Burying Your Spirit in the Sand
AMA/Toyota Motocross at Southwick

By Jason Weigandt

James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto were back to their winning ways when the AMA/Toyota Motocross Championship hit the sand in Southwick, Massachusetts’ MX338 facility. A motivated Stewart and Villopoto checked out and left the comp behind at Southwick--just like they have in almost every moto this season.

Last year’s outdoor tour featured amazing racing in nearly every moto, this year’s has turned out a bit more predictable. But that’s okay because a season like this usually breeds a good one the year after. Think of the scenario for 2009, which we highlighted last week: Stewart to a new team, Reed to a new team, and Villopoto moving up to a new class.

But somewhere behind that group comes a gang of racers who are still working really, really hard. It’s been a long season at this point, and the grind of training, travel and nagging injuries, compounded by the fact that Stewart and Villopoto are pounding on them so hard each week, could break a normal man. But that’s not the case here. The racers at this level are born racers, and they don’t know what giving up even means.

Proof is everywhere. Andrew Short never gives up. Shorty is one of the few who has competed in every race this year, not missing a single round of Monster Energy Supercross or AMA/Toyota Motocross. Short admits the long season is wearing on him, but he knows he has a golden opportunity to make a great living in the sport he loves. So he keeps digging. Short took second in Southwick’s first moto and then dug himself out of a first-turn crash in moto two to finish ninth. That’s two weeks in a row where Short had to come back from a first turn crash, but he’s fighting hard to do it in hopes of catching Tim Ferry for second in the final series standings.

Trey Canard doesn’t give up. After breaking his femur at Washougal, Canard stopped by the Racer X webcast booth at the last two rounds, just because he can’t stay away from the races. When Villopoto was on the podium collecting another first place trophy, Canard explained just how bummed he was that he was never able to beat the champ in a moto this year. Canard, a rookie, already notched the East Region Supercross crown over RV, and he was up against a tough match with Villopoto this summer. But he’s still not satisfied and he isn’t going to give up.

John Dowd doesn’t give up. The 1998 Western Region SX Champion is long since retired from full-time racing, but every year he comes out to his two home races, Unadilla and Southwick, and shows the youngsters what he can do. This time Dowd really set the time machine back, as the 43-year-old grabbed an amazing fifth in the second moto on his Suzuki 450.

Josh Hill doesn’t give up. By all accounts it has been a terrible summer for Josh, who won a supercross in Minneapolis earlier this season and looked to be a contender for podiums all summer long. But the bottom fell out for Hill, who has struggled to even reach the top five in most of the motos. Coming into Southwick with a bad wrist following a first-turn crash last week at Millville, Hill was aiming for a top finish in the first moto until his bike broke. But he regrouped for moto two and scored a third-place finish. That’s the first podium spot in a moto this summer for Hill.

Motocross racers at the level of Hill are motivated by winning, and with Stewart out there, winning isn’t a very realistic proposition. Credit to the challengers for their spirit, even in the face of such an unstoppable force.