Let me say here that Ducati means business with their whole entry into the supercross/motocross/off-road world. When they pulled the covers off the bright red motorcycles with the #222 of Tony Cairoli and the #77 of Alessandro Lupino on the plates, Ciabatti stressed that this was simply a moment of introduction, and that neither he nor the riders nor others engineers would go into technical details because these were prototype Desmo 450 MX bikes that would be going through many changes before production was scheduled to start in the second half of 2025, if all went according to plan. So, we did not learn of the bike’s weight, nor did we hear what it sounds like, nor how much it might cost. What we did see was the fact that all of the other successes Ducati has had in motorcycle racing in recent years, they have every intention of succeeding in MX too—and with their trademark Desmo valve system. In the meantime, the retired-from-racing Cairoli will be the primary development rider, and he may even pop up in a race or two in the upcoming Italian Nationals where Lupino is slated to get the Desmo 450 its first gate drops. In 2025 Ducati plans on racing in MXGP (where works bikes and prototypes are allowed) and maybe even the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC). And then in 2026, after at least 400 Desmo 450 models are built and the brand is homologated with the AMA, then they will race in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. They are looking for an existing team to partner with, hopefully on the East Coast, and while I have a few guesses who they may be talking to, Paolo would not confirm or deny anything.

As I said above, it is Ciabatti who has led Ducati to extreme recent success in both MotoGP and WSBK (think Mitch Payton's Pro Circuit juggernaut in its very best years). And Ducati's success has been two-fold, both in race wins and commercial sales, not to mention their customers' brand loyalty, which is well-known in the two-wheeled world. It all comes with the territory when your home is in Italy's "motor valley" and your neighbors are Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. It's obvious that Ciabatti has the commitment of the Audi-owned company and the resources it will take to make Ducati a real powerhouse in SX/MX/GNCC in the years to come. I've seen a few rollouts of new brands over the years, some woeful (Cannondale), some quite slick (Stark Varg), but I have never seen the absolute passion for a new motorcycle that I saw in Italy among Paolo and his people. No, they won't be taking over the world of off-road on Day One, but I believe they will build a formidable race program, and soon.

For what it’s worth Ducati has had great success in World Superbike (production-based motorcycles) going back to the series’ inception in the late eighties, but success in MotoGP has been fleeting, at least until recently. Now, under the ownership of Audi, R&D for Ducati has surged to challenge Honda and Yamaha as the premier prototype machinery in MotoGP. (For evidence, check the fact that Marc Marquez left Honda after all these years to join Ducati…) Even though they are starting from scratch as far as dirt bikes go, Ducati seems eager to take the fight to the Japanese OEMs as well as the KTM Group from Austria, let alone the other new entrants in Beta and Triumph. And while it’s primarily an all-Italian effort right now, they know that they can’t compete in supercross from all the way over there. Where they land in America, and who they hire to be their first AMA rider, will be fun stories to cover.

Back home in America, we're finally at the end of the California Supercross season. The fourth round of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour just happens to be the fourth and final Golden State round of the year. And we've once again seen California deliver so far, as we've had three winners in three rounds in both classes. The top three in the 450 class are separated by two points and if you say you had AP7 wearing the red plate at this point in your fantasy league you're lying. But what a cool and unexpected development for the Ohio Cowboy. Not sure what else happened this week in supercross, so I guess I should turn this over to Weege…

Oh, and good luck to Jason Weigandt as he makes his long-awaited debut as television host of Monster Energy Supercross. We’re all super-proud of the hard-working caution flagger-turned-commentator/writer/podcaster/show host/etc.… We like to say of Weege, “When it comes to SX TV he’s an overnight sensation, some twenty years in the making.” Break a leg, Weege!

A Real Anaheim Opener (Jason Weigandt)

Each season begins with talks of a deep field, but this is the rare year where Anaheim 2 packs more drama and intrigue than even Anaheim 1! On the surface, we have three winners in three rounds in both classes, and we haven’t had a single repeat winner in any area: heats, LCQs, fast qualifiers—even holeshots have varied with every single event in both classes!

This is more than numbers, though. So far we’ve only witnessed the two most unpredictable types of races, an opener and two mudders. They don’t prove that much, which means a ton of dudes going to the line feel like they’re about to win, and everyone watching doesn’t know who is going to win. Now, that bubble could pop as soon as this weekend. It’s pivotal and important. But coming into A2, we’ve got a whole bunch of guys who feel like this is theirs. Plus, it’s a Triple Crown!

Let’s please start with Aaron Plessinger and not the Jett Lawrence/Jason Anderson drama. There’s reason to believe AP can be better on any track this year, and not just the sticky-yet-slippery mud of San Diego (conditions, by the way, which played right into his skill set as a kid who grew up racing Grand National Cross Country races in the woods of Ohio). I spoke with Aaron for this week’s SMX Insider show and he revealed the big changes KTM made to his bike this year—a switch from 52mm to 48mm forks, and the new, less rigid frame—have added so much compliance that he’s now able to think more while he’s riding. He spent the off-season focusing on his riding technique (the elbows and the toes) because he didn’t have to worry about the bike. Big gains in traction and comfort. So, he’s definitely better and this isn’t just a mud thing. Does this mean AP keeps winning in the dry? That probably depends on the other guys. I have no doubts that Aaron is better than ever this year, but I bet Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb, to name two, also feel the same way. And now we have Jett Lawrence in the class. And Ken Roczen is better early this year than early last year, even if his results don’t show. And Eli Tomac is lurking, still. And Jason Anderson looked good on the new Kawasaki at A1. On it goes. Everyone can get better but only one can win. This is exciting, right?

I’m so pumped for Aaron. I met him a long time ago when he was a tall, very shy little kid in the GNCC Series. His dad Scott is a former GNCC Champion and an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, so you take notice when his kid is out there shredding. If I remember right, Aaron was always crazy fast on the right day. Didn’t win every week due to inconsistency but his top speed was otherworldly in the woods. Then he’d show up at motocross races and rail in those as well! But, as much as I’d like to claim I did, I did not see this level of success coming for Aaron in supercross. I remember one year he got a podium behind Adam Cianciarulo at Loretta’s on minibikes and I thought to myself, “Hey, good for Aaron. When he’s winning in GNCC he will always be able to tell everyone he got a podium with AC at Loretta’s. That’s cool.”

Well, fast forward 10+ years later and Aaron Plessinger has done a lot more than just podium at Loretta’s. The motocross career has turned out pretty good. Still, I wonder if he still sees himself as an underdog against all the can’t-miss talents out on the track. Names like Tomac, Barcia, Webb, Anderson, Roczen, and Cianciarulo were winning tons and tons when they were growing up. Does Aaron truly, finally believe he can be the best, at the very highest level? Maybe San Diego was just what he needed.

As for the Lawrence/Anderson dust up and subsequent social media stir, I already did my piece on that before San Francisco. There’s already quite a bit of Jett pushback coming from fans and peers, and that whole group is just looking for some evidence to knock the kid down a peg. That’s why this is blowing up so much. If it’s Anderson and Barcia or Tomac grabbing helmets, it’s a big deal, but absolutely not this big of a deal. Jett has become polarizing, and that’s just life at the top. The biggest names in sports, celebrities, and politics invite the most scrutiny, especially when that success is new and judgements have yet to be cemented.

To that end, I look forward to four years from now when Jett is the established star, and some new kid is getting the heat. Have you noticed how polarizing Haiden Deegan is? This will happen again, and soon.

For now, all that really matters is how this translates to the track. For one, Anderson is not one to start a rivalry with. Second, Jett’s only real rival is himself. His riding and talent can take care of the rest, but he can’t make mistakes based on emotion. He’s usually wise beyond his years with that. He usually doesn’t try to make statements on the track and win by 30 seconds. Usually, he’s great at avoiding huge mistakes. In the preseason he told us he admired Tomac’s ability to have a bad race and just come back the next weekend like nothing happened. Can he do that this weekend?

Shark Circling (Matthes)

Here are some random thoughts about random things:

-In 2019, the Anaheim 2 Supercross Triple Crown was the third round of the season with Justin Barcia and Blake Baggett (!!) taking the win at the first two rounds. The series was in flux and we were about to see then the new Red Bull KTM rider Cooper Webb take his first 450SX win at Anaheim via 1-1-3 finishes. He would then go on to win the title. 

This year Anaheim 2 Triple Crown is round four of the series, we had a "Baggett" moment in the opening rounds with Aaron Plessinger winning last week, we've had unexpected winners and away we go. I say this because last week Webb rode great back on the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing and it would've been close between AP and Webb had Chase Sexton not got in the way. In short, to me anyways, he's warming up. The shark is in the water and smelling blood. 

- Now having said that, I picked Kenny Roczen for the win this weekend. He's been so good with not much to show for it so far. I went back to Mesquite this week for some dirt bike riding of my own and watch the #94 ride some SX. There was a new set of whoops for him to break in and, shocking, he looked pretty good. I think he was one of the only "guys" to get in some SX riding this week due to the rain in SoCal so maybe that helps? I don't know but these Triple Crown races sure do fit him. 

-Yes, I saw the Jason Anderson/Jett Lawrence stuff at the race and then continuing onto social media (also yet again seeing this made me wish Damon Bradshaw and Jeff “Chicken” Matiasevich had Instagram back in the day) with a lot of well-known people commenting on Jason's post. Which is what we do these days, jump on the social media bullying bandwagon (I've been on the receiving end of this, trust me) and now Jett's the bad guy. Seriously, I don't care. Jason was fine to do what he did and Jett, although he should've went right back to the pits, was also fine to be upset about it. It's just the 854th time I've seen riders exchange words after a main event. *Yawn

-Could Jett go 1-1-1 this weekend and everyone be back on board with the #18? Yes, he sure could… Wait until Jett meets up with a Mr. Barcia out there in a heat or main event at some point this year. #Honeybadger

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Last weekend saw a dynamic we knew was coming but was simply a matter of when. Jett Lawrence has taken the sport by storm. He went undefeated in his debut 450 Pro Motocross Championship and then followed it up with an inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship. He's won nearly anything and everything he's touched. To say that the established elite has built up frustration would be an understatement. They've had to endure headline after headline as the wunderkind went on with his winning ways. These headlines were warranted, though, and to shut down the momentum, they would have to beat him. It's as simple as that. Be mad, be frustrated, but until you can beat him, you'll have to deal with it. That's been the status quo since last May, really. Riders like Ken Roczen were less than pleased last summer as Jett won and the media lauded him. Many sneered when Jett mentioned McGrath's seemingly untouchable 72 wins. It's been a mounting dynamic, a building of pressure. Then, this weekend, we saw the first signs of it on the racetrack. The inevitable arrived. 

As Jett was working through the field after a horrific start, he got to the rear of Jason Anderson. On a very one-lined track, Anderson knew how and where to make sure Jett couldn't make a pass stick. Jett tried to force it more than once and nearly crashed in the process. This only fueled Jett's resolve, upping the aggression ante. Anderson, in kind, engaged in the gamesmanship. Anderson thrives in this environment. Anyone who can trade blows with Barcia and not blink is a rider to avoid. Put simply, never play games with an expert in gamesmanship. Starting a fight with a rider as capable as Anderson has extremely low odds of ending well. At best, it's going to impact lap times negatively. At worst, well, San Diego. 

Luckily, neither rider crashed. The real incident didn't even take place on the racetrack. The real drama unfolded when the checkers flew, and Jett wanted to voice his displeasure to Anderson. This isn't that uncommon. There are often words exchanged after qualifiers or main events. The difference here was two-fold, though. First, Jett grabbed Anderson's helmet as he was attempting to leave. That's a no-no. Anderson was clearly not having that and gave Jett's helmet a good thrashing. That's also a no-no. Both riders were out of line touching each other and got fined for it. Arguments happen but physical contact can't be tolerated. 

The second difference was in the dynamic I led this piece with. Anderson (and others of his caliber) have had enough of Jett's winning and associated publicity. That's a natural occurrence when anyone goes on a winning rampage. Couple that with extensive marketing and brand building, those so inclined are at their breaking point. The same thing happened to Ricky Carmichael in his heyday. The same reasons that Jett is adored cause some to dislike him—especially those competing against him. It's to be expected, really. Anderson is likely full to the brim on hearing about Jett and losing to Jett. Having him grab his helmet went over about as well as New Coke. Jett's success is a powder keg with his competitors. So, it was with McGrath and Emig in their era, Carmichael, Reed, and Stewart in the 2000s, and now Jett as he attempts to take the mantle. 

For Jett, this is all valuable learning. Where I see his trajectory headed, there truly is no ceiling. To truly achieve greatness, though, he needs to learn lessons along the way and become wiser for them. Respect is always earned and never given, especially when trying to supplant the incumbent elite. His riding speaks for itself but if he wants to truly have their respect, he will need to show grace in the face of adversity. Ricky Carmichael made this transition, and it showed in his interviews. Early in his career, he would react to challenging nights with pure emotion. As he matured, he gave others credit and vowed to come back stronger. There's a lot to learn in that simple change. As good as Jett is, his competitors deserve his respect and until he gives it to them in even the most trying of times, it will be hard to see reciprocation. He's still the young up and comer with exactly one win 450 SX win to his name. We all know that number will grow exponentially but the most important aspect may be that Jett's emotional acumen grows exponentially alongside it. Grace under fire is not talked about enough but for someone trying to take the SX world by storm, it may be the most impactful lesson to learn.

Photo of the Day Backstory (DC)

I was fortunate enough to be added to a daily email filled with cool motorcycle photos that a man named Claude G. puts together. It's usually cool vintage motocross stuff from the 1970s and '80s and it goes out to a wide variety of industry friends and strangers, including Racer X Publisher Scott Wallenberg. Usually, I know who most of the riders in the photos are, but occasionally one will stump me. That was the case recently with those photo of a rider I did not recognize aboard a very early Yamaha. Scott didn't recognize the guy either, but he knew it was an early version of what become the YZ motocross bike. So, Scott went straight to a very good source of what was going on back in the day, none other than Torsten Hallman, the multi-time FIM Motocross World Champion from Sweden who was one of the most influential motocross people of all time. Hallman was not only very instrumental in the dominant years of Husqvarna, but he was later hired by Yamaha they were trying to enter the industry. (Hallman also really got the sport of motocross going here in America in the 1960s when he was featured on Edison Dye's Inter-Am tour, and he also is largely responsible for the invention of the U.S. motocross aftermarket, but those are stories for another time.)

Turns out Torsten knew exactly who was in the photo—it was Arne Lindfors—as well as where it was shot, plus a cool little tidbit about the origins of a highly-respected company. Here's what Torsten reported back to Wallenberg:

Cudby in California (Cudby)

After a two-day deluge in Southern California over the San Diego SX weekend, most of the regular SX test tracks in the inland empire were too wet to ride. On Wednesday our Simon Cudby caught up with the KTM, GasGas, and Husqvarna riders, plus Justin Hill from Team Tedder at a private SX track in Hemet, California for some midweek SX practice.

Keefer in Georgia (Keefer)

I begged KTM to let me test the new 2024.5 KTM Factory Edition back east since I was headed that way anyway with my kid. What better way to test the updated chassis than ride some quality/deep dirt. My son and I made our way out to Georgia through a Texas ice storm but let me tell you, it was all worth it once I took my first lap aboard the new orange brigade offering. I am trying to bring more quality East Coast testing to Keefer Inc. as I understand how important it is to you right coasters. Sometimes a Glen Helen Raceway bike set up isn't an East Coast bike setting and I am aware of this. Aaron Plessinger as well as Chase Sexton have both chose this new FE frame for ‘24 and I can see why. There is more compliance as well as edge of tire comfort within this updated chassis and I could really put that to the test back here in Georgia. Loading the chassis and pushing the edge of the tire is much easier to test back here when the dirt is heavy and rutty. Back in Southern California sometimes we have to tip toe around corners and can't load the chassis enough to test properly. Occasionally we do get some good conditions if the tracks and their owners provide us with a good prep but lately that has been hard to find. I will migrate to Mesquite MX in Arizona at times to test because the Southern California tracks just don't get deep enough to test some chassis categories. If you want to learn more about the updated chassis and how it handled a couple different tracks back east, I put up an on-board Go-Pro of me riding the new KTM up on my YouTube channel as well as typed up an article over on my site Keeferinctesting.com. We will cover the 2024.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition video over on the Racer X side so stay tuned to that next week right here on the best moto website there is! 

Supercross in India (Blake Wharton)

The long awaited Indian SX or (ISRL) season-opener will kick off Sunday, January 28, at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi, in Pune, India. This will be the first of three events taking place for season one of the new league, with a goal to return the sport of SX to Southwest Asia bigger and make it better than ever before. Their concept involves a group of “franchise teams” that will participate, with names like the Gujarat Trailblazers, SG Speed Racers, BB Racing, and Big Rock Motorsports. Several American racers are over in India for the event, including AMA 250 SX winner and AMA Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers un the 450 International class, as well as Nick Laurie and Brendan Sipple 250 Intermediate. They also have riders coming from France, Australia, and more.

Track builder Richard Kutbach is also on site and is sure to lay out the groundwork for an exciting and competitive SX layout. Best of luck to all involved and stay tuned for upcoming details on where and how to watch the event. Also, you can follow this on Instagram: @indiansupercrossleague and also check out their Facebook page.

Farewell, And Godspeed (DC)

Finally, the motocross world lost two great people this past week. Nancy Ritchie helped her late husband Gene Ritchie pursue his dream of building and running a motocross track near their home in Buchanan, Michigan. That was in the early 1970s. Today RedBud MX is on the podium of just about everyone’s list of the best motocross tracks in the world. Gene and Nancy’s kids Tim and Amy long ago took over the reins, but Nancy stayed close, even after Gene’s passing in 2016. Last Saturday, after a long illness, Nancy finally rejoined Gene.

Dick Sidle was a lifetime motocross enthusiast who helped countless riders over the years. He was a pretty good rider himself, with plenty of finishes in AMA Pro Motocross, including a career-best of 12th at the 1981 Broome-Tioga 500 National in Binghamton, New York. He went onto own a motorcycle shop (Lebanon Valley Cycles) and work in the aftermarket, helping out all kinds of regional riders.

Godspeed and farewell to both Nancy Ritche and Dick Sidle.

Hey, Watch It!

Jason Anderson and Jett Lawrence drone clips

Yamaha Presents: Beyond the Gate Episode 3

The Daniel Blair Show - Episode 4

Josh Hill's A2 Track Preview

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week

“Spirit Airlines passenger arrested for asking flight attendants to join ‘mile high club’”—Daily News

"How This Husky Saved Its Neighborhood From a Dangerous Gas Leak"—Inside Edition

“Excessively farting passenger forces American Airlines flight to turn around"—NY Post

"PETA wants to replace Punxsutawney Phil with gold coin"—TribLive.com

Random Notes

Former pro Dale Spangler has been posting some excellent podcasts with various people around the motorsports industry with his Pit Pass Moto Podcast, and this week he chats with 2023 WORCS Women's Pro Champion Kaitlyn Jacobs. Check it out.