LOL Ricky said Roczen got "lucky" last week.
Did this guy hit his head this morning? How do you dominate the last couple of weeks and call that luck?
I missed that remark. Not sure what context would make sense of that.
This Oakland track is tight but actually has some good passing opportunities and alternate lines. The mains should be racey.
Ralph sounds extra dopey tonight, tried to hype up the Ferrandis on probation angle even though his pass of Forkner wasn't even close to questionable.
I don't think Webb has the pace to compete for the championship. There is a long way to go, but I think Tomac is the favorite, then Roczen close behind.I also hope the championship comes down to Roczen and Tomac. I enjoy them both and don't really have a favorite. Webb is right back in it though.
That 450 final is one of the best I have ever seen ! Maybe Tomac's year .What a race!
I'm not ready to declare that he couldn't suffer a freak DNF or couple of poor finishes yet.
I'm not familiar with Webb's early career as I never paid attention to the undercard until the last few years. I first noticed him in 2017... factory Yamaha, 450 class rookie, flashes of brilliance, but inconsistent and plagued by injuries.I never thought I would say this, but call me a Cooper Webb fan now. I'm a fan of Kenny and Eli too for different reasons. But Webb's determination and smarts are too much to not appreciate. All of the snottiness of his younger days is gone, and what's left is a warrior who keeps fighting no matter what. To see how much pain he was in during the post-race interview was inspiring. What a ride for him.
What happened to Cianciarulo?Webb is one tough little dude. I've gained a lot of respect for his abilities and smarts at the 450 level with KTM.
He does lack the pace of Tomac, but that was true last year too. Tomac has just been in the habit of giving away these championships with a lack of consistency and risk mitigation. This year, Tomac seems more stable and willing to take a fourth on a night that he isn't at his best. I'm not ready to declare that he couldn't suffer a freak DNF or couple of poor finishes yet.
Roczen rides carefully. If he gets a good start, he can stay at the front. If he is mired in the pack, it's hard for him to advance the way Tomac and Webb can.
I think it is going to be tough for Webb this weekend, and we may see him struggle as he did with illness early in the season. If he is able to place it in the top five, that would be quite a feat.
It's a shame that Cianciarulo will be out for an extended period. His pure speed made the battles at the front more interesting.
What happened to Cianciarulo?
Thanks.Broken collarbone in a crash last week, had surgery, out for a while.
I'm not familiar with Webb's early career as I never paid attention to the undercard until the last few years. I first noticed him in 2017... factory Yamaha, 450 class rookie, flashes of brilliance, but inconsistent and plagued by injuries.
[I'd describe myself as a casual fan of SX, but an avid fan of intense, hard core racing, which these top guys bring every week. And I have a bit of a soft spot for the Yamaha guys, as I've owned and raced a lot of 'em back in the day, LOL]
Anyway, I don't recall Webb acting snotty in the 450's. In 2018, more of the same like his rookie 450 season. I figured he had blown his chance, would lose his factory gig, and wind up racing for a secondary team. I was very surprised that Roger De Coster signed him for KTM, but it turned out to be a brilliant move. Webb's interviews remain kinda cringe-worthy, but I'm happy for his success.
Atlanta was a Micky Mouse track, but the same for everyone so Tomac's troubles were self inflicted. Not a fan of several of his crash passes... channeling Ironhead... sorry for the Nascar reference... let's say he's channeling a petulant young Marc Marquez. Tomac remains the championship favorite IMO. He already has two (or three?) outdoor MX championships. That's better racing IMO, but SX has the prestige and the big money so it's the one they all want to win the most. This may be Eli's year, finally.
Sounds like Hurricane...he is a chump too I guess.My take on Webb was formed by watching him in the 250 class and absorbing stories from his amateur days. He was always considered a strong prospect, but perhaps not the top prospect (Cianciarulo was probably that, as they came up together and were often in the same classes). A lot of people described Webb as always having a chip on his shoulder. To me it came across as not having respect for his fellow riders. His manner was also distant and remote, and he would make occasional snide remarks. The last vestige of this was his comment at the end of last year regarding Cianciarulo'a failure to win the 250 championship: "He cracked. I didn't." Harsh, maybe even true, but not my style. I think this was a holdover from his feelings of resentment that Cianciarulo was always more lauded.
Still, I have to remember these guys are all young men and growing. I've seen him become a lot more confident, secure, and respectful of his place in the sport over the past year. I think he does carry himself like a champion now. He also rides aggressively but with supreme control.
As for Tomac, his move on Baggett last night was over-anxious and not cool. I think he was feeling the heat from Barcia (who I don't think he did anything wrong to, Barcia is just oddly sensitive to being touched for a guy named Bam Bam) and sent it into the corner way too hard, leaving Baggett no real option to avoid. Baggett was right to be upset.
The Atlanta track was not a good design, extremely tight and hard to pass on. Somehow it still produced a very good 450 main once it was broken down.
Looking forward to Daytona this evening. The opinions of those who have been watching practices are sharply divided on the track layout. Some say it looks great, others say it is terrible, one lane, and there will be no passing. I guess we'll see, but Daytona is always one of the more interesting tests on the schedule.
others say it is terrible, one lane, and there will be no passing.