Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
There is an old Jim Croce song called ‘Hey Tomorrow”. In this song the there is a lyric that reads “Hey Tomorrow, where are you going, and do you have some room for me?” Now I’m not exactly sure what Mr. Croce meant when he wrote this, but I’m assuming he’s talking about that regardless of what has happened today, tomorrow is a brand new day and we should look forward to it.
Focusing on the future is very important in any occupation, but as an athlete it’s absolutely imperative. I believe that one of the common traits shared by our planet’s top athletes is their ability to put a bad loss quickly behind them. Of course, this doesn’t mean that they’re not upset or disappointed by their performance or result, it just simply means that they’re mentally putting what just happened into perspective. Whether you have a bad day at the office, get stuck in traffic on the way home from work, or lose game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the sun will rise the next day and tomorrow is waiting for you with open arms.
As they battle for this 2017 Supercross Championship, Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac have nothing but respect for each other. Photo by James Lissimore
As we’re witnessing with the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series and Ryan Dungey’s internal struggle to hold onto the points lead, much has been made about his post race comments last weekend in Indianapolis. During the press conference, Dungey, in a nut shell stated that although he didn’t enjoy finishing in third last weekend, at the end of the day it was only a dirt bike race. Since then, a few people have speculated that Dungey must not care about what is happening on the track right now, and that he must be going to retire sooner than later. Well, in my humble opinion, a big part of me believes that this may indeed be Dungey’s final season as a pro rider, but by no means do I think that he doesn’t care about what is going on each Saturday night. I think his comments just reflect his need to put the race behind him and move onto the next. By saying what he did, it’s more than likely his way of taking the pressure of himself and also perhaps trying to give Tomac a false sense of security. If you’re Eli Tomac and you hear your biggest rival say that finishing third is no big deal, maybe, just maybe you let up a little bit.
Tomac definitely has the momentum now and no one knows that better than Ryan Dungey, but I think that Dungey still has a little more left to give. Yes, Tomac has chipped away at the points lead as they head into Detroit tomorrow and it’s down to a meager twelve points. However, Dungey still has the points lead and he has it for a reason. If Tomac can maintain his feverish pace and win this title, than hats off to him. It will definitely go down in history as one of the greatest comebacks ever in SX. If Dungey can hold on and win his fourth Monster Energy SX Championship, then he will join some very elite company and no doubt will go down as one of the best riders in the history of our sport.
Who will be the rider with the biggest smile on his face after the final round in Las Vegas. Photo by Krystyn Slack
Whatever happens in the final rounds of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series, I doubt the championship will be decided until the final few races, perhaps even the final round in Las Vegas. Regardless of whether you’re on Team Dungey or Team Tomac, this exactly what everyone has been waiting for. In recent years, the title chase has been over long before the final round and thus everyone just yawns their way through the last few races. This scenario is a dream made in heaven for fans and sponsors. Two all American heroes going toe to toe for the 2017 SX title, one is from Colorado, the other is from Minnesota, both individuals that we want our youth to emulate. As the gate gets ready to drop at Ford Field for round 12, let’s all grab a chair and enjoy what will no doubt be a great battle between the current champion, and his possible replacement. It all goes down tomorrow, a day that we can all look forward to.
