Vegas Swoosh: The Champ Represents

Check it out: Supercross champ Ryan Dungey's marketing team has effectively sold the soles of his feet as promotional space. Ryan rocks his (as yet) unobtainable Nike boots at press day in Lost Wages.

Photo by GuyB at Vital MX.

Vegas Finale: Weimer wears the (w)One

Jake Weimer's Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F caught sparkling in the Las Vegas pits, sporting the always-impressive numero uno (with a dash of regional seasoning).

Congratulations, Jake! And congrats to the whole Pro Circuit team for dominating 250cc supercross in 2010.

GuyB on the scene with great pics on Vital MX. Thanks Steve!

Ryan Dungey is the 2010 Supercross Champion

Big ups to Ryan Dungey for bringing it home in his rookie year on the 450cc racing bikes. I don't know what Roger DeCoster is saying to the new 2010 Monster Energy Supercross Series Champion in this amazing photo by GuyB of Vital MX, but you know Ryan is listening attentively. DeCoster and Dungey are a formidable combination of drive, determination, talent, experience and endurance, proven by this latest and most significant title.

Amazingly, this is Ryan's third professional championship in a row.

Is Supercross Over? Don't be ridiculous...

All photos from GuyB's great Seattle coverage at Vital MX

Sure, the Big Title is wrapped up with two rounds remaining, but that doesn't mean this series is finished with putting on an exciting show of indoor motocross racing by some of the fastest motorcycle riders on the planet.

One of those guys, beyond any question, is Nick Wey, national number 27. Nick was a Team Green amateur champion back in the day, so it's really cool to see him get a chance back on Team Kawasaki.



Kevin Windham is also, without a doubt, one of the best motorcycle riders in the world. His ability to precisely control his bike and his savvy race craft are well-established and on top of that he's just fun to watch. 2010 has been a great year for Windham, and there are two more chances to see how he finishes this season.


Though still recovering from his injury, the outgoing Supercross champion showed up to sign autographs at Seattle. Two more rounds means two more opportunities for fans to meet James Stewart and share some kind words.

So even though the 2010 Monster Energy Supercross Series was remarkable in that on-track injuries sidelined the defending champion, the past champion AND one of the two-most-likely-to-become champions, resulting in the National Championship being suddenly decided by default with three races to go, when these guys hit the track next Saturday night there will be fast times to set, heat races to run and main events to win. Those that can race will be there. I think supercross fans will be there too.

St. Louis Blues: The Drummer gets it all

This shot doesn't quite tell the whole story of a momentous night in St. Louis for the racers of the MESS, nor does it quite tell the whole story of this unpredictable supercross season, but it certainly nails the ending: Ryan Dungey is the 2010 Supercross Champion. Congratulations Ryan!

And get well soon, Ryan Villopoto. Yes, the tale of two Ryans came to a dramatic end last night, with Villopoto carried off the field of battle with a broken leg. Here's the story from GuyB.

Nice pic by GuyB/Vital MX

Houston Rockets: 5 on the floor

Ryan Dungey is having an amazing rookie year in the 450 cc Supercross class, especially considering that out of the 13 races run so far, his 5th place effort in Houston was his worst finish of the year! Unfortunately for Ryan D, his championship rival, Ryan Villopoto, took the win and made up a bunch of ground in the points. The tale of two Ryans continues...

Photo by GuyB/Vital MX.

Christophe Pourcel is the first Supercross Champion of 2010

Congratulations to Pourcel and the Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad for defending their 250cc East region title. The champ went wire-to-wire in Houston to win his fifth race of the eight-race season, clinching the crown with one round remaining.

One down, one to go Christophe?

Photo by GuyB/Vital MX.

Bubba's World, Ep. 1: Hey, wait a minute...

The producers of the new cable show "Bubba's World" of Fuel TV have all the elements they need to create a historical document of modern motocross the likes of which the sport has never seen. For the first time in the history of the sport, a television production crew enjoyed unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the top rider in MX and no doubt they shot hundreds of hours of fascinating footage.

So why oh why did they decide to take the low road and (poorly) stage certain scenes and scenarios?

I get it. It's all about fun, right? If the Stewarts don't mind being portrayed discussing important professional matters while picking food from their teeth, what gives me the right to get bent out of shape about it? Well, I actually care about the Stewarts and I care about how their images are being used.

Unfortunately, I cannot levy all of my criticism on the producers of the program. I grew up in a household that valued education. My parents insisted that we learn and use good grammar at all times. Clearly that's not the case with some families today and apparently the Stewarts do not put much emphasis on clear diction. I wish that were not the case, because it makes this show sort of difficult for me to enjoy. C'est la vie.

Let's see what the next episode brings.

Atlanta Dream: Who was due?

My bad. I said Josh Hill was due for a win; I meant RYAN DUNGEY (5), of course! Numba 5 got himself a big one, his third of the year, at just the right time and in just the right place: the Georgia Dome, the scene of his very first professional win at his very first professional supercross waaaaay back in 2007. It was a huge win for the Rockstar superstar, as he entered the race tied in championship points, but left with a 20 point lead. Dungey fully capitalized on rival Ryan Villopoto's (2) trip over the handlebars while running in second place late in the 450cc main event.

By the looks of this GuyB photo, supercross motorcycles never actually touch the ground, they just fly around the track.

Atlanta Dream: Green Dean

Say "one-oh-ate" one time. Dean Wilson (108) grabbed the holeshot and led for 8 laps, setting the pace for a very exciting 250cc supercross main event in Atlanta last Saturday. Wilson's Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki team mate Christophe Pourcel (1) ended up winning the race, after the fastest guy on the floor, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Austin Stroupe (45), actually hit the floor of the stadium while leading. Photo by GuyB/Vital MX

A Tale of Two Ryans, a Supercross Saga Starts

Look at the MESS! The Monster Energy Supercross Series is tied up for the second straight week but with three different riders, something that I can't recall ever happening in the 450cc class.



Two weeks ago in Andyheim, Ryan Villopoto (above, the epitome of cool) took the win to put him within 3 points of the two co-leaders, Ryan Dungey (below, intensely focused) and Josh Hill.


Last Saturday in Motor City (the Hoosier version, not the Detroit one), Ryan V scored another win over Ryan D to grab his share of the championship points lead, after Hill (below, in thoughtful repose) failed to make the podium for the first time in 5 races.

Now the two Ryans are tied going into Hotlanta this Saturday night, and the Man in Blue sits 10 points in arrears. Hill is due; will it happen this weekend?

These great portraits of Supercross are from GuyB's Vital MX Pit Bits from Indianapolis.

Indy Jones: Woulda, Coulda and Did It Again

Honda Red Bull's Davi Millsaps (18) nipped Geico Powersports Honda's Kevin Windham (14) for the holeshot in the 450 main in Indy, and led for a bit, but for whatever reason could not keep the veteran rider behind him for long. Lurking in the back of this GuyB snap is Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (2), who would pass both Honda riders and go on to convincingly win his third supercross on the year.

Look at that crowd! Yeah, the East loves supercross!

Indy Jones: Christophe Crushes

Well, the MESS moved Eastward this weekend, landing at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and kicking off the Eastern region of the 250cc class. And defending East region champ Christophe Pourcel dominated the proceedings with his smooth-as-butter style. If anyone has a chance to go undefeated in supercross this year, Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Pourcel is the one. GuyB snaps the shot.

It's good to be The King: riding with Jeremy McGrath

Monster Energy Video Blog - McGrath Ride Day

Transworld Motocross drops another big 'un, a really cool video by Dirt Shark, filmed at Jeremy McGrath's king-size ranch. Nice.

Anaheim 3: Mayhem before the AM

Yep, weak headline I admit, but the race itself was outstanding! Unfortunately, my man with the hot cam, GuyB, decided to spend time all the way in Indianapolis for the Dealer Show, so I got nothing... that is, no fantastic Vital MX photos for the final round in California. Oh well...

But I did go to the race, and let me tell ya, it was indeed off the hook, despite what you may have seen on CBS.

I was able to catch the top 450 riders in their final qualifying session, and I was quite surprised to see Jason Lawrence aggressively jump to the head of the line on the first lap and set the first fast lap. Seeing ol' #338 on the leader pylon was both amazing and confusing... but it didn't take long before the customary leaders displaced him. And in a sign of things to come, Ryan Villopoto finished the session with the top time as the only rider to get around the tricky circuit in under a minute.

Which leads to the track layout itself. Walking into the stadium, the over/under bridge was the first thing to get my attention. Riders landing from the third base triple had to deal with a short landing area into a tight, 90-degree left under the bridge, which then led to the rhymthm section that contained the "wall." During practice I was waiting for some daredevil to launch over the wall into the next double, but no one dared. Survival instincts run high among supercross racers.

But those instincts weren't enough to save everyone, hence the "Mayhem" in the headline. I saw more riders carried off the track on stretchers than I can remember, so much so that at times it seemed as if the announcers were doing their best to avert everyone's attention away from the carnage. But there were plenty of exchanged worried glances and comments circulating among the crowd. In the second 250 heat, Jake Weimer and Trey Canard were locked in a death struggle for the lead when Max Anstie went down very hard, fracturing his hip. Anstie was down on the track for so long, the officials ended up redflagging the 8-lap heat race and re-starting it. And in the first 450 heat, WORCS star Bobby Bonds went OTB into the face of a triple, breaking his collarbone. And these are just two of the injuries I've seen reported so far. I don't know if the track is to blame or what, and I'm grateful that no one was more seriously injured or worse.

Both main events featured unexpected twists. In the 250 class, past East Region Champion Trey Canard quickly chased down early leader Wil Hahn and tried to get away, but 4-time winner Jake Weimer was closing fast... and then he went down and stalled his bike. (ELECTRIC START!) By the time it fired up, Weimer was dead last. For a few laps, it looked like Trey Canard was going to score a full whopping 25 points on Weimer, but that's not what happened.

Instead, Jake reached down deep and went to work to minimize the damage to his 26-point cushion in the championship standing. Jake fought his way up to 8th position, while Canard crushed the rest of the field for his second win on the year. Weimer still holds 14 sizable points over TC with only two rounds to go, but Canard takes the momentum into the West Region hiatus.

In the 450 class, Ryan Villopoto got his first holeshot of the year and ran the table by leading every lap and even setting fast lap of the night. But Josh Hill, Kevin Windham, and to some extent, Davi Millsaps and Ryan Dungey all made RV work for it. Hill especially, as it always seemed that Josh had the speed to catch Villo, if only he didn't have to worry about riding defense against the constant attacks from first Millsaps then Kdub. Thos three had a great game of cat and mouse going, even though their positions didn't really change that much. Dungey seemed early on content to just let those guys slip up so he could slip by, but when that didn't happen, Ryan started making moves. First he pulled a nice pass inside Davi and then he started pressuring Kevin. And then Dungey spun out in the same turn where he passed Millsaps earlier. Of course, this let the Honda-mounted Millsaps by and Ryan had to pass him AGAIN, this time just stuffing last week's main event winner in a bowl.

As the laps wore on, things just got more intense. It wasn't until lap 16 or 17 that Kdub seemed to settle into third and Hill seemed to be happy with second. Somehow, Ryan Dungey accepted finishing off the podium for the third straight week; he had nothing for Windham after the slideout. And I have no idea WTF happened to the Davi that beat everyone just a week ago. But I'm starting to suspect that tricky track, I guess it brought out the best in the top bike-handlers.

Riding With Turbo Trey | Transworld Motocross

Swapmoto at Transworld Motocross is transforming motocross coverage this year by filling the internet with great mx video. He shows a particularly deft touch with this one, using music only when absolutely necessary!



Riding With Turbo Trey | Transworld Motocross

San Diego Chargers, Pt. 2: The Three Amigos

Here are the top three finishers in the 450 class in San Diego, sharing some post-race good vibes. From left to right, Honda Red Bull's Davi Millsaps, San Manuel Yamaha's Josh Hill, and Valli Motorsports' Ivan Tedesco. It was a great race for all of them: Millsaps gave Honda it's first supercross win in, like, forever; Hill pulled to only 4 points behind Dungey in the points standings, and this is Tedesco's first podium in, like (wait for it... ) yes, forever. GuyB gets the love.

Good job, guys!

San Diego Chargers, Pt. 1: Wey to Go!

Here's the shot of the night, courtesy Vital MX's GuyB: Nick Wey, "filling in" for Chad Reed on the Monster Energy Kawasaki, gets his first supercross holeshot in, like, forever, while the points leader and two-time race winner Ryan Dungey goes down in the slippery San Diego first turn.

Ryan Dungey's unbelievable San Francisco crash

Oh man. I am so glad Ryan didn't get badly injured in this spectacularly scary get-off. Whoa. The guy must be made of rubber, because he literally bounced back up, sprinted to his bike and got going again before Villopoto and Hill could pass him.

Frisco: Dice a Roni

The San Francisco Treat! The City by the Bay hosted the fastest supercross racers in the known galaxy last Saturday and these two dudes put on a particularly entertaining show. Old Northwest rivals Josh Hill (75) and Ryan Villopoto duked it out cowboy style, electrifying the crowd in the process. Another fine photo by GuyB.

PS - For those I may have offended by referring to San Francisco as "Frisco," I apologize for being too SoCal oblivious to know better!

Frisco: Return of the Jedi?

Geico Powersports Honda's Trey Canard opened a can on the 250cc class in San Francisco, halting Monster Energy/Pro Circuit racer Jake Weimer's winning streak at three. That green blur in the distance? That be Jake.

Way to step up, TC. GuyB gets the angle.

Frisco Frisky

Yeah, she's working it well. GuyB's a hero.

Seismic Shift: James Stewart Sits Out San Francisco

Well is this some MESS (Monster Energy Supercross Series) or what? Team San Manuel Yamaha's 2009 Supercross Champion underwent surgery on Friday to repair his right wrist, which was apparently broken in Phoenix, most likely during his bad accident during his heat race. Here's the press release posted at Vital MX; there's no word on when Stewart will race again.

Missing tonight's race in San Fran certainly puts a damper on Stewart's chances at repeating the title. I hope he heals as fast as he safely can, and then returns to get some race wins for himself and his fans.

Team San Manuel's championship hopes now switch to the capable hands of James' team mate, former Team Yamaha rider Josh Hill, who's sitting in second place after three races, but just five or six points ahead of Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Andrew Short (Honda Red Bull) and Kevin Windham (Geico Honda Factory Connection), rather formidable competition.

With James joining his arch-rival, 2008 Supercross Champion Chad Reed (broken hand) on the injured reserve list, the MESS has suddenly turned into an MMA cage match for a bunch of highly talented 125/250F regional Supercross champions: Ryan Villopoto, Short, Windham, Ivan Tedesco, David Millsaps, Grant Langston and the guy sitting on a big 15-point lead in the points, Ryan Dungey. Talk about opportunity knocking, this is when we're going to see who really wants that number one plate. Who's got next?

Andrew Short beat ALL of those other guys in 2009, finishing third in the championship behind the big two. Kevin Windham came close to clinching the crown in 2008. Tedesco, a former Honda factory racer now riding a Valli Motorsports Yamaha, absolutely romped to two 250F crowns, so the man knows how to race Supercross. Unfortunately his results in the 450 class have been largely forgettable until this year. Hot Sauce is so overdue, if he doesn't win this title, he might be done. And how jazzed would Millsaps be to win the title for Team Honda Redbull?

A2: Two in a Row for The New Man

Dungey's doing it. He patiently chased down San Manuel Yamaha team makes Josh Hill and James Stewart to take his second Supercross main in Anaheim last night. Neither Hill nor Stewart could stop the Rockstar Makita Suzuki star; Hill admitted to getting tired, and Stewart was in visible pain from last week's crash. Now Ryan has a double-digit point lead in the championship standings... after only 3 rounds.

Look at that crazy photo. Energy drinks everywhere! James is clearly favoring his right side by not using both hands to hoist his trophy and his mandatory Red Bull. GuyB gets the evidence (and the race report).

Modern Mud Abatement Tech: Kawasaki

Check out the foam rubber applied to the frame down tube and inside the front fender of Ryan Villopoto's works Kawasaki. Now, I've seen foam glued to the tops of helmets and stuffed between the engine and glide plate, but this application is new to me. Looks pretty cool. GuyB roams the A2 pits.

Racer X Films scoops the World: James Stewart's first interview since PHX

Simon Cudby and Racer X Films are the first to release a recorded webcam interview with the 2009 Supercross Champion after the MESS in Phee-town: Video » Racer X Films: James Stewart

Posted using ShareThis

So only two races in, is this a super supercross season or what?

Finally, Phoenix: TWMX post race interviews

Transworld Motocross has a great feature going: Tell Us About Your Weekend, the freshest tape of the top riders, right before they leave the track for the night. This is great stuff!

Phoenix Phireworks, Part 3: Before the Fall

Chad Reed shown here chasing James Stewart in the middle of the pack on lap 4 of the Phoenix main event. Reed is seconds away from breaking a bone in his hand. This sucks for both riders. GuyB stops time.

Yes, It's Hot in Phoenix

These beautiful twins have become regulars for Monster at the Phoenix Supercross. And yes, I have given these ladies some good-natured grief about their clothes not being sexy enough before, but I must admit that they are looking extremely hot in this GuyB photo. Nice threads!

Phoenix Phireworks, Part 2: The New Man wins his first Supercross!

Wow.

Here are the facts: Rockstar Makita Suzuki star Ryan Dungey holeshot the Phoenix Supercross and led every single lap to notch his very first 450 win and surge into the championship points lead. Monster Energy Kawasaki and L&M San Manuel JSE Yamaha also made the podium, but not with their current and former Supercross champions. The other Ryan, Villopoto, ran fast all night keeping Dungey honest, and Josh Hill represented strongly and grabbed third place.

The two guys everyone thought would be gunning for this champonship finished 15th and 19th after colliding in a heap early in the race. James Stewart, riding injured from a hairy heat race crash, rode out the race in obvious pain. Chad Reed reportedly broke his hand and did not continue.

That's it for the facts of Phoenix. Unfortunately, this year's race will be known mostly for the heated emotions that boiled over after the crash.

GuyB gets the good part.

Phoenix Phireworks, Part 1

The rocket's red glare. Opening ceremonies of the MESS in Phoenix. These would not be the only fireworks erupting this evening. GuyB shoots the lights out.

James Stewart's New Bell Moto 9?

You're looking at some serious product power here. The 2009 Supercross Champion was trying this Moto 9 prototype the other day; Swapmoto at TWMX has the story and pics.

Nike AIRMX Motocross Boots: Ryan Dungey haz 'em

Here's a pretty cool vid by Transworld Motocross: Ryan takes a few minutes to tell us about his custom-fitted, carbon fiber Nike boots. Talk about factory!

He Can Do This

Ryan Dungey exceeded all expectations at the first race of the season. He qualified second fastest, he led most of the main, he finished second only after battling it out to the last lap. 2009 was a phenomenal year for Dungey, and he knows there is only one way to top it in 2010. GuyB sees it.

Pro Circuit: speed on display

In the 250 class, horsepower is everything. Pro Circuit consistently builds some of the fastest bikes on the track, and this GuyB shot of the first turn of the 250 main at the Anaheim opener pretty much says it all: two PC Kawasakis leading the charge. Jake Weimer (12) went wire-to-wire for the win, firmly taking the points lead and position as offical "favorite" to win the whole West Region shooting match.

Supercross 2010: ... and then the work you put in pays off

James Stewart won the opening around of the MESS at Anaheim last night. GuyB has the story and photos over at Vital MX.

Supercross 2010: Steve Scott sacks Terry Boyd?

A curious announcement from Feld Motorsports, Inc. (FMSI) hit the motocross websites today. It seems that former freestyle and monster truck announcer Steve "Lurch" Scott will be the "new face and new voice" of the MESS.

Okay, so the dude who was working FMSI's Monster Jam series is now making the move to the Supercross side of the house. Or as FMSI likes to call it, one of their "most popular properties."

Good news for Lurch, I'm sure he'll do well at the job, although I'm a little concerned about his idea to "bring a new spin to the meat and potatoes," although that is exactly what FMSI did to freestyle with the new "Nuclear Cowboyz" show. Best to just wait and see what's up.

Like, what's up with the current announcers? Who is Steve Scott replacing? The press release doesn't say, and I wonder why?

Supercross 2010: First you gotta put in the work...

James Stewart has been documenting his supercross "Boot Camp" and putting some photos up on his website, JS7.com. It's nice to see the young man healthy and ready for the season. Good luck, James!

Do you know this man? Jason Lawrence speaks

Catching Up With Jason Lawrence, Part 1

Thanks to Swap at Transworld Motocross, Jason Lawrence gets to speak his mind. And freshly out of prison, he says he's racing Supercross!

Nuclear Cowboyz: On Board with Mike Mason

Tell me this doesn't look like fun. Check out the other videos on their site. I guess now I know what Feld Motorsports has been up to during the break between SX seasons: working hard on taking freestyle to a new level of performance.

Obviously, I am the one that doesn't get it

Hear about Nuclear Cowboyz? Transworld Motocross has this gallery by Dan Guetter from the preview of Feld Motorsports' new, scripted freestyle show with the curious name. Now this is right in Feld's wheelhouse: tightly-controlled, artistically-rendered spectacle. I admit have been entertained by the stills alone.

Twelve months later, it appears Feld still doesn't get it

So, what have the folks at Feld Motorsports been up to during the supercross off-season? Negotiating a big-buck, high-visibility network TV deal to improve the reach of their premiere motorsports "property", the "Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship?" Apparently not.

Yesterday this press release hit the motocross websites I like to frequent (this one's on Vital MX), announcing that the opening round of the "Monster Energy...," well, I like to call it the Monster Energy Supercross Series, or "MESS" for short... the opening round will air live on the SPEED cable channel. Well that news doesn't suck. But that's not all, or even first. The press release includes the news that the Feld Motorsports monster truck circus will have it's opening round on the same night, but in Atlanta, Georgia, and SPEED will carry that event live as well. BEFORE the supercross.

FMS is touting this as some sort of big deal, as if all of motocross had been waiting years for someone to finally add monster truck "racing" to the program. Charlie Mancuso, president of FMS, went so far to call it the "ultimate six hours of pure motorsports coverage." Well done, Mr. Mancuso, spoken like a true huckster.

Look, I really don't have anything against the monster truck thing. But I'm a motocross purist, and I get pissed off when people disrespect my sport... and people dis it all the time. Some of those people actually make money off of the sport, yet still they show it no respect at all. No respect for the seriousness of the endeavor, no respect for the commitment of the athletes, no respect for the history of the competition.

To lump our sport in with an exhibition event consisting of characters that call themselves "Grave Digger" and "Mass Destruction" and pretend that this represents some type of positive achievment? No respect.

Someone needs to rescue supercross from its current owners.

Have I Stopped Feeling It?

No. Just stopped writing about MX for a while, that's all. Be back shortly.

Happy Holidays to all!

Serious illness forces Stewart to the sidelines

First, get well James. Your health is more important than anything. Anything. Even Larry Brooks said it is your "first priority" in this press release titled

Team San Manuel's James Stewart Force to Withdraw from International Supercross Races

over at Vital MX. So believe that.

Unfortunately, there's no doubt this announcement of will cause disappointment all around, among Stewart's fans and foes alike. If I were a ticket-holder to either event, I admit I would be disappointed. But that's because I have actually seen James Stewart ride, in person. If you have not and you have any familiarity with a motocross bike at all... you want to see him ride, in person. You know you want that.

And if you have seen him ride, again, in person... you want to see him do it again. All the videos in the world are not the same as watching Stewart scrub a supercross triple while you're sitting only 50 meters away. The fact that you'll be in relatively comfortable stadium seats with your friends and family doesn't hurt.

The truth of the matter is this: there are only maybe a few hundred thousand people on this planet that have seen Mr. Stewart do his thing on a racing motorcycle, er, in person. They are all in agreement that it is indeed a spectacle to behold. But now the thousands of Italian and Australian motocross fans that were hoping to add themselves to that list by having their own "James Stewart Experience" will be deprived. I truly feel sorry for them.

Stewart will sit out the Genoa Supercross of Genoa, Italy and the final round of the Australasian Supercross championship series, the Super X of Brisbane, Australia. To my Australian and New Zealander brothers and sisters, I particularly feel your pain. I was eagerly anticipating this "last race of '09 showdown-throwdown" between Stewart and Reed, too. The Super X series has been highly entertaining this year.

However, health trumps all. Short-term thinking is fun and all that, but let's stay real about the important stuff. According to the press release

After recent medical evaluation, his Doctor and L&M medical staff found his immune system to be dangerously compromised and James was advised by his Doctor and Team that he should discontinue any strenuous activity and not travel out of the country at this time.

Considering current events, one doesn't need to be a doctor to understand that a "dangerously compromised" immune system is a condition to be taken seriously. Yet many motocross folks are from the "tough guy" school, in which riding injured or impaired is viewed as heroic, despite the dangers of doing so. I am glad to see that the L&M team seem to be taking this seriously. I certainly wish them the best, and hope James gets healthy soon. But I'm in no hurry; if it turns out to be so serious that James has to sit out all of 2010, I wouldn't mind. I have seen him ride, in person.

Super X Kings: Builder and Owner

I think it's cool that the undisputed King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath (left), is willing to gear up and race in Chad Reed's Australasian Supercross Championship, the Monster Energy Super X, so I'm going to hold back on goofing with the acronym for a minute. This picture is from a gallery on the official site, and this link is to a pretty cool interview with the typically straight-talking MC, who admitted to being "ten years past" his prime.

Sponsored by Honda, McGrath recently raced at Canberra Stadium, the 4th round of a surpisingly competitive series. Speaking of surprisingly competitive, McGrath had the speed to run with the young Australasian lions; he finished 3rd, 16th and 7th, respectively, in the three races that night.



Chad Reed, now Monster Kawasaki-mounted, and part-owner of the Super X series, won the first two races in Canberra, then suffered a hard get-off while leading the first lap of the third. Reed sits in third place in the series, behind CDR Rockstar Yamaha's Jay Marmont and series point leader Dan Reardon, who's racing on a Woodstock Honda Thor team bike.

Reedy at speed-y, flexing the flat track steelo in big bad Orange and White Thor gear.

One of my favorite James Stewart videos

"James Stewart video before turning Pro. Featuring the music of Mos Def." -- thanks to dmenace259.

Great camera angles, great footage, great music, compelling use of split-screen, a challenging race track, this video reveals the hard work involved to become a champion. James Stewart, Jr. practicing at his home track in Florida, coached by his father. A winning combination, for sure.

The Highest Paid Motocross Racer of 2009

This year, Rockstar Energy sponsored what has become the traditional year-end race that sort of marks the start of the "pre-season" for next year's stadium motocross series. Rockstar found the winning number this year for sure, as their Suzuki factory teams absolutely swept motocross racing in America. However, a Red Bull-sponsored athlete owns supercross.

As far as 2009 purse money goes, there is no argument: Supercross paid more than Outdoor Motocross, and the richest supercross of all is actually a shrunken version of the sport, contested within the confines of a casino arena.... which tells you all you need to know about the financial interest of this event, particularly with those who actually have a stake in supercross racing. Held in a gambling city, the Open is also open to sports wagering.

I have not seen official year-end figures yet, but I think it is safe to conclude that the combination of James Stewart's 11 regular season wins with his U.S. Open of Supercross victory have put him on top of the earnings chart. GuyB shows us the money.

James Stewart: Winning Again

First race back, first win of the "off season." Of course, one would expect the current National and World Supercross champ to win the biggest little race in supercross. Unfortunately, one should not expect his dominant two-night performance in Las Vegas to change the minds of his many detractors.

Some folks just can't handle the truth.

GuyB gets the hands-free.

Look Who's Racing Again

It's is October in America, and MX has officially moved indoors for the final big money races of 2009. But what if you held a race and nobody showed up? James Stewart, 2009 Supercross champ, showed up with this beautiful 2010 works Yamaha fielded by the San Manuel team. Credit GuyB/Vital MX.

Motocross of Nations: Good for America

The world, and our Nation, is facing challenging times, but it's days like these that remind us to lighten up a bit on the politics and the doom-n-gloom (admittedly, this is easy to say when you live in this country) and just do the things that bring us the most enjoyment. These guys are living examples of what happens when you follow your dream with all of your heart and soul, willing to work diligently to achieve your goals.

These guys won the 63rd Motocross of Nations. Congratulations to Team America!

From left to right, Jake Weimer, Roger Decoster, Ryan Dungey, Ivan Tedesco.

Another perfect photo by Jeffrey Beersden for Vital MX. His coverage of the event is superb.

Motocross of Nations: American Flyer

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Flyin' Ryan Dungey, 2009 West Coast Region 250cc Supercross champion, 2009 250cc National Motocross champion, 2009 Motocross of Nations 450cc champion.

Heck of a year, Flyin'.

Photo by Jeffrey Beersden for Vital MX.

Motocross of Nations: The New Man

Ryan Dungey blasting through what turned out to be a very treacherous start to the third and final moto:

• Antonio Carioli went down on the start straight and his bike was too damaged to continue.
• Chad Reed got taken out in the first turn and started nearly last.
  
• Gautier Paulin crashed shortly after that and was unable to finish the race.

But American Dungey avoided the carnage and chased down early race leader, Spain's Jonathan Barragan, to win the moto, as well as the overall for the MX1 class. All while sporting the big Number One plate as the captain of Team America in his very first appearance at the Motocross of Nations.

You did it Ryan. Congratulations.

Team America won 2009 Red Bull Motocross of Nations. Again.

Photos by Jeffrey Beersden for Vital MX.

Motocross of Nations: Style Rapide

French racer Gautier Paulin styled like this to the second moto win, wire to wire. Think about that for a second: the very fastest motocross racers on the planet showed up to settle an old, old argument: who is the fastest, right here and right now. Winning a moto at the Motocross of Nations is a very big deal.

Team France finished second.

Photo by Jeffrey Beersden for Vital MX.

Motocross of Nations: Best in the World

Very cool shot of 2009 World Motocross champion Antonio Carioli of Italy, tearing it up as the hometown favorite. Antonio beat the U.S. Champ, Chad Reed in the very first moto of the one day of the year that the fastest motocross racers on the planet gather to decide who's the mickey-fickey man.

Considering that the event was sponsored by Red Bull (official title: Red Bull Motocross of Nations), Carioli definitely did his job by putting his Red Bull logos out in front of the pack en route to winning moto one.

The Italian team finished sixth.

Photo by Jeffrey Beersden for Vital MX

No, really, Suzuki won EVERYTHING in MX this year

Jiminy, was no one able to stop the Rockstar Makita team outdoors? Apparently not even with twice as many wheels. A guy named Dustin Miller won the 2009 Professional ATV motocross title for the powerhouse team, really completing Suzuki's sweep of American MX.

Miller, Dungey and Reed. Congratulations on a phenomenal year!

This is a cool snap of Miller's race quad taken at Suzuki's championship celebration ceremony, shot by GuyB of course. Also check out his nice pic of Mat Mladin's championship-winning road rocket, making that yet another fast Australian winning an American motorcycle racing title on a Rockstar Makita-sponsored Suzuki. Wow.

Wait, what?

I’m not a p****.

That's what 250 National "Vice Champion" Christophe Pourcel told Racer X's Steve Cox in this "5 Minutes With..." interview.

Before saying that, Pourcel had just claimed that newly crowned 250 National Champion Ryan Dungey was "scared" to race with him at Steel City, and that "He was pretty fast today, but he couldn’t have ridden with me if I didn’t want him to."

Way to stay classy, Chris.

Steel City: Captain America

Let it soak in, Ryan. You earned it! The Number 1 plate in the most important motocross series in the country.

Next up: representing the United States at the Motocross of Nations, where he'll be sporting the Number 1 plate as well.

Steel City: Suzuki Sweep

Ryan Dungey is the new 250cc American motocross champion, specifically, the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion in the 250 division. Ryan is also the 2009 Monster Energy Supercross Series West Region Champion in the same division, so this has been quite the year for this young man.

But Ryan's outdoor title also matches nicely with the 450cc crown claimed by his Rockstar Makita Suzuki team mate, Chad Reed. Suzuki now officially owns outdoor motocross. At least for now.

Check out GuyB's great gallery at Vital MX.

Steel City: Not Enough

This has been a phenomenal year in America for Christophe Pourcel, but... but clearly the man is not happy with second place. Here he's seen between motos, drinking an energy beverage and not exactly smiling. Pourcel smoked the field to go 1-1 at the final round in Pennsylvania, but it just wasn't enough. GuyB explains it.

Steel City: Flight Club

Cool shot of Broc Tickle kickin' it in the first 250 moto at the Steel City finale. GuyB gets the props.

Yeah man, you did it!

2009. The Year of RD. Ryan Dungey and Roger DeCoster. Congratulations!