Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 18 MAY 5, 2015 P133 and he will no doubt come out swinging at Hangtown, site of the opening round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champi- onship (aka "the outdoors), and the place where Tomac won his professional debut. Suzuki had a regrettable Su- percross season after a promis- ing start. After the suspension of James Stewart for last year's positive drug test, Suzuki found a savior in Ken Roczen, who was lured from KTM by Cary Hart, Ricky Carmichael and a presumed barrel of cash. Under the RCH Racing tent, with full factory support, Roczen looked like a man on a mission during the early rounds. I even remem- ber hearing people mumble the words, "perfect season" once or twice right after that first race. However, as quickly as you can say the words, "Panic Rev," Roczen's season was derailed and spiraling, before bowing out halfway through with multiple injuries. His RCH teammate, Broc Tickle performed well, but seems intimidated in the 450 class. Yoshimura Suzuki rider Blake Baggett had an exception- al rookie season in the premier class, finishing fifth overall. Look for Baggett to be a title contend- er in the upcoming 450 Nation- als. Too bad Stewart will not be allowed to join him after losing the appeal of his suspension. After watching their franchise player and defending series champion Ryan Villopoto, defect to Europe (taking his number- one plate with him) Kawasaki's fortunes got worse; first losing Wil Hahn to injuries at Anaheim 1, then watching Davi MiIlsaps struggle inexplicably all season, before releasing him with three rounds left for violating his con- tract. Factory-backed TwoTwo Motorsport's riders Chad Reed and Josh Grant had their green bikes battling up front most of the time and Reed even pulled off a win in Atlanta. The two-time Supercross Champion finished fourth in the championship, not bad, considering his black flag setback and accompanying controversy. Grant rode well and stayed mostly healthy, leaving him a contender for moto wins in the coming months. Autotrader.com/JGRMX Yamaha rider Weston Peick was nothing short of amazing every time he raced. He showed up at Anaheim 1 looking lean and riding mean with newfound con- fidence and speed. He was not intimidated by anyone and had clearly elevated his game at least a couple of levels. If he had not broken his foot and missed four rounds, he would surely have been in the top five. Not bad for a rider who toiled for years as a privateer, including a couple of stints in our Wonder Warthog Racing rig and most recently out of Ted Parks' Privateer Journey team. Justin Barcia continues to struggle and I cannot be the only one wondering if his hard- charging riding style has taken a toll on his career. Husqvarna-mounted Jason Anderson showed flashes of speed but seemed overwhelmed by the competition. I'm still not sure who rode his bike at Anaheim 1, where he finished second. Andrew Short is the best starter in the business, without argument. Unfortunately, BTO Sports/KTM Team rider ended the series on the DL. Can anyone beat the new and improved Ryan Dungey? He sure does seem to be the pure package these days. He is no longer hesitant to make passes in the early laps and oozes con- fidence on and off the bike. His collaboration with Aldon Baker has resulted in what may be the fittest athlete our sport has ever produced. His bikes are work- ing flawlessly; he and his team are like a well-oiled machine—he even gets along famously with his teammate, the extremely likeable Marvin Musquin. Unless Marvin starts carving his initials in the hillside with his rear tire while Dungey practices (ala Jean-Michel Bayle/Jeff Stan- ton), I don't see anyone beating Dungey outdoors. It makes one wonder how epic this season would have been if Villopoto had stuck around. CN

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