Better Late Than Never
After Dean Wilson sustained serious injury during supercross and Malcolm Stewart sustained a knee injury shortly before the first national, it was unclear when either would return this summer, if at all. Well, the wait is over, as both riders will finally be lining up to race this weekend at Unadilla. Neither one will likely be in the mix up front in their first race back, but it’s going to be fun to see how they stack up after being out with injury for so long. –Hansel
Changing Horses
Now that Wilson and Stewart are back in the stable at Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, the team is no longer in need of the services of Shane McElrath, who was employed there as a fill in rider. Fortunately for McElrath, he’s still got a ride for the rest of the summer, it’s just a different color, as he’s joined the FXR ClubMX Yamaha squad for the remainder of the 2022 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. How will he perform on the Yamaha after riding the Husky at the first eight rounds? –Hansel
Return of the Champ
We’ve waited patiently for 16 motos for the return of the 2021 450 National Champion, Dylan Ferrandis, and now the wait is mercifully over. After tearing a ligament in his thumb before the beginning of the season, Ferrandis will make his first appearance of the summer at Unadilla and there are so many questions surrounding his return. He was ungodly fast last year, but will he have that same pace when he comes back, especially after not racing a single moto yet? And if he can regain his 2021 form, how will it stack up against the insane pace being set up front right now by Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton? It’s impossible to predict, but it sure is going to be entertaining to see how it plays out at Unadilla! –Hansel
The Pace Setters
Speaking of Tomac and Sexton, when we left off at Washougal both were still crushing the field by insane margins, and the only competition either had came from each other. At Washougal Sexton finally beat Tomac for the overall too after taking second place in eight consecutive motos. Can Sexton turn the tide on Tomac, or will the three-time champ turn up the heat down the stretch and add to his five-point lead? Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride between these two at the final four races! –Hansel
Bolstered Ranks
We’ve already mentioned Wilson, Stewart, and Ferrandis, but there are a host of additional riders scheduled to return to action at Unadilla. Cameron McAdoo, Nick Romano, and Michael Mosiman are all scheduled to be back in action this weekend. Levi Kitchen was originally slated to return as well, although we weren't able to verify his presence at time of posting. But even if he doesn't end up making it back, we’re still going to see some serious talent re-infused into the 250 Class at Unadilla, which could make for some pretty interesting battles. –Hansel
Break’s Over
There are always riders who benefit from a break in the schedule. Be it injury, illness, or even just the fatigue that comes with a grueling race schedule, the break always offers a chance for those who are in need of some time to get in some necessary rest and hit the reset button. Now that the break is over, will guys like Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson, Aaron Plessinger, and more, reemerge with a renewed fervor this weekend? –Hansel
The Final Decision
The USA Motocross of Nations team still hasn’t been announced and is not expected to be until potentially Budds Creek next week. The only hold up is the MX2 spot which seemed like it was between 450 class riders Justin Barcia or Christian Craig. But then, former MX2 Team USA representative Justin Cooper went out and won his first moto of 2022 at Washougal and raised some eyebrows. A few days later, Justin Barcia relinquished his interest in dropping to the 250 to race for the team. So, it would appear Craig would be the shoe in, but Cooper’s ride at least seems to have pushed the decision back a little further. If Cooper could come out and win on what is essentially his home race this weekend, it will certainly reignite the discussion this entire next week leading into the announcement next weekend. –Kellen Brauer
It’s Coming, Right?
Ryan Dungey has been closer and closer every week to finding his way onto the podium in his return to racing after a five-year retirement. At Washougal, he was right up front in the first moto when his bike failed forcing him to DNF. He then came from outside the top 20 to fourth in the second moto in maybe his best ride of the year. Perhaps the tracks we most associate with Dungey’s prior success are behind him, but it feels like we have to see Dunge on the box before season’s end at this point. Perhaps Unadilla provides the magic. –Brauer
Best Bros
Jett Lawrence leads older brother Hunter Lawrence by 28 points heading into the final eight motos of the year. Hunter will lament some missed opportunities over the last three rounds, but he has arguably had his brothers speed at nearly every round this year. If he is going to have a real shot at stealing this title away from his younger brother, he needs a great day at Unadilla to start the momentum train rolling off this break. –Brauer
Dilla Delivers
Every couple of years it seems like we see some standout rides from guys either making their debut or hitting their stride at the right time at Unadilla. There’s almost nobody graduating from Loretta’s last week that will make their official pro debut at Unadilla (though Ryder DiFrancesco will be here for his third career National), so maybe we will see someone hit their stride at the right time. Could this be a weekend where riders like Christian Craig in the 450 class or RJ Hampshire in the 250 class get up front and battle for the win? It sure would be fun to see. –Brauer
