Preview the Riders, the Track and How to Watch
This weekend is the 3rd Annual Monster Energy Cup Supercross race in Las Vegas. A one-off race for $1 million dollars that has seen a lot of crazy action in the last two years of its existence. The unique format of the Monster Energy Cup brings some out of the box thinking to the Supercross racing world. A split start from opposite ends of the field, a joker lane that a rider HAS to take one time during the race and a 3 race format makes for a very exciting night of racing. We take a look at the top riders and news going into the MEC, the track and how to watch
MEC Press Day – Video: twmx.com
The Contenders:
Justin Barcia ready to defend his MEC Title. Photo: Chris Kimball/TWMX.com
Justin Barcia (Honda/Muscle Milk)- Last year Barcia served noticed to the 450 class that he has arrived, as he took the win in 2012. This energy took him to a win at Phoenix and Seattle in the 2013 SX season, though he would not contend for the championship. Look for Barcia to be on his game tomorrow as he will have the target on his back as he tries to defend his MEC title.
Can Ryan Villopoto repeat his 2011 MEC Success. Photo:Chris Kimball/TWMX.com
Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – The current 2013 Supercross/Motocross champ didn’t have the greatest MEC race last year, as he crashed out in race 2 while leading. He did win the 1st Monster Cup, sweeping all three motos and hey, this is the 2013 Supercross Champion so you can’t count him out. This will be Villopoto’s first race back since his surgery but I wouldn’t expect him to hold back. He wants redemption for last year and to knock Barcia off the top spot.
James Stewart racing the MEC for the 1st time. Photo: Chris Kimball/TWMX.com
James Stewart (Yoshimura Suzuki) – It’s funny to think that the most polarizing rider in the sport has never raced the MEC, that is until this year. JS7 will make his MEC debut tomorrow night on the Yoshimura Suzuki. While it’s been a while since Stewart has won a SX championship(2009 to be exact), he did prove this year with his win at the Atlanta SX when he is on, he is a big threat for the win. The three shorter, 10 lap motos play to one of Stewart’s big strengths. A fan or not, everyone will be watching what Stewart does.
Ryan Dungey prepared to set the critics straight. Photo: Chris Kimball/TWMX.com
Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) – Dungey needs a good performance here at the MEC. After his not so typical performance at the MXoN, look for Dungey to silence the critics with a solid ride at the MEC. Barring any bent shifters (like last year’s MEC), Dungey will come out swinging for the fence.
Dean Wilson (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit) – It seems like ages since we have seen Deano line up at the gate, and it is good that he is returning to action this weekend at the MEC. After a shoulder issue cut his season short, Wilson has got it taken care of and has been training hard with Ryan Hughes to get back in to racing shape. While I don’t think he will be battling for the win, look for a good solid ride from DW15.
Matt Goerke (BTO Sports-KTM) – On the tail of winning(that’s right, WINNING) the TWMX SLAM event, “Beef” is more pumped than ever. With his wrist fully healed, Goerke has been putting in the laps on the BTO Sports-KTM preparing to take down the field at the MEC. With KTM’s being good out of the gate, this should help Matt run up front, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him out front, possibly taking a moto win tomorrow night.
Andrew Short (BTO Sports-KTM) - Shorty has been putting in the laps and is more confident than ever on the BTO Sports-KTM 450SX-F. Working hard since the end of the Outdoor season, Short and his mechanic are confident about this weekend.
Eli Tomac (Geico Honda) – Tomac is prepared to take on the field this weekend and play it smart like he did last year. He did take a moto win last year by strategically placing himself at the right place at the right time. Tomac will be on the 450 this weekend and with his rival Ken Roczen also racing a 450, expect to see fireworks between these two.
Ken Roczen (Red Bull KTM) – Roczen will show up on a KTM 450SX-F this weekend at the MEC. Roczen looks smooth on the 450 and expect a dual between him and Tomac all night. Which one will prevail?
Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) – Moose will be riding the KTM 350SX-F at the MEC, but could be a spoiler. Musquin has the talent to be up front., and remembering back to May at the SX finale here at Las Vegas, he got the best of his teammate Roczen.
Josh Grant (JGRMX) – Josh Grant gets the big honor for JGRMX by debuting the 2014 Yamaha YZF-450 in competition. This bike has had a lot of buzz surrounding it during the last few months, and is said to be a major improvement than the previous models it replaces. Hopefully it can help JG33 to battle up front. Grant has the speed and can win if everything is lined up.
Cooper Webb (Myplash/Star Racing) – Webb opened up many eyes this season with his great rides in the Outdoor series. For the MEC, Webb bumps up to the new 2014 YZF-450 for the Myplash/Star Racing team. A good move for Webb as he gets big bike experience and he may pull off a surprise in one of the motos.
Cole Seely (TLD/Honda) – Seely will be racing on the TLD/Honda CRF-450R machine and along with teammate Malcolm Stewart will be representing the TLD squad. Seely is strong on the 450s and could be in the mix during the short, 10 lap races.
Malcolm Stewart (TLD/Honda) – Malcolm makes it official as he is a TLD/Honda rider for 2014. While he did race all summer long in the Outdoors for Troy Lee as a fill-in rider, Malcolm just signed on the dotted line to be an official team rider for 2014. With his crazy and unpredictable style, look for Mookie Fever to run rampant at the MEC this weekend.
Riders not showing up to race the MEC: Chad Reed, Mike Alessi, Kyle Cunningham, Davi Millsaps, Josh Hill, Weston Peick, Gavin Faith, Phil Nicoletti, Justin Brayton, Wil Hahn, Trey Canard, Blake Baggett, Jeremy Martin, Vince Friese.
The Track and Race Format:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3GZ5reRPFs
The track at the Monster Energy Cup is a bit different than the normal Supercross track. The three major differences to the track are the use of a split start, the arch that goes into the stands and the joker lane. Let’s take a look at these three unique sections one at a time:
Split Start - The football practice field that is used for the start has 11 riders on one side and 11 riders on the other. The gate drops on both sides simultaneously and both sets rocket in to the stadium, where they meet back together. It makes for an exciting start and tense action as the split field comes back together.
Amsoil Arch - A big banked turn that goes up in to the stands. Very cool design and out of the stadium floor thinking from Feld. We used to see the track go into the stands back in the early days of Supercross (Pontiac SX rings a bell), and is a cool and unique feature.
The Joker Lane - The Joker Lane, so named because we are in Vegas, is a portion of the track that a rider has to take one time during the race. This brings a bit of strategy into the race and riders have to think about their position in relation to what lap they want to take the joker lane. The Joker Lane adds roughly 6 seconds to a riders lap and could make a difference in the outcome of the three races.
The format is also very different from a typical Supercross race. Instead of the usual heats, LCQ and Main, there is three 10 lap main events where the overall winner is determined by combining finishes from each race. A mix between outdoor scoring and supercross. If a rider wins all three mains, that rider takes home the “MONSTER MILLION”, just like Ryan Villopoto in 2011.
How to Watch:
If you are not heading out to Las Vegas for the MEC, you can catch it all on TV and timed practice on-line. Here are the links.
Saturday October 19th - 9:00 p.m. ET – FOX Sports 2 (formerly FUEL TV)
For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get FOX Sports 2, click HERE.
Online Schedule - MonsterEnergyCup.com/SupercrossLive and Facebook.com/VegasMECup
Qualifying
Saturday October 19th
4:00 – 7:30 p.m. ET - MonsterEnergyCup.com/SupercrossLive and Facebook.com/VegasMECup
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