While Sexton’s out, and his teammate Aaron Plessinger, as well as Monster Energy 450SX Champion Cooper Webb, remain out, we are getting a few more guys back, including Ken Roczen, who is preparing for the SMX Playoffs, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ty Masterpool. Also, New Zealand’s Cole Davies will finally get to make his Pro MX debut after breaking his arm at the Salt Lake City SX finale. Davies will be #100 on the Yamaha Star Racing team. Race Day Live from Unadilla starts at 10 a.m. ET tomorrow, with the motos kicking off at 1:00 p.m. on Peacock.

Silly Season Gets Silly (Jason Weigandt)

Yesterday I wrote a story on the unexpected changes in the 2026 rider/team landscape. Tom Vialle’s eminent move back to Europe to take a Honda HRC MXGP deal leaves a potential slot open at Red Bull KTM in America for….Jorge Prado? KTM had a 450 offer for Vialle, but he’s not going to take it. Meanwhile Prado was not part of silly season rumors this year because he has a multi-year deal with Monster Energy Kawasaki, but perhaps you’ve noticed the results haven’t been up to his usual standards? Jorge has not been shy about saying the bike is not helping. He could stay, of course, and continue to honor his Kawasaki deal, but Jorge’s team has reached out to investigate other options. He would have to take a significant pay cut to go to KTM, but you could see the appeal of getting back on an Austrian bike after a tough year adjusting to the Kawasaki. If he were to leave, what does Kawasaki do to find a second 450 rider? Chase Sexton is moving to Monster Energy Kawasaki for 2026 and was expected to line up alongside Prado. He might…or Kawasaki will have to find a new 450 guy. We doubt Jason Anderson gets called back, and he’s linked to a deal with Twisted Tea Suzuki. Also, Eli Tomac is expected to take Sexton’s old spot at Red Bull KTM, and Troy Lee Designs’ Ducati will likely feature Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis. This is what we’re hearing. Read yesterday’s whole story for more. 

Jett Lawrence and the Big Penalty (DC) 

So, what about the Jett Lawrence penalty of one full lap for “fouling” the starting gate at Ironman in the first moto, which turned a third place finish into a 17th and effectively cost him the overall win? The decision to assess a one-lap penalty was made based on the wording of the existing rule in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship rulebook, and it will be up to Honda to appeal, though that puts them in a weird spot: an overturning of the penalty would give Jett the overall and knock Hunter out of his first 450 win. In my personal opinion, I believe the AMA should revisit a couple of things in the rulebook during the offseason, specifically the wording and the automatic penalty: “Jumping or fouling the gate may result in a penalty of one lap or disqualification.”

Most of the old pros who have weighed in on social media seem to believe that getting caught up in the gate and starting mid-pack like Jett did was penalty enough. That's why we have individual starting gates that fall towards you—if you go early, your gate will either catch your front wheel or just cause a bad start. So in this case, with Jett having just a momentary advantage (for maybe a split second) and then an outside-the-top-20 start, the added penalty seemed harsh.

Also, this obviously occurred within the competition, and Jett did not gain any lasting advantage. Yes, his wheel fouled the line, but that was for a brief second. Had he accelerated throughout, he would have had the holeshot. Instead, if you watch the close-up videos, he obviously just pushed it over and then hesitated; his holeshot device did its thing, and he started 22nd or 23rd. So, here's the conundrum: How is this in-competition infraction any different from a rider going off the track, missing markers, coming back on, but not gaining any advantage?

The most egregious penalty I remember like this was the black flag of Chad Reed back at Anaheim one year when he got into it with Trey Canard. This was not a black flag, but it was hefty—15 points for fouling the starting gate, despite no benefit. Moving forward, maybe make its a points penalty based on how much advantage he gained, rather than a full lap? Also, it was an in-competition infraction, but with a much heavier punishment than pretty much any other infraction—going outside the markers, jumping on red cross/lights, overly aggressive riding, etc. Jett didn’t intentionally jump; he just reacted to the guy next to him (Jeremy Hand) flinching. It was a natural, accidental reaction instead of a deliberate attempt to cheat the start. His gate just happened to flip forward, whereas Hand’s did not, nor did Chase Sexton’s earlier this year in the Detroit SX (which Sexton then backed up and got going dead, dead last).

And that’s where we find some inconsistency between how things are done in SX and how they are done in MX. Supercross starting gates are designed to not go all the way over; instead, they have a stop that keeps them from going all the way forward, making the rider stop and back up if he fouls it. In MX, where every track also has amateur races, most of the starting gates are built so that individual gates can go all the way over forward when they are hit, as amateurs—especially newer riders—tend to panic when caught in the gate, often tearing it out and causing delays. Had the Ironman gate been the same as the Detroit SX gate that Sexton hit, he would not have been able to get his wheel past the line, as he would have been stuck in the gate, which in most cases—including Chase at Detroit—is penalty enough. As mentioned above, the rule reads, “Jumping or fouling the gate may result in a penalty of one lap or disqualification.” Does “may” mean automatically one or the other, one lap or the full DQ, or does "may" mean optional, which might allow the officials room here to determine a rider’s intention and whether they gained any true advantage? Those should all be topics of discussion for the SMX League during the upcoming off-season.

And you can listen to Matthes' interview with Honda HRC Progress team manager Lars Lindstrom, who explains that the spirit of the rule is to prevent the Mike Alessi "count to five and go" attempt to beat the start, but that's clearly not what happened here. Like I said, these are all things for discussion moving forward.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Unadilla is a race that evokes so many different responses, depending on who you ask. The fans absolutely adore this race and have for decades—its roots as a world-class track go back to the first year of Trans-AMA racing in 1970. Good weather, beautiful countryside, and great racing are hard to beat. For the riders, though, the feelings towards Unadilla have varied widely over the years. Fifty years ago, riders loved the loamy dirt and sweeping elevation that Unadilla had in spades. As time wore on, though, that topsoil was slowly removed as muddy motorcycles took small amounts of dirt home with them as they exited the track. What was left in the '90s and 2000s was bedrock and a lack of traction. The roost became nothing short of punitive, exacerbated by the introduction of four-strokes. The rider attitude towards Unadilla was loud and not at all complimentary.

Fast forward to 2012, and efforts were made to improve what was ailing. Much needed (and also much appreciated), that '12 race really turned a corner as far as track conditions. Flat, rocky corners were replaced by ruts and multiple lines. Small changes from the outside, but for the riders, it couldn't be more impactful. While it might not ever be the favorite track for some, it elevated from the lowest levels for most. The Robinson family deserves a lot of credit in a world where credit is hard to come by. My years of racing are long behind me, but I can tell you, I turned an awful lot of laps at this iconic facility and left frustrated after many of them. Hard work to improve should be recognized, and I hope this small memo of appreciation hits the right note.

WMX (Sarah Whitmore and Mitch Kendra)

The Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) returned last weekend after an eight-week break to Ironman Raceway, and again the riders put on a show. In the first moto on Friday, Lachlan “Lala” Turner ran away with the win, while Charli Cannon and Mikayla Nielsen put on a great battle for second during the first half of the race. After a successful Saturday showing at Thunder Valley, WMX was given the opportunity to run their second moto on Saturday at Ironman. Even with a red flag restart and a shortened moto to stay on schedule, the racing action was great. Lala Turner is absolutely on fire in every aspect of her game right now, well, except for maybe her starts. But bad starts do not matter when you can pass two riders at a time on your way to the lead. Charli Cannon put up a fight this time until her rear tire went flat. Impressively, she was able to still ride in second with a flat tire, and when Mikayla Nielsen caught her on the last lap, it looked like Nielsen might have the pass until she went down hard. It was a bummer for Nielsen, who got up in sixth, but it made for great racing.

The women were back today at Unadilla today, racing both motos. So far, Turner has been able to win all but one moto this summer. The question was, with only four motos left, would anyone be able to challenge her? Here is what Mitch Kendra, our boots on the ground reporter today, saw:

In the first moto today, Turner and Cannon went back and forth until the checkered flag! I saw three total lead changes on just the second half of the final lap. Turner was leading until a lapper allowed Cannon to get by, then Turner responded immediately…only for Cannon to make another pass back! The two were relentless going for the lead, but Cannon just barely held on to take the race win! The two fierce competitors congratulated one another for their efforts, then Cannon got a big hug from Quad Lock Honda team owner Yarrive Konsky. It was an awesome battle to watch as the women navigated the tricky track. Mikayla Nielsen came through in a solid third by herself after the top two pulled away.

Moto two came with Turner and Kyleigh Stallings out front off the get go. But again, quickly, it became a Turner vs Cannon battle again! Turner was leading with Cannon trailing and the gap would open and close up back and forth, although there was no opportunities for Cannon to go for the lead. Late in the race, Cannon had a huge crash, which gave Turner enough breathing room to take the race win. Cannon remounted her banged up Honda CRF250R without goggles and got going again, knowing Nielsen was again running in a solid third. Despite the big get off and riding on a banged-up bike, Cannon got through the final few laps—and lappers—and held on for second. However, Turner’s 2-1 gave her the overall win over Cannon’s 1-2. Again, the competitors acknowledged one another’s great efforts. Nielsen’s 3-3 would round out the overall podium in third. Behind these front three there were even more battles throughout the motos, including a three-way battle between Jamie Astudillo, Kyleigh Stallings, and Jordan Jarvis, and more so throughout the pack. Now, we are onto the finale next weekend in Maryland. Can Turner finish the series off with another win or will someone steal the overall trophy as Turner takes the #1 plate?

BEAT THE CLOCK (Matthes)

Tomorrow, we will see Caden Dudney and Landon Gibson make their pro debuts for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, respectively. Both riders are coming off strong performances at the final 2025 SMX Next – Motocross Scouting Moto Combine at Ironman, and I was asking around if these kids are going to stay up in pros like Cole Davies or, like Enzo Timmerman, stay down for another year of SMX Next – Supercross and Motocross as amateurs. And truthfully, I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone on what the plan is. I mean, I'm sure it's dependent on results, right? But also, what these two AMA 16-year-olds are doing is ensuring that they can get in next year when the rule for the minimum age for a pro turns to 17, and then in 2027, it turns to 18. By getting their license in now, they're grandfathered in if they want to come out and turn pro next year. I don't have an issue with the AMA and the powers that be changing the rules (Feld Entertainment and MX Sports work closely with the AMA and teams to try and shepherd the sport for the better). After all, with the advanced age of the 450 riders and the 250 riders sticking around to almost 30 years of age or older in 250SX, there aren't a lot of spots for kids that aren't elite of the elite. So, by keeping them down in amateur for another year or two, they'll all be fine. Besides, have you seen what some of these top-level amateurs are pulling down for "expenses" and all that? Whether these pro races turn into anything for Gibson or Dudney remains to be seen, but at least they have gotten into the game before the rule changes force them out.

By the way, in my group texts that are full of people who follow the amateur stuff way more than I do, both Dudney and Gibson have no issues with fitness and should be fine, though Dudney didn’t have much left at Ironman for the second moto after winning the first, but he hadn’t raced since the spring due to an injury. Most of my buddies think Gibson will be more consistent while Dudney will have more top-end speed. But both have bright futures whenever they jump in full-time.

Big Bear GP (Keefer)

A unique event is happening in the San Bernardino Mountains next weekend, and with all of the tracks closing down in Southern California, it's nice to see a new race/venue popping up. The Big Bear MX Grand Prix by O’NEAL is the culmination of six years of planning and excitement between motocross race promoters, Swapmoto Race Series, and the team at Big Bear Mountain Resort. This one-off motorcycle event will take place on the bottom section of Bear Mountain from August 21-24, 2025. There will be race classes for riders from five years old up to 60+ years old, with different skill levels and even pro classes. Spectators will enjoy the event from the patio deck, along with the food and beverage services that the mountain accommodates. Sponsors will have products for demo and sale, plus inaugural event merchandise. The racecourse will feature a unique layout utilizing the elevation, existing ski runs, and fire roads. The event is bringing the roots of motocross to the course with a design that will include several jumps and berm features. If you’re looking for a fun and unique event to race in next weekend in Southern California, check this race out!

You can get more info here.

You can also see a course preview here.

The Long Season (Matthes)

Something that's been a hot topic on the PulpMX Show lately is the number of riders who have been either injured, sick, or just otherwise absent this year. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper is on track to be the lone rider to complete the whole 450 season. Not coincidentally, he's ranked #1 in the SMX points. We had trainer Aldon Baker on Monday’s show, and he, for one, said that he thinks the season is too long. Others might counter that riders are over-training, which wears them down more than racing almost every weekend from January through September. Our sport is physically demanding, so it’s a challenge to have the guys racing for this long, with only a few short breaks. I know that this year is a bit of an outlier, but Baker seems to think that we'll see more of this. But what happens when there's no racing from October through December? Many riders forego taking a break and take the money to go to Paris SX, AUS-X Open, or some FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) races, so how does that fit into the equation? Zach Osborne says we should cut down on practicing, and sure, I think that’s great, but how in the heck are you gonna monitor that? Anyway, you can listen to Baker talk about that and more on the latest PulpMX Show HERE.

Uddevalla/Unadilla (DC)

MXGP is back after a weekend off, with the 16th round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship. After splitting moto wins in the sand of Lommel, Belgium, French Kawasaki rider Romain Febvre holds on to a slim nine-point lead over Belgium’s own Lucas Coenen going into Sunday’s MXGP of Sweden in Uddevalla. They will be joined by defending MXGP World Champion Tim Gajser, who has been out for most of the summer with a shoulder injury, as well as Jeffrey Herlings, who had a pretty big crash in the sands of Lommel. In the MX2 division, Simon Langenfelder of Germany has a 38-point lead over defending champion Kay de Wolf after #1 went 1-1 in Lommel to tighten things up.

On a side note, there’s also been a lot of talk about the possible return of not one but two past champions to the series. According to Matthes, former two-time MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle has a done deal to return to Europe, likely on a Honda for MXGP, after Red Bull KTM in America only offered a single-year deal to begin his 450 career. And then there’s the ongoing discussion around whether Spain’s Jorge Prado should return to MXGP after a tough first season on the AMA circuit. Riding for Kawasaki here in America, Prado has mostly struggled, first with injury in SX and more recently with the bike outdoors. He is coming off a season-best fourth-place finish at Ironman, but as Weege mentioned, there’s a lot of buzz that he may want out of his Kawi deal to return to the KTM Group, either here or back in Europe, where he won titles on both KTM and GasGas. Here’s a view from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean by MXLarge.com.

Also, it’s a cool coincidence when the dates for Unadilla here and Uddevalla over there line up together, as they are two very unique names in their own right. Last year at the MXoN in Great Britain, I was introduced to the Uddevalla group organizers just as Unadilla’s Jill Robertson came walking through the paddock, so I introduced them, and we ended up doing a funny “Two Tribes” in the magazine about the two tracks. Check it out right here, and good luck to everyone at both Unadilla and Uddevalla this weekend!

John Penton at 100 (DC)

Earlier this week, the town of Amherst, Ohio, held a 100th birthday party for hometown hero John Penton, one of the most influential and important figures in the off-road motorcycling world. Penton was the man who went to Europe in the mid-1960s in search of an OEM to help him make lightweight two-stroke dirt bikes for woods racing. He found a willing partner in the Austrian company Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen, which we now know as KTM. (The names were derived from the company's origins, with Hans Trunkenpolz founding the company in Mattighofen, Austria, and Ernst Kronreif, who later became a major shareholder. At first, the company was named Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, but it was later shortened to KTM.) The off-road motorcycles that were exported from Austria to the U.S. would be called Pentons, while the ones that stayed in Europe and elsewhere would be KTMs. In the mid-1970s, KTM took over U.S. sales while Penton worked on his many other motorcycling endeavors, including the Hi-Point brand of gear, trailers, oils, and other aftermarket items, as well as Red Dot Tires.

Penton based all of his efforts in Ohio, using his hometown of Amherst as the eastern hub, as well as the Great Lakes port of Lorain, Ohio. Over the years, the company hired countless neighbors to work right there in Amherst, and it remains the eastern base for the KTM North America Group.

In the years since the brand reverted to KTM, Penton Motorcycles continues to have a strong following, including the Penton Owners Group. They were well represented this week, as were the KTM Group’s John Hinz, Robert Pierce, Mark Hyde, and others, when Amherst threw a 100th birthday celebration for John Penton. Our longtime friend Jeff Cernic of MXTire.com drove out to Amherst to check it all out and posted this small report:

“A big celebration and a 100th birthday party for a man who changed off-road motorcycles in the U.S., Mr. John Penton. So I made the trip to Amherst, Ohio, home of KTM USA and home of the founder of Penton Motorcycles. Got to see so many friends and family members of John."

John, who unfortunately was not in attendance as he was home healing from an injury, did hear us sing "Happy Birthday" to him over FaceTime. The photo that Jack Penton is holding was taken this week, and John looks absolutely amazing. Happy Birthday, Mr. P., and I plan on celebrating 101 again in Amherst!

Hey, Watch It!

This is Lawrence, after a very eventful Ironman:

And more from Ironman in the post-race Weege Show:

Carson Wood’s SMX Next Combine at Ironman:

Shane McElrath’s return to racing at Ironman:

Daniel Blair’s takes on Eli, Chase, Jett, Hunter, and Prado:

Johnny Hopper moves to some world-class-level bench racing with Jeff Emig:

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