Speaking of, Friday’s activities here at the track will be kicking off shortly, followed by the SMX Next race that was canceled last weekend. There’s also a live PulpMX Show later tonight, featuring Jason Weigandt, Steve Matthes, and probably Jason Thomas, so it’s busier than normal for a Friday!

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Round two of the playoffs are on deck! A return to St. Louis was a surprise to many when announced just under a year ago, but it should play a great host. This will surely feel the most like "supercross" of the three playoff rounds but the track is much faster and much easier than what a typical round would be. There is a lot of sand, and the jumps are, well... easy? That's the goal, though, to make it a mix of both and find that hybrid magic.

As for what this all means for the riders, I expect a few areas of high importance. With an easier track, the likelihood of mistakes will be lower. Certainly lower than the treacherous track found at round one. Further, the dirt should be harder and more consistent than what a spring St. Louis race would bring, lessening how rutty it could be in Monster Energy AMA Supercross. When you combine an easier layout with fewer mistakes and predictable dirt, it all points to one thing: the start. Get a good one and life will be a lot easier. Start in the back and you'll need all of the help you can conjure to get to the front. The pace will likely be similar for most and passing the field with identical lap times is not going to happen easily. Riders will have to get wildly aggressive if they are going to overcome a poor start, so watch for the 180-degree bowl berms as a point of conflict.

It will be interesting to see if the sand plays a role, too. This is the most sand that's been brought into a stadium not named Joe Robbie in the 1980s. Does it become one-lined? Do they riders have issues with roost and vision? All the more reason to focus on that start with everything you've got. Always better to be the rooster than the roostee.

For those who did well at the opener, this is a chance to confirm the points haul and set themselves up for a big payday in Vegas. For those who struggled, it's bounceback time, and with double points on deck. These playoffs are about opportunity, plain and simple. The track isn't going to separate the men from the boys, but the starts just might.

MXGP in China (DC)

Last weekend Jeffrey Herlings added to his record collection by winning the MXGP of Turkiye, but he’s not in title contention after an earlier injury. The battle for the MXGP crown is between the veteran Romain Febvre and the teenager Lucas Coenen. With four motos (China and Australia) and two more qualifying motos, the Red Bull KTM rider Coenen has some work to do, as he is 26 points behind.

In the MX2 division the German Simon Langenfelder got the win in Turkey, but he is only up 12 points on defending champion Kay de Wolf. Everyone else has already been eliminated from title contention. You can watch both title chases streaming on MXGP-TV.com.

John Penton (1925-2025)

The world of motorcycling lost one of its true giants earlier this week when John Penton passed away. The man who helped shape off-road racing and the motorcycle business in America, as well as his early influence on now global companies like KTM in Austria and Alpinestars in Italy, made him one of the most influential figures in the growth of off-road racing as well as the aftermarket industry. Just a few weeks ago we were celebrating Penton's 100th birthday, as his hometown of Amherst, Ohio, shut down one afternoon in August for a centennial celebration. Born into a farming family with three older brothers, Penton learned how to ride on a 1914 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that his dad had left in the corner of the family barn. He went into the merchant marine and then the U.S. Navy when World War 2 broke out. And then he became one of the best motorcycle riders in the country in the 1950s, winning AMA National Enduro Championships and setting records for transcontinental solo rides across the U.S., including one for riding from New York City to Los Angeles in just 52 hours. Penton and his brothers opened a motorcycle dealership in the 1950s that sold the lightweight two-stroke European brands John Penton preferred over the heavier American and British four-stroke brands of the day. He had an idea to make a trail-specific lightweight motorcycle that would be mass-produced, so he built a business plan and took it to Sweden to meet with Husqvarna. They passed on the idea, but the next place that Penton went to—KTM in Austria, at the time a moped and bicycle maker—liked his idea enough to go into business with him.

In 1968, the first Penton motorcycle was produced to be sold in America, and the same model would be available in Europe under the KTM label. For ten years it worked that way, and Penton ended up selling more than 25,000 of his eponymously named motorcycles. They were primarily for woods racing, but they were also competitive motocross bikes. In fact, in 1974 KTM-mounted Gennady Moiseev won the FIM 250cc World Motocross Championship on one, then added two more by the end of the decade.

It was in the late '70s that KTM decided to buy the U.S. distribution from Penton, effectively ending the line, though every KTM to this day has John Penton as part of its DNA. By that point he had moved on to other projects in the industry, under the banner Hi-Point Racing Products. That all started with him contracting with Alpinestars, at the time the maker of climbing boots and road-riding boots, to make a dirt bike-specific boot that was sold in the U.S. under the Hi-Point brand. He also licensed and sold lubricants, tires, bike trailers, and more. All the while he kept his family and his company in his native Ohio.

After retiring from the business Penton's legacy was cemented by writers like Ed Youngblood, who wrote the biography, "John Penton and the Motorcycle Revolution," as well as filmmakers like Todd Huffman, who produced the documentary, "Penton: The John Penton Story." His legacy was also solidified by all of the riders and people he worked with who would eventually join him in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, including his sons Jack and Tom Penton, who were both world-class off-road racers, as well as Dick Burleson, Rod Bush, Billy Uhl, Larry Maiers, and more. 

Given his deep passion for motorcycling, his love of competition, his endurance records and his extraordinary life, it's only fitting that John Penton completed 100 laps around the sun.

Dave Gunn (1965-2025)

The New England Trail Riders Association (NETRA), as well as GNCC Racing, lost a good friend on Sunday when Dave Gunn passed away while participating in the Ammonoosuc Turkey Run on Sunday's second half of the event. Gunn, who was 60 years old, apparently suffered a heart attack while riding in a fairly easy section of the course. According to his close friend Tommy Norton, who won the Blackwater 100 back in 1990 on a KTM 125, "Dave collapsed after the first hero section on day two. Many riders came to his aid and did their best until Fire and Rescue arrived on scene to take over. Thank you to everyone who was involved in trying to save, not only my friend, but a friend to everyone in the New England racing scene."

His close friend Patrick Timothy shared his memories: "Hard to put it into words but 35 years of riding and racing together builds a bond that can’t really be described. He was an amazing friend, loyal and dependable, always had your back. I don’t know anyone who enjoyed riding and racing more than he did, just a pure love of the sport. He would ride any weather, any trail, any time for however long you’d keep going. Known for being slightly intense at times, he would always eventually break into that big grin and say something like, 'You wait till next time, I’m gonna hand you yer ass!' He had a big personality and an incredible sense of humor, many times he had us in tears. So many good times. It was a hell of a ride brother, it just won’t be the same without you."

Gunn hailed from Wallingford, Connecticut, and competed in the GNCC Series in the late 1980s and early '90s in the 250 A class and Pro classes and remained active in NETRA. Godspeed Dave.

Cranked

Now to go motocross-adjacent for a second. Our friend Bryan Stealey's new gaming studio, Session Syndicate, is working on a new downhill mountain bike game for PC and consoles called Cranked, and it's already getting some pretty significant buzz despite still being in the prototype phase. You can play it now if you support their effort on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/CrankedGame), but Bryan tells us the Steam Wishlist is active now as well. If you're a gamer, consider checking out the prototype via their Patreon or head over to Steam and smash the Wishlist button (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3989790/Cranked/). 

2026 Kawasaki KX250 (Keefer)

As 2026 bike season continues Kawasaki had us out to Glen Helen Raceway to receive our newest KX250. Now, much like the Honda test last week, Kawasaki made zero changes to their KX250. We have learned a lot of things about the KX250 over the past 12 months or so and we've learned it's a fun machine with a chassis that invites you to carve corners. Gone is the rear steering feeling of the old KX chassis and now we have a Kawasaki that loves to corner off of the front end. If you're looking for a bike that loves to corner, this KX250 is your machine. Stability is good as well, which is rare if you have a bike that corners great. The chassis is stable enough to allow the rider to keep speed at rough tracks but is still able to divebomb inside lines. The engine doesn't have the most torque in class, but it does boast a healthy mid to top end punch that can satisfy even a guy like me at 180 pounds. Look for a full review over right here on Racer X soon. 

Cycle News Win Ads (DC)

There were a lot of references to the lightning storm in Cycle News, both on the cover and in some of the win ads. Jett Lawrence was featured on the cover and also in many of the advertisements, including a cool Yoshimura ad. There were also some off-roaders who got some ink, as well as a Maxima ad featuring Seth Hammaker.

Finally, does anyone else think that Jett’s kit and even the number plate looked very similar to Jeremy McGrath in 1994 when he wore Sinisalo gear and held the blue and yellow Camel plate?

Hey, Watch It!

The Deegans and their weekend at Charlotte:

Style Check: Check out all of the SLO-MO selects from Charlotte SMX Round 1

Check out this edit of Dean Wilson from the Honda test track by Big Flat Films: Deano Summer 2025

The Mungenast Honda Museum:

2025 Between The Arrows - Bikes | The Dunlop Buckwheat 100 GNCC | Round 10

Great stuff from retired riders turned hosts for the Race Day Live show, Adam Cianciarulo and Justin Brayton:

Was there ANY other option? | The Charlotte SMX Review