One mark of a great rider is his ability to bounce back from adversity, and Ryan Villopoto did a lot of bouncing back at Anaheim 1. On one level, he was fighting back from his season-ending broken leg at last year's St. Louis Supercross (he hasn't raced since,) and in the main event he was also fighting back from a forgettable qualifying round (he turned the fifth fastest time in practice, and then was caught and passed by James Stewart in his heat race.) But none of it mattered in the main, as Villopoto was the only one of the main contenders to get a good start, which he capitalized on by riding a mistake-free race.
Ryan Dungey probably wasn't hoping for second-place finish, but it was still a solid result to lead into the season. From the 10th lap on, Dungey, Villopoto and Stewart all held steady against one another, which suggested that those three are likely going to have some battles--once they all manage to start together. But don't count out Trey Canard or even Chad Reed--both of them turned in good rides that suggested they might contend once they get settled (Canard on his new 450 and Reed on his new Honda.)
Josh Grant, Brett Metcalfe and Andrew Short probably all hoped for more in their debut rides on new teams, but in a field this stacked, a top-ten finish is nothing to be ashamed of, and they all managed that. And Kevin Windham and Ivan Tedesco both showed flashes of brilliance throughout the night, including Tedesco's main-event holeshot and subsequent battle to stay up front. He couldn't quite stay in the top five, but it wasn't because he was too intimidated to try.
In the 250s, what is there to say about Team Pro Circuit that hasn't been written on countless championship trophies? Josh Hansen, Broc Tickle and Tyla Rattray all looked spot-on. It could be a long year for riders on bikes that aren't florescent green in the 250cc class.
That said, Martin Davalos quietly looked very good on his new Suzuki, despite having to come from the Last Chance Qualifier, and Ken Roczen looked likely to run up front at some point this year too, though a couple of crashes and mediocre starts held him back on this night.
Next stop: this Saturday in Phoenix.
