The AMA Monster Energy Lites West Region reconvenes this Saturday night for round seven. The West, this year, has fit right in with what has been the most spectacular year of SX we have ever witnessed. In the first six rounds, there were four different winners on three different brands, and when they return to action Saturday night at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash., there will be three riders within twelve points of the top spot in the championship standings. With three rounds to go, it’s still a wide-open title.
Photo by Brian Robinette.
Coming into Seattle with the top spot in the points is Josh Hansen. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki veteran has three wins—and four podiums—in 2011, but a broken hand suffered in qualifying had things looking bleak at Anaheim II. Josh would get the hand taped up, head to the line for the main event and win it, broken hand and all. The next race in San Diego came after a week off, and Josh looked to be a lot worse-for-wear on that night. He toughed it out knowing that there was a seven-week break just around the corner, and finished a solid sixth in San Diego, maintaining a three-point lead in the points. Now back after a seven-week rest, Josh will have three races to prove to the SX world—that once washed their hands of him—that he’s back for good, and a champion.
Photo by Brian Robinette.
Another rider returning from injury is the other half of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki dynamic duo, Broc Tickle. Two weeks ago while practicing, Broc’s hand slipped off the bars, sending him down and into surgery to repair a broken collarbone. Now just two weeks later, Broc says that Dr. Alexander—from the Asterisk Mobile Medical Team—has fixed him up. He went on to say in a recent RacerX interview that he’s in it to win it, and that he just wants to be in a good spot come Vegas. Well, Seattle SX may be just what the doctor ordered for Broc. Last year—on one of the gnarliest tracks in SX history—Broc outlasted the field in the deep ruts of Seattle for his first-ever win. Broc looked right at home in the technical Seattle soil. It’s hard to say whether or not Broc is praying for rain, but from what we saw last year, it won’t hurt him if it does.
The only uninjured rider that still has a great chance at the West Region title is the GEICO Powersports/Honda rookie number nineteen, Eli Tomac. Not only is Eli healthy, but he was also the man on the move at the West Region Lites’ last stop in San Diego. Following three-straight podiums in LA, Oakland and Anaheim II, Eli would holeshot the San Diego main event, check out to a fifteen-second lead and coast in for his first-ever SX win. Mr. Tomac is now trailing Hansen by only twelve points and is carrying a helmet-full of confidence along with a nothing-to-lose and everything-to-gain mentality into the last three rounds. Youth, confidence, speed and talent combined with nothing to lose is a scary package.
Photo by Brian Robinette.
Also coming to Seattle—but not so close in the Championship hunt—are guys like Troy Lee Design/Honda’s Cole Seely who is fifth in points with a win at Dodger Stadium and fourth in points, Rockstar/Suzuki’s Ryan Morais. While both are more than thirty-points back, each has a point to make before the season ends. Cole won L.A., but would love to put a stamp on that win in any or all of the last three rounds, while Morais would just like to prove he can win.
Just like the other two AMA Supercross Championships going on right now, the West is packed full of every thing that makes a story great. The rookie, the veteran and the journeyman all vie for one title, and only three races will decide who gets it.
See ya’ in Seattle!
AMA Supercross Lites West points
1 100 Joshua Hansen 128
2 20 Broc Tickle 125
3 19 Eli Tomac 116
4 71 Ryan Morais 96
5 36 Cole Seely 88
Be sure to follow @dandunes818 for live race updates from Seattle this weekend.
