Well, the penultimate round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship was a lot like the other nine we saw. The Australian brothers won on their Hondas, but it wasn’t without some drama in the 250 class that saw a red flag for the injured Hardy Munoz, and then, in a rule that we haven’t seen used in a long time, a full re-start, which is in the rulebook. Anything after 20 minutes with a red flag is called a complete race as the riders sit at the red flag, but anything under, I think, three laps, is a full re-start. Hardy’s crash was at the 15-minute mark, so the rule is restart, with the only change being gate pick being decided by the running order of the lap prior to the red flag.
So, Haiden Deegan, who was gone and going to win, got first pick on the gate, as opposed to his qualifying pick which was, checks notes, second.
It’s a weird rule and without a doubt, Deegs got screwed. He also screwed himself by absolutely sending it into the first turn on the restart and going down when he hit Tom Vialle hard. Some youthful exuberance, I suppose.
I think next year we’ll see a rule, not with a staggered start (the lengths of the start straights for 40 riders make that hard to work with), but with the riders going back to the gate and then flag start them one by one, first to fortieth, to give the leaders who have worked hard for their positions some sort of advantage.
Okay, let’s take a look at the results, shall we?
250MX Results
1 | 96 | Hunter Lawrence | 2-1
Well, he did it again. Hunter Lawrence has won seven motos this year, and two of them in the first moto. This race followed the season-long script for the points leader in that he didn’t get a great start and worked his way into fourth and was coming before the red flag, then probably would’ve been a third or second. The second start he was second behind Cooper and just hung there taking the runner-up position. Second moto, he got the start, and it was, see ya’. He’s the ultimate closer in the 250MX class. He got the overall win and he’s got a 22-point lead with two motos to go. Don’t know why Lawrence hasn’t quite got the starts in the first moto figured out yet but hey, everything else is A-okay.
2 | 32 | Justin Cooper | 1-2
Cooper rode very well at Budds Creek, he just couldn’t catch Lawrence in moto two. He needed those three points for sure, along with the points he left on the table in moto one in Unadilla. Bummer for Justin that he couldn’t get it done, but still a good day for the #32. Cooper’s stats are insane in this class, both good and bad. He’s got 31 fastest qualifiers in 69 starts, he’s got 62 podiums in 137 starts, so basically half the time he’s on the box and is fastest qualifier. But he’s also just got four overall wins in 137 starts.
3 | 30 | Jo Shimoda | 7-3
Jo was really good, and I feel like this whole column on 250MX has to be with an * because Shimoda was second before the red flag, and looking good at that. Both Jo and his teammate, Ryder DiFrancesco, got the short end of the stick badly on the restart (Deegan didn’t because if he had just calmed down, he would’ve come out second or third).
4 | 55 | Austin Forkner | 8-4
Hey, look at this, fifth last week in moto two, and now a fourth at Budds Creek in moto two. And a holeshot even! I’m telling you, Forkner is going to have to race the SMX LCQ’s, but would it surprise anyone if he won a round? He’s getting better and better.
5 | 128 | Tom Vialle | 5-6
Poor Vialle, he probably thought someone hit him with a bazooka going into the first turn in the second start. Wonder if his swingarm was dented? Deegs really sent it in there, bro.
6 | 38 | Jalek Swoll | 3-12
I was talking to Mitch Payton after the race and he used Jalek as an example of how motocross, a 30-minute moto, has seemingly turned into “startcross” now. And I kind of agree with him. Swoll got the start on the restart and got on the box in a great ride. Before the red flag he was seventh and in the second moto, he got 12th, and it doesn’t look like he fell. So, if you’re a team manager, what is Jalek Swoll? Hard to know, right? The margins are so thin now, the bikes are so good, the start “stuff” (grates, ECU’s, starting blocks) make it easier than ever to start, the riders all have trainers, there’s no secrets, they’re at facilities now, etc. All these top dudes, with a start, can run podium or top-five pace. And if they don’t get it, they’re 12th like Jalek. Nutty, man!
7 | 241 |Daxton Bennick | 4-11
Dax was 21st when the red flag flew—then he got a fourth. He owes Hardy a bouquet of flowers or something! Second moto was more of his usual thing. I had someone tell me they’re not that impressed with Bennick and I’m like, ‘It’s been four races!’ [Five, counting Budds Creek] Like, can we wait a little bit here? I think he’s been good. I mean if the bar we’re looking at is Eli Tomac winning his first national then yeah, Bennick sucks, I guess. Geez, tough crowd here.
8 | 52 |Carson Mumford |12-8
I said hi to Mumfy in the morning and that’s all I got. Mitch Payton said he fell (shrugs).
9 | 929 | Julien Beaumer 11-9
Rookie debut for Juju and yeah, this is awesome. Remember, he seems to be better indoors than out, so this is not too shabby for the kid. He’s a member of Red Bull KTM next year and I assumed he was going to the Baker’s Factory, but his trainer/coach now Davi Millsaps tells me he’ll continue on with Beaumer in 2024, which is good, seems like it’s working.
10 | 35 | Seth Hammaker | 6-14
Seth didn’t have his type of day at Budds. The sixth was okay (he was eighth at the red flag) and the second moto he could never get it going, although I believe there was a crash in there.
11 | 238 | Haiden Deegan | 16-5
We covered this already. It very easily could’ve been a 1-1 day for the kid. But it was not. Some of it was self-inflicted. I heard Deegan may be out for the MXoN team, and I’m not sure exactly why, but I do know his mechanic booked a trip to Aussie that same weekend. I think it’s just been a long season for the kid and maybe pops wants him to have some sort of downtime? Not sure, but I’ll never come down on anyone who skips a race that’s a ton of additional work with no extra pay. What if someone asked you, dear reader, to do that in your line of work? Oh, and also, fly to France as well.
12 | 40 | Stilez Robertson | 10-13
Stilez is back and getting better. He should do better in the SMX races as well, which he should make the LCQ after this weekend.
13| 43 | Levi Kitchen | 14-10
Remember what I was saying above about Swoll? Kitch WON A MOTO JUST LAST WEEK. This week he didn’t get the start on a track that’s hard to pass on and here we are.
14 | 34 | Maximus Vohland | 9-16
Uhm, not good. Great qualifying speed for Vohland, but then garbage starts and yeah, see above.
15 | 75 | Ryder DiFrancesco | 21-7
Ryder D got screwed by the red flag. He was 5th when it flew, but hey, that’s not a problem for him because he’s a good starter, right? Well, he came around the first lap in 23rd on the second start. The third start of the day was again solid and that seventh is good. If you take away that second start and give him the first and the third starts, he had another good day after last week’s solid ride. Makes sense, right? Also, Ryder D did NOT want to hear me yell at him for screwing me over in fantasy at Washougal and Unadilla (where I couldn’t pick him and he did well), and I liked his arguments at me so much, I picked him at Budds.
450MX Results
1 | 18 | Jett Lawrence | 1-1
Yawn, another 1-1 on the day and yes, I think he goes 1-1 this weekend also to complete the sweep. Jett made it closer than it needed to be in moto two when a couple of mistakes, some lappers, and a few slower laps let Sexton get up right behind him. He said he couldn’t see the 23 until it was too late so THEN he wicked it up. His 2:02 and 2:05 went to 2:01 and 2:00 the last two laps. It all looks so easy, right?
2 | 7 | Aaron Plessinger | 4-3
AP was bummed that he dropped back, after leading laps in moto one, to fourth, but he rode well for that third in moto two. He also admitted on the PulpMX Show on Monday that yeah, he got tight while leading and pumped up. And yeah, he was watching Jett coming up and maybe that screwed with his head. Love the honesty that a champion like AP has! Hey, he’s just like us out there!
3 | 21 | Jason Anderson | 2-5
Good day for Anderson. That first moto was his best ride since coming back (first moto Washougal might be mad at that) and he ends up on the box for the day, which salvages Kawasaki’s day. Also, again, Kawasaki has won a race every single year in one class since 1981 but they’ve been shut out this year. No pressure, Team Green.
4 | 23 | Chase Sexton | 9-2
Well, that 9-2 certainly could’ve been a 1-1 right? I mean, he was five or six bikes ahead of Jett in moto one when he went off the track and crashed on the first lap. And the second moto he, for the third race in a row, caught Jett Lawrence but yeah, if ifs and butts were candies and nuts, right? Sexton’s frustration level has got to be HIGH right now. One more chance to ruin the streak on a track he loves. Here we go…
5| 51 | Justin Barcia | 5-4
Boy, Bam sure gives you everything he’s got right? Barcia’s comeback to racing last week couldn’t have gone much worse but this week, good starts, lots of effort, and a solid top five. About where I thought he’d be last week, TBH. Barcia to MXoN on a 250F? It’s been thrown out there…
6 | 14 |Dylan Ferrandis | 3-9
Dylan was sick I guess so that makes his first moto charge more impressive. Second moto start sucked and I’m sure he didn’t have a lot of energy left so a ninth is what we got.
7 | 9 | Adam Cianciarulo | 7-6
AC had a paddle tire on and got great starts. He probably didn’t like it everywhere else. These are the sacrifices you have to make. I love the fact that you actually had to think about what tire you wanted, as they both had advantages and disadvantages out there.
8 | 36 | Garrett Marchbanks | 6-8
Very solid day for Garrett out there. Like Masterpool, there’s not much drama with these privateers lately. Both guys stay out of the mess of getting bad starts, both guys are in shape, and although they’re not as much in the mix with the top dudes like earlier this year, they’re riding great. Marchbanks told me he’s in for 250SX next year, which to me is odd but hey, I get it. Just not the choice I would make.
9 | 81 | Ty Masterpool | 8-7
Very solid day for Ty out there. Like Marchbanks, there’s not much drama with these privateers lately. Both guys stay out of the mess of getting bad starts, both guys are in shape, and although they’re not as much in the mix with the top dudes like earlier this year, they’re riding great.
10 | 69 | Phillip Nicoletti |10-11
Our guy Phil’s best national of the year, I think. He did fall in moto one but overall, he was very solid. He also was the guinea pig for some cameras on his bike for the TV show. It didn’t really work, and it was appropriate that Phil is #69 because the one view they showed us was like you were getting 69’d by Phil.
11 | 47 | Fredrik Noren | 13-10
Freddie was very happy with his second moto ride telling me that he thinks it was one of the better ones of the year. And he beat Phil, who sent him threatening texts after the race. Also, Freddie said that when Ferrandis came up to pass him late in moto two, he was going for the kill and it was a good thing Noren just let him have the spot.
12 | 953 | Harri Kullas | 12-12
Well, the Finnish/Estonian rider didn’t get nearly the starts at Budds that he did at Unadilla and that’s how a 7-7 day turns to a 12-12 day. The veteran still rode well and moved up in both motos, but Budds is a tough one to pass. Unless you’re Jett Lawrence. Then it’s easy.
13 | 78 | Grant Harlan | 11-14
Harlan was probably looking at an 11-11 day, but he fell in moto two and had to work up. Also, there was no doubt he was holding up Canadian champion Dylan Wright and also may have caused the chain to derail on Wright’s CRF. I have no proof, but I will be trying to find some.
14 | 106 | Stephen Rubini | 16-13
Rubini, from France, did have a start device on his bike this week and I suppose that was the reason for his improved starts and finishes? Because last week he qualified well but, guess what, he didn’t get starts.
15 | 397 | Anton Gole | 15-15
I don’t know anything about this guy other than he’s Swedish, he’s staying with Lars Lindstrom (the Swedish Patron Saint of motocross) at the races, and he got me a crap-ton of PulpMX Fantasy points. Tack kära herre.
Thanks for reading OBS. Still. Yet again. Email me at matthes@racerxonline.com if you want to chat about this or anything else.