From dry, dusty California to rutted up Pennsylvania to the Northeast sand, we have officially reached the halfway point in the 2022 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Yesterday, the gates dropped on the sandy, beat up The Wick 338 circuit, providing fans with another great day of Pro Motocross racing. Let’s get into it.
The day started with Eli Tomac picking up right where he left off: blasting around ahead of the field. Hoping, jumping, and cruising around the course gave the three-time 450 Class Pro Motocross champion the top qualifying spot for the second consecutive week in a row. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider was fast in qualifying and when the gates drops, man, was ET3 on a roll. He swept both moto wins for the second time this season and his moto wins Saturday gave him five consecutive moto wins in a row (his season total is now up to seven moto wins). There is not much to say about it other than he just holds the throttle open more than anyone else and over a longer period of time. Broc Glover pointed out to me that when the field came through past the mechanics area Tomac was on the gas for at least a second longer than everyone else. His ability to twist the throttle, hold on, and find a comfortable zone without riding over his head while doing is just amazing to watch. We are watching a great in his prime. We might not see Tomac at these Pro Motocross events again, so enjoy these rides from ET3 while we can.
“First race, you know, first race on the Yamaha, of course I was off, on where I felt comfortable,” Tomac said to his slow start to the season. “Then we kinda figured it out as a team, getting into a comfortable position. And now it’s just working on all conditions—the motorcycle. And having that trust is so important, right, just to make everything go the right way. And I’m in the meat of the season where these tracks I really enjoy riding so mentally it’s like you’re looking forward to something and usually it goes in a better direction. So yeah, we’re just in a couple of rounds I really enjoy riding.”
Tomac also commented on his knee injury suffered near the end of Monster Energy AMA Supercross.
“Yeah, the knee problem is pretty much in the past,” Tomac stated. “It’s not really on my mind, I don’t really think about it, it’s not bothering me riding. So that’s that.”
Chase Sexton did his part. Good starts, strong riding and finishing resulted in two more podium finishes for the points leader. Sexton was ahead of Tomac in the first moto but was bested by the #3 just the years of experience ET3 has on his younger competitor. Sexton has been phenomenal here so far. The #23 Honda CRF450R usually comes around the first turn every weekend within the top five or so. And aside from that slip up at the end of moto two in Colorado, mid-way through his third full season in the premier class he has stepped into the championship contender role many expected of him. Through six rounds, 12 total motos, Sexton has one finish that is not a first or a second—a fourth in the first thunder valley moto. While Tomac sits only a single point behind him, the Honda HRC rider is focusing on himself and what he can control. He said after RedBud he was pleased with his riding, something he stated again after Southwick as well.
“Starts were not good, I think that’s one thing I’m gong to focus on next week,” Sexton said. “If you start up front, it just makes your whole life easier. So for me, that’s a main priority. But other than that, I feel really good on the bike. I have never loved this place…I was actually happy with my riding with how I haven’t felt comfortable here. In that second moto I actually kinda came alive towards the end. So, all in all, it’s positive and onto the next one.”
Tomac also said in the press conference the series is heading to tracks he enjoys and has had success at in the past, but remember Sexton won the Washougal National last year with a great ride. The #23's confidence is not lacking heading into the second half of the championship. We should be set for quote the battle to the finish.
Also, Sexton touched on the speculation of possible Team USA rosters for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Hosting Michigan is considered a "home event" for Illinois native, who was set to ride for the team in 2021 before the Team USA plug got pulled, and while he said he does expect both him and ET3 to get selected to represent the U.S., he simply hopes the three best riders are selected. Sexton repeated thoughts that some—such as Jason Weigandt—has shared: pick the three best riders then they can figure out who will ride which bike/classification.
“I just want to race it, that’s all I want to do,” Sexton said on MXoN. “That’s been a dream of mine, I wanted to go last year, obviously we didn’t go. But this year, being at RedBud if it doesn’t rain, it’s probably going to be the biggest motocross race ever, I hope. So if I can be a part of that, it would make my day for sure.”
“I just think we send the best team,” Sexton added. “That’s the bottom line, whoever that is. If I’m not picked, if I’m not the best guy, then that’s fine. …If it came down to it, then yes [I would ride the 250]. I don’t want to ride a 250, I want to race the 450 Class, but if that’s what it takes, I gotta be open minded, I guess. …but I want to race the bike I have been racing all year. …That’s my only thing, I want the best riders going.”
Aaron Plessinger has never been a great qualifier and yesterday was no different. Going to the gate 19th for the first moto is not ideal, but Plessinger made the best of his day when the gates dropped. He claimed seventh in the first moto (even after saying he ran out of tear offs behind Ken Roczen) but ran second for basically all of moto two before Sexton caught him late. The Ohio native had a podium finish at round two of Monster Energy AMA Supercross but a broken arm not long after left him sidelined until Pro Motocross. However, the #7 put in a great ride to claim third overall—his first podium outdoors since the 2021 RedBud National. He credited an enthusiastic pep talk from his mechanic Jade Dungey after the first moto for his strong day.
“First moto I didn’t get the greatest of starts,” Plessinger said. “I was still up there but I got stuck behind a few people and then I was ripping through tear-offs like no other and eventually just ran out behind Kenny. And the last three laps I had very, very limited vision, so that was a little scary.”
“But I got a little tune up from the mechanic after that moto and I guess it put me in the mood to get a good start and go chase these guys,” he continued with a laugh. “Yeah, I felt really, really good in that second moto. Just starting up there is a plus, it makes you get the pace down a lot quicker. …Yeah, I just felt good. I knew this was gonna be a good day. So yeah, pumped.”
The Red Bull KTM rider was his typical crazy self with his cowboy hat and wild expressions after the race. With some raised confidence, the #7 could be a podium threat at more of these East Coast rounds. Ken Roczen had his typical first lap speed on full display in both motos, grabbing two holeshots and leading nine laps (two in moto one and seven in moto two) before finishing 6-4 for fourth overall on the day. Christian Craig was behind Roczen in the first moto and then took over the lead with a nice move up the inside of Roczen. Craig led five laps before ET3 came through to the lead, and Craig brought home a third-place finish after Sexton made a pass before the checkered flag. A third after leading a handful of laps was big for the #28.
After a disappointing debut with the Fire Power Parts Honda Racing team last weekend in Michigan due to bike issues, Max Anstie rode extremely well to finish 5-5 for sixth overall. The MXGP veteran was excited heading into the weekend and came to play with great starts, which displayed his sand skills.
Ryan Dungey had not raced at The Wick 338 since 2013 (!) And admitted he was smoked late in the second moto, but he was right in the battle with the top group in both motos. The #5 finished 4-7 for seventh overall. He said he is looking for improvement each week, but it was a solid day for the veteran rider, who again, was retired for five years until just a few months ago! That rough course is no joke, especially when the second motos rolled around.
Jason Anderson was one of the handful of riders down in the first turn. He charged through the field to an eventual eighth place finish. In moto two, he got a better start and finished sixth. His teammate Joey Savatgy had a solid run inside the top ten in the first moto. Savatgy finished 9-16 for 12th overall. Benny Bloss had his best result of the season with 10-10 finishes for ninth overall. Local favorite Chris Canning rode well in the top five early in moto one before finishing 12-12 for 11th overall. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cullin Park finished 15-14 for a new career-best 15th overall in just the third Pro Motocross event of his young career.
Southwick - 450
July 9, 2022Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 1 - 1 | Yamaha YZ450F |
2 | Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 2 - 2 | Honda CRF450R |
3 | Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | 7 - 3 | KTM 450 SX-F |
4 | Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany | 6 - 4 | Honda CRF450R |
5 | Christian Craig | Temecula, CA | 3 - 8 | Yamaha YZ450F |
Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 546 |
2 | Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 539 |
3 | Jason Anderson | Edgewood, NM | 440 |
4 | Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany | 394 |
5 | Christian Craig | Temecula, CA | 373 |
How is this for some wild irony/weirdness/strange coincidence/whatever you want to call it. Let’s recall the 2021 Southwick National: Jett Lawrence, points leader at the time, gets collect by a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider (Jalek Swoll) in the first moto, loses his visor and does not have a good day as his brother Hunter goes 1-1 for the overall win.
So what happened Saturday at the 2022 event?
In the first moto, Hunter and a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider (Stilez Robertson) tangle, sending the #96 to the ground. He remounts without his visor but has a disappointing finish. And Jett? Well, he goes 1-1 on the day for the overall. You want to talk about how connected these two, but that is too crazy to believe!
Following Hunter's unfortunate moto one, his little brother reclaimed the points lead once again. It was not ideal day for the #96, but if you're going to lose the points battle the best person to lose it to would be your brother (even through any sibling rivalry). Jett entered the day seven points down but leaves with a 15-point advantage after Hunter's 6-8 day. This thing swing could really swing the #1's way quickly.
“I went out [for qualifying] and kinda just started to flow with the track straight away,” Jett Lawrence said. “And I was just having a lot of fun. I was pretty amped to get into the racing because it [the track] looked like it was going to form up pretty nice. So, I was excited for that. Getting both really good starts. …I just kinda gelled with the track today. Kinda felt like when I was at home when I was in Lommel really, just flowing, trying to keep the bike light, and then just having a good time.”
Coming off his maiden moto and overall win, Jo Shimoda rode to a solid 2-3 second overall. Shimoda earned his maiden overall podium at The Wick 338 a year ago last summer, but the #30 has had significant improvements since then. His starts are still hit or miss, but his late race pace and strength is still there, albeit stronger. Plus, now he has added the ability to charge through the field. It's not ideal, but instead of riding around battling just inside the top ten, the Japanese native is gaining positions early and getting into relatively clear air as close as he can to P1. This allows him ride his own race. Shimoda recently started working with Nick Wey and was asked if his success is due to anything specific training wise. But Shimoda said it was a secret and laughed it off. He’s not giving his tricks away that easily.
“It [the day] was good,” Shimoda said. “Lot of things could be better. But yeah, I mean, overall, just riding wise, I have better speed pretty much every weekend now. But just, bad starts. I just have to keep looking and working. I hope one day it will be consistent.”
Following a severe foot injury that sidelined him for all of supercross, Justin Cooper returned to the overall podium for the first time since round two. He is slightly off pace of the moto winners lately, but his good starts got him into clear air and he was able to claim strong results in both motos. The New York native is still searching for more as the championship—and his time on the bike—confines.
“The main thing with coming off an injury is just you lose all of that time…Just coming back into racing it was tough to get back into the flow of things, it was a while for me,” Cooper said. “No excuses, I got up front pretty quick I was just away from the sport for a little bit so it took a while for it to come back and feel normal. I feel like we’re at a point in the season where we’re making strides to be up here every weekend and just battle with these guys again. It’s definitely been an up and down year so far and just kinda smoothed it out a little bit and just have some fun battling up front.”
Levi Kitchen finished eighth in moto one but got a great jump in the second moto and challenged Jett Lawrence early on. The #59 kept Jettson honest, but the defending champion kept the gap enough to where Kitchen could not make a true pass attempt. It’s only Kitchen’s second moto podium—the other his maiden moto win in Colorado—but this showed Kitchen can be a force to reckon with when he positions himself up front. Now he just needs to do it constantly. Quietly, Kitchen sits fifth in the standings behind the Lawrence brothers, Shimoda, and Cooper in his first full season as a pro.
“I worked really hard that first moto,” Kitchen said. “Those first few laps were fun with Jett. I tried to do everything I could to get around him. Man, he’s just on another level right now. But I think I can run with them, obviously, I showed it for a little, so I’m stoked with the day. I’m just gonna keep this and try to build going into Millville.
Kitchen was followed by RJ Hampshire (4-5 for fifth overall after battles all day long), Stilez Robertson (7-7- for sixth overall), and Hunter Lawrence (6-8 for seventh overall). There was a post-race altercation with Robertson and Hunter Lawrence that cameras picked up as riders headed back towards the paddock, check it out below.
Tune in next weekend for the seventh round Spring Creek National.
Southwick - 250
July 9, 2022Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 1 - 1 | Honda CRF250R |
2 | Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan | 2 - 3 | Kawasaki KX250F |
3 | Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 3 - 4 | Yamaha YZ250F |
4 | Levi Kitchen | Washougal, WA | 8 - 2 | Yamaha YZ250F |
5 | R.J. Hampshire | Hudson, FL | 4 - 5 | Husqvarna FC 250 |
Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 546 |
2 | Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 539 |
3 | Jason Anderson | Edgewood, NM | 440 |
4 | Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany | 394 |
5 | Christian Craig | Temecula, CA | 373 |