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V28_6 RX Supercross-background
V28_6 RX Supercross
V28_6 RX Supercross

Parity at the races makes for great entertainment—but a whole lot of drama for those living it.

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

“So Jo Shimoda finally proves he can win right from the start of a championship, then the next weekend he gets his fingers broken by a pit board in practice,” said Steve Matthes to Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom. “Lars, was that when you first realized maybe this season would be screwed?”

Indeed, for a while, nearly everything Honda touched had turned to gold, starting with a miraculous championship run for Chase Sexton in Monster Energy Supercross in 2023, followed by Jett Lawrence winning the SX title in ’24. Luck was finally on the team’s side—until it wasn’t. Lars, though, knows fame is fleeting. “Don’t forget,” he responded. “There was that twenty-year 450 dry spell everyone was always talking about.”

Yup, life comes at you fast. Honda couldn’t win a title, Honda couldn’t lose a title, and now Honda’s two full-time 450 riders—Jett and big brother Hunter—aren’t even racing for the title at all. They’re not alone on this ride.

We are deeply rooted in Moto—We’ve been here all our lives. Back in 1998 when we turned an underground newspaper into a shiny color magazine, it immediately changed the game with its unprecedented depth of coverage, sense of humor, and access to the sport’s biggest names. Today, our readers know they can go to Racer X Online for all the news, race results, and event coverage they need, and then enjoy even more detail and perspective in the pages of Racer X Illustrated. The mag offers a chance to learn something new on every page and stay connected with the people and personalities that shape our sport—the competitors out on the racetrack, as well as the ones behind the scenes—through our exclusive deep-dive stories and columns.

Our trademark has always been insider knowledge from the experts who are at the races and around the sport. We have long prided ourselves on our unparalleled race reporting and detailed storytelling. We go deep with the riders and teams to provide comprehensive coverage you won’t find anywhere else—all with first-class photography and design. It’s a full education in motocross past, present, and future.

Davey Coombs
Editor-in-chief & Founder
Racer X Illustrated

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