Leaving Fow Hawaii

I'm leaving for Hawaii tomorrow morning, but there is PLENTY going on in the world of moto right now.

First off, I got to ride an outdoor motocross track on Wednesday for the first time since October! Oregon has some long winters, but man did it feel good to finally hit some ruts, some bumps, some whoops, and and some jumps that don't require landing with the brakes locked up. Too bad I couldn't hold on for more than a few laps. I don't have any pictures yet, but just imagine me gooning it thru the whoops with my bows at my side and my hands on the verge of falling off. It was brutal, and I'm still feeling the effects, but it was a shit load of fun at that. Thanks to my sponsors: SPY, Dunlop, SixSixOne, Tag, Filtron, Braking USA, Sunline, Renthal and AMSOIL for making that goonability possible.

Tom Self, the guy I've been linking to about the Lead Ban, will be a "guest of honor" at the STL Supercross tonight. This guy deserves tons of kudos for the effort he's put into helping the moto industry get past this bullshit lead law, and all of it's "undesired effects." I'm not one to partake in conspiracy theories, but the Gov't has been attacking motocross since before I was even born. This just seems like a small piece to the overall plot to make sure outdoor riding areas are for the elitist, exclusionist jerks that want to hug trees and whipe their asses with leaves.

Travis Pastrana will also be riding STL tonight. He designed the track and it is rad to say the least. When the track maps were first released, STL was the one I was most excited about. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch the race until next saturday, as I'll be on my way to the big island when the races start on SPEED. I guess unfortunate is a strong word considering I'm going to a tropical island...



KEEP IT ON 2 WHEELS TRAVIS!

A1, Yeah it's that important.

QUICK RE-CAP

Every year the SX season kicks off at the illustrious Anaheim Stadium, and this year was no different, as 45,000 fans poured in to watch Reed and Stewart do battle, as well as the very hyped J-Law vs. Dungey rivalry. But unlike many years past, A1 was actually very exciting. Josh Grant got his first 450 victory, and scored the first ever win for the JGR team. Stewart DNF'd, but Reed looked fast and the 2 were set to swap the lead a few times. J-Law crashed 2 corners into the race and took Dr. Tre down with him. J-Law was left with a dangling visor, similar to RC from a few years back. Dungey got a bad start and rode his way to the box. And the Idaho kid Jake Wiemer won the race, looking good the whole way. It was an eventful night, and not many people picked the eventual winners. I actually don't know if anyone picked Josh Grant to win the 450 main.


But you already knew all of that since all of you watched it LIVE, on Speed! No need to sit here and re-cap the race for everyone. But I think a lot of moto heads are in agreement that this was the most exciting season opener in recent history, and is hopefully a sign of things to come.

Looking Ahead

Moving on to Phoenix, where James Stewart got his only SX win of the season last year, and Jake Wiemer got his first ever win. I would put a good amount of cash on Bubba for this round. I'm sure he'll be eager to redeem himself. But after A1, who knows what to expect. For those of you doing Fantasy SX anywhere, I'd say looking back to PHX last year, Both Reed and Stewart will be fast on the Fo Fiddy's and K-Dub landed on the podium as well. Josh Hansen finished inside the top 10 in AZ last year. I'd plan on him being the dark horse this weekend, hopefully making up for his lackluster debut with H&H. But I won't throw rocks if your reluctant to put your money on Lil' Hanny.


Wiemer won last year on the 250, and there's really no reason why he won't win this weekend. That's the beauty of the Tiddler class; expect the unexpected. My money is on Dungey for the weekend, with Brayton close to the front, along with the man layin down the Law with the number one plate. Kyle Cunningham is my under dog for Phoenix, as he had a good Top-10 ride there last year.

BRAAAP BRAP

Oregon Weather prevents a lot of riding from November to March, but Normally there are a few places to ride some Arenacross. Well this year hasn't been so cool, and I got to throw a leg over a scooter for the first time in to long on Saturday. The sun came out along the Oregon Coast, and it was the most fun I've had... Well since last time I was on 2-Wheels. Going out to the sand or the local trails, or Ocotillo if your in the area, is really good for the Soul. It reminds us all of why we got into riding in the first place. Pounding out laps at the local track is always fun, but there's still nothing like hitting the sand with my old man.

Thoughts on MX Vs. ATV Untamed

The other day I had some time on my hands, but nothing to do. I mean nothing. It was late and no one was around, so I decided to dig up my old XBOX and play MX vs. ATV Unleashed. But then I quickly remembered that I’ve played this game at least a million times. So it didn’t cure my boredom for very long. But it did get me thinking about the new MX vs. ATV that’s supposed to be out in December. What is it going to be like? I know what I would want, and from checking out some forums, I want pretty much what every other motohead wants.
Do I think THQ will deliver? Well yes and no. The game sounds fun, and it seems like they are at least trying to improve on last year’s game, rather than just giving it shiny new graphics. The game will include whips, scrubs and powerslides, and differences in bike size and stroke. Not to mention a POV camera angle that sounds pretty fun. I just wonder how well they will execute all these changes. I still hate the amount of air you get on every single little bump or jump. And I still hate taking corners at 50mph. Hopefully they can realize that, most people will enjoy a game that is more realistic, like Forza or Dirt. Those are great games, and I really enjoy playing them, and all I can think about is how good it would be to have a moto game of that caliber. Hopefully I wont be dreaming for too long.
Since MX vs. ATV Untamed isn’t very hyped by the gaming community, THQ hasn’t released much at all, just some screens, which I posted earlier, and a few previews on some sites. I’ll put up any news about the game as soon as it comes out. Leave some feedback about what you would like to see in MX vs. ATV Untamed and don’t hold back!