The most anticipated event of the year is Saturday when the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross series closes its season at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas where a Champion will be crowned.
OK, maybe not since Ryan Dungey dominated the year picking up his second 450SX class Championship a few weeks ago and the 250SX East and West classes concluded their respective title runs already as well. But that doesn't mean the competition won't be just as strong as it was at A1 so many months ago. Besides, did you take a look at the track?
Dungey is expected to race though he has no reason to and no one would blame him if he sat out to stay healthy and get ready for Motocross which starts in mere weeks. However, the championship podium has yet to be decided, but Eli Tomac and Cole Seely are locks on the box and it's just a matter of placement. Tomac is 99.9 percent chance to finish as runner-up to Dungey's Championship season thanks to a 24 point lead over Seely who should walk away with Rookie of the Year honors.
Chad Reed stayed out of competition last week in East Rutherford after he aggravated a shoulder injury sustained in 2014 and no word on his availability this week. If he races he'll fight for his current fourth-place spot, if he doesn't he could drop to sixth depending on how well Blake Baggett and Jason Anderson perform. Both finished in the Top 10 last week and similar results could displace the veteran rider if he doesn't compete.
Rounding out the Top 10 should be interesting as Ken Roczen sits in the 10th position and he's not racing. Davi Millsaps could easily pass him but he apparently still has no ride after Kawasaki dumped him after Round 14. That could give Josh Grant a chance to fill that #10 spot if he rides as well as he did last week when he finished seventh. As for Weston Peick, it's anyone's guess if he closes out the season with a Top 5 finish or in 20th.
In the MotoSport class, Nick Wey is oh so close to finishing in the Top 15. He's got 11 straight Mains under his seat including seven straight Top 15 finishes. He's four points back from Justin Barcia and if both riders produce results similar to the last two rounds, Wey takes over the 15th spot. Then if the rumors hold up, the veteran will hold off retirement and join Outdoors.
The 250SX class reverts back to the days prior to 2011 when it was just a shootout between the West and East classes. No points on the line as both Championships wrapped up earlier with Marvin Musquin taking the East crown last week and Cooped Webb grabbed the West title in Houston. In the last four years, both classes went to Las Vegas with points on the line.
The East West Shootout feels more like an All-Star event as it's more about pride and who can lift their respective class to center podium. Justin Bogle, who finished runner-up to Musquin in the East is taking the day off but all reports indicate everyone else is riding. The two most dominating riders Webb and Musquin should put on a preview show for the future of the 450 class.
If Webb or anyone else from the West class wins, that gives the West three straight wins and would be a first in the Shootout's history. Since the East West Shootout started in 1997 each class has nine wins.
It'll be a hot one with temperatures forecast in the mid-90s. Practice starts at 12 p.m. (PST and the Main event gets underway at 6:30 p.m. (PST) Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium on the University of Las Vegas campus. Buy tickets online or at the box office, 7000 E. Russell Road in Las Vegas.
2015 Monster Energy Supercross Season Standings
450SX Class Season Standings
- Ryan Dungey (365) - 2015 Supercross Champion
- Eli Tomac (283)
- Cole Seely (259)
- Chad Reed (212)
- Blake Baggett (208)
- Trey Canard (204)
- Jason Anderson (200)
- Broc Tickle (183)
- Andrew Short (180)
- Ken Roczen (156)
250SX West Class Season Standings - Final
- Cooper Webb (186) - 250 SX West Champion
- Shane McElrath (124)
- Zach Osborne (117)
- Justin Hill (116)
- Aaron Plessinger (113)
- Alex Martin (111)
- Malcolm Stewart (107)
- Jessy Nelson (106)
- Tyler Bowers (105)
- Josh Hansen (91) - MotoSport rider
- Tommy Hahn (79) - MotoSport rider
250SX East Class Season Standings - Final
- Marvin Musquin (194) - 250SX East Champion
- Justin Bogle (171)
- Jeremy Martin (143)
- Joey Savatgy (133)
- RJ Hampshire (100)
- Anthony Rodriguez (98)
- Kyle Peters (91) - MotoSport rider
- Jimmy Decotis (87)
- Kyle Cunningham (72)
- Martin Davalos (63)
