With the building anticipation of 2020 Anaheim 1, last week we took a look at the 450SX class and who we expect to be where. This time we dig into the 250SX class. Some of these deals are official and several teams and riders have yet to announce their plans but this is what we are anticipating.
Check out our 250 team guide below—and keep in mind there might still be changes to come as we get closer to Anaheim 1 and the Monster Energy AMA Supercross opener.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
Austin Forkner
Forkner raced for the team in 2019 but suffered a knee injury that ruined his chances of the East Region title, as he finished third in points. He missed all of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship but has been riding since September and is expected to be race-ready come the 2020 championship.
Garrett Marchbanks
Marchbanks debuted with the team in 2018 at the Hangtown Motocross Classic and made his debut in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at the 2019 Anaheim 1 opener. He will return for another year with the team.
Cameron Mcadoo
McAdoo turned pro with SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda and then spent time with GEICO Honda in 2017 and 2018 and then in 2019 supercross as a fill-in. He was signed by the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM squad as a fill-in rider for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, but 2020 will be McAdoo’s first year on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
Jordon Smith
Smith turned pro with GEICO Honda but spent three seasons with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM. Two thousand twenty will be his first year with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
Michael Mosiman
Mosiman, who turned pro with the team in 2017, signed a two-year deal with the team in July that will keep him on a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna FC 250 through the 2021 season.
RJ Hampshire
Following the Ironman National, Hampshire confirmed his departure from the GEICO Honda team, who he has raced with his entire professional career. As expected, Hampshire and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna agreed to a two-year deal.
Jalek Swoll
Swoll made his professional debut at the Unadilla National, where he finished 22-19 for 23rd overall. Swoll raced the 250 Futures class of the Monster Energy Cup in October, finishing 3-2 for second overall. It has not yet been announced if Swoll will race supercross or not.
GEICO Honda
Jeremy Martin
The team announced in December 2018 that Martin would miss the entire calendar year of AMA racing due to complications with his surgery. However, the team announced the following day they had signed him to a two-year extension that will see him with the team through 2021. J-Mart returned to racing for the first time since June 2018 at the Monster Energy Cup and is expected to be full go for the 250SX East Region Championship.
Chase Sexton
The 2019 250SX East Region will return to the team for another year. Sexton will move to the 450 Class for the 2020 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship and will move to the 450SX class in supercross 2021.
Christian Craig
At the end of July, Craig announced that he received his official suspension from the FIM for the anti-doping test he failed at the 2018 Daytona Supercross. Craig said in the post: “The two year suspension would mean I can no longer race until March 9th, 2020 and all results in between will be cleared,” but posted recently that he will head to Switzerland soon for his appeal. Whether his appeal stands or not, upon his return, he will be back with the team for another year.
Hunter Lawrence
After missing all of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship due to injury, Hunter debuted with the team at the Hangtown Motocross Classic. He will make his debut in supercross this year.
Jett Lawrence
As expected, it was announced last week that Jett will in fact race the 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The 16-year-old made his pro debut with the team last year at the Unadilla National but he will make his professional supercross debut this weekend in Australia at the AUS-X Open.
Jo Shimoda
Like Jett, Shimoda made his pro debut with the team at the Unadilla National earlier this year and 2020 will mark his professional supercross debut.
Carson Mumford
The third GEICO Honda prodigy also debuted at several rounds of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. It has not yet been announced if Mumford will race supercross or not.
JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing
Alex Martin
Although the team has had to downsize their efforts and riders (from four 250SX riders to two riders total) Martin is the only one under contract still and will return to the team for the second year of his contract.
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM
Brandon Hartranft
Hartranft made his pro debut with the Cycle Trader/Rock River Yamaha team in 2018 and after two years with the team, he has signed with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM team for 2020.
Derek Drake
After his first professional season of racing in the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, the longtime KTM Orange Brigade amateur rider will continue his seventh season with the KTM brand as he joins the team full-time for 2020.
Pierce Brown
Brown made his professional debut at the Florida National but the 2020 supercross championship will be his first professional series.
Brian Moreau
The 17-year-old French rider will make his full-time U.S. debut with the team in 2020.
Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha
Dylan Ferrandis
The 2019 250SX West Region champ will return to the team for another year, his last in the 250SX—since he won a championship and champions are limited to four years in the class.
Justin Cooper
Cooper will return for another year with the team.
Shane McElrath
McElrath, who turned pro in 2013, had spent his entire career with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM team but 2020 will be his first year on the Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha.
Colt Nichols
Signed an extension with the team in 2018 that will see him through the 2020 season.
Ty Masterpool
After his first professional season of racing in the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Masterpool will return to the team for another year.
Gas Monkey Energy/AJE Motorsports
Jacob Hayes
After an impressive start to his rookie supercross campaign, Hayes caught the injury bug that derailed the latter half of his season. The team officially announced its 2020 roster, including Hayes and Josh Osby, in early November.
Josh Osby
Osby raced for the newly formed CTR Motorsports team (a combination of Traders, Redemption Racing, and ClubMX) on a Yamaha YZ250F in 2019.
Team Allsouth
Kyle Swanson
Swanson will return for another year with the team.
Curren Thurman
Thurman will return for another year with the team.
Zane Merrett
After his first professional season of racing in the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship with support from The Professional Journey (TPJ)/Fly Racing team, 2020 will be his first year with Team Allsouth.
Phoenix Racing Honda
Jace Owen
Will race the 2020 Kicker Arenacross Championship and is then expected to race the 250SX East Region Championship as well. Owen will return for another year with the team.
Kyle Peters
Peters raced with the JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team in 2018 and 2019 with but has signed with the Phoenix Racing Honda team for 2020.
JMC Motorsports Racing
Carson Brown
Brown will return for another year with the team.
Martin Castelo
Castelo will return for another year with the team.
Derek Kelley
Kelley made his pro debut at the 2019 Hangtown Motocross Classic but 2020 will be his first year with the JMC Motorsports Racing team.
PR-MX Pelletier Kawasaki
Lorenzo Locurcio
The team announced earlier this month that Locurcio will join the team to race the 250SX East Region Championship.
Justin Thompson
The team also announced that Thompson has joined the team and will race the 250SX East Region Championship.
Other Notable Riders/Free Agents:
Jimmy Decotis
Decotis spent 2018 and 2019 with the JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team but was left without a ride for 2020.
Mitchell Falk
Falk made his pro debut with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM team in the 2018 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship but does not have a ride lined up for 2020.
Sean Cantrell
Cantrell made his pro debut with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM team in the 2017 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship but does not have a ride lined up for 20220.
Jordan Bailey
Made his pro debut with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team in the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship but was has not yet announced a deal for 2020.
Mitchell Oldenburg
Oldenburg raced for the Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha team in 2018 and 2019 but has yet to announce plans for 2020 at this time.
Chris Blose
Blose has yet to announce plans for 2020 at this time.
Blake Wharton
Wharton has yet to announce plans for 2020 at this time.
Fredrik Noren
Noren, who raced several rounds of the 250SX East Region earlier this year, signed as a fill-in with JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing over the summer but has yet to announce plans for 2020 at this time.
Lane Shaw
Shaw received support from The Professional Journey (TPJ)/Fly Racing team in 2019 and will receive support from the team again in 2020.