What is it like to experience a Supercross yourself?
Today the new AMA Supercross Energy Supercross season starts. That is also a magical moment for many European fans. Moreover, we only know that dream world from a distance! Dimitri De Graeve (ed: Punaize for friends) went with West Coast Travel Adventures to the last SX of 2018, the Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas. Read his experiences here.
Finally the time had come: the Monster Energy Cup. I have been following the Supercrosses closely from the comfort of my couch for many years now. It promised to be a great day because it was time to see the icons at work in person! I admit, I had high expectations but they were 'heavily' met.
Photographer Gino Maes was able to obtain the tickets through the promoter, which was a bonus. Once we arrived and inside we could continue our way to the paddock. We quickly saw some celebrities there. Ex-desert racer and founder of Pro Circuit Mitch Payton at the Kawasaki truck and “the man” Roger DeCoster. He even took some time to speak to us. What struck me is that things are much more relaxed here in the paddock than in the GPs. The pilots are also more accessible and are happy to have their picture taken. There was also a stand presenting the brand new “Monster Energy Supercross 2 the official video game” that will hit the shelves on February 8, 2019. Unfortunately, at that time you could only play the predecessor.
There is no shortage of entertainment just outside the Sam Boyd Stadium. We saw a stunt rider at work at a Kawasaki stand. Pretty impressive: a no-handed wheelie while the bike was standing straight! Suddenly something sounded like music to my ears, the sound of the 2 strokes! We quickly moved to the freestyle course. Toppers like Axel Hodges en Jarryd McNeil did their runs on the ramps there. It was also an experience to see it live. Soon training started so we took a seat in the stands at Sam Boyd Stadium to watch the heroes at work.
Marvin Musquin immediately set a good time. However, all eyes were focused on Ryan Villopoto, who had already left the professional circuit for several years. In preparation for the AUS X Open he took the MEC. We all know that his Australian adventure was canceled after the unexpected death of his father, but RV can still do it. With his own Yamaha with a Pro Circuit piston against the Factory riders he still performed well. He also confirmed this on the two-stroke a week later in the Red Bull Straight Rhythm!
Then it was the turn of the youth on the 85cc. Here I was amazed by the speed of those youth riders on such an SX track! Even he scrubbed over the stop mountain very smoothly. Compared to some other SXs, MEC is always a bit more of a hybrid between SX and MX, so Las Vegas wasn't too bad in terms of difficulty. I was also impressed with one Max Vohland (see photo below), the son of ex-GP rider Tallon. We will definitely hear a lot more about that!
As a first, I was allowed to join Gino for a unique visit to the Mediacenter! Journalists were present to test the beta version of “Monster Energy Supercross 2 the official video game”, which I was also allowed to try out afterwards! The tracks look even more realistic and the driving and whipping/scrubbing has even more flow. There are also a few compounds. Including one that is similar to Ryan Dungey's famous video from his cornfield track. Beta version or not, this version already looked very cool. This is really the real deal but you can probably read more about it on MXMag!
Then we took the elevator to the top floor. Yep, the best seat in the entire stadium for us! Breathtaking view from here, truly one of the highlights of my America trip with West Coast Travel Adventure. We watched the qualifications from the rooftop. Musquin came out on top and still a good Tomac despite the inferior MXON the weather before. My expectations about a good Joey Savatgy, who made his debut in Las Vegas on the 450, also came true. Back to the paddock where I wisely ate a ricebowl with vegetables and chicken. It's a matter of not taking too many kilos home!
Dungey was on the massage table at KTM to avoid a new technique for pumped arms. That was probably a test for Red Bull Straight Rhythm! A quick photo with living legends Jeremy McGrath and afterwards Ricky (The Goat) Carmichael. Then on to the stage where one of Ken Roczen's favorite bands, the famous punk rockers of "Pennywise" were having a blast. After jumping along for a while and singing along to their most famous “Bro hymn” together with Gino, we left happily on our way to “the moment supreme” of the day.
The evening had already fallen and it was already starting to get dark, which created a cozy atmosphere with the lighting and fireworks. The introduction was, as you would expect from an American Supercross, one big spectacle! When a singer started with the American national anthem, all hats came off and it became very quiet, patriotic as they are there. With lots of bells and whistles they then announced the pilots. The atmosphere was good and the series followed each other in quick succession. Before the decisive heat we quickly stocked up on hot dogs and tortilla chips. Then we were ready for the thriller finale! Would Eli Tomac take the Monster million after all? In the meantime, we know how that ended for ET3.
This first Supercross was an unforgettable experience for me. It was also my first trip to the US. In combination with local excursions, such a Supercross trip is definitely recommended for every cross enthusiast.
I'm already looking forward to the next time! For more information, check the West Coast Travel Adventure site or email info@westcoasttraveladventure.com
Photos: Supercrosslive, personal archive Punaize
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