A few days after hanging out with Adam Cianciarulo at the recent 2026 Monster Energy Kawasaki photo shoot, in which the 2019 250 AMA Pro Motocross Championship winner climbed on a KX450 and joined the team riders in clicking off laps for all the still and cinematic cameras present, we caught up to him on a Southern California golf course.
“Right now, I’m at home. I’m on the golf course,” started Cianciarulo, setting his golf bag off to the side for a half an hour to talk SuperMotocross. “I’m actually on the golf range and practicing because I took some time off when I went to Australia. My swing is not in the best condition right now. Golf is cool like that because it’s kind of always changing and you’re always chasing something. It’s actually been really helpful for me in terms of transitioning from racing to doing the broadcasting work. I get to play tournaments and what not and just scratch the competitive edge a little bit, so it’s fun.”
After a prolific eleven-year professional career which launched at Budds Creek on June 23, 2013, and ran all the way through the Salt Lake City Supercross on Saturday night May 11, 2024, it took the racer out of Port Orange, Florida a little while to adjust to living a more traditional lifestyle outside the fray of motor racing.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a big adjustment,” explained the racer who spent his entire career lining up for Monster Energy Team Green, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and the Monster Energy Kawasaki factory team. “I think more than anything is you’re used to living this big life where you’re kind of everything that is happening. It’s easy to kind of get a main character syndrome going when you’re in that spot. I think transitioning into the life that I have now it’s definitely a bit quieter. Yeah, it’s a bit of an adjustment at first, but it was honestly one of the things that I looked forward to the most when it was getting close to the end. I was able to live a little bit quieter and live a little more selflessly than I was. You just have to be selfish when you’re an athlete. That’s just what you have to do. Just trying to pay more attention to the people I care about and the things that I care about.
“Shoot, I guess it has been a year and a half now since I retired and it’s amazing,” continued Cianciarulo, referring to his spring of 2024 retirement announcement. “The biggest thing I’ve been talking about lately with this adjustment is just how my perception of time has changed. When you’re racing, you’re kind of living to each weekend. You try not to look too far past each and every Saturday. Now not racing anymore, it’s different. Time goes by faster, I found. I really have enjoyed it. I have a really good quality of life and I kind of just slowly add things in there. I started our podcast, The AC & JB Show, and we’re going to be doing a bit more with that this year. And of course I’ll be doing Race Day Live again for 2026. Pretty busy schedule, especially in the wintertime, but I cannot complain.”
And Cianciarulo, despite holding down something of a hectic media schedule these days, definitely enjoyed climbing on the bike and firing off the laps at the recent 2026 Kawasaki team photo shoot way up in the hills of sunny Corona, California.
“I’ve never not loved enjoying dirt bikes, and I’ve never not loved riding dirt bikes. There are times it has been frustrating because you’re not getting the results that you want, but now, anytime I have the chance to ride, especially supercross, I have fun. It’s cool. I’m really grateful for Monster Energy and Kawasaki for kind of keeping me around and keeping me a part of it. It’s really helped keep some normalcy during my transition. It was just excellent to be out there with the guys and cutting it up and catching some air. It was a good time, man. I was grateful for it. You know the last couple years of my career, I really had to put up with a lot of pain when I was riding the bike. Sometimes that can take the fun out of it. I don’t ride regularly. Not because I don’t want to, but right now the priority is just trying to get the body in a good spot.”
With Kawasaki throughout his entire racing career, minicycle right on through to the 450 classification, Cianciarulo has remained focused and heavily involved with the motor company and its global racing efforts.
“Yes, I think the opportunity to be a brand ambassador with Kawasaki is something that I definitely don’t take for granted. I signed with them in 2004 and went through Mitch Payton’s program in the 250 class all the way through the premier class and it seemed kind of like a natural evolution. You always love to work with people that are genuinely passionate about what they do. I think we are all very like-minded people that are always trying to get the best out of each and every day. They’ve been great. I’ve done bike introductions with them, media introductions with them and of course the team shoots. I think we have a few ideas as to some more things we can do going into 2026 and I’m really looking forward to just expanding in that role. I really want to be valuable to the brand, of course. They have been so supportive of me throughout the years, so I really want to give back to them as much as possible.”
Cianciarulo continued on to address fulfillment he feels in working with Kawasaki in more of a brand ambassador role.
“It’s different because it is not as up-and-down emotionally,” he explained. “When you’re racing and your identity is all tied into that, anybody that is an athlete in any sport knows exactly what I’m talking about. You’re just on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. My life now is just much more, I would say peaceful. It’s pretty even keeled and that’s really how I try to live my life. I would say it’s more peaceful, for sure. It’s different adjusting to not chasing something, so obsessively, like I was. That’s just something that takes time. I’m just learning to be grateful for where I’m at and what I have. I found that I really don’t need much to be at peace and to be happy. It’s a different lifestyle, but I’m enjoying it. I’m still really learning myself and I love working with the racers. I love it. I think it’s a unique position for me to be in. You know going from racing directly into broadcasting, it’s really interesting to me see how the riders interact with Justin Brayton and I. They can tell there is a level of respect because they know that we’ve been there and we’ve done it so recently. Still being around the guys and talking to the guys, I don’t want to lose that rider side of me because I think it really helps me in my job now and just trying to articulate they challenges of trying to win these supercross races. I enjoy it. It’s my community. I’ll always be a rider and be for the riders and I’ve been lucky that the riders have been very receptive of me in this role.”
Taking a look back over his jersey sleeve, Cianciarulo reflected back on what his racing career and overall body of competitive work meant to him.
“I think where I’m at now, I look back and I’m just proud. Proud that I was able to always just really do my best. There was a lot of hype on me coming into the pros. There was a lot of expectation. I think I let that linger in my mind for a long time. There were definitely times when I felt like a failure. I felt like I was letting people down because the expectation was so high. From that lens, it's easy to feel like a failure, but you gain perspective as you get older and learn what really matters. There are things in life we can’t control, and we just have to do the best with the things that are in our control. I look back on my career, and I felt like I did that. I’m really at peace with what I accomplished and the life it has given me now. This is everything I’ve really wanted. I don’t need 10 Lamborghini cars or a $10 million dollar house. I’m a pretty simple guy. I look around and I’m just kind of in disbelief that this is the life I’ve created for myself. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities that put me in the sport I am in now.”
