Racerhead #32

Welcome to Racerhead, coming to you from the busiest place in the motocross world right now, Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Of course we’re the 35th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, which is running right over my shoulder and outside the MX Sports office trailer window. The place is jam-packed with riders, families, industry, fans, and more race officials and promoters than you’ll probably ever see at one racetrack (the AMA holds an annual cookout for all of the Area and Regional event promoters who make up the Loretta Lynn program, and this time they did it at Loretta’s actual house). It’s been a great, challenging week of racing, as the rains hit hard late Monday afternoon, just as practice was ending, and kept coming through Thursday morning. Jeff Russell and track builder Randy Poulter and a big crew of dozer and tractor operators did the best they could despite some astonishingly heavy cloudbursts at times, but a Vet moto just finished moments ago and I overheard Barry Carsten say over the PA, “You guys who get to race today are going to love this track—it’s awesome right now.” He might have added “and mighty rough,” because all the sand and sawdust we brought in before the event has made this the roughest Loretta Lynn’s I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to all 35 of them.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the track right now, check out the live (and free) online stream right here from Racer TV. You can also view results here.

I’ve been incredibly busy, working down here for the past dozen days, and I will admit I am anxious to get home—though I was lucky enough to have my children, Vance and Sloane, here all week, and they’ve been having a work/play vacation before going back to school soon. Sloane even worked on the podium, handing out medals to folks like Arik Swan, who’s been winning the Vet +30 motos while wearing a gray button-down polo shirt! He apparently said on the podium at one point that he wasn’t wearing a motocross jersey until someone gave him one.

The week started with a surprise appearance at the riders’ meeting by Loretta Lynn herself, who said, “Y’all been coming here for 35 years, and I’m looking forward to 35 more!” Loretta has watched three generations of motocrossers come through here, from Ronnie Lechien to Austin Forkner, who won the 250 B Class last year and was back now as a professional contender for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki—and just won the second moto at Washougal!

There are some real standout kids out there, and some are having great weeks—and also bad weeks, like Matthew LeBlanc, who did not get to start his first moto after a breakdown on the sighting lap of his first 85cc (9-11) moto, although he won the second. Fortunately, he won both motos in his other class and is looking good. The Masterpool brothers, Jake and Tye, are always fast, as are Jett Reynolds, Ryder DiFrancesco, Hunter Yoder, Nic Romano, Jordan Biese, Nathan Thrasher, Honda CRF150 rider Carson Mumford, Husqvarna 125cc riders Jalek Swoll and Carson Brown, TLD KTM’s Mitchell Falk, Super Mini speedsters Seth Hammaker, Lance Kobusch, and Jarrett Frye, Georgia’s Crockett Myers, KTM’s Derek Drake and Pierce Brown, Schoolboys Garrett Marchbanks and Jordan Bailey, soon-to-be-pros Chase Sexton, Bradley Taft and Cameron McAdoo, and really, really fast girls Brady Richards, Hannah Hodges, Kaitlyn Morrow, Kyle Fasnacht, Jordan Jarvis, Jazzmyn Canfield, Brandy Richards, and more.

And then there are the kids I honestly don't think I've ever heard of, or maybe noticed, and was just blown away by their speed. Kids like North Carolina’s Daxton Bennick, Michigan’s Cole Gish, Pennsylvania’s Seth Hammaker, California’s Dilan Schwartz and Joe Shimoda, Oregon’s Max Miller, and Louisiana’s Wyatt Fontenot, who won the second 450 B moto on a completely stock Honda!

Second-generation contenders were here too. Max Vohland (a top 85cc contender) Evan Ferry (65cc), and Ryan Surratt (who just won his fourth title here) are here, and what’s cool is Surratt—son of former 125 West Region Supercross Champion Willie—was the first rider on the track in the first practice on Monday morning, and now he’s just been crowned champion at the end of the week in the College group (16-24) on a Honda.

Longtime professional racer Michael Byrne is here for the first time as a racer, and each of his first two motos were total mudders! “Where is the sunshine? Where is all the heat?” he asked me when I saw him cruising through the campground on a mountain bike. Byrne finally got a dry moto this morning, and he’s leading as I type this. [Ed Note: He ended up winning.]

The bigger stories in the +25 Class are the return of Sick Recovery-backed Austin Stroupe (who won the first moto and had a huge smile on his face on the podium, only to crash out of the second muddy moto) and Robbie Reynard, who is riding a Yamaha YZ125 and actually won the second muddy moto after a nearly dead-last start. He’s in the driver’s seat for the title, too, and he’s a fan favorite on that 125 for sure. He just went from eighteenth to seventh on the first lap of the third and final moto and is moving up methodically.

Other past and current pros were here throughout the week visiting. Chad Reed and Cooper Webb were introduced last night as the new Monster Energy Yamaha 450 team for the 2017 AMA Supercross/Motocross Championship (Reed will be supercross-only), and TLD KTM’s Shane McElrath is actually announcing the +25 moto with NBC Sports MX host Jason Weigandt. Malcolm Stewart has been here all week, helping out some younger riders and hanging with his family—his mother, Sonya, celebrated her 50th birthday on Wednesday night. And team managers and trainers like Nathan Ramsey, Mike LaRocco, Tyler Keefe, Sebastien Tortelli, Gareth Swanepoel, Aaron Plessinger, Mike Alessi, Jessica Patterson and many more are milling around, checking out the kids and enjoying their return to the ranch. Like I’ve said many times before, Loretta Lynn’s is a homecoming race for everyone. 

Oh man! Reynard’s bike just seized, and now it looks like a class that featured Byrne, Stroupe, and Reynard in its lineup—as well as the Donald Trump-graphics of Chad Ward—will be won by New York vet Michael Stryker!

I also spotted and talked to several team owners who were here to scout some new talent, including Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Mitch Payton, Star Racing’s Bobby Reagan, Tony Alessi and Mike Genova of MotoConcepts and Factory Connection (GEICO Honda’s) Rick Zielfelder. Ziggy was here several days before the race, actually, and he will soon have Chase Sexton under his tent.

MX Sports Pro Racing’s Roy Janson and Jeff Canfield held an orientation meeting for future professional riders and their parents under the Suzuki tent, and none other than Ricky Carmichael stopped by to talk to all of the prospects and their families about what they might expect when they turn pro, like how USADA drug testing works, as well our ImPACT concussion testing protocol.

Add it all up and Loretta Lynn’s is a great big race, but it’s also part-reunion, part-vacation, part-graduation (literally, as Andrea Leib was on hand to have a graduation ceremony for all of the On Track Learning Solutions student), part-homecoming, part-combine, and all fun. There are dinners by race teams and new-product intros every night, and endless golf cart and pit vehicle traffic, everyone just cruising around and checking it all out. It’s the best week you will ever spend at a motocross track, though for me it’s the busiest, and they’re calling me back out to the infield right now! Back to the grind, and see you at the races. Here’s the rest of Racerhead.

Tyler Bowers Out at Pro Circuit (Chase Stallo)

In an interview with Transworld Motocross earlier this week, Tyler Bowers said he has been informed he will not return to Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki in 2017.

“I was actually just informed that Pro Circuit has four guys on their roster for next year and I’m not one of them. I’m a little bummed about that,” he told Transworld. “I’ve been benched and now they’re getting rid of me, so my goal now is to put in some good rides on this 450. Who knows… Maybe next time you see me I’ll be a plumber or something like that (laughs).”

Bowers joined Pro Circuit in 2015 after winning four straight Amsoil Arenacross Championships with Monster Energy/Babbitt’s Kawasaki. In his two seasons with the team, Bowers collected three podiums in Monster Energy Supercross.

Bowers is currently filling in for the injured Josh Grant in the 450 Class with Monster Energy Kawasaki.

News and Notes (Chase Stallo)

Although we are in the midst of a two-week break in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, there was still plenty of news this week.

- As expected, factory Yamaha is returning in 2017 with a lineup of Cooper Webb and Chad Reed. The announcement was made Thursday night at the Yamaha bLU cRU family dinner at the 2016 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s.

- Rockstar Energy Husqvarna announced on Tuesday that Christophe Pourcel would miss the final three rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. Pourcel sustained a non-displaced fracture of the vertebral facet in the C-6 vertebrae after a big crash in the first moto at Washougal. Although he was able to ride the second moto, finishing sixth, Pourcel was experiencing stiffness in his neck and recently visited three different specialists who diagnosed the injury. The injury will not require surgery, but he will be off the bike for the next six to eight weeks. This is the second neck injury Pourcel has sustained in 2016.

- For the third time in as many seasons, Fredrick Noren will fill in at Honda HRC. The team announced this week that Noren would replace the injured Cole Seely for the final three rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.

- Jeffrey Herlings has signed an extension with KTM that will keep the two-time MX2 champion with the team through 2020.

- Max Nagl and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna have agreed to a one-year extension that will see the German stay with the team through 2017.

- The French Motorcycle Federation announced their team for the 2016 Motocross of Nations. Defending MXGP Champion Romain Febvre will lead Team France in the MXGP Class and will be joined by Dylan Ferrandis in MX2 and Gautier Paulin in Open. Benoit Paturel has been named as a reserve rider. Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, who is currently third in 450MX points in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, has been left off the squad. France has won the last two Motocross of Nations overall titles.

- Australia and New Zealand also announced their teams for the Motocross of Nations.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

My first time at Loretta’s was in 1985 when my dad was the defending +30 champ. I went to watch and slept in a tent by the river like so many others did back in those days. I didn’t race at LL until 1991 in the 65 7-11 class and I can still remember how excited I was to go chase a national championship.

Well, that chase was a cruel joke as the elite 65 riders of the world made me look like it was my first day on a dirt bike track. I learned very quickly that Loretta’s brings the best of the best. Loretta’s is truly the pinnacle of amateur racing and always has been. If you didn’t know before you arrived, you will learn when you get there. Getting lapped by a 10-year-old may not sound like a good thing but it taught me just what it was going to take if I wanted to be a front-runner on a national stage. Loretta’s was full of lessons but that was the first and also one I used well into my pro racing career.

Anstie's Record (András Hegyi)

Great Britian’s Max Anstie is well known in the US, as he raced here between 2009 and 2013. But the son of former GP-winner Mervyn Anstie's was not a record man in the American supercross/motocross scene. But he is working toward it in the FIM World Motocross Championship. At the MXGP of Belgium at Lommel last weekend, he set a few records, with his fifth GP win of his career.

The 23-year-old obtained Husqvarna's first GP-win at Lommel, where MXGP races have been organized since 1990. With this success. Anstie has caught up with eight-time world champion Antonio Cairoli on the top of the all-time Lommel winning list—each have three. Anstie is the first rider to get three consecutive GP-wins at Lommel, one of the roughest sandy track of the world. Cairoli won in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

Anstie also set another unique record. After winning with Yamaha and Kawasaki he also got a GP-victory with Husqvarna in MX2. With this performance Anstie has become the first rider to win with three different brands in MX2, which has existed since 2004.

Moreover, Anstie has become the twenty-ninth rider to get a GP-win with on at least three different brands—among them are three Americans: Brad Lackey, Bob Moore and Tallon Vohland. France’s Yves Demaria was able to win with the most brands as the three-time world champ won with five different brands. Two-time world champ Alessandro Puzar is the most successful in the same class as the Italian had been able to win in 125cc class with four different brands.

Riders with victories with at least three different brands

Yves Demaria (French) – he won with 5 different brands (Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Husqvarna. KTM)

Stefan Everts (Belgian) – 4 (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki)

Dave Strijbos (Dutch) – 4 (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Cagiva)

Alessandro Puzar (Italian) – 4 (Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Husqvarna)

Alessio Chiodi (Italian) – 3 (Honda, Yamaha, Husqvarna)

Giuseppe Andreani (Italian) – 3 (KTM, Aprilia, Honda)

Michele Rinaldi (Italian) – 3 (TGM, Gilera, Suzuki)

Tallon Vohland (American) – 3 (Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha)

Brad Lackey (American) – 3 (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki)

Bob Moore (American) – 3 (KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Mickael Pichon (French) – 3 (Suzuki, Honda, KTM)

Gautier Paulin (French) – 3 (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda)

Ken De Dycker (Belgian) – 3 (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Roger De Coster (Belgian) – 3 (CZ, Suzuki, Honda)

Marnicq Bervoets (Belgian) – 3 (Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Harry Everts (Belgian) – 3 (Puch, Bultaco, Suzuki)

Georges Jobe (Belgian) – 3 (Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda)

Gaston Rahier (Belgian) – 3 (Suzuki, Yamaha, Gilera)

Torleif Hansen (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Yamaha)

Peter Johansson (Swedish) – 3 (Yamaha, KTM, Husqvarna)

Ake Jonsson (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Maico, Yamaha)

Hakan Carlqvist (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Yamaha, Kawasaki)

Rolf Tibblin (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Hedlund, CZ)

Sten Lundin (Swedish) – 3 (Monark, Lito, Matchless)

Tanel Leok (Estonian) – 3 (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda)

Max Nagl (German) – 3 (KTM, Honda, Husqvarna)

Gert Van Doorn (Dutch) – 3 (Suzuki, Honda, Cagiva)

Kurt Nicoll (British) – 3 (Kawasaki, Honda, KTM)

Max Anstie (British) – 3 (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Husqvarna)

Riders with victories with at least three different brands in the same category

125cc world championship
Alessandro Puzar (Italian) – he won with 4 different brands (Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Huqvarna)

Michele Rinaldi (Italian) – 3 (TGM, Gilera, Suzuki)

Alessio Chiodi (Italian) – 3 (Honda, Yamaha, Husqvarna)

Gaston Rahier (Belgian) – 3 (Suzuki, Yamaha, Gilera)

Dave Strijbos (Dutch) – 3 (Honda, Cagiva, Suzuki)

250cc
Torleif Hansen (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Yamaha)

Gert-Jan Van Doorn (Dutch) – 3 (Suzuki, Honda, Cagiva)

Stefan Everts (Belgian) – 3 (Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda)

500cc
Brad Lackey (American) – 3 (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki)

Kurt Nicoll (British) – 3 (Kawasaki, KTM, Honda)

Roger De Coster (Belgian) – 3 (CZ, Suzuki, Honda)

Sten Lundin (Swedish) – 3 (Monark, Lito, Matchless)

Rolf Tibblin (Swedish) – 3 (Husqvarna, Hedlund, CZ)

MX1
Ken De Dycker (Belgian) – 3 (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Tanel Leok (Estonian) – 3 (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda)

MX2
Max Anstie (British) – 3 (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Husqvarna)

Hey, Watch It!

Vurb Moto: Supermini 2 & Schoolboy 2 Uncut

Vurb Original: LL Wednesday

85 (9-11) Limited M1 Uncut

The Quest for the FMX Double Front Flip

Random Notes

The SMDR group in Southern Maryland will once again be offering $1,000 to each to the top 250 and 450 privateer’s at the Budds Creek National on August 20. For more information, visit smdr.org.

That’s all for this week—thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races.