2013 Monster Energy Cup Wrap Up

photo: amasupercross.com

It was a night of brilliant pyrotechnics, recurring malfunctions, dramatic finishes and spectacular crashes.  The 2013 Monster Energy Cup was once again the fall spectacle so many of us have been waiting for.  It began with a little hiccup but ended in explosive fashion.

Who would have guessed the Joker Lane would have provided such a game changer.  I’ve been a huge fan of the Joker Lane the first time I saw it because I knew it had the potential to really mix things up and no one would have guessed the top 2 riders would miss the lane in the last lap – WOW!

I predicted the Monster Million would be safe again this year but I didn’t figure James Stewart would take the overall.  I knew he’d have a great showing but I didn’t think he’d have enough to beat Dungey and Villopoto; boy was I wrong.

I also predicted that Ryan Dungey would take the overall and had he not made that fatal mistake in the last lap in the first main he just may have proved me right.  Villopoto for the second year failed to complete all 3 of the main events and if not for the mental mistake and the subsequent crash it would have been the Stewart, Dungey, Villopoto show.

I expected more from Tomac but Roczen and Musquin certainly lived up to my expectations.  I thought Josh Grant would be more competitive, turns out Broc Tickle was the wild card.  As for the defending champ Justin Barcia, well maybe next time thanks to bike malfunctions.

The Amateur All-Starts was another highlight of the evening.  The next generation of SX rider’s looks promising and the spirit of competition in these riders is alive and well.

This was our first glimpse into the upcoming SX season and with all the moves it’s sure to be on heck of a year.  I’ll be offering my predictions again this year and soon I’ll be rolling out a project I’ve been working on, you won’t want to miss it.

January just can’t come soon enough but my time will be well spent so check back.. Thanks for clicking in.

The Roostr

2013 Monster Energy Cup | Opinion and Prediction

Photo: monsterenergycup.com

The Monster Energy Cup is the ultimate in entertainment because you almost have to toss all the usual stats out the window.  Reviewing the list of riders it’s hard for me to go against conventional wisdom.  Villopoto is clearly the favorite but winning all 3 races is no easy task.  A lot has to go right for that to happen and I think everything just fell into place for Villopoto in 2011.  Last year was the complete opposite and it seemed like everything went wrong.  It’s a brave new world in SX this season and it will be very difficult and dare I say impossible to repeat that success with this current lineup.

James Stewart has never challenged for the Cup and he’s on the list this year.  He had a rough SX season this past year but he’s had some time to get healthy and clear his mind a bit.  More seat time on the new bike will also help him compete and this track is ideally suited for a rider of his style. 

Justin Barcia was Villopoto’s closest competition last year and even though Villopoto didn’t compete in the 3rd main I think Barcia would have given him some problems.  Eli Tomac was a big surprise.  I think we all felt he’d have a good showing but to take the top spot in the last race was a statement hard to ignore.  I also can’t wait to see the other Honda riders like Seely and Nelson, they were exciting to watch last season.

Ryan Dungey was another big story last year with all his bike problems.  Assuming he’ll not have that to deal with this year I believe he’ll have a legitimate shot Saturday.  Kenny Roczen and Marvin Musquin are like the KTM accelerators in this SX fire – we know they’ll light things up and if you don’t take care of them early they’ll rage.

Dean Wilson makes his way back from injury at this year’s Monster Energy Cup.  We all remember the dominance but his competition has been competing all summer and that seat time will be hard to overcome but I expect Dean to make a statement.  His fellow Kawasaki rider Jake Weimer has been off and on this year.  I thought he had a decent showing last year at this race but he was nowhere close to competing for any prize.

It’s been tough to form an opinion and even harder to make a call on a winner.  With this field of riders I believe The Monster Million is safe again this year.  As for the overall, I believe it will go to the smartest rider.  Consistency and speed, smart decisions and an ability to avoid collisions will be the key.  It pains me to say that the start will be critical to a successful race.  It will also be a rider with factory support, of course. 

So who do I think will take the overall?  Ryan Dungey!  He was competitive in every main last year despite his bike problems.  He showed unbelievable patience and intellect to make the right decisions.  He showed poise in the face of adversity and had everything gone right I believe he would be the reigning champ this year.  I realize Villopoto wasn’t at his best and James Stewart will prove a formidable opponent but Dungey is so close to breaking through and I think the Monster Energy Cup will be a defining moment.

I'm picking Villopoto second and James Stewart third.  It was hard leaving Barcia out of the top 3 but I think James is hungry and what an event to show off his true form.  Barcia and Tomac will round out the top 5 and Roczen won't be far behind.  My long shot this year is Josh Grant.  Josh was on a roll last season and he'll be one who could knock someone out of the top 5. 

I guess only time will tell and that time is coming up.  Have a great time and thanks for checking in.

The Roost'r 

1. Ryan Dungey

2. Ryan Villopoto

3. James Stewart

4. Justin Barcia

5. Eli Tomac

2013 Monster Energy Cup: Comments

The Monster Energy Cup is perhaps the single most revealing race of the year.  This is the only opportunity we get to see a mixed field of 250 and 450 riders competing on a level playing field.  Since its inception in 2011, it has intrigued audiences around the globe by offering us a glimpse into the exciting potential of Supercross.

Reviewing the results from last year it’s easy to see that the skill level of these riders is pretty close and with only 10 lap main events the race eliminates, for the most part, the conditioning factor.  Most competitors have some sort of factory support so the machines are darn near identical in terms of power and handling.

The track itself is another major distinction with designs so unique that even your season champions are not easily favored.  The split start is really cool and sets the race up nicely.  The high bank turn didn’t really seem to have much of an impact to the TV viewer but sure looks fun from the riders’ standpoint.  My favorite section has to be the Joker Lane because it’s not about simply taking a different line.  There is strategy involved so the riders have to rely on their pit crew to guide them effectively.

Prizes of course are the main motivation for this race and the guys will most certainly ride with the usual intensity.  You also have the special attractions like the Dirt Shark Biggest Whip contest and your chance to see some extreme Freestyle Motocross riding at its finest.  Let’s not forget all the amateur riders looking to make some noise and perhaps pique the interest of some curious team managers looking for the next bright star.

All in all it should be one heck of a good time.  It looks like we have a list of riders scheduled to compete for cash and prizes.  It’ll take me a few days to go through them but I should have some predictions forthcoming.  In the mean time check out the MEC website www.monsterenergycup.com for the latest developments and great virtual track pics.  Thanks for checking in and stayed tuned, I’ve got some great ideas for this project of mine; till then….

The Roost'r

2013 Motocross: The Final Episode

Photo: allisports.com

So the 2013 motocross season is in the books and even though the championships were determined earlier at Salt Lake City it sure didn’t diminish the excitement out at Lake Elsinore.  I'd also like to congratulate Jeremy Martin for earning rookie of the year.  He's been such a competitor all year and certainly deserves the recognition; congratulations Jeremy.

We must have all guessed that the champs wouldn’t let up and they certainly didn’t as both Villopoto and Tomac finished in top form.  The Motorcycle Superstore Holeshot award went to James Stewart and most certainly the easiest prize money Stewart has ever made while sitting at home watching from his couch.  By the way, why should the 450’s earn more than the 250’s?  The challenge is the same for both classes; I’m just saying.  It should be interesting to see how Tomac and Roczen shake up the 450 class next year and after their performances this year they should be able to squeeze a couple of vets out of the top 10.

Almost all season I have had to resort to watching the replays thanks to Allisports, perhaps one day we’ll be able to catch motocross and supercross at any sports bar.  Out of the 11 rounds in which I made predictions I was 29% overall for both classes.  In the 250 class I was 28% over 11 rounds and 30% in the 450 class.  My best was 40% overall which happened twice; Washougal and Lake Elsinore.  I have a formula I use that could work great; I just need to keep working on the metric for dealing with crashes and injuries.  Then there is the lack of access for timely news and rider updates; this perhaps is my greatest handicap. 

My results for supercross are incomplete because I didn’t start to include a handicap until close to mid-season but from the looks of things I think I did much better once the handicap was implemented.

It’s been really fun making predictions and I have a few months to perfect my methods.  I’ve been working my own scoring system for over a year now and it looks I should be able to reveal some exciting news in the next few months.  Till then, have a great summer and check back often for Roost’r updates, or better yet subscribe and get updates sent directly to your email inbox.

I thought about working the Motocross of Nations but I just don’t know enough about most of the riders for it to work.  So the next contest is the Monster Energy Cup in October.  I really like this race because it brings out some unique competition and some interesting matchups.  Until then, check back, I may have some updates before then or better yet subscribe using the g+1 button.

Have a great end of summer and see you soon.

The Roost’r

2013 Motocross | Lake Elsinore Predictions

Photo: allisports.com

Rapid ‘Ryan Villopoto’ is no stock car boy but he is too much to believe having clinched the title early to round out his 2013 Supercross and Motocross seasons.  Let’s not forget about Eli Tomac who also clinched his division by absolutely dominating the last 4 races.  Both guys are certainly ‘dirt track demons’ and deserve to be called the fastest men on the planet.

So now that the champs have been named, what’s left for the rest of the field?  It’s all about the Benjamin$ now and if Supercross is any indication the champs will not let up; bad news for the rest of the field.  Great rides from Peick, Goerke and Lamay in the 450 class and finally we get to see the true potential of the rookie Adam Cianciarulo in the 250 class with a dynamite ride from the Kawasaki rider.

Photo: allisports.com

These guys are competitors so it must be a little deflating to know that the title is off the table but you can bet each one of these guys are looking to have a great race in hopes of gaining the attention of some of the team managers out there.

My results have been lacking but this project of mine continues despite the results out of Utah.  Lake Elsinore always brings up memories of those Honda’s of the 1970’s.  It will be a bitter sweet weekend for a lot of us motocross fans but the show must go on; Lake Elsinore pics; bon appétit.

450 Class

1.Villopoto (-1)

2.Dungey (+1)

3.Stewart, J (-1)

4.Barcia (+1)

5.Canard (+1)

6.Weimer (-1)

7.Grant (+1)

8.Brayton (-1)

9.Nicoletti (+1)

10.Peick (+1)

250 Class

1.Tomac (-1)

2.Roczen (+1)

3.Baggett (+1)

4.Musquin (-1)

5.Osborne (+1)

6.Hahn (+1)

7.Anderson, J (-1)

8.Cianciarulo (+1)

9.Bogle (+1)

10.Webb (+1)

Jim Croce, for those too young to recognize the opening paragraph – Rapid Roy that stock car boy; have a listen, you’ll love it.  Have a great time Lake Elsinore, the champs have been crowned but you get to close out the season, that’s pretty special.

The Roost’r