Weekend Warriors: Atlanta SX Preview

All aboard the crazy train that is the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series! Destination for round eight of the Supercross class is Atlanta, Georgia’s Georgia Dome. As the series heads away from the West and into the comfort of the Eastern dome stadiums, it brings with it four individual 450 winners and leaves behind four 250 West Region winners now on a seven-week break before they will reconvene in Seattle for round seven of the Lites West series. Throw in the winner of round one of the Lites East region opener in Houston, Justin Barcia, and the series has had nine different winners in only seven rounds of action. Can you remember the last time that happened?

Monster Energy AMA SX Round 8

Round seven of the Supercross class took place in San Diego, Cal. where a legend of the sport that many had written off proved he still has what it takes to put W’s in the books. The TwoTwo Motorsports SX icon, Chad Reed, added the 39th Main Event win to his already impressive career stats, breaking the all time San Diego SX wins record with six wins at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium—Jeremy McGrath has five—in the process. For those that have forgotten or do not know, Chad sits fourth in all time Main Event wins, only one win behind the #7 San Manuel/L&M/Yamaha racer James Stewart. The people that wrote Reedy off as done need to realize that he is not done until he tells you he is. Until then, never count him out.

With Reed grabbing a win in San Diego, the title chase has become even more interesting. After seven rounds, the fifth place rider in points is down by twenty-three, and the top four are all within sixteen points. It has been a long time since we have been this deep into a series without one or two riders clearly separating themselves from the field. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey is the fifth place rider in the points, but without the DNF he suffered at A2, that 23-point deficit would more than likely be closer to five. RD1 has had 5 podiums—three of which were 2nd places—in only seven rounds, and with the inconsistency that we are seeing in the top guys of late, he might just get back into this title chase before the year ends. For Atlanta, stay focused on the yellow #1; I have a sneaking suspicion that RD1 is getting tired of watching the rest of the “Fab Five” win.

Davi Millsaps has been steadily improving and comes to the Georgia Dome looking for his first podium of 2011. Photo by Brian Robinette.

Here at MotoXAddicts, we talk a lot about the “Fab Five,” but when they consistently occupy the top-five spots week in and week out, it sure is hard to not to. Heading into Atlanta, though, there’s an old face trying to make a new name for himself as a top five guy. You may have forgotten about the number 18 JGR/Yamaha pilot Davi Millsaps, but he has recently been reintroducing himself to the field and the fans. Davi has always been able to go fast whenever he wanted, and the last few weeks have been no exception. Because of Davi’s inconsistency, many a fickle fan has forgotten about his talent and raw speed. Rest assured, though: Davi hasn’t forgotten anything. He left San Diego with his first top five of the year, and he may be just getting started.

The top four in the series are still the Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, L&M/Yamaha’s James Stewart, Chad Reed and the Factory Honda rookie Trey Canard. All four have wins: JS7 has three; RV2 has two; Canard got his first-ever win two weeks ago in Houston; and Reedy won San Diego. All four come into Atlanta trying to improve on that tally. Trey came just one stall and tip over away from his second straight win at Qualcomm Stadium and comes into round eight knowing he can win. RV2 has somehow, despite having—by his standards—two off weeks with a third and a seventh, will arrive in Atlanta with a three-point lead. To maintain the lead, he knows he needs to improve on his last two outings this Saturday. Mr. Stewart is second place in points, and like RV, the last two weeks have not lived up to his expectations. Stewart is coming off a fifteenth and a third. Surely the straight up beating he took at the hands of Reedy in San Diego did not taste good. JS7 could use the mental boost of a win right now more than anyone. James has spent his career beating down other racers mentally, but in order to get back to that, he needs to bounce back now.

Trey Canard seems to have found the confidence to win and comes to Atlanta to do just that. Photo by Russ Erbe.

Also unloading their bikes in the Georgia Dome for some Supercross bar-banging are the Lites East Region boys. This series looks to be a knock-down, drag-out brawl to Vegas, literally. With favorites like Justin Barcia, Ryan Sipes and Dean Wilson taking on a host of newbies—Justin Anderson, Gannon Audette and kid brother of “the fastest man on the planet” Malcolm Stewart—there’s no telling how this series will play out. All you can do is pull up a chair and prepare to see the all-out war.

Monster Energy AMA SX Lites East Regional Round 2

GEICO Powersports/Honda rider Justin Barcia came out firing in round one using his “tag you’re it” style and came away with the opening round win, but Monster Energy/ProCircuit’s Wilson showed he was also game for the fight. “Bam Bam” Barcia and Wilson are both in their sophomore years in SX. Each comes in expecting the 2011 title to be his. Expect these two to exchange punches for the entire series, and don’t expect either to back down.

Another man to keep a close eye on this year is veteran Kentucky-boy Ryan Sipes. We interviewed Ryan after Houston and he told us he also lines up in 2011 with one goal: the title. The DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha rider comes into this SX season with a whole new outlook, a completely new program, and in his words, “thinks it’s time to win.”

Wilson (15), Wharton (21) and Barcia (17) ran 1st, 2nd and 3rd for fourteen laps of round one. Wharton crashed, ending up 6th. Photo by Russ Erbe.

Ryan’s teammate on the Star Racing squad is rookie Gannon Audette. In Houston, Audette had a lot of fans reaching for their programs trying to figure out who he was when he qualified fourth overall in the day times qualifiers. If you didn’t know his name before Houston, you better remember it now. Mr. Audette has real speed, and if he can start banking the experience in the early rounds, you can expect him to be battling for podiums sooner than later.

Speaking of turning heads and battling for podiums, I can’t preview the Atlanta SX without mentioning Dean Wilson and Justin Barcia’s teammates. Dean’s teammate in the East on the Monster/ProCircuit, superstar-making team is Houston’s third place finisher Blake Baggett. Like Barcia and Wilson, Blake enters his second year of SX ready to win it all. Blake showed why Mitch Payton signed him up with a “ride of the year” kind of performance in Houston, battling all fifteen laps from the back of the pack to leave with a podium. Blake rode round one like he had something to prove, and you can bet that he wasn’t trying to prove he can get third. Look for him to climb up the box and stay there in 2011.

After round one, Malcolm Stewart is still the big mystery in the Lites East region. Photo by Russ Erbe.

Barcia’s teammate on the GEICO Powersports team is none other than Slash. Blake Wharton’s nickname may be due to his wild hair, but you can also expect him to slash the field in SX this year. Blake probably should have ended up fourth at round one, but the bad luck of SX-past bit Blake again at the first round of the season. He was holding down the third and final spot of the podium when a late-race collision with Sipes knocked him off the track and back to sixth spot in the process.

PJ Larsen was fast at round one, but bad luck bit the #927. Expect PJ to look to turn it around in Atlanta. Photo by Russ Erbe.

Check back in tomorrow for practice photo galleries and updates. You can also follow me at @dandunes818 or  @MotoXAddictsCom for all things SX/MX and live race tweets all day Saturday.