So, now that the cat is out of the bag and the magazine has finally be released, check out the new issue of Racer X Illustrated below, which features not only Nicoletti, but coverage from the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Jett Lawrence’s remarkable year that earned him the Racer X Rider of the Year award, Steve Matthes and Kris Keefer’s time over in England for the annual Vets Motocross des Nations, and more.

RIP, Art Eckman (Jason Weigandt)

In racing all the competitors compete in one event at one time, unlike ball sports. This gives the racing broadcast a large imprint, because every athlete only hears their name called by one voice in an era. Through the 1990s and early 2000s in this sport, Art Eckman was that voice. Art, already well- traveled as a sportscaster, first popped up into motocross scene in 1991, he was pit reporting in 1992, in the supercross broadcast booth by 1994, and making the call for nearly every AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross race by 1996. Art, teamed with the Iconic David Bailey as analyst, is what the sport was supposed to sound like.

His most famous phrase, “Bar to Bar!”, actually became the name of the supercross season-in-review DVDs, often with Art providing the narration. Those around in that time will tell you Art was a giver of his time and experience, helping young athletes and a growing sport. Beyond that, his stories provided endless entertainment. All big-time broadcasters do their best work with stories over dinner.

Personally, I was still in school during Art’s main seasons, so my thoughts go out to those much closer to him than I ever was. We worked together for one season, the 2003 GNCC season, produced by SealsCo. I cherish the fact that I worked alongside Art even once. He was also super nice to me, even though I was a nobody. He would pick me up and drop me off at the airport, which he didn’t have to do. In his Lexus, I noticed three different jackets hanging on hangers in that car, always. The suit jacket for formal events, the brown sports coat if it got a little more casual, and the leather bomber if he had to look cool. Do any of you plan your day knowing you’ll likely end up somewhere that requires a very specific jacket? You don’t. Art did.

Art passed away recently at age 81. Godspeed, Art Eckman.

Check out the Art Eckman tribute from Feld Motor Sports.

WSX (Matthes)

As mentioned, round two of WSX definitely had some ups and downs. Vince Friese provided some great storylines and erupted the social media bullies but as well, the track was more of an AX than a SX and reminded me of the old Bercy “SX” from years ago.

I spoke to WSX CEO Adam Bailey about the round, ticket sales, his probably mixed reaction to the Friese stuff and more. Look, the WSX thing has not gone as smoothly as everyone there would’ve liked, the original investors are gone, Bailey has had to cancel rounds, eat a bit of humble pie and admit that a series in the fall of four or five rounds is probably best (something I’ve maintained from the beginning) but one thing you can’t accuse Adam of is ducking the criticism or not taking the tough questions head on. I did a podcast with him this week on round two and more.

One thing I think that Adam didn’t say but what is hearing through the grapevine is his frustration with some of the teams of the series taking the seed money they were all given and not passing it onto the riders. There are many riders in the series racing for just purse money, not something that Adam anticipated would happen. The quality of the riders racing hasn’t been what he expected, and I get that. Greed has taken over and hurt the series a bit which is unfortunate. I wonder if in the future, if there is one for the series, the WSX, like F1 and NASCAR, pay the team based on results. Might be a better way to see a deeper field, right?

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Unless you live under a motocross rock, you noticed the hoopla around Vince Friese and his Abu Dhabi racing... ahem, tactics. I think he managed to personally anger half of the field, while the other half was shaking their head in disbelief. His questionable-at-best strategies were not appreciated by those around him. His decision to simply ignore rules (going off the track) are hard to square, too. The most troubling, though, is that this is a pattern of behavior going back decades. I say decades because I had my own personal experiences with Vince as he transitioned to the pro ranks in 2008 and then for several years after. Further, my experiences were on the backside of a litany of issues on the amateur level. This isn't a new dynamic; not by a long shot. It's simply seen by more people as his considerable skill set has improved. 

Looking back, he has gotten into verbal and/or physical altercations with far too many riders to count. There should really be no surprise at this point. I struggle to think of a scenario that would cause more than a shoulder shrug from me. I have seen him suspended from races (taking out Bobby Kiniry at Seattle after being on probation), punched in the face by multiple riders (Jason Anderson, Weston Peick come to mind), kicked (PJ Larsen in Stuttgart), and verbally lambasted by a few dozen including Firepower Honda owner Yarrive Konsky in Abu Dhabi. None of these are acceptable responses, granted, but they are born of frustration. Racers are trying to further their careers, make a living, and stay as safe as they can doing it. Vince's repeated actions over the course of his career far too often fly in the face of those. That's why riders lose their composure, that's the why for the outbursts. These actions have not been without penalty. He's been fined, docked positions, and suspended. Do any of those seem to help? It seems like the answer is no. Having had several conversations with Vince, I can tell you that he simply does not understand, nor care to, why everyone is so upset. I felt as if I was staring into an abyss, no rational thoughts being acknowledged. His actions back that thesis. He seems to have no interest in changing his ways regardless of what may come. The offended names change, the common denominator remains the same.

It may seem as I am on a witch hunt here. I would argue that I am just bringing context to a scenario I have seen play out far too often. I have no dog in this fight anymore, no reason to care. But I do have to wonder when enough is enough with the antics. Is the entertainment factor worth the loss of racing integrity? That's not for me to decide. I guess there will just be more empty penalties if the shenanigans continue. 

The saddest part of this whole saga is that Vince has risen through the ranks in truly remarkable fashion. His incredible run in that 250 West series and ability to be a top ten 450 rider should be celebrated. He has clearly put in thousands of hours of work to realize this pecking order climb. I have mumbled "that guy has gotten much better" more times than I would care to admit. It's a truth that is never going to be the predominant theme unless a profound change is made. He could be a feel-good success story. Proof that hard work can win out, even after years in the game. Instead, he has riders and management yelling profanities at him and a washed-up never-was writing about his wrongdoings. It didn't, and doesn't, have to be this way. Change can only start from within. I am an admitted doubter. I cast judgment long ago. But I am willing to change my mind if he's willing to change his ways. No one cares what I think about Vince Friese, but he should care what his legacy is. One day, he's going to be sitting at a desk, just like I am, reminiscing about races gone by. Being remembered fondly is something I believe most aim for. Vince is running out of time to change that narrative forever.

WSX Penalty Report

Check out the full penalty report that SX Global sent out on behalf of the FIM:

WSX Abu Dhabi GP Penalty Report WSX’s race direction will continue to retain full diligence on rider conduct, including ensuring all riders ride in a safe and responsible manner at the upcoming 2023 WSX Boost Mobile Australian Grand Prix.

Quote from SX Global/WSX’s CEO, Adam Bailey: “As we grow this new FIM World Supercross Championship, racing and the integrity, must be paramount, as is rider safety. As the promoters of the championship, we want to see hard racing that provides an incredible spectacle for fans and spectators; however, we rely on the FIM and their officials, to implement and enforce the rules to ensure both integrity and safety are always maintained.”

The below penalties were issued by Race Direction, which is made up of the FIM Delegate, FIM Race Director and Clerk of the Course:

Penalty 1

Rider #3, Vince Friese: Two (2) position penalty for dangerous riding in WSX Race 1.

Penalty 2

Rider #49, Mitchell Oldenburg: Disqualified after entering the mechanics area backwards in WSX Race 3.

Penalty 3

Rider #3, Vince Friese: Two (2) position penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in WSX Race 3.

WSX’s Race Direction will continue to retain full diligence on rider conduct, including ensuring all riders ride in a safe and responsible manner at the upcoming 2023 WSX Boost Mobile Australian Grand Prix.

Jett Blue (DC)

It was not ago long ago that Jett Reynolds was considered a minicycle prodigy, and with good reason. One of the "Bakersfield Boys" along with Ryder DiFrancesco and Carson Mumford, Reynolds won nine straight titles at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch from 2013 to '17, the most consecutive wins ever for anyone at the ranch. And the last seven of those titles were all on Kawasaki's, as Jett was picked up from Cobra after he won his first two titles aboard the little yellow 50s. His streak ended in '17 after he went 1-1-DNF in the Mini Sr. (12-13) class. Ever since then, Jett Reynolds' luck has been downright terrible. In his last four classes at Loretta Lynn's, all on big bikes, Jett only finished in the top three once—in '20 in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) class behind Chance Hymas and Nate Thrasher. In his other three classes in '20 and '21, his overall results were 39-37-23, as crashes and other problems knocked him out all three times. He was expected to turn pro following the 2021 Loretta Lynn’s event but broke his collarbone in a crash that delayed his pro debut until a few months later.

When Reynolds turned pro in '22 he already had a Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki deal lined up, despite the downturn in his luck and results. He never actually made it to his first starting gate of Monster Energy AMA Supercross before he crashed before on press day at the 250SX East Region opener at Minneapolis (and this was after missing much of the preseason testing and training with a broken pelvis). He would be sidlined for the entire 2022 AMA Supercross and Motocross seasons, as well as the '23 supercross season. But when the '23 AMA Pro Motocross Championship started, Reynolds was finally able to make his long-overdue professional debut, finishing 14th at the Fox Raceway National opener. Two weeks later he was in a massive pileup halfway up the start hill at Thunder Valley and got banged up again and had to miss High Point. He returned for RedBud and finished 16th overall [Editor’s Note: also hindered by a second moto first turn crash with Hunter Lawrence, Derek Kelley, and a few others]. 

The hits just kept on coming. Next, Reynolds sat out Southwick with suspected food poisoning, then missed Spring Creek as well. By Washougal it was obvious that something was again amiss, and then downright wrong, as Reynolds would not line up for the rest of AMA Pro Motocross. As a matter of fact, his season was done, and so was his time with Mitch Payton's Kawasaki team—before he ever raced a single round of SX. Was his career already over, at barely 19 years of age?

A couple weeks back, Jett Reynolds finally caught a break, though he may not have realized it at first. Enzo Lopes was offered a contract for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, which meant getting out of his Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX contract he had already signed for 2024, which he did. That opened the spot for Reynolds to join a solid team that already includes Jeremy Martin, Garrett Marchbanks, and Phil "Cover Model" Nicoletti. The whole deal offered a huge change of scenery for Reynolds, who will now be based in the Carolinas riding for the Brandon Hass owned team, and of course a switch from green to blue after a full decade on Kawasakis. With a one-year deal, Jett now feels he has to deliver—which means he needs to finally stay healthy.

"I want to prove myself and I have one season to do it," said Reynolds, who has only raced four times as a pro in his first two years and will wear #99 in '24. "It puts all the pressure on me to perform and achieve the goals I have had for a very long time."

Reynolds was not the only one parting ways with Kawasaki after a long run—his Bakersfield neighbor Ryder DiFrancesco has also grown up with Team Green, joining them in 2014, then he went on to Pro Circuit last year. He left the squad in the fall to join the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas factory squad. 

So, what is the longest time ever with Kawasaki for a kid that went from minis to big bikes, Pro Circuit, and then ultimately the Monster Energy Kawasaki 450 team? That would be Adam Cianciarulo. Next year will be AC's 21st consecutive season on green.  

Whither Prado? (DC)

With his "supercross vacation" in California now over (and seemingly a success) MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado is back in Spain (or maybe Lommel, Belgium) getting ready for his title defense in 2024, and then possibly a full-on move to America in 2025. He and KTM are contemplating the idea of him doing the first few rounds of the '24 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship here in America to help him get more comfortable racing inside a stadium, but that comes with some risks. As we've seen in recent years the injury rate among top European riders has been alarming, as world champs Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, Romaine Febvre, and even the now-retired Antonio Cairoli have all missed out on championship runs due to crashes and injuries. MXGP '24 starts on March 12 in Argentina, and if all goes according to plan, all except Cairoli will be on the starting gate. 

But a pre-Grand Prix adventure in America is nothing new. In fact, KTM North America racing boss Roger De Coster himself came over in 1974 to race (and win) the Daytona 500 SX before returning to Europe to battle the "Flying Finn" Heikki Mikkola for the 500 GP title. As it turned out De Coster did not win that year, the only blemish on his six-year run from '71 to '76 that saw him captured five FIM Motocross World Championships. 

In 1989 reigning 125cc World Champion Jean-Michel Bayle came to the U.S. and raced five SX rounds, as well as the Gatorback 250 National, which he famously won. He then returned to France and promptly broke his arm. Still, despite missing the first round in Switzerland, he dominated the 250cc World Championship, then immediately returned to the states to win to win one of the last 500 Nationals that season, and then finished out his SX/MX career here.

In 1992 a whole pack of Grand Prix riders came over in January to race some early SX rounds, including weighing 125cc World Champion Stefan Everts and reigning 250cc World Champion Trampas Parker, plus American ex-pats Micky Dymond and Bader Manneh. 

In the following years French GP riders and future FIM World Champions Mickael Pichon, Frederic Bolley, Fred Vialle (Tom's dad), David Vuillemin, Christophe Pourcel, Marvin Musquin, and Gautier Paulin all made January journeys to race AMA Supercross, with Pichon (San Diego '93), Vuillemin (several), and Pourcel (Phoenix '07) actually winning 125/250 SX rounds. 

In 1998 Sebastien Tortelli came to the U.S. for the first few rounds and promptly won the series opener at the Los Angeles Coliseum—in the premier 250 class! The '96 125cc World Champion then returned to Europe and topped Stefan Everts for the '98 FIM 250cc world title, then moved to the U.S. for the '99 season. 

Finally, there's Ken Roczen. He came over in 2011 on a KTM 250 SX-F and ended up winning the Las Vegas 250SX West Region main event IN BETWEEN the second and third rounds of the MX2 Motocross World Championship, which he would win. He also did the Houston and Daytona rounds aboard a 350 in 450SX and finished in the top ten both times. One year later, he was in the states for good. 

So what's different about the possibility of Jorge Prado coming over? Only that he will have to race the 450, as MXGP World Champions cannot race the 250SX regional divisions. Plus, at 22 he's a little older than Pichon, Pourcel or Roczen were when they first came over. He's also an admitted beginner to the whole SX game, which is why he was here last month and plans on returning again soon. But he did say he is a 450 rider full-time and would not want to return to racing a 250F, even for the new—to him—and tricky discipline that is supercross.

Here's Kellen Brauer's interview and film of Jorge Prado as he talks about his MXGP season as well as his thoughts on supercross:

And if we missed any other GP riders coming over for pre-season training in SX, let us know in the comments below!

Missed Shots at History (DC)

And here's another little tidbit on Jorge Prado: His main goal as a kid was coming to the U.S., as he mentions to Kellen in the interview. Prado's 16th birthday came on January 5, 2017. There was talk that he may be coming that year as soon as he turned 16. The opening round of the '17 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship was on January 7 at Anaheim. Had he entered, Prado would have had a very rare shot at becoming the youngest supercross winner ever in either class—multiple shots, actually. Marty Tripes is the youngest winner ever at 16 years, 10 days old, at the '72 Superbowl of Motocross. The youngest 125 winner ever is James Stewart, who won the '02 San Diego 125 SX at the age of 16 years, 21 days old. In '17 Prado would have been 16 years, two days old for the Anaheim opener and then 16 years, nine days old for San Diego, and then 16 years, 16 days old for Anaheim 2. But unfortunately for us moto history dorks, Jorge decided not to race here, instead staying in Europe, where he would go on to win three world titles to date. 

If all of this sounds familiar it's because we wrote about here in Racerhead #1 back on January 1, 2016, when Prado was already here, while he was still only 14, and thinking very seriously about moving here as soon as he turned 16. Here's an excerpt:

Of course Jorge Prado did not stay here and did not race SX in 2017, letting that shot a breaking the youngest-ever records of both Tripes and Stewart, which both still stand to this day. So who did end up winning those '17 250 SX races where Prado had those shots at history? Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM's Shane McElrath won the first two and then Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Justin Hill won Anaheim 2.

ISDE (Keefer)

With some moto fans reeling from the beating that the American team took at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, our off-road fans should be over the moon about our American riders, Taylor Robert, Dante Oliveira, Cole Martinez and Johnny Girroir as they are leading the World Trophy Class by just over ten minutes going into the final two days. Not to be out done our Women World Trophy Team of Brandy Richards, Korie Steede, and Rachel Gutish look to have things under control. Oh, and Brandy Richards continues her unbeaten special test streak! She has yet to lose a special test! Ever! Unbelievable! Our Junior World Trophy Team of Mateo Oliveira, Kai Aiello, and Grant Davis sit in third! Our off-road talent has been growing leaps and bounds here in the states and it is showing in Argentina this year! You can follow along here on Racer X or over at fim-isde.com.

World Vets (Keefer) 

Almost 1,300 older guys and gals took to the hills of Glen Helen Raceway last weekend at the Dubya USA World Vet Championship. Ryan Morais was the big winner of the weekend by taking home the 40 Pro, the Pasha Over 30 125cc Pro, and took second in the Over 30 Pro Class on Sunday. The King Jeremy McGrath didn't win a race, but he managed to get second behind Mike Brown in the 50 Pro as well as a second behind Brownie in the Pasha Over 50 125cc Pro race. As usual the track was brutal yet safe and treated all the riders to two full days as well as three motos of fun. I did a full recap of the event on my weekly RMATVMC Keefer Tested Podcast as well as another bench race session with Matthes on the Fly Racing Racer X podcast right here. 

And we spotted this awesome post from Justin Jones (son of the first U.S. AMA Motocross champion Gary Jones):

Video Vault (Kellen Brauer)

This week we launched a new YouTube channel under the Racer X brand called the Racer X Video Vault. The idea behind it is to bring back to life several old races, motos, or highlights that have happened over the years. For example, we launched the channel with the full second moto from the 450 class at the High Point National in 2014 which was also the last moto and overall win of James Stewart’s illustrious career. We also dropped the full second moto from the 250 class at the 2007 Budds Creek National which featured an incredible battle between youngsters Ryan Dungey, Josh Grant, and Jason Lawrence. As good as the battle was, it was only for third place as Ryan Villopoto and Ben Townley were way up the track, hence why it may have been forgotten about. But trust me, it’s must-see TV.

The Video Vault project was massively helped along by our great crew on the MX Sports side of the office still having a treasure trove of complete footage from motocross races over the years. From there, our guy Donnie Southers has taken everything they’ve got and started running with it, pulling together some great stuff that we’re really excited to start sharing with you guys. If you’re like me, you spend way too much time letting YouTube run its course in the background while you’re doing other things and before you know it you happen to stumble upon old races. The Racer X Video Vault channel will now be a great place for you to just turn on and let it go to get your fill of some great races over the years.

For now, we only have races that go so far back but the plan is to really build out a database of these old races so anyone can go back and relive their favorite battles throughout the years. Be sure to subscribe to see what else we have coming down the pipeline and also let us know what some of the races are that you’d like to see again!

Check out the Racer X Video Vault YouTube channel.

Triumph (Kellen)

Monster Energy Triumph Racing announced their riders who will compete in the 2024 MX2 FIM World Motocross Championship earlier this week. Denmark’s Mikkel Haarup and South Africa’s Camden McLellan will spearhead Triumph’s first foray into the MXGP scene, and both come with formidable backgrounds behind them. Haarup has stood on the MX2 podium a few times while McLellan built towards a top 5 contender in 2023. While it is a monumental moment for Triumph as they prepare to go racing, we are still awaiting the announcement of their US team which is expected to hit the track before Haarup and McLellan will. Joey Savatgy already announced he will be joining Triumph for 250 class action in AMA Pro Motocross in 2024 but we expect to hear Jalek Swoll announced to the program too along with Evan Ferry who likely will race Supercross Futures in 2024. For now though, the MX2 squad certainly let the world know that Triumph is here to play, and they aren’t starting off slow with the talent they bring to the table.

The Gobbler (Mitch Kendra)

Over the weekend, SwitchbackMX hosted their annual Gobbler GP race. The Butler, Pennsylvania facility is about an hour north of Pittsburgh and I’ve ridden at the outdoor moto track a dozen or so times over the years, although I had not ever made it out for the Gobbler event. The Steelers already played—and won—on Thursday night, so I figured I would go check the Gobbler event out as my last “race” of the year on what was a perfect fall day. I say “race” because this was more riding than actual racing. A few months ago, Rieju loaned us a MR Pro 300 that we have taken out for some company riding days, so my fiancé Caity and I loaded up the two-stroke machine up into the bed of my truck and hit the road for Butler. I had put a moto in on the Rieju at Track93 near Morgantown, West Virginia, back in August so I figured I would take the 300 out for a Sunday cruise, knowing it would be part moto and part woods. This would be my test of the machine in the latter. After ATVs and side-by-sides raced on Saturday, dirt bikes were set to take over the course on Sunday. Little bikes, 450F, old school bombers, and everything in between competed in the 50-minute race through the woods, around the moto track, and through a quick lap of their indoor track.

Upon arriving, find a parking spot was a little chaotic—there were more racers than anticipated and more than last year’s event, which meant a good turnout for the owners, sponsors, and vendors—but once we got park and unloaded, we walked around and saw the track some.

I believe I have mentioned it before, but I am a fair-weather rider and I fully admit it. I never raced until I started working at Racer X five years ago now (Sidenote, it’s already been that long!?). I was always too slow—still am if you’re wondering—and competed in multiple stick and ball sports from elementary school up through graduating college, riding weekends in the summer and days here and there during the week throughout the school year. So, if it was muddy and/or rainy, I simply did not ride. We already lose so much time here in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania due to winter, and I wasn’t going to risk missing my sports seasons from crashing in bad conditions. I have the cardio/endurance to maintain my steady speed throughout a two-hour GNCC, but wet and deep conditions can throw me off. So naturally, I have recently had to grit through some different and tougher conditions than I am used to (the Mountaineer GNCC last September, the bike build photo shoot with Brett Smith the following day at Tomahawk MX, etc). Luckily for me, the Switchback Gobbler event was not too disastrous of an event. Although one deep, water-logged mud hole early into the lap left everything soaking and covering in mud, that was about the worst part of the track. Some foot-peg-dragging ruts in turns were challenging, but manageable. The moto track was super rutted up, slot-car racing style, which added another factor into navigating the course and fellow competitors. But I managed to get some air and slam off some of the mud from the deep hole. I did run into some tough luck when near the middle of the race I caught my shifter on one of the big tires in the indoor track, bending the shifter back into the footpeg. I stopped, hopped off the bike, and did my best karate impressions to get the shifter back into place, then jumped back onto the bike and continued my “race,” even getting some cheering from a few teenaged fans that happened to witness my kicks. Thanks for the cheers, boys!

The top section of the track that immediately followed on the hill behind the indoor track was a ton of fun. The name “SwitchbackMX” holds true for this race as you go back and forth up and down the back hill. On the bottom part of the track near the moto layout, under the deep mud it was super packed in and slick, so at times when you thought you were in the clear to hammer on the throttle, your rear wheel would start sliding around. Not being fully committed to riding at high RPMs worked in my benefit for once! I saw numerous riders off in the bushes having done 180s, highsides, and more on the slick parts.

After the first few laps I became more familiar with the track layout and conditions. I used some lines I saw XC2 GNCC racer Chase Colville use when he whooped the competition in his race (although my passes through said sections were obviously much, much slower). Knowing the track and hitting smart, smooth lines, I enjoyed my Sunday cruise as I eventually came across the checkered flag around the 50-minute mark. I was covered from head to toe in mud and could not wait to get my gear off—although I did have Caity take a picture of the aftermath for good measure. Despite my lack of seat time on a two-stroke—and a 300 at that—I did enjoy riding the Rieju. At 165 pounds, the bike was more than I needed a majority of the race but it was fun to ride something different than the 250F I ride 99 percent of the time. Even with the wet conditions, everyone at the event appeared to be enjoying themselves. Well, that is except for those who broke down or anyone involved in the crash off the start of the Open C race at 11 a.m., where what looked like 100 riders took off up the hill only to have about a quarter of the group land on one another and go down. Hopefully those riders are okay. My end goal was to make it through the checkered flag safe, which I did so with a (muddy) smile. Thank you, SwitchbackMX!

My “racing” season is over for this calendar year and unfortunately with cold weather coming, the bikes might be parked for the remainder of 2023, give or take a possible good 55-degree weather day here or there in December. But I was glad to go out with one more solid day at the track before parking the bikes for winter. I already cannot wait until spring and am anticipating more riding and “racing” next year.

And now that the Gobbler race is over, the indoor track is being rebuilt ahead of their arenacross racing season, which starts November 18 and runs through March 2. Check out their Instagram (@Switchbackmx) or their Facebook page (@SwitchbackMX) for more information.

Lotte Van Drunen News…Early Mini O’s Look (Mitch Kendra)

In some overseas news, Lotte Van Drunen has officially signed a multi-year deal with the Yamaha De Baets MXGP Team, where the 16-year-old will compete in the WMX Championship of the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP). While moving from her Kawasaki KX250 to a Yamaha. YZ250F, van Drunen also announced she will be competing in the upcoming THOR Mini O’s next week in Florida. van Drunen will receive support from the Official Yamaha Factory Amateur NSA Team at Mini O’s, set to race the Women and 250 B classes in both supercross and motocross. We will have more information on Mini O’s next week— timing and streaming broadcast links, riders to watch, etc.—but for now, note that the #401 Yamaha machine will be someone to keep an eye on all week long.

Hey, Watch It!

If you missed Motocross Action's epic live streaming (epic as in 6 hours, 20 minutes) of the 39th Annual Dubai USA World Vet Championships at Glen Helen, they reposted the whole thing on YouTube right here: