| January 13, 2017
If the size of the crowd at the opening round of the 2017 Supercross Series is any indication, people are still excited to go to the races—and why not? There is nothing else like it. Sure, an argument could be made that you could see better and be more informed about what is happening on the track if you were sitting on your sofa watching it on TV.
By Steve Bauer
It seemed like attendance was lower last year at some events and perhaps the allure of staying home and watching it is too much for some, but going to a Supercross race in person is a blast. Nothing beats the excitement of hearing the crowd roar when someone makes a dramatic pass, or when a Monster girl shoots a free T-shirt into your section of the stands. With no press box to hide out in at Angel Stadium, I bounced around between friends in the industry seating, club level and all over the place. It was a blast.
Ken Roczen is a badass of epic proportions. In one fell swoop, he shut down those who predicted his seemingly casual attitude and recreational lifestyle (as portrayed on his social media) would be unacceptable to his new bosses. By attending the press conference on Thursday dressed in a suit and tie, Roczen set a new standard for representing the sport and when asked about why he was wearing it, his measured response about elevating the professionalism was so well delivered and on point that it seemed like a dumb question.
He then went out a couple of nights later and decimated the field, confirming their fears that he really was going as fast at last year’s Monster Energy Cup as he seemed to be. He and that new 450 Honda seem to be a match made in heaven, and I have never seen as many smiling faces dressed in red as I saw during the post-race podium festivities.
Before I talk about some of the other stuff I saw last night, it just occurred to me that if Ken Roczen wins the 2017 Supercross Championship on a Honda, the amount of irony associated with it would be staggering. For those unfamiliar with Supercross history, I will explain.
Honda has won more Supercross championships than any other manufacturer. From 1982 to 1996, they won 14 times, including the last eight years in a row. Jeremy McGrath, who they were unable to come to terms with for 1997, won four of those titles, then signed with Suzuki. McGrath narrowly lost to Jeff Emig in 1997, then won three more championships on Yamaha, before Kawasaki-mounted Ricky Carmichael unseated him in 2001. Honda brass had taken a lot of heat from the media when word came out that they had lost McGrath because he refused to give up other recreational sports during the off-season.
They took a whole bunch more flak when they hired Carmichael and his number-one plate away from long-time sponsor, Kawasaki, for 2002. I watched in amazement and horror as Ricky, wearing a king’s crown and robe, was lowered from the ceiling of the MGM Grand during the opening ceremonies of the 2001 US Open of Supercross, greeted by a deafening chorus of boos. It was a major PR miscalculation by the promoters, Honda and Ricky’s team. It did not take long for RC to silence the critics, winning the Supercross championship in 2002 and 2003, which was also the last time a Supercross championship was won on a Honda. When Carmichael had major knee surgery after getting hurt in the Nationals, Honda appeared to lose faith in their champion, and he signed with Suzuki, going on to win two more Supercross championships. Phew! Are you with me so far?
Here are the ironic parts: Honda hired Roczen, who is well known for his participation in the same types of recreational activities that they would not let McGrath participate in. Best of all, they hired him away from a team owned by Ricky Carmichael, where he was riding Suzukis and had won an outdoor championship. I guess what comes around, goes around—it will be interesting to see if Roczen or his teammate Cole Seely can get them out of their 14-year drought.
Shane McElrath looked good out front in the 250 class and the championship will probably come down to a battle involving him, Plessinger and Jeremy Martin. I want to say that Austin Forkner will be in it, but I think his lack of supercross experience will hold him back. Lack of experience is certainly not what is holding back Phil Nicoletti, Kyle Chisholm or Martin Davalos. How it is that Davalos is still eligible to race in the 250 class is beyond me. I know that Filthy Phil and Chisholm were granted exemptions to allow them to move down from the 450s, although I have to doubt the wisdom of both. Phil is very good on a 450 and Kyle seems too big for a 250, but hopefully they will do well.
Eli Tomac suffered from a bad case of arm pump, which seemed strange when I heard that his dad, John, had been touting during the pre-race show that they had uncovered the secrets to ensuring adequate oxygen levels in the bloodstream and thus eliminating arm pump! Hey, I’m just paraphrasing what someone told me.
Weston Peick looked fast, as did Seely, Anderson and Weimer. Of course Dungey looked great, especially in that Darth Vader grey outfit.
Marvin Musquin was my pick to win and I am confident that if he wins a race, making him confident, the sky is the limit for him. He is so good and so smooth; all he lacks is knowing he can win. Cooper Webb was a bit of a disappointment, but I did not expect much from him, because he gets bad starts.
I sat down in the industry seating, and during the 250 LCQ, two women in the seats in front of me started going crazy, rooting for number-179, Jon Ames. They were so into it and their cheering was so infectious, that by the end of the four-lap race nearly everyone within a 30-foot radius was cheering for him! As it turned out, Jon is her son and this was his first supercross race. He finished third and his best friend, Zach Commans, finished fourth, holding off Scott Champion for the final transfer. It was refreshing and a wonderful reminder of the family aspect of our sport. Unfortunately, Ames crashed early in the main event and I was unable to find them afterwards when I got to the pits. I hope that he is all right and I can follow up in San Diego.
In closing, everyone I spoke with throughout the evening is disappointed that the Stewarts are not racing and all are hopeful that James can find a way to get back out there, so he can go out in a manner befitting a champion and legend. CN