Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks is smack off a career-best fourth overall at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colorado, site of round three of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Powering to 3-6 moto scores on his Kawasaki KX450SR, it was the best overall 450MX result of Marchbanks’ young big bike career and the very first time the Coalville, Utah, local broke into the top five overall amongst the world’s best and fiercest 450cc competitors.
“Fourth overall today, I’m feeling really good about it,” said Marchbanks immediately after the curtain came down on Thunder Valley Motocross Park. “It’s a career-best finish for me. I really wish I got third, but for how stacked the class is and how the day was going, I’m super pumped on my results here.”
The first three rounds now complete, Marchbanks is fast at getting everything in order for this Saturday’s fourth round set for High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.
“I’m just leaving Fox Raceway,” said Marchbanks from Southern California on Thursday. “Things are going really good. Just got done doing a training day and just heading home and getting ready to do some off the bike training.”
Looking back on his performance at Thunder Valley, Marchbanks, still just 24 years old, was both encouraged by the overall result as well as his overall speed and competitiveness in the premier 450MX classification.
“I was super-pumped with the result,” he said. “For me it was a career best, so that was sweet. I got third in the first moto and that was pretty cool to get P3. I really wish I was able to get Jorge Prado at the end of that second moto, but it is what it is. It felt really good. There are a lot of fast guys right now and a lot of champions and for me to be up in the mix with those guys feels pretty good right now. I’m happy that the pace is there. I’m happy to know that we’re not far off. It’s awesome to know that the speed is there, and the fitness is there.
“And I thought it was a really big step in the right direction,” he continued. “I just feel like we made some really good changes after Pala and we made some more good changes after Hangtown. I feel like the bike is in a really good position and now it is just kind of up to me to keep trucking along and put myself in good positions on the starts and battle with those frontrunners.”
On pace and displaying consistency three rounds into the Pro Motocross Championship, Marchbanks finds himself slotted in at seventh in the 450MX point standings.
“I think it’s really good. I mean fourth on the weekend and seventh in points is solid,” he said. “You know I wish Pala would have gone a little better in the first moto. For me, it’s just keep putting good races together and being consistent and running in that three through sixth place spot and just put myself in a good position for the end of the year in the outdoor series. I think things are going really good right now.
“I also think my consistency is really good right now,” he continued. “We’re three rounds in. The last five motos have been really good. We had one hiccup at Pala in the first moto. It has been super-solid for me. On the bad days, try to be top 10, and on the good days, try to be around three through six, I think it’s good. I think if you can just be in the top five every weekend, you’re going to be in the mix for a top three in the points.”
A championship which runs astonishingly deep in world class talent and speed, Marchbanks talked about running at the sharp end of the frantic 450MX field on any given Saturday.
“It seems like it’s more stacked in the front area and a little thinned out in the back area,” he explained. “A lot of the guys that were hurt in supercross came back for outdoors. It’s really stacked right now. I would say the top seven are really fast guys right now. They’re on a really fast pace. It’s pretty wild. For me, to be up there in the mix is pretty awesome. In the races, the speed has been real good. I’ve been able to run around that third to sixth place speed. I think for me it is just to try and stay with third and fourth place out there a little more. The pace is pretty high. It seems like one to two to three guys are really quick and then it drops one second to where there is fourth, fifth and sixth. That’s kind of our group. It’s not a huge drop. There are little packs of guys that are pretty quick. It’s been really cool so far just seeing where guys are at. For me, it’s just to try and be up there. I want to try and battle with those guys to put myself right there for a podium finish. These 450 guys are really quick and for me, I want to try and get some podium finishes before the season ends.”
Marchbanks is straight-up stoked to be a part of the Monster Energy Kawasaki racing organization.
“For me, this has been a dream come true,” he pointed out. “Since I was nine years old, I signed with Team Green. I went through the amateur ranks on a Kawasaki and Team Green. I signed with Pro Circuit and then lost the deal for a couple of years. I ultimately signed back with Mitch Payton and Pro Circuit and to get a shot on factory Kawasaki, it has been a full circle moment. To be able to be racing for them is super awesome. It’s a dream come true to be with these guys as they are all so amazing. It has been really good all year. We got off to a little bit of a rough start in supercross, but then we really got to turn things around since Daytona. Since then, we really started to find some good packages on the bike. It all started to get me comfortable to where I had some really good rides in supercross. We had a lot of top10s. I got a seventh place finish at the Denver Supercross, so that was awesome. I was able to carry that momentum into outdoors. It’s just been really good so far. The team has been great. Everyone works really hard. It’s been awesome.”
Next stops: High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania for round four, followed by a weekend off then round five set for RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan.
“High Point is really awesome,” declared Marchbanks. “I’ve had some really good results there the past couple years. I had my first podium ever on the 450 there. I got a second place back in 2023. I really like that race. High Point is one of my favorites on the circuit. I’m looking forward to that one and trying to run up in that top five pack and hopefully get a moto podium or overall this time around. I’m also look forward to RedBud. RedBud is awesome. The track always super-deep. I’ve had a little bit of ups and downs there through the years, but I really enjoy the East Coast tracks and look forward to them.”
