USA Insider No.157: Quick Change Artists

Welcome to our weekly web-exclusive column, Transmoto’s USA Insider presented by Ipone. Penned each week by our man on the ground, Transmoto’s US Correspondent, Jason Weigandt, the USA Insider presents the story-behind-the-stories of the AMA supercross and motocross scene.

In every sport, a young generation always comes in to steal the thunder from the old heroes. But we’re looking at a stunningly quick change this coming weekend at the Monster Energy Cup. Last year at this race, Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart put on the show of shows battling for the lead in the second Main Event. They passed each other back and forth, with Stewart deftly countering every move from Villopoto. The fans loved it. Then the pot boiled over when Villopoto forgot to take the Joker Lane and then crashed his brains out on a set of tabletops.

Stewart and Villopoto were both very fast still when the 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season came along, obviously. New kids are coming up and these guys are getting a little older, but they can clearly still ride — maybe better than anyone else. And yet, there’s a very good chance both won’t be racing this weekend at the MEC, and in fact, both won’t be racing any supercross races ever again.

Hey, we know Villopoto isn’t. His journey to the 2015 GPs is going to be exciting and intriguing. He’s made that decision. For Stewart, the decision involves Europe, too, but this one is out of his hands. At some point, I’ve heard November, he’ll finally have a hearing and learn his fate dating back to his failed World Anti-Doping Test from the Seattle Supercross. Until then, everything is in a state of the unknown. Can he race the Cup this weekend? Does the race count as an FIM event like regular a round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship? No one seems to know. I talked to a Suzuki contact on Monday and he said they still don’t know.

Now, there’s a chance Stewart and Suzuki get an answer to his Monster Energy Cup status on Friday morning and haul-ass from California to Las Vegas in order to race. I doubt that will happen — if you don’t know by Monday, you probably won’t know by Saturday. So this weekend will be without Stewart and Villopoto. What about 2015?

It all comes down to Stewart’s hearing in a few weeks. Some sources tell me he’s in for it, others believe he will come out okay. But there’s a chance he’s looking at a ban from racing.

So watch the Dungey/Canard/Tomac/Millsaps/Barcia/Reed types this weekend. They might be the only ones to watch in the future.