Better than Ezra.....Lusk

[Jamir]

Okay, enough of the cheesy band references. It is time once again to look away from the nasty muddy outdoor season and look forward to the new Supercross series. I know, I know, like myself, you are looking forward to scanning the TV guide every week to try to obtain the post midnight time in which they decide to air the race. I know that you will also be waiting eagerly to find out if it will be pre-empted in order to air the 9th annual New Hampshire Underwater Basket Weaving Invitational.

Enough cynicism. I am interest in knowing what your feelings are on this season. I am not talking about another Ricky/Jeremy argument. We all know that these guys are both in better shape physically and mentally than they have ever been. What I am talking about is the whole picture.

Okay, so I mentioned the king and the boy wonder. Again, that is a given. Now, we have boy wonder number two, Pastrana. Will he be a contender? Yes. Will he be a threat? No. I had the pleasure of watching him win the STL SX and also qualify 2nd for the 250 class. He can handle the 250. He can ride fast. But I don't think he will maintain the consistency to be a real danger to the title.

Next, we have Mr.Mike LaRocco. Probably my favorite non-blue rider. Mike is fast. Mike is good. Mike will spend a lot of time to the right or left of Ricky and Jeremy on the podium. Let's see if his bike will last as long as he will in a race!

Kevin Windham. Poor KW. He just cannot seem to find his niche. I hope to see him do well. My bet is this; he will run hard in the beginning and taper off through out the race. I hope he surprises me.

Tim Ferry. Ah, my personal favorite. Why? He rides the 426 for crying out loud! I will be yelling my ass off for this guy in STL and Vegas whilst chugging some brews and being proud to ride loud and blue. Tim has a very good chance to step it up a notch or two this season.

So, these are my picks of the guys I think you will see quite a bit of this season. Let me know what you think and if you think I am just a stupid loud mouth know-it-all trying to pretend like I am some MX journalist.

 

[oldguy]

I would really like to see Ferry break out and have the podium a few times but I think he is more of an outdoors rider. Pastrana will run hard but finish around 5th for the season but at least he will be ahead of Windham. I have a feeling (or is it hope) that Larocco will put together enough points to be in the top 3 in the end.
What will be more interesting will be Bubba in the 125s, if he can handle the pressure he will place high at the end but this week I wouldn't expect him to be up on the podium.

 

[IDkTm]

If Tim is gonna win an SX race it will probably be in the second have of the season. He just got his knee scoped and will be out one or two rounds at least, plus I'm sure it will take some more time to get up to 100%.

The 250 class is full of new talent this year. Fonseca, Ramsey, Pastrana, and Wey are all moving up and all should be capable of running top 10 if not top 5. The 250 class is very deep this year. There is a lot of talent out their. Realistically I'd say there are about 15 riders who will be fighting over the top 10 spots. There are about 12 or so riders who will be on factory machines in the 250 class, plus some good support guys such as Nick Wey and Damon Huffman. Should make for some great racing. We shall all see Saturday. I'm pretty sure this race is on ABC sunday, be sure to check your listings.

 

[ochster]

The man I would love to see get it together is Ezra. There some huge mental games being played up front as much as anything, and I believe Ezra to be one of the few that can match, and even up them a notch. Top 10 is one thing, but I see very few riders there now capable of top two, as long as MC and RC stay healthy.

 

[Anssi]

I think Chad Reed will surprise a few folks. Very strong in the GPs and also at Bercy.

 

[mxracer724]

K-Dub....

I think he will turn some heads this year. I still think that MC or RC will win the championship, but I think K-Dub is going to be up there in the middle of it more than he has in the past. He looked really confident last year in the nationals, there was only a few nationals where he fell back. I was at Washougal when he caught Carmichael from behind in both motos, and he looked amazing, and he was confident. He caught RC from a good distance back and he did it quickly. He stayed behind him for a while but then he decided to pass him and he did, and he made it look easy. I think that what the commentators said at Steel City is true Kevin is back. He looks better than I have seen him ride in a long time. I've always liked KW I like his smooth riding style. I've never been a huge fan of his, but I'm becoming one. I want to see him do well this year, and I think he will have a really good 2003 season. Maybe he will really suprise us and make a run for the championship and it will be a 3 way battle.

I think that Pastrana will do well at times, but will probably not be able to go the same pace as RC, MC, and K-Dub all the time.

I also think the Stephane Roncada will do better this year too. Last year was his first year and it was new, but he looked fast when he was riding well, and I think he will be more consistant this year, and will do really well. I think he will get on the podium 4 or 5 times, and maybe a win.

Well I've got opinions on other riders too, but I'll leave it at that. Go KW.

 

[*william*]

Originally posted by IDkTm
The 250 class is full of new talent this year. Fonseca, Ramsey, Pastrana, and Wey are all moving up and all should be capable of running top 10 if not top 5. The 250 class is very deep this year. There is a lot of talent out their. Realistically I'd say there are about 15 riders who will be fighting over the top 10 spots... Should make for some great racing.

I hope your right. While I gotta give props to the Leprechaun for dominiating the way he did last year, it's not real exciting that way. Gimme some good dicing and a back and forth points race. Hope MC's up to it. Wish I had the money to go to all the Anaheim's.

OTOH, guys like KW, Ferry and (of course) LaRocco gotta get a break soon - but then we always say that, huh? Remember a couple years ago when MXA just couldn't stop talking trash about KW? Heh, I hope to see him give RC and MC some heat - at least.

BTW, is Langston on for this SX season? Man did he get a tough break in that last national - the battle between him and Brown is the the stuff I like to see. Course I'm partial to orange. I wasn't too happy about RC mixing it up in the 125's, but oh well...

 

[HiG4s]

Remember, K-dub and Pastrana are practicing together. And Travis will learn some SMOOOTH from K-dub wich will help him a lot. Fonseca is going back to 2-stroke so he is a ? in my book. Ramsey on the 450F I'm hoping does well. There are just so many good riders this year, and most of them I like. It is hard to pick who to root for. How about one win each for
Ferry
K-dub
Pastrana
Ramsey
Fonseca
the Roc
Lusk
Dowd
Sellards
and MC and RC can fight over the other 7.

 

[crkid]

i wanna see how the 450's do indoors and am very interested in seeing dowd on the orange beast

 

[IDkTm]

Dowd will be on a KTM 125 this year for SX. He is running the 125 East series. Remember he was the 125 west champ back in 1998, so Dowd can ride SX. Outdoors Dowd will be back aboard the 520.

 

[HiG4s]

Originally posted by IDkTm
Dowd will be on a KTM 125 this year for SX. He is running the 125 East series. Remember he was the 125 west champ back in 1998, so Dowd can ride SX. Outdoors Dowd will be back aboard the 520.

Yeah, I just read that.
I would have expected he would have went to a 250sx for the indoor season. They already have Langston riding 125 East. Or have him at least ride the 125 West. With Pastrana, Ramsey, and Fonseca all going to 250 the both 125 titles are up for grabs. I imagine Brown will do well in the East. Of course a lot of people are thinking Bubba will do well in the West.

 

[XRpredator]

Dowd's not a full-fledged KTM factory rider. Kind of like Mike LaRocco with Honda.

I have a feeling we might see him on a 250 (or whatever 4-stroke KTM comes up with for the so far unclear 450cc limit for the 250 class) at some point in the west, and winning the Daytona round of 125 east.

 

[osheen]

XR predator- "now don't get too attached to it, cuz were taking it with us when we leave next month"