Welcome to a weekend off, and it couldn’t come at a better time for a lot of folks. The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship just came off of a tough month-long run with four very difficult rounds: High Point, Florida, Southwick, and RedBud. Those races, particularly the two hot, sand races in the middle, took their toll on some more than others, and as a result Eli Tomac is now in full control of the 450 Class. Adam Cianciarulo has actually won more races than Eli (five to four) but his hold on the 250 Class lead is a little less certain, as he has an entire squadron of blue Yamahas now coming at him in the form of Dylan Ferrandis, Justin Cooper, and Colt Nichols.
Of course, Cianciarulo lost some points between motos at RedBud when the AMA officials docked him two positions for another off-track excursion like he had at Thunder Valley, only this time he didn’t slow down enough when he was out of banners and running up the side of the track. Adam and his team weren’t happy about it, and some questioned why officials picked that misadventure to penalize him, and not the one in Colorado, nor the one at Southwick where Ferrandis went over the outside edge of a steep berm, banked off another berm, and then shot back on the track. Turns out the officials did not see the Ferrandis incident, in which he got back on before he was passed by Shane McElrath, but not before privateer Stephen Czarnota unlapped himself, until afterwards. And this was not the first or even second time AC had gone out of bounds in this series. But the main problem was that he simply did not slow down enough, in the referee’s opinion, while off of the track, and that’s a no-no. Earlier in the day, a race official got clobbered by a rider who failed to slow down when he saw the wheels-on-the-ground flags waving for a downed rider and ended up in the hospital. Cianciarulo was on the gas while racing up the side of the track after the finish line at the end of the first lap, and he didn’t lose any positions, despite all of the early race traffic behind him. He was lucky that there wasn’t an official or flagger or trackside medic there or we might have had a repeat of what happened in practice.
The referee’s decision did not go over well with Adam and his team, just as his decision not to penalize Adam in Colorado did not go over well with Justin Cooper or his team. But I personally feel that the referee was correct in both cases—Adam did not deserve a penalty in Colorado because he did slow down, and he did deserve the penalty in Michigan because he did not slow down enough.
So why not just have the rule read like the old one and force riders to go back onto the track at the same spot where they came off? Because it would in many cases add to the danger. Think about AC trying to go back to where he ran off the track at RedBud, at the base of the finish line tabletop on the first lap—he very likely would have been landed on. And how could Ferrandis have ridden back up a six-foot tall sand berm in traffic and restarted? There are also TV cables all over the infield (and all over the stadium floor in SX) as well as paramedics, track workers, photographers, flaggers, and more. So they ask the riders to simply slow down to a safe speed and then re-enter at the closest safe spot. It’s that not-slowing-down-enough thing that is the referee’s call, and while it seems a grey area, I’m not sure what else can be done to police this. But Adam and Dylan and the rest must certainly now know that they need to slow down when they go off the track and make sure they come back on at a safe spot, because officials are watching, and doing so closely.
For more analysis on the incident, read Chris Cooksey’s “Cooksey, Straight To The Point: Mulligans In Motocross?” on VitalMX.com.
Since it’s an off-weekend, Matthes and I decided to look ahead at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, and the annual question of who’s going, and who’s not, and why…
ASSEN OR NOT? (DC)
Ever since the FIM and Youthstream announced that the 2019 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations would be held in the deep sand of the Assen TT circuit's infield in The Netherlands, there have been whispers and rumors about who may or may not be going. The sandy circuit promises to be a challenge for pretty much every rider, from any nation, but the usual grievances with the event are still there for some: staying in shape five weeks into the off-season, the added costs to riders and race teams, the need to either heal/rest/get on with SX testing, lack of prize money, etc. For the Americans, there's also the whole pressure cooker of having not won in five years, after having not lost in eight.
Add it all up, and it appears that our best 450 rider, Eli Tomac, is on the fence about it, though Cooper Webb, Zach Osborne, and Jason Anderson all sound like they would go, if asked and if healthy. Same goes for 250 riders Adam Cianciarulo and Justin Cooper, though an interesting rumor is that Osborne would ride the 250 in a pinch if Team USA manager Roger De Coster needed him there.
There's also now a lot of question marks around the attendees from other nations. The Italian legend Antonio Cairoli, a fine sand rider, is out for the season after shoulder surgery. And the overwhelming favorite, Dutch sand king Jeffrey Herlings, is out with a broken ankle, though he should be back in August. Belgium's Clement Desalle broke his leg in Russia and is also likely done for the year.
As far as European riders based in America goes, Germany's Ken Roczen is racing right now but struggling with an illness that may affect his decision-making when it comes to off-season races like the MXoN and the Monster Energy Cup, and France's Dylan Ferrandis, a member of last year's winning French side, just let it be known again in the RedBud press conference that he will not be going this year:
“For me, I’ve already said that I won’t race the Nations this year because I know this track. I told you guys [Adam Ciancarulo and Justin Cooper] you’re not going to understand what’s happening there. You’re going to get passed by guys you’ve never heard of before. It’s just the track in the Netherlands, they are crazy. It’s the biggest sand you can find and I’ve had a long season; I’m looking forward to the next season. I want to do something great, we have a big challenge with the team with what we want to do. For me, the weekend of the Des Nations is a little bit too far from the season, it’s not a waste of time but after the nationals, you have to stay fresh and train again in the outdoors.
“Supercross is coming fast and I already said to my national team that I won’t race because I want to be ready for next year’s supercross. I did the Nations two times and we won two times. It’s big trouble, you have to go to the Netherlands two weeks before the race, you have to send the parts, train in the sand. It’s a big organization if you want to go there. For me and the guys around us, we never ride the sand. We have Southwick but it’s something different. We never ride in the big sand tracks like they have in Europe. It’s just difficult, the guys over there grow up in tracks like that and ride every day. Us, we forget what sand is, even me. I rode five, six years [in] the world championship with sand. It’s a gnarly race but I won’t be a part of it."
The same could be said for Marvin Musquin, who was famously left off the French team last year, despite winning the 2018 RedBud 450 National. After that slight, he's almost certain to say no to going to Assen if asked, though they probably won’t, as MXGP rider Romain Febvre and Gautier Paulin have been excellent for Team France.
Here is what Assen looked like last September for the MXGP there:
I really want a strong Team USA to go, and I already have a plane ticket to go watch and support them. But we’re still at that crossroads where the AMA season ends a month earlier than MXGP and attention here will have already turned to supercross and next year, as Matthes is about to tell you…
MORE MXoN (Matthes)
DC covered the MXoN pretty thoroughly and I won't get into my thoughts on Team USA perhaps sitting this one out because my point is made and I don't want you people to freak out. Just remember Denny and everyone else, some of your old school, wave-the-flag American MX heroes like Jeff Stanton, Damon Bradshaw, Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Dungey, and Jeremy McGrath all turned down chances to ride for Team USA. The timing of this race, the cost of this race, the fact that the promoters don't want to do anything extra to help three of the biggest stars this race has make me think USA should just say "Good luck, see ya next year... maybe."
“You get done with outdoors and if it’s a month away, you’re asking those guys to complete the outdoors, and they’re kind of tired. You’re asking him to continue your outdoor training for another month to go ride des Nations. Then what happens is you go to des Nations and you’re the only guy doing it. Nobody else is doing it. So you’re like, what are we doing? I get it," Pro Circuit's Mitch Payton told us on the PulpMX Show about the MXoN. "They have to punish themselves, which is cool, but you got to go do it. Then you come home, you got a week off, then you go to Monster Cup. Then the guys who stayed home are ready for Monster Cup. So you pay the price either way. Our schedules are different now. Everybody says it’s still the same. It’s not the same anymore."
But sitting out is probably not going to happen so what should Team USA do? Well, with Eli Tomac most likely sitting this one out from what I hear (don't be surprised if Kawasaki also pulls AC out also, if he's chosen) the team needs to do something original, something unique to get the best results in the sand. You just can't do the same thing year after year and expect different results. Here are some things the current management of USA should think about.
1.) Get Mitch Payton back involved with the team. For whatever reason, Payton was pushed aside a few years ago and hasn't been a part of Team USA since then. For a long time, he sunk a lot of money, time, and effort in for all his riders no matter what country they ride for.
"I didn’t go this year because for the past four or five years the AMA has not asked for my help. They don’t need me. I’m like, ‘Hey, if you ask me to go, I’ll help. But if you don’t ask me, I’m not going.’ So they don’t ask me anymore. I think part of it is because I disagree with some of the things how we do it. I want to do it correctly and try to win," he told us.
2.) Put Team USA back together as a team. This is something that I'm not sure matters or not but guys like Payton and Dan Betley from GEICO Honda believe it should happen. The USA riders just end up pitting with the Europe-based OEM that's helping them and it's a bit of a disjointed effort. Look at how Belgium and France do it.
3.) Put 450 riders on a 250. Years ago manager Roger De Coster put Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Ward, and Bob Hannah on the smaller bikes and it worked out great. We've seen many other countries do that over the years too. In the years when Team USA's MX2 rider (a key rider in the scoring) isn't the absolute best guy, put a 450 guy on the smaller bike. They all grew up on 250s, there's a month to get used to it and look at the field for USA's 450 guys: Jason Anderson, Zach Osborne, Cooper Webb… You’re telling me Zacho or Cooper couldn't jump down and perform? What about Justin Barcia, who's good in the sand: Yamaha has bad-ass 250's and his riding style is also better in the smaller bikes? Team USA has got to think outside the box for this one.
Team USA Junior (DC)
While the big Team USA is being sorted, Team USA Jr. is actually in competition this very weekend at the FIM Junior World Cup in Trentino, Italy. That’s the track that’s set on the side of a mountain in the Dolomites of northern Italy. It’s also the track where Ryan Villopoto infamously looped out in 2015, ending his misadventure into MXGP racing after his professional career had ended here in the states.
Now, some of the world’s fastest young riders are gathering there for this year’s FIM Junior World Cup. Among the fast young American kids who will be lining up are Pennsylvania’s Chase Yentzer, New York’s Nick Romano, and South Carolina’s Austin Schafer. Yentzer will be on the 125, Romano in the 85 class, and Schafer on the 65. The team manager is Jeff Cernic of Cernic’s Racing. They will do practice and timed qualifying tomorrow, and then the motos are on Sunday. The race will not be streaming live but you can keep up with each rider on their Instagram: @316Chase, @nickromano411, and @lilpedro36. Good luck to all of the riders competing over there in Italy, and let’s hope Team USA brings home the gold!
RedBud (Ping)
It was amazing going back to RedBud for the first time since 2003. It's been so long I referred to the place as RedBud Track and Trail and Tim Ritchie looked at me like I just pulled on a Members Only jacket and took off on a set of Rollerblades with my Walkman blasting Flock of Seagulls. Sorry for those of you under 30 who don't get any of those references. Anyhoo, it was a busy weekend as we held a LIVE version of The Whiskey Throttle Show on Friday night with Mike LaRocco. That episode is now up on YouTube and all podcast sites. Mike was more candid than I've ever heard him and the story about his rivalry with Jeff Emig had me laughing pretty hard. Mike has a very cool new venture he's working on, a website for riding, training and mental preparation that will be available to everybody. It's still a couple weeks out but I'm looking forward to checking it out. Despite the crushing humidity we had a great time and we got to see a side of "The Rock" that he's never really shown.
Saturday, I decided to have some fun in the 125 All-Star race. Todd DeHoop found me a Yamaha to ride and, with the help of Shawn Julien, we had some fun. To say I was rusty would be an insult to all things covered in rust, but after a few laps I started to feel pretty good out there. Too bad the race only lasted four laps. I wanted to race with my buddy Nick Wey but he was just out of reach and I guess he didn't want to wait up for me. I can't speak for everybody, but these races are a blast and I'm hoping I can do more of them down the road.
Finally, tonight we are welcoming the “Little Professor,” David Bailey, to The Whiskey Throttle Show. This time at the Troy Lee Designs Boutique in Laguna Beach, California, we will get to chat with one of the most articulate, contemplative, creative, stylish riders to ever swing a leg over a bike. David has a really interesting story that begins in a way you wouldn't expect. If you're in southern California you can join us (go to www.road2recovery.com to buy tickets) starting at 7:00pm... free beer and pizza, as always, with all proceeds going to Road 2 Recovery. If not, you will be able to watch/listen next week when it posts on Tuesday.
Ask Ping Correction (Ping)
Last Friday, I was posed a question about Eli Tomac practicing at elevation and then racing at sea level. His thought was that the horsepower difference [he estimated 15 percent] that is lost at elevation could be the reason he seems a bit "off" at times. Maybe the race bike is so much faster that it throws Eli's timing off. I opined that the team likely overbuilt an engine or used oxygenated fuel or altered mapping to make up for the difference; after all, they can squeeze more power out of the bikes than what they currently do. Yesterday, I got an email from my buddy, Mike Hooker. If you don't know that name it's because "Hook" has been working at Toyota Racing Development for the past 20 years designing and testing Toyota's NASCAR race engines. Before that though, he was the engine builder at Pro Circuit. Hook was one of the original Pro Circuit guys and his brain simply got too big for motocross. There is, literally, nobody I trust more when it comes to the science of internal combustion engines. So, I'm still spitting the taste of foot out of my mouth after reading this from him:
Ping,
Regarding your column this week, wanted to give you the simplified calculation to determine power loss as the result of altitude increase. We will use barometric pressure to calculate since it has, by far, the greatest impact on air density.
Barometric pressure units = inHg
1,000ft = 1inHg. Sea level barometric pressure in SoCal = 29.9inHg (varies 29.2-30.2inHg throughout year) Example: Track is at 5,000 feet. Barometric pressure is -5inHg lower than sea level.
Assuming 29.9inHg at sea level: barometric pressure at 5000ft is 24.9inHg... 24.9/29.9=0.83 or the engine at 5,000 ft makes 83 percent of the power it made at sea level. This calculation has +/- 2 percent error.
Aside from boosting the intake air pressure (turbo charger, super charger) there is nothing anyone can do to recover that loss of performance assuming a relative comparison. Air temperature and air moisture content both impact air density but their impact is a fraction of air pressure. There are other reasons engines slow down at altitude but I will save that for another day. Hope the brain feels bigger today than yesterday.
Hook
If that's the simple calculation, my head would explode even looking at the complex calculation. For the sake of clarity, I asked about mapping, fuel, and overbuilding the engine. Again, he showed me how little I knew.
Using the 5,000ft example....If they can’t change the displacement of the engine or they are purposely running an engine that is 17 percent under power at sea level then there is no way to make up for the loss in air pressure. Guys will tell you to raise the compression ratio, but that does not change the energy of the explosion. If there was a fuel that could add Oxygen to the system, then why not use it all the time? Could spend hours on this Ping. Think how your best 125 felt at Mammoth when the track was graded. Probably closer to Fred Flintstone's daily ride.
On a bright note, he is sending me a hat with a propeller on it, so that's cool. All of this has me wondering if there really is something to the theory of Eli adjusting to his race bike; 15 percent difference in horsepower is significant. I shot him a text about it... we'll see what he has to say.
Tomac's response:
Elevation is much more noticeable on the 250 where it's annoyingly slow. The 450s are so fast you don't notice it as much, or maybe it's because you can't use all the power all the time. Honestly, it's not a big adjustment for me at all.
There you have it. The way he's been crushing it this summer, it seems like he's doing just fine.
20/20 (Andras Hegyi)
Last Saturday at RedBud, Eli Tomac caught up with James “Bubba” Stewart in a tie for fifth on the all-time premier class wins. Tomac now has as many 450 Class wins as Stewart—both riders have 20 victories apiece. But between Tomac and Stewart, who announced his official retirement (sorta) in May, there are big differences. Stewart had a hectic premier motocross class career that mainly was composed of contradictions, injuries, and mostly consisted of ups and downs. “Bubba” got only one championship title in the 450 Class, when he had a perfect summer in 2008, his last with Kawasaki. Tomac’s 450 Class career has been smoother, more uniform and consistent, and more successful. Tomac also has had fewer serious injuries. And Tomac has been able to win in every season in the 450 Class during his career so far, and right now he is fighting for his third consecutive 450 Class title.
James Stewart raced nine season in the premier class between 2005 and 2016. But because of his injuries he had only one entire season, 2008, and he won every single moto. During his nine 250/450 Class seasons, Stewart took part in 66 Pro Motocross races in all. He raced with three different brands in Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki. His greatest successes came with Kawasaki, on which he collected 16 of his wins. Stewart is the only one Kawasaki rider to have a perfect season in the history of the 250/450 Class. The only other perfectionist, Ricky Carmichael, had perfect seasons with Honda and Suzuki. Stewart had no motocross wins with Yamaha, and then four wins with Suzuki. James got his first premier motocross class win in his eighth race, in his second year (2006). He got his 20th and final win in his 59th race, during his eighth season (2014) while he rode for Suzuki.
Eli Tomac has raced in the 450 Class since 2014 and he has been able to win in every season. In 2014, as a rookie, Tomac could get his maiden 450 Class win in his fourth race. Tomac rode for Honda both in '14 and '15, and as a Honda rider he took three wins in all. He also suffered his worst injury ever in 2015, busting both shoulders in Colorado. In 2016 Tomac moved to Kawasaki and he became much more successful. He was champion both in 2017 and '18. After the first seven rounds of the 2019 championship, he has a 34-point gap. Regarding the wins, he became the most successful Kawasaki rider ever in the premier class, celebrating his 17th Kawasaki win as he overtook both Stewart and Carmichael. Tomac got his 20th win in his 54th race, and in his sixth season. And Eli signed a multi-year contract extension with the factory Kawasaki team before this season started. He will likely finish his career on green, and with even more wins and titles.
THE FIRST START (DC)
A friend of ours name Jim George sent us a note and photo asking for a little help. It was the start of the very first moto of the very first year at Loretta Lynn's, 1982. It was the Open A class from that first AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at the ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, where the event has been held annually every year ever since. Jim was in the photo, but before he posted it he wanted to see if we could help ID everyone else in the photo.
Fortunately, we have every Loretta Lynn's program going back to Day 1 and we were able to help Jim. Rider #23 is Curt Jaimet (Indianapolis); #36 is David Scott (Fairmont, WV and eventual class champion); #18 is Tom Fendler (Minneapolis); #13 Robert Delivuk (Balto, MD); #20 Mark Hatfield (Kalamazoo, MI); #19 is Jim George (Tuscon); #25 is the late Joe Javersack (Pittsburgh); #9 Doug Callies (Beaver Dam, WI).
If you've ever been to Loretta Lynn's you probably recognize the first corner, which has been in pretty much the same spot since that first race, as well as the bibs on the riders, a Loretta Lynn's tradition. What's different, among many, many things, is the fact that there wasn't a single four-stroke motorcycle in the race, and the track was pretty much a soft, slot-car rutted mess! Thanks for sharing the photo with us, Jim.
10 PODIUMS (Andas Hegyi)
Despite a two-spot penalty for an off-track excursion in the first 250 Class moto at RedBud, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo keeps being very consistent as compared to the others in the 250 Class field of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Last Saturday at round seven, he collected his seventh podium of the season. By finishing second overall at RedBud, Cianciarulo also got his tenth career overall podium finish in 250 Class. Cianciarulo became the 60th rider to have at least ten podiums in the history of the small-bore AMA motocross, in existence since 1974. Coincidentally, RedBud winner Dylan Ferrandis went into the race with ten podiums and now, of course, has his 11th in his career. Finally, Cianciarulo became also the 13th Kawasaki rider to get at least ten overall podiums in the history of the 125/250 Class.
Kawasaki riders to have at least 10 podiums in the 125/250 Class
Ricky Carmichael (32)
Ryan Villopoto (31)
Jeff Ward (28)
James Stewart (28)
Blake Baggett (26)
Christophe Pourcel (18)
Tyla Rattray (18)
Dean Wilson (18)
Ryan Hughes (15)
Joey Savatgy (13)
Mike Brown (13)
Ben Townley (13)
Adam Cianciarulo (10)
One curiosity in the list above: Of James Stewart's 28 podiums in 125/250 Class, all 28 were actually race wins!
HAPPY 50 O'NEAL RACING (DC)
On behalf of everyone here at Racer X Magazine and Racer X Online, we want to wish happy 50th birthday to everyone at O'Neal. The company that was founded by Jim O'Neal in 1970 is turning 50, still going strong and still enjoying the ride after all these years! They are launching their 2020 gear line they have created a special 48-page history piece which you can see here.
They also produced a very cool video as well that shows so many of the top riders they have worked with over the years, including Andre Malherbe, Doug Dubach, Erik Kehoe, Tim Ferry, Jim Holley, Brian Swink, and many, many more. You can check it out here:
On a personal note, I will never forget the first time I met Jim O'Neal. It was in 1980 and my dad had been invited to build a motocross track on a recently abandoned golf course called Luzerne Park in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. My dad was friends with Rick "Super Hunky" Sieman of Dirt Bike Magazine fame and he invited him to come back east and help tear up that golf course. He brought his buddy Jim with him, because there was no way a lifelong motocrosser like him was going to miss the chance of a lifetime to race dirt bikes on a golf course! I was riding a Suzuki RM80 at the time and was winning my moto until my chain fell off. It happened right in front of Jim and he ended up helping me get it back on and back into the race. I was too far behind to do very good but after I came across the finish line Jim was there to look over my bike and try to see why the chain had fallen off. We ended up talking and before the end of the day when it was time to leave, he told me to send him a resume and maybe O'Neal could sponsor me. To that point in my life I never had a resume nor any real sponsors other than my parents and the local bike shop, but sure enough a few weeks later I got some O'Neal gear and stickers in the mail and I felt like I was Roger De Coster out there, even if it was just the 85cc class at Rocky Ridge Raceway!
Over the years I've stayed in touch with Jim and his whole family—the very first picture I ever got published in Dirt Bike was a Crash & Burn photo of Keith O'Neal at the 1986 or '87 Las Vegas Arenacross. The O'Neal family is as core a motocross family as you'll ever meet, and so is the company. Happy birthday and thanks again for helping me with that chain all those years ago, Jim!
The september 2019 ISSUE OF RACER X MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE
The September 2019 issue of Racer X magazine is out now. Sign up now for the print and/or award-winning digital edition. And if you're already a digital subscriber head to digital.racerxonline.com to login.
What's inside? Behind the scenes of the moving and shaking 250 Class. We celebrate 50 years of world-class motocross at Unadilla and take a look at the international years in the first part of a two-part series. The 125 All Star Series in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross offers a nice buzz for all. And we sent our art director to Oregon for some epic trail riding. All these features and much more inside the September issue.
“Drama Class” by Jason Weigandt
The 250 Class of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross has seen some solid action in 2019, but the real juicy stuff has been going on behind the scenes.
“Unadilla. Established 1969 - Part 1” by Davey Coombs
As one of the world’s premier tracks celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, we explore what makes it such an icon of global motocross racing.
“Class Disruption” by Mike Emery
The joys, pains, hope, and obstacles that come with loving the smell of premix and the buzz of 125cc motorcycles.
“Out There” by David Langran
Racer X art director David “Langers” Langran goes off-roading for the first time in the wilds of scenic Oregon.
Poster Info (Print Edition Only)
We feature both a new-school and old-school vibe for our poster this month with a 2019 shot of Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen on the front and a 1976 shot of Suzuki’s Roger De Coster on the back.
50 Years Faster - O'Neal
We're celebrating 50 years of the O'Neal brand and their 50 Years Faster campaign with an in-depth picturesque look at their rider roster over their expansive five decades-long evolution in the sport we love.
Hey, Watch It!
Red Bull and Wes Williams did this very cool promo piece for this year's Red Bull Straight Rhythm
Thomas Kjer Olsen shared this video from @mxvice from the MXGP of Indonesia last weekend:
LISTEN TO THIS
The Fly Racing Racer X Review Podcast comes in with Jason Thomas and Daniel Blair joining host Steve Matthes to talk about the RedBud National (relax everyone, Weege will be back next week, he’s just on vacation). The trio talks about the highlights from the weekend. Check it out.
Daniel Blair and Producer Joe bring in Episode #126 of the Main Event Moto Podcast. This week, DB and Producer Joe are joined by none other than Gared “Stank Dog” Steinke. The trio talks about the 2019 RedBud National. Daniel focuses on the headlines in the sport and sometimes it goes off the rails. Listen to Episode #125 of the Main Event Moto Podcast below.
The DMXS Radio gang had an excellent show this week with Jeremy McGrath talking about the nineties, David Vuillemin talking about everything, Ryan Sipes on his ridiculous schedule, and Red Bull's Jeremy Mallott on this October's Red Bull Straight Rhythm. Check it out right here:
Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week
“Serena Williams fined $10,000 for damaging Wimbledon court”—CNN
“Southington police: Man used “Jaws of Life” to pry open Connecticut ATMs and steal up to $300,000”—Hartford Courant
“New high temperature records set in Alaska (again) as heat wave is set to relinquish grip”—Accuweather.com
“Mom Of The Year Arrested For Driving Her Two Kids Around In An Inflatable Pool Attached To The Top Of Her Car”—Barstool Sports
“Tropical storm that's targeting millions intensifies and gets a name: Barry”—CNN
“A traffic stop turns up whiskey, a gun and a rattlesnake, police say -- and that was before they found the uranium”—CBS
“MMA fighter accidentally stabs sparring partner with ax during workout session”—Fox News
“Mike Vrabel willing to part with family jewels for Titans Super Bowl”—New York Post
Random Notes
Our girl in New Zealand, Sharon Cox, has a feature up this week on Avrie Berry, a girl who is racing for three different championships this season on two different continents. Check it out right here.
This is just really funny, from my longtime buddy and Hall of Fame designer Kenny Safford
JGRMX posted this poster of Fredrik "Fast Freddie" Noren that he'll be signing for fans at Millville:
In case you missed it, here is the 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross schedule.
Steve Matthes and Jason Thomas went through the schedule for this preview.
And Dave Prater, Feld Entertainement’s director of operations supercross, shared this funny throwback video of the sounds of supercross:
This moto jersey collector profile came up on my explore timeline and so I checked it out and decided to give him a follow. He recently posted this old Sebastien Tortelli No Fear jersey that figured was worth a share!
@legomotox shared this recent video of the custom Lego garage he made based off of Cole Seely’s garage.
For the latest from Canada, check out DMX Frid’EH Update #28.
Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races!