The Fox Raceway National opening round of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship brought the start of a brand-new season. From the earlier-than-normal Thursday press conference and riding session, to the riders returning from injuries and/or changing teams, there was a lot to follow once the points-paying motos started. Check out what riders had to say about their respective weekend in California.
Note: Some quotes are from team press releases, some are from rider social media posts. We compiled as many quotes as we could find.
250 Class
1st overall | Haiden Deegan | 1-1
“It was a good day here at Pala. In the first moto, I made my way to the lead with two laps to go, which was cool. Then, the second moto was a statement ride. I holeshotted and led the whole thing. So yeah, 1-1 on the day, and the red plate... We’re looking forward to next weekend.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager Jensen Hendler:
“It was a great way to start the season, with Haiden going 1-1 and leaving with the red plate. He picked up right where he left off at Salt Lake, and put in an awesome ride outdoors to win both motos, and we’re looking to keep that momentum rolling. It was kind of a tough day for the rest of our guys, but there are definitely some positives to take away. We’ll get back to work this week and come back swinging in Hangtown.”
2nd overall | Levi Kitchen | 2-2
“It was not a bad way to start the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross season. 2-2 on the day and a lot more in the tank for the rest of the season. I was happy to get first in qualifying with a great lap and then in Moto 1, we were going good all race, until a track marker got caught in my boot, stabbed my shin and so I had to reach down and grab it while (Haiden) Deegan was right behind me. In the second moto, my KX™250 started strong again and I got right behind Deegan. We battled the entire race and I finished second. Ultimately, we are in a good spot. I feel good and ready for some more battles next weekend.”
3rd overall | Tom Vialle | 4-3
"I had a great start in the first moto, was able to lead a few laps, and I got a little tight with some arm-pump, so I finished third. Second moto, I had a crash early in the moto, so I was around sixth and came back to third. At the end of the day, of course, I wanted to do a little bit better, but we started the first round of the podium overall and I think we can only do better in the next races. I feel good with the bike and physically, so I'm really excited for Hangtown."
4th overall | Chance Hymas | 3-4
“The first round of outdoors was really good. We had a great start to the day, qualifying first in the first session and fourth overall. Then I had a third and a fourth on the day, for fourth overall. I’m feeling confident on the bike; it’s been working really well, and the team is doing awesome. I’m excited for next weekend.”
5th overall | Jalek Swoll | 6-5
“It’s a good day to leave here in the top five. Although we reached our goal, I’m also kind of annoyed as I wanted a little more. But we leave here in a position we wanted. There’s another round to go in this county and then the season really gets going. I just need to keep crushing those starts, putting myself in good positions and we will eventually be on the box, fighting for those wins.”
6th overall | Jo Shimoda | 8-6
"I really wanted to carry momentum from Supercross into this weekend. My starts meant I had to climb through the pack, but I feel like I showed some good speed. Overall, sixth on the day isn’t where I want to be, but I’m looking forward to Hangtown."
7th overall | Nate Thrasher | 11-7
“It definitely could’ve been better. I think my speed was decent, but I was dealing with some arm pump. I felt good, though. I felt like I had top-three, top-five speed, but I was just riding about 60% in the motos. I was glad to get a top 10 riding like that but bummed because I want to ride to my full potential. We’re going to go back to work and come back stronger at Hangtown.”
8th overall | Pierce Brown | 10-8
"It was a decent day with 10-8 results for eighth overall. It's somewhere to start and we know where to build from now, so I'm excited to start building some momentum from here."
9th overall | Joey Savatgy | 5-13
“I think the day went well. Top five was the goal coming into this, so I’m a little bummed with the overall result. The speed was good in qualifying and considering I haven’t had a gate drop in a while, fifth in the first moto was equivalent to par for me. I would have liked a better start and pace in the second moto, but we just need to stick to our program and we’ll be ok. The results will come.”
Said Triumph Racing Team Principal Bobby Hewitt:
“It’s been another historical moment for our journey with Triumph with both riders being the first two guys to ride in an AMA outdoor National for the brand. The day went well, we improved during qualifying and had a good first moto. If the track hadn’t been smoothed out so much I think both guys would have probably done better.
In the second moto I thought Jalek was going to get the holeshot! He rode a strong race and that was his best finish in Pala. For Joey, after such a strong first moto it was tough to see him go down in the incident at the start of the second race. But I’m really proud of him for how he fought and came back to 13th to finish 7th overall.
This weekend we’ve learned even more about the bike and where to improve, but overall I’m very pleased. As a team, we have work to do to improve the bike set-up and get it even stronger and I know we will.”
10th overall | Ryder DiFrancesco | 9-12
"Round 1 was good for me at Pala. The first moto was good and the second one was okay as well, but all-in-all I'm satisfied with 10th overall. It was better than last year, but I've got a couple of things to work on with 10 more rounds to go!"
11th overall | Julien Beaumer | 13-9
"It was a tough first round for me. I didn't ride the best and wasn't the comfiest, so we've got some work to do this week, and we'll come back out swinging at Hangtown."
12th overall | Mark Fineis | 14-11
Fineis posted on Instagram:
“Rookie season Rd 1 in the books with a 12th overall ✅ Extremely happy with my results and learned a lot. I need to manage my qualifying sessions better to put myself in a better position Moto 1 gate pick. Pumped to have a good result and be healthy. Ready for Hangtown this weekend!! Big thanks to my mechanic @garth_lively for all the hard work and the whole @clubmx team for giving me such strong equipment, @behrens421 with @fxrmoto with killer gear!! Beyond happy for such a great opportunity.”
13th overall | Jordon Smith | 7-18
“I rode really well and qualified in fifth. So it was pretty solid for a first round of outdoors for me. My speed was good in the motos. I just had a washout in the first moto and came back to seventh, which I was pretty happy with. In the second moto, I got caught up in the first turn pileup. Then it was just chaos trying to get through these guys in the back, and I went down a couple of times. So yeah, it was a bummer in the second moto, but I’m happy with my riding and to have something to build on.”
14th overall | Dilan Schwartz | 12-15
“The first Outdoor round was good. I ended up 12-15 on the day, which was good considering I’ve only ridden six times this year, before this weekend. I’m excited to keep healing my wrist and building on this start throughout the season.”
Said Toyota Redlands BarX Suzuki Team Manager James Coy:
“I am happy with the way today went for our team. It was great to have Dilan Schwartz back, and was fun to see him race his first gate drops of the year. Our young riders did great in their first Outdoor race with the team. The RM-Zs are incredibly good, and I feel there are going to be some great races for us down the road.”
15th overall | Ty Masterpool | 24-10
“Today I had a lot of nerves, but overall it was a pretty good weekend. I started the day qualifying in sixth which I was stoked on. In the Moto 1 I got a good start, but when I switched up my lines, I took an outside rut and went down in a flooded area which caused me to lose significant time. I went down again, which was all my fault, but the second moto was definitely a step in the right direction. I had a pretty bad gate pick, but managed to come around in the Top 15. In the second corner, that is where we really got tangled up, but worked my way up to 10th. I took my time in the second moto. I am really looking forward to getting more and more comfortable on the bike this season. A huge thank you to the entire Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, Mitch and Iain. God is good and I cannot wait for more racing.”
16th overall | Jett Reynolds | 16-16
Reynolds posted on Instagram:
“Felt Good to get my first race of the year out of the way😅. 16-16 moto scores is not where I want to be but I’ll take that for now."
17th overall | Daxton Bennick | 20-14
“Yeah, it was definitely a little bit of a struggle. I don’t ride here, and I've never really raced here, so it’s always tough when I come to the West Coast, but we’re chipping away at it. The second moto was a lot better, so I’ve got some positives. I had some really great starts, and we’ll bring that into next weekend and just try to improve little by little.”
18th overall | Coty Schock | 19-17
Schock posted on Instagram:
"P18 for round 1 of @promotocross
Progress one round at a time, we will get there but thank you @clubmx for everything! Damn proud of the effort and it’s gonna show! Keep on keeping on🚀"
19th overall | Casey Cochran | 15-21
"It was a tough day with going down on both starts, so I had to fight from the back in the motos and ate a lot of roost today. It ended up alright, we rode pretty decent, and if we can get a good start we'll be up there in the top 10 with those guys. I will work on some starts and come out swinging again next week!"
20th overall | Lux Turner | 17-35
Turner posted on Instagram:
“Round 1✅ P20 O/A
———————
Happy with my riding in first moto, just need better starts. Excited for @hangtownmotocross this weekend‼️
———————
Thank you to my team for all the hard work‼️
——————-
Big thanks to @xpr_motorsports for the help, my bike feels like a spaceship 🚀”
21st overall | Nick Romano | 18-40
“It was a tough day at Pala. I struggled all day, and then a first-turn pileup in Moto 2 ended my day early. I’m going to rest up and be ready for Hangtown.”
24th overall | Preston Boespflug | 22-22
“Today was a decent first round for us. I need to keep clicking them off and working my way up.”
35th overall | Anthony Bourdon | 25-39
“I knew it would be a challenging race because I injured myself just after the Salt Lake City Supercross while training for motocross. I have a sprained ankle and a tiny fracture in my malleolus. I had ten days off, but it wasn't enough to be at 100%. I wanted to race Pala to see the Outdoor pace here in the US before returning to France. I finished the first race in 25th place, which isn't where I would have liked to be and that doesn't reflect my normal level, but I couldn't ride any better with the injury. In the second race, I had a technical problem and had to stop. The front-running riders in the US Outdoor series are fast! I'm still happy to have been able to do this first race. I'd like to thank BarX and Suzuki for the opportunity this year, and I’ll see you in 2025.”
DNR | Leo Tucker
“My Suzuki worked great all day! Unfortunately, I had a big get-off in qualifying and was unable to participate in the race. The track was a tricky one, with a lot of weird, soft spots.”
450 Class
1st overall | Jett Lawrence | 1-1
“Two good starts, led every lap, won both motos—I basically hit every goal I set for myself today. I still have to work on some stuff on myself and the bike, but overall, it’s good to keep the streak going—24-0 so far! I’m looking forward to Hangtown.”
2nd overall | Hunter Lawrence | 2-3
“It was a good day—second overall in my 450 outdoor debut! I just went when the gate dropped, and that led to two starts near the front. I’m happy to be leaving here like this.”
Said Honda HRC Team Manager Lars Lindstrom:
“The season rolls on straight into the outdoors—not a lot of time to celebrate the Supercross championship, but it’s cool to have a change of pace and get back to the roots of the sport. I’m really stoked on Chance’s race and his improvement in the end of the races lately—really strong. We have some work to do with Jo to get him comfortable, and his ankle needs some healing as well, so it was good to get out of here with a top 10. A lot of people were wondering where Hunter would be in the pecking order, but I was sure that he would be a solid third-place guy in his rookie 450 MX season. I just didn’t know exactly how he would stack up to Jett and Chase. He blew us all away, with his incredible starts and speed that showed that he’ll be a top contender in the 450 class! I really don’t have words for Jett; this kid is such a machine, he honestly gives me vibes of Ricky Carmichael, when he would just rise to whatever occasion he needed to. He wasn’t 100% comfortable today, which makes me feel bad for the competition when we get him there.”
3rd overall | Chase Sexton | 4-2
"The bike has been really good outdoors and I think that comes from KTM's experience in MXGP. We're happy with this finish to be on the podium, and we still have some work to do, but it will be an evolution throughout the season. We're looking forward to Hangtown now."
5th overall | Justin Barcia | 6-6
"Had a good qualifying practice, fourth in the first one and seventh overall, so we had a good gate pick for the races. First moto, I got off to a good start and it was a good one. Second moto, also got off to a good start and was about to have a holeshot but was bumped from behind, so that cost me a few positions. I fought really hard, charged the whole moto, and I have a lot of building to do still. It's going to be a long season, the bike was really good today, and I'm looking forward to more."
6th overall | Jason Anderson | 10-4
“Round 1 is done and the weekend did not go as planned, but that is racing. Qualifying went decent, but I knew there was more speed for me. In the first moto, I got tangled up in the first turn with a rider that cut down. When I remounted my bike, I was running 38th. I put my head down and managed to make it into the Top 10. Moto 2 was much better for me. The track was way gnarlier, but I found my flow and latched onto the Top 3 all race. 10-4 finishes is not how we wanted to start the season, but mistakes happen and my entire Monster Energy Kawasaki team and I are ready to fight again next weekend.”
7th overall | Justin Cooper | 5-8
“We got the first 450 outdoor national out of the way, and it went well. I had good starts in both motos. In the first moto, I got passed on the last lap for fifth, and in the second moto, I got tangled up in the first turn and came from last to eighth. So overall, it was a good day with two consistent motos and something to build on for next week.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager Jeremy Coker:
“All in all, it was a great day for Justin. He had two phenomenal starts. Unfortunately, in the second start, he came together with AP (Aaron Plessinger) in the first turn, but the start was good. In the first moto, he had a great ride, and in the second, he came from 38th all the way back to eighth for six overall and one point from fourth overall. So it was a good first round. There is a lot to build on, and we will move on to Hangtown.”
8th overall | Aaron Plessinger | 3-12
"Pala was okay and it was how I expected myself to be coming into it. The first moto was really, really good, I got off to a great start and was right there on Jett [Lawrence]. I started riding tight but loosened up toward the end and got third. Second moto, unfortunately, had a crash in the first corner, so I did what I could and salvaged 12th. Seventh overall isn't the end of the world, I'll take that and we'll go to Hangtown swinging – I'm excited!"
9th overall | Malcolm Stewart | 8-7
"For being 10 years of not racing a season opener for outdoors, it treated me well. We said we'd be happy with a top eight, or to be around there, and we were. When you have a season-ending injury like I had last year, it makes you miss the little things, and so far I'm just having a heck of a time here! Overall, I'm happy, we made a lot of improvements event from Moto 1 to Moto 2, and we're enjoying the moment."
10th overall | Phil Nicoletti | 9-9
Nicoletti posted on Instagram:
“Great outdoors! 9-9 on the day for 10th overall 🫡. It was great to get my doors blown off at the start of Moto 2, but it’s nice to see the speed. Happy to get some good points at the worst national of the year for me. Glad I don’t have to ride that place ever againnn………….💩box. Make some adjustments this week and move on to Hangtown.”
11th overall | Fredrik Noren | 13-10
Noren posted on Instagram:
“P-11 Pala, Hangtown next! Thanks team”
12th overall | Marshal Weltin | 16-11
Weltin posted on Instagram:
“@promotocross rd 1 p12 ✅ . Good start to the season against some heavy hitters. Ran in the top 10 for most of moto 2… saw @acampbell387 cheering on the side of the track for about 6 laps then realized he wasn’t cheering for me 😂.”
13th overall | Cullin Park | 12-15
Park posted on Instagram:
“All smiles back at the races.. it’s been a while😁 12-15 on the day! Something to build off of. Terrible start in moto 2 and got caught up in the pile up, but charged hard both motos. Looking to improve, thanks team! It feels good to be back🤙🏼”
14th overall | Dean Wilson | 11-16
Wilson posted on Instagram:
“What a day🤠 I really wanted to crack a top 10 for you guys😣 Moto 1 came from about 25th to 10th then last 2 laps JA21 got me so P-11. Moto 2 my Holeshot button broke on the parade lap start🤬We tried to fix it but didn’t have time. So did the start no Holeshot button🤦♂️ Then I got caught first corner pile up stuck under my bike😭 Was so pissed I really felt like I coulda had a top 10 OA today. Came from 37th-16th. I tried. I had fun… kinda😂 @promotocross is gnarly. I really wanna thank everybody for all the love today. My little crew you know who you are you guys made it fun! HRC for being so helpful. @pulpmx for joining the fun. @teamfried.co for also jumping in. Also glad @jettson18 and myself survived our mid air collision. Sneaky lightning came up quick behind me and I got super sketch🤦♂️🤦♂️ Cheers guys🍻 Off to Australia for Manjimup🇦🇺🦘”
15th overalll | Christian Craig | 15-17
"I didn't know what to expect coming in, but just wanted to get some gate drops, and to put my best effort in. I had a couple of crashes, a first turn pile-up in the first moto, and then in the second moto I fell on the first lap, so I made it hard on myself but I was able to come through the pack, and score some points. I am happy to be at the races again, to be back with the team, and it's a good vibe being around everybody. We'll go back to work this week and get ready for Hangtown."
16th overall | Romain Pape | 20-13
Pape’s Instagram posted in French translated to:
“RD1 🇺🇸
Incredible to start the season with a second round with a start in the 10 and finish 13 among all these big names in motocross!”
17th overall Shane McElrath | 30-14
“We really had only about six days on the bike with the motocross set-up. It was a tough first moto; we were far off and we’re searching a bit right now for the best motocross settings. We are working together as a team. It was a tough day, but it was necessary for the team to move forward and to figure this out. I’m excited about testing more this week, and racing next weekend. Physically, I felt good today.”
18th overall | Grant Harlan | 17-18
Harlan posted on Instagram:
“17-18 for 17th to start the season off.
Sucked in moto 1😂
Made some changes for moto 2 that felt a lot better but got caught up in the first turn crash and did what I could for some points.
Overall happy with the weekend and looking forward to some heat next weekend at Hangtown!”
19th overall | Derek Kelley | 14-DNF
Kelley posted on Instagram:
“It’s good to be back at the races 💪🏻. I had a good run in Moto 1. Worked up to 10th and ran there for most of the race but then dropped anchor to 14th 😂. Moto 2 we fell in the start and had a freak issue with the handlebars so that was the end of my weekend. There is a long season ahead and I am looking forward to improving every race!”
20th overall | Jerry Robin | 18-22
Robin posted on Instagram:
“Round 1 @foxraceway all done and dusted🤙🏻 went down in the rollers on lap 2 and had to push hard every lap to score some points in moto 1, Moto 2 I just couldn’t find a good flow with the track like I did in the first moto but just have to clean up a few things and put myself in better positions early in the race! Looking forward to Hangtown✊🏻”
21st overall | Max Miller | 27-19
“It was a solid day today at Pala. I had good speed in moto 1 but was deep in the pack. In moto 2, I had a better start and had a good pace. I was held up behind another rider for a few laps towards the end, and that let other riders close in on me. But I finished 19th in moto 2. We made improvements throughout the day and will bring this good momentum into Hangtown!”
24th overall | Kyle Chisholm | 28-21
“They didn’t rip the track super deep this year and it was fast and choppy. It was the same for everybody, you need to go fast on it, but it’s not my preferred type of track. When it came time for the motos, I was caught up in a first-turn pile-up in the first moto, and ripped my left grip almost all the way off the bar. In the second moto, I had a decent start, we were in the top 15, and then I got together with another rider on the first lap and tipped over. I lost a bunch of spots, but then worked my way back up. I had good laps in both motos, and that was a positive. Speed-wise we should be in the top 15, between 10 and 15; I just need to stay off the ground during the first laps and get in a stronger position with better starts,” added Chisholm.
Said Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki Team Manager Larry Brooks:
“It was a tough day at Round 1 in Pala. Wrecks for both Shane and Kyle relegated them to bad finishes in the first moto. Shane rebounded the best that he could with a bad starting gate pick; he finished 14th in the second moto. It’s not where we want to finish but it’s only the beginning of a long season. We will go testing this week and improve for Round 2.”