Main image is from the 2021 Atlanta 1 Supercross, photo by Align Media
Happy Good Friday, happy Easter weekend, and welcome to Racerhead. Easter is almost always an off weekend for Monster Energy AMA Supercross, but not this one. Due to the holiday being moved back a bit (it was April 4 last year), it threw a wrench into the plans of both Feld Entertainment and NBC. They had a live TV window open for tomorrow afternoon, and Feld knew that waiting until now—after 13 straight weekends to take a break—would be pushing it. So, they had some downtime two weeks ago and decided to take the afternoon slot for tomorrow and the chance for a live NBC show.
Unfortunately, the Atlanta round is no longer in the domed confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but rather out at Atlanta International Speedway, which means no roof. That can be a problem, of course, when there’s a lot of rain in the forecast. Like tomorrow. But the Atlanta round used to be held at open-air Fulton County Stadium and it used to produce some wonderful races, rain or (moon)shine. Here’s hoping they get lucky and dodge the elements tomorrow.
With Monster Energy Racing Star Yamaha’s Eli Tomac well in command of the 450SX points lead, a lot of the talk this week has been about the 250 East/West Showdown that Atlanta will be, as it brings West Region leader Christian Craig and East Region frontrunner Jett Lawrence together for the first time in 2022. And while the 250 regions have each had some injuries, it’s not as bad as the decimation we’ve been seeing in the 450 class in recent weeks, where we’ve seen several top guys forced to the sidelines. With RJ Hampshire getting that momentum-building first win last weekend, and Austin Forkner returning to action, that will add some depth to the 250 class battles for the podium tomorrow.
But I’m already calling for a wild-card winner tomorrow night, rain or shine. While visiting with James Stewart earlier this week as his guest on the Bubba’s World podcast, I chose SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda rider Vince Friese, simply because I think he can win on the right night, and like RJ he’s been getting closer and closer. That brought a chuckle from James and his co-host Roger Larsen and producer Cole Beach, but if everything happens the right way for #62, and if Christian and Jett are thinking more about their respective titles than another race win, it could happen, right?
As for Bubba’s World, it was a really fun bench-racing session with @therealjs7 and, somehow, the first time I’ve ever been to his compound. James has mostly laid low the past few years, but after he started his podcast, he told me he realized how much he missed the sport and how much he loved talking about it. And I had something I wanted to talk to him about, which was being one of our special-guest television analysts this summer when we celebrate 50 years of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. He jumped at the chance, so look for James Stewart to be in the booth with Jason Weigandt for at least one of this summer’s outdoor nationals. Here’s the first half of the show:
Since we’re on Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, I need to circle back around to the Evgeny Bobryshev issue again, because there is a lot of misinformation out there suddenly circling around—just as there was after Grant Langston decided to quit doing the TV shows last summer for NBC Sports and MAVTV, and that somehow became my fault to a couple of very misinformed people.
Whether Evgeny should be racing the nationals this summer is a matter already that was already addressed several weeks ago by others in positions of independent, international sporting authority. There’s no question that with the attrition rate the way it’s been, we can use all the fast guys we can get. However, this matter has already been addressed by the FIM, with their suspension of anything to do with the Russian Motorcycling Federation, which was announced on March 5 and which the AMA must adhere to.
Somehow someone turned that all upside down, as if it were personally my decision, or my idea, or my choice.
It’s not.
I have absolutely nothing to do with Evgeny Bobryshev’s eligibility to race in America or anywhere right now, nor do I have a say in anyone else’s FIM eligibility (and that includes both Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings, for what that’s worth). I simply explained the situation here in Racerhead, as well as to Evgeny directly, and members of the team he was hoping to ride for this summer. While very disappointed, they all seemed to understand. And yet this continues to be all on me for a few who either don’t understand or just don’t want to understand, apparently because it’s me, and that affects their ability to see things with a clear mind.
Once again, here’s the announcement that came from FIM North America on March 10—literally five weeks ago—and long before we even knew that Bobryshev had an interest in racing in America (I thought he was going to race in the British Nationals, but this FIM proclamation nixed that as well).
On March 5, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) announced its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its decision to suspend the Motorcycle Federation of Russia (MFR) and the Belarusian Federation of Motorcycle Sport (BFMS) as a result. The FIM Board also recommended that all affiliated members of the FIM and FIM Continental Unions take similar action.
In keeping with this decision and the FIM Board’s recommendation, the Board of Directors of FIM North America unanimously concurred with the FIM Board’s action and will honor its request by prohibiting riders from the Russian and Belarusian motorcycle federations from participating in FIM North America activities.
Consistent with this action, riders from these federations will also be prohibited from participation in the activities of both FIM North America member federations, the Canadian Motorcycle Association and the American Motorcyclist Association.
Riders are typically required to secure start permissions from their home federations to race in a foreign country or be released from their home federations to the federation of the country hosting the event. Since the rights and privileges of the Russian and Belarusian federations have been suspended by the FIM, neither can grant a start permission nor provide a release. As a practical matter, riders from those federations are already prohibited from riding in other countries by the original FIM action.
Bobryshev got his release to race from the MFR on March 30, well after these restrictions were announced. The FIM has not and will not recognize it, and there’s nothing the AMA can do. Period.
But there is something that I did have wrong—and thankfully so—which I didn’t realize it until Wednesday night as I was flying back home, and it just might work out to give Bobryshev a place to race this summer after all. Turns out the Canadian Motocross Nationals are not sanctioned by the FIM-affiliated CMA, but rather the offshoot non-aligned and independent CMRC, which has no connection whatsoever with the FIM or FIM North America (and, by proxy, the AMA) and really can do whatever they want. I did not realize this loophole until it was pointed out to me that that’s how Cade Clason was able to race up in Canada during his FIM/AMA suspension, and I’m sure Bobryshev knows about it now as well. Maybe he will find his way up there to race, at least until this tragic war in Ukraine ends and the world can get back to normal, and then the FIM will release him and other Russian riders to participate again wherever they want.
As for the people calling me a “xenophobe” and “dictator” or whatever else over this whole situation, while I’m flattered that someone thinks I hold that much sway with the decision-making process of anything, that’s as laughable as it is misinformed. We’ve welcomed international riders from all over the planet—it’s what makes AMA Pro Motocross and AMA Supercross such a globally interesting sport. But what can you do about people who want the attention more than the simple and honest truth? A very smart person once told me you can’t make sense out of nonsense, so don’t waste your time trying to and just carry on.
Atlanta Press Day (Jason Weigandt)
An eventful day this afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with the 250 riders from both regions gathered, a super-sized track, and the return of riders we haven’t seen in a bit, like Austin Forkner. After everyone had scoped out the track, the key phrase was “big jumps,” and that was clear once the riders started doing laps. There was one massive, massive triple—over 100 feet—that generated a shocking amount of hang time. We’ve all seen dirt bikes jump 100 feet, but seeing it on a steep, supercross-style obstacle looks different. Just like any supercross obstacle, you’ve got to nail the landing perfectly. The 450s hit it first and Justin Barcia overjumped it, then when the 250s hit it, Hunter Lawrence came up short, cased, and went over the bars. Luckily, he was okay and returned to ride the second session later on. Jason Anderson, though, decided not to come back out and ride the second session, and soon they started routing the riders around that massive jump. I have a feeling it is going to be changed for tomorrow. There’s also a big double after the whoops, which almost looks like launching a wall jump. I don’t think the riders were stoked on that, too, so I would expect changes.
Speaking of changes, the daytime schedule tomorrow meant a 5:30 a.m. track walk. I believe that’s getting changed too. Also, everyone is buzzing about the chances of a mud race. If you know me, you know I never predict mudders in advance. We shall see.
The 250 East/West Showdown is the hottest topic here. Christian Craig told me his goal, of course, is to worry about the big picture and points in 250SX West, but he would like to win the race too. “There is a lot of hype and build up,” Craig said. “That’s part of it. So of course, I want to do good, but the big picture is to just finish in front of the 29 and the 96.”
I also joked with Hunter Lawrence and Michael Mosiman about how most of the buzz is Christian Craig versus Jett Lawrence, but this race is totally winnable by others, and often we do see wild-card victors. Mosiman said he’s absolutely motivated to go out and get this one.
Then there’s the return of Forkner, who actually wanted to come back last week from his broken collarbone, but the team told him to wait. He now has five days of supercross riding and doesn’t feel like he’s lost that much in his short time off. Forkner just wants to get in gate drops, because he decided not to come back and race supercross after a collarbone injury last year, and his outdoor season went poorly. So, he’s just taking the opposite approach this time.
The Five-Thirty Club (Matthes)
Sweet Jesus, the track walk tomorrow for the Atlanta race is at 5:30 a.m. I hope they do change it like Weege says, otherwise … I don't know, man, not sure I'm gonna make track talk in the A-T-L. [Editor’s note: The schedule was revised due to weather and track walk will now take place at 8:15 a.m.]
We're back at the Atlanta International Speedway after debuting it last year during the three race "residencies," and I have to say, yes, the drive down there from the airport sucks, but I like this speedway thing in Georgia. It's a 50% better track than Daytona with way more room, and last year I thought the track was a little long and a little too far out there on each side for the fans, but if they fix that, we could be onto something here.
Look, it's no secret that these races with just over 40-second lap times aren't the riders’ and teams’ favorites. Maybe there needs to be some adjustment to the 20-minute main events when tracks are sub-50 seconds, but another solution is to hit some more of these speedways. The NASCAR fan base squares up with ours, and these places are more easily available than the bigger stadiums, so Feld could add some to the schedule, one would think. The bikes get a bit opened up at these tracks, they get up to speed, and it makes for some good racing. I'd like to see more speedways on the circuit, just not Daytona!
Jett Or Craig? (Keefer)
You know Jett Lawrence and Christian Craig are going to downplay this thing but having an East-vs.-West Showdown has got me hyped up. I know there are others who can play the spoils, but this match-up between Jett and Christian has got to be one of the highlights of the weekend for the fans. We’ve got the young Team Honda superstar and the wily ol’ veteran at Star Yamaha who is looking to wrap up his first title. I’m sure Race Day Live is going to have a field day with this storyline, but the weather could be the big X factor in all of this. With a serious chance of rain in the morning and showers off and on likely in the evening, it might be more of a stay-upright-and-don't-push-it kind of night for the title contenders. This isn't a night race, so the bulk of the rain is looking to come around for qualifiers and heat races. Maybe look for an abbreviated schedule change early Saturday morning from the AMA folks, but live-on-NBC has to start at 3 p.m. ET
I’m sure both of these dudes are looking to not throw away their points leads, so don't be expecting a knock-down, drag-out battle to the checkers, but you can bet your bottom dollar each wants to beat the other and put to rest who is the best. We can't really settle this outdoors, so let's get it on in the ATL. We have two whoops sections and although Christian gets the nod in those areas. I do feel that Jett's whoops speed isn't that far behind. Jett has been amazing in the whoops this year as his entrance speed mimics Christian's in a lot of ways. To me, it just looks like the Honda doesn't get as much rear wheel traction as the Yamaha near the end of the whoops so these two sections will be the ones to watch out for.
Our family will be racing the AMA Cal Classic at Fox Raceway this Easter weekend, so I will be turning off my phone Saturday so I can come home to watch the race without knowing the outcome. Happy Easter to everyone out there! See you all in Foxborough!
[Editor’s note: If you see Keefer at the Cal Classic this weekend, by all means DO NOT tell him who wins Atlanta.… Ha!]
The Jett vs. The Craig (Matthes)
I know everyone, including myself and obviously Keefer, is excited about the battle between the 250SX points leaders, and I predict this race will also be a good one. I mean, it's the stacked class—why wouldn't it be great? Here's the thing, though: these races always seem to bring some unpredictability, right? Obviously, the Vegas Showdown has produced some great races over the years with unlikely winners like Andrew Short and Nathan Ramsey, but those were at the end of the series when the points leaders were worried about staying the points leaders. The last time we saw one of these was Salt Lake City last year, and the rider third in points, Jett Lawrence, won the Showdown over Colt Nichols; his brother Hunter finished third. In 2019 it was Adam Cianciarulo who was the points leader. In 2018 Jeremy Martin won one and was third in the points. So, although The Jett and The Craig are the favorites, I think we'll see a winner not named Jett or Christian. Perhaps Hunter or RJ. Stay tuned!
Yamaha LCQ Raffle (Matthes)
We're just one week away from the PulpMX LCQ Challenge race in Denver! Yes, I can't believe this is happening but here we are. So that means the raffle for the 2022 Yamaha YZ450F, and 19 other cool prizes is ending soon! Just $30 and all the money goes to the privateers in the race. Go to https://pulpmx.com/yamaharaffle/ to get yourself a ticket please and thank you!
Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)
250 Showdowns are an interesting event for privateers. Halving the amount of riders that each region takes to the main event is a difficult dynamic. Essentially, a rider needs to finish inside the top 9 of his heat, which equates to a regional main-event lineup. If they miss on that, they’re tossed into a chaotic LCQ that will have solid privateers and many times a factory rider or two who crashed in the heat race. It's an uphill slog when looking at the lineups, and one I just avoided altogether. I knew it was going to be hard, so why make it worse?!
The biggest key for these is the start. I know that sounds like a hastily-put-together Kawasaki Key to the Race, but it's still true. The heat races are short and wildly unpredictable. If you can put in reasonably competitive lap times, positioning yourself in front of the drama can be all it takes. Those final few transfer positions are the stuff of insurance adjusters’ nightmares. Get the start, sprint hard for as long as humanly possible, and look up at the board when you see a checkered flag. There's no reason to approach it any other way.
Even with the hardships the middling riders face, these Showdowns are cool. They’re our only taste of what a nationwide 250SX series would look like. It's also our only chance to see the best of the best face each other. Jett Lawrence and Christian Craig have been in a league of their own and surely have wondered who has more pace. So have we. These Showdowns give us the best product available and that might be the most important aspect of it all.
Advertisements We Could Not Get Away With Today (Cont'd)
Last-Name Winners (DC)
We mentioned in last week’s column that the last name Lawrence may not have the most different SX winners ever in Jason, Jett, and Hunter. Well, we were right and wrong. Lawrence is the last name with the most individuals to win SX races, but "Lids" pointed out in the comments that there are actually FOUR riders with the last name of Lawrence who have 125/250 SX main events. He posted: "Didn’t 'Factory' Phil Lawrence win Seattle in 1993? That’d make it four wins for the Lawrence name." He's right. Phil, Jason, Jett and Hunter have all won, making the last name Lawrence the one with most different winners in AMA Supercross.
And in the list of honorable mentions, we need to add Smith, as Jordon Smith has won a few 250 SX mains, and the late Marty Smith won several SX races back in the day.
And how about this from reader "xr21": “Didn't Pierre's older brother, Gustave Karsmakers, win an early (albeit exhibition) SX held at Clyde Williams Field in Ames, Iowa in 1971? Man, Gustave was a brute throwing his Rickman through the paces back in the day!”
If anyone out there knows anything about this race, we’d love to know more!
The Lawrence name is not atop the list of last names with the most AMA Pro Motocross winners. We're thinking it might be Smith, as we've seen Marty, Kelly (High Point '00), and Danny (Southwick '02) all win. (And way, way back in the day Jeff Smith, the multi-time FIM World Champion from England, won the first two Trans-AMA races ever held in 1970.)
Any other names with at least three different winners out there in MX?
Hey, Watch It!
Jason Weigandt looks back at the chaotic end of the road for the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS team last weekend:
MotoSport Launches Driven to Ride Video Series | episode 1 of Driven to Ride, featuring WXC GNCC Racer Prestin Raines, USMCA coach Hayden Justice, and Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti:
PulpMX Show #500 with McGrath and Carmichael live in studio:
Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week
“Brazilian army's Viagra order draws quips, scrutiny”—Spacewar.com
“Frank Vogel hadn’t ‘been told s–t’ about Lakers firing in awkward press conference”—New York Post
Random Notes
Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races!