Sparkplug 49

Yes, there are only a few days before the start of the much-awaited outdoor national season, so it’s fitting that I talk about… supercross? Well, truth be told, I have some unfinished business to deal with, and that’s the fact that last week’s Sparkplug only dealt with the Big Three… and there were a lot more riders giving it their all this winter and spring. So today’s article is all about the best of the rest… giving props where props are due.

“Chump” comment notwithstanding, Makita Suzuki’s Ivan Tedesco showed off his championship form, I think, for finishing fourth overall in his first season in the big boy class. At the beginning of the season I was confident that Ivan would do well and he didn’t disappoint.

Nick Wey certainly deserves special mention. Slick Nick put together a consistent season, scoring three third place finishes and five fifth place scores to finish fifth overall and top non-factory dude. And I’m sure the fact that Wey was only 6 points behind Tedesco was not lost on any of the factory insiders.

I’m not the only one sad to see “Iron” Mike Larocco retire from the sport, and we were all disappointed that it ended in an injury. Larocco was still able to finish the series in 10th overall, despite the fact that he was out after 8 rounds… a testament to his performance early in the series. Good luck with whatever you get into, Mike.

And how exciting was it to have Kevin Windham return to supercross racing?

The “not so big three” of Jason Thomas, Ryan Clark and Kyle Lewis all had good years considering. JT Money got to wear the helmet cam and did himself proud. I’m sure those guys all wanted to finish higher in the points and make more money, but they can still sleep well in the knowledge that they are among the fastest supercross racers on the planet. “Lucky” Kyle Lewis could have used more luck, as he wasn’t able to crack the top ten at any event, but that’s okay as far as I’m concerned.

Michael Byrne held up his end of the Kawasaki team bargain, finishing on the podium at Daytona after James fell. He had some good motos out there as well, but I think Ivan had him covered. Travis Preston, the nearly invisible man, brought his factory Honda home in 7th overall, but I can barely remember seeing him out there. Flashy, he’s not. Certainly, his success was overshadowed by the tragedy that befell his teammate, Ernesto Fonseco (get well soon, Ernie). Let’s hope Preston can make more noise outdoors (um, that’s the rider, not the bike).

But the real action away from the supercross Big Three occurred in the 250F classes. Grant Langston and Davi Milsaps both had amazing seasons, as they seemed to show dominant speed in their respective regions. And they both faced serious challenges from their teammates. “Rocket” Ryan Villopoto is my new favorite young gun to watch, and he had a pretty incredible rookie season, almost putting it to Langston. Of course, Honda’s Andrew Short came very close to taking it from Langston, but as they say, close doesn’t count for shit… or something like that. Ask Pingree.

And how about that Josh Grant kid? Fast fast fast. Only Milsaps won more mains than Josh. These two are gonna be fun to watch at Hangtown, where Grant knows how to fly.

A little further back we find the very fast Tommy Hahn. Martin Davalos surprised me by leading a few races. And how can I forget Lil’ Goose, Chris Gosselaar and his amazing rides for Monster/Pro Circuit?

Others I have to mention: Paul Carpenter has his moments. Billy Laninovich rocked the house a few times with his sick whips and fast laps. Darcy Lange came out to show that Arenacross racers ain’t no punks (I already knew that). And of course, Mike Alessi ended up being the man for KTM, after a bit of a shaky start.

There were a few riders that I have to say disappointed me, and I cannot end this column without mentioning them. This is not about calling them out or anything like that, it’s just that these guys have phenomenal potential and incredible speed and skills, and I hope they do better in the future. I realize that many of them were dealing with injuries, bad luck and other issues, and that’s okay. I’m talking about some of my favorite riders like Greg Schnell, Matt Walker, Tim Ferry and of course, Sean Hamblin. Oh yeah, and David Vuillemin. Here’s hoping the outdoors finds you all at the top of your respective games.

So that’s my loose list of supercross highlights away from the lead pack. It was such a fantastic season, I’m still having trouble letting it go.

But tomorrow night, I’ll be on the way to Hangtown!