Does the series really have a chronic problem with lapped riders, or was what happened in Indianapolis something of an outlier? Personally, I'm going to go with the latter. As mentioned above, the Indy round was a Triple Crown race, which meant three mains, each 12 minutes plus one lap in length for the 450s. However, the track was one of the more compact ones we've seen this year, with the fastest qualifier (Tomac) dropping a 45.434 lap time. A lap that long was asking for trouble because even though these were the 22 best—and currently healthy—450SX riders on the planet, there would be lapping on such a short track. The last man to qualify directly to the main was Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance’s Colt Nichols, who qualified 18th with a 47.525 lap. That's 104.6 percent of the fastest time in qualifying.

In the first main event, 12 of the 22 riders completed all 17 laps. The winner was Roczen, whose best time was a blistering 44.931. The slowest best lap of the 22 riders was last-place Tristan Lane's 49.746. He was the only rider lapped twice in that first main. Lane, #711, was also one of only two riders in the entire main with a three-digit number; the other was #719 Vince Friese, who finished 15th.

I'm sure the very mention of Vince Friese triggered a few readers, as he has a long history of being problematic when lapped (especially when he and Tomac barely avoided disaster in Indiana), but the ISRT Kawasaki rider has also qualified for dozens of supercross races, going back to 2009. Sure, he's a controversy waiting to happen, but he's also one of the 20 best SX riders in the world right now, so he belongs out there; he just needs to be more cognizant of what's happening around him with other riders. For instance, when a leader laps you, you can safely assume that someone is chasing that leader and that the blue flag counts for that rider too.

Speaking of blue flags, maybe part of the problem is the fact that it's waved often—sometimes as far back as fifth or sixth place. That probably creates some confusion and frustration for the riders it's being waved at, as they are racing for positions and points too. Tightening up how and when it's thrown might be a step in the right direction, and I'm guessing that was a topic of discussion between the AMA and team managers throughout this Lapper Week. The same goes for helmet communications, which is not exactly a new topic—Team USA used radios as far back as the 1988 Motocross of Nations—but the technology is now at hand to begin at least experimenting with official-to-rider race communications.

I mentioned Vince Friese above. He's a repeat offender here—he was given those new license penalty points back at San Diego for "disregarding the blue flag and blue flag protocol on multiple occasions during the main event. Friese received a warning and two license penalty points as a result..." Should he have been penalized in Indianapolis too? It depends on whom you ask. Friese was lapped in all three mains at Indy, which meant three times as many situations that could become problematic. But Vince also finished 13th overall on the night, which again shows that he has the talent and skill to be out there, though he could probably work on some blue flag etiquette. Unfortunately, his list of priors is so long that many feel he shouldn't get the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, he did—no license penalty points.

So, we're back where we started, with a historic problem in motorsports: What to do about lappers? I think the best approach is not to start pulling riders off the track or eliminating them as Triple Crown—or regular format—races wind down, but rather to define the deployment of the blue flag and what the proper protocol is for the lapped rider. I've heard suggestions of going from 22 riders in the main to just 20, but I hate limiting opportunities for privateers; had that been the case Saturday night, neither Tristan Lane nor Freddie Noren would have been out there, as they finished third and fourth in the LCQ. And by all means, let's see where we are with helmet communications and give them some field testing—I'm sure Tristan and Freddie would prefer trying that more than having to pack up early. (I spoke to "6-Time" Jeff Stanton in Daytona about the Cardo System device he uses to communicate with riders for his Adventure Tours, and he thinks it's time to bring it to the SuperMotocross League.) And Triple Crown races might work better on plus-sized tracks like Glendale, not smaller ones like Indy.

So, Lapper Week ends without a real solution but with a lot of interesting ideas, as well as a pressing need. And since it's an off weekend for racing, and before we get into whatever the next topic of the week is—Deegan vs. Davies Week has a nice ring to it—what changes would you make? 

And for a look at some of the amateur racing from the Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross (RCSX) and the Northeast Area Qualifier for the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, check out the photo galleries below to view the best photos from Brandon Croney (RCSX) and Cody Darr (LLAQ). Great photos, boys!

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

The first off weekend of 2026 is upon us, and that is true on a global scale. SMX, MXGP, and MotoGP are all off this weekend, leaving a gaping vacancy in race fans' schedules. For SMX, this time off comes at a great time. The series has been nonstop for two months, and everyone begins to feel the burn. This respite allows a deep breath before the stretch run into Salt Lake City and another break. Most teams and riders will use this time to begin their AMA Pro Motocross Championship prep. For mechanics, that sentence is a mountain of work as they will either build motocross practice bikes or turn their SX bike into one before turning it back around for Birmingham prep next week. For the 250SX West, this week can mark a return to SX riding after a few weeks of motocross. Haiden Deegan has been posting videos of him back on the 250 after putting in solid weeks of 450 effort. All in all, the "off-week" is such a misnomer in our sport. The bye week in the NFL, for example, seems to be much more of a true escape. Players are seen in beach cities, spending time with family and generally just recovering from a brutal schedule. They can actually check out for a minute, it seems.

SMX riders are typically more inclined to stay locked in, either working on their craft or preparing for the next discipline to come. Sure, they will take a day or two off on the weekend, but it seems to be a different dynamic than other "breaks." In fact, most riders, in my experience, have used the downtime to try to make gains. It's nearly impossible to improve rider craft during the week because of the toll to be paid that coming weekend. Overdo it, and the body will not deliver the performance desired. The only real way to make a big improvement is to overdo it, though. Most gains are made through improving the motorcycle throughout the week, as seen from Hunter Lawrence and his comments on the Indy podium. This off week allows for a Herculean effort and then full recovery on the weekend without the need to peak on Saturday. Not everyone is in a place where they "need" to empty the tanks for improvement. Some are in a good place, and this is a time to allow their body to fully recharge. They will want to get back to an optimal place both mentally and physically for the months ahead.

The key, overall, is to be able to accurately assess which category you fall into. Can you be honest with yourself and determine which of the above is appropriate? If not, will you listen to your team when they tell you? Everyone wants to take a break when allowed, but for some, there's simply no time to waste. Understanding the situation and acting appropriately has surely been a big topic for the last five days.

MXGP's Exceptional Opener (DC)

One of the most hyped seasons of the FIM World Motocross Championship (MXGP) in years kicked off last weekend at a brand new circuit in Bariloche, Argentina, and it more than delivered on its promise. With living legends Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser both switching teams after more than a decade, and three former MX2 World Champions moving up to the premier class, along with prodigal son (and two-time MX2 Champion) Tom Vialle returning to Grand Prix motocross and the #1 plate on the Kawasaki of Romain Febvre, the stage was set for an exceptional opener in South America. New Honda HRC PETRONAS teammates Herlings and Vialle certainly came through—especially Herlings, who extended his career winning record to 113 Grand Prix overalls, the first 112 of which came aboard KTMs. In a debut that rivaled Eli Tomac's rollout on a Red Bull KTM at Anaheim in January, Herlings entered Argentina with many unanswered questions but left with the red plate as the race winner, achieving an emphatic, hard-fought 1-1. Vialle finished third overall in the motos, but his win in Saturday's qualifying moto provided him with a 10-point bonus. With Herlings finishing out of the points on Saturday, they are tied in points, but the red plate will be on #84 when they line up for round two next weekend. Febvre also looked fast and rode hard, but he lost the lead late in the second moto to an inspired Herlings, who has struggled with injuries over the past few years... Actually, throughout the last decade. But "the Bullet" reminded everyone that he is still fast, still a threat, and when healthy, still the fastest man in MXGP.

In the MX2 class, defending FIM Motocross World Champion Simon Laengenfelder had a solid debut in his first race with #1 and took the overall. (Jason Thomas did a feature on the German rider in the brand-new issue of Racer X magazine that just dropped, so perfect timing.)

Further back, both of the Coenen brothers, Lucas and Sacha, showed flashes of brilliance but also that trademark inconsistency that has plagued them. Tim Gajser has not gelled with his new Yamaha as quickly as Herlings did with Gajser's old Honda, but he did not do too much damage with his 5-3 day. Like Herlings, Gajser has had some injury-plagued years, so starting out with a new team and achieving a podium in the second moto is not bad at all. However, it's Herlings on this Honda that everyone's talking about right now. Before we put too much stock in a single race, let's see how things go for all of these guys—Herlings, Febvre, Gajser, Vialle, and the Coenen brothers—in Spain next week. But MXGP is definitely off to a great start.

HONDA MXGP (Matthes)

As DC mentioned, the MXGP series kicked off last weekend and, in a bit of a surprise, Honda’s Jeffrey Herlings crushed it, going 1-1 on the day in two great rides. One was wire-to-wire, and one was coming through the pack a bit. That's his first MXGP for Honda, of course, and also in his first MXGP for Honda, his teammate Tom Vialle got third overall. Then the returning rider Ruben Fernandez got sixth OA, so all three HRC guys in the top six makes for a good day, right? Ride red indeed.

All three guys are great riders for sure and it's a long way before this thing is settled, but looking at the rides, I wonder if the all-new 2027 CRF450R that debuted with Fernandez in the middle of last season helped a bit? It's an all-new machine that shares basically nothing with the current model CRFs (part of the reason Joey Savatgy was able to get a factory transmission is that Honda's not going to need them in 2027) and Honda has been known to have great electronics as well (although the USA squad has switched from HRC ECUs to GET Data).

I tried to get some info out of some Honda people the last few weeks about the bike and what it does well, what they were shooting for, and what it's like to ride (AHEM, Trey Canard) but no one was really giving it up much. And hey, as we know, the MXGP series allows for full works bikes, so maybe the production bike will need some massaging when it hits the shores, and the MXGP team's round one success won't mean that much. Or maybe, just maybe, Honda rushes the 2027 homologation process to get them into Hunter and Jett Lawrence's hands ASAP?

Again, long way to go for the MXGP guys, but looking at the overall performance of both Jeffrey and Tom, brand new to Honda, made me think that maybe, just maybe, the 2027 CRF450R is something special.

Fly Racing Denver PulpMX/Racer X Live Show (MATTHES)

We're gonna do a Fly Racing PulpMX/Racer X live show in Denver Friday night before Denver SX. JT, Justin Brayton (former Daytona SX winner!), yours truly, and more will welcome some guests and have a good ol'time talking SX and more. Get some tickets below and see you then!

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE Denver SX LIVE SHOW

Spend a Day with Lawrences! (MATTHES)

We've got a new experience up on Pulpmxgivesback.com where for $30 bucks, you'll enter a raffle for a chance to win a day at the Lawrence compound! This is behind-the-scenes hanging out and watching the boys and other riders put in a day of practicing. Should be a great time and thanks to them for letting us do this. All the money raised goes to help injured riders out. To buy a ticket, hit the link here:

Spend a Day at the Lawrence Compound

Prescott Valley Motocross (DC)

A friend in the Arizona desert named Matthew Kurtz reached out to tell us about a unique new motocross facility that's taking shape in Prescott Valley. The concept is a year-round riding facility inside a repurposed horse racing facility named Arizona Downs (and before that, Yavapai Downs) that closed up a few years back and was just sitting there abandoned. A group led by a motocross dad and entrepreneur named Lucky Barker committed to making the whole project—multiple tracks, restaurant, pro shop, etc.—inside this spacious horse racing facility. It is going to be called Prescott Valley Motocross Park, and we've been following their progress on their Instagram: @prescottvalleymx. And they are making some progress, as you can see from his recent posts:

After communicating with Lucky, Matt sent us an update today on Prescott Valley MX Park. According to Barker, they are expecting dozers and other equipment to be delivered in two weeks to begin constructing the first track. As far as the facility goes, the first floor of the stadium (30,000 square feet) is being completed. It includes concessions, food equipment, drink machines, beer taps, and more. The two floors above are next, both of equal size, with the third floor restaurant to be called the Racers Roost, overlooking the tracks and Mingus Mountain. All told, they hope to have all five tracks done within a couple of months, followed by a multi-purpose area in the venue for festivals and concerts to follow. A soft opening is planned for July, with three of the five tracks ready, as well as the bottom floor of the clubhouse.

Here's hoping that Lucky and the Prescott Valley MX Park crew get the support they need to make this unique riding facility happen this summer!

Marty Supremes (DC)

In the last issue of Racer X magazine, we featured Red Bull KTM's Eli Tomac on the cover after his early success with his new team in Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Having been inundated with social media and TV promotions for the film Marty Supreme, featuring a ping pong-playing hustler of the same first name, we went with a spin on that whole campaign, including an orange ping pong ball that said "Eli Supreme" instead. Well, the movie and the actor (Timothée Chalamet from Dune and Willy Wonka fame) are up for Academy Awards, which will be given out on Sunday night. The title Marty Supreme reminded me of one of my all-time favorite moto coincidences. Some of you have certainly heard it before, but for those who haven't, this is pretty neat:

Back in the ascendant days of American motocross on the global scene, the first American riders to ever win a U.S. Grand Prix in each of the three classes that existed back then—125cc, 250cc, and 500cc— all three respective winners had the same first name: Marty. And all three hailed from the San Diego area. Marty Smith won the first 125 USGP at Mid-Ohio in 1975, Marty Tripes won the first 250 USGP at Unadilla in '78, and privateer Marty Moates was the first American to win the 500cc USGP at Carlsbad Raceway in 1980. Sadly, only Marty Tripes is still with us.

Marty is not as popular a name as it once was, but it will always have a place in American motocross history... And now ping pong movies too, I guess.

Garage Build (Keefer)

The latest Garage Build up on Racer X is pretty cool as it involves Jamie Ellis (Twisted Development) and the Kawasaki KX450. Since the KX450 has been getting a lot of criticism the past year or so with Jorge Prado and now Chase Sexton, Jamie and I thought it would be cool to do a deep dive on what the capabilities are of the green machine. This all was born after the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, as I received a call on the way home from Jamie telling me that he wanted to build a KX450 race machine to see how good we can get it. After our initial test, we thought it would be cool to get Factory Kawasaki test rider Broc Tickle to test it and see what he thought. The first part of this build is up right here:

We are currently working on a part two where we hope to get Tickle to test the TD Kawasaki KX450 and give his feedback on how this race machine fares in his eyes. Granted, I am sure we won't get a direct comparison to the factory bike (as Tickle is not going to give up what the factory machine is like to ride completely) but hearing how a consumer-based modified KX450 runs from the mouth of a factory race team test rider will be quite interesting.

Rare Find: #816 Troy Lee Cover! (DC)

As we've probably mentioned a time or two over the years, the Racer X office is filled with old memorabilia, photo and poster archives, MX-related toys and trinkets, old pit passes and tickets from our race travels, and a moto magazine library that I would put up against any other collection in the world. We are fortunate that, from time to time, old friends and longtime readers will send us their old collections because they are either moving, downsizing, or just need to re-home some beloved childhood memories. Recently, our friend Mike O'Shaunessy told us he was moving across the country and wanted to know if we wanted his old magazines from the 1970s and '80s. Absolutely! Usually, we get duplicates of stuff we already have in the archives, and that was the case with many of Mike's donated magazines...

Or so we thought. As we went through the old MXAs, Moto Cross, Popular Cyclings, and more, we found ALL of the 1971 Dirt Bike magazines—extremely rare and hard to find! Mike lived in NorCal, so we started finding old event programs from Hangtown, the Golden States, Sears Point Trans-AMA and Trans-USA races, as well as ticket stubs, bumper stickers, and more. Then we found this magazine from 1981 that I have honestly never seen before nor heard of...

The 1981 Pro Motocross Annual was a yearbook put out by a company called Argus Publications. The editor was the late Brad Zimmerman, a lifelong moto enthusiast and journalist. The cover photo seemed odd at first, and then we realized it was the 250 Support class from the 1981 U.S. 500cc Grand Prix of Motocross at Carlsbad Raceway: #12 on the Kawasaki is Jeff Ward; #7 on the Honda is Jim Gibson. And at first, I thought #717 on the right was my big brother Tim, who wore that number as a Pro-Am, but in '81 he was still racing amateur. Turns out it's a privateer named Tim Lunde.

The real mystery was #816 in the center of the cover on the Husqvarna:

So, I sent it to a couple of my favorite MX trivia buddies, Eric Johnson and Johnny O'Mara, to see if they knew who #816 was. After a minute, they figured it out: #816 was Troy Lee, back when he was a Husqvarna-mounted privateer. We dug into the Cycle News Archives and found out that Troy finished tenth overall in a field that also included winner Donnie Hansen, runner-up Johnny, Scott Burnworth, and a whole bunch of Golden State fast guys. And check out the back cover of the book: That's O'Mara himself on the #40 factory Honda!

We'll be digging through these new gems from Mike O'Shaunessy for some time to come, and we will share whenever and wherever we can. But a huge thank you to Mike, and Troy, look for something cool in the mail soon...

Win Ads (DC)

It was a busy week of racing around the dirt bike world. Here's a shortcut to see the big winners, according to the win ads in cyclenews.com.

Hey, Watch It!

Supercross Round 9, Indianapolis review | Title 24 (FULL SHOW) | Motorsports on NBC

James Stewart's top 10 moments from Supercross Round 9 in Indianapolis | Motorsports on NBC

Malcolm Stewart's save of the day at the Indianapolis SX

Yoshimura's new "Pivotable" podcast is now on Youtube. First guest... Lil' D from FMF!

2026 Indianapolis Supercross Cinematic Recap

Good 2 be home! | Ryan Villopoto Returns to Kawasaki & Thor

Romain Febvre | Nightshift

Harry Styles’ new “American Girls” music video that features Axell Hodges doing some of his FMX moves

Behind-the-scenes in Daytona | 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ theme night with strip club Magic City after backlash"—The Guardian

"Crocs is dropping a Punch the Monkey inspired jibbutz charm"—Pubity.com

"Finnish pair wins a barrel of ale in annual ‘wife-carrying’ contest in England"—AP News

"The yoghurt delivery women combatting loneliness in Japan"—BBC News

"Robot rabbits the latest tool in Florida battle to control invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades"—AP News

Random Notes

Racer X publisher Scott Wallenberg is in Southern California for the annual Trailblazers Hall of Fame event, so we made a few stops to see some legendary industry figures.

Finally, we are still saddened by the passing of longtime AMA official, flagger and friend John Welch, who passed away last weekend in Indianapolis from a sudden heart attack. John was a lifelong enthusiast, a hard worker, and incredibly kind and funny. He will be missed by everyone in the paddock.  

For the latest from Canada, check out DMX Frid’EH Update #11.