Cooksey Straight To The Point: Time Travel, Finger Guns and Daniel Blair For Governor? 9

Are you ready for a "look back" to 2019?

This week I borrowed Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s DeLorean for a little time traveling. Looking back on the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Outdoor Seasons from the year 2029, how will things be remembered? Often things seem bigger in the moment, but don’t stand the test of time. Other incidents are remembered larger than they were. I'm having a little fun looking back at 2019 and doing my best to predict how 2019 will be remembered a decade from now. Let’s take a light-hearted (and satirical) look back at 2019 from the year 2029.  

Eli Tomac, back in 2019.

2019 was part of the Eli Tomac era, and he was the most enigmatic and exciting racer of all time. He was often the fastest rider but had a knack for weird, strange or unlucky moments. He once faded from first to seventh because he was worn out from pounding fence posts during the week. In 2018 it didn’t matter what he did, his pants wouldn’t stay buckled or tore multiple times. No one ever knew what to expect from Eli except he could beat any human on earth or finish a lowly seventh. Sometimes he did both on the same day. Tomac’s inconsistency led to some of the most exciting championships ever, he single-handedly slowed the implementation of our current chase format. Heading into 2019 many experts had picked him as the clear favorite heading into Supercross. Others predicted 2018 Champion Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen or Marvin Musquin. All four guys seemed ready to win the championship in 2019, but to everyone’s shock Cooper Webb came out of nowhere and claimed the 2019 Supercross Championship. 

Webb’s career was on life support after two dismal years in the 450 class, I didn’t think he had what it took to be successful in the premier class but he proved everyone wrong. Webb was the most unlikely Supercross champion since Jeremy McGrath in 1993. At the third round, Webb pretended to shoot Roczen with a “finger gun” as they crossed the finish line. Roczen and the rest of the field never recovered from Webb’s marksmanship. He went on to show his mental and physical toughness as he battled through injuries and illness to claim his first 450 Supercross Championship. 

We got our first glimpses of both Adam Cianciarulo and Austin Forkner’s future success as they both were the fastest guys in their Supercross region. Forkner was completely dominant in the 250 East before tearing his ACL in a timed qualifying crash. With a few rounds left Forkner tried gutting out some finishes, but the pain proved to be too much and Chase Sexton (the best rider left in the field) was handed the championship with two rounds left. 

Adam Cianciarulo's first championship.

In the West, Adam continued his crash or win style. Every time he looked to have the championship under control he made a catastrophic mistake and allowed Dylan Ferrandis back into contention. Heading into the final round in Vegas Adam had an eight-point lead and only needed a fifth-place finish to clinch the championship. Unfortunately for Adam, with a few minutes left in the main event, he crashed and lost the title. To date this is the biggest “choke” in Supercross history, only rivaled by Damon Bradshaw in 1992. Every time a rider has a secure points lead, this “anything can happen” moment is referenced. Adam used this moment to change the sport, he bared his soul for everyone to see. Moments after the heartbreak Adam did an interview with the current voice of the sport and Governor of California candidate Daniel Blair. Adam’s openness inspired the entire sport to quit hiding behind clichés. Adam ushered in the transparency that we enjoy today. Before 2019, teams and riders were secretive for no good reason.

The outdoor series in 2019 was where the legend of Adam really grew. After the epic Supercross failure, he responded by winning a title he wasn’t expected to win. Heading into the series Adam only had one outdoor victory, but his mental strength shined as he refused to lose the outdoor title. In the 450 class, Eli Tomac won his third of an eventual five 450 outdoor championships. While he clinched the title a round before the final the series wasn’t short of his enigmatic and amazing moments. Tomac fought off the toughest outdoor field of his career. All his toughest competitors were healthy and looking to take him down in 2019 but he held tough. 

Back to current day, history has a way of forgetting some moments and celebrating others. What moments in 2019 do you think will stand the test of time and what will be the most celebrated moment of 2019? 

Follow me @chriscooksey61 on Instagram and Twitter and @Cookseymedia on Facebook.

Chris Cooksey is life-long motocross enthusiast, racing professionally in arenacross, motocross and supermoto. Chris obtained his degree from Arizona State, majoring in business and communications. After college Chris immersed himself in the business and social media aspects of the industry. Chris enjoys sharing his opinions. Sit back and enjoy the view from his perspective.

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