davi Millsaps, who took third last week in Atlanta. The last time he finished third (San Francisco), he followed it up with a win.
Canard is yet another rider to watch. His learning curve on the 450s so far has been incredibly steep. After crashing out at Indy, he came back and took second in Atlanta! Mathematically, he should be standing on top of the box at the end of the race this weekend.
We are truly living in a blessed era of supercross. In the Lites class, there’s a pack of smoking fast rookies who aren’t scared to lay it all on the line to take a win. But even that may not be enough to beat the division’s reigning champ Pourcel, who possesses experience, freakish speed, and a level of smoothness usually reserved for lingerie and high-dollar liquor. In the supercross class, there are at least five guys who have the speed to take the win, along with guys like Ivan Tedesco, Justin Brayton, and Michael Byrne, who are all on the verge of having a breakout ride. It’s a virtual supercross pressure cooker of talent, speeed, and unpredictability. Who will bring the heat? Who will cave under the pressure? We’ll have to wait and see. Speed’s live broadcast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET. It’s going to be big.
Oh yeah, over
March 5, 2010 Daytona International Speedway needs no introduction. Be it supercross, road racing or Nascar, the facility is easily one of the most famous and historic events in all of racing and a win there is a career highlight for any competitor. Racers always want to win, but the desire is at an all time high when supercross makes it‘s annual stop at this storied venue. Maybe that’s why it always seems to be one of the wildest and most unpredictable stops on the circuit. Remember last year when Stewart crashed off the start? Bad boy Jason Lawrence came out of nowhere to lead almost the entire race, and he would have won if it weren’t for a determined and hard-charging Chad Reed. Daytona was also the site of the muddiest, wettest and sketchiest supercross race of all time in 2008. Reed had it won until his engine expired on the last lap, handing the win to Kevin Windham. Of course, who can forget the insanity of 2005 when Josh Hansen and Josh Grant took each other out on the last lap of the lites race while Reed beat Ricky Carmichael straight up on a two-stroke? Everyone wants to win Daytona, and even in a predictable season, nobody really knows what’s going to happen there. Let’s take a look at some of the possible scenarios that might play out this year.
In the Lites class, we’ve got Justin Barcia vs. everyone. His throttle-whipping, block-passing, run-it-in-deep style may not be making him the most popular racer with his peers right now, but he sure is fun to watch. He rides with the kind of seemingly reckless aggression that makes amateur racing fun to watch.
The difference is that he has the speed to back it up. By now, everyone knows about the multiple lead changes and bar banging that went on between Barcia and Pourcel in Atlanta. Pourcel actually had a race on his hands, and on more than one occasion showed that he was willing to give the rookie a taste of his own aggressive medicine. Barcia took himself out of the race when he crashed in a rhythm section, but you can bet that he’ll be looking for some redemption this weekend. Barcia won a national last year, and Daytona’s motocross-style track (Check out this link at Racer X Online to see some photos of the track taken by Davey Coombs) could lead to an epic battle between him and Pourcel.
Of course, don’t expect the other riders to ride for third place. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe has finished second two times this year and he nearly took the win in Atlanta before washing out in a corner. He’s in a great position to take advantage of a mistake by series leader Pourcel, and if he keeps it mistake-free and brings some of that speed he had in Atlanta, he stands a good chance of topping the box.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson could also be another podium factor this weekend. Wilson holeshot and led for nearly nine solid laps in Atlanta, but his lap times dropped dramatically after he was passed by Stroupe. Despite fading to fourth, he showed that he has the speed to compete at the front of the pack. If he can get his endurance figured out, he’s going to be even more fun to watch.
Another rider to keep an eye is Blake Bagget. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider crashed on lap three last week while running in fourth and lost five positions. Undeterred, he remounted and charged all the way back up to fifth place. He’s going to be a threat if he can keep it rubber side down on Saturday night.
Let’s move on to the premiere class. We are in for something big in Daytona, race fans. What can happen when you combine a season like we’ve been having with a race like Daytona? We’re going to have to wait until Saturday night to find out, but rest assured, it’s going to be one for the ages.
Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto are of course, the heavy favorites going into the weekend. Dungey just came off of a very convincing win in Atlanta and is enjoying a 20 point lead over Josh Hill. After getting his first win in Phoenix, he followed it up by taking another win at A2, and he could very well get his second back to back of the season in Daytona. If he wins, he extends an already comfortable lead and picks up steam with less than half the season remaining. Good for Dungey, bad for RV, who crashed in Atlanta and finished 19th. After sharing the points lead with RD5, Villy now sits 23 points out of the lead and is facing a must win in Daytona. If Villopoto wins every race from here on out and Dungey places second in those races, RV takes the title by just four points. Villopoto has won three races this year, and there’s no question that he has the ability to take his fourth in Daytona. His motocross abilities are also outstanding, which should give him an extra boost on a brutal motocross-style track. Just like Atlanta, Daytona is another pivotal race for the Ryans.
Then there is Josh Hill. Hill has stumbled the last two races, and needs to get back up to speed before RD5 builds to much of a lead. Unfortunately for Hill, Daytona is one of the toughest and most grueling races of the year and after getting banged up in a practice crash in Atlanta, Daytona might end up being more about survival than points for the San Manuel Yamaha backed rider.
Kevin Windham hasn’t won since Seattle in 2008, but if you have been following his lap times in practice and his heat race performances, you know he’s going fast. When K-Dub is on, he’s on, and this season he seems like he’s been on more often than not. He’s also the only rider in the field (unless Reed returns to action this weekend) that has won at Daytona, and even though he’s out of the points race, he’ll be gunning for the top spot when the gate drops.
Another rider who could steal a win is Davi Millsaps, who took third last week in Atlanta. The last time he finished third (San Francisco), he followed it up with a win.
Canard is yet another rider to watch. His learning curve on the 450s so far has been incredibly steep. After crashing out at Indy, he came back and took second in Atlanta! Mathematically, he should be standing on top of the box at the end of the race this weekend.
We are truly living in a blessed era of supercross. In the Lites class, there’s a pack of smoking fast rookies who aren’t scared to lay it all on the line to take a win. But even that may not be enough to beat the division’s reigning champ Pourcel, who possesses experience, freakish speed, and a level of smoothness usually reserved for lingerie and high-dollar liquor. In the supercross class, there are at least five guys who have the speed to take the win, along with guys like Ivan Tedesco, Justin Brayton, and Michael Byrne, who are all on the verge of having a breakout ride. It’s a virtual supercross pressure cooker of talent, speeed, and unpredictability. Who will bring the heat? Who will cave under the pressure? We’ll have to wait and see. Speed’s live broadcast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET. It’s going to be big.
Oh yeah, over
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Cause I can relate!
enjoying a 20 point lead over Josh Hill
-Over
Still, he failed to end the transmission with "over"... so, sort of a double fail...
over.
Stuck in my head now... Damn Lenny!
Over.
My notes from the Daytona 200 tonight:
http://www.motoxposure.com/wordpress/?p=2423
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