A red headed kid with freckles on a green bike. Sound familiar? That’s how Ricky Carmichael started out his career, and he eventually became known as the “GOAT”. Could Ryan Villopoto be following suit?
Last year Villopoto won everything in sight, both in supercross and outdoors. The AMA Supercross championship. The AMA 450 Outdoor championship. The Monster Energy Cup (sweeping all three main events to claim a $1,000,000 bonus). The MX of Nations team crown for USA.
Saturday night in Anaheim, Villopoto decimated the competition. With several laps left in the main event, he had a 20 second lead on second place, and was already in cruise control and on his way to the win. Sure, it was an odd track (not your typical supercross layout), but past champions Chad Reed (Honda), James Stewart (Yamaha) and Ryan Dungey (KTM) couldn’t come close to matching his pace in the main event. If he stays healthy (always a big question in supercross), Villopoto looks like he is on his way to repeating his experience in 2011. At 23 years of age, he needs only health and motivation to continue building his impressive career accomplishments, which already include four Outdoor National titles, one Supercross title and one West Region Supercross Lites title.
Until the promoter stops publishing the track design and dimensions in advance, the racing will not interest me much. A new track, jump spacing, and design that is a secret each week would improve the racing dramatically and have a better chance at stopping a one rider domination. Privateers that don’t have a $1 million track construction budget are doomed before the race starts. These are the reasons I really like the outdoors so much, every track is completely unique each week, and that is one of the things that makes Carmichael’s domination such an amazing accomplishment.
First off, Carmichael will always be the “GOAT”. No one has dominated like he has, and probably never will like he did. 2 perfect outdoor seasons, Countless wins with +:30 margins over second, Lapping the whole field at a motocross race (millville in the mud), etc….The list is extensive. He has stats that will be VERY hard to match let alone surpass. I, personally, believe villopoto has the best shot, right now, to start challenging carmichael’s records. He’s young, fit, VERY fast and driven like no other. He has an awesome team behind him, awesome bike and great trainer. What about stewart you ask? I think stewie’s time has come and is passing him by. I think he is looking for the next big thing in his life (ie. Nascar, baja trucks, etc.) Speed-wise, stewart is probably hands down the fast guy to ever swing a leg over a motocross bike. But he has never really reached his potential that I think himself and alot of people feel he should have reached. If you remember back when him and RC were racing together, anytime stewart was in front he would self destruct and either make a nervous mistake or crash hard. You didn’t see that nervousness with RC and you don’t see it with villopoto either. That’s why I believe he is the “IT” guy right now!
I think the long gate really messed up everyone except Villopoto. The show on speed was awesome and I really apriciated the extra coverage to fill in the new supercross fans that have joind us. Only round 2 will determine if anyone can catch him.
Long gate was in the Lites class…messed up my mental start just watching it!! LOL
I thought the entire race was boring…As the editor pointed out (yet remaining friendly) the track in my opinion was awful…Not entertaining in the least bit…Tracks 10 years ago were more challenging with less powerful bikes to tackle them.
One more thing…Speed should have cut the show by at least 1 hour..The pre race coverage of the last season was far too long and should have been done in 10 minutes
Speed knew there was a lot of pent up demand for new Supercross races and cashed in on it. I skipped what you apparently watched and just watched the final race, not being a die hard SX fan.
He should change his name to Villomoto
I like Moto-Poto better!
First off I think “GOAT” belongs to Carmichael alone. If Villopoto has a long string of
championships in store for us he will have to be called something other than “GOAT”. On the question of health, R.V. has hopefully turned the corner on that one but has so far shown that injury is his greatest impediment to winning championships. Now he has shown great motivation so far, but like was said, he has won everything! Can he keep his motivation at the highest level? I wish him luck, hope he stays healthy, but it’s certainly not in the bag for him yet.
The guy does have the best looking bike out there, so I guess he deserves it!!
Was it Reed that said “Villopoto made us look silly out there tonight” or something along those lines in the post-race brief?
Props to the lad.
Reed’s the only good interview in the whole paddock. I missed recording the race, don’t think I missed anything. The guys all ride the same bikes, hafta go the same speed to make the jumps & rhythms, say the same thing in the post race interview (mostly). Wish they’d let ’em run up to a 450 two stroke. Can’t wait to ride my bikes instead of watching riders.
I agree with what you say about Reed interviews, although I recall a few times last season when James S. said some unexpected and entertaining things. I gained new respect for him when he did that, i.e. using his own brain. Windham is sometimes good for that, too. The rest of the pack are nothing but mindless, talking billboards with an overinflated sense of self-importance. I root for any rider who gives a more ‘personal’ interview, and never praises any supernatural fantasy figures.
I meant “it’s always good to see” 🙁
It’s always to see Team Green at the top of the podium!