Photo: KTM Images – Hoppenworld
The 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, heads to the famed Daytona International Speedway for round number ten and the Daytona Supercross. Beginning in 1972, the best Supercross and Motocross riders on the planet have torn up the infield of the Daytona International Speedway, and the track has been a staple on the AMA Supercross schedule since 1974.
Check out some video from the earliest film we have found from the Daytona SX. It says 1971, but since we believe the first race was 1972, lets assume this was actually 1972.
In the beginning, the Daytona SX was part of the national motocross series, but since 1974, when the Dutchmman Pierre Karsmakers won it, it has been on the Supercross schedule. Over the years, though, Daytona has remained the only motocross-style supercross track and, by far, the most brutal supercross on the schedule. Only the toughest of the tough have been able to lay claim to the Daytona SX crown, and that is why motocross greats like Roger Decoster, Marty Tripes, David Bailey, Jeff Stanton, Mike Kiedroski, Kevin Windham, Jeremy McGrath, and, of course, Ricky Carmichael have all left their marks on the famed infield of Daytona with wins. Of the current greats in the Supercross Class, there are three riders who have been man enough to win the Daytona SX in the premiere class, and all three of them are two-time 450 SX Champions. Yoshimura/Suzuki’s James Stewart (2 wins including last year), Two-Two Motorsport/Honda’s Chad Reed (3 wins) and the rider with the #1 currently on his bike, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, have all been able to suffer through 20 laps on the Daytona SX and come out victorious.
For the sixth straight year, “The G.O.A.T.” Ricky Carmichael will put his personal touch on Daytona by designing the circuit, so mastering the track will be no picnic. To win in Daytona, riders need to do more than just be the best of the best at SX. The sandy Daytona soil brings a huge element of outdoor motocross to the table. Lap times, in the past, have run well over a minute making the race much longer than a normal SX, but with live TV time restrictions and by moving the race to evening, the powers that be have focused on keeping lap times down near the 1-minute mark. Either way, the sandy Florida soil creates more ruts, whoops, breaking bumps and square-edged kickers than any mortal man would want to face while flying 70 feet over a big triple. Whoever wins this week will definitely be a man’s man, earning the hard fought right to call himself a Daytona SX winner.
Check out the 2013 Ricky Carmichael designed Daytona SX circuit
One of the greatest wars to ever be waged in AMA SX history is happening right before our eyes this year. Sure, the points are not as close as they were in some previous years, but we have five winners and at least two more riders that are capable. At the last stop in St. Louis, we saw a five-rider brawl that led to controversy, protests and unhappy riders and team managers, but in the end, it was Villopoto passing the fastest men in the class and riding away with the St. Louis SX win. The two-time returning champ reminded us why he is a champion with his incredible ability to raise his intensity when it is needed most. Whether you thought RV should have been penalized or not, there was no doubt who the best man was last Saturday night. RV saw an opportunity to take a chunk out of Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps’ points lead and was not going to be denied. When the official results were finally posted, RV had his series-leading fourth win of the year and had taken a giant bite out of Millsaps’ twenty-two point lead. Heading into Daytona RV now trails by only twelve.
Heading to St. Louis last week, we talked about starts being the major reason why Millsaps was leading the championship. Davi had not started a race in 2013 outside the top five, but in St. Louis that streak ended and nearly half his points lead went with it. Davi got off to an 8th place start, collided with Muscle Milk/Honda’s Trey Canard and hurt his arm, and then during the red flag lap, got into it with Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey and fell back to 10th. After the restart, Davi was able to fight through the pain to finish 6th but, with that, relinquished ten points of his points lead to Villopoto. Now, with Davi seeing his first adversity of 2013, we will see how the #18 reacts to it in Daytona.
Also in St. Louis last Saturday night, I think we may have witnessed the re-emergence of the #22. Chad Reed has been struggling in 2013 with the new factory Honda—specifically with front end feel—, but the two-time SX champ ditched the new air forks in St. Louis and went back to the conventional spring set-up. With that, we saw a new, seemingly more confident Reedy at round nine. After his ninth place finish in Atlanta, we were beginning to doubt him, but after his solid third in St. Louis, I’m feeling a lot more optimistic about the #22 for Daytona. Reed leads all active riders with three wins at Daytona International Speedway.
Another rider that has re-emerged after a slow start to the season is James Stewart. After taking eight rounds to find the box in 2013, James heads into Daytona straight off a win in Atlanta and a second place finish in St. Louis. Last year, James was struggling heading into Daytona and absolutely smashed the class for his second and final win of 2012 at the circuit. This year, James is riding a recent wave of confidence and—with a sixty-eight point deficit in the championship—a nothing-to-lose attitude as well. I expect Bubba to be battling for his third Daytona SX win this Saturday night.
One of the biggest mysteries of the last few rounds is what is going on with Trey Canard. Trey surprised us all early in the year by almost winning the opener and scoring two second place finishes in the first three rounds, but since then, he has not sniffed the podium. In fact, since A3, Trey has been battling just inside the top ten on most nights. It would be one thing if there were crashes or mechanicals to pin the problems on, but that does not seem to be the issue. He looks to be riding apprehensively right now like there’s something going on physically or mentally with the #41. Trey has always been good in Daytona and even has a 250 win there, so I am hoping we will see more out of the Oklahoman this weekend. Even with his lackluster performances of late, Trey sits a solid 4th in the points heading into round ten.
The rider just in front of Trey in the points is Ryan Dungey. Ryan did not have his best race in St. Louis last weekend, but with his fourth place finish, he still picked up two points on Millsaps in the Championship. In St. Louis, Dungey was involved in a heated battle with Reed, Stewart and Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Barcia for the final two spots on the box. For most of the race, it looked like Dungey had a tad more speed than the pack, but his lack of aggression, once again, left him watching the race from behind. He was able to get around Barcia because Justin made a mistake and slipped back to finish fifth, but the #5 was never able to get aggressive enough to make a pass stick on Reedy or Stewart. Ryan is still very much alive in the championship, but with twenty-three points to make up, he needs to get aggressive.
One last thing we will talk about is the entrance of another young gun into the mix in Daytona. Red Bull/KTM’s Ken Roczen will be joining the party this weekend. He will join his 250SX West championship rival GEICO/Honda’s Eli Tomac on the line of the 450 main event and test his skills against the best 450 riders on the planet. With youngsters like the 450 rookie Justin Barcia and the 250 implants—Tomac and Roczen—on the line, Daytona will definitely be a glimpse into what looks like a very bright future for supercross racing. Click here, to let us know where you think Ken Roczen will finish.
Bring on the Daytona SX main event!
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450SX Class Season Standings
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 189
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 177
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 166
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 148
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 147
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 132
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 122
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 113
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 103
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 87
450SX Class Results: St. Louis
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki
Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
