Before we get into all of the news (and issues) of the week, congratulations to the whole Martin family on having a really good race last weekend. It was the first time Spring Creek has hosted a national since Jeremy joined older brother Alex in retirement. The place was absolutely packed, and the track held up really well. Of course, some may not have liked the changes to Mount Martin, but I believe it was much safer this new way, because the bikes were truly flying down that hill last year.

The success of the Martins' race last weekend and a preview of what promises to be an excellent Washougal should have been the big conversations this week. Instead, a lot of energy and discussion went into some things that were said on a family podcast about racing dirt bikes.

How the Riders Get Paid (DC)

On Sunday afternoon, Kris Keefer, a longtime colleague and contributor to this magazine and website, his wife Heather, and their son Aden, released a new episode of their PulpMX podcast, "Summer School." The entertaining podcast documents their family's journey through Aden's rookie summer in Pro Motocross, where he rides for the Phoenix Honda team. He has qualified for the 40-man 250 final six times so far but has yet to earn his first national point; he'll get there soon. Still, qualifying for those six races should have landed him some purse money, but as of their podcast recording on Sunday, Aden had yet to receive any purse money from MX Sports Pro Racing. Yes, it's MX Sports Pro Racing, not the AMA, that handles both entries and purse payouts in Pro Motocross, and that's where the confusion started for the Keefer family. They assumed that the AMA disburses the money, and repeated mentions were made of other riders in the paddock who they heard had not been paid either.

As soon as the podcast went live, people started posting online and on social media, questioning why no one had been paid for Pro Motocross all season long. Then the piling on started, especially in the darker corners of the internet and message forums. That's what happens when a podcast host says, "Dear AMA, when are these guys getting paid? Sincerely, the Keefers," and, "We're seven rounds in, people. Nobody has gotten paid!" And then again, "We gotta figure this out. But yeah: Dear AMA, please pay us. Sincerely, the riders."

Of course, my phone started ringing as people started asking how a series enjoying record turnouts could not even pay the riders.

Well, MX Sports Pro Racing is paying the riders, just like always. In fact, almost every rider has been paid like usual. Turns out a few riders—including Aden Keefer—have had issues submitting paperwork that would allow them to get paid. I looked into the Keefers' situation, and it turned out the family had not filled out the W-9 form for Aden that every rider getting paid must complete. MX Sports Pro Racing did not realize Aden had not been paid because the family thought they needed to talk to the AMA, not MX Sports Pro Racing. Needless to say, they now know, and Aden was paid for the six races he qualified for earlier this week.

There were a few other riders who we were told had somehow not been paid, so we called each one of them or their team managers. In the case of Bubba Pauli's ISRT Kawasaki team, Vince Friese had at first entered the wrong routing number, and Norway's Cornelius Tondel (now with Monster Energy Kawasaki) had not provided MX Sports Pro Racing with a U.S. bank for direct deposit. Both situations have now been rectified, according to Pauli himself.

Beta teammates Mitchell Oldenburg and Benny Bloss were also said to have not been paid, but when I spoke to Mitchell, he said it had been sorted a while back. When MX Sports Pro Racing's Kelly Kirby called Benny, he did not know what she was talking about.

Finally, Gavin Towers was mentioned in the podcast. Kelly told me that there was no sign of a problem, and he had not said or sent anything otherwise. I called him anyway and left a message but did not hear back yet.

MX Sports Pro Racing has been paying by direct deposit for more than a dozen years—80 riders per race, every two weeks during the season (though with Monster Energy Supercross now paying every week, that's something we will likely change next year). We've seen problems arise due to inaccurate routing numbers, foreign banks, lack of complete paperwork, etc. We always get to the bottom of any issue and get the riders/teams paid ASAP and will continue to do so moving forward. In the meantime, if any participant out there other than the ones listed here is having any sort of issue, please let Kelly know: Kelly@mxsports.com.

One other takeaway is this: We should probably add a segment to the curriculum of the SMX Next Combines on filling out paperwork and how to get prize money when you turn pro, because apparently, it wasn't discussed in Summer School.

Get your MXGP-TV pass today

TEXTS (Matthes)

Just thought for RH this week I would go through my text threads and clean out any and all info:

• Justin Cooper won't be at Washougal this weekend. He was back on the bike last week and was a game-time decision for Spring Creek, but ultimately didn't go. I figured he'd be in for this weekend, right? But no, not sure what was up, but the #32 won't be in the PNW this weekend, so now we have to think we'll see him after the break.
• The PRMX guys have been slowly building a program and look to be switching to Yamaha for 2027. They've been with Kawasaki for a while now, and securing good sponsors like Rokit, Blaster, and Partzilla seems to be putting the team on an upward path.
• The AMA penalty report came out, and in it, Yamaha Star Racing manager Wil Hahn was fined twice for having team mechanics leave the mechanics area to retrieve Cole Davies' bike (moto 1) and Michael Mosiman's bike (moto 2). I didn't know this was a thing; I've seen many mechanics hike out there to retrieve a downed bike over the years, but apparently, that's changed. Why they didn't fine Jenson Handler, I don't know, nor do I know why the mechanics themselves didn't get fined. I was interested in these fines because, as I wrote in OBS, Davies getting a good gate pick with the 38th pick was, as the kids say, "sus." So still nothing on how Cole got that gate...just luck, I guess.
• I checked in with Larry Brooks on his cancer fight, and he's in it but doing as well as can be expected. I mentioned to him that he was famous for "holding" gates for his riders back in the day, and he laughed and said, "Yup—any advantage you can get, you take!"

250 Silly Season (Keefer)

Musical chairs is happening in real-time, and the 250 class is shaking up as I type this. Here are some things I heard this week, but maybe Mr. Insider, Steve Matthes, can chime in as well on anything I may have missed. Again, this is a "we have heard" that Nate Thrasher received an offer from the Pro Circuit Kawasaki team (which we think he will sign), joining Hammaker, Kitchen, Romano, and Adams.

Coming off another Achilles tear, Jalek Swoll started riding last week and appears headed to the Phoenix Honda squad, with either Casey Cochran or Michael Mosiman possibly moving to the red team as well.

The Bar X team, which is switching to Husqvarnas next year, is also in talks with Cochran, but seems to have secured Lux Turner for another year.

MX6 Kawasaki will most likely keep Derek Kelley and Henry Miller but bring in two new riders (possibly Cullin Park and Enzo Temmerman).

The Beta USA team is also bringing in one or two 250 riders, but there's no word on who that is at this time.

Ducati will not be fielding a 250 team in 2027 but hopes to do so in 2028 for SX/MX.

Cameron McAdoo looks to be a done deal at Quad Lock Honda, riding with Webb, Hill, and others in North Carolina.

In the world of KTM, it looks to remain Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen, but Ryder D/Daxton Bennick could come over to the orange side.

Game Time Decisions (DC)

OG Racer X managing editor Bryan Stealey has released a free daily trivia game called GnarlyQ, and it's a ton of fun, especially when played in group chats. Think Wordle, but for trivia. You don't have to download anything, there are no passwords to remember, and there are no ads. Bryan was also heavily involved in making Mad Skills Motocross a hit, but this is his first solo gaming project. He even managed to get Vicki Golden into a question this week! If you like trivia, give it a shot at gnarlyq.com.

The way the game works is contestants are asked a question and then given 10 answers to choose—five of which are correct, and five of which are not. There are five rounds in all, and it takes just a couple of minutes to play. The questions are very random, but also very interesting. Give it a try the next time you get a free minute or two.

Beta Benny Gets Bettah (Jason Weigandt)

Early injuries in Monster Energy Supercross to both Benny Bloss and Mitchell Oldenburg forced the Liqui Moly Beta factory team (which normally only races supercross) to shift focus this year to Pro Motocross. Beta has raced supercross since 2024, but this would be their first real go outdoors. Bloss, who has logged great outdoor finishes in the past, has been hustling to learn and improve the Beta for motocross. Spring Creek was a breakthrough with bike changes and 10-10 finishes for eighth overall.

"We did three [outdoors] last year [to get SMX points] but I didn't really do any testing for those; we came in super unprepared. I'd like to consider it like we didn't race them, because I did terrible!" Benny told me on this week's Weege Show Wednesday. "We're three years into supercross, so we know a lot about the bike in supercross. This year, we're learning a lot about the bike for motocross, but it's been fun, though. I have to remind myself not to be afraid to change."

Well, embarrassment forced Benny to make some of those changes. First, he became the darling of the social networks when he front-flipped while getting lapped by the leaders at RedBud. The next week at Southwick press day, everyone was taking their shots at Benny and laughing at him, and then as soon as the bikes headed out on the track, he front-flipped again!

"The RedBud one I thought was funny. I made a social post and laughed at myself, and it was good," he said. "But Southwick, I was like, 'Dude, this can't be happening.' I got up and I'm hearing people yell 'Benny!' and then I look up and there are four cameras pointing in my face. I'm like, 'Noooo!'

"I kept doing the same crash over and over again; I lose the front," he explained on this week's Weege Show Wednesday. "Before Millville, we changed the forks because I run some pretty soft forks. Millville, we ran some stiffer forks, and it might have changed my life! Might be the first time all year I didn't have a crash all day."

The eighth overall is closer to where Bloss has been in the past, and he says today's 450 field is a much deeper field than it used to be. Now that his bike is dialed in for outdoors and supercross, has the Beta become as viable a bike as anything else?

"I absolutely would not say that the Beta is holding me back," he said. "I've had better results in supercross on the Beta than any other bike, and now I feel like I know more about this bike than any other bike. It's the most comfortable bike I've ridden, and we've made huge progress every year. I'm pretty much at the point now where if I don't do good, it's my fault. It's kind of funny, and it pisses me off sometimes, when people talk bad about the bike. A lot of people who do haven't ever ridden the bike."

Now another funny story. Eli Tomac's return at Spring Creek was below the usual standards of the four-time 450 National Motocross Champion. Bloss and others were surprised when they were able to battle him.

"In the first moto, around the first lap, I was with him," says Bloss. "And I was staying with him! I was like, 'What is going on right now?' I ended up finishing right behind him, and I was like, 'Wow, that's Eli Tomac! I understand he's just coming back right now, but still, that's Eli Tomac!' Second moto, I was behind him again, and I passed him at the top of Mount Martin. I went down the hill just freaking out in my helmet! Like I said, I know he's not at full strength yet, but that's Eli Tomac!"

Bloss is one of the funniest riders you'll talk to after a race, whether it's a front-flip day or a day battling for top-ten. Glad we got to chat a bit this week. Also, check out my interview with Carson Mumford, who is on a full career rejuvenation outdoors, capped by a moto podium at Spring Creek. These are good dudes who are finally getting back to where they belong.

Earliest New Deal Ever? (Mitch Kendra)

On Wednesday, the Kawasaki Racing Team announced they would be parting ways with Romain Febvre following the completion of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP). Then, just one day later, the French rider's next gig was announced! The Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team has announced Febvre will race for the team in 2027 and 2028 in a two-year deal. And we still have seven rounds of the '26 season to go!

Febvre will finish this year on Kawasaki before making the switch to the Ducati in the off-season. Through 12 rounds of the 19-round 2026 MXGP championship, Febvre sits third behind Lucas Coenen and Jeffrey Herlings.

In a sport where contracts with new teams might be done months and months in advance, this might be the earliest public announcement of a new contract...ever?! The Ducati team currently has Andrea Bonacorsi and Calvin Vlaanderen on its roster, following the departure of Jeremy Seewer in late May. Bonacorsi is out for the time being after taking a footpeg to the abdomen in June, leaving just Vlaanderen actively competing on a Ducati Desmo450 MX.

This early announcement from Ducati could be because of the brand's base in MotoGP racing, where these types of announcements happen while riders are still competing on their current teams, well in advance of the new year. We hear reports and rumors of new signings every year, but contracts are typically announced after the early October window when deals start. Could this one day become the norm for motocross racing, both in Europe and the USA?

Plus, more Ducati news! Tyler Bereman just joined Ducati aboard the Desmo450 MX Factory. With his Red Bull partnership, this works out perfectly!

Mike Alessi Update (DC)

Earlier this week, we discovered the unfortunate news that former factory rider and longtime title contender Mike Alessi had been arrested in Florida for burglary, petit theft, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. We posted the news because it is news in our sport, just as it was when we came across a few other high-profile moto people that have found themselves under arrest for a variety of circumstances. We did not guess nor imply how or why the arrest happened, just that it happened.

Last night I got a call from longtime Alessi family friend Kurt Henrickson, who wanted to fill me in on what exactly happened to cause the arrest. According to Kurt, Mike and his daughter were fishing together earlier this week off a dock near their home. Mike apparently saw a fishing net hanging off the back of a nearby structure and went over and grabbed it. He and his daughter then used it while fishing for a couple of hours. When they were done, they packed up and left, and Mike left the net on the dock. The problem was they left the net at the dock rather than return it to the neighboring property, and the owner of the net and the property, who had been watching Mike and his daughter fish, called the police and had him arrested. That's it. And that's ridiculous.

I have a call into Mike myself but have not heard back yet. I've been friends with the Alessis for many years now (yes, even after "laser-gate" at Washougal all those years ago) and like pretty much everyone else, hated to see the news. I'm glad it was nothing more serious than what sounds like a ridiculous situation between him and a cranky neighbor, and we will post more as soon as we can.

MXGP of Great Britain (DC)

In case you missed it, man, did the Coenen brothers have a bad weekend in Great Britain. The FIM World Championships returned to the Foxhills circuit, with both brothers leading the points in their respective divisions. Of course, Sacha was coming off his stunning win at the Southwick 250 National, where he won the second moto despite having broken his collarbone with four or five laps to go. He had the collarbone plated before he went back to Europe and gutted out an eighth overall. However, he lost the points lead to Spanish rider Guillem Farres, who swept both motos on his Triumph. In the process, Farres became the first rider to win the British GP on a British motorcycle since 1966!

In MXGP, Lucas Coenen had a massive lead going in, and unlike Sacha, he did not break anything in his big crash at Southwick. But during Saturday's qualifying moto, he was involved in a chain-reaction crash off the start and injured his leg. He tried to race on Sunday but was in obvious pain and had to pull out. His commanding 68-point lead was knocked down to just 11 points by Honda HRC's Jeffrey Herlings, who went 1-1 for his record-extending 118th career Grand Prix win.

Here is a GoPro of the crash from the POV of Jeremy Seewer:

Now the series heads to Loket in the Czech Republic, with both classes having been completely upended in Great Britain. No word yet on how Lucas Coenen is doing, but if he's as tough as his twin brother is, he should get right back up there!

This Week’s 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!

2026 Spring Creek Cinematic Recap

Welcome to ClubMX: Max Anstie is adjusting well to his new YZ250F

Foxhills is back! Check out this very cool raw drone video from the MXGP of Great Britain:

This is Lawrence romps around Spring Creek:

A very funny episode of BAMTV from Justin Barcia:

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"Morgan Wallen Concert Family Pissed Off After Allegedly Getting Pissed On"—TMZ

"Tokyo urges men to wear shorts to work, but women say it's 'leg hair harassment'"—BBC News

"Museum honors a late artist by covering its floor in enough peanut butter to make 15,000 sandwiches"—AP News

"LUSCIOUS LOKET IS READY TO HOST THE MXGP OF CZECH REPUBLIC!"—InFront PR headline

"244 RIDERS SET TO BATTLE AT THE MXGP OF CZECH REPUBLIC"— MXGP PR

"It’s So Hot That Japan Needs a New Word for It"—New York Times

Random Notes

Take a look at some great shots last weekend at Spring Creek from our friend Alec Gaut.