Its on!

The Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP kicks off this weekend at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, and the "Big 3" are fit and ready to go.

Defending champion James Stewart is in town already, and he's ready to go. Stewart was ready last year too when he showed up with "New Beginning" on his gear, and won! RC didn't want to make excuses, but he did say at the time early December was the beginning of his boot camp, and he was timing his training to peak in January.

This year things are different for RC, since now he is starting to split his schedule a little with the car business. People close to RC say he's actually riding better without the pressure of a full season ahead, so this weekend fans will see a different RC.

Fans are going to see a different Chad Reed as well. Along with his L&M Racing teammate Nathan Ramsey. The 2 are the latest to go for a well-supported team in a semi, just one step away from factory, which for some is a step up! Reed is said to be happy and feeling better about his surroundings and on the gas-and he's serious about winning.

Those are the top three to watch of course.

Things are busy in the hotel lobby this morning (Saturday) next to the Roger's Centre. Teams are meeting and planning the day. People are signing up the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge, which they do here as well as the US. 

There are always some job changes between seasons, so this is the day we see people in new colors and shirts, more so mechanics and team folks, since we know about rider changes early. L&M Racing has a full crew here, and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (Reed/Ramsey's main sponsor) is here too. The story so far is the group wanted a sport and an athlete to organize around, and Reed/Ramsey and SX were a good fit. Jeff Gibson and Paul Carpenter are here in green, and Byrne is on a Rockstar Suzuki. Millsaps is here walking around on one crutch. He is still a maybe for Anaheim but his healing is at least ahead of schedule. Martin Davalos is here for KTM. 

Yesterday was a "free practice," maybe the last one in supercross, because today they start "Qualifying practice" for the first time. Times will be used to determine the night show lineup. This was also the last Friday practice, unless one gets added one-at-a-time in the future.

Some buzz on fuel, a huge issue last season-the limits will relax so the "splitting hairs" problem won't ruin things like before. Good.

Also on the new format changes, which were more for live TV (eventually), they seem to be receieved pretty well. Semis are gone and the SX (450s) heats take nine to the main instead of 4. 

You knew this already but RC is enjoying not having title pressure. And Stewart is going to be fast!

The first-ever "qualifying practice" just finished and the fastest was James Stewart.

RC was second, DV third, Reed 4th, Ferry 5th.

Ivan Tedesco may be the first casualty. He we down on the far side (opposite the mechanic's area) and was seen a bit later walking back holding his wrist. Several people saw that Tedesco was pretty upset about it and stayed on the floor long enough to flip Stewart off when he went by. He actually tried to get back on the back and then didn't ride.

There will be one more practice besides this one to determine the lineup for tonight. This is part of the format changes implemented starting this weekend. The qualifying practice seems to be a pretty popular move.

RC said a while ago this morning that he is riding about as much as previous years, even though the car stuff is taking his time and attention. He's getting mainstream attention big time over the car thing of course (like FHM Magazine), and its going to be a good way to introduce SXMX to a whole new crowd.

So far he's out and the hand is broken. At least thats the word from down the hall. (Pits)

Tedesco broke his hand when either Stewart's wheel or frame hit his hand.

What happened is Stewart and Tedesco were going up a short dragonback hill that goes into a 90 deg left. The obstacle was a little tricky and you could see rider's rear tires skipping around on the way up it. 

There are two versions:

1) Stewart went off it too fast and just used the dragonback for a hill, and landed on Tedesco's wrist.

2) Stewart's rear kicked out just as he jumped it, and it swung over and hit Tedesco's wrist.

Chad Reed, on his new San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Yamaha, won the SX opener in a wild main event that won't be forgotten. Martin Davalos won Lites. 

Stewart may be injured (better to wait for confirmation), RC fell and made up a lot of time to catch back up to second. Stewart rode the last few laps in a great deal of pain and fell at the finish line, and had to get carried off.

The crowd was much, much bigger than previous Canadian SX rounds. The stands they sold seats for (lower levels) were pretty much full.

Message boards are going crazy with what happened at the end with Stewart and Preston, so this is the deal:

Stewart and Reed are in a heated battle for the lead, and struggling with lapped riders. Something happened with Stewart's drive at the finish double and Reed and he bumped, sending Stewart off the track. In a hurry to get back on, he re-entered just at the landing of the double (Reed had to single it) and unfortunately, Preston was just landing and hit Stewart hard, impacting on his right leg. Witnesses said it looked like a T-bone, but it was just unfortunately an accident due to him returning to the track at a landing.

Stewart rode the last few laps in pain, then at the finish, he fell off, and tried to get up a few times, falling again each time. Preston, whose race was ended in the crash, was still there at the finish. He walked over to the ailing Stewart and leaned over to tell him something. Preston was walked off, and eventually Stewart was carried off, with his leg hurting badly.

Things got pretty heated, and it looks like a protest was filed on Stewart. Since this is an FIM, not an AMA event, you can protest conduct. This would be the second one, since Tedesco wrote one earlier in the day from the practice incident. John Gallagher is going to be busy!

There wasn't much pit buzz really on Stewart's condition until pretty late. There were people assuming it's a broken leg, but this needs to be considered unconfirmed until the leg is X rayed.

So far the results of the hospital trip after Toronto are this:

The X Ray did not confirm a fracture, but his foot is seriously swollen and the drs didn't know the precise cause - ligament, a fracture they don't see, etc. The next step is an MRI Monday morning.

Keep an eye on the site for an update Monday.

One thing we know for sure is Stewart can and will ride in a great deal of pain. Remember Southwick 2006.

Its Thursday afternoon and the official word is out: Both protests from Toronto written on James Stewart for riding in such a way as to put others in danger (or something like that) were upheld. 

Tedesco's protest of Stewart resulted in a $2,000 fine and a verbal warning. The FIM rep John Gallagher took into account that he hadn't seen any riding like this in previous WSX races, so this was pretty much a 'first offense" thing.

With the Preston protest, the result was $4,000, the maximum allowed, another warning, and probation that will last until Las Vegas finals 2007. If another thing happens like James landing on someone and it was considered preventable, it could mean him losig FIM points for that round.

It should be noted that the AMA doesn't have to accept James probation status or really pay attention to that. So he could have a problem and lose FIM points and not AMA, in theory anyway.

[Message boards were melting down over Stewart's situation up until the weekend, including stuff like "He won't be there," or "He's not hurt" or whatever. I bumped into him at the hotel lobby before round 2 when he was checking in, and he thought all that web nonsense was pretty funny.]

James Stewart is in Toronto with a sore foot but he's going to put his gear on and go for it tomorrow to stay in the points in Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP-round 2.

Stewart got the news about his protests that were upheld yesterday and said he wasn't going to fight it or say too much. It's clear enough he didn't think it was fair and if you ask him, he can name times where incidents like jumping back into the track during a race has happened before.

He didn't ride this week and his ankle is still swollen, but it checked out at the dr so he is going to get that foot stuffed in a boot tomorrow.

Vancouver Saturday looked like "business as usual" for the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP, round 2. The protests from the previous week were handed out and put away by now and things seems to have settled down. People either agree or don't and its on with the racing.

Stewart suited up and was OK in practice - just not as aggressive yet due to his very sore foot. 

Carmichael had a quiet but good week he says and he came out in the first practice ready to take some names, but so did Chad Reed. The two checked each others speed a little in the first practice, but RC had faster lap times. 

Vancouver has that famous/infamous "moon dirt." It's loose and doesn't pack well so it makes ruts, and it's jammed full of rocks. People are still pulling them out and tossing them to the side. The track looks a little flat in places as a result. "The dirt looks like volcano ashes," said Vuillemin.

Lites will be a very strong race. Last week's winner Davalos is here, and Osborne. Sobe/No Fear/Samsung brought Sipes and Weimer, and Makita Suzuki brought Dungey. Plus Troy Adams is back. He should have done well last weekend and just fell. 

Makita Suzuki hasn't lost hope that Tedesco can still make Anaheim. He has three broken fingers from last week but they are clean breaks.

Brad Zimmerman had just built a site where people can post memories and photos of our good friend, Marty Moates. Check it out.

www.martymoates.com

RC waited for his chance to pass Stewart in the main at Vancouver. It took more than half the race, but he jumped when he had the chance, and he won it. The two set a blistering pace on the loose Vancouver "moon dirt," and they opened a gap on Reed, who was still third.

RC now leads the series, and goes driving Monday. He's driving a lot now, but it hasn't slowed him down on a motorcycle. He even told me in our Monday Conversation interview that he does think about racing patiently now in a main and that it's a skill he's going to need.

Stewart had a rough day with his foot still hurting. He skipped the second practice as a result. He got a ride to the press conference on a cart and limped in. He said he's going for points and "I'm a racer," and will race as long as he is able. He wasn't really sure until late Thursday. 

RC and Stewart were riding on the edge all night. The two were also in the same heat, which RC won and broke Stewart's heat race win streak that goes back to who-knows-when.

Reed said he just never got the track down and even went over to a section he had trouble with after the main to just sit there and look at it before the interviews. 

The dirt here is loose and doesn't form well, and this was a challenge for selecting tires-nothing seemed to really work, except patience. 

Sipes was impressive in Lites, starting with a holeshot, then he led every lap. Dungey was second Osborne third. 

RC looked really, really happy with his win and took a lot of time to ride around waving to fans and doing burnouts. 

The protest fuss faded pretty fast. It was smart of John Gallagher, the FIM rep, to get it decided and announced early to get on with things. 

At last this year's racing is over and people get a little vacation before Anaheim 1.

Check in Monday for the Monday Conversation with RC, when he talks about his race this weekend, his car days, and his goals in AMA racing before he is done.

Vancouver is scheduled to air next-day on Speed, so check it out. Maybe they will show the Evans-Johnson fight in the LCQ!