2021 Monster Energy Supercross

[KTMLew01]

Oops! We ran into some problems. Error every time I try to load video from phone. I give up.

 

[KTMLew01]

Whined on Spectrum Twitter feed and they parachuted a tech right into my living room. Scared the crap out of me. Or maybe they immediately ran a quick check and said nothing wrong but try this stream link. Did have to reactivate TV NBCSN sub though. Think that's at least 6 times on same TV. Maybe you have to do t every time you se their stream? IDK but it's rocking & rolling now.

 

[gnomesayin]

Haven't watched any of the qualifying action, but I'm ready for some main events.

It's the only racing of the day for me after USAC sprints and WoO late models were rained out.

 

[gnomesayin]

That was a ho-hum 250 main. Nichols applied a little pressure but couldn't get close enough. No battles in the top 7 or 8 with separation between all riders.

Was that Rutledge Wood I heard ask Ricky a question during the race? NBC sent him here? LOL.

 

[KTMLew01]

Stream is working fine. Only issue is you can't rewind. No biggie. After scrolling thru the memory bank I think I watched this way in mid January. Whoops! Forggotaboutit.

 

[gnomesayin]

Very sound ride from Webb. He went and took the victory. Roczen managing the championship well by staying in second. Tomac just can't get the starts this year, and that is going to have to change if he wants to challenge for wins and the title.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Tomac just can't get the starts this year, and that is going to have to change if he wants to challenge for wins and the title.

Eli has always been inconsistent at the start gate, and also prone to disastrous DNF's from time to time. What seems different to me is, he seems to have less of his raw speed advantage over the field. I mean, I recall him regularly getting away in 10th or 15th, and then driving through the field to win or finish on the podium (or crash trying).

There's more parity now. Roczen is healthy for the first time in some years. Webb is healthy, unlike last year. Several others seem to have stepped up. And maybe Tomac has slowed a bit... and gained in the area of consistency...

Tonight was a strong win for Webb. On a track that allowed passing (unlike Indy), Webb seized the lead and kept it, never allowing Roczen to get back to him. If he can do more of that, we might have a three way battle - red, green, and orange. There is a long long way to go.

 

[gnomesayin]

Tomac is certainly the kind of talent who could go on a tear and make me look foolish, but I'm not seeing it with him this year. I agree that he doesn't have the raw pace advantage he has had in the past. His only win so far was the one time he's come out of the gates in front.

Webb is now closer to Roczen in points than Tomac is to Webb. I think the race is between Roczen and Webb unless they get hurt. I'm pulling for Tomac to bust out and prove me wrong, but ultimately I'm pulling for Roczen to claim the championship. I really respect Webb's determination though. He does more with less raw speed than anyone.

 

[KTMLew01]

I find discussion about how someone isn't "up to their normal speed" interesting. If you go faaaast and crash, reckless. Should have slowed down. If you ride consistently, like Dungey did, you aren't very exciting. Fickle much? I see people complaining about guys crashing their dirtbikes riding at INSANE speeds. Do you even lif bro? I was a HUGE Stewart fan. Just think how many championships he/Reed would have won if Reed hadn't decided to knock James down every chance he got? Reed is/was a huge douchebag. It's an Australian thing. They think that's admirable.

 

[gnomesayin]

That main event clarified things. Yeah, Webb is Roczen's competition, and it's going to be tight because of how savvy Webb is and how good he is on starts.

Tomac gets not a great start, but much better than Roczen, and still fades late, getting passed by him and Anderson. It's not disrespectful to Tomac to say he doesn't have the same pace this year. It's just reality.

 

[KTMLew01]

Ciancirulo is Robbie Reynard 2.0. Fast but frequently broken.

 

[gnomesayin]

Musquin is finally back where he used to be expected to run.

Every time Ciancirulo is leading or close, I know he's going down, it's just a matter of when. He seems to have to push too hard to sustain the pace of the leaders. Pretty similar to Savagty on the Kawi before him.

 

[acmerocket]

are carmichael and webb dating?

 

[LewTheShoe]

That main event clarified things. Yeah, Webb is Roczen's competition, and it's going to be tight because of how savvy Webb is and how good he is on starts.

With nine rounds to go... more than half of the season... my crystal ball is still clouded by dust, mud, fierce competition, and ample opportunities for DNFs and/or injuries. And we shouldn't forget the very flat points scale either, which has kept Tomac pretty close so far. It's too early to write a guy like Eli Tomac out of the script.

I didn't see the race tonight, being stuck with no cable nor useful internet for streaming. Maybe there will be an encore broadcast on Tuesday. Maybe my service will be restored by Tuesday???

Even without seeing the race, I know a back-to-back in Orlando does not a championship make.

[And I *still* think Roger De Coster has whispered in Justin Barcia's ear with some very stern words. Barcia seems rejuvenated in 2021.]

 

[gnomesayin]

I've been a Tomac fan for years, so me "writing him off" is partly done in fun and partly in disappointment. The reason tonight could be read as more definitive than a typical race is that Tomac was in much better position on laps 1 and 2 than Roczen (and Anderson), experienced no real trouble during the race, but got passed and left by both of them. It's the first time I can recall Tomac fading that much in the second half of a race when it wasn't following an identifiable problem.

Something has to change in a big way for him to regain his form. Maybe the always unpredictable Daytona is it.

Tonight's track was another tight one without a lot of passing opportunities. It's always kind of a bummer to watch a situation such as the one with Barcia, Tomac, and Roczen riding in that order like a train for 10 minutes, when Tomac was obviously faster (at the time) than Barcia, and Roczen was obviously faster than both of them.

 

[gnomesayin]

Daytona is always interesting. Track is in rough shape though.

 

[KTMLew01]

Finally traded in the DVR/Box. Works as designed again. Even took the time to get the new remote set-up to turn on TV & Box! Spectrum remote can now fully control vol/channel/mute of TCL Smart TV. The hard drive in DVR does make nasty clicking/grinding noises when changing channels. Not sure why, but IT WORKS!

 

[gnomesayin]

Tomac makes it look easy to return to victory at Daytona for the fifth time. Webb somehow gets second at the very end. Not sure how Plessinger gave up that much time on the last two laps, but still a great performance for him as well to get a podium.

It will be interesting to see if Tomac posting a typical Eli dominant performance will change any dynamics in the championship race, or whether Roczen regains his footing from here. Webb is right there now, 2 points back, just lurking and waiting for errors.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Leigh Diffey grows ever more gerbil-like with each broadcast, regardless of the racing series he is announcing. He is very annoying.

Tomac was in great form, dominant on this night, and I'm not surprised to see it. He needs to keep going with that pace to win the title, unless both 94 and 2 hit some misfortune... not necessarily a DNF but at least some uncharacteristically low finishes. However, with half the season to go, there is still plenty of time of that to happen.

@gnomesayin, I think you are underestimating Webb with your comments about him waiting for others to make mistakes and "give" points to him. Webb is on a streak of 2-1-1-2, and has finished ahead of Roczen the last three races... without Roczen suffering a crash or mechanical gremlin. Not too shabby. Webb didn't have anything for Tomac on this one night in Daytona, but don't sleep on his ability to "take it" even when Roczen and Tomac don't "give it away." Webb's 2019 championship was a strong body work, including seven or eight race wins. I don't think 2021 will have a champion who just falls into the title via consistency... JMO.

 

[gnomesayin]

Leigh Diffey grows ever more gerbil-like with each broadcast, regardless of the racing series he is announcing. He is very annoying.

Agreed. I found myself bemoaning last night that I no longer have any idea if Diffey is actually excited or finds a race remarkable, or if he's just going through the motions. He's the same in every case.

@gnomesayin, I think you are underestimating Webb with your comments about him waiting for others to make mistakes and "give" points to him. Webb is on a streak of 2-1-1-2, and has finished ahead of Roczen the last three races... without Roczen suffering a crash or mechanical gremlin. Not too shabby. Webb didn't have anything for Tomac on this one night in Daytona, but don't sleep on his ability to "take it" even when Roczen and Tomac don't "give it away." Webb's 2019 championship was a strong body work, including seven or eight race wins. I don't think 2021 will have a champion who just falls into the title via consistency... JMO.

I didn't mean to imply anything other than that Webb excels at getting the best result possible with the raw pace he has. I would say that for the bulk of the season it has felt like Roczen is the premier rider in the series. You're right though, Webb has more pure speed than I tend to give him credit for.

Whoever wins this title will have taken it. I agree that it's not going to land in any of their laps unless two of three get hurt.

 

[gnomesayin]

Blair's reporting might be the most useful contribution to the broadcasts. NBC really has **** for brains.

 

[gnomesayin]

Very big night for Webb to take the win and seize the championship lead as Roczen and Tomac both struggle trying to come from behind after bad starts. Roczen needs to regain his form quickly. Tomac needs that and a lot of help.

Aaron Plessinger is quietly putting together a very solid season and has been coming on stronger recently. Did not expect to see that.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Ricky Carmichael predicted that the three-race stint in Arlington will be pivotal in the championship. Last night's results made him look pretty damn smart, but I'm eyeing Atlanta as the true wildcard... three races *outdoors* at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and coming after a two-week break in the action. Anything can happen in Atlanta.

In Supercross, the starts are important, but even more important is what you do after getting away mid-pack. Roczen and Tomac came up short on both counts last night.

For once, NBC did a good job of breaking down the start. Roczen's lane 7 location (crooked rut) cost him half a wheel, maybe a full wheel, in the drag race. He came out of the throttle early... probably a wise move... and cut to the inside. Not ideal but not too bad. Tomac got a good launch, dead even with Webb (on his left) and Ferrandis (on his right) in the drag race. Eli needed to gas it through, but he rolled out early... advantage goes to Webb who stayed on the gas.

I thought Anderson's move on Malcolm Stewart was pretty benign, and Malcolm's response was as unjustified as it was futile. Malcolm has been riding well this year, but this reminded me of Danica trying to wreck other people and winding up wrecking herself instead. I did think Anderson's move on Ferrandis was pretty dodgy.

 

[gnomesayin]

I agree about the distinction between the two situations with Anderson. Malcolm was well within reason to want to return the favor, but did so ineptly.

Anderson's explanation that he is going to do what he has to do to run up front rubs me a bit the wrong way, as the riding in the top 10 of the 450 class has been exceptionally clean this year IMO, and it feels like there is a general respect between the group. If Anderson is going to start pulling rough moves and shrugging it off, I hope someone puts him down and will look forward to him accepting it.

 

[gnomesayin]

Forgot they were going again tonight, remembered in time for the 450 Main.

 

[gnomesayin]

Another textbook performance by Webb. Has to be demoralizing for Tomac to be that close to Webb, look faster for a time, and never seriously challenge. It seems like Webb's conditioning is better than anyone's. I agree there could be another shakeup coming in Atlanta.

LMAO at Anderson cutting the entire whoops section and hoping nobody would notice.

 

[gnomesayin]

Webb is the man right now. Always getting better throughout the night, always seems to be the one making the fewest mistakes.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Webb is the man right now.

Indeed he is. I've been the one saying there's a long way to go and anything can happen, and this is still objectively true, but that late pass for the lead did have a "stake-through-the-heart" feel to it. Instead of the points gap narrowing to 9 points, it expanded to 15. It had to be deflating to Roczen, who hasn't bested Webb since Indy. In the last six races, Webb has five wins plus a second (to Tomac at Daytona).

Last night was my favorite track design of the year. I liked the relatively fast flat section that actually tested cornering speed. I thought Webb was fastest in that section, more comfortable sliding his bike, but Kenny and Eli were close. I thought it was a great race, cliff hanger from gate drop to checkers. There was one pass for the lead, so I guess some would call it a snoozer, but I'm not among them.

I still think Atlanta is a wild card with potential to shake things up. A three week wait. Then a triple header at a new, non-stadium venue. And the points are close enough that a single flat tire or broken brake lever could make all the difference.

 

[gnomesayin]

Please Ricky, from a Tomac fan, don't speculate any more that Tomac is just lurking and waiting to make his move. Two straight events of Ricky expecting the Tomac of old to be hunting Webb and Roczen, and he had nothing for them.

I would love for Roczen to be able to tighten this points race up. I saw that he caught some criticism for not being more physical with Webb when he could have been. I'm glad for the clean battle between the two that formerly couldn't stand each other.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Please Ricky, from a Tomac fan, don't speculate any more that Tomac is just lurking and waiting to make his move. Two straight events....

Yeah, I was rolling my eyes at RC at both races over those remarks. I think he feels the need to play up the suspense, but hype isn't needed and it just falls flat. (Overall, I do like having RC in the booth, however.)

 

[LewTheShoe]

Love the track that Atlanta Motor Speedway built for this three-race stint of Supercross. Big, open, and relatively fast. Anderson's pole qualifying lap, according to my calculator, averaged 34.7 mph, a significant boost from the speeds we were talking about a few weeks ago. I liked the quicker pace. I do realize most SX venues don't have the option, just don't have the space.

Cooper Webb said he wasn't happy with how how he rode, but I'm sure he loved his points haul for the day... expanding his lead over Kenny Roczen from 15 to 22 points. I'm sure his primary objective for the four remaining rounds will be to avoid injury and DNF's. For example, in 2019 he ran the final handful of races with foam tire inserts, sacrificing speed for protection against a flat tire. I wonder if the team will revive that strategy. Probably a Roger De Coster-level decision.

It has been a hard battle all year. If Webb finishes it off as he seems capable of doing, it will be a well deserved second SX championship for him.

Congrats to Eli Tomac for his third win of the year. His season must be frustrating to him, but there have been some highlights and this was one for sure. I was hoping Plessinger could keep it together... oh well... try again Tuesday.

 

[gnomesayin]

Nice to see Thrasher ride an excellent race and be a first time 250 winner in tough conditions.

This Atlanta track is definitely Daytona-ish, and I liked it too. Supercross would be better with more of these types of longer circuits with higher speed and more varied sections than the tight tracks smaller stadiums demand.

Tomac rode a determined race to make up several spots and take the victory. It was unfortunate that Sexton got crossed up with lapped rider at the end. I tend to think Tomac was going to make the pass regardless, but it's not good when a lapper is such a factor.

If only Tomac hadn't given up so many points to Webb and Roczen this season, this Atlanta swing could have been pivotal as @LewTheShoe had predicted. I suppose it still could be, but Tomac has to take all three and Webb needs a middling race.

I'm bummed that Roczen has lost so much momentum. Hard to reconcile how superior he looked through the first 6-8 rounds and how uneasy he has been since.

 

[gnomesayin]

What a difference a few nights can make. Vintage Roczen performance to reassert his place in the championship fight, and Webb finally slips up a little. It was actually really impressive what Webb was doing during the main given how far down he was on pace. As Daniel Blair highlighted on the broadcast, Webb found 1-2 seconds of improvement per lap to stop losing ground. He raced hard to try to pass Barcia, who was doing a Ryan Newman impression to try to hold his position. I don't think Barcia ever did anything outright dirty, but he moved over on Webb at the last second a couple times, and the last time bit Webb, costing him another spot to Tomac.

Now Roczen is right back in it if he can hold this momentum Saturday. Who knows what to expect. About the only thing that seems clear is that these longer circuits in Atlanta do not play to Webb's strengths.

Interesting (and encouraging in a way) that Barcia is on a KTM and yet raced Webb that hard. Musquin looked determined not to pass Webb.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Ouch.

Actually, the best points getter in the two Atlanta rounds combined has been Chase Sexton. Who would have predicted that?

Maybe my perceptions are all wrong, but this track seemed more gnarly, less flowing than last Saturday. Was the track design altered between the two rounds, or just different condition of the dirt? I wonder what we'll get this weekend... there is a lot at stake.

 

[gnomesayin]

Yep, the track was a different layout and will be again Saturday.

 

[gnomesayin]

Wow. Champion caliber performance by Webb when it matter most, taking the victory from Roczen. This was one time when I kinda can't believe that Roczen folded that easily.

 

[KTMLew01]

Bad deal with Blose. It ain't good.

 

[gnomesayin]

No it ain't. Hoping for better news to come.

 

[KTMLew01]

These are neck-breakers:

 

[KTMLew01]

On VitalMX his wife says conscious. More info to come.