‘It was a wrong place, wrong time situation’ – Barcia

Justin Barcia and Jett Lawrence explain their perspectives of the collision in St. Louis.

Image: Octopi Media.

In the final race of the Triple Crown at St. Louis, Justin Barcia and Jett Lawrence came together in a big collision that saw Jett Lawrence end up down on the ground for some time. Following the race, Barcia immediately went up to Jett to apologize, and has now further commented on this situation and what happened from his perspective.

It all happened just as the second lap got underway and the field was tightly bunched together. Jett Lawrence was trying to pivot early out of a berm to get alongside his brother Hunter Lawrence when suddenly he met Barcia at the bottom of the berm. Barcia was going defensive on the inside route into the berm as he had Vince Friese trying to get underneath him to make a pass and the contrasting lines of corner entry and corner exit resulted in a violent collision between Barcia and Jett Lawrence.

“Anyone who knows dirt bikes knows that was a racing incident. Not intentional by any means. It was such a bummer,” said Barcia in a video on Instagram. “Early on in the laps, you’re just racing hard, and I came in super-hot, Jett cut down and it was a wrong place, wrong time situation. I spoke to Jett after the race. He completely understood what happened. He knew I didn’t do that intentionally. But I felt like I wanted to go over to the Honda truck and talk to the whole crew and everyone was obviously really upset. On our crew, it was just a bummer. It took us out of the race so that was disappointing, but everyone was understanding and knew it wasn’t intentional. That’s not my style. I’m glad we can move on from this. Jett is okay and healthy. I’m okay and healthy. Luckily Jett is a grown man and a great racer and understood the situation and we can put it beside us and go racing in a couple of weeks.”

As mentioned, Barcia immediately came up to Lawrence after the race to apologize and the two talked for about 20 seconds on track before Jett Lawrence gave him a thumbs up. Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom was none too happy and was seen speaking with AMA officials’ post-race about the situation.

Fortunately, it does appear Jett Lawrence avoided any serious injury. He was examined at the track, and it was determined nothing was broken but rather he was just very sore and bruised. Thanks to the Triple Crown format, Lawrence salvaged an eighth-place result on the night and still leads the 450SX standings by eight points.

“It’s just a sucky situation,” explained Lawrence. “I just cut down under Hunter, and obviously Barcia was defending his line from someone else on the inside of him—just wrong place, wrong time. He kind of hit my arm pretty good; I got a gnarly Charlie horse. He hit some nerve in my arm, where I kind of lost feeling and strength in my hands. That’s why I was trying to get up and get going early, but I physically couldn’t—I had no strength. It is what it is. Thankfully we had a bit of a buffer on second. We’ve got a break, we’ll come back stronger. We’ve got five races to go.”

Fortunately for Lawrence, the series has a weekend off before returning to action on April 13^th in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Andrew Short to Race 2024 VMXdN at Foxhill

No Short measures for Team USA

February 22, 2024

The promoters for the annual VMXdN Foxhill have announced that former factory HRC, KTM Factory Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha rider Andrew Short will be racing at the legendary Wiltshire Grand Prix circuit over August bank holiday weekend (August 22^nd-26^th) as part of the American squad.

Short has had a stellar sixteen-year pro career, during that time, he earned over 50 podium finishes and nine wins, he is also one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet. One of his personal highlights was being part of the American Team that won the 2010 Motocross of Nations held in his home state of Colorado. 

After he retired from professional motocross at the end of 2016, Short then worked as a team advisor and brand ambassador for Factory Honda HRC before making a big transition to compete in rally racing and take on the ultimate rally race – the Dakar.

After a steep learning curve, he was able to become competitive in rally and even took his first win at the 2019 Rallye du Maroc, a leadup to the 2020 Dakar. He raced for the Rockstar Husqvarna team as well as the Monster Energy Factory Yamaha rally teams.

After a nasty injury while riding at home, he is now back to full fitness and bang up for the challenge that is Foxhill, the greatest 2-stroke event in the world. Short will race a 2002 YZ 250 built and maintained by the crew at DocWob. Team USA won the inaugural event in 2022 and finished 3^rd.

behind Team GB and Team Northern Ireland in 2023. 

The race is already creating a huge buzz with new and returning legends being announced weekly, it really is a whos’ who of the sport through the golden heydays of the 90’s and 00’s era.

Labelled by RacerX magazine as “the Woodstock of two strokes” the event simply goes from strength to strength.

With ticket sales up year on year, the promotors have been blown away at the response to the event and are urging spectators to purchase tickets asap. Could this be the first outdoor motocross event in the UK to be ticket only? Camping passes will be capped at last year’s numbers as simply putting it – it was full!

Ensure your place at the most anticipated event on the British MX calendar by booking early.

Saturday, Sunday, Weekend and Camping passes are available at https://vmxdnfoxhill2024.eventbrite.co.uk

Carmichael: I hated racing

Ricky Carmichael is the GOAT on a motorcycle, and a lot of that success came from what Ricky learned as a kid. But even though he stuck through it, Ricky hated racing when he was growing up. And despite his parents being supportive and not pressuring him to continue, Ricky felt he would be letting them down if he stopped racing. Thankfully, Ricky kept at it and enjoyed racing when he was older.

MX43 Teams With EKS for Spring Sale...35% Off

Just in time for the start of the International Vet MX Series at Glen Helen. This is the perfect time to grab a new pair of Lucid Goggles, if you haven't tried a pair you will be amased at the visual clarity and quality construction.

"The MX43 team has been using EKS Brand goggles for many years. We love the clear vision, durability, comfort and best of all the price! The new Lucid model is over the top awesome." MX43

Use code mx43 for a 35% discount at checkout

MXA TEAM TESTED: EKS BRAND LUCID GOGGLES

WHAT IS IT? After five years of development, EKS Brand’s Lucid goggle is here to provide clear vision and ultimate goggle function for the most demanding situations of motocross and off-road racing. With over 35 years of experience in the goggle business, EKS Brand is a family owned and operated goggle company that specializes in top-level quality at a reasonable price point. 

WHAT’S IT COST? $99.00 (clear lens), $25.00 (replacement lenses). 

CONTACT? www.eksbrand.com or (818) 706-1700.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the EKS Brand Lucid goggles.  

(1) Lens. The new Extreme Definition Optics (XDO) Lucid lenses are pre-curved, injection-molded, polycarbonate lenses that have greatly improved optical clarity over traditional flat lenses. The pre-curved lens is durable, impact-resistant, and is available in nine different tints and colors. The Lucid lens also has an anti-fog coating built into the plastic that makes it easier to clean and helps prevent dust from sticking to the inner goggle. Note: Refrain from cleaning any goggle lens with Windex, as polycarbonate is a strong material, but it’s not designed to be used with any glass cleaner. 

(2) Auburn Afterburner lens. Similar to the Oakley Prizm lens that was designed to enhance contrast so you can see terrain in better detail, EKS Brand’s optional Auburn Afterburner lens uses a special three-color tint to boost vision even further than with the XDO lens. The Auburn Afterburner lens uses a rose, grey and persimmon tint to enhance light on a cloudy day and brighten up shadows while also providing protection against harsh light. This technology originated in the skiing industry where cloudy days, bright reflections off snow and shadows are an everyday reality.

(3) Frame. The Lucid goggle is made with a stiff outer frame and a soft inner frame. The stiff outer frame is necessary for holding the thicker and heavier injection-molded lens. The soft inner frame works with added leverage from outriggers to help the goggle’s foam seal to your face. Plus, the outriggers move the strap away from the goggle, allowing more airflow into the side vents. The frame features a removable nose guard and an impressively simple quick-change lens tab.

(4) Foam. EKS Brand tested many shapes and styles of face foam before landing on a wide, 17-mm-thick, four-layer face foam. Unlike most other face foams that are flat, the Lucid foam is 3D-molded and pre-shaped to fit your face for optimal comfort. 

(5) Tear-offs. The EKS Brand Lucid goggle can be used with standard tear-offs and stacks of  seven laminate tear-offs. The number of tear-offs MXA test riders use varies. In long motos where heavy roost is likely, they run up to 21 tear-offs in three stacks of seven laminates. Other less-picky testers use two to three standard tear-offs per race. Our testers liked the EKS Brand tear-offs and appreciated the integrated tear-off posts on the left outrigger, which made installing tear-offs easier. 

(6) Performance. We assigned our pickiest goggle testers to the EKS Brand Lucid goggle test. After racing in the Lucid goggles, there were three highlights that stuck out: First, the goggle’s ability to keep sweat off the inner lens is impressive. There was still some splash, but the 20mm foam and inner sweat channel directed most of the sweat away from the eyes and lens. Second, the injection-molded Extreme Definition Optics (XDO) lens was  clearer than a traditional lens, even with multiple tear-offs over it. The Auburn Afterburner lens was an instant MXA favorite for any riding condition, because it helped define rocks and bumps more distinctly in the shadows. Third, the Wavelatch quick-change lens system made changing lenses easy.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Even with three-layer foam and sweat channels, our heavy sweaters still splashed on the inner lens. We’ve yet to find a goggle solution that completely blocks sweat from ending up there, but the Lucid ranked high in this contest.

MXA RATING: The rigid frame scared us initially; however, once we wore the goggles on the track, our worries disappeared as it conformed to our face. Plus, the injection-molded, pre-curved lens was noticeably better than any flat lens. We could see without distortion. This goggle battles with the best in the business in quality and beats them in price. 

Plug in mx43 in the code box when ordering for a 35% discount

www.eksbrand.com

Craig Out

Craig to undergo another surgery on troubled elbow injury

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Section: Competition Post: MotoOnline

Factory Husqvarna 450SX entry to remain on the sidelines.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christian Craig will undergo another surgery on his troublesome elbow, sidelining him indefinitely.

The former 250SX West champion withdrew from Arlington’s seventh round of Monster Energy Supercross last month after re-aggravating the elbow injury that sidelined him for majority of last year, while he was also absent from the 450SX field at Daytona’s eighth round on Saturday.

The team has since revealed that the 32-year-old is scheduled for surgery this week, which will further delay a return to racing, although the statement stopped short of indicting a timeframe.

“Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX regular Christian Craig is scheduled to undergo surgery [this] week on his ongoing elbow injury, which will extend his time on the sidelines,” the team announced following Daytona. “We look forward to welcoming him back to racing once he is healed and healthy to line up again.”

Craig has experienced a luckless season so far, with a season-best result of 12th coming at Glendale’s sixth round of the season. Teammate Guillem Farres is also currently recovering from injury after undergoing surgery on a broken femur sustained late last month.

Should Supercross Limit Whoops?

Riders Comment

Argentina GP - More Than Motocross

“Patagonia is all about nature,” De La Fuente said. “The first locations we looked at for this event were closer to town, but we put a lot of effort to find the right location. As you could see, it turned out well, but when we first found that location, it wasn’t like it is now, we put a lot of work into getting it to look like that. We wanted it close enough to the town, but not close enough to bother the town itself, and we wanted that feeling of the natures and to show the nice things of this location. 

“From where we are here in Patagonia, it’s 2500 kilometres to the north, and almost the same to the south. It is incredible, because you have people coming from everywhere, driving more than 2.000 km, and you have people flying in from Buenos Aires. We have a lot of small motocross and enduro tracks in Argentina. For our country, this is the event to attend. People plan months ahead to make the trip and you see the spectators also hang around to enjoy the area. That is why it is the correct thing to do to run the event in this tourist area. People don’t just come for the weekend, they make a week of it.”

Now retired Thomas Covington loved visiting Argentina and made sure the trips were not just about racing. Now missing out on the trips to this great spot, he did remember when he raced there spending time with his father.

“Yes, I loved going to Argentina and my dad and I try and plan a fishing trip. It’s probably my favourite place on the calendar. I didn’t have time to go fishing this trip one time, we were meant to go on the Thursday of the weekend, but I was too tired from the trip, but he went down two days earlier the next year and went fishing. One year we stayed an extra week and went fishing."

Journalist David Bulmer also has good feelings about his return to Argentina, one of the highlights of his travel experiences for the MXGP championships.

“I think that first time I went to the Argentina race in Patagonia was one of the highlights,” Bulmer said. “I flew to Chile and I travelled down along the Andes and that is an amazing area. People have seen the photos of the track and the social media of the riders, and that stands out. It is just interesting place and for me, seeing the area where the track is, and the culture, that is why I enjoy the sport so much.”

So now, just a days away and the MXGP and MX2 riders have arrived in Argentina, and once again, to enjoy the amazing nature and that beautiful circuit hidden in the Patagonian forrest.

From mxlarge.com

And we thought Supercross was rough!

This is gonna hurt

RC on Triumph

A Candid Conversation with Ricky Carmichael on Triumph’s All-New TF250-X Dirt Bike

Ricky Carmichael's role at Triumph America is much more than you'd think. He's not just taking pictures and signing autographs, but he's helping test and develop the all-new 2024 Triumph TF250X, he helped develop the new 250F, he's currently helping them develop the 2025 Triumph TF450X and he's helped steer them in the right direction with their race team as well. We enjoyed hanging out with Ricky at the Triumph intro in Florida the other day, he was very open and easy to talk to about the exciting new venture for Triumph. This is a candid interview between Josh Mosiman and Ricky Carmichael, with an impromptu visit from Dennis Stapleton jumping in for the later portion of the video.

Jett Lawrence Daytona

Jett Lawrence is Jett Lawrence’s biggest competition

By Dan Beaver

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Anyone who follows the sport of SuperMotocross has been waiting to see how the rivalry between Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac would develop. That question is beginning to get answered.

Jett Lawrence has now spent one full season in Pro Motocross and one in the SuperMotocross World Championship in the premiere 450 division. Lawrence easily won both titles, for the first time scoring a perfect rookie season in the outdoor season. There have been very few signs of weakness from Lawrence in his meteoric rise through the ranks.

But Lawrence did not have to face Eli Tomac, who ruptured his Achilles tendon with one round remaining in last year’s Supercross season. Without that injury, he would have easily won the 2024 Supercross championship, which would have been his third championship in the last three season.

Lawrence has faced challenges in Supercross this season — including last week when he fell twice and finished off the podium. Tomac has also struggled and those have conspired to keep the keep the two riders apart for most of 2024

Daytona would finally showcase these two riders at their best.

To say Daytona has belonged to Tomac is not even remotely hyperbolic. He entered the weekend with a five-race winning streak and has not finished worse than second in nearly a decade.

Lawrence was aware of those numbers but still didn’t think Tomac was the rider to beat.

The only rider Lawrence needed to beat was Jett Lawrence.

 

“The biggest thing was focusing,” Lawrence said after becoming the first rider in six years to beat Tomac in a Supercross race at Daytona. “The previous weekend my mistakes were in the basic rhythm stuff where it wasn’t very difficult kind of section. I would just go through the motion. That’s what cost me the most on the easiest stuff. It’s so easy for me to do, especially with the 450 power in the rhythms, you use it to go and catch your breath and it cost me.

“It was good this week to work on staying focused, hit your marks — and having those times when if it ain’t right, being okay to lose a tenth or so. Normally, being young, I just want to be perfect always and not lose any time, and gain time and not give up any time to guys behind me or in front of me. If I’m a bit off, I will still try going for stuff. This week (I decided) if I’m not perfect, just back out of it and learn from those mistakes.”

That is easy to say after a race but it was also what was going through Lawrence’s mind while he raced behind Tomac. In Round 8 at Daytona, Chase Sexton took the lead early with Tomac in tow. As those teammates tried to settle their differences at the front, Lawrence closed in rapidly, got a fast run through the whoops and passed both in the same corner on Lap 4.

“I was more focused on not trying to die in those rhythms, really,” Lawrence said. “I was so focused on hitting my marks. (I wasn’t) really focused on ‘I need to pass the person in front of me’, it was more so I need to make sure I hit my marks and if I got close enough to the person, it was I can maybe get him in this rhythm and I just have to follow him through this section. So I wasn’t focused on I got to get past Eli or and got to get by Chase.

“I didn’t really have any set plan on okay I’m going to pass him here. I was kind of let’s get as close as we can and see if we can find a way around them and if not, that sucks, but we’ll see how it goes.”

One lap after making this pass for the lead, Lawrence built a 3.6-second gap. By Lap 10, his advantage grew to nearly 12 seconds on a 98-second lap.

After the race, Tomac said he was not aggressive enough.

“Thinking back to the race, [I’m] frustrated I didn’t do the quad,” Tomac said from the second seat on the podium. "[That] cost me. So got to take more risks next time. That’s that. So, yeah, second place.”

Tomac finally got around Sexton with two laps remaining.

His determination to catch Lawrence showed in the lap times that came after he moved into the runner-up spot. Tomac took nearly a second off the advantage on the next-to-last lap. On the white flag lap, he shaved another three seconds off.

There is still an open question as to how the rivalry between SuperMotocross’ winningest active rider and the Australian upstart resolves, but on a soggy Saturday night in Daytona, Lawrence made a statement.