Orlando! We were back to where the series opened up for a couple of years. In fact until this year, the last time SX opened up somewhere other than California was in Orlando in 1996. So this stadium is familiar to the sport, bit it looks like it got some upgrades since the last time we were there, in 2007. Well, except for the press box roof because it was leaking pretty badly from the rain. Luckily the press box is so empty you set off a cannon up there and not hit anyone.
Speaking of rain, I thought it was gonna be a mudder because as most of us saw on social media, it poured down in the morning. But the track was covered, and I guess later we narrowly avoided another storm. So it was greasy for one session but after that the track really came around! In fact, it was mint for the night show. That was cool.
The big hook was that this track used the same layout as Orlando 2007, the last supercross race ever for Ricky Carmichael. I mean, sure. Yay for everyone buying that one and it’s cute and all, but to me, this was no big deal. There was a wall in there that wasn’t there in 2007, the whoops were nastier than in 2007, the guys weren’t doing the same stuff because… wait for it…it’s impossible to make a track identical track due to the nature of building a supercross track. Angels, dirt and all that stuff is gonna change. So, yeah, whatever.
This wasn’t “the same track” RC and Stew battled on in ’07. Sorry to be a dream killer, everyone.
Let’s get into the results, yeah?
250SX Results
1st | #18 Jett Lawrence | Wesley Chapel, FL | Honda CRF250R
THE JETT told me after the race that his shoulder isn’t near 100 percent, which I think is showing. That could also be why he didn’t look nearly as “spazzy” as usual. This was a more in-control JETT than we’ve seen recently. He did have a couple of bobbles but he showed maturity grabbing his second career win. Also, I like the look of his bike and gear and stuff. I would order some merch from his website to support him but I haven’t even gotten my free donut socks I was promised soooooo…
2nd | #64 Colt Nichols | Murrieta, CA | Yamaha YZ250F
Colt, I think, was better than THE JETT on 90 percent of the track in the main and reeled him in more than a few times. However, the 10 percent where he was not as good as THE JETT were the whoops, and Colt wasn’t good there at all. To me it seemed like he was okay in the whoops for four or five minutes, then something in his line changed and he couldn’t get them down again. Every lap, he would lose a ton of time to THE JETT in that one section. Still, he put points on Christian Craig and that’s all that counts at this point.
3rd | #29 Christian Craig | Temecula, CA | Yamaha YZ250F
Wow, it’s weird to see Craig make a mistake and crash, right? Also, he made a timing mistake off the triple, which is doubly weird for a rider who’s almost perfect to the point where it costs him sometimes. Well, he had to ride the LCQ to make the main and then from there he was probably shot up with enough painkillers to numb an elephant and rode steady to a third. That’s great, but only lost two points and is eight points down with two races to go.
4th | #30 Jo Shimoda | Menifee, CA | Kawasaki KX250
Shimoda had no chance to back up his podium from last week because he didn’t start with the top three so therefore, he couldn’t do much. He mostly rode by himself. Earlier in the season Jo said in a press conference that he doesn’t really talk to Mitch Payton, instead he talks to his mechanic and the mechanic talks to Mitch. Probably tough love over there from the boss. So after a few solid races this year, can we get an update on whether he’s been speaking to Mitch directly now?
5th | #49 Mitchell Oldenburg | Aledo, TX | Honda CRF250R
Freckle was steady. I didn’t notice him that much but that’s a good thing, seeing as how sometimes Mitchell does things that REALLY get your attention, and not in a good way. I talked to his team owner, Yarrive Konsky, before the night show for a while. Good bloke, that one.
6th | #241 Joshua Varize | Perris, CA | KTM 250 SX-F
Varize caught my eye early on when he was one of the first privateer dudes who went 3-3-3 in the section after the first turn. That kind of stuff is key for riders on this level. Once they have something down, they move onto being fast somewhere else. They’re just graduating the track quicker than the riders around them. Anyway, just something I saw and Josh had a good night. By the way, he’s eighth in the points, in case you didn’t notice.
7th | #85 Kevin Moranz | Topeka, KS | KTM 250 SX-F
Great work by Moranz here to get another top ten. He’s in a fight with Grant Harlan seemingly every week, and in the points also.
8th | #95 Joshua Osby | Valparaiso, IN | Honda CRF250R
Osby’s got to be bummed. He was way back early on and rode well to get this finish but with all the injuries, I think he should be right around Oldenburg every week, and I’m sure he feels that way too. He’s definitely not taken advantage of the lack of depth like he should have.
9th | #193 Hunter Schlosser | El Paso, TX | Yamaha YZ250F
Great work for pure privateer Schlosser. Like, there are privateers like Logan Karnow who are on teams and stuff, but I believe Hunter is out of his van or truck or something. Also, last week I picked him in PulpMX Fantasy and he had a bike issue in the main and sucked. This week he crushes it! Welcome to my PulpMX Fantasy season!
10th | #88 Logan Karnow | Amherst, OH | Kawasaki KX250
Karnow was good again. It’s funny how often a guy like him becomes a solid pick no matter where they start. He can move up pretty easily when he needs to. Unlike Osby, he’s taking advantage of the lack of depth to open some eyes. He’s going to be riding the 450 during the 250SX West Region races because, yeah, why not? All these guys should do that.
11th | #170 Devin Simonson | Laurinburg, NC | Kawasaki KX250
Simonson is loose out on the track. Then again, 68 percent of this class could be considered “loose” I suppose.
12th | #125 Luke Neese | Jamestown, NC | Kawasaki KX250
Neese rode great in his heat to come from way outside the top nine to make it in rather easily. He was impressive out there.
13th | #124 Lane Shaw | Alvin, TX | KTM 250 SX-F
Shaw has been hot and cold this year, maybe he’s battling an injury of some sort or something. This weekend it was “good” Lane Shaw right from the first time he hit the track. Where have his starts gone though? He was pulling them at Indy pretty well.
14th | #773 Thomas Do | Murrieta, CA | KTM 250 SX-F
Do definitely didn’t do what he normally does, that’s for sure.
15th | #509 Alexander Nagy | Richmond, IL | KTM 250 SX-F
NAGY DID IT!! After 118 night show races (most of those in the 450 class), Nagy made his first ever main event. I’ve interviewed Nagy a few times for my Privateer Island podcast and he’s always an interesting guy. He slept in his van in Indy (using four sleeping bags!) and again this weekend. He’s a hardcore privateer dude all the way. Check out my hilarious interview with him.
16th | #76 Grant Harlan | Justin, TX | Honda CRF250R
Harlan was going for the pass on Karnow (my guy in PulpMX Fantasy) when he went down in the whoops. It looked like it hurt.
17th | #441 Scott Meshey | Zephyrhills, FL | Husqvarna FC 250
I thought Meshey was gonna get tuned up by Devin Harriman in the LCQ because I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a rider struggle like Scott in whoops and STILL make a main event. I thought that would be the opening Harriman needed but nope.
18th | #185 Wilson Fleming | Jacksonville, FL | Honda CRF250R
I didn’t notice Fleming much out there.
19th | #162 Maxwell Sanford | Pasadena, MD | Honda CRF250R
Sanford was another guy who caught my eye early as he seemed to get the jumps down pat early. He also got a great start in his heat.
20th | #384 Lorenzo Camporese | Campodarsego, Italy | Kawasaki KX250
Lorenzo doesn’t seem to have much luck in the mains. He rides well to get into them but that’s about it.
21st | #99 Hunter Sayles | Chassell, MI | KTM 250 SX-F
I’m pretty sure Sayles missed the start completely. He’s not on the lap charts and he was two laps down two laps into the race. So maybe his bike didn’t start or something, I’m not sure. I’m also pretty sure you can’t join the race once you’re down a lap but the AMA will always be the AMA, and that you can take to the bank.
22nd | #122 Jeremy Hand | Mantua, OH | Honda CRF250R
Hand crashed hard I guess. I hope he’s okay.
450SX Results
1st | #2 Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | KTM 450 SX-F
Great race for Webb, and one he needed in order to stop this #94 [Ken Roczen] guy from really getting on a roll. I’ve seen this stuff before with any number of the greats. They become more and more like Superman with each win so you gotta get in there and beat ’em straight up, which is what Webb did. BTW, I can’t keep up on the air shock versus spring shock for Webb and all the WP guys so don’t ask me what he’s running. I did hear the production KTM’s will come with an air shock.
2nd | #94 Ken Roczen | Clermont, FL | Honda CRF450R
Yeah, the #94 lost three points to Webb, who is second in points, but he still rode very well. And he got the start. Again. Roczen was right there the whole time and if he hadn’t gotten caught up with Justin Brayton and managed to stay in front, then I think he would’ve won his fourth in a row. Second sucks for these guys but it shouldn’t.
3rd | #16 Zach Osborne | Clermont, FL | Husqvarna FC 450
After all the things that’ve happened to Wacko this year, hitting the gate, crashing while catching the leader, spazzing out off the starts, it was nice to see him get rewarded when someone else made a mistake. It’s kind of the same story last week with Marvin Musquin, who got third when Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac went down with Friese. Marvin was owed a break, and so was Zacho. Zach told me that he has a new start technique that he tried out for the main last night. I mean, I guess you want to try something new for the first time on the line for a main? I dunno bro, riders. Anyway, it worked!!!
4th | #51 Justin Barcia | Greenville, FL | GasGas MC 450F
Bam was looking good for a podium and just like the last few weeks, he refused to jump the whoops. Barcia is a skimmer, man, he wasn’t born to run like Bruce, he was born to skim! But this caught up with him as he made a big mistake and Osborne got by late for the last spot on the box. He finally started jumping the whoops after that.
5th | #1 Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | Kawasaki KX450
Tomac was on it as soon as he got clear of the first-lap traffic. He was gaining on the #51/#16 battle enough that I thought he may get them at some point. Then he hit the wall or something and stopped making up any ground on the group. In fact, Anderson was catching him as well. Maybe the effort he put in on the early laps caught up to him a bit? Starts, starts, starts, and more starts have been the issue more weekends than not for ET.
6th | #7 Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | Yamaha YZ450F
AP was really good in Orlando. Like, maybe the best 450SX race he’s had. Seriously. He moved up, charged hard, and looked to be going as fast as he ever has, if not faster. Bravo to AP.
7th | #25 Marvin Musquin | Corona, CA | KTM 450 SX-F
Marv’s had a strange year. Usually he’s raining down podiums on everyone, but he’s been all over the map in 2021. Last week he got third, this week he was last again off the start. He’s ridden hard, he’s looked good, but things just aren’t working out. Mostly it can all be traced back to his starts. If he got a start, he could go the pace, I have no doubt.
8th | #21 Jason Anderson | Rio Rancho, NM | Husqvarna FC 450
Anderson was catching Tomac in the main event and I thought he might get him at one point. He went down with a lapped rider which ruined his chances of a great finish but he looked spicy all day long, maybe the best we’ve seen him this year.
9th | #27 Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, FL | Yamaha YZ450F
Mookie had another weird moment where I thought something was wrong with his bike for a rhythm lane or two. He was sort of not trying and rolling stuff. Then he got back on the gas and took off again! He did this before in Houston at some point also.
10th | #9 Adam Cianciarulo | New Smyrna Beach, FL | Kawasaki KX450
AC’s probably not very happy these days, he’s just “a guy” out there right now which as we know, isn’t what he wants to be. A small injury to his leg (or leg muscle) makes it hard for him to hold onto the bike right now and I’m sure he’s not able to practice like he wants to, either.
11th | #10 Justin Brayton | Charlotte, NC | Honda CRF450R
JB10 led a couple of laps! That was cool! He also had a front brake issue and that wasn’t cool. He had to race his practice bike because of some issues getting a motor so that wasn’t ideal. I thought this was a Brayton type of track during the day but he never seemed to get comfy on it.
12th | #15 Dean Wilson | Murrieta, CA | Husqvarna FC 450
Wilson, nursing an injury, had to go to the LCQ, which is never great when you’re nursing an injury. After his LCQ win he said on the podium that more track time is a good thing, which is the sort of thing riders say when they’re nursing an injury but want to talk themselves into something positive.
13th | #17 Joey Savatgy | Clermont, FL | KTM 450 SX-F
Savatgy’s main was going well, he looked as good as ever, and then he crashed. Bummer for him but you’ve got to trust the process here and know that he was good. Trust me. By the way, I saw a save by Joey on the team film that’s UNBELIVEABLE. In the whoops when he was behind Barcia…I don’t know how he saved it.
14th | #37 Benny Bloss | Oak Grove, MO | Honda CRF450R
Bloss had maybe his most complete main event of the season. Maybe he has placed better, maybe he has ridden better but in Orlando, he moved forward, he was (shocker!) good in the whoops, and he looked impressive. He needs more of these for sure.
15th | #40 Vince Friese | Menifee, CA | Honda CRF450R
Vince was NOT going to be a problem for the riders lapping him this week. He moved all over the place to get out of the way. Sometimes it was comical how much he was moving to make sure he didn’t hold anyone up. By the way, when Barcia was behind him in the heat race, did anyone NOT think Vince was about to be sent into row F by the #51?
16th | #36 Martin Davalos | Tallahassee, FL | KTM 450 SX-F
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Marty was fast all day but a crash early in the race had him coming back from last. He got all the way close to the top ten in a great ride when he…wait for it…crashed again.
17th | #12 Shane McElrath | Canyon Lake, CA | Honda CRF450R
Sugar Shane was back! He holeshot and led Tomac in the heat race! For a while! That had to be cool for him and the team, right? In the main event he looked a bit tired out there at times and he crashed also, which didn’t help things. Still, good start for #12.
18th | #19 Justin Bogle | Edmond, OK | KTM 450 SX-F
Bogle crashed out there at some point but I didn’t see it. He’s moving to Florida to do his training and riding at Chad Reed’s old place with Savatgy, the Lawrence brothers, and more. It’s a big change for him for sure, we’ll see if it works.
19th | #11 Kyle Chisholm | Valrico, FL | Yamaha YZ450F
With Broc Tickle missing the main (not something I expect to see happen), McElrath back, Max Anstie coming back, it’ going to be harder and harder for Chiz to Chiz. Who am I kidding? Chiz will always Chiz!
20th | #81 Justin Starling | Deland, FL | KTM 450 SX-F
Starling got a start! He’s looked better in the last 3-4 races but hasn’t been able to get any starts at all but this week, they were there!
21st | #43 Fredrik Noren | Indian Trail, NC | Kawasaki KX450
Yay for Freddie making the main! That’s awesome. It’s also going to be very hard for Fast Freddie to do a 20-minute main event on a beat down track without making a mistake. And yup, sure enough I saw his bike flipping late in the main event. I think he was okay though.
22nd | #14 Dylan Ferrandis | Lake Elsinore, CA | Yamaha YZ450F
Dylan went down and got hit by AC in the main event but by all accounts is fine.
Thanks for reading OBS! Email me at matthes@racerxonline.com if you want to chat about this race or anything else.