The impossible - Acheived.

This years outdoor season has been interesting, but not exciting. I love racing, and follow it intensely, however, one person winning week in and week out is anything but nerve racking.
In fact, this blog exists only because of how exciting the 2008 Supercross season was. But a press release with the title of "Another win, again," is not interesting.



How does, "A king, dethroned" sound?

Now that is a story worth reading, and if you followed the Washougal race this year, you got to read every word.

Maybe we should say a Prince robbed of his inherited rights instead, but any way you cut it, this cookie is still a good one!
The season has been filled with intense battles, great racing, triumphs, and defeats: for second place! Aside from a first moto hiccup at Glen Helen, Ryan Villopoto has been, how shall I say this, perfect.
But you already knew that, and who cares, right?


If one were to describe RV's riding style, no where in that description would reside the words:

smooth
controlled
calculated
error free

or anything resembling your description of technique as:

picture perfect



Ryan Dungey on the other hand, is the Ying to Ryan Villopoto's Yang.
Dungey's riding style can best be described as:

smooth
controlled
calculated

and technique best described as:

picture perfect


(Maybe that's why they are both named Ryan, as they combine to make one whole pie of descriptive riding words, but one without the other is only half that pie (A ying and yang)? Could the world really be that simple? Kidding of course.)

While Dungey may have won the battle of bench racer's words, of the two riders he has had the most and biggest mistakes.
First, he knocked himself out of the series last year with a terrible wreck.
Then he knocked himself out of a Supercross championship, that, by all accounts, he had in the bag with a series of wrecks.
Finally, he knocked himself out of the championship hunt at Colorado's night under the lights this year with his very scary wreck .

Each time, he looked smooth, calculated, and controlled right up until the point where

----gasps----

he crashed.


But Dungey has something few other riders seem to have: Heart in the moments he needs them most. He proved in Vegas that "RV Park" was not a one man show, and that with some good luck, and a strong fight towards the finish, the prince of motocross can be beaten.


This year's Washougal National looked to be like any other.

MX Lites Moto 1 Winner:
Ryan Villopoto - Convincingly

MX Moto 1 Winner:
James Stewart - Convincingly

By the time Moto 2's rolled around, the press had already drafted their releases, titled yet again: "Another Win, Again"

The Moto started off interesting enough, maybe an edit or two would be needed for the release.
For the first time this year, aside from Glen Helen Moto 1, RV got a bad start.
However, like any other race, he was able to quickly close the gap to the lead pack, and by the ten minute mark, was up to third pressuring for first. At this point, the releases had now been sent to print, still titled:
"Another win, again"

It is now the 20 minute mark, and Dungey is still holding RV off.
Hold the presses!!!!
Maybe two or three edits will be needed in the press release, now titled:
"Dungey puts up good Fight, but RV Rolls On."


30 minute mark:
Dungey, still riding hard, and Ryan Villopoto still....in second!??!!
Scrap the press release, gotta start over on this one.

30 minutes + two laps later, and your moto winner is....
Dungey?


Here's the write up every newspaper in America should have run:

------------------------------------------------------

"The Prince of Motocross, Beaten!"

In an epic battle between the Motocross world's biblical
David - Ryan Dungey,
and its Goliath - Ryan Villopoto,
a young and aspiring twenty year old by the name of Ryan Dungey managed to hold off the hard charging Ryan Villopoto for thirty five heart pounding minutes.

The race was not handed to the young racer Dungey, as he first had to catch and pass another young phenom by the name of Trey Canard in order to overtake the lead.

After a lackluster start, mired way back in the forty rider field, two time outdoor champion Ryan Villopoto had bridged the ten second gap created by Dungey after a scant ten minutes of racing. With twenty five minutes left to go, the end result seemed inevitable --- You know --- the one where Ryan Villopoto passes Ryan Dungey and rides off to victory.

With most of the remaining race held at the Washougal motocross facility still yet to be completed, the Suzuki mounted rider initially looked like he would eventually relent and succumb to the mounting pressure increasingly applied by the sport's prince, Ryan Villopoto; just as he had every other moto this year.

But something unheard of happened.
Lap after blistering lap the two riders gapped the field in a display of skill and ferocity not seen for months. Every corner had Ryan Villopoto sticking his front wheel in on the race leader Dungey, and every corner Dungey dug deeper to answer the challenge. Lap after lap found the crowd lining the fences, trying their best to will each rider on. For twenty long minutes their battle ensued, neither rider giving even an inch to the other. With only two laps remaining, the crowd screamed their excitement to the passing riders as they continued their impossible pace, neither backing down for even the blink of an eye.

Both athletes were at pure physical exhaustion by this point, only the will to fight kept them riding.
But then, out of the dark shadows in a back section of the track, where normally both riders would emerge almost simultaneously, only one appeared.

Ryan Dungey had done the impossible, beating heads up the prince of motocross in a twenty five minute battle to forever go down as one of the best races in our modern era.

-------------------------------------------------------

Now that, my friends, was a story worth reading.



In other news, Trey Canard broke his femur in a last lap crash between himself and a lapped rider.

I will get out of reporter mode speak plainly here. Get well soon Trey, that is a hard injury to overcome, best wishes.

But lets back up. That's twice now Canard has gone down in a heap with a lapper.
I hate to jump to forgone conclusions, but no other riders seems to have this problem. The first instance, I immediately blamed the lapper, despite the lapper's claims otherwise.

But now, I blame Canard. No, it's probably not Trey's immediate fault, however think of it this way.
Being a good rider goes beyond pure speed. It requires using your brain as well. While 200 percent Trey may have been giving it his all physically the whole race, sometimes giving it your all means being fast AND smart. He had a sizable lead over fourth, was too far behind the leaders to catch them, and it was near the end of the moto. A smart rider would give the lapper as much room as possible, and maybe even backed it down a notch to ensure a clean pass. Instead of finishing well for his sponsors, and trying again next race, he crashed out of the championship and will be forgotten about until next year.

Now he is out with a bummed leg, in a ton of pain, looking forward to a heck of a lot of rehab and hard times to come (I've been there and then some). Get better soon Trey, but the next time, let's skip the wrecks you can avoid by using a little common sense. I don't care what the lapper did, it's not the first time you have tangled with one, and had you backed it down a notch, this would be a non issue and I would never have wanted write this double edged "paper."


Send all your hate mail to
aggiemoto99@yahoo.com

Oh yeah, the other press release reads:
"Stewart Wins, Again"

The Gossip - My Private Tears

Growth: give something some time, a little investment, a lot of attention, and it happens naturally.

The sport of motocross is growing in the professional ranks. For years the sport relied heavily on the "big four" factory teams pitting out of one semi for its infusion of wealth, followed by very few satellite teams out of service trucks, those in turn followed by the mire of panel vans and pick up truck privateer riders.

Name one rider who pitted out of a pick up truck or box van this past Supercross season who also made a main event.

I'm sure that question has a few names that meet the agenda, but for the most part the main event riders are on a team with a Semi Trailer Truck, a full time mechanic, and a salary. Even some of the riders who don't make every main event have a Semi they call "home" during the races.

How can you become motivated to put your bodily well being on the line when you aren't looking at working construction for the rest of your life as your only alternative? Other than competition's sake itself, why would Davi Millsaps, Josh Hill, Andrew Short, or any other factory rider put it all on the line week in and week out when they are already making enough money to retire? As a privateer these days, what would make you really hungry and want to work towards that factory ride if your current satellite ride offers a decent salary and bikes?

Growth is great, but lack of incentives is not. Pay all riders an equal base salary of let's say 50 thousand. Then pay them purely on their finish position.

If you make every main event, it averages to: 50 thousand a year bonus to your salary.
Every main top ten or better: 200 thousand bonus.
Every main top five or better: 500 thousand bonus.
Every main on the box: 1 million bonus.

Win the championship: 1 million dollar bonus on top of what you have already earned for you finishes.


Let's put the hunger back into the sport.


What's hunger?

Young local pro's ride hungry. They want that 150% payback, and if you get in their way, say hello to a dirt sandwich and endless post moto ridicule. Local pro's ride hungry because they are hungry, literally.

Couple million in the bank....why push it the little extra? Second is good enough to keep the large salary. Just keep telling people your working, you don't know what it will take to bridge the gap, but your searching, you feel closer than ever, and that your giving it your all.

Not everyone can be a champion, but anyone can be a challenger.
Mohammad Alli was a champion. Joe Frazer was a challenger.

Jeremy McGrath was a champion. Jeff Emig was a challenger. David Vullieman was a challenger. Doug Henry was a challenger. Mike Larocco was a challenger (who wasn't a challenger over M.C.'s era?).

Challengers are the people who refuse to accept second place. Instead, second is the first loser, and they set out to change that. Chad Reed is a challenger.

A champion is proven, year in a year out, to get a title. Week in a week out they are the safe bet.
Stephen Everts is a champion.

A challenger is unproven. Week in and week out they are a profitable bet, but never a long shot.
Sebastion Tortelli is a challenger.

There is nothing wrong with being a challenger. In fact, it is often the most cheered rider who fits the challenger profile: the challenger encompasses the good ole' American underdog, the David (vs GOLATH), the reason races are interesting, the reason our sport continues to exist.

Imagine the 2003 outdoor season without Kevin Windham. Pretty bland, huh?


Challengers tie into the roots of America itself. The small, scrappy, loose union against the large, organized, mechanized England.


The privateer embodies a challenger to the greatest measure. The local rider, with nothing but two bikes on loan from a dealership, some local help from a shop doing his motors and suspension, and a "whole lot of heart" taking on the big name riders and the factory teams.


The privateer always has time for the local kids, and is completely approachable at the track. He is what makes young kids dream big, and he is what gives young kids something to cheer for, because they know him personally, they think he is the fastest rider in the world, and they appreciate what he offers them.

Instead of a thirty minute wait in line for a poster with an autograph, the privateer gives the local kids something much more valuable.

His time.




The privateer sells more of his sponsor's products locally than any big name pro, because he is willing to talk about the product in the flesh, and locals can see him using their product in person, on their home track. To the privateer, if the product sucks, he doesn't use it. Let's get real, you wont see a local pro sucking back monster's between motos.

I cry private tears, because the privateer is lost.

No longer are riders (in main events-or at least the night show) homeless, except for their box van.

No longer are practice bikes race bikes.

The privateer,


No longer.









[Ed: Not intended to disgruntle any riders, if you are a privateer scrapping for food and gas money, feel proud, this article is for you. Yes there exists the old school privateer, but the sport is growing to some extent, and as such what classifies as privateer these days is a far cry from what it was not so many years back. Maybe the AMA should really look into the issue and give the true privateer his due.

Also, this tied in on another issue, that of top riders salary. Do you think riders of today should deserve 2 million a year if they never win a moto (not saying the don't)? The whole goal in paying a salary like that from a manufacturer's point of view is to win. Instead of front loading the contract with large payout, just put that same total money in a performance based contract. If you hire a guy like Timmy Ferry because you expect him to get podiums, even if you don't expect him to win each week, pay him well if he gets on the podium.]