We are eleven rounds deep into the 2009 Supercross season, and to say it has been exciting would be an understatement. Yes, there have been plenty of predictable occurrences; James Stewart’s speed, Chad Reed’s consistency, Pro Circuit’s podium domination. But despite these, we still have a points chase. Chad Reed has an eight-point lead over James Stewart, but where Reed rides consistently once the race is underway, Stewart starts consistently; then once he’s done that, he checks out. At this point, its still anyone’s game…
Before the Supercross series headed east, many of us hesitated to throw out predictions. Brett Metcalfe seemed a strong candidate for a championship; he is veteran in the class, a mainstay on the podium, and on a new team. Austin Stroupe also seemed a likely bet; he had win in his rookie season, he showed promise early on in 2008; and he has plenty of speed. We didn’t know what to expect from Christophe Pourcel; he was crazy-fast before his injury, but no one had really seen him ride since he recovered from what could have easily left him unable to walk again. Then there was Nico Izzi; really fast, great team behind him, and now with a year experience.
But, as it turns out, Pourcel did heal quite nicely, and he may be faster than he was before. He has three convincing wins and has yet to finish outside the top five. Now the question is, can anyone beat Pourcel? This weekend, inside the Superdome, Austin Stroupe showed that this series isn’t going to be completely dominated by the Frenchman; but after five rounds, Pourcel still has a 31-point lead.
TAGS: Austin Stroupe, Blake Wharton, branden jesseman, chad reed, james stewart, Monday Kickstart, New Orleans, supercross, Superdome
