Expect MotoSport sponsored riders and employees to make their presence known for Round 15 of the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross series in what could be the last race in Seattle for a while.
Seattle is the closest Supercross race to MotoSport's headquarters in Portland, OR and thanks to the Emerald City finally addressing some serious parking woes, the traditional pits area for Supercross is likely to be filled with cars next year. Supercross is expected to be back in Seattle eventually but not in the near term.
Nick Wey getting close to a Top 10 finish
In recent weeks, MotoSport riders brought some solid riding and finished with season-high and/or career-high placements. Veteran Nick Wey just missed the Top 10 in the last two races and anticipation is high for him to crack that coveted landing spot.
Jimmy Albertson rides a wave of success into Seattle starting with a season-high finish of 13th in Toronto and following that up with 14th place in St. Louis, his two Top 15 spots of the season. Albertson said with the season nearing the end and the 450 class a bit depleted with injuries he hoped for a career best in Houston. Unfortunately, he struggled enduring several crashes that banged him up and hindered his chances for a career high.
Jimmy Albertson has eyes on a career best finish
"I didn't really capitalize on it. I was hitting the ground all day and just lucky enough to get through it," Albertson said. "I want to look at these next three rounds and just go out there and kill it and get as far forward as I can and hopefully have a career best finish in these last three rounds."
Kyle Regal joins the MotoSport Crossland Racing team
The MotoSport Crossland Racing team welcomed Kyle Regal last week to the team. Regal recently finished the AMSOIL Arenacross series and raced well in Houston until a mechanical failure ended his night early. Gregg Albertson, Jimmy's mechanic, said the addition of Regal adds some additional stress but overall is great for the team and the exposure it brings.
"We've got Seattle coming up and that's a huge round for us I think probably the biggest one of the year," Gregg Albertson said. "MotoSport is right there in Portland so they've got a lot of people they are bringing up so it's important for us to have a good showing and still be realistic. We've got to get both bikes in the main and have a good presentation there."
Cody Gilmore rides to a career high finish in Houston
MotoSport rider Cody Gilmore reached a career high of 14th place in St. Louis so he's already improved on last year when Seattle represented the first Main for him in 2013. Ivan Tedesco, who rides on the MotoSport-sponsored Rock Star Energy KTM team, continues to recover from a crash in Toronto and will not race. Weston Peick looks to rebound after crashes in the last two races.
Jason Anderson, who also rides for the Rock Star team, can pad his lead in the 250SX West class before their final round in Las Vegas.
Jason Anderson leads the 250SX West class
Overall, Seattle is home for Ryan Villopoto and he can pound in some of the final nails to his fourth consecutive championship with a win. Villopoto holds a commanding 45 point lead over James Stewart, who has won three of the last four races. Villopoto's win in Houston gave him four victories on the season and his fifth consecutive season with four wins.
Weston Peick
Rain is not expected in Seattle so rider practice is likely to start when the doors open to the public at 12:30 p.m. (PST) Saturday at CenturyLink Field. The Main event starts at 7 p.m. (PST). Buy tickets online or at the box office, 800 Occidental Ave. S, in Seattle, WA.
2014 Monster Energy Supercross Season Standings
450SX Class Season Standings
- Ryan Villopoto (293)
- James Stewart (248)
- Ryan Dungey (247)
- Ken Roczen (235)
- Justin Barcia (198)
- Justin Brayton (196)
- Andrew Short (181)
- Broc Tickle (126)
- Wil Hahn (122)
- Josh Hill (112)
250SX West Class Season Standings
- Jason Anderson (156)
- Cole Seely (145)
- Dean Wilson (120)
- Justin Hill (119)
- Malcolm Stewart (109)
- Cooper Webb (107)
- Jessy Nelson (87)
- Zach Osborne (85)
- Shane McElrath (85)
- Dean Ferris (63)
