Ryan Villopoto heads into 2012 with the confidence of winning every Championship he entered in 2011. Can he repeat this feat against what may be the deepest field in the history of the sport? Photo:Hoppenworld
With the first drop of the gate for the 2012 AMA Supercross season quickly approaching, the anticipation of Anaheim I is beginning to set in. 2011 was dubbed one of the greatest SX seasons of all time—because of five riders battling for wins and the title—and we have even more riders in the mix for 2012. On paper, 2012 looks like it has all the ingredients of the perfect SX recipe.
When you look at the 450 Supercross class lineup for 2012, the first thing that most likely comes to mind is the depth. It’s easy to find as many as thirty riders that expect to make every main event, as many as twenty riders with top ten potential and as many as ten riders with podium, and possibly win, potential. What does that mean? It means we should have some surprises at the front—and quite a few disappointed riders loading up their bikes when they expect to be racing a main event.
Look at the depth lining up for Anaheim I in the Supercross class.
#1 Ryan Villopoto – 2011 450 SX Champion – Past Lites SX Champion #5 Ryan Dungey - 2010 450 SX Champion – Past Lites SX Champion #7 James Stewart - 2007-09 SX Champion – Past Lites SX Champion #9 Ivan Tedesco – Past Lites SX Champion #10 Justin Brayton #11 Kyle Chisholm #14 Kevin Windham - 450 SX winner – Past Lites SX Champion #18 Davi Millsaps – 450 SX winner – Past Lites SX Champion #21 Jake Weimer – Past Lites SX Champion #22 Chad Reed - 2004 -08 450 SX Champion – Past Lites SX Champion #24 Brett Metcalfe #25 Broc Tickle – Past Lites SX Champion #26 Michael Byrne #27 Nick Wey #29 Andrew Short #32 Tommy Hahn #33 Josh Grant – 450 SX winner #36 Kyle Regal #41 Trey Canard - 450 SX winner – Past Lites SX Champion #47 Chris Blose #48 Jimmy Albertson #54 Weston Peick #56 Austin Stroupe #59 Vince Friese #64 Matt Boni #65 Ryan Morais #66 Jason Thomas #75 Josh Hill – 450 SX winner #83 Kyle Partridge #87 Matt Goerke #100 Josh Hansen #800 Mike Alessi #801 Jeff Alessi
The list above is a list we compiled of 450 SX rider that should be on the line at Anaheim I and probably expect themselves to be on the line when the first main event gate drops. All totaled, there are at least thirty-three riders that believe that on each and every weekend they belong in the main event. The only problem is that there are only twenty gates to fill. On top of that, there will probably be a couple of unexpected riders here and there that sneak into some main events and 250 riders like Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen that plan to show up on opposite coasts of their respective Lites Championship series’ to race the big bike class. In other words, there will likely be a lot more disappointment than usual in the 450 SX class.
One thing that we haven’t seen in a while is this amount of 450 SX Champions, past Lites SX Champions and 450 SX winners on the line. When you have four 450 SX Champions, nine 450 SX winners and ten past Lites SX Champions on the line at once, you have a gate full of riders that know they are capable of winning and, more importantly, know how to do it.
For over a decade—with Jeremy McGrath and then Ricky Carmichael dominating—we were lucky to find more than two or three riders on the line that truly believed they could win and maybe five riders capable of podiums, but those days appear to be long gone. With James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, Chad Reed, and Ryan Dungey all proven 450 SX Champions and guys like Trey Canard, Kevin Windham, Austin Stroupe, Ivan Tadesco, Josh Hansen, Justin Hill, Justin Brayton, Andrew Short, Broc Tickle, Jake Weimer and more that believe they belong on the box, 2012 looks to have the makings of the greatest season of racing all-time.
Time to get your tickets, set your DVR’s and get ready for an all out war!
