Hangtown is drawing near, and the question on everyone's mind is: "Who's it going to be?" Supercross 2005 went down in history as one of the most highly-anticipated seasons ever, and the AMA Motocross Championships are following suit. Former champions will go head-to-head with young talent in both classes, and it's hard to predict what will happen.
We asked some of the biggest legends in motocross what they think will happen this season. What some of them had to say might surprise you.
Reed has seriously upped his...
Reed has seriously upped his game for this year's outdoor series.
Will Bubba carry last year's...
Will Bubba carry last year's momentum into the 250 class?
It's hard to bet against RC:...
It's hard to bet against RC: undefeated in every moto two years running.
Jeremy McGrath has his money...
Jeremy McGrath has his money on RC and Ryno.
No one knows more about what it takes to win than the man himself, Jeremy McGrath. MC gave us his thoughts on who he thinks will be on the podium this year.
What's your take on Carmichael, Reed and Stewart?
MC: Stewart's amazing. Once he can control his speed a little bit and not feel like he has to ride at 1000% every second, he'll probably be a lot more dangerous. But he's young, and it's hard to tell someone thatI'm sure they're having a problem with that over [at Kawasaki]. He's so anxious to get out there and show everyone that he's the man. Sometimes it bites you.
Reed's definitely up to pace, and Ricky... what can you say? He's a great Champion; he's always solid, he's phenomenal. He came back and did it again this year. He's definitely the man.
Who do you think it will be in the 250 class?
My prediction is RC. I think [Stewart] will win some motos, but RC will win the title. I think Reed's going to be a lot faster this year, but you can't bet against Ricky, especially in the outdoors.
And the 125 class?
I'm pulling for Ryno (Ryan Hughes). And of course, the Honda team. I'd like to see Ryno do it because he's such the underdog.
Ryan Hughes at the Glen Helen...
Ryan Hughes at the Glen Helen Prequel aboard his ECC Honda.
I don't know that I'd ever call Ryno an underdog. He is still one of the strongest, most-intimidating guys in the sport, and after watching him dice it up with Reed at the Glen Helen prequel, it'll be exciting to see what he can do in the 125 classshouldn't we start calling it the 250F class?
How do you feel coming into the season?
Ryno: Very relaxed, prepared and confident. My fitness is better than it's ever been and I feel my riding's better than it's ever been.
What are your expectations?
I think I can win the Championship. I don't come in to the season thinking I can't. I wouldn't race it if I didn't think I could. If I'm consistent as I should be, I can win the Championship.
Who's your stiffest competition?
I think there are five guys out there who are going to excel. I'm not going to name names, but I got five in my mind. I just try to worry about Ryan Hughes and that's it.
Who's it going to be in the 250 class?
I think it's going to be between Carmichaelof course you gotta put Carmichael up thereand Bubba, Reed and Windham. Those were the guys in Supercross, so it shouldn't be much different outdoors. It's going to be good between them, but I have a feeling two guys will probably pull away from the others.
Greg Albertyn with his wife,...
Greg Albertyn with his wife, Amy at the recent Xtremey award show.
We ran into another former Motocross Champion, Greg Albertyn, at the Xtremey Awards last week. He gave us a little insight into who he thinks will be the strongest this year.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Motocross Series
Albee: Wow, it's going to be interesting. Ricky is probably the favorite, but with Bubba coming in, he's certainly going to be up there. I know Chad's definitely stepped up his program as well. It's going to be a really exciting year again.
What about the 125 class?
That's wide open, too. You get a whole bunch of different guys who excel outdoors as opposed to Supercross. I think it's going to be Josh Grant, Tommy Hahn, and Langston's obviously going to be brilliant... it's a whole new kettle of fish.
Ten-time ISDE gold medalist and 11-time Baja 1000 winner Larry Roeseler is a big fan of motocross, and even an occassional guest announcer. He also shared his thoughts on the upcoming season:
LR: If Bubba can keep it together, I think he's going to be untouchable. It's going to be exciting to watch. He's so fresh and he just loves to ride. You don't hear in his voice that there's a lot of pressure for him. He's relaxed and having fun. He's not getting all the pressure.
Not that Ricky can't handle that. But he's been doing it for a while and the question is, how hungry is he? The new kid on the block is here. It'll be interesting to see. Maybe Ricky will prove me wrong.
The countdown is almost over to the Hangtown Classic in Sacramento, CA. Check on Dirtrider.com next week for results and photos. Just click on the Motocross link (the former Supercross link).