Photo by: Hoppenworld
The Dark Horse is a weekly column by MotoXAddicts contributor Nolan MacDonald that elaborates on the riders who can surprise you and emerge to prominence when you least expect it. Some may be well known while others have never been heard of. To be recognized as a dark horse, a rider doesn’t have to win but rather perform above expectations.
This previous weekend was our sixth round of the year for Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and became yet another exhilarating night full of racing. With all of the racers lined up on the floor of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the battle for the points lead was on. We also had a great cause to race for, as it was military appreciation night under the lights. Plenty of riders were decked out in camouflage gear that was donated to Operation Homefront to support the troops. Click here to bid on gear >>>
In the 450 class, we had a full lineup of potential winners. With Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto just a few points ahead of Chad Reed, he had something to prove Saturday night as your points leader and reigning champ. Meanwhile, there were other riders with the same mindset of it being an all-or-nothing night. Discount Tire Racing’s Chad Reed was only a few points back from the red plate, while Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey was looking to make comeback from a huge loss of points the week before. In the wings, though, was Yoshimura/Suzuki’s James Stewart, who had looked like he would win the first race of the year but, with some bad luck, crashed out in the whoops. Well, it only took five more rounds for James to put the number seven back on top of the box, and with convincing fashion. Stewart got a great start and passed the reigning champion Ryan Villopoto for the lead. Stewart won by about a second and a half but, at times, held leads up to three seconds, which showed he had definitely earned his win in San Diego.
In the 250 class, it was a battle to lead the Championship going into the break as we prepare to head east and see a whole new set of racers in the class. With Troy Lee Designs/Honda’s Cole Seely and Rockstar Energy Racing/KTM’s Jason Anderson duking it out for the Championship, the night looked like it was the moment to prove who really is the alpha dog in the race for the number one plate. As the gates dropped, it appeared that Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson could win the race and get back in the chase, but a mistake just a few laps in cost Wilson the race and possibly a shot at the Championship. The night became a big statement for Wilson’s teammate Justin Hill who won his first main event in the 250 class and miraculously only on his 12th start in the professional supercross circuit. Behind Hill was Anderson, who established that consistency was the key for his Championship lead, while Cole Seely finished fourth.
Coming into this week we look to race at AT&T Stadium (formerly Cowboys Stadium) in Arlington, Texas. The same familiar faces will be in the 450 class, as we see if Chad Reed can come back from a hard crash last week or possibly look at back to back wins for Stewart. But in our 250 class, we will see a whole new lineup of riders. In round seven, we finally have arrived at the East Coast debut round of the Championship and get to see who will duke it out in this talented pool of riders.
In the 250 class, we have a deep pool of riders such as Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and GEICO/Honda’s Blake Wharton. They are noteable contenders for the win, but our dark horse this week goes to JAB Motorsports Matt Lemoine. Lemoine is notorious for solid top ten finishes in the 250 class, and last year, he stepped up to the 450 class. It looks like that isn’t the case this year, though, as Matt looks to head back into the class he is most known in and get some solid finishes under his belt. Recently, Matt has been working hard and even trained at a replica Dallas Supercross track at Cycle Ranch MX in Floresville, Texas. This should give the JAB Motorsports riders a little bit of an advantage heading into the opening round in his home race. Look for Matt to finish solidly in the top ten and possibly creep his way into the top five with a good start and a little bit of veteran experience under his belt.
In the 450 class, our dark horse this week is the most known privateer in the industry, MotoSport.com/FLY Racing’s Weston Peick. Weston has been known for some solid top ten finishes in the past, but lately, he has looked extremely impressive with back to back top fives. What was most impressive about this rider was that he took a win in the last chance qualifier this past week in San Diego, which gave him the 19th gate pick (out of 22), and he still accomplished to get out into the top five at the end of the day. Look for Weston to be a top contender by the end of this year and definitely a top five candidate this week in Dallas.
