Red Bull Straight Rhythm—now at Huntington Beach—made its return, promising nothing serious. It delivered

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: RED BULL CONTENT POOL GARTH MILAN, CHRIS TEDESCO & Christian Pondella

By the time Red Bull Straight Rhythm blasted off from its traditional starting spot high above the track, reintroducing the ring-a-ding of two-strokes like it last did in 2019, the message was clear. The event was always a square peg in the round hole of racing, the one thing on the calendar most different than the rest. That used to be jarring, but here, now, it was simply welcome. The motocross and supercross world had just sandwiched multiple series announcements with world championship tags and big-money bonuses for the riders and teams. Straight Rhythm doesn’t claim to be a championship of any kind. In fact, the seriousness of such a title would be counter to what the event is all about. 

Years ago, Straight Rhythm’s affront to seriousness seemed crazy. Could you really run a race with a loose rulebook, two-strokes but no turns, and a cast of half-retired racers battling current stars? Yes, you could. What was once a spicy dish actually feels like comfort food these days, what with everyone else trying to prove they’re big and important, and this one little event advertising that it doesn’t matter all that much. But that’s what makes it fun, right?