Its Erzberg Week!

Just a little trail ride.

AMA 450MX Not What It Used To Be!

Talking point: Should AMA National teams look at National riders outside the US in the future?

Whilst the 250cc class in the AMA Nationals this year is strong, the 450cc class is as weak as it’s been for a number of years but there are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, they’ve been unfortunate with injuries with the likes of Anderson, Barcia, Tomac and Craig out injured at the moment. Some of which won’t even return to race the Nationals which is a shame.  People are critical when there’s low rider entries in MXGP but at times this is because of injuries and you have to be honest, injuries are affecting the level of AMA 450cc class this year. Yes, there might be 40 riders behind the gate but the quality isn’t at it’s usual level at the front. It’s a shame because Tomac V Sexton V Lawrence could have been great!

Aside from the injuries, the World Supercross series is also having some sort of impact. Ken Roczen has decided to sign up to the full WSX series meaning he won’t race the AMA Nationals although the German hasn’t ruled out racing a couple. Joey Savatgy is another very good rider opting to race WSX but you’d have to say Roczen is the only elite level rider to choose WSX as oppose AMA Nationals. The other riders would just help the depth of the 450cc AMA Nationals class.

Looking at the 450cc AMA Nationals this year, you just have to look at the likes of Jose Butron and Lorenzo Locurcio who are both no doubt good riders but currently sit sixth and seventh in the standings after two rounds. Locurcio has AMA National experience in the past but Butron is racing these tracks for the first time. The Spaniard has just been concentrating racing the National championship in Spain the past few years and whilst he’s still fast probably thought the best days of his career were in the past but he’ll be loving running in the top ten of the AMA Nationals and it’ll certainly be good for his motivation.

Another example is Fredrik Noren who is currently tenth in the standings and even French rider, Romain Pape is sixteenth and has scored points in three out of four moto’s.

Looking ahead to 2024, firstly, the level should hopefully be higher than it is this year with hopefully less injuries although with the injuries in Supercross high this isn’t always a guarantee. But there should be riders making the jump up from the 250cc class such as Hunter Lawrence and hopefully Justin Cooper finally making the move up.

However, should AMA National teams be having a look at riders in Europe that don’t race MXGP and focus on National racing similar to Jose Butron? Just look at the MX1 British Championship for example… the likes of Harri Kullas, Conrad Mewse and Josh Gilbert are fast and don’t race MXGP at the moment. They would probably love to have the opportunity with an AMA National team and Gilbert raced selected rounds of the series last year running in the top twelve when the class was tougher. AMA teams could offer them a salary and then they’d get prize money as well, it could be a win-win as these riders despite not racing MXGP full time specialize in racing Motocross.

Image: Scott Dunne

Looking further a field there’s also French riders that are strong and could be competitive in the MX1 class. Stephen Rubini and Pierre Goupillon would be two very good options, whilst both might prefer racing a 250cc they’d have a real good chance of results in the 450cc class in America. There has actually been rumours both could race a couple of AMA Nationals at the end of this year after the French Elite series finishes so it could be a chance for America to see their speed.

Other championships such as the ADAC MX Masters and Dutch Masters have fast riders that could be considered as well. There’s also championships outside Europe that could be looked at, the MX1 class in Australia is very competitive with the likes of Todd Waters, Dean Ferris and Jed Beaton competing. In Canada, Dylan Wright could also be looked at.

It’ll be interesting to see how the AMA Nationals future looks and especially if World Supercross continues to grow but for the moment the factory teams do remain behind the AMA series…

Article: Andy McKinstry

Image: Nuestrostandarte

Jay Wilson Wins Again in Japan

Another Successful Japanese Motocross Championship Round For Jay Wilson

Jay Wilson has now won every moto in this years 450cc championship.

Australian Jay Wilson continued his winning ways in Japan taking a dominant victory at round three of the 2023 Japanese Motocross Championships at Sugo over the weekend.

Racing in the IA1 class, Wilson won all three motos contested on Sunday to claim the round win, extend his lead in the championship, and increase his winning streak in 2023 to eight motos.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Wilson who fell awkwardly in Saturday’s qualifying race, injuring a shoulder that required treatment straight after the race. He was able to get it in reasonable shape for Sunday but still felt the lingering effects as the day wore on and fatigue set in.

Wilson has now won every moto in this years 450cc championship, but the competition is closing in and he will need to stay on top of his game as the challengers are lining up behind him thick and fast.

“This weekend was one of the more challenging ones I have had since I have been here in Japan,” Wilson explained. “I struggled a little with the track, my starts weren’t great all day and my shoulder is sore after a gave it a good hit yesterday, so I’m just grateful to get the win.

“The track ended up being difficult to ride. There was a lot of rain forecast in the lead up to the weekend, so they didn’t put much water down, but then the rainfall never eventuated so the track got quite dry and slippery. They did their best to control the dust but when it was watered, it was even harder to ride, so you couldn’t push hard or be aggressive as there was simply no traction.

“But it’s awesome to get another win and keep the success coming. The team has been working well and Yamaha continues to support us so much. Thank you to the team and sponsors and I look forward to the next round,” Wilson concluded.

AC talks with RacerX

After the first two rounds of Pro Motocross Adam Cianciarulo has found himself in an interesting situation. He started the series as the sixth best guy, and with Chase Sexton sitting out with an injury he is now the fifth best guy. Lightyears ahead of the guys in sixth but not quite able to hang with the guys out front. Our Kellen Brauer caught up with a frustrated Adam after Hangtown to hear about his plans going forward and how to get closer to the lead pack.

Racer X: Alright Adam, 5-4 scores on the day so not too shabby, but just take me through it?
Adam Cianciarulo: Yeah, I have been doing a lot of riding by myself. Kind of better than the other guys but not as good as the guys in front of me. So, it's a bit of a frustrating situation because I think typically, I am a guy who has the speed to battle for podiums and wins so it's mentally pretty challenging for me. Not exactly where I want to be, but like I talked about last week it's all about me sticking with it and finding ways to get better instead of focusing on stuff I can’t control. So, I’m pretty pissed off about it. I can’t say, even this has kind of been a trend this year dealing with this stuff, I am not like a good loser. I don’t sit there on the gate thinking, “Oh yeah, we are just going to roll around and get fifth this time.” Even though it may not look like it I am having to put in a lot of effort. And I think I made steps today. I was a little bit closer to the front pack for a little bit longer both motos and didn’t get beat by two minutes so that’s something. But at the end of the day, all I can do is what I can do. We are making good steps with the bike and with myself. I think we can get closer I just have to learn how to do it again and learn how to do it a different way.

 

Going back to qualifying, just by the eye test it looked like you were feeling a little bit froggier today. Is it fair to say you were looking more comfortable on the bike?
Umm I think so. I like Hangtown. Fox Raceway really isn’t my favorite track. I always seem to do pretty well here. But yeah, I’ve still got the speed. I can go around the track as good as anyone else. But I’ve got to be able to do it for 30.

So, is there anything with the bike or is it more just trying to get yourself there?
Yeah, we are making little changes with the bike. I guess it's pretty experimental at this point. Kind of trying different stuff every time, experimenting a bit. But with myself the big thing is I can’t really do what I do, which is at the beginning of the moto I am fast those first few laps I can really lay it down. If I do that now I put my hand situation in a compromised spot. I could go really fast for a while and then I am screwed the rest of the moto basically. So, I am having to be smoother right away, but I know I can do it better than I am doing it. I know there’s more out there even with what I am dealing with. So, yeah, I think I can get closer.

What did you think of this track today. I heard people say it was one lined and kind of tight. I know you rode by yourself for a little bit of it, but what did you think?
Yeah, I thought it was challenging for sure. But I wasn’t a huge fan of the layout changes. I feel like it made it really one lined. The off-camber section after the start it's just follow the leader and some of the stuff in the back. I don’t like it when they make big singles on the insides too, it makes one rut. So, it wasn’t my favorite Hangtown layout but everybody had to race it.

Excited to go east?
Absolutely. It's not quite east but I love Colorado, I’ve always loved going there.

Webb Surprised by Hangtown Podium

Motoonline  Competition Post: Troy Guenther

First podium of the Pro Motocross season at Hangtown's second round.

Image: Octopi Media.

A podium result at Hangtown came earlier than Cooper Webb had anticipated as he continues to build in the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship.

Webb skipped the outdoors altogether last season and entered Fox Raceway’s opener this year off the back of his 450SX title challenge being cut short with a concussion sustained at Nashville.

The Red Bull KTM rider notched 4-5 results in Pala for fifth overall, before posting a calculated ride to P4 in the opening moto at Hangtown. Moto two on Saturday saw Webb assume second place early in the moto and later capitalized on a mistake from teammate Aaron Plessinger to secure the runner-up. A 4-2 scorecard saw him third overall on the day.

“Yeah, I’m stoked man,” said Webb. “That second moto was great for me, I got a good start and ran up front. It was definitely a difficult track to pass on, it helped me though to kind of latch on and get to know the pace and yeah, just get my outdoor legs a little bit again.

“I struggled in the first moto, but we made a bike change that was better for the second one. It was just good to be back battling, the first one I was a distant fourth, just kind of riding around by myself.

“It was good to get a good start and be in the mix, be in the fight and get a podium. I am stoked man, I didn’t expect it to come this early by any means and I still feel like I have a long ways to go, so I am really happy with the performance today.”

Two rounds into the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship and Webb is third in the 450MX standings, 26 points from red plate-holder Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC).

2023 FIM WORLD SUPERCROSS

2023 FIM WORLD SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM LINEUPS FINALISED WITH 40 RIDERS REPRESENTING NINE COUNTRIES

Josh Hill, Kevin Moranz, Anthony Rodriguez, Grant Harlan and more added to the team's rosters

The FIM World Supercross Championship has today announced the finalisation of the rider roster for the upcoming 2023 season. With the remaining 13 rider spots now filled, the anticipation for the opening round in Birmingham continues to build.

SX Global CEO Adam Bailey said this announcement marks an important milestone in the organisation’s efforts to take Supercross to fans around the world with an even greater spread of international talent.

“Since day one, it’s been our ambition to draw talent from all over the world, and I feel that this year’s lineup to date supports that,” said Bailey.

“The teams have done a fantastic job assembling a remarkable group of top riders determined to win a World Title, and we have athletes from the USA, France, England, Scotland, Venezuela, Germany, Australia, Canada and Brazil.

“We have a mix of returning riders and new faces, and each rider brings their own unique style, personality and fan following that will translate into fantastic racing and intense rivalries.

“We’re just weeks away from Birmingham, and we couldn’t be more excited to arrive in England at the start of our first full season. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds when racing kicks off at Villa Park.”

The Craig Dack Racing team will remain virtually unchanged as Josh Hill returns to the WSX 450 class, while Aaron Tanti and Luke Clout will contest a second season in the SX2 250 class. Tanti will be out for redemption when the new season kicks off after just falling shy of the podium in 2022, finishing 4^th overall.

Rounding out the BUD Racing team are Frenchmen Anthony Bourdon and Adrien Escoffier, who will contest the SX2 250 class in this year’s Championship. The two riders had strong seasons in 2022, both finishing in the top 10 in the WSX 450 class.

Jace Owen is another familiar face returning to the World Supercross Championship arena. He has switched to the Team GSM camp for 2023 but will continue to race in the SX2 250 class.

Three new recruits in the WSX 450 class are Kevin Moranz, Honda NILS, Anthony Rodriguez, MDK Motorsports SX, and Grant Harlan, Craig Dack Racing.

World Supercross Championship newcomers in the SX2 250 class include younguns Cullin Park and Hunter Yoder, who will enjoy learning from their legendary PMG teammate Ken Roczen, Max Miller, who joins MDK Motorsports, and Gage Linville, who will join Firepower Polyflor Honda.

Deja Vu!

It appears Honda has finally found a replacement for RC. I think the "Fat Lady" is already warming up her voice. Jett is blasting off!

Times Are Changing

It sure seems like a new era is here, both with the winners and the tracks in Pro Motocross. The Lawrence brothers begin their takeover of both classes, and now Haiden Deegan is on the board as a moto winner. The tracks and the game have changed. Jason Weigandt walks and talks and even finds the Deegan crew for their take on the track and the changes.

Herlings Goes 1-1 at Latvia

TWO-TIME 250 WORLD CHAMPION TOM VIALLE ON WHAT’S HARDER—MXGP OR AMA?

Tom Vialle is a two-time MXGP World Champion in the MX2 (250) class and he recently made the move from Europe to the USA with the Red Bull KTM team. After winning two titles overseas, Tom would be forced to race the 450 class in MXGP, but he decided to take a chance and come to America to ride for Roger Decoster's team, train with Aldon Baker and race AMA Supercross and motocross. In this interview, Tom compares the track differences and the race formats in MXGP and AMA racing.