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.
Entering the tenth round of the Monster Energy Supercross series, an FIM World Championship, we head to sunny Daytona, Florida. Even though in years past we have had storms, mud and overly moist dirt in general, it appears that this year we are in luck! Saturday night is expected to have cool, 50-degree weather and light winds which only means that weather is no longer a factor this year for our Championship contenders and dark horses.
Last week’s Dark Horses in Indianapolis didn’t get much luck from this author, as the Privateer Journey rider Justin “Pooh” Sipes failed to even make the main event while Factory Metal Works rider AJ Catanzaro had his worst finish of the season, a 14th place. Regardless, these riders still raced their hearts out but just weren’t able to do what this writer thought they could in Indianapolis.
It wasn’t just a strange night for “Pooh” and AJ, though. As the 450 gate dropped in the main event, the top three riders in the points standings all went down. Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and Ken Roczen all were forced to battle their way through the pack and earn their points. It could have possibly been the rough track filled with challenging ruts and crazy faces or maybe there was just voodoo in the air of Lucas Oil Stadium.
This week we head to Daytona International Speedway—the most interesting race on the circuit in my opinion—where we’ll watch the riders ride on a unique track that is designed with a mix of supercross and motocross styles all in the middle of the speedway field. The track gives the fans a hint of what we can only visualize for outdoors, all the while giving us a little supercross flavor to spice up the pot. This week’s dark horses are sure to spice it up as well, as it seems we have a theme on why our riders are going to perform above expectations. With such letdown in the past for both our Dark Horses, the fire in their hearts is going to fuel them to the finish line far past any expectation the industry has for them.
For the 250 class, the Dark Horse of the week is rookie Factory Metal Works rider Jace Owen. After finally qualifying for his first main event last week, Owen placed 18th. The weekend in Indianapolis wasn’t just about the position, though, but rather a learning experience on how to qualify and how he can get right back there in Daytona. Jace seems to be a good fit for Daytona: he has a little bit of confidence now that he can finally put his bike into the main event, and he’s arrived back at the very place he came so close to winning a Pro Sport championship at one year ago. In 2013, Owen battled with fellow A rider Thomas Covington for multiple championships on Daytona Amateur Day, but unfortunately, Owen only came home with silver. This year Jace has something to prove. The young rookie wants to show the world he belongs in the professional ranks and that he really rides well on the Daytona-style track. Jace Owen may not be on top of the box Saturday night, but he surely will put that Honda in the top 15 and carry his weight for his team.
In our premiere class, the 450s, Dean Wilson is our Dark Horse for the week. With a no pressure fill-in ride from the the Discount Tire Racing squad, Wilson looks to show the big boys he can run up front with them. After a solid 10th place last week, Dean heads into Daytona, a race that did not treat him so well a year ago. After leading the race, Wilson appeared to just not have what it took to win the main and dropped back to 4th place in his 250 class. This year, “Deano” returns with some angst and a desire to show how well he really rides. Look up on the scoreboard this week for at least a top 7 for Dean Wilson.
Last week in Indianapolis, not much luck rubbed off on our Dark Horses, but in Daytona, it will be a different story. Results may not back up our riders this week, but the desire they have to succeed surely outweighs that. Dean Wilson and Jace Owen are heading to Florida to show the Supercross fans that they have what it takes.
