By Jon Row
The Monster Energy World Supercross Series is ready for launch in rain-soaked Anaheim stadium Saturday night.
Despite swirling cancellation rumors earlier in the week, the opening Anaheim round will run come hell or high water. Successive El Nino downpours can’t overwhelm TV commitments and presold ticket volume. Although track construction was hampered and Press Day practice eliminated, A-1’s track is dryer than it looks. To be sure, some sections are still mud bogs but jumps are high and dry under the tarps. Track builder Dirt Wurx is bringing in 100 tons of sand and lime to augment the soggy soil before Saturday night’s gate drop. For mud riders like Yamaha’s Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac on his new Kawasaki, that could be heaven.
Adding to the mix, multi-time Champion James Stewart returns to SX racing on his Suzuki after a year layoff and 2008 Champion Chad Reed is back on a last minute Yamaha ride after giving up managing his own team. Both guys will give current Champ Ryan Dungey and Monster Energy Cup winner Ken Roczen plenty of competition. Top runners Trey Canard and Jason Anderson have also had plenty of wet testing opportunities and will be hard to keep off the podium.
The 17-race series visits a new venue Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachussets and returns to Canada with a round at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. TV coverage of all events will be split on Fox, Fox Sports 1 & Fox Sports 2. Stay tuned or better yet…go see it live!
No kidding dude, running a team goes through stacks of money
Reed's resting easy not having to manage his own team this year
Looks like Dungey is ready to rumble
Dungey is the first motorcycle athlete to be on a Wheaties box
