Set the coffee timer because riders have an early day for Round 14 of the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross season on Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.
Track walk is 7 a.m. (CST) with the mandatory riders meeting at 7:30 a.m. Qualifying starts just after 9 a.m. with the first Heat at 2 p.m. It should be another fun, technical track and the history at St. Louis tends to buck current trends. Check out the track map:
But that probably won't matter to Ryan Dungey. He's going for a third-straight win, which in his mind should be a career best fourth-straight win (think Red Cross flag at Detroit), and by doing so he'll push his lead in the Championship standings, if Ken Roczen hangs on for second, to 48 points. Roczen hasn't shaved off points since Toronto and when he does it's just a handful.
If that controversial Red Flag business hadn't happened, Dungey would be riding a two round points lead into St. Louis. But there's still 100 points on the table and Roczen certainly isn't riding like he's out of contention. Unfortunately for him, Dungey is not satisfied on sightseeing. Dungey also won here last year entering the round with a 67 point lead over the injured and out-of-contention Trey Canard thus equating to a 77 point lead over Eli Tomac.
Dungey and Roczen engaged in an epic battle at Indianapolis with both riders making mistakes allowing the other to grab the lead but Roczen made the final one. The week before at Santa Clara, Roczen tailed Dungey by less than two seconds for 20 laps and was unable to make the pass. Despite Dungey's massive points lead the two continue to bring their best every week.
Ken Roczen will try and make the pass on Ryan Dungey stick this time
Jason Anderson is riding a three straight podium streak taking third the last two rounds and given first in Detroit thanks to the Red Cross flag incident. But he also finished nearly 30 seconds behind Roczen and Dungey last week and 15 seconds back at Santa Clara. He's got a lock on third-place for the Championship podium; he just needs to stay upright. He could catch Roczen for second to finish the season but as long as Roczen is chasing Dungey he's got no chance.
Lots of shuffling could happen mid-pack since several riders have gotten hurt and others showing signs of life. Canard is now squarely in the Top 10 after missing three rounds earlier this season and grabbing a season best fourth-place last week. In front of him in the standings is Cole Seely, who remains out after chipping his C7 vertebra in a midweek practice crash, and Marvin Musquin, who is expected back but his effectiveness might be limited. It's unfortunate for Musquin who started a podium streak, including three second-place finishes but a practice crash at Santa Clara reinjured his surgically repaired wrist and his hopes to finish his rookie season in the Top 5 and possibly Top 3 took a dive.
Despite a rough start to the season Trey Canard is now in the Top 10 for points
Chad Reed is back in the Top 5 after a few rough rounds and he's inching closer to Tomac who is in fourth-place but coming off his second-worst performance of the season thanks to a crash which took him off the podium at Indianapolis. James Stewart is expected to race after fracturing his ankle last week in practice. The season probably can't end soon enough for the veteran but he showed speed and style for the first time this year at Santa Clara before his bike conked out.
Like the 2015 Motocross season, the real excitement is in the 250 class and especially in the East. Five different winners in five different rounds you might as well pick names out of a hat as far as predicting the podium.
Can Aaron Plessinger be the first repeat winner in the East class?
Aaron Plessinger got his first career win last week after checking out and leading all 15 laps which puts him right into the thick of the Championship race. Malcolm Stewart holds on to the red plate for another week and is the only rider to reach the podium this season to not also have a bad round, which has haunted him in year's past. His consistency keeps him as the favorite and current points leader.
Jeremy Martin, the two-time 250 Motocross Champion, broke his bike last week, literally, and suffered a crash in Detroit which helped drop him from first to now fourth-place and 28 points from the lead. Martin Davalos has two-straight sixth-place finishes which has him in third-place after missing the Toronto round and opening the season with a win.
Consistency is keeping Malcolm Stewart at the top of the Championship standings
Justin Hill lost two rounds, thanks to a crash in Detroit, after winning Toronto and getting to within two points of the lead. He's fallen to sixth-place and his road back to the top is an unlikely one but with the craziness we've seen this year and four rounds remaining, anything apparently goes. His status for his weekend is uncertain.
FOX Broadcasting, not FOX Sports 1 or 2, airs Supercross Round 14 live with opening ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. (CST) and racing at 2 p.m. (CST). Buy tickets online or at the Edward Jones Dome Box Office.
2016 Monster Energy Supercross Season Standings
450SX Class Season Standings
- Ryan Dungey (303)
- Ken Roczen (258)
- Jason Anderson (240)
- Eli Tomac (212)
- Chad Reed (193)
- Marvin Musquin (182)
- Cole Seely (173)
- Justin Brayton (149)
- Trey Canard (138)
- Jacob Weimer (106)
250SX East Class Season Standings
- Malcolm Stewart (102)
- Aaron Plessinger (92)
- Martin Davalos (77)
- Jeremy Martin (74)
- Tyler Bowers (66)
- Justin Hill (63)
- Gannon Audette (61)
- RJ Hampshire (59)
- Shane McElrath (53)
- Matt Bisceglia (49)
