Former factory rider DV934 weighs in on the last national
Former factory rider DV934 weighs in on the last national
Photos by Simon Cudby
Thoughts about going to a man-made facilty like Utah? You see what they’re trying to do and there are certain things that are better than a “regular” national although the track does kind of suck.
Man-made tracks are very often a miss. Basically a flat MX track isn’t very interesting to start with. But Utah isn’t the worst one we’ve ever seen. I think the friday rain helped the track a lot. There is only so much you can do on a flat track and I think Marc Peters has done a decent job with that place. I am not a fan of jump-filled track and rollers. MX is about natural terrain but it seems like every track has rollers and some kind of rhythm sections. Washougal and Unadilla are a good proof of track builders doing way to much to make the track attractive with building jumps and doubles everywhere they have room for it. I’d rather watch the riders of today on the Unadilla track from the ’80’s. I’ve never been to Utah but it seems like it’s a cool venue being in the road race track complex. Yes, it looks like an unattractive SoCal track but it’s close to the best thing we can get from flat land.
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“Canard had 7 moto podiums before he showed up at Unadilla with the KYB stuff. It’s not like he was 10th and all the sudden starting winning. But it sure looked like it was the last detail he needed to win 4 of the last 5 motos of the season with some impressive rides.” |
Trey Canard– you riders are mental cases for sure. Do you think the switch to KYB is what did it or him THINKING that the bikes worked so much better that made the difference.
I’m sure Trey feels more comfortable with the Kayaba suspension. I also think there is a mental boost that goes with it. When you tell yourself it’s better, even if it’s the same, the fact that you’re being positive about it you’re already faster. We have to look back and see that Canard raced the last 5 SX races. He had to get ready and test to be competitive in Supercross while the other riders had their SX set-up all dialed in and already starting testing in MX. Trey might have been a little behind the eight ball compared to the KTM boys at the start of the MX season due to the fact he decided to race the last SX races. It maybe, indirectly, affected his MX preparation even if he was riding good at the first races. I think he improved his MX riding and his fitness as the season went on. The suspension switch was that little boost he needed to race and beat Ken and Ryan. Let’s not forget that Canard had 7 moto podiums before he showed up at Unadilla with the KYB stuff. It’s not like he was 10th and all the sudden starting winning. But it sure looked like it was the last detail he needed to win 4 of the last 5 motos of the season with some impressive rides.
Roczen did what he had to do and validated your pre-season pick as him for champion.
I picked him to win because he’s a great MX rider that knows how to ride any conditions and his fitness, this season, looked way better. If I could’ve bought my bet back when Dungey got as close as 7 points, I would have for sure! It looked like RD had the momentum to win the title after round 10 while KR was struggling. Like I said when there were only 4 motos left in the Championship, Ken had to beat RD 2 out of 4 motos to still have a chance at it. He did just that in the mudder in Indiana. Roczen more than deserved the title. With 539 points on 24 motos, he scored 22.16 points per moto. That’s better than 2nd at every single moto. After witnessing the season, he didn’t dominate but the numbers talk for themselves. He also won the most motos with 8 and almost doubled Ryan in laps led.
In case you were wondering, Jeremy Martin showed that he’s the man in the 250 class. Is this a deal where he’s going to rip off a few mx titles or was this a Dean Wilson or Blake Baggett thing where he’s fast and everything fell his way?
That’s a tough question. The 250 class is always full of surprises. If I would’ve told you Martin would clinch the title 3 motos before the end you would’ve said I am crazy. The advantage he has is that next year he’s going to stay on the same bike and on the same team with a lot of data on set-up and he knows what to do to win a title. Can Cianciarulo show up in ’15 and do a Martin? He might but we will have to wait and see. Baggett has the potential to win an outdoor title if he actually can get some starts. Bad starts shouldn’t be an excuse for a past champion riding on one of the best bikes out there. I think Marvin can also be a contender for a MX title if he can start the season healthy and at 100%. Obviously, Jeremy will be the 2015 favorite but I’m not worried about the attractiveness of the 250 class. There are a few riders capable of giving him a run for his money.
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“The 450 class is a different ballpark in term in fitness and training. Can he step it up and train like a RV, Dungey, Roczen or Canard? I am not sure and I’m not confident about it… But, if he would he would be pretty tough to beat…” |
Would you hire Christophe Pourcel for a 450SX and MX ride next year? And if not, who would?
Remember, I actually did hire him before! I don’t think I would hire him even if we didn’t have a history. He’s an amazing rider. He was the fastest rider in timed practice 9 out of 12 races this season. but he only won 1 moto, 1 overall and finished 6th in the championship, 145 points behind Martin. Take in consideration he holeshot the most motos too. I didn’t go to a single race this season nor at a practice track. I don’t know if he changed anything in his program but he’s a rider that you can’t really managed or advised. He does his own thing. He obviously had some fitness issues, I assume, seeing his fade at some races. The 450 class is a different ballpark in term in fitness and training. Can he step it up and train like a RV, Dungey, Roczen or Canard? I am not sure and I’m not confident about it… But, if he would he would be pretty tough to beat…
Who’s the NEXT Jeremy Martin? Who’s going to surprise us next year in the 250 class?
That’s a weird question. The bottom line in our sport isn’t to be the man in the 250 class. That class is a stepping stone to the premium class, the 450s. So, I don’t really ask myself the question about who’s going to be the man (boy?) in 250s next year-I really don’t care. What I would like to debate on is if Martin can be the man in the 450 class in a couple years or who would be the next rookie to come and shake up the top guys in the 450 class. Like I said above , there are a few guys that can win a 250 outdoor title but who is the next Roczen that can win SX races, be in the hunt for a 450 SX and MX championship? Who is the next RV or the next RC? All the sudden the list of guys is shrinking. Do I see Boggle or Anderson, the 2 2014 250 Champs be that guy? Not really. Do I see Martin jump to the 450, win SX and MX races and fight for a 450 title? As of today, not really either… Whatever those kids did to be successful in the 250 class is nothing compare to what it takes to be as successful on a similar bike with 200 extra cubic centimeters. And that something too many 125 (back in the day) or 250 riders didn’t realize nor achieved in the past…
