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Dansby’s Dirt: November 11, 2009 …

UFC® 105: COUTURE VS. VERA Pre-Fight FORCAST

This Saturday, live from Manchester, England the UFC® comes back at you with a plethora of powerhouse fights that will feature the old Warrior, the questionable warrior and maybe even the wannabe warrior; you can figure out who that one is on your own! This will be UFC 105: COUTURE VS. VERA and as usual, it promises not to disappoint!

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre must feel like the resident gun slinger in an old west movie these days. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is out to allegedly notch their belt with his blood. While “Rush” heals from his groin injury, the rest of the-would be contenders talk and stalk him, and his belt; young knights waiting for the return of Sir St. Pierre to see if they can knock him off his throne. Mike Swick (#5 in the world) waits and wants, as does his opponent Saturday night, one Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy (#13 in the world); and fighting on next week’s UFC® 106 co-main event card are two more young gunslingers looking for a chance at the welterweight title, one Josh “Koz” Koscheck (#4 in the world ) and of course, Team BSN’s very own Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (#22 respectively). They all want what King George has; fitting then that one of the two of the contenders may get his shot by winning a bout in jolly ol’ England!

Mike “Quick” Swick (14-2) versus Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy (22-6-0, 1 NC)

Okay, a lot of trash talking going on here. Both of these men believe they deserve to be St. Pierre’s next opponent, or victim, whichever the case may be. “Quick’s” had a great career derailed with some major injuries, but he’s healthy now and no one lives up to their nickname more than so than he does. He is a blur of fists that seem to consistently overwhelm his opponents, whether standing or on the matt. Hardy is playing the underdog role and claiming he’s not getting enough respect. But with only three UFC® fights (all wins) and no wins over any real big name fighters, this is his chance to at least establish himself. A win here puts “The Outlaw” on the road to contention. Not so fast however. Look for Swick to be his usual intense, fast paced striking machine. Swick is right when he says people underestimate him … and I believe Hardy will come to understand that.

Michael “The Count” Bisping (17-2) against Dennis Kang (31-11) 

The UFC® is pulling more and more quality talent from all over the world. Although this will be Kang’s third UFC® bout, many fans may not know who he is, still. Hardcore MMA aficionados know exactly who this guy is, and that he’s a very formidable opponent for “The Mouth” ….uhmm, I mean “The Count.” Bisping is coming back from a devastating and embarrassing knockout at the hands of Dan Henderson; so his pride and his rise to championship contention both need some shoring up right now. You have to love Bisping’s take on getting knocked out.  Borrowing a line from Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, he said, “I just got caught!” Ya, and if I step in front of a tracker trailer on the interstate then “I just got run over”! That’s how bad he “got caught.” But for fighters, a short memory and minimizing a loss is vital to success, so I don’t blame “The Count.” I also think that this is a respectable fight for him to get back on the winning track with. Although, this will be a tough bout, as Kang is a very capable and a smart cage veteran with 46 fights at only 32 years of age. The difference I think will be Bisping’s speed, and don’t be shocked if it goes to the ground a few times. Bisping is underrated on the matt and can hold his own there. I think Bisping will be hungry. He’ll also be in great shape, and he’ll win. 

Randy “The Natural” Couture (16-10) takes on Brandon “The Truth” Vera (11-3)

So, how many guys with 10 losses and for that matter, two losses in a row, command a main event UFC® fight?  The answer is only Randy Couture, as he has become the deserved Godfather of the modern day sport and an example of what a true MMA super athlete should be, both in and out of the cage. His fights, even when he loses, always reflect heart, preparation, excellent conditioning and top level skill. Dropping back down to 205 from being a highly undersized heavyweight just might be the smartest thing to prolong his career. And if you listen to him speak, it seems as though he has no immediate plans to retire. Why not if he keeps winning and stays healthy? However, this may be a must win situation for him to continue to be a major draw. Three losses in a row do not bode well for anyone’s future in the UFC® … much less a 46 year old. Vera on the other hand has won two in a row, including a highly impressive victory over a very tough Krsystof Soszynski on August 29^th of this year. Yes, the same night that Couture fought Nogueria.  Two and a half months from your last fight is not a lot of time for “The Truth” to prepare for “The Natural.” Couture has the advantage in this department, as he always stays in top shape. “The Truth” has taken some of the same parallel routes Couture has. Starting his career as a heavyweight and then after a meteoric rise and two defeats in a row, he dropped down to 205 where he’s 3 and 1. This fight will be a contrast in styles, like many MMA bouts.  Brandon’s a 6’2” classic Muy Thai style fighter and of course, Randy is known for his world class wrestling. Some have questioned Vera’s desire and commitment. One thing’s for sure though; when he’s on his game, he’s one of the best that the UFC®’s light heavyweight division can offer. And he will be on, and motivated for this fight, in England … main event … against a living legend? Come on, that’s a no brainer! This will be close in my opinion. There will be no knockout, but I think Couture’s experience and conditioning will allow him to out wrestle Vera for a close victory. And that’s  the “The Truth!” 

Thanks for reading and supporting. 

Have a powerful day!

Three weeks ago I had the final event for two championship series. The race on Saturday was the final round for the AMA-XTRM Amateur Championship Finals and the race on Sunday was the Super Moto USA Nor-Cal Final at the San Joaquin Fair grounds in Stockton California. Going into this race  On Friday my mom checked me out of school early to go to practice in the afternoon. I got to ride my new 250 during practice. It was Joey Pascarella’s Troy Lee Designs 250 from last year so it is a fast bike. During practice it took me a while to figure out the track but I learned the pavement pretty well. When they opened the dirt it was so wet and mooshy that it just rutted up right off the bat and I struggled a lot in the deep ruts. I couldn’t get those ruts down. By the end of practice day I felt pretty good on the pavement but I was still struggling with the dirt.

The next day was race day. We got to the track and the dirt looked much better. It was still a little mooshy but it looked ok. I was wrong; when the first practice session went out the dirt started rutting up really bad. I struggled with the ruts a lot. I got out and looked for the best lines. After my first practice session I felt pretty good. My first race was the mini moto 150. I started in first and got the holeshot. I led the race and was in first when we crossed the line. My next race was the 400 AM. I started on the second starting position. I got a bad start and was in fourth in the first corner. On the third lap I got around the rider in front of me and was in third. I caught up to the rider in second but didn’t get close enough to pass him. I finished the race in third.

We had a short lunch break and then I was the third race up. I was really nervous but my dad and Mike kind of helped calm me down a little bit. I was starting on pole and I knew I could win. All I had to do was win, or beat the rider that I had been battling all season with one person between us and I would win the championship. I was on the starting line, and the green flag flew. I got the hole shot. I was in the lead! On the third lap I saw a rider try to go to the outside and try to pass me in the dirt. It was where I was struggling with the ruts. Then on the fourth lap he tried again. Then on the fifth lap he tried again and was right beside me on the rutted up dirt straightaway. We bumped a little and then he out broke me going into the hair pin corner. Now the rider I needed to beat in order to win the championship was right behind me! The next lap I tried to follow the rider in front of me through the line he took but I couldn’t figure out how he went so fast through it. When the checkered flag flew, I was in second. I lost the championship by 1 point. I took second overall in the XTRM/AMA Amateur National Championship in the 150 class.

My next race was the 400 AM main event. I was starting on the third grid position. I got a good start but the 250’s pulled me into the first corner. I was in third in the first corner. On the second lap I got around the rider in front of me. I started to catch up to the rider in front of me but each lap he pulled me down the straight away but I caught back up to him in the tight sections. I finished second in that race and finished third overall in the XTRM/AMA Amateur National Championship in the 400 AM class. Which isn’t bad for riding an 85.

Sunday was the Supermoto USA Nor-Cal Championship Final round. Going into this race me and the rider that I have battling all season were tied in the 150 class. On Sunday I rode the 250 in the 400 AM, and in the 250 class. I rode my 85 in the 150 class. During practice I found a couple of good lines through the dirt. My first race was the 150 heat race. I was starting on pole and when we came out of the first turn I was in third. On the second lap I was trying not to follow people through the dirt and the rider behind got around me. Now I was in fourth and the same thing happened in the dirt again and I got passed for fifth. When we crossed the line I was in fifth. This put me on the second row for the main event which is not where I needed to be to win. My next race was the 250 heat race. It was my first race ever on my 250 and I felt pretty good on it. I was starting on the eighth grid position and was in about tenth in the first corner. I got passed in the dirt and was in eleventh. I was in a pretty good battle with the rider behind me. He passed me once but I got back around on the straight away but when we crossed the line I was in twelfth. My next race was the 400 AM heat race. I was starting on the second grid position. When we came out of the first corner I was in third. The two rider’s in front of me started to pull away a little bit, but as I started to get more comfortable on the bike I started to reel them in a little bit. With only four laps I couldn’t get around them.

My first main event was the 150 main. I was starting on the second row on the fifth grid position. I got a good start off of the second row and was in third coming out of the first corner. I tried to keep up with the riders in front of me, and I did. I learned the fast lines that they were taking through the dirt and I kind of figured it out. I stayed with the riders in front of me but I couldn’t get around the rider in front of me. I finished the race in third and got second overall in the Supermoto USA Nor-Cal championship.

My next main event was the 250 main event. I was starting on the third row on the eleventh grid position. I got a pretty good start and was in about ninth or tenth in the first corner I had a good battle with the same rider as last time, but I was beating him this time and I was keeping up with the rider in front of me. I couldn’t get around him and I came in tenth.

My next race was the 400 AM main event. I was starting on the third grid position and was in third in the first corner. I got around the rider in front of me and started to catch up to the rider in front of me. I couldn’t catch up to the rider in front of me enough to pass him by the end of the race. I finished I second and finished second overall in the Supermoto USA Nor-Cal Championship.

I would like to thank all of my sponsors that have helped me out this year; my mom and dad, Mike Pascarella of MRP Cycle Service and Fab, D&W Images, Supermoto Engineering, Renthal, Regina Chain, Motorex, Utopia Optics, Josh Beaubier at Roseville Yamaha. I am looking forward to riding with you next year. I am also looking forward to riding my new 250 next year and mini road racing my NSR 50 and maybe road racing my RS 125.

See you at the races!

Tucker Lancaster #408

Dansby’s Dirt:  October 26, 2009:  UFC 104 Post Fight Wrap up

Well my predictions were pretty accurate for UFC 104 Machida versus Shogun.  I went 5 of 6 (yes there were more fights than that on the card but I was too lazy to pick them all). The only one that I got wrong was the guy I interviewed right before his fight.  Eric “Red Schafer lost by decisions to Ryan “Darth” Bader.  Helluv a fight though, for both men.  However I’m sure I wasn’t his only prefight interview so I am not taking any “bad luck interview” blame here. 

You all know the results of the fights that were of interest and you probably all know the controversies.   Not everything went as planned this last Saturday.  Well at least not for everyone…

“If he bleeds than he must be human”.   Although like 70% of the MMA community I called the winner of the Machida, Rua fight correctly, but I don’t feel for a moment like I got this one right. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was all that and a bottle of Endorush as he frustrated, kicked, and punched the undefeated and seemingly on unhittable, unhurtable, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.   All three judges scored it as a victory for the still unbeaten champion Machida but no doubt the MMA world was set back on its feet as finally someone has figured out how to hurt this guy and deal with his electrifying speed and deft elusiveness.   This was more than anything, two world class bad-asses in one of the most intriguing chess matches that you’ll ever witness.  Argue, debate, pontificate all you want about who won and who should have won. It doesn’t matter.  Machida is still the champion today and more importantly Dana White who is the ultimate MMA/UFC fan has already declared that both of these men will fight each other again before they fight anyone else.   So look forward to the rematch MMA fans. This will be a true clash of physical titans and master strategist.  Look for Machida to figure out how to combat those so effective leg kicks of Shogun.  Look for Shogun tobe very aware that Machida will adjust his game.  How they figure it out, what they do to adapt to each other’s strength and weakness...well we will have to wait. But I have a feeling it will be more spectacular than the first fight.  Machida will come with much pride and perhaps even emotion as many are saying that that he did not deserve to win.  This pride...this emotion…this quest to prove that he’s worthy of the proclamation “The Machida Era” may prove the inspiration necessary to devastate Shogun or it may prove to be his demise. Wait…just wait…ah hell I can’t wait. Let’s have them fight this Saturday.

Okay and how long are you people going to doubt Cain Velasquez?  He just overwhelmed, trounced, badgered and frustrated a top level and highly experienced MMA heavyweight in Ben Rothwell.  Simply put, Cain made all of Ben’s offensive and defensive look futile.   The only critique I have Mr. Velasquez is that he needs to hit harder because those punches just aren’t Lesnar like.

Anthony Johnson is the real deal!  Okay he didn’t make weight and at 6’2” he may just be too big to fight at 170.  He came in 6 LBS over weight. So if he makes weight does he knock out Yoshiyuki Yoshida in 48 seconds of the first round as opposed to 41 seconds?  This is a guy with an 8-2 record and 4 of his victories are 1^st round knock outs!  Look for the UFC to put a major challenge in front of him next. This guy is just fun to watch…even though it’s for short increments.

Joe Stevenson just keeps getting better and looks to contend for the title once again.  His overall skill level has improved with time and shows no major weakness and his focus is at a peak.  Truly impressive.

Pat Barry just keeps looking like a beast as long as he’s on his feet.  Actually he even had a few moments where he looked good on the ground Saturday night.  He just simply dismantled another excellent striker in the 6’4” Antoni Hardonk by TKO in the second round.  Barry at 5’9” is somewhat of an aberration in the heavyweight division but to me I just love watching a guy with that much skill and that much power as a striker. It’s truly a thing of beauty.

Thanks for reading and supporting.   Have a powerful day.

WORCS Racing's final Fastest 5 minutes in Motorsports from Rnd #10 (Mesquite, Nv)

Oct 25, 2009

Grange Motor Circuit

Apple Valley, CA

Competition was fierce at this weekend’s SCminiGP race. Weather was perfect, but the track was still very slippery from the recent resurfacing.

On Saturday, we spent most of the time trying to get Jason’s Honda RS92 running right. We are still struggling with the carburetor setup. We were able to get the bike to run with the 150 four strokes on the straightaway, but we are still having problems with the low to mid RPM setup. The bike stalled twice coming out of slower corners, and Jason came off the track pounding his fists in frustration after most practice sessions. For the next race, we have secured a new exhaust system that should provide better power delivery, but we still need to get the carburetor settings right to give Jason a chance to be competitive. The top 4 riders in the Pro GP and Pro Extreme Class all are on 150cc four stroke machines. Experts tell us that the smaller two stroke that Jason rides can be competitive only when the bike is running perfectly and is ridden perfectly. We are still chasing that perfect running setup.

On Sunday, Jason looked good in morning practice. In the first heat race, Jason easily won the Thumpstar class. Jason came in for a quick bike change and went directly out to the next race, Pro GP. Getting his best start of he year, Jason was in 3rd place coming out of the first set of turns. The good start would not last though as one of the four stokes got past Jason, and he finished in 4th place.

Coming into the race, Jason was in 3rd place in both MiniGP and MiniGP Youth. Jason was hoping to pick up some points on the 2nd place rider to have a shot at finishing the season in 2nd place. In the MiniGP heat race, Jason got another good start and battled with Daytona Anderson for the lead. Aaron Villasenor, on his NSF, was right behind Jason, while Anthony Alonso was gaining on the lead group after a slow start. Aaron passed Jason several times on the straightaways, but Jason was able to battle back on the corners. The riders finished in the same order: Daytona, Jason, Aaron, Anthony.

MiniGP Youth was a carbon copy, with the top 4 riders finishing in the same order.

In the opening race of the finals, Jason continued his undefeated streak and secured the 2009 SCminiGP Thumpstar GP Championship. Including last year and the heat races, that makes 20 consecutive victories in Thumpstar GP.

In Pro GP, Jason was able to battle with championship points leader, Tyler Linders, for a couple of laps but was not able to match his pace for the distance and finished in 4th place matching his best class finish this season.

In MiniGP, Jason got another great start, but was not able to match his pace from the heat races. This allowed both Aaron Villasenor and Anthony Alonso to get by, dropping Jason to 4th place. Jason could not recover and finished in 4th. In MiniGP Youth, it was another carbon copy of the MiniGP class with the finishing order; Daytona Anderson, Aaron Villasenor, Anthony Alonso, and Jason Aguilar. Jason was bitterly disappointed as he lost the opportunity to move up in the championship standings. We are going to look at making changes to Jason’s diet as this makes the fourth consecutive race where Jason could not match his performances from the heat races in the afternoon finals. However the finishes secured 3rd Place in both MiniGP and MiniGP Youth 2009 Championships.

Jason decided to run the final of the Formula GP class where he would have to start from the back. Although way underpowered, racing against 65cc machines on his Honda NSR50, Jason was able to finish 4th. Although not running the first 4 races of the season, Jason is now in 5th place in the overall points for the season for the Formula GP class.

2009 SCminiGP Championship Standings

1st Thumpstar GP

3rd Mini GP

3rd Mini GP Youth

5th Pro GP

5th Formula GP

Thanks to all of Jason’s Sponsors:

Outlaw Racing

Tayomotors

Fulmer Helmets

Impact Safe-T Armor

Motorex

UNI Filters

Mesa Hose

Omicron Motors

Thumpstar

Vortex Racing

AXO

Morris Chiropractic

Josh Bartnik Suspension

Fuel Clothing

SixSixOne

Cycle Gear

Aruba Sport Sunglasses

After conquering the 125cc title last week at Phillip Island, courtesy of Spanish star Julian Simon, AXO also clinched the runner up spot of the smaller class thanks to Bradley Smith, who, with one race to go, secured enough of a gap on the rivals to take a fantastic second spot in the 125cc class. This is Smith’s best finish in his Grand Prix career, and also confirms an amazing 2009 1-2 for AXO!

The 125cc Malaysian Grand Prix followed the script of the previous week's Australian race almost to the letter, both in its main players and the development of the plot: Smith was once again in a fight with teammate Simon, but this time the Briton nearly made an escape to victory. On lap three Simón pulled away, but Smith reacted and made two fast laps to try and create space between them. In the end the duel saw the Spaniard victorious, following up on his title triumph.

The third member of the AXO team, Sergio Gadea, started from eighteenth and made a fantastic recovery for the fourth place. The Spaniard rode at his very best and eventually benefitted from some good fortune when at full throttle, taking no small amount of risks, came very close to a podium finish in Sepang.

The MotoGP was also good for AXO, thanks to Chris Vermeulen, who again showed his skills in wet conditions, as he powered his Suzuki GSV-R through the field, to take sixth place at a rain-soaked Sepang.

Some hours later, the last round of the Superbike World Championship kicked off at Portimao, where our Michel Fabrizio, fifth in Race 1, made a great recovery from eleventh position at the start of Race 2, to eventually win the race, thus consolidating his third position in the final championship standings.  In 2009, Michel put in a series of great results, clocking up 15 podiums, 3 of which were race win.

Michel Fabrizio: “The first race was very difficult. I didn’t make the best start but immediately started to push to make up time. In Race 2 on the other hand I was able to fight hard against Rea. The last time we raced together, at Misano, he got past me so it was my turn to do the same to him today. It was only for the fact that Rea made a mistake on the last lap that I was able to pass him as he was very strong today. I am very sorry for Nori, of course, but we demonstrated that we are strong and I must say I am very happy about my final result in the Championship!”

And what to say of the Supermoto, where AXO rider Ivan Lazzarini dominated both motos to clinch the first step of the podium of his home GP: staring from pole, the Honda rider took both the holeshots and led the two races from the start to the chequered flag. Due to this result, Lazzarini storms to second in the provisional standings, 19 points behind leader Van Den Bosch, with one race left to go.

Spaniard Julian Simon made it to the title at Phillip Island yesterday and gave AXO a long awaited crown in the 125 class with two races to go!

The AXO rider needed a win to conquer the title at the Australian GP and “Julio” took the challenge: after a not so perfect start, Simon made a move with ten laps to go and got in amongst the leaders, before breaking away with teammate Bradley Smith. Three corners from the end of the final lap, a pass on the inside took him up to first place, and he blocked the slipstreaming attempts to take back the spot.

His Teammate Bradley Smith, who was second at the chequered flag, has now an important extra 20 points on the board and a fourth consecutive podium to his name, as his attention turns to the runner-up spot in the series. 

Julian Simon: "What I most want to do now is to be with my team and enjoy this moment of happiness. What I felt upon crossing the line was frankly unexplainable, it was just amazing. The first thing that came into my head was the gratitude that I have towards the team, because their hard work has been the key to this title. When I signed the contract last year it was like taking a step back, as if I had never been able to be a frontrunner and that I was dropping back down. This year I got the opportunity to show my experience and quality. I want to thank Jorge (Martinez) and Gino (Borsoi) for giving me a chance, as they, my manager and my sponsors were behind me all the way. I think that this was the most risk-free and intelligent race that I have had all season. I was patient all time around, having learnt from the mistake I made in Estoril. When I passed Bradley, I knew it would be difficult to win, but I clinched my teeth, never losing concentration: I closed the doors and got the win, not only of the GP, but also of the World Championship, which makes me extremely happy!!!”

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