Welcome to Racerhead, where the countdown to Anaheim 1 continues. As far as the off- off-season goes, this was actually the busiest week, as Feld Motor Sports held their annual media day at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, which of course is where the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will launch of January 6, 2024, now less than 30 days away. As a matter of fact, the Dirt Wurx crew is already bringing dirt into the stadium to begin the process of building out the first track of the 2024 season—the 50th season of AMA Supercross. This week also marked several team shoots and introductions, so we had members of the Racer X team out there to participate. More on that further down.
This weekend also marks the annual Progressive Grand National Cross Country Racing (GNCC) banquets here in Morgantown, West Virginia, with the ATV awards this evening the motorcycle riders being honored tomorrow night. GNCC will also be celebrating its 50th year in 2024, and they just announced the ’24 schedule earlier this afternoon.
Also celebrating 50 years recently were both the Yamaha YZ and the Kawasaki KX models, both of which were rolled out in production for the first time in 1974. If you’re keeping score at home and trying to figure out what else happened in the motorcycle industry in 1974, here are a few more interesting developments:
- Fox Racing was founded in 1974 by brothers Geoff and Bob Fox.
- The 125 AMA National Motocross Championships were ran for the first time, with Marty Smith winning the title on Honda’s brand new CR125 Elsinore.
- Team Honda made the switch from silver motorcycles to red by the end of the ’74 season.
- Both the Hangtown Classic and the RedBud National were on the AMA Pro Motocross schedule for the first time.
- Houston-based PACE Motorsports, ran by the late Allen Becker, held the first MX race inside the Houston Astrodome in as part of the nascent AMA/Yamaha Super Series of Stadium Motocross, what we now know as Monster Energy Supercross, and through a series of acquisitions and sales, PACE Motorsports is now Feld Entertainment.
- Racer Productions—now known as MX Sports Pro Racing—held its first AMA Pro Motocross at Appalachia Lake in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, in 1974…
- Evel Knievel tried (and failed) to jump the Snake River Canyon in his Sky Cycle X-2 rocket.
- The Finnish company Yoko released the first nylon motocross pants, the beginning of the end for "leathers."
Another interesting thing about 1974 was the number of motorcycle manufacturers competing in AMA SX/MX. By that point all four Japanese OEMS were participating, as was Canadian brand Can-Am, Germany’s Maico, Spanish brands Bultaco, Montesa and Ossa, Husqvarnas from Sweden, the Czech-made CZ, as well as Penton motorcycles, which were rebranded KTMs from Austria that John Penton brought to America. (And during that fall’s Trans-AMA Series Harry Everts showed up on an Austria-made Puch.) Add it all up, and it was a lot more non-Japanese brands than the actual Japanese brands…
It was along those same lines that Blake Wharton posed a very interesting question in a text message yesterday: When was the last time there were more European manufacturers involved in SX/MX than the "Big Four" from Japanese? With the British brand Triumph and Spanish-made Beta joining the KTM Group's three brands, the seesaw will go past even as soon as either Triumph comes out with a 450 or Beta brings out a 250. So, I hopped over to the Racer X Vault to see what a random race looked like in, say, 1976. The AMA Supercross series opener in Daytona, and all four Japanese brands were there, with Tony DiStefano winning on his Suzuki. But in the 25 riders listed in the main event results, the other brands included Canada-made Can-Am (third-place Jimmy Ellis), then-Swedish-made Husqvarna (sixth-place Kent Howerton and ninth-place Brad Lackey), Germany's Maico (12th place Gaylon Mosier), Mexico's Ammex-Islo (19th place Gary Jones), Spanish-made Bultaco (21st place Sam Dayton), and finally 24th place "Rocket" Rex Staten on the American-made Harley-Davidson.
Fast forward three years to the '79 Daytona SX, when it was the fifth round of the rapidly expanding series. This time Tony DiStefano was riding a Can-Am, one of three in what was now a 41-rider main event field (the biggest main event field in AMA Supercross history). There were also four Maicos out there, but none finished in the top 20 for points. Rather, it was Pennsylvania's Ken Adams (23rd), Pennsylvania's Gary Pustelak (27th), Ohio's Denny Swartz (30th), and Georgia's John Grant (35th). Finally, there was a single Husqvarna in the field, 28th place Mark Robillard from Massachusetts. Three non-Japanese brands means that the aforementioned seesaw shifted somewhere in the late seventies.
Anyway, let’s get into media day and all that it entailed, after we show off this week’s Supercross Countdown Jerseys by Josh Gagnon…
Pro Perspective (JT)
Media Days a Anaheim present an opportunity for the television and in-house broadcast team to get up to speed on everything that's happened since the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) finale in September. The riders also get interviewed about 40 times and do their photos for opening ceremonies, videos for the television bumpers, and talk shop with the series organizer, officials, and more. Long days, sure, but it's a no-pressure environment that really allows for casual conversation compared to a high-stress race day. It’s also the last time everyone will see one another before the actual press conference the day before Anaheim 1.
On the riders' side, I doubt they enjoy the process too much but it's important to remember the bigger picture. To grow the sport and engage fans, the riders need to be personable and offer up the human side of their lives. The more fans know about the riders and their background, the better. Our sport is challenging to market in that riders are performing with helmets on. The casual fan doesn't get to see the riders' face the entire race like they would in an NBA game or MLB. These interviews and promotional assets can go a long way in tightening the gap between a fan and their chosen hero. Whether via social channels, on the television broadcast, or on the diamond-vision screen at the race itself, people want to see the lighter side of a racer’s persona. Saturday at A1 isn't the place to try to capture that but a random Tuesday in December is. Riders can be themselves and show that they are just like everyone else—human after all. Hopefully the content captured will help in that pursuit.
Another aspect of the week was a unique opportunity to work with a broadcast coach. The rider application would be different than the coaching I received this week, but I do think it's a very needed addition to what Feld Entertainment is bringing to the sport. Most riders don't know the proper way to engage the camera in an interview or how to answer difficult questions when under duress, often defaulting to just naming all of their sponsors. That's not their fault; they just haven't had instruction and guidance from an industry professional. They got a touch of that this week, and I hope there's more of that in the future. The chasm between a dry, boring interview versus a Travis Pastrana interview is the gap we need to work to close in the sport. Not everyone can be larger-than-life, I get that, but look at the personality that Aaron Plessinger has shown in recent years. Opening up and allowing the world to see raw emotion is only going to grow the rider's prospects and the sport-at-large, too. It's just another step in getting this sport where it deserves to be.
SMX Insider – Episode 49 – 2024 SMX Media Days
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Matt Rice ![]()
Matt Rice ![]()
Matt Rice ![]()
Matt Rice
THE WEEK THAT WAS (Matthes)
Busy week here for me but one that was pretty fun really. The superstars of the sport like Weege and JT were at Angel Stadium for media week where the riders shoot their promos, the TV crew gets some info, and more. I, on the other hand, had to start my A1 prep by heading out to Glen Helen Raceway on Tuesday afternoon and getting some laps in. My friend Kris Keefer is always on me to ride my dirt bike more and that's what I did but unfortunately, he wasn't. That was sad so I just did some laps by myself (I was absolutely hauling, ICYWW) and was thinking as I was driving down there that the Honda HRC team intro was later that night. After checking in with Honda manager Lars Lindstrom that yes, there was going to be free food there, I was in. So, I loaded up at GH and headed down to Honda to meet their 2024 race team. The 6:30 p.m. event start was a great time to drive to Torrance (which is by LAX) so that was great. I do want to thank Lars though for letting me park by the race shop because I had my YZ450F in the back of my truck. I think they probably weren't stocked to have a sweet Yamaha outside the HRC shop but it was in a Honda Ridgeline so there was that.
Also, much to my delight, there was a Starbucks in the lobby of Honda that generally charges the employees there but for us, the media, it was FREE! Didn't see Weege take advantage of this though. So, we watched the presentation of the team, listened to the riders chat, and then the media had one on one time with each guy. I was in the "Racer X" group (sad that they didn't have a PulpMX group) and although I didn't know we were interviewing the riders, I quickly came up with some grade-A questions which you can watch on Racer X YouTube, or right here:
After that was done around 9 p.m., I drove back to the High Dez to stay at Keefer's, although again he wasn't there. Still sad. The next morning it was back down to Corona to go to Troy Lee Designs and interview Troy himself for an upcoming feature in Racer X Illustrated and the website. That was awesome and I look forward to you guys seeing/hearing it. Great stories for sure. Tyler Keefe and Jon Erik Burleson both work there and I hung with them talking about the company, race team, Jorge Prado's riding, and more.
From there it was onto Pro Circuit where Mitch Payton was in the back grinding away on KX85 cylinders and I talked to him on and off the record about the sport. You can read some of that talk here next week. Love talking to Mitch. This time we got into a story about how when he first got the Honda support team in '91, Dave Arnold gave him JMB's ‘90 Honda CR125 he rode outdoors to study, which he tore apart, measured, and dyno'ed, etc. It was around the time when he just put it together when Arnold called him saying that Japan was not happy he had the bike and to NOT take it apart. Which it was too late at that point. Great stuff and I'm super happy that generally when I go in there, he gives me some time to talk with him.
From there it was a drive into LA for the night and I woke up yesterday morning for an e-ike ride with my buddy and Hollywood guy Sam Jones up in Malibu. Sam's the guy that was photographing U2 up here in Vegas a couple months ago and invited me down to watch him work, which led to me meeting The Edge. Which was and still is, cool. Anyways, we had a great ride up and down canyons in Malibu. Then it was supposed to be a four-hour drive home that turned into six. Yay for that, I guess.
Anyways, weeks like this are hectic for sure but always great to get some bench racing done with a lot of VIPs in the sport. Helps me out for the shows we do for sure. Stay tuned for some great stories coming right here from the week that was.
Information Overload (Jason Weigandt)
Here's what we learned at the Media Days this week: just about every rider has never been faster/fitter/healthier/better… Everyone is gelling with their new bikes, even those on really new bikes, like Colt Nichols and Benny Bloss (Beta) and Jalek Swoll (Triumph). Nichols praised the stability of the Beta, and it’s very good in whoops. Everything is awesome! Of course, much of that will change as soon as Anaheim 1 is over.
One theme I noticed is riders trying to separate results from life. Ken Roczen is the prime example. He’s happy with whatever he’s doing and no longer letting a championship define his life. He’s so humble, even saying he doesn’t even know if he can be considered a title contender. This is so different than the mega-pressure world he lived in as Honda’s savior starting in 2017.
Riders seem to figure this out in their late 20s. They stop taking their results home with them, and that adds years to their career. We talked to Dylan Ferrandis, and he said yes, he took some inspiration from Kenny’s situation when building his own deals. It worked for Kenny, and Dylan hopes for the same with Phoenix Racing/Factory Connection Honda. He seemed so happy and relaxed when we chatted with him, like he’s a totally different person than he was a year ago.
Oh, and speaking of Ferrandis, he is also on the cover of the February 2024 issue of Racer X Illustrated on his new ride!
Racer X Illustrated Supercross Magazine
The February 2024 Issue
The happiness continues. It’s shocking how happy Eli Tomac is these days. Eli used to be very reserved and quiet, but he’s like a walking ray of sunshine now. Again, a totally different guy than he was a few years ago. Maybe the misfortune of last spring and the down time that followed made had a silver lining...
Two riders hoping for a nice bounce back are the Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates, Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo. Jason admitted a lot of his early season last year was a mess with personal issues at home, such as his house flooding in January, which meant he was dealing with all that while also trying to focus on racing. He and his wife also had a baby coming, which was stressful. He hopes everything is in much neater order this time.
Last year, when we saw Cianciarulo at this time, it seemed clear he was in a funk. The nerve issues in his arm were wrecking him, both physically and mentally. He now says he has good days and bad days with the arm. It’s definitely not 100 percent fixed. But he has healed enough to be able to step up his training quite a bit, and he’s much stronger than before. He’s also in a better place, mentally, and able to adapt and cope better if he starts losing grip strength. It will be cool if these guys are back up front in 2024. Just a year ago, Anderson was coming off a season with nine wins spread across supercross and motocross, and many considered him the title favorite. Times change quickly in this game!
We were working at the stadium all day, but KTM, Honda, and Husqvarna held team launches at night. Unfortunately, the KTM and Husky events were done before I had even left the stadium. Hard core FOMO for that. Honda’s event started later, at 6 p.m. so I was able to make that one. Well done by Team Manager Lars Lindstrom to host, as Trey Canard was supposed to be the emcee, but his wife went into labor, so Trey had to hustle home to Oklahoma. Congrats and good luck to the Canard family!
I talked to Jett and Hunter Lawrence a few times, and they both indicated that consistency is a big focus of 2024. They watched how Tomac managed the 2023 season (which was definitely title-worthy had he not gotten hurt). On bad nights, Eli would just take fifth place and not flip out and start making huge changes. Then he would come back and win the next week! Jett and Hunter want to take a cue from that. Don’t have too many bad nights, but if you do, minimize the damage, and don’t ruin things for the next week. Man, we knew Jett would be fast, but is he going to be consistent as a 450SX rookie? If so, that makes him even more dangerous.
The Honda/Anaheim Thing (DC)
Speaking of the Red Riders, there's something about Team Honda and Anaheim that I've always found fascinating. On four different occasions over the years, a member of Team Honda won his first AMA Supercross in the premier class at Anaheim, then went on that same year to win the SX title. It first happened in 1982 with Donnie Hansen, then again in '83 with David Bailey, and yet again in '84 with Johnny O'Mara, and finally 1993 with Jeremy McGrath (though in '93 Anaheim was actually the third round of the series, not the opener).
Now, looking ahead to Anaheim '24, there will be two Honda riders that have a very good chance of winning the opener, in what will be both of their first-ever 450 SX race: Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence. And then if you add in Phoenix Racing Honda's Dylan Ferrandis, who has never won a 450SX main event before, you have a really interesting possibility that either Jett, Hunter, or Dylan could be the next Honda rider in that long line of Honda riders that took a first-ever SX win at what is arguably the most important single round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, though to go on to be the first of which to then win the championship is a much taller order...
Just something to keep an eye on in 29 days.
Cool GOAT Stats (DC)
We spotted this cool Ricky Carmichael stat on the Twitter feed @rotoxmoto of our regular Racer X Films contributor Donnie "RotoMoto" Southers:
Insane stat from the Carmichael era, from May 13, 2001 to May 21, 2006 there were no new first-time 450 overall MX winners. Ferry went 2-2 at Glen Helen in 2001, and five years and eight days later James Stewart went 2-1 at Hangtown to Ricky's 1-3 👀 pic.twitter.com/aPLK0xNJ8m
— RotoMoto (@rotoxmoto) December 6, 2023
Donnie might have added that in that same time period, the only other rider to even win a round from RC in what was then the 250 class was Kevin Windham, who won four times. He straight-up beat RC in both motos at Washougal '01 aboard his Suzuki RM250, and then six weeks later won the Steel City finale when Carmichael dropped down to (and won) the 125 class. Carmichael then won all 12 rounds in 2002, and then famously lost both Unadilla and Washougal '03 to Windham, who by now was on a Factory Connection Honda CRF450. K-Dub won all four motos, with RC a close second all four times. RC would then win every round of 2004 on his own CRF450, and then all 12 rounds again on the Suzuki RM-Z450 before he lost Hangtown '06 after crashing in the second turn off the start in the first moto. Carmichael would rebound quickly and reel off six more wins before he was beaten at Washougal '06 when he somehow flipped over the bars as he crested a big infield jump. That race will no doubt be featured someday soon on the Racer X Video Vault on YouTube!
Video Vault
Speaking of, check out this week's video vault:
In 2009, a week after Chad Reed had clinched the 450 class AMA Pro Motocross title, Round 11 at Southwick gave us a race for the ages. With the skies opening and soaking the Massachusetts track, some surprises began to shine through. After Chad Reed was able to win the first moto, he was perhaps on his way to a sweep of the day in the second moto when he tumbled hard out of the lead. That promoted Factory Yamaha's Matt Goerke into the lead holding off the ageless New England legend John Dowd. Goerke went from never having landed on the podium to winning the moto and overall on the day with 6-1 scores edging out Dowd's 10-2 performance. Today we revisit one of the most unlikely winners in motocross history.
Need Moto-Themed Christmas Gift Ideas? Keep Racer X Brand in Mind!
Christmas will be here soon! Need some moto-themed gifts for a family member or friend? From T-shirt, hoodies, and jackets that work great as gifts, we also have socks, slim koozies, trailer hitch covers, stickers, sunglasses, and more that make great stocking stuffer items!
Visit the Racer X Brand store (racerxbrand.com) to view all of our T-shirts, hats, accessories, stickers, and more.
Defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion Chase Sexton's latest vlog is all about boot camp for the new Red Bull KTM pilot:
Here's a fun "Eras" video of all-arounder Carson Brown challenging all-timer Ken Roczen on a Suzuki RM80, with Daniel Blair as host and referee:
Jason Weigandt takes a lap around the American Honda museum in Torrance, CA, for this week's Wedge Show, with cameos by Hunter Lawrence, Jett Lawrence, Jo Shimoda, our own Kellen Brauer and Steve Matthes, part-time model Lewis Phillips, the original Honda ATC and more:
Christian Craig is back in SoCal for SX training, and the Craig Family vlog is back for it:
Head-Scratching Headline/s Of The Week
"Saudi Pro League hits humiliating new low as just 264 people turn up for match"—DailyStar.co.uk
"Man struck wife in face with thrown sausage, cops say."—The Smoking Gun
"Owner freaks out when all her chickens freeze simultaneously"—CNN.com
"Woman who threw bowl of food at Chipotle worker sentenced to work 2 months in fast-food job"—WGAL.com (courtesy of the Stump Grinder)
Random Notes
Here is a very interesting story about some of the changes about to take place in Pierer Mobility, the parent company for the KTM/Husqvarna/GasGas group:
www.advrider.com/piere-mobility-cuts-euro-jobs-moves-more-ktm-husky-gasgas-operations-overseas
@drmarkr posted about the annual ride day/party he and his friends host every year at the Phoenix SX:
If you've been around long enough, you've probably heard about the great weekend that we put on for Phoenix Supercross. We've been doing this for over 20 years now, and and I still have a block of tickets available for anyone wanting to join us! Ride Day on Friday at Motoland MX Park, the outstanding party at TJ and Anna's on Friday night, and then spectate the race from our premier 125 seat Party Loft at Glendale Stadium! Price is $170 per ticket, and there is literally, NO better way to watch a supercross event! Food and drinks available right in the loft while hanging out with 125 of your moto peeps. If interested, you must email me at drmarkr at gmail to make your reservations. Don't miss it!!
Take a tour of the Party Loft here.
We got this note from the OMC:
LET’S NOT LOSE ANOTHER ONE! YOU CAN HELP...
If you have seen riding areas and tracks get shut down for good over the years, keep reading. If you wished you could have helped stop it, read on. If you wished you could have helped stop it, preserve a historic motorcycle club AND reduced your taxable income to Uncle Sam, don’t stop reading, because here’s your chance.
Owyhee Motorcycle Club (OMC) is one of the oldest, still operating, motorcycle clubs in the U.S. It is also the first and only motorcycle club to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places with statewide significance. This club, however, like many, has been fighting significant pressure to stay open on its 80 acres and is asking for your help.
These 80 acres used to be in the boonies, but are now situated very close to the rapidly expanding city of Boise, ID. This place has been, and continues to be, a conveniently located gem for riding families offering motocross tracks, trials riding and grass track trails with some BIG hills! Many Hall of Fame legends have raced on these grounds; Broc Glover, Mert Lawwill, Bob Hannah, Roger De Coster, Gary Jones and Torsten Hallman to name a few. OMC is also privileged to host a round each April of the Inter-AM Vintage races.
The situation the club continues to face in its fight requires raising remaining funds, to the tune of $50,000-$60,000, that is needed for required work and improvements to the club grounds. Why? Well it’s the same story as those other places that popped in your mind that you have sadly seen shut down. Let’s not add OMC to this list! Help us fight this fight!
Monies raised from past fundraisers, in addition to new funds needed, go directly to purchasing required materials such as pipe, equipment rental costs, diesel, legal fees and permit fees. These costs are way above the club’s normal operating needs.
OMC is asking for your help to preserve the 80 acres it’s owned since the 1940s. Let’s have our kids and grandkids, one day in the far off future, be able to hang out at the club after a great day riding and remember fondly how all of us now fought to save this special place. They always will remember too, as OMC will be recognizing generous donors, both individuals and companies, with a beautiful, highly visible and permanent monument inscribed with their names!
Let’s talk about the additional benefit of how your donation can be a charitable contribution tax write-off. Preservation Idaho has graciously
offered to accept donations on behalf of OMC and provide tax receipts. Preservation Idaho’s mission is to preserve the state of Idaho’s historic places and structures especially as development pressures mount. Please click on the link below to make a contribution and understand more about Preservation Idaho and OMC. You can even read the entire nomination sent to the National Park Service for the club’s historic listing. It offers an incredible history!
Lastly, a huge THANK YOU to Al Youngwerth and the Youngwerth Family Trust for not only donating $10,000, but offering an additional $2,500 in 1:1 matching funds. Your dollars can be doubled!
For the latest from Canada, check out DMX Frid’EH Update #49.
Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races!
