Anaheim 1 is in the books and what a day of racing it turned out to be. It was more exciting than I had anticipated and quite frustrating at the same time. It appears that the lineup I used for my Lites class predictions was inaccurate and since I waited till the last minute to publish my picks, it wasn't until timing and scoring began that I discovered some of my picks were not even in the lineup. Consequently I'm taking a mulligan this week in the Lites class but I'll have no excuse going forward. Tonight I'd like to look at the SX class and address the Lites in a separate post.
As for the night overall, I would have never thought that Millsaps would dominate the SX class like he did and what an unbelievable comeback for Trey Canard. Equally surprising was the performance of James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto. The coverage I thought was much improved although I don't know if I like all the Twitter updates; keeps the audience engaged so I guess we can't complain about that. I just love the color added by Ricky Carmichael and Jeff Emig and Ralph Shaheen held it all together as always. Erin Bates is on her game and the trackside interviews are great. Now let's take a look at the results.
SUPERCROSS CLASS
1. Davi Millsaps - I had picked Davi to finish 8th and although I was way off, I did have him finish 1 place better than Canard, which is just how it played out. Stewart and Villopoto were hobbled today but that shouldn't dimish the fact that Davi challenged for the lead and won-congratulations on a job well done.
2. Trey Canard - I picked Trey to finish 9th so a little crow in my soup this evening. I felt he would come out with something to prove and that's exactly what he did. He held off Barcia and Dungey for the entire race and that's no small task-welcome back.
3. Ryan Dungey - I picked Dungey to finish 4th, just in front of Reed so I'm half right. Dungey is very strategic in his riding but sometimes strategy just isn't enough, especially when your competition places speed ahead of strategy. If Stewart and Villopoto can't recover quickly, Dungey will be challenging Barcia for the title.
4. Chad Reed - Chad was my number 5 pick and once again I was off by 1 place. Chad rode his own race and I don't know that he could have done much more. I still don't believe Reed is mentally over his injuries, give him another round or two and I'm sure he'll find his pace.
5. Jake Weimer - I saw Jake taking 10th at A1 and although 5 places is a pretty wide margin, had we had a healthy field I don't think my pick would have been that far off. He's still a top 10 rider so we'll have to wait and see what happens with Stewart and Villopoto before moving him up in the order.
6. Andrew Short - I didn't even have Short in my top 10 and it appears that he would have placed in the top 10 despite the performance of Stewart and Villopoto. Way to prove me wrong Andrew!
7. Justin Barcia - Justin was my number 3 pick and until his mishap, he was holding that position well against a charging Dungey. Had he kept it on two wheels, I believe he would have held the position to the checkered flag. He wasn't close enough to put a move on Canard but certainly had the speed to hold off Dungey.
8. James Stewart - What can I say? James was my top pick this week and I still believe he has an edge on the competition. If the knee injury turns out to be significant, Yoshimura Suzuki has some decisions to make. If the knee turns out to be a problem, I think James should sit out a couple of rounds because if he makes it worse, not only will he not finish out the SX season, he/they will jeopardize the outdoors too-he may want to consult with Reed about starting his own team if that happens. If the injury is minor, rest it this week and come out swinging at Phoenix. He salvaged some valuable points and if all's fine, he'll challenge for the title.
9. Justin Brayton - Brayton was also outside my top 10 so a 9th place finish leaves me feeling pretty good about my prediction. I can't say right now if he'll have a top 10 finish next round, just depends on you know who.
10. Kevin Windham - K-dub was another rider outside my top 10. Just like with Brayton, a top 10 finish will depend on circumstances beyond his control. It's great to have him back this year and still competing.
RIDER NOTES
Ryan Villopoto - Ryan is one of the fastest guys on the track without a doubt. If his injury turns out to be minor I still think he has a chance to win his third straight title. The biggest question I have is how prepared is he mentally to push that knee? It was clear that it was bothering him after his spill and I don't believe he can honestly say it isn't a factor. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Josh Grant - I picked Josh Grant to place in the top 10 and with a hobbled field, placing number 11 does not look good. Even without Stewart and Villopoto, I don't see Josh in the top 10 after this weekend. I think Alessi and Tickle are fast enough to squeeze Grant out of the top 10 all season.
Mike Alessi - I had Mike placing 6th and he was well on his way to a top 10 finish until misfortune plagued him once again. He always gives himself a great chance with his starts but sometimes luck just isn't on his side. Carmichael always says that you can't win the title in the first round but you sure can lose it. Let's hope some good luck swings Mike's way-I'm pulling for you brother.
What a great night of racing. I recorded all 4 hours and after all the NFL playoff games were over, I popped a bag of popcorn and sat in my recliner till 2am hoping it would never end. Phoenix is next and I hope to post my next round of predictions in the next couple of days. As an outsider it's tough to find accurate injury reports but I'll keep digging because I know I can do better this week.
AR
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