Editor’s Note: From Wednesday, April 29 to Friday, May 1, FOX Sports will count down the top 10 moments of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross season.
10. Best feel good moments: Malcolm Stewart Earns First Career Win and Chad Reed wins in Atlanta
This season in a lot of ways will be defined by rises to dominance in each class. But two riders earning underdog victories were bright spots of the season that embodied the feel good moments that make sports and competition of this nature so enthralling.
In Oakland, Malcolm Stewart took advantage of a strong start and some misfortune by his main challengers to ride a consistent main event and earn the first victory of his career. The win itself was huge since the younger Stewart has been progressing to this pinnacle over the last couple seasons. However, with the offseason controversy surrounding his brother, James, and his suspension from competition it had even more emotional weight as James watched Malcolm ensure the name Stewart was in the win column in 2015.
At Atlanta 1, 32-year-old Chad Reed once again defied the odds. Just a few weeks removed from receiving a black flag that effectively eliminated any hopes of a championship, Reed parlayed a strong start into the 44th win of his career by leading every lap of the main event. It was sweet justice of sorts and the racing world embraced it. Reed is the definition of an ageless veteran and continues to show his much younger counterparts that experience is an invaluable asset.
9. Millsaps is released by Monster Energy Kawasaki
It looked like it could be a promising season for Monster Energy Kawasaki, which was looking to earn a fifth straight supercross title despite Ryan Villopoto leaving the US to compete overseas. New rider Davi Millsaps kept the ball rolling for the team last October at the Monster Cup by winning in his first outing with the team. As the season started Millsaps was in the title conversation but an illness hampered his results. He fought through it and was beginning to become a consistent top five threat when the surprising news broke that he had been released from the team in the days leading up to Santa Clara. While there’s plenty speculation, no further information pertaining to the termination has been confirmed.
8. Cooper Webb vs. Tyler Bowers
The beginning of the 250SX West Region shaped up to be a budding rivalry between Cooper Webb and Tyler Bowers. The training partners and friends off the track are both known for their hard-nosed approached to racing, showing no intimidation – Webb cutting his teeth as a rookie last season and making a big step forward in 2015, Bowers honing his talents en route to four straight titles in the aggressive arenacross series. An assertive pass for the win by Webb on the final lap at Anaheim 2, in which Webb forced Bowers off the track, was the first incident the sparked another the following week in Oakland. After both riders had to fight through the field following bad start, Bowers came inside Webb in a turn and the two collided, with Webb getting and elbow to the head and falling to the ground. Bowers was later passed by Webb and fought back to a runner-up finish, sparking some snarky social media banter between the two. Eventually things simmered and Webb went on to win the title, while Bowers unfortunately had his season cut short following back surgery.
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