And then there was one. The final round of the 2020 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship goes off this weekend in Pala, California. Unarguably the mecca of moto, southern California seems like a must for this series. Located on a native American reservation, it’s a unique setting for a professional motocross race. It’s also a staple in the pro-rider practice track rotation, giving a comfortable feeling to most of the riders on Saturday.

Dirty Little Secrets

As far as the layout, it’s very typical for this part of the world. The SoCal dirt can be tacky and rutty but it can also quickly turn to blown-out desert dust, too. With temperatures cooling for the weekend, we are getting lucky on that front. Last weekend was well above 100 degrees and would have been a nightmare for everyone involved. With conditions being manageable, I expect ideal track conditions. The corners will be rutty on the insides and then offer smoother, yet longer, outside options. Last year’s layout was full of roller jumps so look for that trend to continue in an effort to slow the track down. Finding a rhythm through those sections will be paramount to setting fast lap times as well as conserving energy.

I don’t see this track being a huge advantage for anyone outside of the Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha squad. They ride here as a team consistently and with their starting dominance, set themselves up for a blue wave come Saturday. Most of the other riders have tested at Pala and will not have a lot of learning to do as some other tracks might require. One other upside for this round is that many of the riders will be able to sleep in their own beds on Friday night. While it probably won’t show up in the results column, that’s a nice change for the traveling circus that is this industry.