Anaheim 1 is in the books, the first round of 17 out with a bang like some sort of massive firecracker in your pants. Brutal, sure, but this race was a stunner from top to bottom. Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps leading the most laps and winning with a last lap pass? Yeah, uh, no one saw that coming.

Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard returning from a serious back injury to almost win the race and finish second? Nope, I didn’t see that coming either. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto crashing 163 times and finishing the race with one glove, no goggles, a loose gas cap and blood pouring out from his hand? Yep, me neither.

The 450SX class was as wild as it could get at Anaheim and things don’t appear to be calming down this weekend at Phoenix. Suzuki’s James Stewart looks to have a serious knee injury and is going to try and tough it out, Villopoto has a bunch of points to make up, Chad Reed’s got to improve a bunch and Dungey was about the only ‘big guy’ to not have any worries.

Are Millsaps, Canard and Barcia legitimate race winners and riders that we have to now put into the mix when it comes to race wins and, gasp, the title?

Davi Millsaps’ was on fire throughout the entire Anaheim 1 event. Image: Simon Cudby.

One rider that has been there and seen it all is multi-time AMA supercross and motocross champion Jeff Emig and Jeff’s still heavily involved in the sport as the colour analyst for SPEED TV at the races. What does Jeff think of Millsaps’ big win?

“What’s interesting is that we talked about him in our meetings before the show and we just haven’t seen him a lot since summer,” Emig said. “I just admit that he was not on my radar at all. Looking back though, my radar wasn’t very correct because he was fast all day.

“I guess I was dismissing it, because he was just great. He’s won before in the 250SX class, he’s won supercrosses and he should have been on the radar. I shouldn’t have gone off eight years of work and been in the present at Anaheim that night.”

It’s okay Jeff, we all missed on this one and I wouldn’t beat yourself up too much it was a great ride by Millsaps who appears to have actually lost a lot of weight this year despite rumours every year that he’s lost weight and appears to look the same. Millsaps is more cut than ever and back on a bike he agrees on. He never publicly said much about the JGR Yamaha YZ450F but it was obvious from talking to him that he wasn’t a fan of the bike.

This definitely was not where Ryan Villopoto planned to be at round one. Image: Simon Cudby.

And what about Trey Canard’s run? Emig was caught off-guard at that one also as Trey showed no ill effects from almost a year off.

“I’m surprised at Trey, I did not think that even with the great start he would finish where he did,” Emig admitted. “He’s been off for so long and I thought maybe the nerves will get him and he’ll go back around halfway. With Justin Barcia and Ryan Dungey right there, I thought they’d get him.

“The two guys at the front rode so well, they didn’t make any mistakes like the guys behind them. Barcia and Dungey were the guys who made the mistakes.”

Even a great racer like Emig was taken aback by what we saw at Anaheim 1 and going forward from here, the question is, will we see it again this year? All of us in the media just have it all figured out who the contenders are and who isn’t right?

Trey Canard was strong on return from injury and he put on a show for the crowd while battling with Millsaps for the 450SX win. Image: Simon Cudby.

Well let me be the first to say that if Millsaps, Canard and Barcia (who was a strong third for almost the whole race before making a mistake late) can be up there each week and get into the mix well this season just got crazy and awesome and all at the same time.

After watching the race yet again, I continue to be impressed with Millsaps’ line choice, endurance and speed. There were a few mistakes but in the course of twenty laps there’s going to be that. Supercross is often a game of who makes the least mistakes. Millsaps’ fitness, long the major problem, seems to be great. And I believe that he truly does love his bike.

Canard lost some time around the mid-point but he reeled it right in and I’m sure he’ll make some adjustments for next week. He looked a little more calmer than usual, if he can keep his speed and keep his body english in check then Canard’s not only gotten better from his injury, he’s actually improved from the Trey we saw in 2011.

So here we are, three days after the race and I can say with certainty that Millsaps and Canard’s rides were not flukes. They weren’t lucky and there was only one guy there in my mind that had more speed than them and he spent most of the race on the ground. I believe these two can keep it up, and they appear to have made improvements from last year and hold on, this things just getting started.