Welcome to Racerhead and the calm between the storms. Last weekend Monster Energy AMA Supercross wrapped up in Salt Lake City with another full house, but also way too many absentees from the starting gates. Next weekend, AMA Pro Motocross will begin at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, as the second half of the 2023 AMA calendar of racing gets underway. Everyone is transitioning from supercross to motocross. Everyone is also tied in points as MX begins—everyone has zero points!
Of course last weekend there was a single leader in 450SX, Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton. After the shocking departure of the nearly series-long points leader Eli Tomac with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Sexton was in the right place at the right time to take over the championship. As a matter of fact, he pretty much clinched the championship the moment Eli pulled out in Denver one week earlier. To their credit neither Chase nor his Honda team celebrated that realization in Denver, showing the immense respect that they have for Tomac. Instead, they waited for Salt Lake City and another win to blow the lid off and celebrate in fashion at SLC.
Adding to their joy of breaking that 20-year title-less streak in AMA 450 Supercross was the matching titles for Jett and Hunter Lawrence in 250 SX. They were the heavy favorites going into the Dave Coombs Sr. East-West Showdown, though Jett and his fellow West Region competitors had a much better conclusion, with Jett, RJ Hampshire and Levi Kitchen going 1-2-3 in the Showdown.
Now Jett has moved up to the 450 and he will take on his teammate Chase and the rest of the field with another championship up for grabs, as Eli was the defending 450 MX Champion as well. And as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there’s a bunch of guys missing. Besides Tomac, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas’ Justin Barcia, Rockstar Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, and Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb are still out (though I have a feeling we will be seeing #2 back out there sooner than later). There’s more on the injury list, but it gets depressing to have to list them each week. That said, there’s a lot of conversations happening and data being studied by the OEMs, the AMA, AMA Pro Racing, Feld Motor Sports, MX Sports, the Alpinestars Mobile Medics and more. The injuries have been overwhelming in 2023, and not just here in supercross. MXGP has also had a tough run, with defending champion Tim Gajser out, and recent injuries to Romain Febvre and Maxime Renaux, both former FIM World Champions. No one ever wants to see an injury-plagued season like this happen again.
Before we get into the rest of Racerhead, sad news from Delmont, Pennsylvania. Dick Bellora Sr., the cofounder of the old Steel City Raceway and father-in-law to SX/MX/FMX star Mike Jones, passed away earlier this week. Bellora got into motocross when his son Dickie started racing in the late-seventies, and by 1983 they opened a motocross track at their family farm, with my dad and mom as partners. Dickie was a stand-out Kawasaki Team Green rider, though he did not make a dent in professional racing like his future brother-in-law Mike Jones would. The Steel City track hosted the last U.S. 125cc Grand Prix in 1987, won by Suzuki’s Erik Kehoe, and then held an outdoor national every year from 1988 until 2012. The last national there was won by Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey (450) and GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac (250). Issues with the local Department of Natural Resources due to what they felt was too much erosion had long threatened the track’s very existing, and it ultimately closed in the fall of 2012 for good, the national moving to Muddy Creek Raceway in Tennessee. Dick Bellora still attended various local races after that, until his health became an issue. He passed earlier this week. Godspeed, Dick Bellora, and thanks for all those great races at Steel City over the many, many years.
Looking ahead to next weekend, check out these “Stopwatch National” photos from Spencer Owens out at Glen Helen:
And also check out Fox Raceway pro practice photos that were shot by Karl Bohn:
Check out Bohn’s full gallery.
And our man in SoCal, Kellen Brauer, went out to Glen Helen Raceway for this cool video of the pros at practice, including Jo Shimoda, Tom Vialle, Aaron Plessinger, Adam Cianciarulo, and more:
And finally, here’s a sneak peek at the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross National stickers we will be giving away at every round. It’s a nod to the old-school pit passes everyone used to wear before hard cards became all of the rage! You can get yours free at every round, just make sure you stop by the Racer X tent early enough to grab one before they are all gone!
Dunlop MX34 Intro (Keefer)
We had the chance to meet almost all the Dunlop staff (not joking) at LACR on Tuesday for the MX34 tire launch. Dunlop has been racing on the MX34 platform for over a year now on the professional level and have racked up 22 SX wins and 3 MX wins with it. The MX34 tire has a new tread pattern, updated compound as well as larger spacing between the knobs which helps the MX34 fling away mud/debris. I have had some time on the MX34 and can say that this new offering from Dunlop is much better than the MX33, especially the front tire. I have been critical of the MX33 front tire in the past and have even gone back to the MX3S on most of my test bikes, but I’m relieved that Dunlop now has a new front tire that I actually trust! Three things the average rider will notice with the MX34 compared to the MX33 is more bump compliance, better front tire control on lean angle and better braking control from the rear tire. These are just some of the topics we discuss in the latest Racer X Films video from the MX34 launch, so check it out will ya?
[Note also that Maxxis introduced a new tire this week also. We also covered that!]
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame (DC)
The nominees have been announced for the 2023 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and there are some excellent and also very familiar candidates on the ballot. In the Competition category Ryan Dungey is on the ballot for the first time and should be a shoe-in, given his multi-AMA Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross and Motocross of Nations titles. Same goes for Grant Langston, who has won just about every AMA title there is, with the exception of 450SX, and was also an FIM World Champion before that. And every off-road racer would agree that Barry Hawk, with multiple titles in both ATV and motorcycle racing, is also more than deserving of this honor.
There are also several well-known and worthy candidates in the Non-Competition category, including Travis Pastrana, famed magazine editor Rick “Super Hunky” Sieman, and the late promoter Paul Schlegel, who co-founded the Pontiac Supercross as well as the Loretta Lynn’s AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, and countless flat track and TT events. And then there was a big surprise to us here as my mom Rita Coombs appeared on the ballot. She was also one of the co-founders of Loretta Lynn’s, as well as the GNCC Racing Series, High Point and Steel City Raceways, MX Sports Pro Racing, Racer Productions, and more. She’s still the Voice of Reason for Racer X Magazine as well as this website. Her being on the ballot was a surprise not because she isn’t deserving, but because we always considered her one-half of my dad’s induction, which happened way back in 1999, one year after he passed away. Thank you to whomever nominated her.
From the AMA: “Voting for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is now open. Eligible voters include previous Hall of Fame inductees, members of the AMA and AMHF Boards of Directors, and members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Category Selection Committees. AMA Life Members with at least 25 years of consecutive membership are also eligible to vote but should update their contact information to receive the latest updates and announcements pertaining to the voting process.
Voting ends Sunday, June 18 at 11:59 p.m.
Voting results will be announced soon after voting closes, and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Sept. 15, in Pickerington, Ohio.
To vote on this year’s nominees, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/hall-of-fame-class-of-2023.
Alpinestars Adventure Tour 2023
(Simon Cudby)
We were invited by the Alpinestars team to come up to The Outpost in Fawnskin, California to ride and check out all of the new AStars adventure riding gear, and spend a great day on the trails riding with Dakar legends Toby Price, Ricky Brabec, and Skyler Howes.
Alpinestars is serious about adventure riders, and you can tell by their new feature-packed jackets and riding pants. The main focus of the new jackets is an all-day function that features many plenty of venting, so a warm jacket for the early morning start, with the big venting options as the day heats up. Add in Goretex and Drystar waterproofing, and these jackets are a perfect option for day trips, or big multi-week adventures. More info at https://www.alpinestars.com/pages/touring
Remembering “The Outlaw” James Marshall (Doc Melloy)
(Last Friday, after Racerhead went up, we got late-breaking news that James Marshall had passed. Marshall was a promising rider from Texas who was badly injured at the 2006 San Diego SX. Doc Melloy wanted to share his thoughts and memories on “The Outlaw” in this week’s Racerhead.)
The motocross racing family lost a unique character this past week when James Marshall passed. The young man from Dickinson, Texas was a well-known amateur with Team Green before signing with Shaun Martin’s Honda of Houston outfit. Known as the “Outlaw” for his aggressive riding style, Marshall was a title contender at the amateur nationals. His best finishes at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals were a 5th place finish in the 2001 250/Open B Stock class, and then a 6th place finish the following year while riding for Honda in the 250/Open A class. When Martin was trying to establish a race team in the Houston area. Marshall was one of his early recruits.
“Since James was from a little south of Houston, I knew him when he was on 80s,” remembers Martin. “He was always fun to watch and to be around. Honda of Houston was in its infancy when I was able to secure a ride for him. I loved how he just never gave up, and always had kind words for all his competitors. He had such drive and determination. It was just a natural fit. He carried that drive through the rest of his life.”
Marshall turned pro in 2003 and was competitive both indoors and outdoors. I had gotten to know James when I started writing race reports for Holeshot Magazine, reporting mostly locally in the Houston area. We developed a friendship, and I had the privilege of accompanying James to the 2005 Indianapolis round of the 125 East Coast Supercross series. He had been putting in some time at the Millsaps Training Facility, and his riding was the best it had ever been. Davi Millsaps was turning pro in 2005 and his mother, Colleen had set a very strict tone to practice.
Bryan Johnson Jr. remembers Marshall being at MTF and putting in laps with Davi and the others. “I knew James from amateur racing, although we were a couple of years apart and never really raced against each other. He already had that reputation as ‘the Outlaw,’ but like everybody else, once you got to know him, you realized he was this fun-loving guy who just wanted to win and be the best in his class. Colleen was big on structure and lots of seat time. James came in and went to work. He was a pleasure to be around and his enthusiasm was much appreciated.”
In Indy, James called on his friend Bobby Regan, who allowed Marhsall to pit with the Star Racing team. At the time, Bobby only had one 125 East Coast rider, Jacob Saylor. But Regan had been to Texas and had always been impressed with Marshall.
“I had gone down to Texas for amateur racing and kept hearing about the Texas Outlaw,” recalled Regan. “Of course that was James Marshall. He and Adam Mennenga were the two amateurs I was most impressed with.”
Marshall qualified for his first supercross main event that Saturday in Indy and managed a 14th place finish. Millsaps won the main event that night over Grant Langston. It was Marshall’s best weekend ever in supercross. He was equally excited for Millsaps, and I think he felt like he suddenly belonged with the legitimate contenders.
Unfortunately, Marshall broke his wrist the following week at MTF after a bike mechanical failure. All of the momentum he carried back from Indy was lost.
James made it back racing in 2006. And then his whole world came crashing down. In the second heat race of the SX (450) class, Marshall went over the bars when his bike hit false neutral. The young Texas star went head-first into the face of a jump, which resulted in three fractured vertebrae in his neck. Afterwards, trackside physician Dr. John Bodnar had some grim news: the Outlaw was paralyzed from the upper chest down to his legs.
Marshall eventually left ICU in San Diego and returned to Houston where he was admitted into a specialty facility, The Institute of Research and Rehabilitation (TIRR). The facility specialized in spinal injuries. I went to visit James on several occasions and he seemed to be ready to take on this latest challenge with his normal fiery enthusiasm. Marshall had the full support of the motocross community, even those who had been staunch competitors back in the day.
Kevin Johnson was a successful amateur and arenacross racer who had become friends with Marshall after the injury. But, such was not always the case.
“Much like many of his competitors, our first encounter was not a good one,” offered Johnson. “We were at Village Creek for a Loretta Lynn’s Regional qualifier back in 1998. We blasted each other multiple times before we collided mid-air over a triple step down, and we both crashed. I got up and still qualified. He left with a broken arm. The next time we crossed paths, we talked about it, buried the hatchet, and became friends.” At one point, Johnson was taking Marshall to church on Sundays and then lunch afterwards.
Marshall continued to work on his health and even started a non-profit, The James Marshall Project, to help others struggling with spinal cord injuries. However, in recent months his health had taken a downturn as he battled infections that are all too common to quadriplegics. Then he aspirated while taking a pill, which caused a severe lung infection. The infection spread throughout his body causing his organs to start failing. On May 12th , James Marshall passed, just a couple of weeks shy of his 39th birthday. The outpouring of love from the MX community has been tremendous as Marshall touched many lives. The sport lost one of its truly unique characters.
Bobby Regan said he lost a dear friend. “I remember James as a super-passionate and super-talented athlete,” said the man behind the Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing juggernaut. “I was there in San Diego when he got hurt. I know his life was forever changed. We donated a Star Racing bike for a charity auction for James. Coy Gibbs and I got him a handicap-equipped van. But that’s now how I choose to remember James Marshall. I remember him as that kid I first encountered as an amateur. I choose to remember him as ‘the Texas Outlaw.’”
RIP James Marshall, Outlaw452.
MXGP Moves (DC)
InFront has announced the cancellation of the Vietnam round on September 16-17. That's the bad news. The very good news is that the race will now take place at Maggiora, Italy, one of the most famous and historic venues in all of motocross. According to the press release, "The old-school circuit of Maggiora has a rich history and has been the theatre of many spectacular races since its first event in 1966. Showing its importance in motocross, the magnificent Italian track hosted three Motocross of Nations including the legendary MXoN of 1986 with team USA achieving perfect scores."
Also, this weekend MXGP returns to another well-known facility with some Team USA history. Villars-sous-Ecot, France, will host this weekend's round. It's the same venue where Team USA's Ron Lechien, Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward put on a dominant display in 1988. Right now Jorge Prado of the GasGas team is in the points lead, in part because of his strength in those Saturday qualifying races that now pay points. But Red Bull KTM's Jeffrey Herlings is definitely on the rise, having won three of the last five rounds. He is six points behind the Spaniard going into France. Here's a video of Herlings that we spotted on YouTube of Jeffrey doing some high-speed training for the fast, hard-packed French circuit.
One last thing: MXGP legend Joel Smets is one of our favorite people in the entire motocross world. Humble, gracious, competitive and kind, he was always a pleasure to watch on the racetrack (even with his unorthodox style) and then chat with in the paddock. Here's an interview our friend Geoff Meyer did with Joel on his site MXLarge.com.
Racer X/MXGP-TV Trivia (DC)
For last week's Racer X/MXGP-TV Trivia, we let our previous winner, "Aussieblue" from down under, come up with the question: Who was the first Australian to get a point in the FIM World Motocross Championship? Name the rider, year and class. We got plenty of answers, ranging from Stephen Gall to Jeff Leisk to Ray Fisher to Tim Gibbes, but no one got the full answer, which turned out to be quite mystery. Aussieblue himself thought it was Pelle Granquist at the 1980 500cc round in Sweden, where he finished 10th in the second moto, which was good for a single point. Pelle came to Australia in the mid- to late- '70s to do so races for the local Husqvarna importer and literally started winning some of Australia's biggest events. He married a local girl, which gave him Australian citizenship. He went on to win two consecutive 250cc and 500cc Australian National Championships in 1978 and '79, before dabbling in the 500c Grand Prix circuit of Europe. Unfortunately, he sustained a badly broken leg in a practice crash which in turn ended his career.
However, that wasn't the correct answer. "Roostzilla" got closest. He posted "Tim Gibbes won a gp in Czech in 1960, guessing on a 500.....but the first point?" Turns out the race Gibbs won wasn't an actual GP, but rather a European Cup race, as the 250 class did not have FIM World Championship status until 1962. However, one year later in 1961, Gibbes scored two points at the 500cc Grand Prix of Sweden, and there is your answer!
But who was Tim Gibbes? I started researching him and Tim had an amazing journey as a true motorcycling pioneer, becoming the first Australian to win a gold medal in the ISDT in the mid-1950s (before he ever raced MX in Europe) and then of course the first to score those GP points. From there he would also eventually become a stunt man in the 1960s' Steve McQueen film The Great Escape. Once he went home to Australia he did a lot of things, promoting and teaching and all. And then we found this very cool documentary, though it says he actually won two GPs in 1960, but again, they weren't actually true Grand Prix events as we know them now, just internationals behind the iron curtain. Here's the documentary.
And here's a bit about his work with Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins (the first American to score a GP point back in 1952) and their work in The Great Escape
Finally, here's a cool feature about Gibbes' time behind the Iron Curtain:
So no one won last week's Racer X/MXGP-TV Trivia. We'll just roll the prize over to this week, which is this: Upon what brand of motorcycle did American motocross pioneer Jim Pomeroy score his last FIM World Championship points? First to answer in the comments below wins!
Hey, Watch It!
AC started a new podcast:
UNPLUGGED With Adam Cianciarulo | Pilot
Here is a really cool look at "The World's Most Expensive Dirt Bike" featuring Dave King of VMXDN fame talking to Max of the 999lazer team for this look at the late Andre Malherbe's 1985 RC500 works bike:
Carson Brown signs with Red Bull, rides three different generation two-strokes.
Here’s a cool video from Kaplan America, where they buy a barn full of 33 vintage dirt bikes:
Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week
“Raquel and Sandoval First Had Sex in Her Car While Ariana Was Grieving Dog's Death”—TooFab.com
“Around the SEC: Former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett Receives Flack for Not Graduating”—Sports Illustrated
"A TikToker asked for help identifying a plane passenger who looked like a celebrity. Her video blew up, and caught the attention of the 'Mexican Jim Carrey.'" - Yahoo News
“Florida driver stops for turtle crossing busy highway, causes multi-vehicle crash”—Foxnews.com
“Mercedes Sets Out to Make Sexy Vans With Yacht-Like Interiors”—Bloomberg News
“Chick-fil-A’s first-ever restaurant is closing”—CNN.com
“Indian Motorcycles: Carey Hart Builds Kick Ass Sport Chief For Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg”—Press Release
"A Florida man living underwater won’t resurface even after breaking the record"—AP News
That's it! Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races.