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- MID
SEASON UPDATE>>>>>> PHOTOS:
HOPPEN WORLD.COM
- After
two months of racing, the riders finally get a breather. It’s
also
the halfway point in the series which gives everyone a chance to
evaluate what has happened so far, and come out of the break a little
sharper. Trainers start to modify their programs for Daytona as well
as
the outdoor nationals in May, and mechanics and team mangers get to
see
their families a little more while they begin testing for the outdoor
season. Some riders will use this weekend to heal from nagging injuries
and illness, while others use the time to ride and train even harder
hoping to make a gain while their competitors rest.
After 8 rounds it looks like a two man race to Vegas. When Carmichael
crashed out of Anaheim, Vuillemin rode around the wreckage to the
win
and a 24 point lead on Ricky. Now, 7 rounds later ? four of which
RC has
won ? he still has a 20 point lead! When put that way it doesn’t
look
good for Carmichael, but considering he has won the last two races
and
Daytona is next…I can see why the Carmichael camp is optimistic.
He is
the fastest guy most of the time, plus he dug himself out of the deep
hole he was in after the third round where his best finish was a 4th.
Vuillemin on the other hand is more impressive all the time. Just
when I
think he might lose his grip on things, he climbs back to the front
and
either wins, or finishes on the podium. He knows he only needs to
beat
Carmichael a couple more times and he should be able to hold on until
the end. It’s going to be close!
It was looking like a three-man race with Travis Pastrana on the verge
of his first 250 supercross win, but Minneapolis ended it for Travis
and
Mike Larocco. Larocco showed everyone he still has it at Anaheim,
but he
cased the triple in Phoenix the following week injuring his right
hand
and was never quite the same. I feel terrible that Larocco is hurt,
but
after looking at the tape of his collision with Travis, I don’t
think it
was right for Mike and his crew along with some Honda personnel to
give
Travis such a hard time. It was a racing incident, just like when
Fonseca put Travis over the berm and out of the race at round one,
or
when Travis hit Ramsey at round three, or wh en Ricky knocked Travis
out
of contention at Indianapolis. I don’t remember the Suzuki guys
or
Travis complaining about those run-ins. The problem Travis has is
that
he rides with the aggression to win. Travis was trying to win, and
Larocco after going through the LCQ was trying to do well. Big
difference. On top of that, Travis does some pretty amazing things
when
he’s not on the track that labels him either "crazy"
or "wreckless."
With that lifestyle he is going to get blamed most of the time. I
still
feel Travis is going to win at least once before the season is over.
Maybe Daytona will be his first win - wasn’t that his first win
on a
125? Some will say I’m crazy because Carmichael rules at Daytona.
Ricky
does rule at Daytona, but Travis has won the last two years in Daytona
also, and he is due for a win…
All the talk about Jeremy McGrath coming into the season went down
the
tubes at around lap 4 in his heat race at Anaheim. Jeremy was not
prepared mentally to handle the extra pressure (now that he’s
in his
best shape ever) along with selling himself for several months before
the season started. He never had to explain himself before. He would
just roll into Anaheim with the usual hype and take control. This
year
was different because everybody was fast at round one. Guys like Michael
Byrne, Chad Reed, Nathan Ramsey, Ernesto Fonseca, Travis Pastrana
and
the Vuillemin of 2000 were flying. When Jeremy didn’t pull away
from
Larocco and Pastrana he started thinking, (that’s usually a bad
thing
during a race) and eventually pumped up. Did he train wrong? I don’t
think so. He wouldn’t after all these years change his approach
no
matter what his new trainer said. The pack finally caught up, and
he
wasn’t expecting it. They caught up to Ricky too. He wasn’t
going to win
that first race from my point of view. Larocco was all over him, and
Vuillemin was holding his own in the lead. Both Ricky and Jeremy were
involved in to much hype and perhaps focused too much on each other
and
the pack caught up. Jeremy has shown steady improvement along the
way
and ended the first half of the season with his first podium of the
year
while riding sick. He could use the break. For the second half of
the
season I still think he can win, but I don’t know if he can beat
Carmichael in a dogfight. RC seems prepared to do what ever it takes
to
win including riding at "ridiculous speed." Jeremy hasn’t
shown that
kind of desire lately, (why should he?) and that is the difference
right
now. Jeremy has been there done that 72 times, and makes more money
in a
month, than most riders make in a year! He’s earned it, but now
he’s too
comfortable in my opinion and he doesn’t want it bad enough.
It’s fine
for now, because the line for an autograph in the Bud Light pits is
long, but when he’s older this season will eat at him.
Windham…well I don’t know? It wouldn’t be right for
me to get give my
opinion since I don’t know everything he is going through. But
to try
and be as positive as I can, Kevin’s injury in Atlanta almost
seems
meant to be. When you float around uncertain about what you want in
life
for to long, something usually happens to help you decide. He either
wants it or he doesn’t, that is what will come to the surface
during his
recovery. For selfish reasons I hope he wants it, because I love to
watch him ride. His crash was at the end of a spectacular rhythm section
that he was quadrupling through, twice…well almost. Here’s
wishing Kevin
the best.
I thought Ezra would do better, but maybe it will take him longer
than
he hoped to get things dialed in at Kawasaki. If nothing else, he’s
on
the same team with James Stewart. He should be able to pick up a few
things from James. I’m not joking either; James is a very smart
kid who
knows how to win which is an art all in itself. That is the one thing
Ezra hasn’t figured out yet and he’s running out of time.
For what it’s
worth, luck definitely hasn’t been on his side so far.
Roncada, Fonseca and Ramsey surprised me. I thought they would be
riding
a lot of semis this year, but instead they have stood on the podium
a
couple times each. Ramsey should have, but he got jipped a couple
times.
Roncada has a head start with his 250 experience, but for Ramsey and
Fonseca, I believe Carmichael’s presence at Honda elevated everyone’s
game over there.
Daytona should be a glimpse into the outdoor season, while the second
half of the season promises some more intense racing with the title
still up for grabs, Pastrana and McGrath looking for wins and some
new
guys trying to break through.
In the 125 west, James Stewart is for real and will win a lot! No
record
is safe with him around. He is the show. If he is in 17th and passes
a
guy, the crowd is on its feet. If he has a big lead, he manages to
screw
up just enough to get the crowd on their feet again. Plus he can wip
it!
His only challenge will be in Vegas where he has a hot date with Chad
Reed. We’ll see who’s buying!
The whole KTM team is awesome, but they can’t put two races together
so
far. Laninovich (pronounced Lanovich) finally had his breakthrough
ride
at the last west coast round to make the podium. I expect that team
to
be more solid the rest of the year.
Danny Smith has had a lousy start to the season, but he’ll bounce
back.
I thought he might jump to the east, but who knows? He’s a podium
guy,
and with a little luck (which he’s had none of) he could win
one.
In the east, Chad Reed has dominated even more than Stewart. He doesn’t
strike me or anyone else as being really fast, but he has been fast
enough to win every race with so so starts and a groin injury against
the tougher division! Like Stewart, Chad knows how to win and is here
to
stay.
The Brown Langston rivalry hasn’t materialized, instead, Brown
has
ridden at the front until arm pump sets in and Langston has crashed
out.
I thought Langston would be a real threat, but I also thought Jeremy
McGrath would be a threat. You never know. The next race for Langston
is
Daytona, and he made so much of his sand riding ability last year
before
Southwick, I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked away with that
one. His
teammate Boniface is much improved from last year, and has the highest
voice on the circuit!
Larry Ward and John Dowd have done well so far, but not as well as
they
can. Watch Dowd at Daytona! That track wears everybody out except
Dowd,
and Ward is still getting up to speed after hunting all winter.
db
Photos courtesy of Frank Hoppen, www.hoppenworld.com.
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