Killian Rusk edged out Broc Tickle to win his first-ever semi qualifier in San Diego. Photo by: Mark Lester

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.

Last weekend’s race at Petco Park in San Diego, California marked the last round of the 2015 Western Regional 250SX Championship for two months. This week we look forward to the start of the 2015 Eastern Regional 250SX Championship at Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium. For those who are questioning the location, the stadium is otherwise known as Cowboys Stadium, which is located in the greater Dallas area in Texas. The 250SX riders who have completed six of their nine rounds in the Western Regional series will be back on April 11th at NRG Arena in Houston, Texas, but for now, we look ahead to the beginning of another championship, the battle for the Eastern Regional 250SX Championship. As the ‘Battle of the East’ begins, the 450SX Championship continues for Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, where plenty of racing still remains as the Championship points are starting to tighten back up.

This weekend looks as if it can be a defining point in the 450SX Championship chase. For Team Honda/HRC’s Trey Canard, the question continues as to whether he can truly contend for the 450SX Championship. Last weekend he gathered his second win of the season and remains only 18 points behind Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey. Meanwhile, Dungey leads RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Factory Suzki Racing’s Ken Roczen by a mere 9 points. These three riders are not just within 18 points of each other but also account for three of the four riders who have won in the 450SX class this season, so which one can separate from the pack and show they are the true front-runner? The rider that will be on the gate this weekend who last won at Arlington is Trey Canard. In 2011, he got his first career supercross win at the venue. Can we see Trey light the candles on his way towards the top of the standings this weekend?

Trey Canard and Ken Roczen went 1-2 in San Diego, but Ryan Dungey's consistency has ruled the series so far in '15. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Trey Canard and Ken Roczen went 1-2 in San Diego, but Ryan Dungey’s consistency has ruled the series so far in ’15. Photo by: Hoppenworld

For the 250SX Eastern Regional class, this year looks to be a wild guess for the Eastern Regional Series. GEICO/Honda’s Justin Bogle was the champion last year after a wild turn of events causing both Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Martin Davalos (now with Rockstar Husqvarna) and Adam Cianciarulo to be injured and give up their points lead in the series. A favorite besides Justin Bogle is very uncertain for the class, as we have past winners such as Red Bull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin (4 wins), Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin (1 win) and Davalos (2 wins) entering, along with two rookies, RJ Hampshire and Jordon Smith from GEICO/Honda capable of showing speed.  After an off year for Martin last supercross season, his position in the field seems uncertain, while rookies have a lot to adjust to. The question for this class is will we see a new rider shine as they enter the field, or will Justin Bogle repeat his Eastern Regional Championship? Can Rockstar Racing/Husqvarna’s Martin Davalos get back on top of the standings like last year? Can Jeremy Martin bounce back from a horrendous 2014 supercross season? There seems to be a lot that has to be sorted out come Saturday in Arlington.

Back to the Dark Horses, Arlington brings a whole new field to choose from for the 250SX Eastern Regional riders. There are plenty of rookies that can surprise us just as Adam Cianciarulo did last year when he won the first supercross race he ever competed in. But this week, with all the veterans in the class, I think experience will help with the nerves. For Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha’s second year rider Anthony Rodriguez, this weekend can be a turn in events. Going back to Arlington last year, the opening round of the Eastern Region for 250SX in 2014, Rodriguez was a rookie rider who showed a lot of speed but went down and crashed out of the event while running in a podium position. Rodriguez completed only 10 of the 15 laps, but still had the 4th fastest lap time of all 250SX riders. Heading back to Arlington in 2015, Rodriguez has a chance to redeem himself in the Lone Star State and definitely has the speed to win, but his past history at Dallas could make or break the young rider and he has to complete an entire race. A top 5 is definitely a possibility this year for Rodriguez if he can get that done.

Anthony Rodriguez showed tremendous speed during his rookie season in 2014. Unfortunately, the MTF graduate spent most of the year picking himself up from big crashes. We expect that to be behind him in 2015. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Anthony Rodriguez showed tremendous speed during his rookie season in 2014. Unfortunately, the MTF graduate spent most of the year picking himself up from big crashes. We expect that to be behind him in 2015. Photo by: Hoppenworld

For the 450SX riders, the field goes deep for practice times that are capable of getting someone into the qualifying position. Between the 20th to 30th overall practice time spots for the riders it comes close, with different riders qualifying every week. There have been a few reliable riders this year mid-pack that can qualify week in and week out and plenty who have inconsistently made the main event. Slater Skin/Blue Buffalo/Yamaha’s Killian Rusk has been one of the more inconsistent riders this year, only making it into 2 of the 6 main events. While the consistency has not been there, last week’s performance could have definitely sparked a fire inside this rider. After only making it in the fourth round’s main event in Oakland, Rusk really set it off in San Diego by grabbing a win in the semi and then grabbing a 19th overall after qualifying 22nd. His win in the semi was a big win after he edged out a battle at the end with RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Broc Tickle. The confidence booster was definitely the best part of this win, no matter his lap times or overall finish. With a win in the semis, the drive and motivation from Rusk has definitely turned up coming into Arlington, and a qualifying position for the second consecutive round is definitely a possibility.

For now, Arlington is a big answer to some 250SX Eastern Regional questions and possibly a turning point for 450SX. As we impatiently await racing Saturday night, we can only contemplate what goes on in these rider’s heads and what really will go down, but it definitely will be an exciting week.

Author

Freelance Everything. Author for MotoXaddicts and Motoplayground. Freelance filmmaker. Dip in photography. Editor in Chief of MX Press in Houston. RMXFilms.com