Supercross Flashback: Week 14

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'19 - Nashville

This race was a first for Tennessee, and we can say that the nightlife of Nashville was a big draw for the teams...and we'd guess a bunch of fans. We had some fun on Friday night, and ran into members of a few teams.

Nissan Stadium is right across the Cumberland River from downtown, and is normally home of the Titans.

Supercross has been doing a lot of charity work with St. Jude, and while the theme for Minneapolis was, "This T-Shirt Saves Lives", the theme here was, "This Race Saves Lives." Plastic, gear, and more will be auctioned off to raise money to help. Bell had Moto 9 Flex helmets done up for the Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha guys.

The whoops were rough and took down several riders including Mitchell Falk (above) and Brandon Hartranft (below).

This race was where the wheels started to come off of Austin Forkner's 2019 campaign. While he'd been dominant up to this point, he suffered a knee injury in practice and was unable to race.

The 450 crowd wasn't immune to the whoops, and they took down Marvin in his heat race.

Justin Cooper and Chase Sexton tangled in the second turn in the main, and Chase had some work to do to catch up through the pack.

Add a win for Martin Davalos. The funny part leading up to this was that he had a huge lead, and slow-rolled the whoops leading to the finish. Given how many guys had trouble with them Saturday night, it probably wasn't a bad plan. It also had to make for a bittersweet night for the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki gang, with Austin's troubles, and Martin's win.

In both his heat race and the main event, Blake Baggett railed around from the outside to run up front.

Cooper Webb's weak spot was in the whoops, which were pretty nasty by the time the 450 main rolled around.

Check out this cluster of riders. Yep, Eli Tomac's bike was showing some smoke in the main (which hasn't been entirely unusual this season). And yeah, it's coming from a vent tube.

Blake Baggett hounded Cooper Webb for several laps, and finally made his way by for second with three laps left to go.

Eli had suffered a DNF in his heat race, and the crew did a speedy engine swap, so Eli enlisted some help from Blake Baggett to make sure Brian Kranz felt well-celebrated.

'18 - Minneapolis (Triple Crown)

Brrr. Welcome to mid-April in Minnesota. We'd hesitate calling the conditions outside blizzard-like (and expose how Californian we really are), but even the locals are calling it that. The snow came down harder in the afternoon, and the wind were making the snow swirl around outside.

We couldn't imagine what that weekend's race would have been like if it were held in an open stadium. Fortunately, we didn't have to.

A crash in the whoops (and broke collarbone) made for an early exit for Austin Forkner.

There were some new faces toward the front of the pack at the start of the final 250 main, with Sean Cantrell (43), Josh Osby (174), and Brandon Hartranft (114).

The whoops had Jeremy Martin wrestling a bit, but he did a masterful job of hanging onto his Honda. A win in the final main gave him the overall for the second race in a row.

In the post race press conference, Jeremy Martin mentioned that he felt some people think he doesn't know how to ride Supercross, and he said, "Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

A first-place score in the first main got things off to a great start for Eli Tomac and he continued on for the overall.

Here's a little formation flying, with Justin Brayton, Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson, and Weston Peick.

The best battle in the final main was among these three for second, third, and fourth for several laps.

'17 - Seattle

The pits in Seattle were inside this year, which was awesome, since much of the old pits have been built over since the last time we were here. The crowds came out in force, too.

With days of rain leading up to the race, everyone was wondering how the track would be. It looked good before practice, but the short answer is; it's soft and spongy, full of "drying agent", and will rut up...a lot. But, it looks like the rain's going to hold off.

One of the cooler bits we saw this weekend was the carbon subframe on Chris Howell's bike. There sounds like there might be some question as to whether this one is strictly legal (and there's ongoing discussion with the tech staff on the AMA crew), it's on there for now. Weight savings? About a pound-and-a-half. Stiffer? Yep. More durable? Yes.

Over at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS rig, they were building up some screened louvers to have ready...just in case.

There were some new logos on the RCH/Yoshimura/Microsoft/Suzuki Factory Racing bikes that weekend. That's a very big brand and a huge presence to join Supercross.

Malcolm Stewart with a little 'tude...just for fun. The braids were coming out before he hit the track.

The whoops had quickly broken down and had a rut running through the middle, but made up for it by having axle-deep ruts leading into them.

Malcolm Stewart (Ride365.com/Stewart Racing) got the early jump in the second 450 heat.

Eli Tomac had to put on a charge to work from eighth at the start of the second 450 heat, to fourth at the finish. That kept him out of having to race the semi.

What kind of lead did Aaron Plessinger have at the end? He could cruise over the finish line.

Jason Anderson quickly jumped his way into the lead when the gate dropped for the 450 main.

Cooper Webb was playing Disrupter-In-Chief during the main event, here going by Jason Anderson for second place, halfway through the main. He also went back and forth with Eli Tomac, though he later crashed, eventually landing in eighth spot.

That's Marvin Musquin's second win of the season, and unless something weird happens, he was looking good for a solid third-place ranking at the end of the season.

'16 - St. Louis

Put 'em up! Trey Canard had a practice crash before St. Louis that left him with a nice shiner.

With limited space in the pits, and multiple rigs for the team, the Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna guys were pitting under their tailgate. It's actually a pretty efficient method for the team, though it doesn't offer up as much display area...or room.

Tyler Bowers was having a rough time getting a clean lap in during the first qualifying session, including this off-track excursion while trying to go around the outside of Cedric Soubeyras. He laid down a heater later in the session.

Yeah, we'll admit, we shot this one to see if we could catch the t-shirt leaving the muzzle of the t-shirt cannon. Mission accomplished.

Can we hear it for the troops in the pre-race color guard (and around the world)? #respect

They had a little extra fun with the flame cannons in STL. Fortunately, there were no Rams banners hanging from the ceiling to worry about singing.

Whoa. St. Louis made it 200 main event starts for Chad Reed. That's huge and a testament to his speed and durability.

Mike Alessi was pumped about scoring a heat race win.

Yow, nearly all of these guys are main event participants...and this was a heat race. On the far left, Justin Brayton (Team BTO Sports/KTM/WPS) scored the start.

Ow, what a mess in this one. You'll find Martin Davalos somewhere at the bottom of the pile, Dakota Alix getting in some cartwheels, and Jeremy Martin out of sight to the left, railing the berm.

Here's your 250 podium in '16, with Jeremy Martin, Aaron Plessinger, and Shane McElrath.

Dungey pulled a really smooth move to check up and dive to the inside of Kenny. Watching these guys battle over the last few weeks has been a highlight as the series grinds to a conclusion.

Eli Tomac went down off of the start. He was the fast qualifier on the day, and it was a shame that he couldn't show what he had. He moved from 20th to seventh at the finish.

Ryan Dungey boosted his points lead to the range where he could pretty easily wrap up the title the following weekend in Foxborough, MA...a full two rounds early.

'15 - Houston

One of the odd parts of having this track was portions of it ran in both directions. Guys were landing on some of the same take-offs used for the opposite direction...which meant they were landing in ruts like these.

Eric Gass firing up Cooper Webb's bike before practice. We were just visualizing what his number might look like at the end of the night.

Shane McElrath (Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Red Bull / KTM) had the early lead in the first 250 heat race, but got goofed up in the rhythm section and visited the Houston soil.

This cluster of Davi Millsaps (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda), Broc Tickle (RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing) and Justin Brayton (Team BTO Sports/KTM/WPS) had a great battle that was really fun to watch.

Malcolm Stewart powered through the LCQ to nab the win just before the finish. Amazingly, two of the three podium spots in the main were taken by guys who came through the 250 LCQ.

In the 250 main, Shane McElrath quickly took over the lead from Matt Bisceglia, and led for the first nine laps.

Cooper Webb got by Shane McElrath on lap ten, and started the celebration a little early on the way to another win...and the 250 West title.

Now that's how you win a title. Take the win, and the championship trophy home on the same night.

Here's Cooper with his original "team."

Cole Seely took over the lead early in lap one in the 450 main.

Bam. Yep, Cole Seely was pumped on scoring his first 450 Supercross win. We saw him on his phone afterwards, and he was getting blown up with congratulatory texts.

Ryan Dungey also wrapped up the 450 crown in Houston that year. That had to be an awesome feeling, hefting a second 450 Supercross championship trophy.

Cole Seely grabbed his first win, and is joined on the podium by Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac.

Here was a pair of happy guys. The owner of the Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha team, Bobby Regan; and Red Bull KTM's team manager, Roger DeCoster.

The whole Red Bull KTM crew got to jump on the podium for a celebratory shot. After the race we got the news that Ryan has been signed up for two more years with the Red Bull KTM crew.

'14 - Houston

Weston and Lou Peick hanging out in the pits after the first practice.

Here's a flashback. Bones Bacon over at Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki had this cool shot of him loading up his bikes behind a Pinto station wagon to move to California in '78 after he'd graduated from high school.

As you can see here, Dean Wilson (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) went down hard in his heat race. He suffered an AC separation in his shoulder, but despite that, he got taped up and raced the main. He was closing on Jason Anderson near the end, but couldn't quite catch him.

The holeshot in the 250 main went to Jessy Nelson (Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda). He ran into a little trouble during the main and dropped to tenth at the finish.

Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Racing KTM) moved into the lead by the second turn of the main, and scored yet another win...enough to give him an 11-point lead with two rounds remaining in the West series.

Ryan Villopoto got the 450 race started with a holeshot, and that's usually bad news for his competitors. There'd be no repeat of last week, where James Stewart caught and passed him.

Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) got caught up in the mess that claimed several riders early in the main, and had to work up from 18th on the first lap.

With his fourth win of the season and an off night for his nearest competitors, Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Kawasaki) now had a 45-point lead and a chance to wrap up his fourth straight title well before the end of the season.

'13 - Minneapolis

Yep, the fans in Minnesota are here to have fun.

The Minnesota fans were going nuts over their hometown hero, Ryan Dungey. There were huge crowds in front of the Red Bull/KTM rig. Ryan Dungey was also fastest in the 450 class qualifying.

This was the last dance for the Metrodome. It's due to have its last event (a Monster Jam) next year, and then will be demolished to make way for a new Vikings Stadium.

Blake Wharton and Wil Hahn made contact early, and Wharton moved into second briefly, but Hahn was able to retake second spot for good.

Marvin Musquin grabbed his fourth win of the season in front of the Minneapolis crowd.

Marvin Musquin now trails Wil Hahn by only a handful of points, with just the Las Vegas final round left. Blake Wharton is 25 points back from the lead.

Josh Hill was up among the frontrunners early in the main. Ryan Dungey was second by the end of the first lap.

On lap 17, Dungey got by, much to the delight of his hometown fans.

Here's your top three from the final Supercross in the Metrodome...Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, and Davi Millsaps. With three rounds remaining, Ryan Villopoto now has a 22-point lead over Ryan Dungey, who moved into second-place in the standings. Davi Millsaps is only a single point behind Dungey.

'12 - New Orleans

Forget the post-Katrina images of the Superdome. This place has undergone a serious revision, and is really nice, both inside and out.

Ken Roczen was the fastest qualifier in the Lites class qualifying.

Mike Alessi got a forearm rubdown before practice from his wife, Danielle.

With a solid ride, Justin Barcia could wrap up the Lites East title. It sounds like fourth or better is needed, but he's focused on another win.

The MSR gang had done up this Saints jersey for K-Dub to wear, but a wrist injury kept him out of action.

Ryan Villopoto checking in with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki crew after the first practice.

In the main event, Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett had a quick little duel, with Blake pulling away. Justin Bogle (GEICO Honda) reeled in Roczen and took over third spot.

While everyone else was battling, Darryn Durham was grabbing his first win.

Justin Barcia, accepting his new number one plate from the AMA's Kevin Crowther.

Justin Barcia did exactly what he needed to do, and wrapped up the 2012 Lites East Championship without having to wait until the final round in Las Vegas.

Darryn Durham gives the international sign for Insert Monster Energy Can Here, while enjoying his time at the center of the podium.

Justin Brayton made this move on Brett Metcalfe at the end of the whoop straight. It goofed up Brett enough that it also allowed Andrew Short to get by. Oh, and Ryan Villopoto won.

'11 - St. Louis

Remember the movie RAD? Nick Wey does. He's doing good after last weekend's main event crash.

Blake Baggett was credited with the holeshot, but it wasn't long before Justin Barcia took over the top spot.

Yep, we had to dodge out of the way as Blake Wharton came off the track. Wilson and Wharton eventually finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Add another win for Justin Barcia.

For the second time on the night, Ivan Tedesco scored a holeshot, right in front of all the title contenders.

Do you think James Stewart was pumped and relieved that he's back in the winner's circle? Oh yeah.

'10 - St. Louis

The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo of Christophe Pourcel and Dean Wilson battled throughout the heat race, with Wilson edging out the new Lites East Champ.

Afterburners on for Barcia. Dean Wilson was the closest competitor at the end. Newly crowned Lites East Champ Christophe Pourcel? He ended up getting high-centered on a Tuff Block, and it took him a while to get dislodged. With the title already in hand, he packed it in early, and will start focusing on the outdoor season.

Whoops. This move probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

Ryan Dungey killed it out of the gate and controlled his way into the first turn. Nick Wey nailed the holeshot as they exited turn one, though.

At this point, you were looking at your new 2010 Supercross champ in the center of this group. Ryan Dungey had plenty of fight in him in St. Louis and weathered the contact, the track, and the rest of the competition to sit atop the series standings with a 77-point lead over his next active competitor.