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RedBud marked the fifth stop of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships and of course, it was a great weekend of racing, had a great vibe, great weather. Duh…it’s RedBud! The guys at the track were giving me a bit of shit about my public stance that the best track on the circuit is actually Millville (Spring Creek), but RedBud is right there. It’s definitely a lot of riders' favorites but I think they’re mixing in the whole “vibe” of the place and not just the track. Because when you go off “vibe”, the best national is definitely RedBud! But here’s my comeback to those people: if Millville ain’t the best track, why did Redbud try to copy its infamous sand whoops?
Either way, it’s like trying to debate In 'N Out Burger versus Five Guys, neither choice is wrong and they’re both great. Ok, onto the race!
Well, if Eli Tomac is gonna do that, he’s going to be tough to beat for this 450MX title. He sliced six points off Chase Sexton’s lead with pretty dominant 1-1 scores. Tomac’s one weakness is starts but he got those going at Redbud (saying he started outside a bit more than usual) and was on point. Second moto he got up behind Ken Roczen and really, as he said, “just stayed out of the roost” before making the pass for the win. It didn’t look like too hard of a day for ET3 and the gap is just seven points now going into Southwick, a track that (checks notes), he’s pretty good at (three wins) but hasn’t won in his last three visits there (well, that’s weird).
Like we’ve seen earlier this year, Chase Sexton is showing the make-up of a champion. When things aren’t going your way, you make the best out of it and move on to another week. Ricky Carmichael was famous for saying you win championships on your bad days, but can someone point to me a bad day for RC outside of Anaheim ’02 in terms of title fights? Anyway, yeah Sexton didn’t get the starts he needed but he did what he could in going 2-2. A very impressive moment for Sexton was after he hit a crashed Jason Anderson. He got up and looked like that might be all he could do because before that, he was just stuck behind Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson, and Ryan Dungey. It didn’t look like he had a lot more to give and had kind of adapted their pace. But he got up from the Anderson thing and caught fire. Like, he caught and passed Barcia and Dungey like they had concrete blocks dragging behind them! That was impressive.
The second impressive thing was his last lap of the second qualifying session in the morning when he was absolutely sending it. Too bad for him that his transponder was dead, and no one could get a time on him. Honda’s data had him the quickest by .5 but the AMA wouldn’t take that and said they could time him using video. Except they got a much different time than Honda and just gave Chase second fastest. That was weird.
Sure, Justin Barcia got a bit fortunate with an 8-3 for third overall on the day but he was also top five in moto one when he ate crap bad in the sand whoops. He got up quick from that (I would still be laying there waiting for the ambulance) with his bars bent badly, kept jumping The Leap and even passed a couple of guys to get up to eighth! Pretty gutsy and determined ride by Bam, and that third in moto two was a good showing. His starts were good and that was because he took the very inside gate (despite qualifying 16th!) and it wasn’t tilled as deep over there. Smart thinking by Justin and his team for sure.
Don’t look now but Barcia’s early season slump is gone, and he’ll be in the mix for top fives the rest of the way in my opinion. I’m starting the bandwagon now also, by the way, that with Justin Cooper not yet being Justin Cooper, should we look at Barcia on a 250F for the MXoN? The bike's good, as we’ve seen with Michael Mosiman, Barcia’s got the riding style to get used to the smaller bike with some time, he’ll give you his all, and why not?
Team USA is in a horrific losing streak at this race and everything they’ve tried has backfired in one way or another. Other countries put a 450 guy on a 250 bike all the time (Team USA used this same tactic to win in ’86, ’87 and ’88!) and this is something they should think about.
But they won’t, this is the same Team USA that’s left a good open gate get taken by their main competitor, the same team that doesn’t start the MX2 guy on the inside (the most important class to winning this race) and the same team that didn’t change a wheel after a muddy, sloppy parade lap on a metal grate.
But yeah, keep doing the same thing every year Team USA! Maybe Lucy won’t pull the football away this time!
Shoutout to Joey Savatgy for that third place in moto one, that was truly impressive for a fill-in guy and at one point, like three or four laps in, he reeled in Tomac a bit! As Savatgy himself on social said, it had been four years since he stood on the podium at a race so that’s awesome. He’s been through a lot, he’s got no ride for 2023, and it’s the ultimate example of always believing in yourself. Second moto he told me he was losing the gap a bit to the front guys, so he decided to send it a little and stay with them otherwise he’d be in no mans land. That caused him to fall over so he then had to ride it in for a ninth. Still, with that third he opened up a lot of eyes.
I’ve never been “there” when it comes to Jo Shimoda being the next great champion or whatever in our sport. Nice kid, great rider but in the past, to me anyway, he’s benefitted from some injuries and lack of depth to get wins and podiums in 250SX. And then this year, when he seemed to be ready to take the next step in SX, he seemed to regress. Again, not “shitting” on the kid but I just haven’t been as pumped on him as others.
Well, he’s one of dudes this summer that can actually hang with and actually beat the Lawrence brothers when they’re pushing all-out and also, it’s seemed to me that both brothers, when they need to, get around and bump Jo backward but this weekend it was Shimoda Strikes Back! He was hanging right with them in moto one when Jett ran into problems. Shimoda took the win and his second moto ride coming from a first lap crash was all heart and very impressive.
Crazy to think the two riders who have delivered the Pro Circuit Kawi teams' best moments the last couple of years, Shimoda and Cameron McAdoo, were both riders who had to try out for their rides and were given the spots late in the year. Mitch Payton’s got to be happy and thankful at the same time.
Hey man, shit happens sometimes in the sport. As a former mechanic, I’m surprised more shit doesn’t happen in our sport when it comes to the motorcycles. There’s a lot of moving parts there and pressure, heat, and friction all come into play big time as the riders push the bike to new levels. Well, Jett Lawrence found that out this weekend when his bike blew up in moto one. And Hunter indicated that his motor was seeming to go also so he backed it down a bit. The Jett did what he had to do to win moto two and grab some points back from his brother but hey, all things considered, he’s not far down in the points at all. This is what happens when you’ve been so good to start the season.
Honda changed out Hunter’s motor for moto 2 as well and he and his brother put on another show out there for half the race before, well I don’t know, because in two laps Hunter went from 2:04’s to 2:08’s. That was enough for his brother to stretch out the lead big time. That was weird.
We had Stilez Robertson on the Pulpmx Show the other day and he’s been quietly pretty solid this outdoor season, but things got a little less quiet with his first career podium in motocross this past weekend. Since turning pro, he’s been unable to complete a full series due to injury and he seemed to understand this. He mentioned that he really wanted to be there all the way to the end of this national series and that if it comes to backing it down a bit if he’s not comfortable, he’ll do that. He’s a good starter, he seems to have everything down that he needs and this weekend, he didn’t look out of place at all running up front. He’s also going to Star Yamaha for 2023 and we know that’s a better bike than the KTM platform, so it’ll be interesting to see if he takes that next step up.
Also, in talking to Stilez, you could hear the appreciation in his voice for someone like Mike Brown, who’s the trainer over there for the 250 at the Baker’s Factory. Sometimes kids don’t really understand or respect the older rider’s careers in our sport but Robertson seemed to know just how much of a bad dude Brownie was back in the day.
-Max Anstie came back to racing with his new Firepower Honda team and looked prime to put in a good top ten finish in moto one when his bike broke. The team tried to fix the issue for moto two but was unable to and Max went DNF-DNF on the day, which had to suck for both him and the team. Good speed though for a bit and he’ll be a factor going forward in the 450MX class.
-In talking to Ryan Dungey, I asked him about practicing and training up in Minnesota as opposed to being back at the GOAT Farm back in the day and he admitted that it would be beneficial to have someone to ride with either to chase or he even said, someone to base himself off of in terms of lapping them. Just someone to keep him pushing while he’s out there. Dungey did think that the tracks he’s been riding at are good enough and national caliber-ish enough to get good sessions in.
-We’ll get there when it’s time! Well, it was time for amateur star Ryder DiFrancesco, who was dipping his toes in the pro ranks before he goes to Loretta’s. And I’d say he did a pretty good job! He crashed in the first turn of the first moto and came all the way from last to 14th. In the second moto he holeshot and didn’t look out of place out there early on. Yes, he faded back but still, good showing for the kid. What I find strange is that the PC Kawasaki team is full next year, so it seems like Ryder D is riding for a spot on another OEM in 2023. I just figured he was yet another kid who had a deal that took him through pro but nope.
-Only 250F’s I saw clear The Leap were all on Star Yamaha’s. Not a surprise. I do wish that it would be a bit easier. To me a perfect balance for the leap is have three-quarters of the 450 class do it and let’s say 15 or so guys in the 250 class jump it. Last couple of years it’s been tough.
-Tough break for Christian Craig as he rode much better this week than we saw at High Point (first moto he was moving on up like the Jeffersons) but went 5-6 for…8th overall!! Well, if that’s not a kick in the gonads, right?
-Anyone know if aliens kidnapped Justin Cooper and if so, when do they return him? Weird season, struggled at Pala (understandable), then he was his usual self again and now the last two weeks, he's been a different guy out there.
-RM ARMY BABY!!!! Marshal Weltin got out of his van and off the privateer GasGas and got a shot with the Twisted Tea HEP guys and has been getting better and better on the RMZ. This week he got tenth overall on his home track, shot-gunned a Twisted Tea after the race, and probably took home a trophy girl also. What a weekend for Weltin! Billy Grotto would be stoked.
-RJ “Vampire” Hampshire, a former winner at Redbud, looked good in both motos and might’ve had enough to challenge a Lawrence but first lap positions of 12 and 33 really did him in. He does get the award for most riders passed though! I’m sure that means a ton to him. Fourth overall on the day for Rick.
-Seth Hammaker’s entire day was changed by him crashing in the third turn in moto two when he was leading. Like, oh what could’ve been. He got 15th from last after another strong moto one. Hammaker’s been the best guy in the 250’s that nobody is talking about. Take away his two crappy motos (one this weekend and one at Lakewood when he torpedoed Thrasher and my fantasy team) and he’d be close to fourth in the points. And another key for him is he’s been able to stay healthy. 2023 might be the year of the Hamm.
-Speaking of kids, both Matt LeBlanc and Nick Romano have been pretty much non-factors lately with finishes well outside the top ten. I’m not writing them off by any means but the guys at Star I’m sure would like more flash from them here and there. That’s the thing with the outdoor nationals, they take so much out of you and it's week in and week out. Add in the during-the-week-work and the grind is real. I’m sure they’re both feeling that right now.
-I’m sure Jalek Swoll can attest to the above. He’s not in a good spot these days with injuries, crashes, and just not riding well has got to be frustrating to him and his team.
-First to seventh for Roczen in the second moto is definitely a warning sign for us, Honda, and the fans, right? Like, this is stuff we’ve seen before from him and as always with Ken, his physical well-being has to be questioned. Big race for him this weekend at Southwick, got to see him bounce back, right?
-Poor Troll Train. He had his best qualifying on a track that “we” usually do well at. Then a fall early in the first moto sent him from 35th to 15th while second moto “we” were set for our best finish ever in 450MX when “we” fell and had to get another 15th. Poor Troll, poor Kelsie, and poor Dave the cat.
-Team Pulpmx rider Enzo Lopes made his return to the outdoor series with his first national since 2018 when he was on JGR Suzuki! Enzo was also dealing with his massive hematoma thing on his thigh that was all disgusting from a crash earlier in the week, but he soldiered out there for points in both motos. He was also telling me outdoors aren't as fun as supercross. Breaking news!
-Ty Masterpool showed up and did such a Ty Masterpool thing in that on a privateer bike he went out there and went 8-8 and even led two laps in moto two. Fired from Team AEO earlier, Masterpool’s career path has been a weird one for sure and now, we wait and see if he shows up at Southwick or we don’t see him again. I don’t know, someone needs to see if he sees his shadow at the test track this week and we’ll know what he’s going to do.
-Speaking of comebacks, Mumfy came back! Carson Mumford ran up there in the second moto for the Bar-X team before dropping back a bit. It’s his first national of the year so he’ll get better. Poor Larry Brooks over there, he’s just dying to get a result, anything at all, to keep justifying going to these races.
Thanks for reading, good times at Redbud, and Southwick is coming up, and that should be a great race. If you see JoJo Keller there, tell him I said hi. Email me at matthes@racerxonline.com if you want to chat about this or anything else.