Barring injury, I don't think there's any real serious threat to RC's championships hope, but I agree that at Red Bud he wasn't necessarily the fastest guy out there.
The racing was awesome and the pace lightning fast. I think that seeing as RC hasn't been clearing out and winning every Moto like SX, a few of the other close compeditors have passed the mental block that they can mix it with him and beat him.
It made it so much better for the spctators to see the hard, close racings that was Red Bud.