Supercross: Anaheim 1 Is In The Books, What Did We Learn?

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Credit image to Ultimate Motorcycling
Credit image to Ultimate Motorcycling

Finally, the one and true season of sports is here!  The time of year when we can breathe a vast sigh of relief and quit pretending we like watching men toss around sacks of air before getting side-lined for a sprained anus….errr I mean ankle.  But really, isn’t Supercross just great?  Highly-tuned athletes launching themselves and machine into the air, risking their lives every lap for nothing more than to fulfill their adrenaline needs….ok well maybe they risk it for the chance of some cash too, but still.

Like every Supercross season, we begin with the first race in Anaheim, California where all the pre-season nonsense stops and we get to see who’s been training hardest for the past 8 months.  This year was no exception, and boy is the 450 class STACKED this year!  Loads of veterans trying to keep their careers afloat while keeping the rookies at bay, this season looks to be one for the ages.  I would also like to point out that I got so excited to see the familiar old blue number 15 on the starting line.  “Holy SHIT!  Tim Ferry is out of retirement!” I exclaimed.  But of course, as my loving wife reassured me, “No, you idiot.  That’s Dean Wilson.”  A guy can dream, right?

roczen-suit

The weekend started off like no other, with Ken Roczen showing up for the press conference in a new NSX (thanks Honda), looking sassy in his Conor McGregor suit.  We’ll discuss the suit again in a later article, but this did bring up a fun game during the broadcast:  Drink every time Ralph Sheheen mentioned Roczen’s suit, and “Roczen’s pre-season statements.”  I was wasted by Heat number 2.

For the 250s, Anaheim 1 is always a good ice breaker, especially since many of these guys are young rookies making their pro debut.  As expected, the experienced crew (McElrath, Hill, JMart, etc) all started off strong and pushed for crucial points.  And in a much anticipated debut, Austin Forkner showed that he is and will be a title contender in the 250 ranks, although a heavy crash during the Main Event almost kept him from the top 10.  Adding to the mix is the always-fast Jimmy Decotis and the return (yes, again) of Josh Hansen, which should provide drama and entertainment during the West Coast rounds.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDBiu_0Fg0Q]

I would also like to point out two observations from the 250 class:

One:   I am happy to see Martin Davalos still going strong, but he really needs to get some wins, stay healthy, and progress his career.

Two:  I was unhappy watching Hayden Mellross throw his bike to the ground during the Main Event after suffering a mechanical failure.  Fortunately, Hayden realized this was a childish mistake and has since owned up to his behavior, so I can commend him for that.  There is no room in the sport for sour attitudes in front of fan-filled stadiums, even though we have seen this particular behavior from a certain rider for years…..but where was he for Anaheim 1?

Speaking of questionable careers, the talent-filled 450 class will most likely make or break a few this year.  Never has there been such a pool of riders struggling to find decent rides, yet somehow Josh Grant has pulled the all-time comeback of couch surfing off and on for several seasons, then landing a factory Kawasaki ride.  That’s impressive, kudos to Josh.

As expected, the battle for the front came down to the two former teammates of Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey, with Roczen completely dominating the main event.  Showing impressive speed were Jason Anderson and Eli Tomac, who finished 4th and 5th respectively.  With a few more races, both of these guys should be primed for some wins.  To no one’s surprise, Marvin Musquin put on a great ride in the Main Event, taking home a solid third place finish.  He really is another solid contender in this championship, but I’d like to say just one thing….will someone please feed Marvin?!  His size was perfect for a 250 riding style, but the bigger bike just looks like it’s kicking his ass.  I think with a little meat on his bones, he’ll be able to control the 450 better and slam more consistent laps.

Seasoned Vets:

With a slight surprise, Davi Millsaps came out swinging this past weekend, while still recovering from broken ribs nonetheless.  Davi has had a long, tumultuous career and I really hope that this season gives him positive results.

Weston Peick put in a solid ride, finishing 8th just behind Millsaps.  With Joe Gibbs Racing switching to Suzuki, this new yet familiar ride should give Weston the confidence he needs to redeem himself from a difficult 2016 season.  And if he’s smart, he’ll refrain from beating the hell out of competitors with his fists of fury….at least not during the race.

It wouldn’t be a Supercross season if Chad Reed wasn’t involved, and boy is he still showing some speed.  Chad has been racing in the Supercross series since 2002, and will be turning 35 years old during this season.  In the moto world….that’s old man status.  But there is just something different about this guy.  Perhaps we’re witnessing a real life Curious Case of Chad Reed.  I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see Chad fighting up front and being a championship contender again.  However, he got off to a bad start this past weekend when he and Peick got together and damaged his bike.  Being forced to retire from the race, Reed now has a lot of ground to make up.

It’s good to see riders like Trey Canard and Mike Alessi still racing at this top level.  Both have had their issues throughout the years, and it’s great to see them still being supported in the industry.  I just hope they can keep it together long enough to prove themselves.  Alessi had a terrible incident during the Main Event after casing a triple and collapsing off the bike, forcing him to DNF.  And Trey had similar luck during the night after a small get-off early on gave him some shoulder issues, making him decide to skip the Main Event.  Probably a smart move, given his history with injuries.

Young Guns:

Like I said before, the 2017 450 class is absolutely STACKED, and there a quite a few young guys that have moved up from the 250s in the past few years that appear hungry for wins.  Dean Wilson, Justin Bogle, and Blake Baggett all found their way into the Main Event in Anaheim and put in good, solid rides.  Let these guys get a little more acclimated to the competition and I think they will be consistent top 10 finishers every week.  Perhaps one of the more anticipated debuts of this season was Cooper Webb’s move to the 450 class.  Aboard a factory Yamaha, he has a perfect opportunity to learn from his experienced stable-mate, Chad Reed.  I’ll be honest though, I really thought Cooper would’ve been fighting for a top 5 finish this past weekend, but he just didn’t seem to have the starts dialed in.  But then again, has he ever?  Hopefully, with time, he’ll piece everything together and be a front-runner.  I mean, really he finished 10th in his Premier Class debut.  That’s pretty damn good.

Well, that’s it, the 2017 Supercross season is here.  Riders have shaken off the cobwebs and it’s time to get to business.  I don’t know about you, but I am chomping at the bit ready to watch these guys duke it out every Saturday night for the next four months.  Got any predictions for this season?  Don’t agree with something I’ve said?  Leave us a comment below.

Cadbury Pringlebatch is the Lead Supercross Writer and Investment Analyst for The SoBros Network, but knows a little bit about everything. Known for frequenting Nashville YMCA steam rooms, he’s a firm believer that winning football is produced by moving the chains, and became a SoBro after mistaking the Power Hour Podcast for an AA meeting. Follow on Twitter: @SoBroCadbury

Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork

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