Photos from Atlanta SX | A Slightly Different Look
By Billy Rainford
Photos by Jeff McConkey and Bigwave
After leaving Atlanta Sunday morning after Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, I headed south to GPF where a bunch of Canadians are calling home. What that meant for me was that I didn’t really have any time to go through my photos from the races and am just now taking a breather to have a look.
By now, we all know who won what, so I won’t bore you with a bunch of photos with riders’ placings as captions. I’ll combine my usual ‘Faces at the Races’ with some shots from the actual racing but try to put a slightly different spin on things.
Here goes nothing…
We’ll start with a shot of the Georgia Dome track in the daytime. They are feverishly building a new stadium right beside this one, so our days are numbered in this facility.
Straight to the 450 podium shot? Meh, why not… 1st Ryan Dungey, 2nd Marvin Musquin, 3rd Chad Reed.
Justin Brayton with his SupercrossLIVE holeshot cheque.
I like this one of Chad and Ellie Reed.
Ryan Dungey watching the replay of that last lap pass while speaking with Fox Sports.
Does this ever get old?
I doubt it.
“Hey, remember that time I missed the Joker Lane?!”
Chicken dinner.
Coming up a little short…
I don’t know how much they showed on TV but Reed kept the front two honest.
20 laps of this.
Davi Millsaps and Justin Brayton had a sold battle going for quite a few laps.
Bwaap, bwaap, bwaap…
Yes, I signed the waiver.
James Stewart got off to a decent start but kept it safe and finished 14th.
Mid-air tear off for #14 Cole Seely.
450 main holeshot.
Boom.
Once 250 3rd place finisher Aaron Plessinger got the cap off, he pretty much soaked one of the photogs.
It took him forever to get the cap off. The photographer should have known.
250 Podium: 1ts Martin Davalos, 2nd Malcolm Stewart, 3rd Aaron Plessinger.
Hugs for the winner.
Hugs for the winner.
He actually made that look pretty easy.
Victory lap.
Young #128 Alex Frye in some fast company.
Justin Hill was not happy with himself when this happened.
He got it sorted out quickly.
250 main holeshot.
You guys ready?
#314 Alex Ray over shot the first turn by a bit.
Clint Bowyer getting some face time after the holeshot challenge.
Safe to say, he went for it.
30-second girl, Danica Patrick.
Some say Stackhouse was the real winner…
I didn’t even know these two had issues the week before, but they found each other again in Atlanta.
Mike Alessi with the fender slap after his early win.
#142 Josh Bartosh got the holeshot and then the heat was red flagged. He couldn’t repeat his great start and then went down. He could not have been happy with the way that all went.
Josh Cartwright has raced in Canada before.
Searching for clues…
This corner looked a little too much like an outdoor national.
Wil Hahn’s impact with the ground left him with a broken right collarbone.
Andrew Short and Phil Nicoletti were the other two involved in the ugly crash.
This did not look like fun.
It was just this kind of night for Ryan Dungey.
I really enjoyed the wall. I don’t think #195 Keaton Ward would say the same on this lap.
National anthem time.
Some opening fireworks.
Christophe Pourcel set fastest qualifying time again!
Trey Canard.
#28 Weston Peick.
#62 Justin Starling.
#63 Jesse Wentland had some troubles after getting together with #66 Arnaud Tonus.
#53 Tyler Bowers.
Tonus could win a few of these things.
Could this be the year?
Yes, we all stood in this corner a lot.
A-Rod.
#83 Daniel Herrlein.
#30 Shane McElrath will be much better this week.
#655 John John Pauk is racing 250 East.
#471 Logan Karnow on his PR-MX Strikt Kawasaki.
Be sure to cheer for this Canadian when the series gets to Toronto in 2 weeks.
#423 Vicki Golden needed about 5 seconds to make the night show.
#512 Andrew Silverstein is a guy to watch during the day. He has a blast out there.
Dave Blanchet launching the finish line.
With a good week on the 250, he should be in the night show this week.
Fellow Canadian Karl Normand is helping Blanchet out. He has an injury and isn’t riding at the moment.
We joked about this this band’s music. Let’s just say it’s not my thing.
Arenacross Tour champion, Heath Harrison.
Kyle Cunningham raced is racing 450 in the east.
#761 Cade Clason was just off the pace in Atlanta.
#55 Vince Friese trying n inside line on the wall.
Chad Reed.
You had to blast your way through this sandy corner and then pick a deep rut in the face of the next jump.
Not as easy as these guys make it look.
Tomac smashing his way through.
After this turn, some riders were scrubbing speed on the next jump. I got hit in the head so hard with roost that it almost knocked me down.
James wasn’t aiming for this line. He actually got tweaked awkwardly about 2 feet behind where he is now. It looked like it hurt.
Trey Canard leading Ken Roczen.
One more podium next week and he is tied for most consecutive. Does Chad Reed go for the take-out?
There was a lot of this Saturday afternoon in this sand section.
RJ Hampshire started 6th and finished 6th.
This is the scrub move that caused my headache.
Jeff has Aaron Plessinger pegged as 250 East champion.
Bowers.
What colour is Matt Bisceglia’s bike?
He finished 11th.
I didn’t see who did it first, but they were jumping halfway up the dragon’s back before the sand section in the mains.
Even after his frustrating loss, Marvin kept his cool.
This is his 40th year flagging.
Wentland.
I think Dakota Alix’s bike was the only one with stock graphics.
Hampshire getting wayyy back.
I can’t believe a guy with Henry Miller’s talent might only get to Daytona because he has little-to-no support.
The sand section was a bit of a rodeo Saturday.
Anyone have a witty caption for this one?
Nice Top Tech award.
Like I always say, stand over Simon Cudby’s shoulder and you’re bound to get the good shots.
Shane McElrath with the holeshot award.
Malcolm was NOT happy after the race.
250 podium: Martin Davalos, Malcolm Stewart, Aaron Plessinger.
I saw Dirt Shark in the right place at the right time a lot Saturday. Go find his video from Atlanta.
Carolina fan or just wiping sweat?
See what I’m saying?
Silverstein was all over the place, having fun and falling down.
I wasn’t having much luck during the night show, so I tried the flash…
Marshall Weltin has raced in Canada. He qualified 17th and then got out 5th in the main but had troubles and finished 15th.
Karnow looking like he’s at Gopher Dunes.
Effective sticker placement is key.
Mike ‘Too Tall’ Bell raced in Atlanta. Kidding, kidding.
It just wasn’t Cade’s night.
So, if you’re ever home on a Saturday afternoon, click on the Pro Bowling Tour and you just might see our old friend from MXPTV, Matt Wozney. Yes, he’s becoming a serious bowler.
Waiting and watching.
#466 is Grant Ransdell riding for the Canadian PR-MX Strikt Racing team.
Ray hitting the wall in his Canadian FXR gear.
I hope there’s a wall at every round from now on.
Marvin was very mad at himself when he fell after the sand pit.
Yes, that’s King Richard Petty.
Kenny blasting the sand.
Big James consoling James after a race.
Now, if that’s not textbook style, I don’t know what is.
Ryan Dungey getting way out front.
Seriously, who doesn’t like the wall?
Pourcel.
Eli getting roosted on the wall.
Seely picking his rut and going with it.
Martin getting his own roost.
Almost everyone took a turn in the sand.
Grant Hutcheson smiling for Jeff.
A new clutch for Trey.
Hamming it up at the K1 rig.
Jeff trying to get artsy in the pits.
Blake Baggett was at the race but not on the bike.
Nick Wey’s ride all ready for his return.
Almost a team photo moment.
Getting a little off-centre.
Nicoletti in the pits.
I think Darryn Durham lives in his parents’ basement.
Adam Enticknap is still a couple months away from riding but he was in Atlanta.
Bisceglia’s ride.
Putting some hot air to the boots.
There’s Blake during track walk.
Let me just say this…Gannon Audette will NEVER go bald.
I think everyone was impressed with Durham’s ride. He started 2nd and finished 7th.
Dakota and Alex Rodriguez.
Jason Anderson was feeling good in the morning.
Vann Martin.
A couple of French guys chilling in Atlanta.
Kyle Cunningham.
Young Hannah Hodges walking the track. Will she be making main events in the future?
Weston Peick.
Can Durham back up his solid day this week in Daytona?
Justin Starling.
Tommy Hahn.
Tyler Bowers.
#175 Paul Coates.
#90 John Short qualified 29th.
Josh Cartwright.
Steve Matthes trying to figure out what all this Zen stuff Nathan Ramsey is talking about.
Our old friend, Troy Adams, chatting with Jeremy Albrecht.
Cole Seely.
Matt Bisceglia.
There’s ‘Crazy’ Dave Blanchet.
“Ya, ya, Justin, but did you see this sand section over here?!”
Jenny Taft does her homework in the morning.
Jenny getting some background on Justin Hill.
JJ with none other than Sebastien Tortelli.
Davi Millsaps.
Kenny ‘Taco’ Bell, Donk, and Vicki Golden.
Ken Roczen.
Jake Weimer.
The legend, John Tomac.
Sorry, Eli, but it was just too good not to use.
Tony Alessi.
Aaron’s arm pump device.
The O Show!
Grant and Justin.
Tyla Rattray holding court.
James at the riders’ meeting.
Karl Normand and Dave’s better half.
Jenny with some questions for Tyler.
Jeremy Martin.
Jenny.
Billy Laninovich with Alex Frye.
Trey Canard.
The Karnows.
Robby Feder getting Vince’s bike ready for the day.
See you at the races…
