2023 Dakar Rally...Saudi Arabia

The 2023 Dakar Rally heads back to Saudi Arabia for its fourth edition on December 31 with the world's best off-road racers facing 5,000 racing kilometres spread over 14 timed special stages before the chequered flag finally falls at Dammam on January 15. Here is all you need to know:

About the Dakar Rally

- The Dakar Rally is the pinnacle of the Rally Raid calendar. Rally raid, also known as cross-country rallying, is a form of long-distance off-road racing that takes place over several days.

- The Dakar Rally adventure has its origins in 1977 when French motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorbike in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. After navigating his way out of the desert, the Frenchman was determined to design a race that drew on his experience with a route starting in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossing Agadez before eventually finishing at Dakar. Since that time, the Dakar Rally has evolved from racing in Africa to South America and now to Saudi Arabia.

- The race consists of one stage per day comprising at least one "special" stage each (several hundred kilometres long), which may be on or off-road. The total distance covered is several thousand kilometres. The event takes place over a period of ten to fifteen days.

- The classification of the stage is made up of the times set in the special stage plus any sporting penalties. The race requires precise navigation, which is done via a roadbook provided by the organisers and handed out at the start of each stage.

- The starting order of each special will be based on the times set in the timed sector of the previous stage, including any sporting penalties (e.g. for speeding in link sectors or missing waypoints) incurred during the stage.

- The 2023 Dakar Rally will be the longest route since 2014 participants will tackle 5,000 kilometres of specials into a prologue and 14 stages. The Prologue Stage launches on December 31, 2022, in Yanbu by the Red Sea with the field looking to make it all the way across - loaded with more dunes and potential pitfalls than ever before - to Dammam on the Arabian Gulf for a January 15 finish.

The 2023 Dakar Rally Red Bull Athletes

- Motorsport's toughest test of endurance racing sees the Red Bull Desert Wings squad of champions and fresh-faced talents preparing to push themselves to the limit over the gruelling sands of Saudi Arabia.

- In the T1 Car Class, Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel (FRA) return to Saudi Arabia behind the wheel of a Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+ with the Qatari driver aiming for a fourth Dakar title. The 51-year-old said: "We're ready to defend our title. It would be incredible to win again."

- Also using the Toyota Hilux T1+ will be Giniel De Villiers (ZAF)/Dennis Murphy (ZAF) and Lucas Moraes (BRA)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU), while Sébastien Loeb (FRA) returns in his BRX Prodrive Hunter alongside co-driver Fabian Lurquin (BEL) after being runner-up to Al-Attiyah in 2022.

- Three-time Dakar winner Carlos Sainz (ESP) and co-driver Lucas Cruz (ESP) will compete in their Audi RS Q e-tron E2 with Monsieur Dakar himself Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) and co-driver Edouard Boulanger (FRA) also joining Mattias Ekström (SWE)/ Emil Bergkvist (SWE) in Audi's three-pronged assault while Dakar stalwart Kuba Przygoński (POL) competes for MINI with co-driver Armand Monleon (ESP).

- Defending Dakar and FIM World Rally-Raid Championship bike champion Sam Sunderland (GBR) will represent Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing as he targets a third Dakar victory. He declared: "The 2023 race is looking to be one of the toughest ever. I'm under no illusion as to what that means."

- Also riding with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing is Daniel Sanders (AUS) who scored fourth in 2021 with two-time Dakar winner Toby Price back on his KTM 450 Rally bike. The Australian said: "The terrain in Saudi Arabia makes the rally very fast. Some stages are a sprint to the finish."

- Red Bull KTM Factory Racing also boast former champions Matthias Walkner (AUT) and Kevin Benavides (ARG), while Štefan Svitko (SVK), Mohammed Balooshi (ARE) and Camille Chapelière (FRA) line up too.

- In the side-by-side category, a new collaboration between the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team and Can-Am sees 20-year-old Seth Quintero (USA) racing a Can-Am Maverick T3 alongside co-driver Dennis Zenz (GER). He said: "I think we've got a really good base and shot at winning Dakar." Seth Quintero holds the record for the most stages won in the Dakar Rally, with 12 stage wins 2022.

- Austin 'AJ' Jones (USA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) and Mitch Guthrie (USA)/Kellon Walch (USA) also line up with Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) and co-driver Pablo Moreno (ESP) taking charge of a Can-Am Maverick for the first Dakar time. She enthused: "We're going to have some fun for sure."

- Reigning Dakar T3 champions Chaleco López (CHL) and Juan Pablo Latrach (CHL) are now team-mates of Gutiérrez with Rokas Baciuška (LTU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP), Guillaume De Mevius (BEL)/François Cazalet (FRA) and three-time quad race winner Ignacio Casale (CHL) and navigator Alvaro León (CHL) also on the start line as the motorsport world gets set for another titanic tussle over the sand dunes to start the New Year.

West Michigan man named to Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30′ list for motocross parts business

NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI — A professional motocross rider from West Michigan is finding a new type of success in the sport as a businessman.

Nick Tomasunas, of Newaygo, and his business MX Locker were recently named as one of Forbes Magazine’s 2023 “30 Under 30″ retail and E-commerce businesses.

Tomasunas has been racing professionally for the last four years and started MX Locker with his friends Ryan Amolis and Andrew Samole.

MX Locker serves as an online marketplace to buy new and used motocross gear and bike parts. The MX Locker app launched in the spring of 2021 and has since grown to service over 100,000 users.

“Ryan started this as his little side project in college and he’d go to us riders and ask to buy our old gear,” said Tomasunas, who serves as the company’s chief marketing officer. “I caught wind of that and I helped him out, becoming his first team rider.”

Motocross can be a high-stakes sport, from the risk for serious injuries to some seriously large price tags. A higher-end helmet for the sport can run between $700-$800, not to mention the actual bikes.

“It really depends on how involved you want to get, but for suspension, that can run $10,000,” Tomasunas said. “If you’re to go out and buy a wheel set, that’s $1,500. There’s a ton of money in motocross. Even race fuel is $50-$75 a gallon. It’s gnarly.”

Those costs can be particularly inhibitive to new riders just getting into the sport who are unsure if they want to shell out thousands of dollars yet.

“What’s so great about this app is that we’re a marketplace for new and used stuff,” Tomasunas said. “So for people looking into getting into this sport, they can find used deals to somewhat get into this sport.”

MX Locker serves as a specialized marketplace for riders to sell their used items directly to others interested in the sport. Tomasunas said the most popular items for sale are bike suspensions and boots.

“Motocrossers love their boots and you go through them fairly quickly,” he said.

Other items for sale on the app include graphics, brakes, tires, fuel systems, gloves, goggles, engine parts and other apparel.

Tomasunas said it was his business partners’ idea to apply for the Forbes “30 Under 30″ list, but he didn’t think they would actually be selected.

“What are the chances of us making that list?” he said. “I woke up at 6:30 a.m. (the day the list came out) and Ryan texted me a like to it with no context. It was unreal.”

According to the business’s Forbes profile, MX Locker is on track to pass over $3 million in sales by the end of 2022.

“It’s my entire life now,” Tomasunas said. “I love it. I wake up and I’m excited to work and be surrounded by it. I don’t really race as much anymore, but this is the most important to me. A pro racer doesn’t really make that much money unless you’re in the top five, so now I’m chasing this business and riding for fun.”

Tomasunas said he and his business partners hope to be able to expand the user base of their marketplace to over 1 million people.

“Honestly, we’re taking things day by day, but I want this thing to grow into the seven figures,” he said.

MX Locker is available for download on smartphones or can be accessed at its website, mxlocker.com.

SuperMotocross World Championship

SuperMotocross League’s Dave Prater talks new world championship, broadcast team, NBC/Peacock deal, and more

"It's action-packed. It's kind of modern-day Evel Knievel. They're the best in the world at what they do. "

 

NBCOriginalsPeacockRacingStreamingBy Andrew Bucholtz on 12/20/2022

2023 will mark the 50th year of the AMA Supercross Championship, and that championship will now be part of a year-long SuperMotocross League unifying the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. There will be 31 races across supercross and pro motocross, with all of those available live on Peacock. 23 will stream live exclusively on Peacock, with eight also broadcast live on other NBC platforms, and next-day encores for all races on CNBC.

The SuperMotocross League announced its schedule and broadcasting team Tuesday. It will start with the supercross season opener from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., live on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network. An encore presentation will air the following day on Sunday, Jan. 8, on NBC at 2 p.m. ET and on CNBC at 1 a.m. ET. The 2023 pro motocross season begins with the Fox Raceway National in Pala, Calif., on Saturday, May 27, at 4 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. There are still going to be individual supercross and motocross championships, but the overall season will end with two playoff events and then the SuperMotocross World Championship Final, which will air live on Saturday, Oct. 14 on USA and Peacock. And they’ve put together quite a lineup of broadcasters; here’s more from a release on that.

The 2023 SuperMotocross commentary team will consist of Leigh Diffey, Todd Harris, Daniel Blair, and Jason Weigandt as play-by-play announcers across all 31 events. 15-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael and seven-time AMA champion James Stewart will serve as analysts throughout the year while Blair, Will Christien, and former veteran racer Jason Thomas will provide on-track reports.

Race Day Live will expand in 2023 to cover all 31 races of the SuperMotocross World Championship series exclusively on Peacock. Dan Hubbard and Daniel Blair will serve as hosts of the pre-race program, which will feature 2.5 hours of coverage for each Supercross event, one hour for each Pro Motocross event, and 2.5 hours for both SuperMotocross Playoff events and the SuperMotocross World Championship Final.

Ahead of Tuesday’s schedule release, Dave Prater, vice president for supercross at Feld Entertainment, Inc (the SuperMotocross League parent company) spoke to AA on this new league launch and on their schedule. He said the combined league seemed like a logical evolution for these competitions:

“I think it was just the natural next step. Pro motocross is really where supercross gets its roots, 1974 when supercross was invented, it was first out of pro motocross. And it’s been really the same athletes, the same race teams that have been doing both championships for 50 years now, so it really was just the next step to bring the two sports together and collectively try to grow the sport as a whole.”

Prater said the combined season will be helpful from a storytelling perspective.

“There’s the storyline that we can now follow from January all the way through to October. It’s going to be continuous, and there’s obviously going to be twists and turns along the way, with the supercross championship being first and the motocross championship being second. There are going to be stories that overlap those two championships, and there will be riders who are unfortunately injured and have to come back, and that type of thing.”

“In the past, we really told the stories in two separate chunks, very siloed. We would tell the supercross story and then when that was done, we closed the book, put it away and waited until next year, and then we’d start with the motocross story. This is really going to continue a story that fans can follow for the entire year. So that’s what I’m most excited about.”

Back in October, Feld Entertainment and NBC announced the creation of this league and that all races would be available live on Peacock. Prater said the consistency there will be be a boost for fans.

“It’s definitely easier. Obviously the fans know now that there’s one platform where they can go and watch all the races, all 31. In the past, that hasn’t been the case. …I think the unification under one network and one streaming platform, I think that’s just great for the fans. It’s going to make it easy. People will know where to go and when to watch it and how to watch it.”

And Prater said he’s thrilled with the announcing team they’ve put together.

“You can’t really get any better than Leigh Diffey and Ricky Carmichael. When it comes to supercross and motocross, Ricky is the GOAT. He’s been doing not only supercross but at least four or five motocross broadcasts. And then we’ve also got James Stewart, who’s an AMA Hall of Fame member just recently. We’ve got Jason Weigandt, who’s a long-time motocross play-by-play guy. So we really have a strong collective team that’s going to be used.”

Prater said it’s another benefit of the new league to combine some of that talent across the different events.

“And it’s not only now in supercross and then we have another team that does motocross. We’re going to cross-pollinate, for lack of a better term, some of that announcing talent throughout supercross and motocross, and then obviously the playoffs and the Supermotocross World Championship finals.”

For those new to supercross or motocross, Prater said both competitions are worth checking out, and this combined league may provide a way in for new fans.

“It’s the world’s most elite dirt bike racers. It’s action-packed. It’s kind of modern-day Evel Knievel. They’re the best in the world at what they do. And the two separate disciplines, one (supercross) inside a stadium, it’s tight, they have to be precise. And then one outside, it’s wide open, it’s endurance, and speed, and pure guts. It’s a spectacle, it’s the 20 best riders in the world.”

RJ...Intensity

KR Why He Switched to Suzuki

Ken Roczen spoke to Steve Matthes and Micheal Lindsay on the Pulp MX show about his switch to Suzuki, and the German says he loves the bike and believes he can win races on the yellow machine!

Roczen also talked about riding the Stark Varg and the drug test drama at WSX that he took that he says was blown out of proportion. Roczen also confirmed that he has the option to race outdoors or WSX after the AMA indoor season.

“It did something for me,” said Roczen on riding the Suzuki for the first time. “I have been on that bike a lot, although it is a lot different than 2016 but my goal… I had been with Honda for so many years. I loved the whole team (Firepower Honda team he raced Paris and WSX). I loved working with them and they did a really good job with the bike but ultimately, I’m like, man, I’m in this position and my biggest goal was to expand my horizons and try something different and spark it up in my career.

“I was pretty sold (on staying with his private Honda team), but at the same time I wanted to give this a legit shot, I didn’t want go up there and make pre decisions on how it was going to be, I just wanted to go up there and ride it. I rode it for a couple of days, and I ended up going with those guys (HEP), and I am really stoked that I did. I enjoyed it, I was going for something new and I just had a good feeling about it. It felt familiar, I really like the size of the bike – it felt bigger to me than the Honda. I’m excited to tinker with it a little bit more, but for the base they gave me I was really impressed with it.”

Sexton on the New Season

 With a new teammate and added direction at Team Honda HRC, the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season is shaping up to be a strong one for Chase Sexton. Alongside Colt Nichols at Honda now and coming off one of his best campaigns yet, the 23-year-old is on the verge of piecing it altogether for a run at the 450SX championship and he spoke to us at length for this latest Inside Line interview.

RacerX Interviews Chase Sexton

A lot of eyes are on Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton heading into 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and for good reason. The now 23-year-old had a remarkable year in 2022 where he clicked off his first career 450SX main event win and parlayed that success into a just-missed Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship title. Only one of the greatest ever to do it, in Eli Tomac, could stand in his way. He then was part of the winning Team USA group at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations that brought the Chamberlain Trophy home for the first time since 2011. Sexton has arrived and is here to stay.

With that in mind, many believe he comes into 2023 as one of the favorites to win. He’s now also the team leader at Honda HRC after longtime Honda rider Ken Roczen departed to Suzuki in the off-season. As we build up to the season, we caught up with Chase to see how his off-season is going as hey eyes the prize in ’23.

Racer X: Let’s talk about the off-season a little bit. You did the MXoN, then you took some time off, then you were in California for a little bit with Peter Park, and then now back in Florida. Just describe the last couple of months and how it has been for you.
Chase Sexton: Yeah, obviously we had MXoN which made my season a little bit longer, which went really well, actually. Obviously got the win. After that, I came straight here [California] actually, and we got on supercross. Tested, then I actually got to go to Hawaii for my first-ever vacation, so that was pretty sick. Got to go with a whole bunch of my buddies. Got to kind of just chill and relax. Went to Kauai. A lot of surfing. Just overall got to relax and kind of check out a little bit. So, that was good. I went back to Florida for a week and a half. Got to chill a little bit at home. Then came back out here, tested for two days and then went to Santa Barbara and actually didn’t ride for three weeks. I just was off-the-bike training. Then went back home and now I’ve been on the bike for, this will be my third or fourth week. The [early] testing kind of allowed me to take more time off. I’m actually in a really good spot with the bike. Riding has been good. I’m overall happy. I feel like I got a little bit of refreshment this off-season, so I’m looking forward to Anaheim 1.

You did that kind of the same program last year where you were out here in California, you did the Peter Park [training] thing, and then you went back to Florida. What are you trying to fine-tune a little bit this year to make a little bit better?
Actually last year I was riding. I was riding at Castillo. This year it didn’t work out so much, so I was just off-the-bike training, which I think allowed me to really focus on that aspect. Then when I go to the dirt bike, I’m not trying to do two things at once. I can really focus on that specific thing. My off-the-bike training was really, really good. I gained more fitness, and then when I got back on the bike, I was already comfortable because we had done that testing. I’ve been at Jack Chambers’ place in Florida which is different from last year. I was at [Tyla] Rattray’s but his place unfortunately got shut down. So, everything has been good. I’ve been comfortable on the bike. Colt [Nichols, teammate] has been helping a lot with testing. We made a change this week actually at our photoshoot that has really gotten my comfort level up even more. Overall, everything is good. The team vibe is good. As far as program-wise, it’s fairly the same. Just minor few tweaks. Trying to train off the bike and then get back on the bike and focus on that. That’s really the only changes for this year. I guess more maturity is the biggest thing.

Riding and training at Chambers’ place, how much different is that than last year? What kind of program do you have built around you?
Everything is relatively the same. I’m just at a different track. Being at Chambers’, the dirt is really soft. It breaks down like a main event, as close as you can get in practice. During a 20-minute moto, I have to change my line three or four times because certain ruts get super chewed out. So, that’s one thing that’s really helped me, I think. When you do laps at the test tracks out here, the lines are so hard-packed that you can just do the same thing every lap. For me, at the races I feel like I struggle with changing lines. So, that’s something that I feel like I’ve worked on this year so far. We’ve got a month left to really fine-tune things, but honestly right now I’m really happy in the spot I’m at.

You talked about it a little bit in this intro press conference here, that you’re like the team leader now. Obviously, Colt is coming into his first year, trying to learn a little bit. You had Kenny before to kind of lean on maybe for some advice, but now that’s going to be more your role. Does that add a little bit more pressure to you, or is it something that you welcome?
I definitely welcome it. In the past with Kenny, I was not second guy. I was expected to win, but I was also kind of under his shadow a little bit. Especially after last year, even throughout the year last year I feel like I’ve kind of taken that role over. So, for me, I like it. I like being in this position. I’ve said it a hundred times that my expectations are higher than anybody else’s. I go out there every weekend and do my best and that’s all I can do. So, for me, the goal stays the same. Just stoked the position I’m in, having Colt alongside of me. I’ve known him since I was probably 12 years old training at Robbie Reynard’s place. We have a good relationship and I think that’s going to pay off.

• Chase Sexton in his 2023 threads.Honda HRC

You talked a little bit too about the goal last year, you wanted to click off that win and finally you did. Then it started kind of snowballing outdoors. How much has your mindset changed going into this year where you know you’re going into A1, you want to win this title, and you’ve got to start off on the right foot?
For me, I won the third race last year which came fast. But I think for me this year, you’ve got to really look at what Eli [Tomac] has done in the past. When he goes on a run mid-season, that’s really the meat of the year. That’s when you want to make the most points, at least for me. I think starting off hot is good and it’s good for your confidence, but the main goal is to be on the podium and then really start ramping up middle of the year and that’s always towards the end. I want to come in at A1 and my goal is to win, but I want to obviously be smart with it. There are so many good guys that you can’t go out there and ride conservative. You have to be on your toes. So, just really about putting yourself in a good position. Getting that win last year was good, but we’re going to need a lot more of those coming into this year. So, looking forward to it and I’m ready for the challenge.

We go into October now with this racing and the SMX thing. How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically for that, to know that it’s going to be so much longer of a grind, in a way? We’re not going until September. We’re going into October now.
That’s really one of the main reasons I started riding later. All these guys start riding so soon. Obviously, you want to be ready for A1, but you start riding in October, you’re going to be riding for 12 months straight and grinding. So for me, I wanted to take my time and really pick and choose when I started riding, just because I know when I’m on the bike I’m going to be hammering down. So, I just wanted to start a little bit later this year. Not going to be underprepared at all, but kind of just take as much time off the bike as I needed just to be fresh, and then come in ready to go. Throughout the season last year I felt like I did a really good job of being on top of where I was recovery-wise and if I needed time off. Some of those off-weeks, I wouldn’t not ride, but I wouldn’t ride on a strict schedule. I would take time off as I needed. So, that’s going to be the biggest thing, just taking time off when needed and being recovered for the races. That's the biggest thing.

ClubMX - Beyond The Race

A Redemption Story

The Epitome of Style

1974 Roger DeCoster at speed. Look at the parking crowd in the bakground.

SuperEnduro... Poland