Welcome to Racerhead on what’s been a busy day here at High Point Raceway. The severe rain late yesterday drowned out any chance to have amateurs out on the track, as the track needs all the prep it can get for tomorrow’s fourth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. It’s the 40th running of the Red Bull High Point National, and all kinds of old industry friends, former riders, and longtime fans are here to help celebrate the big birthday. And it’s Father’s Day Weekend, which only adds more layers of meaning and memories into the mix.
My dad started this track in the fall of 1976, when brothers Jack and Carroll Holbert invited him out to the Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, farm to see where their five boys—Bobby, David, Mike, Steve, and Tommy—rode their motorcycles. Set in a valley that felt like a natural amphitheater, with great soil and plenty of room for parking—and near hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia—he immediately knew the farm would make a great motocross track, and he and my mom organized their first race here that fall. Having held outdoor nationals at Appalachia Lake (’74-’75) and Keyser’s Ridge (’76), he was able to secure a date for the first High Point National on the 1977 AMA Motocross schedule. The fans came out in droves, and High Point became a staple on the schedule, thanks to the very loyal fans who come out each year, rain or shine.
Over the years, much has changed, though some of the original elements of the track, which was actually laid out by Maico factory team riders from Europe who were traveling the old Trans-AMA Series in the fall of ’76, are still there, including the start. But as bikes have changed, riding styles have evolved, and spectator and TV expectations have grown, it’s a much different place than it was back at that first High Point National, which was won by Tony DiStefano, a Pennsylvanian himself. But I’m sure my dad would approve—he left us with a pretty good playbook when he passed away in 1998 after a long battle with leukemia. And the fact that the last 450 moto will air live on NBC would make him smile even more.
I was too young to be a flagger at that first High Point National, but I distinctly remember picking up rocks off the track before the big race (and forty years later, I was doing the exact same thing this morning, because a few of the one hundred loads of sand and topsoil we brought in last week wasn’t the good stuff). I remember seeing my hero Marty Smith almost loop out on the last lap and lose the lead to Tony D. I remember there being enough people there to have it be a successful event for my parents, and I remember my dad letting my brother and me come out the next day to ride the track with all of the pro ruts—after we helped pick up the garbage!
Father’s Day means different things for everyone in motocross, but most of us probably have great memories of growing up going to races with our dads and moms, just like Ryan Dowd is today—his dad, John, drove the family truckster down from Chicopee, Massachusetts, to race this weekend. For those of us who have lost our dads, it can be a little sad, but also filled with great memories. Thanks, Dad, and happy birthday, High Point.
Before we get into the rest of Racerhead, we’re sad to report the passing of two motocross friends. Darlene Bailey, the mother of four-time AMA SX/MX Champion David Bailey, and John Turpin, the father of 125 SX Champion Keith Turpin, each passed away earlier this week. Darlene worked alongside her then-husband Gary for many years, whether at his motocross schools or their Lake Sugar Tree racetrack in Axton, Virginia. David was riding Kawasakis in 1980 as a pre-Team Green support rider when the company signed Keith Turpin, a minicycle prodigy from Georgia. Both David Bailey and Keith Turpin went on to successful careers as racers, and Darlene Bailey and John Turpin were a big part of their successes. Godspeed to Darlene. Godspeed to Mr. Turpin.
How to Watch
Round 4 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship takes place this Saturday, June 18, in Mt. Morris, PA. Action kicks off at 10:00 a.m. ET on ProMotocross.com.
MAVTV will carry the first motos live at 1 p.m. ET. NBC will air the second 450 moto live at 3:00 p.m. ET. NBCSN will air the second 250 moto live at 4 p.m. ET. You can also watch action on ProMotocross.com.
If you miss a race, full replays will be archived on ProMotocross.com throughout the season.
Pro Perspective (David Pingree and Jason Thomas)
Ping: As we head back east, the weather will begin to play a bigger role in the series. Rain becomes a very real factor on any given weekend, and the heat and humidity can be the deciding factor in a race. With most of the remaining rounds in this environment, how important is it to base yourself on the East Coast for the summer? Well, it takes your body a minimum of seven days to acclimate to a different climate and function efficiently in it. Humidity significantly decreases your body’s ability to cool itself, which is the equivalent of driving your car without coolant. How important is that? If you don’t have kids, there is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t be staying somewhere on the East Coast between now and the end of August. Those with kids have more ties to their home, but their results will suffer. Back in the pre-RC days, all the top riders stayed in California. And just like partying at Havasu, as long as your competition was there with you, there was nothing to worry about. Now you have most riders capable of winning championships based out of the East Coast. It’s a major advantage in the summer, and there are plenty of tracks and facilities to support it now.
JT: Heat. Humidity. American outdoor motocross. Those three things just go together like Matthes and cargo shorts. For those who haven't been on the East Coast preparing, it can and will be quite a shock when we run into a hot summer day. Dehydration is a nasty bit of business when it catches up to you. The "shock" of a climate change will have the unprepared struggling mightily, while those who have been suffering midweek will excel. I can remember passing riders clearly faster than me late in the motos, and it was due to nothing other than the heat's power to equalize the field. The only way to be ready is to live and train where the heat is turned up to a boil. As they say, you can suffer during the week or you can suffer on race day, but you're going to suffer at some point.
Quick news and notes (Chase Stallo)
- Honda HRC announced yesterday that Trey Canard would miss High Point after crashing at his home in Oklahoma earlier this week. According to the team, Canard has a bulging disk in his back as a result of the crash and will be evaluated weekly. There is no timetable on his return.
- Yoshimura Suzuki hopes to have both Blake Baggett and James Stewart back from shoulder injuries next weekend for Round 5 in Tennessee. In the meantime, Matt Bisceglia will continue his fill-in roll with the team at High Point.
- Davey Coombs celebrated 40 years of American Motocross at High Point by looking back at some of the best moments from the race.
- Want a racer’s take on the first three rounds? We dialed in the injured Will Hahn and asked him his thoughts on the season so far.
- What mark did Ryan Villopoto leave on his fellow competitors? We asked a few.
- Looking for things to do in Morgantown while you’re visiting for Pro Motocross? Check out our handy guide.
- Quote of the week: "I'm confident enough to know I might have to get my ass kicked now to benefit me later. As long as I continue making forward progress I'll be happy." Adam Cianciarulo
Savatgy's Big Chance (Andras Hegyi)
Four of the top five positions in the 250 class are occupied by Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha riders. Jeremy and Alex Martin, Cooper Webb and Aaron Plessinger sit second, third, fourth and fifth in points. But the red plate belongs to Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy. Savatgy is hoping to join a long legacy at Kawasaki and Pro Circuit.
In the 125/250 class, Kawasaki is the most successful brand, while Pro Circuit is the most successful team. The combo last won the supercross title in 2011 and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross title in 2012. Recently, Honda, Yamaha, and KTM have ruled, but this year Kawasaki is back. In 250 West Region supercross, Savatgy lost the title by only a single point. He has remained the team leader in the 250 Nationals, leading the overall after three rounds—the first time since 2012 that Kawasaki has held red plate in the 250 Nationals.
This is the twelfth season in which a rider has begun with two wins and a non-podium result in the first three rounds, and only three of those riders went on to win titles: Ron Lechien in 1985, James Stewart in 2002, and Jeremy Martin in 2015.
Red-Hot Roczen (Andras Hegyi)
Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/RCH Racing Suzuki's Ken Roczen is doing exactly what he did in the 2014 season: win two of the first three rounds and finish second in the other. After such a solid start, the majority of riders who have started that well became champions in the premier class.
This is the eleventh year in which a rider began with two victories and a second in the first three rounds; only once has a rider not won the championship after such a start. Kent Howerton (1981), Jeff Ward (’85, ’88), Jeff Stanton (’89), Mike Kiedrowski (’93), Mike LaRocco (’94), Jeff Emig (’97), Ricky Carmichael (’06), and Roczen himself (’14) all became champions. Mike Alessi crashed while practicing before the fourth round at High Point in 2009 and shattered his kneecap.
Random Notes
We’re giving away a Racer X Brand prize pack to a lucky winner at High Point this weekend. How do you enter? Just come to our booth in Sponsor Village wearing your favorite Racer X shirt (or buy a new favorite), fill out an entry form, and come back when we announce the winner at 12:15pm. You have to be present to win!
The Racer X prize pack includes:
(2) Shirts of your choice
(2) Hats of your choice
(4) Koozies
(2) Trailer stickers
Stay hydrated this summer with a Racer X stainless steel water bottle. Just stop by the Racer X booth in Sponsor Village to subscribe or renew and get 13 issues of Racer X Illustrated plus a Racer X water bottle for just $20!
Don't forget stickers are always free at Racer X! Be sure to stop by and get your 2016 High Point event sticker.
Headed to High Point? Don't miss your chance to spend all day in the pro pits with the Racer X All-Day Pit Pass!
For $50, you get 13 issues of Racer X Illustrated plus an all-day pit pass. If you're buying more than one pass you can get a multi-year subscription, or you can give the subscription as a gift. This offer is good for both new and renewing subscribers.
Quantities are limited, so stop by the Racer X Pit Pass booth Saturday morning if you haven't pre-ordered yours yet.
Sorry Racerhead was so short this week—it’s been a long week of extra duty out here helping get High Point in shape for it’s 40th. Thanks for reading Racerhead, happy Father’s Day to my fellow dads, and see you at the races.