For months now, the hype has been building towards Anaheim One. Not just in the media, either. Anywhere motocross enthusiasts get together, there have been endless discussions about the relative speed of each of the three riders who are considered top contenders in the 2005 Supercross season. Defending champ, Chad Reed, Ricky Carmichael, and 250 class rookie, James Stewart are the three fastest supercross racers in the world – everyone agrees on this. When the three of them are pitted against each other in the 250cc Supercross main, who will come out on top? That is the question that has been on everyone’s mind.
We had hoped to get at least the beginnings of an answer tomorrow night, when the 2005 AMA Supercross season kicks off in Anaheim, California. Now it looks like we will have to wait – it seems that most weather predictions call for “heavy rain” tomorrow night in Anaheim.
With rain likely to turn the track into one big mud pit, the results of the race are impossible to predict. Anyone who has ever seen a muddy supercross, or indeed any mud race, knows that everything can happen. The fastest rider on the track might have three or four small tipovers and finish 10th. A rider who rarely places inside the top ten might turn out to be a podium contender in the mud.
One thing is nearly certain, however: Anaheim One, if it turns out to be a rain/mud race as seems likely, will not give an accurate representation of the relative speed of the three top contenders. It looks like we’ll have to wait until next weekend’s race in Phoenix, Arizona for that.
