It’s Time
To see what Jett Lawrence can do on a 450 against the biggest superstars of the sport. After dominating 250SX west in supercross, Lawrence will now join the 450 Class at Fox Raceway. To say he’s not going to be good is ludicrous, but at the same time, we have no idea just how good he’ll be. Is there a chance he runs away with the win? Maybe. Will he find a solid home in the top five? Wouldn’t be surprising. Will he get nervous and have an off day? It’s possible! No matter what happens, it sure is going to be fun to see a rider as talented as Lawrence go up against the stars of the 450 Class at Fox Raceway. -Aaron Hansel
The (2021) Champ Returns
We haven’t seen Dylan Ferrandis in top form since he dominated the 450 class outdoors in 2021. Since then, he’s had a rough go of things in supercross, and a thumb injury kept him out of competition for nearly the entire summer. He’ll be back at Fox Raceway, however, which means we’ll finally get to see how he stacks up against Chase Sexton. No matter what happens though, it’ll be good to have Ferrandis back on the gate. -Hansel
The Supercross Champ
Chase Sexton was the only rider to consistently pose any sort of real challenge to Eli Tomac last season, and the result was a multitude of epic battles between the two. Well, with Tomac on the sidelines with an Achilles injury, does this mean Sexton will be imposing his will on the competition all summer? We’ll have to wait and see, but if he’s on the same level he was in 2022 it’s going to be tough for anyone to get in his way. -Hansel
Wide Open
As mentioned above, Lawrence has vacated the throne in the 250 Class, leaving it wide open for the competition to fight over. There are plenty of racers capable of getting it done, too, and we know guys like Hunter Lawrence, Jo Shimoda, Jordon Smith, RJ Hampshire, Levi Kitchen, Justin Cooper, and plenty more are itching to get the season started right this weekend. Who’ll leave Fox Raceway in the lead? -Hansel
Outdoor Rookie
Haiden Deegan raced a pair of nationals at the end of last year, but 2023 will be his first official season in the great outdoors. He’s fast, he proved that time and time again during supercross, but supercross isn’t motocross. The conditions will be tougher, the races longer, the talent pool deeper. Will he be at or close to the front like he was in supercross, or will he face a challenging learning curve? -Hansel
The Comeback
If you can’t remember the last time you saw Jordon Smith racing AMA Pro Motocross, it’s because he hasn’t done it for quite some time. The last time he lined up for a national was in 2019, and a wrist injury limited him to just three races that season. He showed us he’s still on the sharp end of things during supercross, but will that translate into a good showing at Fox Raceway? -Hansel
Opening Magic
Eight. That’s the number of laps led by Max Vohland at Fox Raceway in 2021 when he shocked everyone by putting in a very real attempt at winning the first moto of his professional career. Bike problems would put an end to his run, and since then we haven’t seen any of that same sparkle and flash from Vohland. Will we see him repeat his heroics from 2021 when the gate drops this Saturday? -Hansel
The Champ Is Here
It seems that some people have forgotten that Tom Vialle is a World Champion after just an okay, not great but not bad, rookie year in supercross. But it would be a mistake to count him out for the outdoors. This summer will be his time to shine. Will he come out swinging at round one or will it take a couple of rounds to get used to the American tracks? -Sarah Whitmore
Cooper
Cooper Webb is back for Pro Motocross after only doing supercross in 2022. People keep talking about how the 450MX field is not very deep and how it is only going to be Sexton and Lawrence battling it out. But with Webb and Ferrandis back, and guys like AP and AC who are more than capable of a podium or maybe even a win, there will be plenty of guys to make this summer of racing exciting. - Whitmore
Cooper, Again
Justin Cooper is also back for outdoors. After pointing out of 250 supercross he rode five rounds on a 450, finishing well within the top ten, before turning his focus back on the Pro Motocross Championship in the 250 class. Remember the last time we saw him outdoors he won the MX2 class overall at Motocross of Nations, leading the US to victory. With all this prep and experience expect to see Justin near the front. - Whitmore
