Round four of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and round 21 of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) bring us to High Point Raceway, just inside the Pennsylvania border and a stone’s throw from MX Sports in Morgantown, West Virginia. One of the cornerstone rounds of the series, High Point has seen some of the most historic races in the sport’s history. Unfortunately, most of those memorable races involved inclement weather. Back when the race was held in late May, the spring showers were always a worry and some portion of the weekend likely saw moisture. With a few weeks more for summer to arrive, we have seen less variance in the weather, even if the temps have gone up a bit as a result. This weekend should be a good one in that aspect with a chance of rain on Friday but that sets up for a beautiful Saturday.
The High Point Raceway track has a lot of elevation variance. It winds across several hillsides and oftentimes presents tricky off-cambered corners. Riders use the side of the tire much more than they would at a track like Fox Raceway where they are more “straight up and down” versus the lean angle of High Point. Those corners force riders to focus on technique more than some other tracks would. Techniques like weighting the outside peg, using a taller gear, and sliding forward on the seat to put more pressure on the front tire will all be pivotal. The reason for the emphasis is that those off cambered corners lessen traction levels, especially when trying to find solid grip with the front tire. The weight on the outside peg plants the outside tire knobs into the dirt and creates an anchor to pivot from, also lessening the chance of those knobs breaking traction and creating a low side crash. Sliding forward on the seat transitions the balance of weight and plants that front tire into the dirt when trying to turn up a tricky hillside.
- Motocross
High Point
Saturday, June 15
Who’s Hot
Haiden Deegan has gone three-for-three so far in this young Pro Motocross Championship season. His 23-point lead could get out of hand if this keeps up.
Chance Hymas won the first moto of his pro career at Thunder Valley and is entering the track where he looked to be breaking out in 2023. If he gets the holeshot, buckle up.
Jett Lawrence fought through injury to win another overall. It wasn’t a dominant day when speaking on relative terms but his ability to overcome adversity spoke volumes.
Hunter Lawrence has been a revelation through three rounds and has the points lead to show for it. He has been very reserved when speaking about his season, but his confidence is growing. High Point is a good track for him so watch for another podium.
Justin Cooper was fast enough to win in Thunder Valley but sprinting on the 450 took a toll on J-Coop’s fitness. That’s something he will work on and improve upon. Still, he is the sole Yamaha chance at success in the 450 class and he is pulling his weight.
Justin Barcia’s 4-6 scores might not jump off the page, but it was a giant improvement over the first two rounds.
Who’s Not
Levi Kitchen didn’t have the Colorado visit he was hoping for. Many expected him to win a moto and climb back into the title fight.
Ryder DiFrancesco is still young, but results aren’t coming as quickly as many would have hoped. His starts and sprint speed have been visible at times but with riders his age starting to pop off results which exacerbates the urgency.
Joey Savatgy had championship aspirations for this summer, but mechanical gremlins and first turn crashes have erased that possibility thus far.
Chase Sexton came into Colorado with all of the momentum and left with a head scratching weekend. I do believe had he stayed upright in the second moto, he likely wins it, but that’s not what happened. He really needs follow through on what we saw at Hangtown.
Bold Predictions
Tom Vialle is heard mumbling “What is this Chamber of Commerce Day?” throughout the weekend.
Haiden Deegan is prohibited from using the phrase “just gonna send it” unless he jumps the massive step down after the finish line.
My Picks
250
Tom
Haiden
Levi
450
Jettson
Hunter
Chase
Main image by Mitch Kendra