Weekend Warriors: Los Angeles Supercross Lites West Preview

 
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, heads to the famed Los Angeles Dodger Stadium for round three of the Western Regional Supercross Lites Championship. Over the first two rounds of Lites West action, a battle for supremacy has been waged, and so far, we have we have no definitive leader in the class. In fact, what we have two different winners and five guys separated by a mere four points at the top of the standings. What has kept it this close is that the winner of Anaheim 1, Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda’s Cole Seely, and the winner at round two in Phoenix, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson, both finished off the podium in the races they did not win. In fact only one man has been on the box at both of the first two rounds, and he will be the man with the red background behind his number at the Los Angeles Supercross.

The number that will be proudly placed upon the red background is the number twenty-eight of the South African Tyla Rattray. After a second place finish at the opener in Anaheim and a third last weekend in Phoenix, Tyla brings a slim, one-point lead with him to L.A. If you were to ask a hundred fans and experts who would be leading the Lites West region of the Monster Energy Supercross series after two rounds, we seriously doubt many would have said the name Tyla Rattray. The former FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion was brought to the U.S. to win an AMA 250 Motocross Championship for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad, but with the strong possibility of Tyla moving up to 450 for outdoors, this SX championship may be his last shot at winning a U.S. title on a Lites bike. We know it is far too early to be handing out any trophies, but if Tyla can continue to land on the podium against this very deep field, he could very well be responsible for yet another #1 plate on Mitch Payton’s wall. Read our latest interview with Tyla from just after he grabbed the points lead >>

Last year, another surprise contender emerged in the West, and his arrival happened to come at Dodger Stadium. Cole Seely went to Dodger Stadium in 2011 as just another podium hopeful and left with his first-ever supercross win. Since then Cole has earned two more supercross wins and, with his win at the 2012 Anaheim opener and a fifth at round two, sits just one point behind Rattray in the Championship. At Phoenix last weekend, a bad start and coming up on the losing end of a race-long battle with GEICO Powersports/Honda’s Eli Tomac left Cole on the outside of the podium looking in. Round three would be the a prime time for the Troy Lee Designs rider to cement his status as a viable Championship contender with a win.

Heading into round three with a full head of steam is last week’s Phoenix Supercross winner, Dean Wilson. Deano came into 2012 hot off his 2011 AMA 250 Motocross Championship and was on the top of everyone’s list to win the West. At the opener in Anaheim, though, Deano said that nerves and expectations got the best of him, and a last lap crash left him with a disappointing sixth in the Main Event. Deano rebounded by leading every lap of the Main Event at round two and is now only two points behind his teammate Rattray in the Championship. If there is one guy the field does not want to let get too confident, it is Dean Wilson.

Sitting fourth—only two points back—in the Championship after an opening round fourth followed by a second in Phoenix is the Frenchman Marvin Musquin. Over the last couple of years, the Red Bull/KTM team has put their faith in their last two MX2 World Champions—Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin—to showcase their Lites bikes in the U.S. In the past, GP riders have tended to struggle in supercross, but with Marvin Musquin, that just does not seem to be the case. We are not sure if it is simply a French thing, but Marvin has that seamless, fluid, on the pegs style that so many Frenchman before him used so well in Monster Energy Supercross. Marvin may be considered a dark horse in the title chase for some, but he and his team expect wins and a possible Championship. So far, Marvin has only raced two AMA Supercross races in his life, and with a fourth and a second in the bank, he will be looking to cash in his first win in Los Angeles.

The man on the bottom side of the five man battle that is taking shape is GEICO Powersport/Honda’s Eli Tomac. Eli has shown, with the fastest laps at both of the first two rounds, that he has the speed to win. Unfortunately for Tomac, he continues to make life hard on himself with small mistakes and horrendous starts. At round one, Eli came from way outside the top ten to finish third, and the kid from Colorado had a very similar ride from behind to finish fourth at round two. The problem with starts is not a new issue for the number seventeen. He has been plagued with this issue throughout his entire career, and last year, it cost him the 2011 Western Regional Lites Championship. If Eli wants to become a Supercross Champion against the depth of talent out there in 2012, he is going to have to get that problem solved. If Tomac gets a top three start in Los Angeles, I predict he will win his first race of 2012. That is a big if, but a safe bet.

The Western Regional Supercross Lites Championship is as deep with talent as it has ever been. There are literally ten to fifteen solid riders that could, on any given night, come up and grab a podium with a good start. The guys outside the top five that lead that group are Rockstar Suzuki’s duo of Jason Anderson and Martin Davalos, American MX2 GP standout Monster Energy/Yamaha’s Zachary Osbourne, and Star/Valli/Yamaha teammates Nico Izzi and Ryan Sipes (check out our interview with Ryan from this past week). All five of these guys have the speed to run with anyone on any given night and, with a good start, could begin to threaten for wins. Just make sure when you see the number 338, Zach Osbourne, that you don’t mistake him for the man formerly known as number 338, Jason Lawrence.

You can watch the Los Angeles Supercross Monday afternoon at 12 p.m. EST on SPEED TV. Click here for full television schedule, but make sure you check your local listings to confirm.

AMA Supercross – Lites West Points

For full points standing click here>>>

 1 28 Tyla Rattray Wildomar, CA, USA 42
 2 34 Cole Seely Murrieta, CA, USA 41
 3 15 Dean Wilson Menifee, CA, USA 40
 4 38 Marvin Musquin Murrieta, CA, USA 40
 5 17 Eli Tomac Cortez, CO, USA 38
 6 44 Jason Anderson Edgewood, NM, USA 28
 7 338 Zachary Osborne Chesterfield, SC, USA 27
 8 50 Nico Izzi Menifee, CA, USA 22
 9 51 Travis Baker Temecula, CA, USA 22
 10 119 Max Anstie Hemet, CA, USA 17

Check out the 2012 Los Angeles Animated Monster Supercross Track Map