GLEN HELEN ROOKIE REPORT
Author: Brent Stallo/David Bulmer	Features | Monday, 25 May 2009 15:55

Photography: John Parkinson/Brent Stallo

Justin Barcia

Barcia definitely lived up to the hype in moto one...or at least he did for the first half of the moto. The kid mixed it up with three of the best 250 riders in the world and he didn't look a bit out of place. And, as you know, the second moto he looked even better, leading all but three laps. He would eventually be overtaken by Ryan Dungey (current SX champ) and Tyla Rattray (current world champ), but would end up an impressive third for sixth overall. Austin Stroupe's rookie debut comes to mind after watching Barcia ride at Glen Helen. Although Stroupe ended the day with a podium, Barcia's debut was somehow more impressive, despite his finishing 6^th. We can't wait to see if he can do it again at Hangtown.

 

Blake Wharton

Wharton landed about where we expected him to. He wasn't over impressive, over aggressive or over zealous. But that's what Blake has always been known for. He's a racer through and through. His lap times in practice might not light the world on fire, but the kid knows how to manage a race as well as anyone. Tenth overall is a solid start to Wharton's outdoor season. Once he starts pulling holeshots this kid could land anywhere inside the top five.

 

Max Anstie

You have to give it up to Anstie. At 16 years old the kid was throwing down with the best riders in the world and he looked comfortable doing it. Unfortunately, however, he had a nasty get off in moto one and was carted off on a stretcher after pulling off the track on his own will. Before his crash, though, everything was going pretty well for the young Brit. He rounded the high speed first corner in 17^th and managed to work his way up to 14^th before dropping off due to his crash. We found this thread from Anstie on facebook as to his condition:

"pro debuts lol. i landed on some kid and had to go hospital they thought i broke my back and done spleen but im hard so im all good. who cares ayy ill be back and im gna win, i know i can run with thows guys. hangtown next yeahhhh..."

It looks as if Anstie will be back for Hangtown and it looks as if he'll be as confident as ever.

 

PJ Larsen

The first moto for South Carolina's PJ Larsen wasn't very impressive, but after looking at the lap chart it wasn't too unimpressive either. A 16^th place start gave Larsen a shot at showing his fans what he was capable of, but a crash on the first lap quickly left Larsen stuck in lapper territory back in 30^th. He managed to grit out a top 20 finish but was unable to show any improvement from last season. As the gate dropped for moto two it looked as if Larsen would be destined for another mediocre moto. Then something kind of surprising happened. He made a charge. Picking riders off two and three at a time PJ would eventually find himself doing battle with Blake Wharton for the final spot in the top 10. The two switched positions twice before Wharton proved to be the stronger opponent, but the battle gave hope that the young Kawasaki rider may have improved since last season. Only time will tell.

 

Alex Martin

After a spending his rookie supercross season struggling to make main events, Alex Martin put in a surprisingly solid ride at Glen Helen. While he didn't exactly set the world on fire, he was able to consistently put himself above the mid pack mark. A 17^th in moto 1, followed up by a 16^th in moto two left Martin with 16^th overall. Based on his lap chart and lap times this looks to be where Martin fits in, but you never know. With more time on the track comes more speed and with more speed comes better results. We wouldn't be surprised to see this rookie finish out the season inside the top 15 if he can manage to stay consistent.

 

Darryn Durham

Durham's lap times in practice, which were inside the top 15, definitely led us to believe that he was capable of doing more than he did in his debut. Fitness looked to be a factor as Durham seemed to grow tired towards the end of the moto. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt since it was his first outdoor national. The next few rounds will definitely be key for Durham's success. If you lose confidence with a gate as stacked as this you could find yourself in deep trouble before the series even hits the half way point.

 

Michael Hall

The struggles continue for Star Racing/Yamaha's Michael Hall. The young Californian was coming off of a few much needed solid rides in supercross in hopes to finally prove himself outdoors. After putting in the 16^th fastest time in practice with a 2:44.235, Halls day would be cut short moments into the first moto. After getting out to a decent start Hall high sided after hitting a kicker at the top of the finish line jump on lap one, causing the race to be red flagged while medics tended to his injuries. He was carted off by the Asterisk medical crew, but was luckily only diagnosed with a broken hand. It looks as if we won't see this young rookie back on the track for 4-6 weeks.

 

Weston Peick

Coming into Glen Helen, Weston had probably the least amount of hype of any of the rookies. He didn't have a factory and even though he won a Loretta Lynn's B class title last year, no great things were expected of him when he turned pro.

Due to his size, he chose to go for the 450 class which in hind-sight was a wise choice due to how stacked the 250's are. Still, he didn't have it easy, having to qualify for the main through the LCQ.

In both races he got a mid-pack start, battling with some much more experienced riders - Cody Cooper, Dan Reardon, Justin Brayton, Nick Wey. Riders who have much superior equipment and who's expectations are a lot higher so for Weston to hold off these performers on his debut is damn impressive. In the end he went 13-11 for 9^th overall, but we now have to see how he does on tracks that he's less familiar with, starting next week at Hangtown. However if it wasn't for a certain Mr Barcia, Weston would be the rookie of the week.

 

Vince Friese

It was an unspectacular debut for young Vince. Unfortunately for him, he's turned pro in a year when the 250 class is probably at its deepest. He did put in two solid performances though and to get points in your first ever race is certainly a good achievement. If he can cut out the mistakes but continue to stay fit and healthy then his results and confidence will improve, and by the end of the year he'll be knocking on the door of the top 10. On a side note, had the race not been red flagged in the first moto Friese would have pulled a top three start. In the second moto, while attempting a step down jump, he was ejected from his bike and lost multiple positions as a result.

 

Ben Evans

After a 12^th place finish in the West Coast Lites championship, Ben took to his third ever national and went 12-12 for 11th overall. It was a pretty solid start and one that gives him a good base going into next weekend at Hangtown. On what is essentially a privateer effort, he finished ahead of a good number of factory and satellite team riders so hopefully the teams will keep an eye on him and should an opportunity arise, he'll be the one they call upon.

 

Steven Clarke

After running well at the last three Nationals of the 2008 season and getting a top 10 finish in this year's supercross, we hoped for big things from Steven. However whether it was the track, or some other reason, things just didn't click for him. Finishes of 20-22 aren't good enough for someone looking to cement a place in the top 10. Hopefully he'll be able to improve on them for Hangtown, but with such a short space of time between these races, adjustments need to be made quickly.

Tyler Wharton

Bike problems plagued Tyler Wharton on Saturday, causing him to miss the big show. "My front wheel locked up in the first practice and I got a flat tire in the second," proclaimed an obviously disappointed Wharton. "Then I was leading the consi race and crashed out. It sucks." This won't be the last we hear from Wharton. He'll be back on the gate for Hangtown and should have no problem laying putting his Honda in the main.