The 2010 outdoor season is about to kick off and there’s going to be a lot happening at the Rockstar Energy Hangtown Classic this Saturday in Rancho Cordova, California. Hangtown reclaims its position as the season opener and the first round is always a test of off-season preparation. Currently the weather report is calling for a high of 67 degrees and 30% chance of rain. Mild temps and a few sprinkles might not be a bad thing as riders try to coax their bodies into sprinting for 35 minutes of body-thrashing hell – twice.
Check out the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross preview video from the folks at MX Sports.
450 Motocross
Trying to decide which division is more stacked this season is as tough as ever. The premier 450 class has some big news with the introduction of a new machine. KTM is debuting its new 350cc bike, which has already found great success in Europe in the hands of the talented Mr. Tony Cairoli. For the American assault, KTM has picked up one of its previous stars, Mike Alessi. Mikey came onto the professional scene in a big way and soon found residence and success with the factory KTM squad. He moved away and was faster than ever with Rockstar Makita Suzuki, looking like a championship contender last season. A 1-1 tally at Hangtown last year marked the first overall 450 win of his career, but Alessi had his title hopes dashed with a broken knee cap. He skipped the Supercross season and spent the entire time training, riding and adapting to the Austrian machines again. The question of whether or not the 350 has the power to run with the big boys in the US remains to be seen, but if anyone can put it out front it’s Alessi – he’s the undisputed holeshot king.
Dungey, shown here in 2009, traded his RM-Z250 for something a little larger. He's since won a MXdN and SX championship. He is the top challenger.
Ryan Dungey can’t even drink his champagne yet, which is really too bad because the 20-year-old is starting to get quite good at showering his fans and competitors. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki ace hasn’t raced a single AMA Motocross in the 450 class, but somehow he’s already a seasoned contender! After winning the Motocross des Nations overall individual title on the RM-Z450, and then cleaning up the Supercross title this year (as a rookie and with two rounds to go) Dungey is definitely the hottest open-class rider right now.
Chad Reed had a crazy Supercross season - a DNF in the opening round, then an injury and finally the birth of his son, Tate. Truth be told, Reedy didn’t get a lot of racing time in the first half of the year. He’s also one of the guys who have to come to grips with a new bike. It’s imperative that he does, because Reed has the most pressure on him as the defending champion. After winning the title for Suzuki last year, the Australian transplant is going to carry the Number 1 plate on his Monster Energy Kawasaki. Fortunately, Reed has proven that he’s up to speed with the KX450F by posting fast lap times when he did compete. Last year proved that you can never count him out, even in the gnarly world of outdoor motocross – so don’t.
Grant is starting to come into his own with the JGR Yamaha, but injuries have kept him down since moving to the 450.
One of the riders who have the potential to surprise a lot of people with race wins is Josh Grant. The JGR Yamaha crew has excellent equipment and Grant showed that he is a full-time threat on the big bikes with impressive outings last year. Unfortunately, his teammate, Justin Brayton, was injured in a practice crash on Tuesday of this week. With damaged ribs and bruised lungs, Brayton will have to watch the opener from the sidelines – too bad considering he’s been on a steady wave of progression over the past few years. But back to Grant; some early spy photos of the Hangtown track showed him blasting berms, so the California rider is not only rested and recovered from his injuries, but he’s been getting a preview of the layout as well. Watch for good things from this Joe Gibbs YZ450F rider.
Factory Honda comes to Nor Cal with Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps on the CRF450R machines. Shorty is still one of the highest combined point scorers in the past few years for SX/MX, and the Colorado native is a constant podium challenger. He’s definitely one of the nicest, most polite riders on the circuit, but unfortunately, nobody is letting him past on the racetrack for being such a classy dude. Short needs to find the raw speed that’s always one notch above him. He plays it safe, and that hasn’t led to many race wins. Hang it out, Shorty! Millsaps, on the other hand… He’s so hit and miss, it’s difficult to say. We’ll see where he comes out on Saturday.
Top: Mike Alessi's bike is orange this year, and 100cc smaller. Bottom: Ricky Dietrich leads a charge of speedy off-roaders.
Another big change in the 450 class is the addition of a few riders. After filling in for his injured teammate in the final Supercross race, Kyle Cunningham has decided to move up from the 250 class full time. Another new face, though hardly new to the American motocross scene, is Brett Metcalfe. The GEICO Powersports Honda rider also joins the rank. It’s almost too bad, really, considering how epic his battles were last season with the 250 guys. But, expect to see these two mixing it up immediately in the top-10, if not the top-five.
Oh, am I forgetting Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart? Not really. They aren’t racing because RV is still hurt and JS elected not to.
You know, I wouldn’t even bring it up, but Ricky Dietrich was so freaking amazing last year filling in for the injured Tim Ferry, that the off-road guys have earned a quick mention. Not saying that these riders are going to win, or even qualify for the final gate, but Dietrich will be joined by Robby Bell and Kevin Rookstool in the 450 class – all speedy off-roaders with serious moto skills. Mike Brown has also announced that he’ll be at Hangtown. Remember that name? ‘Ol Brownie is a former MX stud muffin so he’s returning to his roots. They’ll be worth watching just out of curiosity. Colton Haaker and Bobby Garrison are trying out in the 250 class.
250 Motocross
Christophe Pourcel probably would have won the 2009 championship if it weren't for a mechanical failure. Now that Dungey is out of the picture, watch for the Frenchman to rack up an outdoor title before moving to the 450s next year.
During the Supercross season, 250 riders have the longtime argument of whether racing the East Coast or West Coast is a better move. The Western guys have a two-month-long break, which certainly interrupts their SX regimen, but allows for a big head start on the outdoor testing. Finding a proper bike setup is crucial, especially for riders switching teams. Veteran Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders Christophe Pourcel and Jake Weimer (who won the East and West SX titles) don’t have to go to the drawing board to sort out a new bike. The KX250F is pretty much unchanged for 2010 so there’s no worrying about new fuel injection maps or eeking out extra horsepower (Mitch Payton has already found every last ounce as it is).
Weimer will be bringing the experience of last season and the winning MXdN team to the table. He’s going to have to establish himself as the team leader if he wants a chance at besting Pourcel. I don’t think there’s any problem with confidence in the Idaho racer. Then again, the crafty Frenchman isn’t exactly a wimp either. Monster PC Kawasaki also has Dean Wilson
Yes, it's summertime, and with that come the tank-tops and short skirts. Who wants a can of Monster?
Noticeably absent from the Kawasaki roster is Austin Stroupe who is now on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team. He had a very good Supercross season with some time racing 450 equipment just for the extra experience. With Roger DeCoster as his mentor and the new Suzuki RM-Z250 beneath him, this is a guy who should be at the front of the pack. In my mind, he needs to prove himself outdoors, and he definitely has the speed and equipment to do it. Now let’s see the heart and enough staying power to last 12 brutal rounds.
One rider who might be more heart than anything is Justin Barcia. The motocross world was awed last year as he made his rookie debut with more style and raw aggression than we’ve seen in a long time. GEICO Honda must hate building bikes for him because he never lifts the throttle, even in the air. Fortunately he’s got one hell of a mechanic and a solid CRF250R to back him up because the valve-floating nice-guy just doesn’t have it in him to let off. And thank God for it. Barcia collected his first SX win this year and with a full year’s cycle of racing under his belt, he knows his place in the pecking order, and it’s right up front. It doesn’t matter if he’s working through the pack after a bad start or battling for the lead, Barcia doesn’t try to sneak by – he rams his way through, bouncing off anything and anybody who happens to be in his way. This kid is exciting, and he’s going to win a few this year.
Justin Barcia leads a stacked roster of GEICO Powersports Honda riders for 2010.
Other GEICO riders are right there in the mix as well. Trey Canard had more success in the 450 Supercross class than he did on the smaller bikes, but Turbo Trey is looking to transfer that speed back down to the 250 and collect an outdoor title. Canard has been the victim of bad crashes – which usually comes with running the ridiculous pace needed to win races. He can be his own worst enemy, so if the Oklahoman stays healthy then he’ll be there in the end. He should be good to go coming into Hangtown.
So, everyone has heard of Canard and Barcia, but a new face joins the team this year with rookie Eli Tomac coming onboard. Tomac has been a hot prospect in the amateur ranks for many years and his time has come. One of the biggest issues for young riders making the jump to the pros is the longer motos. Amateurs usually run 20-minute races, but it’s a lot harder to sprint for 30-plus-two. Even the freakish Barcia was visibly wiped at the end of the motos last year, costing him some wins. But, Tomac has taken a unique approach to training by contesting the WORCS series. This motocross/off-road hybrid runs two-hour for the pros. Tomac displayed excellent speed and fitness, netting fourth on his CRF250R against established series champions on much larger equipment at the fourth round at Racetown 395. He’s currently tied for 10th overall in that series with former two-time champion, Nathan Woods, despite only racing three events.
WMX
Ashley Fiolek is going for her third consecutive championship.
Don’t forget about the fairer sex. I’m not talking about the hotties in skimpy outfits cruising vender row and sipping Coors Light. I’m talking about the WMX ladies who pound laps alongside the men’s program. MX Sports has incorporated the WMX racing entirely into the Saturday schedule. Hangtown is the season opener for the MotorcycleUSA.com Women’s Motocross Championship,
Red Bull Honda’s reigning champion, Ashley Fiolek, is looking to start her title defense on the right foot. Fiolek was the first full-factory woman racer and it was a smart move by Honda. The Red Riders were rewarded with her second championship, and she’s clearly the favorite entering 2010. Can she pull the hat trick? The ladies compete at eight of the 12 rounds, and last year Fiolek picked up her bike with a broken collarbone to ride it in for the championship. I’d say she’s got what it takes to power through these 16 motos.
Jessica Patterson is probably the most butt-hurt rider in the women’s pits. After five championships, the longtime Honda rider has been getting whupped by the younger Fiolek. JP Money packed her bags and moved over to the DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Yamaha team to get a fresh start on dealing with this whirlwind challenger. One of the best ways will be to take the MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award and get out front early. Other than that, she has shown the speed necessary to take moto wins, but she needs to find a way to harness it every week without fail.
Be sure to read our
2010 WMX Season Preview for more information on the professional women motocross racers.
Saturday starts with practice from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The 450 Moto 1 blasts off at 1 p.m. followed by the 250s and then WMX before starting again with the big boys. Be sure to watch MotorcycleUSA.com for the race results. Or, better yet, get your butt out to Prairie City SVRA and see for yourself!
