First Timer

It’s always heartwarming to see a guy get his first win, and that was especially the case last week when RJ Hampshire punched through for the first 250SX win of his career. Afterward you could see the waves of emotion rolling over Hampshire as the realization of what he’d just accomplished was setting in. But that was last week, and Hampshire still has a job to do this weekend in Atlanta. Now that he’s got that first one out of the way, will we see more from him this season? –Hansel

The Showdown

When the 250SX gate drops in Atlanta it won’t be just the East, or just the West, region doing battle—it’ll be both of them combined. That means we get to see the best from both regions go at it, and if you think Christian Craig doesn’t care about beating Jett Lawrence this weekend, or vice versa, you’ve crashed too many times in cheap helmets. Add in the likes of Hampshire, Hunter Lawrence, Michael Mosiman, and more, and we’re in for what promises to be one of the best 250SX race of 2022. –Hansel

Out Like a Lion

Cooper Webb hasn't had the season he was hoping for before the first gate dropped at Anaheim 1. He's not technically eliminated from championship eligibility, but he will be following Atlanta. But that doesn't mean he can't still be a factor in the individual races, and you know he doesn't want to exit the season without getting a win. Yeah, he's been knocked around quite a bit this season, and he even missed St. Louis after crashing during the week, but when you're dealing with a guy who's as fiery and stubborn as Webb, the normal rules don't seem to apply. Can the Red Bull KTM rider log a win at some point in the next four rounds? -Hansel 

The Speedway 

Unlike most stops on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross circuit, the race in Atlanta is held on the infield of a speedway, not in a stadium. In this case it’s Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the space they have available is huge, and the track crew has access to all the dirt they could ever want. This means a monstrous track, in more ways than one, with an extremely long start stretch and massive triples. The jumps were so big on Friday press day that they had to tone it down a bit for the races! The longer track also means fewer laps turned within the time limits of the race, so in theory, the track won’t receive as much abuse as normal. Add it all up and we’ve got an extremely unique course for the riders at round 14. -Hansel

The Elements

As mentioned above, the track is much longer than normal, and won’t receive as much wear. However, that’ doesn’t mean it isn’t going to get chewed up. Early this morning the rain came down and got things pretty sloppy. It’s let up for now and no more rain is expected, but what’s done is done. The track crew, as usual, has done a great job in cleaning up the course, but the extra moisture has made for a softer than usual racing surface. Will that translate into a rutted out pandemonium in tonight’s mains? -Hansel

Two Through Five

Last week we wrote about the close points battle between Jason Anderson, Justin Barcia, and Malcolm Stewart. It’s still close! Anderson holds second just six points ahead of Barcia, and Stewart is just five points back of Barcia. But now Marvin Musquin, thanks to his recent string of outstanding finishes, is knocking on the door of this points battle. The Red Bull KTM rider is in fifth, but is only three points behind Stewart. These guys might not even care about second in points, but what this indicates is just how close the field is behind Tomac. With the situation this tight, it’s anyone’s guess as to how things will stack up after the checkered flag flies in Atlanta. -Hansel

Good to be Wrong

When Austin Forkner went out after breaking his collarbone in Arlington, the general consensus was that we'd see him for Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Yes, his team said there was a slight chance he might return toward the end of the season if his recovery went well, but teams always say stuff like that and we've seen many a statement like that not actually pan out. Well, Forkner is set to race today in Atlanta, which should make what's already promising to be a good showdown, that much better. Even better, Austin said he doesn't feel like he lost much speed or fitness in his break, and he looked good in practice today. Can you say darkhorse? -Hansel 

THE DOG VS THE CAT: 125 EDITION

Today, we have the pleasure of watching Gared “Stank Dog” Steinke and AJ Catanzaro both on 125 two-strokes! Steinke has been racing his KTM 125 SX on the 250SX West Region—even making the main event in Oakland, California—and Catanzaro was racing the new generation CRF250R in the 250SX East Region. Today, Stank Dog will do his typical two-stroke deal and he will be joined by Catanzaro on a KTM 125 SX as well. So with the East/West Showdown today, we will see who is the better (two-stroke) coast! -Mitch Kendra