Hold on to your hats, and keep your hands and feet inside at all times because the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series is once again about to take you on an intense ride. The crazy ride that just keeps getting more insane every week now heads to Salt Lake City, Utah for the penultimate round of the seventeen-race series. Rice-Eccles Stadium will host—and try to contain—the chaos this Saturday as four very much alive title contenders try to take one more giant leap towards holding the number one plate over their head on May 7th in Las Vegas.

Ryan Villopoto has lit the candles five times this year and will probably need one more to secure the 2011 championship.

RV2 has lit the candles five times this year and will probably need one more to secure the 2011 championship. Photo by Brian Robinette.

The man leading the way into Utah is Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s hired gun Ryan Villopoto. Mr. RV2 will see if he can regain his mid-season form and begin to stamp his name in the record books as a 450 SX champ. Ryan is the only man of the four left in the championship hunt to not have a 450 title to his name, and you can be assured he will put it all on the line to get it done. With a six-point lead over Chad Reed, who now sits in second, and a nine-point lead over James Stewart in fourth, there is no room to rest. Ryan knows this and will be after wins, not podiums in these last two.

Chad Reed is potentially two races away from doing what many thought to be the impossible.

Reed is potentially two races away from doing what many thought to be the impossible. Photo by Brian Robinette.

Then there’s the Two-Two Motorsports Chad Reed. The twenty-nine year-old, originally from the faraway land of Oz, has two SX titles on his decorated résumé, but neither is nearly as meaningful this one would be if he could make it happen. Just five months ago, Chad was a man without a ride after coming off the worst season of his career, and now five months later, he is poised to complete his “mission impossible.” With only a six-point deficit, he owns his destiny 100%. Chad has had a big year with a new baby, new team and new bike, and he could quite possibly top it off with a new 2011 SX championship.

Can Ryan Dungey switch gears and let it all hang out in this two race shootout for the championship?

Can Ryan Dungey switch gears and let it all hang out in this two race shootout for the championship? Photo by Brian Robinette.

Only one point behind Reedy and seven behind RV2 is the 2010 450 SX champ. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey has been “Mr. Consistent” all year long, and because of that consistency, he finds himself with eleven podium appearances and a shot at winning his second 450 SX championship in as many tries. Consistency is what Ryan Dungey does best, but it is time to throw the consistency plan out the window in favor of plan B. With a seven-point disadvantage and only two rounds left, Ryan will need to lay it all on the line. Can RD1 turn off the consistency switch and flip on the win-or-crash-trying button? That is a question that remains to be seen.

James Stewart brings a two-race win streak and his never-say-die mindset into the 2011 penultimate battle.

Stewart brings a two-race win streak and his never-say-die mindset into the 2011 penultimate battle. Photo by Brian Robinette.

The man in fourth will never have that question attached to his name. The San Manuel/Yamaha rider has based his career on winning or crashing while trying, and this year has showcased that more than any year before. James Stewart has come to every round of the 2011 SX series with one mission: to destroy! That one-mission mindset has made for some spectacular wins and even more spectacular get-offs. The bottom line is, if any man questions Stewart’s desire to win or his love for the game after his 2011 campaign, I will question that man’s sanity. He has endured more ups and downs—and painful, high speed crashes—than we have ever seen one racer endure, and somehow he just keeps on coming. The Energizer Bunny has nothing on Bubba! Even after all the ups and downs, James—over the last two weeks—has fought his way back within striking distance of his third SX championship. Nine points with two rounds would be a lot to overcome most years, but in this, the year of chaos, nine points is nothing.

Can Kevin Windham play the spoiler role for the second-straight week? More importantly, can he win the Salt Lake City Supercross for the second-straight year?

Can K’dub play the spoiler role for the second-straight week? More importantly, can he win the Salt Lake City Supercross for the second-straight year? Photo by Russ Erbe.

No matter which of these two-wheeled warriors wins this championship, there will be no losers. The saying is often overused, but it has never been more fitting than in this championship fight. Each and every one of them—including the injured Trey Canard—has reminded fans why they love this sport. For years, we have seen one or two men separate themselves while the rest of the field settled into their place. This year, five riders showed us that they had no understanding of what it meant to settle. Thank you RV2, JS7, CR22, RD1 and TC41 for treating us fans to a season we will not soon forget!

450 Supercross-class points

Ryan Villopoto 293
Chad Reed 287
Ryan Dungey 286
James Stewart 284
Trey Canard 255

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.