By: Jason Weigant
It's unseasonably cold here at Millville, which is saying a lot when you're in Minnesota! Yesterday we actually hit a record low for July 17th in the area--a record low! Suddenly folks were begging, borrowing and stealing sweatshirts and hoodies to get through the day, as temps were in the 60s. Today we're supposed to break into the 70s, and it's overcast with a chance of rain. For a rider, actually, this is perfect weather, so maybe we can bust out the "I think we're in for some awesome racing today" quote.
Here's what I was thinking about when I headed for the airport at 5 am on Friday. I am really excited about going to the race this weekend because, as a fan, I just really don't know who is going to win these races! Forget doing TV, hanging with my friends, doing this for a job or anything like that--those are the reasons I now have to go to the races. But on occasions, I can actually sit back and say "I'm just glad to be heading to the races because I can't wait to find out what happens."
We're here now. Josh Grant is fighting just to get in the top five at Colorado, then goes out and blows everyone away at Red Bud? How do you predict that? Tedesco stomps them at Colorado but then comes back down to earth at Red Bud? How do you predict that? Andrew Short wanted it SO BAD at Red Bud and took the race by the throat, but still ended up coughing it up. Did that crush him mentally for good, or can he bounce back one more time? Is the healthy Chad Reed finally going to show up and prove, once and for all, that he's the best of the riders who are out there? Normally, motocross doesn't work this way, and once someone gets momentum and a confidence boost, it's over. Somehow, it's not happening this time.
And the 250 class, well, for a few weeks it had become the Dungey and Pourcel show, especially after Trey Canard, the one rider who looked to be hooking on with them, went out at High Point. But lo and behold the other riders have closed the gap, and now we're back to having seven and eight rider packs duking it out for moto wins.
This is parity and it doesn't happen often. Savor it, live it and love it, because as much as we ballyhoo about making tracks easier or harder, changing bike rules or training programs or whatever, you can't artificially create close racing in this sport. So when it happens, you just have to embrace it.
Today, the track looks awesome, and combined with the perfect racing weather, we should be in for a good one. Riders to watch? Reed and Grant looked fastest to me in the 450 class, and their times back that up--Reed was just sick fast through the whoops. Shorty did dominate here a few years ago on a 250 and obviously has a chip on his shoulder with all of these other guys winning races. But he just didn't seem as aggro as JG and CR. Josh Hill was fast in practice as he always is, but he's struggling with back problems so hanging in there for two motos may be an issue. My real 450 dark horse is Matt "Beef" Goerke, who always does well on this track and sits sixth in the second qualifying session.
On 250s, Christophe Pourcel led Ryan Dungey and the rest of the field by over a second with his fastest lap in session one, session two has not begun yet. Dungey really, really needs to get a good clean race under his belt and restablish himself as the favorite in this class. Crash at Hangtown, crash at High Point, bad starts at Colorado, crash at Red Bud....you can only spot Pourcel so many of these before it's too late.
Broc Tickle was third fastest in the first 250 session, and he's been fast like that all year. Tickle, like his teammate Matt Lemoine, is so on the verge of figuring this out, you have to think he's just going to at some point. This could be the weekend he makes the leap into that pack at the front, and starts doing it every week.
Shoutout to some fun guys from New Zealand who flew to LA last week, bought a van of Craig's List for $1700, drove it out here, and then will drive to Washougal before heading home. They're pulling for the 21 of Coops, and actually parked right next to the New Zealand privateer duo of Justin McDonald and Luke Burkhart. Very fun group of privateer racers and fans--go Kiwis.
We'll be webcasting video from the first motos, with myself, David Bailey and Erin Bates (plus, special guest Trey Canard helping in the 250 class!) starting at 1 pm Central time. We're on SPEED with 450 coverage tonight at 11:30 Eastern--it's Saturday night, don't even think of saying 11:30 is late or I'll say you're lame.
Enjoy the races. I know I will.
