Emig Breaks Down Southwick
Alli sat down with AMA Motocross Hall of Famer, Jeff Emig, who will be part of the SPEED broadcast this weekend, to get his take on things heading into the Rockstar Energy Southwick National this Saturday in Southwick, Mass.
What are your thoughts about the showdown in Unadilla and now here we are heading into Southwick?
For me, going into Unadilla there was a lot of unanswered questions about James Stewart and his return to the sport after being off for so long. I think some of those questions got answered. It seems like physically he was fine. He could ride the pace. He looked great in qualifying practice. Everything we saw on SPEED and NBC and allisports.com. But I think a lot of people are questioning his departure from the second moto and wondered why he would pulled off. I’m not sure either. I wasn’t in the team truck I’m not sure how he felt or what the situation was.
Dungey and Stewart
So do you think Stewart is not going to be racing the rest of the season?
It was interesting to hear from Stewart that the bike wasn’t ready. He went out and set the fastest qualifying times. But certainly doing a lap here and there compared to setting the bike up for a full 35-minute moto is a different issue. I don’t expect to see James Stewart until we get to Anaheim for the 2011 Supercross Championship. It’s hard to speculate without being part of the inner circle, and being part of the team and knowing where he was at physically, or where the bike was at. Or whether, as a team, if they were prepared to come out and do these races.
It seems like a lot changed after Unadilla, like for James. Everything was really positive going into that. He was looking forward to a shot at the Motocross of Nations Team, he was looking forward to getting back to his winning ways, and it seemed like after that event, for whatever reason, he realized that he wasn’t ready, or he wasn’t able to go out and win. Maybe he underestimated the competition, or he just wasn’t confidant with where he was at physically. And the thing is he really only knows one way to ride. And I respect the fact that if he says, “Look, if I’m not ready to win then I’m not going to race.” He certainly has shown over the years that he rides at the top level, or he doesn’t ride at all.
James Stewart
What’s your overall impression on Dungey’s Rookie Year?
The interesting thing about Ryan Dungey is that he’s about to make history. If you think back to 1993 when McGrath won the AMA Supercross Championship as a rookie, it was a pretty big deal. Nobody’s done it since then, and actually no one has even really came that close. The last time I can remember, without checking the stats, was Ricky Carmichael winning the premier motocross championship in 2000 when he won the 250 class, which is now the 450 class. Nobody has done that since.
So, Dungey is basically about one or two motos away from being the only rider in the history of the sport to win both titles as a rookie in the same year. So it’s a pretty special moment and he’s just been doing it so easily and so convincingly that I think people have just taken this for granted. But it’s something really special and he goes about his business very quietly, very seriously, and just goes and gets his job done.
Even back in Unadilla, with James Stewart showing up to the race, and everyone was so excited to have him back and see what that showdown could be. You never really hear Dungey tooting his own horn. He just goes out and quietly demolishes the competition. So he lets his riding do all of the talking. But certainly, if this weekend at Southwick goes as planned, he will jump up in the rankings and he’s on his way to becoming one of the best riders in the history of the sport, in my opinion.
Ryan Dungey
What do you think of the 250s and how that race has been heating up with the competition?
Unadilla was such an exciting race in the 250 class, just when you thought that Pourcel was going to run away with another first moto like he’s done so many times this year, he makes a mistake on his own and goes down. Not only was he in pain, it’s got to be so frustrating for him that he’s lost a significant amount of points. And I did not expect to see Christophe Pourcel come back and win Moto number 2. Second motos have not been his strong motos. Second motos have given him a lot of problems, especially with him being injured. But he really dug deep and he showed me that he is determined to win this motocross title and that he’s going to do whatever it takes.
Trey Canard and Christophe Pourcel
Which is great, because Trey Canard is thinking the exact same thing. He is just riding spectacular right now, his starts are great, his fitness is great. The team really seems to be performing well. When you look at both of the title contenders, they’re on two of the best teams in the sport. There’s a real battle not only with the individual riders, but the teams themselves.
Justin Barcia
The supporting cast there is that any one of these riders, whether is be Justin Barcia, Tyla Rattray, Dean Wilson, Blake Wharton, Eli Tomac, you name it, they all can get in there and take the valuable points away from the two riders that are going after the title and that are in direct contention for that. It’s pretty doggone interesting because this one is going to come right down to the final moto.
Tyla Rattray
What are your thoughts on Clement Desalle going 2 for 2 at Unadilla?
Desalle was very impressive in Unadilla. He looked comfortable and confident. He didn’t back down from the other riders. I thought that he did a good job of managing the race. Being up front, when he gave up the lead he didn’t do anything stupid. He rode well within his capabilities and I think he surprised a lot of us with what those capabilities are because he is right there on the top level of the sport.
Clement Desalle
What else are you looking forward to going into Soutwick?
You’ve got John Dowd, who’s well into his 40’s, coming back to race at Southwick. Last year in Moto 2 of the 450 class he got second and almost won the moto. He’s already set records for being the oldest rider to win a moto and to win an overall. And so he’s coming back to his local national track once again to see if he can pad that record by winning Soutwick at an even older age than before.
