McThoughts – 450 SX Round 5|Phoenix | Direct Motocross Canada

McThoughts – 450 SX Round 5|Phoenix

By Jeff McConkey

Round 5 of the premier class went off on Saturday night. Ken Roczen, who has been getting better and better each week, put an end to the Ryan Dungey winning streak. Like I always say, confidence in motocross is a very important part of the puzzle. Ken got a solid 2nd last week and a great start was all he needed this week. I still don’t think Dungey’s chances of repeating as champion are in any danger. Eli Tomac is still 2-3 races away from possibly competing for wins, and Roczen is still down 21 points to Dungey.

Now, one thing that has been bothering me a little bit is the lack of respect for James Stewart and the seriousness of his concussion are getting from a few internet heroes. James is no chump or drama queen, and head injuries are a very serious thing to deal with. James has nothing to prove and I hope he takes all of the time needed to heal 100%, as it would be a shame not to see him out there again. Let’s take a look at the results and see my thoughts:

450 Class

1st Ken Roczen: Ken got his start and rode 20 laps out front. Does he have Dungey’s number? No, but he will win at least 3 more main events, if he can keep on getting starts like that.

#94 Ken Roczen grabbed the Phoenix win.

2nd Ryan Dungey: No need to sound the alarm. Ryan is still clearly in the drivers seat and that’s not going to change. I don’t think we will see Dungey finish off the podium, unless he suffers a mechanical. He is just too damn good everywhere. He may not get every win, but he won’t be far off. This is a guy to model yourself after.

3rd Eli Tomac: Eli is riding very well, but he is still a tad off the pace. With a good start like he had on Saturday night, he can maintain, but I still don’t think he is ready or willing to try and hang it out with the top guys right yet.

Eli Tomac landed on the podium in 3rd. ~ Spikman photo

4th Jason Anderson: Jason needs to get his starts back. He is riding very well, but can’t spot the leaders such a head start. He will win one or more races before season’s end. 93 points after 5 rounds is a very solid start to a sophomore season in the 450 class. ‘La Flama Blanca’ is a definite star of the sport right now.

5th Davi Millsaps: Davi has been riding very well early on this season and captured his season’s best 5th place finish. I think he has surpassed the expectations of most, and might even be able to pull off a podium soon.

#18 Davi Millsaps had his best finish, 5th, in Phoenix. ~ Spikman photo

#18 Davi Millsaps had his season’s best finish, 5th, in Phoenix. ~ Spikman photo

6th Chad Reed: Not the best of night for Chad, but it still wasn’t that bad. He qualified 6th, started 6th and finished 6th. He’s only 8 points out of 2nd place in the championship and having a great season.

7th Justin Brayton: Solid ride for Brayton. I don’t see him as a top 5 guy in this stacked field, so a 7th is a very good finish for Brayton, in my opinion.

#10 Justin Brayton finished 7th. ~ Spikman photo

8th Cole Seely: Cole had a good ride going until he stalled. I think for him to get really good finishes, he needs to start at the front. I don’t think he’s aggressive enough to pass through the field like an Anderson or Dungey.

9th Marvin Musquin: Marvin was unable to match his magic of last week. 9th is a solid finish, but for a guy who dominated the 250 East so easily last year, you have got to think that his off-season wrist surgery is still bothering him.

#25 Marvin Musquin was 9th. ~ Spikman photo

10th Will Hahn: This is where will needs to be consistently. He has had quite a few injuries that would have retired most riders. He’s got heart and spunk and hopefully some good luck on his side, finally.

Biggest Stud: Ken Roczen is my stud. He temporarily stopped the winning machine, Dungey, and that gets him the nod.

Biggest Dud: Again, no dud for me. I’m just happy to see great racing after a week away.

Biggest Surprise: I don’t know if it’s a surprise as much as a congratulations to half-Canadian Cade Clason on making his 2nd consecutive main event, and Andy White and FXR’s Alex Ray on making his first main of the season.