It’s been 245 days since the 2019 Las Vegas Supercross finale so we figured it would be helpful to recap some of the biggest news and headlines since then. If you’re already up to date with these highlights then you’re all set for tonight. But for those that may have missed them, here is our reminder on what’s happened since May.

Musquin’s Knee Injury

The biggest off-season news was Marvin Musquin’s knee injury in December. Marvin had just started riding again (following a crash and bad strain on his knee at the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship finale in August) when, according to an Instagram post, he overjumped while at the team test track and had a hard impact on his legs, specifically his left knee. He said in the post that he had would need surgery and the team announced he would miss the entire 2020 supercross championship. The team has announced they will not fill Marvin’s spot on the team. He is expected to race the 2020 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. 

Yesterday at the pre-race press conference at Angel Stadium, team manager Ian Harrison said that although Musquin isn’t racing, he’s still being paid by the team and bringing on another rider onto the team isn’t an easy task. Harrison said the team would need to then find the right rider that gelled with the team and the bike and then pay said rider as well. He said right now the team’s main focus is putting all of their energy into defending 450SX champion Cooper Webb. 

Reed’s 2020 Farewell Tour

At the AUS-X Open in Melbourne, Australia, Chad Reed announced the 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship would be his last full season as a racer. While Reed isn’t coming in at the 2017-championship level version of himself, he’s still going to give it his all every weekend—both on the track and in the pits afterwards. Following his injury at the Seattle Supercross last year, we weren’t sure what Reed’s plans were. But the stubborn racer could make his 250th main event start tonight and although he did mention yesterday in the press conference that he will not race all 17 rounds of 2020, he is going to get the farewell tour he deserves. 

New Faces

With the annual AMA national numbers switching a majority of the fields’ numbers and several riders switching teams, it’s going to be hard to keep track of everyone. Here are a few highlights:

Rookies

450SX

Adam Cianciarulo—Monster Energy Kawasaki
Martin Davalos— Team Tedder

250SX

Jett Lawrence—GEICO Honda
Hunter Lawrence—GEICO Honda (was injured and missed supecross last year)
Jo Shimoda—GEICO Honda
Jalek Swoll—Rockstar Energy Husqvarna(250SX East)
Derek Drake—Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM
Pierce Brown—Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM
Brian Moreau—Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM

Riders on a new team for 2020

450SX

Justin Hill—SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda
Justin Brayton—Honda HRC
Joey Savatgy—JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing (currently injured)
Kyle Cunningham—HEP Motorsports Suzuki
Max Anstie—HEP Motorsports Suzuki (currently injured)
Ryan Breece—HEP Motorsports Suzuki (announced yesterday)

250SX

Jordon Smith and Cameron McAdoo—Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
Shane McElrath—Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha
RJ Hampshire—Rockstar Energy Husqvarna (confirmed 250SX East)
Brandon Hartranft—Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM
Jordan Bailey—TiLube Honda Racing (confirmed 250SX East)
Kyle Peters—Phoenix Racing Honda (confirmed 250SX East)
Jacob Hayes and Killian Auberson—Gas Monkey Energy/AJE Motorsports

Also, check out our 2020 AMA Supercross team page to keep up to date with who is riding for which team and bookmark our 2020 AMA national numbers page so you can refer back to it until you’re familiar with everyone’s new number. Yes, #36 on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki does look like Adam Cianciarulo, but it’s not AC it’s Garrett Marchbanks. And as a quick side note, Ryan Dungey—although retired—did a switch himself. Dungey became part-owner of the GEICO Honda team in December.

New teams

SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt’s Kawasaki
Team Manluk/K&R Racing
Chaparral/FXR Honda Racing
Penrite Honda

Open Spot

If you’re asking how Justin Brayton landed on the Honda HRC team and/or where Cole Seely is, he announced his retirement from professional racing this summer. Seely’s open spot with Honda HRC gave the ability to sign Brayton for supercross and Chase Sexton for the 2020 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. So with Brayton leaving the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda team, a spot opened under Tony Alessi’s tent. Enter Justin Hill. Hill, whose first full year in the premier class with the JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team didn’t go well at all, signed with the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda team and will get another crack at racing. It was rumored he might not race after last year’s struggles and the team only signed him to a one a one-year deal so this second chance might be his last chance. It’s no question he’s a talented racer but now that his back is against the wall he might be even more motivated than ever.

Savatgy and JGR

Following the 2019 AMA racing year, Joey Savatgy had to find a ride for 2020.  Savatgy had a one-year deal with Monster Energy Kawasaki for 2019 but was left without a ride when the team signed Cianciarulo to fill the second spot in the 450 class. Savatgy and his agent got work, selling Savatgy’s skills on the track to different teams but it wasn’t easy. Eventually, Savatgy was signed by the JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team, who at the time only had Alex Martin under contract to race in 2020 (Enzo Lopessigned with CTR Motorsports, Kyle Peterssigned with Phoenix Racing Honda, and Decotis and Noren hadn't announced any plans for 2020 publically).

Unfortunately, Savatgy crashed in Australia at the AUS-X Open and severely injured his heal. The injury isn’t quite as bad as it looked early on but there is no timetable on his return. With Savatgy’s injury, the team announced in December that Jimmy Decotis and Fredirk Noren would return to the team for 2020. Noren will race the 450SX Class as Decotis (250SX East) and Martin (250SX West) will both spend time aboard a RM-Z450 at select rounds as well.

In the press conference yesterday, Decotis said sitting out the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship was huge for him as he was able to recover from the health concerns he’s dealt with the last two years. He said he has been able to practice on an RM-Z450 since September and being healthier than in years past, he’s going to control what he could control.

Suspensions

Christian Craig

Craig won his appeal on his failed anti-doping test following the 2018 Daytona Supercross. Craig went to Switzerland to appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) where he and the FIM signed a settlement agreement, allowing his suspension to end December 31, 2019—not March 9, 2020, which would have been two years from the failed test. Craig will lineup tonight in Anaheim more ready than ever and with a chip on his shoulder.

Broc Tickle

In May, more than a year after being provisionally suspended for an anti-doping test of his own, Tickle was finally notified of his suspension. According to Tickle’s Instagram, he is eligible to return to competition February 2020—specifically the Tampa Supercross—and he’s working towards running his own effort (with support from sponsors including TiLUBE Performance & Racing Lubricants) on a Husqvarna FC 450.