Ryan Villopoto VS The World-It all Begins Sunday In Qatar

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With Ryan Villopoto’s long awaited entrance into the world of the MXGP Series beginning this weekend in Qatar, I, like everyone, am extremely interested to see how the multi-time USA Outdoor and Supercross Champion stacks up against the riders from across the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve been very lucky in North America over the years to witness first-hand champions like Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and Villopoto every weekend, while the rest of the world only has seen them in photos or videos. I’m sure there will be a lot of excitement and even more eyes than normal fixated on the Qatar track when Villopoto launches his World GP career this weekend.

I believe what they are going to see will blow their minds; as, in my opinion, Villopoto is the best all-round racer to ever come out of the USA, slightly edging out Rick Johnson and Ricky Carmichael in that category. Villopoto carries with him a magical mixture of new school and old school style. This combination has obviously served him well over the years in America, and it will be very entertaining to see him unleash it on the rest of the world throughout the summer. While having a conversation with Brett Lee this morning, the topic of how Villopoto will fair in 2015 came up and I thought it would be cool to share our chat with you. Brett has obviously watched many races in person in Canada and the USA, as well as travelling over to Europe not long ago to watch the MXON, so the man behind Walton Raceway knows his stuff. Let’s see what Brett has to say:

Palms: Brett, I’ve been meaning to ask you how you think Villopoto will do this weekend?

Brett: Have you seen the track in Qatar? It’s like an outdoor SX track, it will even be at night, so he’ll feel right at home – at round one anyway.

Palms: So you’re saying that Villopoto is going to win this weekend?

Brett: For sure, I think he’ll win this weekend, and I think everyone will be blown away at just how fast and aggressive he is.

Palms: I completely agree with you, I think he’ll be coming into this weekend wanting to prove something and set the tone right away. And I can’t think of a GP track (other than Glen Helen) that could be better for his 2015 series debut. It seems like he’s in a great place physical and mentally as well.

Brett: For sure, he’s over there because he wants to be and not because he’s run of options in the USA. He’s done everything there is to do in the USA so racing the MXGPs is something he’s very motivated to do.

Palms: In some of the pre-season videos, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more relaxed Villopoto, actually I’ve never seen him smile so much.

Brett: I know, eh! He’s even spoken about how he’s relaxed and happy he is that he didn’t have to go through the stress of preparing for supercross. I even noticed how content he seems to be even when he’s practicing at some back woods, rocky, hard packed European practice track. Back in the USA he probably wouldn’t be caught dead riding a track that bad, yet he seems to be enjoying it.

Palms: I’ve noticed the same thing, he really seems to be embracing Europe, and that doesn’t seem easy to do for some of the past American stars that have headed over there. Also, it’s not like he had to switch teams and bikes, in fact I think his MXGP bike is actually better than his USA bike.

Brett: Definitely, it feels like all the planets are aligned for him to really put a stamp on his awesome career. I don’t think he’ll win every moto this summer, however I think he’ll win the championship. Even though he’s in the self-admitted twilight of his career, I still think he has that ‘just pin it’ quality, and this will help him a lot on some of those tracks.

Palms: You’re right, he’s one of the last riders that still seems to feel comfortable, even when they’re uncomfortable. He’s always been very calculated with his approach to each race, yet he’s not afraid to throw caution to the wind, just twist the throttle and hang off the back of his Kawasaki. It’s definitely going to be fun to watch this summer.

Brett: He will definitely increase the awareness of the series; he already has in a lot of ways. I’m sure a few of the series regulars think they know how fast Villopoto is because they’ve raced against him at the MXONs before. But, that was just one weekend on their soil and after a long season for Villopoto racing in the States. This time, while I guess it’s still on their soil, they will see a Villopoto that is better than ever. I hope he wins the title, retires, and rides off into the sunset. Oh, and then maybe comes back in a few years and races the Vet Master class at the Parts Canada TransCan. That would be good for us!

Palms: (laughs) Yes, a TransCan title would be the icing on the cake for him. Alright, I have to get back to work, thanks Brett and good luck with your hockey team this weekend.

Brett: Yes, I have to get back to at least looking like I’m busier than I really am!