The Scoop: Hangtown Insider 17


Here are a bunch of things you may not have seen if you weren't at Hangtown. Click any image for a larger version.









The Rockstar Energy Suzuki guys wore this One Industries gear in Las Vegas, but it's also their summer variation...which will be much cooler than the all-black gear that they wore during the Supercross season. That's Nick Paluzzi in the background, who joined the team as a replacement for Ian Trettel.










In the Vital MX Forums, some guys were asking why Christophe Pourcel was wearing Alpinestars boots with the logos taped over during the motos. This might be part of the answer. All of his gear stuff came together late (and he's still working on a helmet sponsor), so he may still be adapting to the Gaerne boots. The helmet graphics feature the new FMF Power energy drink.








Austin Howell is privateering it this summer, and will race four-strokes...but ride a two-stroke during the week to lower his costs.










One of the most impressive rides of the weekend? Marvin Musquin's charge from dead last to sixth in moto two after a second-turn crash. He also looked way better at Hangtown than he did at the USGP.








Ryan Sipes' 2011 outdoor season got off to a rough start when he crashed in the first turn right after the start of the first moto. He ran the pace of the leaders as they came around to lap him, but he was a DNS in moto two.










Malcolm Stewart had a rough first pro national, with a 20-33 score. He was among the leaders early on in the first moto and has plenty of speed. Oakley has also stepped up their support of the Nationals in a big way.








Kyle Chisholm has only had a few weeks of riding in following his return from serious injuries suffered during the Supercross season, and not surprisingly, suffered some arm pump. His MotoConcepts Yamaha was equipped with a prototype aluminum tank, and he discovered during practice that it wasn't quite symmetrical, and was a bit hard to grip onto with his knees. He and the team switched back to an oversized plastic tank for the motos.










Here's something you don't often see...guys signing contracts for the following season(s) at the season-opener of the Nationals. Ryan Sipes' deal is for one year, and Kyle Cunningham's is for two years, and both have an option of bike size to ride in the coming seasons.










The Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda crew just hooked up a new deal with Specialized Bicycles, which is based in Morgan Hill, CA. They make come killer stuff for the pedal-powered riders out there. As you see, this was also the debut of their new team gear.








The Monster Energy Kawasaki guys are doing something a little different with their autograph lines, which actually run through the inside of the team's tent. That allows fans to not just get an autograph and meet the riders, but also get a much better look at the team's equipment.








We'd guess that collectible fans will dig these.








Justin Barcia's mechanic, Mike Tomlin, usually has a motivational message on the bar pad for his rider. This weekend we spotted one that he'd done up for himself inside his toolbox.








Ricky Dietrich will be a full-timer this summer, and he scored a top ten overall with an 11-9 score.








Hangtown was a rough weekend for the Red Bull KTM squad. First, Mike Alessi crashed in the second practice, after laying down the fastest time of the 450s in the first session. Despite having new radiators for the Nationals (or maybe because of it), Andrew Short suffered DNFs in both motos due to overheating problems.







This shot just makes us want to moto. It's Ben LaMay.








Justin Barcia was leading and looking good in moto two...until he tipped over in a corner and ended up in mid-pack.








During the rider's meeting the riders were warned that the AMA crew will be much more strict about track boundaries and track cutting. They even had Supercross-style poles up in a couple spots to prevent guys from getting toocreative.








Sure, Supercross has sexy fighter jets doing flyovers in Vegas for the finals. For the Nationals, a more blue-collar approach seems appropriate, and they had this big Coast Guard cargo plane (courtesy of the Air National Guard) overhead during the National Anthem.







Team Gus is handling the privateer area this summer, and the guys at LocoX.com have stepped up to help out.








What do you get when you sweep the 250 podium? Three champagne soaked trophies (the Dirt Diggers traditionally use copper-plated gold mining pans), and three riders soaking the heck out of the team owner.









For some reason, we really like this shot...


You'll be able to play "Spot the Vital MX truck" at the majority of the Nationals this summer.



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