Will the seven win the next two races?
Will James Stewart win out?
Swizzle- This is a tough one. James still has a little more speed than the rest of the field but this year that doesn’t mean what it has in years past. The field is faster too and whether its the ages old excuse of simple bad luck, or the added pressure of having competition run in his comfort zone, James’ go for broke style has bitten him often this season.
Sitting 4th in points sets the stage for more of Stewarts “checkers or wreckers” style for the last two races. It also means Villopoto, Reed and Dungey, the racers ahead of the number 7 in points, will also be dialing up the intensity and sense of urgency. (Well, at this point I seriously doubt Dungey will be changing his pragmatic approach to the season. It’s suited him well, ending up on the podium much of the season but the points are too close now to stick with his status quo.) With the tight points and short timeline, speed isn’t the only factor at play. It’s time to start increasing calculated risk, crafty contact passes and if necessary, riding a wide bike in the closing laps. RV has been fixated on this title for over a year. Reed can taste it and wants the title to flip the proverbial bird at his detractors. Dungey? We’ve gone 15 weeks and he still has to deal with people questioning the validity of last years title. For him to pull this thing off would be the ultimate validation of him as a racer. You’re silly if you think his reserved, conservative style is representative of how bad he wants this title.
History has shown you can never count out Stewart but this season is unlike any before it and with the speed density of this top four, the odds are just too steep to bet against. With desperation comes unpredictability, in other words more of what we have seen for 15 weeks now, and what my money is on for the last two.
Matthes- Well, oftentimes in this column one of us has to take a side that we don’t really believe in but for the good of the column and in the spirit of the forefathers believing in debates to solves something, we take the bullet.
And in this case, I am doing just that. Please don’t think of me as a hero, maybe a demi-god but not a hero. I put my shorts on the same way you guys do.
With my butler helping me.
Anyways, James Stewart certainly has that momentum thing on his side and it’s awesome how quickly things turn in the sport. A couple weeks back, we were discussing Stewart’s legacy and how he’s looked more “human” than ever before. Now he’s 9 points out of the lead, has two wins in a row and could actually pull this thing off. Swizzle didn’t really come out and say it but I’ll fill you in right here folks on his thinking.
He doesn’t believe in James Stewart.
As I’ve said many times before, Stewie does things that others cannot. For more on this see Daytona or Anaheim 2. James is the most talented rider on the track and that’s the fact jack. I love the other guys and they all offer something special to the series but line the four of them up, drop the gate and nine times out ten, the seven is going to beat them.
So I do indeed think that the confidence he’s got right now will combine with his skill and produce two more wins. I don’t know if that’s enough to win then title but I know that he’s going to go back to back to back to back. There’s another fact Jack.
Swizzle- All this talk of Jack has inspired me to listen to Tenacious D whilst I “pen” my final retort putting you in your place. Interestingly, or maybe even a forecast of the weeks to come, the first two songs were “Wonderboy” and Explosivo”. That is exactly the dichotomy we are faced with with this Point/Counterpoint and the last two weeks of this amazing Supercross season. Will James be able to corral the “Wonderboy” of years past or will he come one “cock push-up” short and turn into “Explosivo”, falling short of the title? The D, always has the answer.
When you throw the elevated speed and intensity of the other racers into the Wonderboy/Explosivo crock pot, it spells one thing in my mind, “Master Exploder”(yup, another Tenacious D song). Yes, James has the ability to pull this off but no, I don’t see it happening. The odds are against him and there are three sharks smelling blood with a chum bag dangling so close before their noses it hurts. They have to seal the deal. If not it will be the most amazing rebound over the course of one series in the sports history. You know what that means, the Brett Michaels “Hard Charger” Award goes to JS7(deservedly so) and another season of Bubba’s World with the scripted drama turned up to 1,000
Matthes- Wait a minute? Bubba’s World is scripted? Whilst I try to wrap my mind around that comment let me say that unless the apocalypse hits Salt Lake City in a couple of weeks, the track won’t be as bad as Seattle.
And perhaps you saw James ride almost flawlessly there and take the win. The dirt in Salt Lake City is much better than Seattle, a few ruts buts nothing like the quagmire that is the Emerald City. James has the talent, he has the confidence, the momentum and all the power right now. He will win out the next two races.
My how his problems of a few weeks ago seem so very far away right now. And that sound you hear Swizzle is you getting worked once again in the Pulpmx Point/Counterpoint!
