The good news for everyone is the relatively cool weather they are expecting in Colorado tomorrow, which will make the race much different from the scorcher that was Hangtown. As the heat index rose with the temperature, and after consultation with the series’ medical director, AMA officials, and various team managers, the decision was made to trim five minutes from the second set of motos. While some cried foul, the effects of the heat were obvious on both the competitors and the fans. We’ve seen the unfortunate toll the heat can have on athletes, and not just the tragic passing of Josh Lichtle at RedBud in 2011. Back in 2010, when Tomac won that first race he ever entered, one week later he finished second in the first moto at Freestone in Texas and then had a meltdown during the second moto and fell back to eleventh. Eli was so cooked that his next four races saw him finish 16th, 10th, 8th, 10th, and 11th overall. And in 2019, Chase Sexton won the first moto at a treacherously hot WW Ranch in Florida and then could barely line up for the second moto due to heat exhaustion. He pulled off after half a lap and then struggled to 18th the following week at Southwick and he was only good for 12th overall at Spring Creek.

My point is that when it’s triple-digit heat, we have to take into account the health and well-being of the riders, especially when the medical director suggests trimming the moto. That five minutes might have made some difference, but by the time the checkered flags did fly, pretty much every rider on the track was circulating at 10 to 15 seconds slower than they were at the beginning of the moto. (Interestingly, eighth-place RJ Hampshire had the fastest last lap of the day with a 2:04.717 burst at the end of the day, as he was trying to catch Cooper Webb. Hampshire’s last lap was five seconds faster than that of Lawrence and Tomac.)

Despite the heat, the 56th Hangtown Motocross Classic seemed like a great success for the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club, who have organized the race since the 1960s. The track held together, the crowd was huge, and for the rest of my life, I will remember a panicked call over the radio from staging: “There’s a rattlesnake in the starting gate! Repeat, there is a rattlesnake in the starting gate!” It was successfully removed, but that call is still going to haunt me forever…

Looking ahead to Thunder Valley, we still don’t have Chase Sexton, nor do we know what’s ailing him, and Jason Anderson is not riding due to the problems he has at altitude. The track itself has some new twists and turns, slowing it down and also offering better infield access.

Preview the new layout below. 

Things to know heading into the weekend (Mitch Kendra)

Thunder Valley National

All of Friday's on-track activities have been canceled due to weather. The WMX racing has been moved to Saturday, with one practice session and one moto. The time has yet to be determined, so stay tuned for more updates. 

On Saturday, the 450 Class will race first this weekend and all four motos can be seen live on Peacock. Also, both the first 250 Class moto and the second 450 Class moto will be live on NBC—just those two motos.

Jeremy Martin (Banged up) to sit out until Spring Creek National, which will be his final professional race and final ride with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

Read the full update on Martin.

Kayden Minear is racing the pro class this weekend, making his U.S. Pro Motocross debut. Check out this interview with Minear where he talks about his Hangtown SMX Next – Motocross Combine ride, prepping for Loretta Lynn’s, racing Cole Davies years ago, and more. And watch for the #106 Star Yamaha YZ250F in Colorado!

Jordan Jarvis was landed on in WMX crash at Hangtown, but she is okay and racing the Thunder Valley WMX round today.

Read the full update on Jarvis.

John Tomac is the grand marshal for this weekend’s race.

Read the full release from MX Sports on John Tomac.

More preview content on Thunder Valley National:

MXGP of Latvia

Full preview press release

WMX Round 3 Notes (Sarah Whitmore)

The third round of the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) takes place this Friday at Thunder Valley. After two rounds, Lala Turner has a six-point lead over Fox Raceway winner Makayla Nielsen. Even after bad starts at Hangtown, Turner was able to find her way into the lead by the end of the first lap and set herself apart from the rest of the field. Meanwhile, further back, Jordan Jarvis was not able to jump the triple on the first lap, and the rider behind her didn’t notice and landed right on her back, causing a massive pileup. Jarvis tried to reenter the race, but her bike gave out as it was so damaged in the crash. Nevertheless, she went back out for moto two, chin gash, broken finger, and bruises and all, and still finished sixth!

That makes two of the title favorites heading into the series who will be racing at Thunder Valley with broken fingers, as Australian WMX champion Charli Cannon broke her finger and had surgery 10 days before Fox Raceway. This is just a testament to the grit and determination these riders have. Luckily for Jarvis and Cannon, after this weekend, their series will take a break and return for the last three rounds of Pro Motocross starting at Ironman Raceway on August 9. This should be enough time for them to heal before the fourth round. Will they be able to get on the podium and salvage points this weekend? Will they or anyone else be able to stop Turner?

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Racers will substitute the harsh temps of Hangtown for the oxygen depleted elevation of Thunder Valley for round three. After what should have been a week focused on recovery, being back to 100 percent is a must. The temperature might only reach 80 this Saturday but that doesn't mean this race won't be physically taxing. Heart rates will be elevated and every physical action riders take will require more effort than it would at sea level. Most will notice it the first time they climb a set of stairs at the hotel or maybe when they walk up the first hill of the track, but make no mistake, they will notice it and think, 'I'm a little winded and shouldn't be.' 

As for how to offset this, there's not much in the way of recourse. Riders will rely on their fitness and also try to focus on taking deep breaths on sections of the track that allow it. Breathing is normally an afterthought, but it will be an oft given pit board message this weekend. Staying smooth and within a desired heart rate range will help, too. If riders have to sprint and go outside the desired parameters, they will want to keep that to a manageable timeframe. A surefire way to "blow up" is to throw caution to the wind and try to sprint for 10 laps in a row. Planned bursts of pace and energy are key at this race. You may see riders look complacent for a lap or two and then all of a sudden have a flurry of speed. That's usually planned and riders will gauge how they are feeling to know when to go and when to pull back on the reins. Jett is a master of this, turning it on and off at will. 

It is a tough ask, though, to have two physically demanding races back-to-back. Those that were attentive to recovery this week will have a distinct edge in the final laps of each moto. Everyone feels good on the parade lap of the first moto. Who has a charge left when the two-lap board comes out? That's where the preparation and dedication prevail. 

LAKEWOOD (Matthes)

We had Lakewood owner David Clabaugh on the PulpMX Show Monday night and at this point, as I told him, Thunder Valley is no longer underrated national because we’ve been talking about being so underrated for so long. It’s a great race, good viewing, close to everything (except for the Denver airport), easy in and out and yeah man, I’m a fan. David told us he’s moved the start back a bit, got rid of that weirdo straightway behind the start (riders do a 180 and jump onto the start straight) and also added in a down and back up after the first climb to the Thunder Valley sign. TV is a very start dependent track. With the elevation, the bikes are slower and so it’s tough on the hills to power by a guy. You’ve got to really be a lot better than they are or go Mach four around a turn. Hunter Lawrence won a 450 moto here last year after a late race mistake by Chase Sexton and he’s always been good here. And of course, Jett’s not bad either. 

And strangely, although it’s far from his house and not really his “home” track, Eli Tomac has only won two 450MX overalls (in eight races) here. It’s #9 on his list of tracks where he has the most overall wins and his average finish is way down compared to others, mostly because of his double DNF from his nasty crash years ago and then also, there was that one year on Kawasaki where he just went like 7-9 or something. Weird deal for sure and one he hopes to stop this year no doubt. 

HANGTOWN 2010 (Matthes)

I know we’re just over Hangtown 2025 but let’s talk Hangtown 2010, the season opener that year and one of the weirdest races of the year. It’s the first and only win Chad Reed had on a factory Kawasaki, first and only win for a KTM 350 when Mike Alessi won the second moto, the SX champion barely broke the top ten, a 6’9" Belgian GP rider showed up, and Ben Townley showed up for the first time in like three years. Yup, Hangtown 2010! Catch the fever man. Jason Weigandt, Seth Rarick, and I broke this race down for the Fox Re-Raceables Podcast and Rarick was blown away by Belgian Ken DeDycker getting a top ten overall. We all wondered why he came out and DC called me to remind that he was the only GP guy to come over and race after Glen Helen dropped the national and scheduled a USGP on the following weekend! I guess that’s why, as CR told us, Stefan Everts was there as well. Anyways, Reedy had some great stuff in there about his salaries, his switch from Suzuki, how he and Ryan Villopoto were supposed to be the dream team but weren’t, and much more. Fun show to do and what a race! Listen to it HERE on PulpMX.com. 

DREAM ANOTHER DREAM (Matthes)

Well despite me seeing if I could just slide into the Ranch without doing the regional qualifier at Pala, turns out I had to race it. And yeah, they took top four to Loretta’s, and I went 6-6. Hey, Jeff Matiasevich went 2-2 so I guess it’s not that bad? My other class, +45, was worse with crappy moto scores. Hey, I tried, and I felt like I rode pretty well to be honest, the other guys were just faster than me. Life happens, right? Thanks to the Keefers for all the help with this “project” and maybe I’ll try again next year.

Ducati Desmo450 MX Trip (Keefer)

Ducati invited us to come test ride their very first motocross machine, the Desmo450 MX. I hopped on a plane to Bologna, Italy, to take a quick tour of the factory as well as ride the new red machine at 04 Park-Monte Coralli. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, Ducati’s desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively closed by a cam and leverage system, rather than by a more conventional spring. This is nothing like we have seen in the motocross world. How did the engine as well as the other important pieces of the machine work in its homeland in Italy? You can watch the several videos I did below. 

Some key things I learned while getting to spend the day on the Desmo 450:

Nine-time FIM World Champion Antonio Cairoli spent tons of hours on the Desmo and when I asked the Ducati higher ups about the durability process, they told me they hooked up a bunch of data acquisition to the engine of a test bike and mimicked Antonio’s exact throttle percentage, RPMs, shifting points and engine load around a few tracks. Then removed that engine from the chassis, stuck it on the engine dyno back at the factory and that dyno mimicked AC222’s quickest lap for over 40 hours non-stop to ensure there wasn’t any part failures. They would leave the engine run over night for several days to see what or if any parts had a failure. 

Yes, a 250 Desmo is on its way but they didn’t give us a timeline for that bike as of yet. 

Not all Ducati dealerships will be receiving the Desmo450 as Ducati North America wanted to make sure that the Ducati dealerships that will be receiving this bike were motocross/off-road enthusiasts and were excited about this new bike. Ducati didn’t want to deliver their new motocross bike to dealers that were solely street driven. Motocross bikes are so much more custom to set ups, and Ducati told us that they will customize the consumer’s bike before he or she leaves the dealership with their purchase. Technicians will have tasks of setting up sag, re-springing the Desmo/Showa suspension if needed as well as make sure the rider triangle is properly set up for the customer before they even leave the dealership. This is all part of the boutique-style service that Ducati is looking to bring into their motocross dealerships. 

And check this out: Antonio Cairoli will be racing the Desmo450 MX at RedBud as well as Spring Creek next month, as Ducati is already in the process of homologating their 2026! 
The Desmo frame only has 11 pieces to it in order to drop weight in the process with minimal welding and to optimize rigidity. At 19.75 pounds it felt really lightweight when I picked it up by hand. The Desmo weighs in a 231 pounds with no fuel but oil/coolant installed. That should put the Ducati around 241 pounds with its 1.9 gallon fuel tank full. 

MSRP of the Ducati Desmo450 MX is set to be $11,500 which is around the same as a Factory Edition type machine and will be ready in dealers in July. 

Seeing the passion the employees had for this model was really inspiring. They love two-wheeled life and love motocross so I am sure the Desmo 450 MX will be successful. I am looking forward to spending time on mine when I get it down here in Georgia. 

Riding An Italian Track On New Ducati 450 Desmo MX

Ducati Desmo 450 MX First Impression From Italy

First Ride: All-New 2026 Ducati Desmo450 MX Motocross Model | How Does It Compare to Other 450s?

Another Step for Triumph (DC)

Ever since Triumph entered the SX/MX space, we've been tracking their milestones. The TF 250-X was introduced at the first SuperMotocross World Championship Finals at the Los Angeles Coliseum back in 2023, and the brand has been checking off accomplishments in a race to the top. First, Jalek Swoll earned the first 250SX points with a sixth-place finish at the '24 Detroit SX. Later that summer, Jalek would add a first-ever podium with a third-place finish at Unadilla. Then, earlier this year, Jordon Smith gave the brand its first-ever Monster Energy AMA Supercross podium at the Anaheim opener, and three weeks later, Smith rode into the record books with the brand's first victory with a win at the Glendale SX. Triumph is still waiting for their first Pro Motocross win.

On the MXGP circuit, the results came even quicker as Danish rider Mikkel Haarup earned a podium in the debut outing of the TF 250-X, finishing third overall at the season opener, marking the first points and the first podium for this incarnation of Triumph (they did have some success in the 1960s, well before the recent foray into racing). Haarup is now racing here in the U.S. in 250 Pro Motocross and showed good speed at Hangtown, finishing seventh overall with 10-9 finishes.

But back to Europe: On Sunday, the Spanish rider Guillem Farres, who had a brief injury-plagued run with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing and then Rockstar Energy Husqvarna here in the U.S., went 9-1 at the Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal, and his second-place overall is Triumph's new high-water mark.

Now it's something of a rivalry between Triumph's AMA team and its FIM team to see who gets the first motocross win. The 250/MX2 class is stacked on both sides of the ocean. I spoke to Haarup after Hangtown as he was doing some media interviews, and he told me the biggest differences between the two series are the formats—long two-day programs over there and very busy single-day races here. He also said he was surprised at how deep the competitiveness goes: "In MXGP, if you're coming up on a guy in 10th or 12th place and you're faster, they will give you room to pass, but here you have to fight for every position, from start to finish," said Haarup, who wears #107.

And in the MXGP division Jeffrey Herlings finally got back to being The Bullet as he swept both motos in Germany for his 108th career Grand Prix win. The KTM rider has no shot at the title, given his late start due to injury, missing the first three rounds, but he can continue extending his all-time wins record this weekend in Latvia. The Dutch sand master has won at Kegums on eight different occasions, including his first win way back in 2010. And here's something cool about Herlings' career that "MX Geoff" Meyer posted on MXLarge.com: Herlings went a year without a GP win between his 2023 Latvian win and his '24 Latvian win and nearly went a year before he won his German GP last weekend. Added Geoff, “We are just not used to seeing such gaps in his success story.”

One Last Point (DC)

A few years ago at the Ironman National, my old friend and former racer Carl Hand, Jeremy Hand's dad, approached me after the race with a suggestion. When qualified riders pull out after the first moto at a national, why not put in alternates based on the LCQ results? That afternoon, there were maybe six empty gates in the second moto of the last 450 National of the year after a half-dozen riders, for whatever reason, had not lined up. We discussed it with the AMA Pro Racing people, and they thought it was a great idea, so the following season we began placing alternates in the second motos, and it became quite popular with privateers who just missed out on the main event, giving a few more guys a chance to participate in an outdoor national moto. That's why you will sometimes see the overall results list 43 or 44 riders—the 36 fastest timed qualifiers and then the top four in the LCQ in the first moto, and when someone drops out, they place alternates in order: fifth place LCQ, sixth place LCQ, seventh, and on back.

I bring this up because last weekend one of those alternates, Kawasaki privateer Jack Chambers, finished 20th in the second 250 moto, which is a rare thing—few of the alternates ever crack the top twenty and score points. As a matter of fact, the last time it happened was back in 2023 when TJ Albright scored 20th in the second 450 moto at RedBud. Chambers had qualified 41st--fastest and then finished seventh in the LCQ, leaving him on the outside looking in. But then four riders—Chance Hymas, Enzo Temmerman, Austin Black, and Jeremy Martin—did not line up for the second moto. So, Cole Timboe (fifth in the LCQ), Brock Bennett (sixth), Chambers (seventh), and Blake Gardner (eighth) all got called up, in that order. In the actual moto, Chambers, a former MX2 Grand Prix rider in Europe, fared best with that 20th place finish.

And speaking of Chambers, he got a visit at the races from his longtime friend Lia Block, who is currently driving in the F1 Academy for the Williams Racing team in England and is featured on the Netflix series F1 Academy. Lia, the daughter of the late Ken Block, did an interview at the race for NBC/Peacock. She is also featured in the latest issue of the lifestyle/culture magazine Vanity Fair.

WSX Schedule (DC)

The 2025 FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) schedule came out yesterday, featuring five races on five different continents. The series opens in Malaysia on October 18, then moves to Buenos Aires on November 8, then goes up to Vancouver, Canada, the following weekend. Australia is next on November 29 on the Gold Coast, and then the series finale is set for December 13 in Cape Town, South Africa. Those are five dynamically different locales, but one looming conflict: The Australia round is the same weekend as the final round of the 2025 AUS-X Supercross Championship, which takes place in Adelaide, which is a 22-hour drive.

The Townleys (DC)

Remember Ben Townley? He was the FIM World Motocross Champion from New Zealand who the MX2 title in 2004 and then moved to America in 2006 for a gig with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki and won the '07 250SX East Division title. After that BT101's full potential for success in America was never realized due to an unfortunate run of injuries that would plague him for the rest of his career. In the years since he retired Townley has stayed around dirt bikes, both with his touring company 101 Adventures, as well as helping out riders like the young Cole Davies as he progressed through the ranks in New Zealand. He also has a fast son named Levi Townley who won the 85cc FIM World Championship last year. Townley is now back in Europe as Levi has a two-year deal with MJC Yamaha to race in the EMX Championships. The family is now set up in Normandy region of France, where they will be spending their summers as 15-year-old Levi continues his journey, which very well may see him end up here in the U.S. one day. Look for him at the YZ bLU cRU World Cup, which will be part of the 2025 FIM Motocross of Nations at Ironman Raceway the first weekend of October. In the meantime, Ben told me he's still keeping an eye on the races: "My boys and I have been glued to the computer watching the past two weekends, what a time to be a race fan!" 

Weekend Win Ads (DC)

Hangtown was hot, and Yoshimura definitely played that up in their win ad for Jett Lawrence. He also notched a win ad from Honda and was part of Dunlop's three-class sweep of 450, 250 (Haiden Deegan), and WMX (LaLa Turner). Speaking of the WMX, Mikayla Nielsen was featured in a couple of ads one week after her win at the WMX opener at Fox Raceway, though she was the runner-up to Turner at Hangtown. Still, it's really cool to see the industry promoting these fast girls who are leading the WMX. Deegan also shared a spread with GNCC winner Grant Davis, and each of them earned win ads from their OEMs, Yamaha and KTM, respectively.

Swedish Motocross Book (Scott Wallenberg)

A few weeks ago we mentioned a new book chronicling the golden era of Swedish motocross. Now that we’ve got our hands on a copy, we asked Swedish motocross fanatic Scott Wallenberg to dig in—and he's 300 pages deep with a big thumbs up. Here is what he had to say:

This is more than just a book. Swedish Motocross Legends is a museum piece. Photojournalist Bo Ingvar Svensson spent four years assembling this 650-page heavyweight, restoring over 1,000 never-before-seen negatives to stunning clarity. His sharp captions trace Sweden’s 1957–67 world-title run and the fierce rivalry among Husqvarna, Monark, and Lito. The book even dives into the politics of the era, with sidebars that explain how rule disputes kept legends like Jeff Smith and Sten Lundin out of the FIM Motocross of Nations, reminding us that controversy is nothing new in this sport.

A USB drive included with the book offers vintage film clips and an English translation PDF, making it accessible for non-Swedish speakers. Watching Torsten Hallman battle Belgian icons Joel Robert and Roger De Coster is worth the price alone.

At roughly $650 this is a serious investment for historians, gear-heads, or anyone who believes coarse-grained film tells truer stories than Instagram, Swedish Motocross Legends is worth every krona—and at almost 10 pounds it is heavy enough to press your old leather motocross pants flat while you read it! To find out more and how to get your copy go to www.motocrosslegends.se.

Raycin Kyler is Rippin' 

Check this out: Raycin Kyler made history by winning her 65cc 10-11 regional for the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch!

Sorby is working with her and her brother and they will race for Team USA at the FIM Junior World Cup.

Fox Racing: Who's #36? (DC)

The new issue of Racer X Illustrated (July 2025) features Cooper Webb on the cover, as he's chased by Chase Sexton at the Pittsburgh SX, one of the final rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, on his way to the '25 championship. Inside, the first inside spread features a Fox Racing advertisement with a very cool black-and-white start photo from yesteryear. It's an outdoor national start from 1977 that includes some true legends: the late Marty Smith (9), Tony DiStefano (3), Gary Semics (5), and more. But what about the guy with the holeshot, #36 on Suzuki, wearing one of those classic old Team Moto-X Fox jerseys—who is that guy? Several readers have already reached out and asked for help identifying the mystery rider leading what appears to be a 500 National.

Turns out it's a Southeast legend named Mickey Boone, who hails from Winston-Salem, NC. Cycle News once described him as a "tobacco-chewing Carolina hillbilly." He was a journeyman pro who finished third in the first national he ever raced (Road Atlanta '73), which helped land him a Honda factory ride in 1974 aboard the new CR125 Elsinore. Boone would finish fourth overall behind three Honda teammates, all from California: Marty Smith, Chuck Bower, and Bruce McDougal. The following year, Boone had three top-five finishes but was having issues with the team and was dropped before the 1976 season. Then he went on a crusade to even the playing field, trying to claim a factory bike—first Marty Smith's work Honda, then Bob Hannah's water-cooled OW Yamaha—but was unsuccessful both times. However, he did even the game, as after that the factories decided to just ride modified production bikes rather than risk losing a true works bike.

The next year, Boone joined the Moto-X Racing team and rode a Suzuki to 11th overall in the 500 Nationals, with his best finish a third at his home race, Metrolina Speedway outside Charlotte. He was picked up by Team Suzuki the following year and ended up third overall at the '78 500 National at High Point, winning the second moto—his one and only moto win in AMA Pro Motocross. Boone would next get a Kawasaki support ride for '79 and ended his professional career on a privateer Maico. His last race was back at where he started, Road Atlanta, in 1982.

From there, the trail runs cold on Mickey Boone. I made some calls to Southeast friends like the Fastest Man in Piedmont, #222 Randy Richardson, but to no avail. Does anyone out there know whatever happened to Mickey Boone?

At the '78 Florida Winter-AMA Series, Boone briefly flirted with a Harley-Davidson MX bike, according to Harley MX historian Keith Geisner: "He made it through practice and then politely jumped ship."

Hey, Watch It!

Weege set a personal record at Hangtown with a one-take 26 minute, 19 second-long Weege Show from red-hot Hangtown:

Adam Cianciarulo on GOLF TODAY - 2025 SuperMotocross

Here’s a breakdown of Cooper Webb’s YZ450F:

Align Media's: 2025 MX // FOX RACEWAY

Vurbmoto takes a deep-dive into James Stewart’s notorious 2012 crash at Thunder Valley:

Swap Moto Live digs into the week’s news and what the heck is going on with Chase Sexton:

The Deegans Unleashed:

This is Lawrence goes to Hangtown:

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"Elephant busted raiding Thai convenience store, stealing snacks"—NY Post

“2 motorcyclists injured after colliding with alligator on I-4”—WFLA

"California High School 400-Meter Champion Had Her Gold Medal Stripped Away For Excessive Celebration (Sprayed Her Shoes With a Fire Extinguisher)"—Barstool Sports

"Australian woman on trial for mushroom murder of in-laws says she was trying to fix a ‘bland’ lunch"—AP

Random Notes

Scott Cavalari, the northeastern photographer and a student of moto history, came across what he describes as "the most amazing vintage MX pic I've ever seen." Not sure who these folks are, but it is pretty amazing!

Save the date June 23 in Davis, WV for a special Blackwater 50 Year reunion celebration.

Lineup on the iconic Main Street of Davis for an epic photo and video opportunity with the Blackwater film crew. Then after the lineup and photos are taken meet at Riverfront Park for food and drinks from Sirianni’s Cafe.