The 2023 THOR Mini O's souvenir program:

Meanwhile, the countdown to the Anaheim SX opener is now at 50 days, and I know this because I've been following my Instagram friend Josh Gagnon's (@alwaysbelieve331) ongoing countdown, where he lays out various rider jerseys with the related number each day. Here's this week's countdown art and give Josh a follow as well! 

I was lucky enough to attend the Paris Supercross last year, marking the fifth time I've been there since 1996, at the height of the Jeremy McGrath era. The race has a very unique origin story. A group of French motorcycle journalists who worked for the Lariviere Organization, publishers of magazines like Moto Verte, Moto Revue, and MX Magazine, wanted to import real American supercross to their country. They wanted their riders and their fans to see just how cool supercross could be, if done exactly like they were doing it in the U.S. at the time. So, they decided to get hire some of the very best American supercross riders at the time: David Bailey and Johnny O'Mara of Team Honda and Broc Glover and Rick Johnson of Team Yamaha. They would hold the first event in March of 1984 inside the Palais Omnisport in Bercy, which is on the outskirts of the city of Paris. The only problem was that they date was smack-dab in the middle of the '84 AMA Supercross Championship, which was already running in conflict with their promoters of the time, including Mike Goodwin, Bill West, Mickey Thompson, and Allen Becker. They had joined together to form their own series, while only Jim France of Daytona and Talladega stayed with the AMA. (There was also a San Jose round of the "AMA Triple Crown" that would not actually happen.) And where the planned Paris SX would land on the schedule—March 14-15—was in between Mr. France's two races at Daytona and Talladega! Confused yet? Wait, there's more...

In 1984, the U.S. AMA Supercross and Motocross schedules also overlapped, so the weekend before the Daytona SX the riders who be opening up the outdoor nationals with the Gatorback round. So, for the four riders signed up to do the Paris race, their fortnight would consist of the Gatorback race on March 4, the Daytona SX on March 10, the Paris SX on March 14-15, and then the Talladega SX on March 18 (a rare Sunday supercross). However, because both Yamaha and Honda had decided that they would only be supporting the InSport version of SX that year, the four riders going to Paris were off the hook for the Talladega round, though they did do the Daytona race. But there was a catch for David Bailey. The defending AMA Supercross and 250 Pro Motocross Champion, as well as the Wrangler Grand National Champion for 1983, is the stepson of then-Daytona and Talladega track-builder Gary Bailey, and he wanted to support the Talladega race. So only Bailey would do all five of the races that were scheduled over those 14 days: two AMA SX races, the two nights in Paris, and the Gatorback National. “The Little Professor” went 1-1 at Gatorback in the 500 class to top Glover, then won the Daytona SX over Johnson and O'Mara (this was the race where Johnny launched the finish line "gator pit" in a last-ditch attempt to beat RJ). Bailey then split wins with O'Mara in Paris but had the better aggregate score, so he was the first King of Bercy (though it's now just King of Paris after a couple of venue changes). He then had to get on a jumbo jet and fly back to Atlanta and then drive to Talladega for the Sunday SX, telling Cycle News that his trophy from Paris was so big that they had to put it in one of the plane's bathrooms in order to get it home!

When Bailey finally got to Talladega, he found what he called "a painfully stock" Honda CR250 waiting for him, as Honda did not send their box vans to Talladega. Other than some mods to his Showa forks, Bailey raced the bike as is, calling himself "privateer for a day." His mechanic? None other than goggle legend Bevo Forti, who stepped in to help the otherwise alone factory rider. Bailey would just miss the podium as Kawasaki's Jeff Ward topped Suzuki's Mark Barnett and Scott Burnworth for the win in the 12-lap main event in front of a very sparse Sunday crowd, of which Cycle News said, "It was no doubt the slimmest crowd in supercross history."

All of that—the AMA, InSport, Talladega, etc.—is really a different story altogether from the Paris SX story, so let's get back that race. Some 12,000 fans packed the Palais Omnisport each night for the first true SX event France had ever had. Up to that point the only other European cities to host modern supercross were Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Genova, Italy. And of the European riders that were there, including Sweden's Hakan Carlqvist, the reigning 500cc World Champion, the only one to get anywhere near the four Americans was Belgium's Georges Jobe, the '83 250cc World Champion, on his Kawasaki. The Paris event was such a success that the organizers decided to run another one in December of the very same year, 1984. The winner this time? Johnny O'Mara.

Over the years that have followed the Paris SX became the single best and most prestigious non-U.S. supercross of all. The event literally shaped two generations of French riders that would find themselves in America winning actual AMA Supercross events, beginning with Jean-Michel Bayle and including Mickael Pichon, Sebastien Tortelli, Stephane Roncada, David Vuillemin (the all-time winningest rider in the Paris SX), Christophe Pourcel, and Marvin Musquin (and two-time MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle is almost certainly next). And every top American rider, starting with the original four of Bailey, O'Mara, Glover, and Johnson, has made the pilgrimage to Paris, including Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath, Damon Bradshaw, Jeff Emig, Kevin Windham, Ezra Lusk, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, the Ryans, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, and more. Throw in other nationalities like Australia (Chad Reed), South Africa (Grant Langston), Germany (Ken Roczen), and many more and you have the biggest melting pot for top supercross talent than in any other country than the USA. So make sure you tune in tomorrow and Sunday as a new star in Jett Lawrence joins the long and prestigious history of the Paris Supercross on MXGP-TV.

Oh, and if you’re wondering where the cool cartoon drawings from the Paris SX races of the 1980s came from, they were drawn by my French friend Fabrice Bailly, for a comic book he made dedicated to Micky Dymond called “Micky L’Angel.” Look for Fabrice on Facebook if you want to order one—they are amazing and full of great drawings of all of the SX/MX stars of the ‘80s and ‘90s!

And before we get into all of the SX/MX news and developments of the week, we want to congratulate everyone involved with Team USA’s World Trophy team and Women’s Trophy team, both of whom were victorious at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) down in Argentina. In his last race as a full-time pro, Taylor Robert led the boys to a solid win, making him the only rider to have been on all three winning versions of Team USA in the 97-year history of the ISDE. Robert joined Johnny Girroir, Cole Martinez, and Dante Oliveira in taking the win over France by some 17 minutes, after six full days of tests. And the Women’s team was comprised of Brandy Richards, Korie Steede, and Rachel Gutish, all of whom had to soldier through injury-related challenges to dominate the final results, topped the second-place Australian team (which lost Tayla Jones to an injured sternum) by more than six hours. Congratulations to Team USA!

PARIS at 40 (Matthes)

Well, it's November and I'm back in Paris for the yearly tradition of the Paris SX. Very fortunate that Xavier Audouard and Eric Peronnard get me here every year to watch the premier off-season race, as Davey mentioned. I think this is 15th or 16th in a row for me now, sans 2020 when it was canceled due to the pandemic. This year’s event features the Lawrence brothers, both making their 450SX debuts. Today was just press day but Hunter looks really good out there. We have defending King of Paris Ken Roczen here, Cooper Webb, nearly-40-year-old Justin Brayton (here as a last-minute fill-in for the injured Justin Barcia), Justin Hill, and Justin Starling (lots of Justins as well). In the 250SX class French hero Tom Vialle lines up on his Red Bull KTM and making his Honda HRC debut is Jo Shimoda. 

The real gem of a race is the amount of time you hang out with the riders just chatting about, well, nothing really. Also funny to see Roczen and Webb ask Brayton about what he's doing out there on the track! Like, JB just gets that amount of respect from these guys, and it's well earned. Also, everyone but Starling and Brayton have their full USA machines here so that might be a factor for JB when it comes to starts. 

There's a rhythm lane after the finish/triple and the guys now are going three over the tabletop then three again and double out but there's "talks" of the guys going four in which would be pretty burly, but I think doable. Well, initially on track walk when JB asked me, I said, “No,” but he shot that idea down and said someone will do it. Ehhh, what does he know?

The track is good, it's really a reverse from last year’s, but the whoops are a bit smaller so that should help racing a bit, as last year they were tough for most of the guys. Since moving to this new La Defense arena, the track is almost the size of a small AMA SX so it's good for testing for the guys in this off-season.  

We have two nights of racing happening starting tomorrow so should be great to see and stay tuned here for updates and on my social @pulpmx on IG and Twitter. 

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

The prestigious and storied Paris Supercross goes off this weekend in... Paris, not Bercy where it used to be held. Having raced this event a few times, I can vouch for its level of professionalism. It's one of the races that riders look forward to and don't have to worry about things going awry a long way from home. While the race itself is a great story and deserves a spotlight, the attendance of Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, Ken Roczen, and Cooper Webb sets up a nice preview of 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross. We should be able to form opinions on what is to come. After all, it's as close to a real AMA Supercross as it gets, and we are less than two months away from the coming supercross season, right? No, in fact, not at all. Forming opinions based from off-season supercross races is a fool's errand. There has almost never been a direct correlation between success inside a small arena in Europe and the bright lights of Anaheim. Furthermore, riders haven't even started their 2024 prep in earnest. Let's take a look at Jett Lawrence's situation for example, shall we?

Jett went on a tear in 2023, winning the 250SX regional Monster Energy Supercross title, ripping off an undefeated 450 Pro Motocross season, and capping it with the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship to boot. He then took a weekend off and then showed the rest of the world what he's capable of in Ernee, France, on October 8 at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. After a few days in Europe, he has been home exactly a month before returning to France for this weekend's race. The problem is, that month is his only time to rest and recover. Want to go to the beach? Want to sleep in? Want to play video games instead of pedaling endless miles? Want to go buy a $400K Rolls Royce? This past month is the only time it is really doable. Not only does everyone need a breather to catch up on life, a racer's body and mind need time to heal after nine or 10 months of grinding. Burnout is real. To avoid it, taking time off is necessary. 

Now, you may be asking, "How does this matter for this weekend's race?" Simple. I don't expect Jett to be at his best in Paris. Could he win? Sure, he's one of the best racers alive. But I do think there is a good chance that he looks a tick off his best self. In fact, he should be a tick off. He hasn't been riding and training like he would be in mid-season mode.

Now, you may be asking, "How does this matter for this weekend's race?" Simple. I don't expect Jett to be at his best in Paris. Could he win? Sure, he's one of the best racers alive. But I do think there is a good chance that he looks a tick off his best self. In fact, he should be a tick off. He hasn't been riding and training like he would be in mid-season mode.

Ken Roczen, on the other hand, has been riding and racing around the globe. He is fresh off an FIM World Supercross Champion sonship (WSX) race in Abu Dhabi and is chasing a second consecutive title in that WSX series. I would expect Kenny to be sharp. The results may not reflect this nuance but maybe they will. The important thing, in my opinion, is to not put much weight on what we see this weekend. As mentioned, the point is to not be 100 percent ready in November. Being a bit unprepared in November is, quite honestly, a goal. Being a tad off one's best level is a by-product of the necessary time off. 

So, as we all take in this weekend's race, keep in mind the situation at hand. There is a lot of wood to chop between now and Anaheim. In the big picture, this is likely the most unprepared riders will and should be in the modern racing calendar. January will be here soon enough, and the judgments will come with it. For now, though, just enjoy and understand this race for what it is.

Ferrandis Update/J-Law Downdate (Jason Weigandt)

We’ve been hinting for a few weeks now that Dylan Ferrandis is going to sign with Phoenix Honda for 2024, but we’re still waiting on an official statement from the team or Honda saying the ink is dry on a contract. From what I have heard, Dylan was still gear shopping for ‘24, so that’s why you’re not seeing a lot of official photos, besides the stuff Phoenix sent of him “trying” the bike while wearing his gear from his 2023 sponsor, THOR. I’ve still been assured this deal will happen, and also, I’ve heard Dylan likes the bike. Hopefully we can tell the full story here, soon.

Meanwhile, we’ve also heard that Jason Lawrence’s experiment with Phoenix Honda is already over. At least for now. I even heard he started talking to other teams about AMA Arenacross deals, but he also might want to come back to Phoenix. As always with J-Law, there are tons of different stories, but as of now we can turn off the “Jason Lawrence will be racing Arenacross for Phoenix Honda” rumors. For now.

And along the lines of other racers that are question marks right now, my colleague Mitch Kendra posted this bit about Marvin Musquin in 2024:

Marvin Musquin Not Racing 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross

Getting Better (Jason Weigandt)

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the Feld Entertainment HQ in Florida, for a series of meetings I’d like to call, “How to make it better.” We spent two days brainstorming for Monster Energy Supercross, Pro Motocross and the SuperMotocross World Championship. How can we get better? Well, we’re probably thinking of the same exact things you are. How can we expose the personalities of the riders better? How can we tell more in-depth stories? How can we get more scoops and better analysis? What about cameras on the bikes? What about telemetry and data? We want all of those things because we know you do too. I think there's an assumption that if things aren't perfect that the people in charge aren't trying. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic wand to simply make things perfect, but I just want to assure you that better coverage is always the goal.

Along the way, when you have these conversations, inevitably you hear both fans and industry types complaining that the riders are too robotic with their interviews. That might be partially true, but if you take a step back, today’s riders are much, much better than generations ago. We might all remember one or two amazing post-race interviews from the past, but that’s nostalgia telling you the greatest hits, and forgetting the 170 boring podium interviews from that same time. When you think about today’s 450 pack, riders like Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Jason Anderson, Justin Barcia, Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Adam Cianciarulo, Hunter and Jett Lawrence, and Malcolm Stewart, to name a few, they’re all pretty darned distinct personalities on and off the track. They’ve all built a brand and a reputation. I also know of several teams that now tell their riders to not thank each and every sponsor on the podium, because they know fans don’t connect with that. Things are getting better, and people are trying to move the ball in the right direction. Just know that.

And yes, I’d love for the broadcast team to show both the leader of the race and the best battles and the privateers and basically all 22 riders at the same time, and also know in advance who is going to crash so they could get a camera on that rider before it happens, but that’s not possible. We’re trying, okay?

LAS VEGAS WTF1? (DC)

Over the years I have been lucky enough to be a part of a lot of cool and successful racing events, as well as some rather unfortunate and misguided promotions—the windy Utah Nationals and the scorching hot Lake Elsinore Nationals all come to mind. The people behind the Las Vegas Formula 1 race are having a similar moment right now, only the whole world is watching, and it's not pretty. After angering countless commuters and visitors by shutting much of the town down to build out the course on the Vegas Strip, the whole big and very expensive event (said to have costs as much as $500 million to organize and produce) got off to a rocky start when unsecured manhole covers over some water valves came up and basically destroyed two of Ferrari’s race cars, causing an immediate red flag after just nine minutes of practice. And because practice started extremely late (10 p.m. locally so it could be seen by early-morning F1 fans in Europe) it wasn’t until well after midnight that they were ready to get started again, 1:30 a.m. to be exact. However, it was so late that local labor laws meant that security guards could no longer watch the VIP and fan areas, so all of the spectators had to leave the grandstands and viewing—some of whom were said by ESPN to have paid a bundle for the weekend package.

According to ESPN.com, “Hospitality units above the pit straight, where weekend passes had sold for $50,000 before the event, were also emptied, with the lights switched off by the time the session got underway.” And so began “the bizarre spectacle of 20 Formula One cars circulating an empty city in the middle of the night…”  It’s also unseasonably cold in Las Vegas right now, which only adds to the funk this event has been feeling even before the teams got there.

Here are a few of the headlines on ESPN.com related to the race:

“Hamilton: F1 ‘circus’ must respect Vegas locals.”

“Verstappen: Vegas GP 1% sport, 99% show.”

“Riccardio raises concerns over Vegas track safety.”

F1 apologies to Las Vegas for pre-GP disruption.”

Oh, and the guy who’s $15 million race car got practically destroyed by the manhole problem? “Sainz given grid penalty after drain cover drama.”

Oh, one very cool headline that was in amongst the other F1 drama was this:
“Lia Block Joins Williams F1 Academy.”

Yes, the 17-year-old daughter of the late, great Ken Block is working her way up through the motorsports ranks. According to the feature, “The Academy is aimed at preparing young female drivers to progress up the racing pyramid. The series will support F1 at seven races next year, including May's Miami Grand Prix. Block, 17, will race for ART Grand Prix alongside McLaren's Bianca Bustamente.”

Lia won the 2023 American Rally Association Open Two-Wheel Drive class, becoming the series' youngest ever champion. I know that Ken would have been absolutely thrilled (though probably not surprised) by what his oldest daughter has already accomplished in her career, less than 11 months after he passed. 

EICMA Gallery

Racer X’s Scott Wallenberg and Dustin Williamson just returned from the big EICMA Show in Italy. Here’s a photo gallery selection of some of the cool and new stuff they saw at the massive show:

THE UN-PENTON (DC)

When is a duck not a duck? Probably when someone snags the rights to "duck" and slaps it on a Chinese knock-off rubber chicken... 

The legendary motorcycling family of off-road pioneer John Penton are in a really weird situation regarding the trademark of their name. From 1968 through ’78 John Penton worked with KTM in Austria to build light, fast off-road motorcycles that revolutionized the sport. What is now KTM basically did not even get into the off-road motorcycle business until Mr. Penton went searching for someone to make the bikes he had in mind. After ’78 Penton Motorcycles stopped being produced, and instead the bikes imported into the U.S. were labeled KTM. Penton Products continued for many years though, and the family has stayed in motorcycling—John Penton is now 98 years old.

The problem now is someone is putting the “Penton” name on cheap Chinese motorcycles (in this case a Koshine KE-320 two-stroke) by slapping Penton stickers on it and some aftermarket parts and then selling them as "Penton" motorcycles. The man is named Terry Everett and his is from New Philadelphia, Ohio (not far from the Penton family home in Amherst). Everett, said to be a longtime Penton enthusiast, picked up the lapsed trademark rights to the name Penton back in 2010, several years after Penton Products closed its doors. He then sat on it for some time, though Jack Penton, one of John’s sons and a fellow AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, asked to get the rights to their own name back, but was declined. Everett then decided to find a Chinese motorcycle-maker like Koshine on Alibaba and just came out with a knock-off "Penton Blackwater" 320cc motorcycle. The Penton family is understandably upset about this turn of events. Everett is selling the bike through a dealership called Race Ready Cycle in Dover, Ohio, which makes it sting even more (and "Ready to Race" KTM can't be happy with that shop's very similar title.)

On the Race Ready Cycle Facebook page they describe the bike this way:

Here's what they did to the Koshine to customize it:

As far as the concerns raced by the Penton family and the Penton Owners Group, here's what Race Ready Cycle posted:

Watch this space...

2024 Kawasaki KX450 (Keefer)

The media had the chance to spin some laps on the new KX450 Wednesday at Glen Helen Raceway. The difference between the older Kawasaki and the ‘24 is quite a bit. The new chassis has more front-end feel and keeps a lot of that stability that was so good from the ‘23. Through corners it is more front-wheel biased and gives the rider more front-end traction. The downside to the 24' KX450 is that it is somewhat lethargic on torque feel for a 450. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are. I would like a little more in corners to pop me out sooner but in hindsight it is easier to manage compared to other 450s in its class. Southern California got some rain so it cut the test day short, but I will be hitting a ton of laps and trying different settings on this new mean green machine soon so stay tuned for more info. In the meantime, if you want to see/hear our first impression, check out the video here! 

THEME NIGHTS (DC)

Monster Energy Supercross announced their "Themed Races" for the 2024 season, where they invite riders, race teams and fans to get in on the act and help celebrate a certain cause or milestone. 

First, there's the 50th Anniversary Celebration in San Diego (Round 3, January 20) with a Retro Themed Night. 

Next, the Arlington race (Round 7, February 24) will be Military Appreciation Night. 

And finally, Nashville (Round 14, April 20) is dedicated to the Kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

A few scenes from the 2023 East Rutherford Supercross, the St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer event.

Coenens Countdown? (Mitch Kendra)

Yesterday, it was announced the fast Belgian twins Lucas and Sacha Coenen will remain in the MX2 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) for at least 2024. A press release from Husqvarna and KTM confirmed both Lucas and Sacha will remain with their respective teams via “multi-year extensions.” As we wrote Thursday, there were thoughts that the young duo (now 17 years old as of last week) might come to the U.S. for AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross and SMX, and this deal doesn't derail that down the road. The twins are represented by Lucas Mirtl—agent for the Lawrence brothers, Jo Shimoda, and many more—and there is word the Coenens brothers are starting to work in some supercross training now. This new announcement means the duo will remain in the MXGP circuit for at least the 2024 season, although specifics were not clarified. Could we see the duo in the U.S. as early as 2025?

Racer X Brand Item of the Week: OGIO Links Polo

Gathering up some gift ideas for Christmas and have family members who enjoy both moto and golf? Look no further! We collaborated with OGIO to create the Racer X OGIO Links Polo, great for working in the office or out on the golf course.

Show that you love moto at the workplace, golf course, or your next event! This stylish OGIO polo shirt is made from ultra-soft fabric that stretches and wicks away moisture, making it the perfect choice for any occasion. Our Links Polo design features an embroidered O on left sleeve and a heat-transfer label, meaning tag-free comfort.

Our Racer X OGIO Links Polo is available now, check it out below.

SHOP ALL RACER X MERCHANDISE

Hey, Watch It!

 Adam Cianciarulo and his Plugged In Podcast partner Shane Doyle scored another scoop and a very cool interview with defending AMA Supercross Champion Chase Sexton on golf, life, switching teams, and more:

Lotte Van Drunen's first day training in the U.S. ahead of THOR Mini O's.

TIME TO MEET THE RIDERS! | Monster Energy Triumph Racing MX2

We spent some time getting to know the exciting pairing of Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan who will be the first Triumph racers in the MX2 World Championship as part of the Monster Energy Triumph Racing MX2 team! With just a few days testing their new bikes completed, Mikkel and Camden talk about their first impressions and excitement ahead of the 2024 season.

GoPro: Chasing Ken Roczen Around SX with Kyle Chisholm

Here is the very first Paris Supercross as we mentioned above, which took place in March of 1984 (though the title of this YouTube video says 1983).

Renowned bike-builder Spence Luczak built himself an amazing Ken Block tribute bike, in honor of his late friend and neighbor, and Kris Keefer got to ride it first!

Eli Tomac Chases Down Roczen & Baggett at Spring Creek | 2013 Millville 250 Moto 2

The Lawrence brothers and Team Australia at the Motocross of Nations, by the crew from Alpinestars:

Head-Scratching Headline/s Of The Week

"America Can Finally Sleep Peacefully Now That Serial Pickleball Court Masturbator Has Been Captured By Authorities" -Barstool Sports

"Pet Psychic Charges $550 for 90 Minutes and Has a Wait List of 7,600 People"—The Wall Street Journal

"Jimbo Fisher to reportedly receive record $77 million buyout after being relieved of head football coach duties"—CNN

"Jimbo Fisher will get paid at least $7M a year for the next 8 years to not coach Texas A&M anymore 💰"—Front Office Sports

"How to Hijack a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Rare Japanese Kit Kats"—The New York Times

"Plane turns back to JFK Airport after horse escapes on board"—WGAL.com (submitted by the Stump Grinder)

"Harry Styles’s New Hair Is … No Hair"—The Cut

Random Notes

More cool Moto-X-Mas sweaters for your upcoming holiday parties:

CanvasMX.com is giving away a 2024 KTM 250 SX-F, a 6D ATR-2 Helmet, and an OGIO Rig 9800 gear bag for some lucky customer before Christmas. They have partnered with AEO Powersports and Team AEO KTM Racing for these incredible giveaways, and the lucky winner will be selected on Christmas Eve.

Simply purchase a hand-signed Derek Kelley, Talon Hawkins or Ryder McNabb Race Replica jersey in your preferred size, and you'll be automatically entered into the giveaway. Increase your chances of winning by buying all three jerseys by 12/23/2023!

For just $100, not only will you receive an awesome jersey, but you'll also be in the running for a bike valued at $10,199.00, a helmet that costs over $700, and a gear bag worth more than $300. The winner will be chosen on Christmas Eve, 12/24/2023.