Riders Join World SX

World SX - Riders Named

 

MotoConcepts Racing Honda is excited to announce its acquisition of a team license for the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and its lineup of riders for the newly formed series.

MCR's determination to contend for wins is reflected in the four-rider lineup: Justin Brayton and Vince Friese, competing aboard Honda CRF450R motorcycles in the SX1 division, and Mitchell Oldenburg and Cole Seely taking on the SX2 division with Honda CRF250R motorcycles when the season begins later this year.

MCR believes the model presented by SX Global, which supports new business opportunities, handles logistics for the tour, and includes the distribution of $50 million to competing teams over the next five years, will boost the profile of Supercross and its stars to a worldwide audience.

"I'm excited for the new opportunity the World Supercross series provides," said Mike Genova, owner of MotoConcepts. "We're going in strong with our rider lineup and know that each one of them is a title contender in their class."

“WSX is an important and exciting opportunity for MCR in many ways! We now have a world platform to operate from and, as one of the ten charter teams, are a leading group that is capable of winning races and championships. This project is nothing short of a dream come true for me, team owner Mike Genova, and our entire crew,” said Tony Alessi, Team Manager of MCR. “Preparation will begin with our annual team summit during the second week of July in Priest Lake, Idaho, and we will then move to Southern California for a six-week summer boot camp.

Justin Brayton is excited to begin a new chapter of his career in familiar surroundings. Although the accomplished racer and father of three has stepped back from full-time competition in the AMA SX series, the opportunity to compete on a world stage prompted his participation. Brayton's experience at the highest level of the sport, domestically and internationally, will be put to the test in his pursuit of the SX1 title. "I'm very excited to be joining MCR for WSX. I think this is a great opportunity for teams and riders to race Supercross around the world at a high level," said Brayton. "I've been traveling the globe in the fall months racing SX-only for years now, so it's something I'm familiar with and am looking forward to!"

Vince Friese has spent much of his career with MCR and contributed significantly to the group's success, including his participation in an innovative split program that yielded 250 Class podiums and 450 Class top-ten finishes in 2022. An excellent starter who is determined to get the best result possible, Friese should flourish and be a front-runner in the SX1 division. "I'm really excited for the opportunity to compete in this new series. Everything about the WSX seems to point toward it being the future of racing at the highest level, and to be there for the first season on what I believe is the best team in the series is a dream come true," stated Friese. "I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity to show that I can compete with the best on the world stage!"

Mitchell Oldenburg's move to MCR was a worthwhile decision for all involved, as the rider's on-track talent, constant improvement, and willingness to work with the team towards a common goal in 2022 proved they reach their full potential together. With Oldenburg's experience in the small-bore class and the team's proven equipment, the goal is for race wins and the SX2 championship. "I'm looking forward to continuing my partnership with MotoConcepts in this new venture of WSX," Oldenburg explained. "It's an amazing opportunity to be able to travel the world and do what I love as part of a group that is committed to success."

The possibility of racing WSX aboard a powerful motorcycle was enough to coax Cole Seely out of retirement, and the skilled rider will join MCR as part of the exciting expansion. A former factory racer with multiple Main Event wins to his record, Seely is expected to be a force in the SX2 class and is hopeful to end the season with the number one plate. "I'm stoked to come back to racing with a switch-up in the normal routine and travel the world. I never lost my competitive side, and it was good to get back to the basics the last few years and find the fun in riding again. I still love to go fast on my dirt bike," Seely shared. "Mike and Tony have given me a great opportunity to do this right, on the best equipment I could ask for, and I'm very thankful for that. I'm also looking forward to running number 200, as it was picked out by Troy Lee the first year that I raced for him!"

The FIM World Supercross Championship will annually take place in the second half of the year, including up to four events in 2022, from early October through November. This year will serve as a "pilot" season, allowing the championship to establish itself and build momentum going into the future. The FIM World Supercross Championship will continue to expand annually between June and November, with up to twelve events in 2023

Italian Vacation!

GasGas Germany MXGP

Tomac Flying W

Tony Talks Racing

Cairoli on altitude, bike set-up at Colorado and going home after High Point?

Antonio Cairoli talks about his day at Colorado and dealing with the altitude with Steve Matthes, but it looks like Cairoli will have his last race this weekend at High Point because he bizarrely isn’t actually getting paid to race the Nationals and is just getting prize money from the US Nationals alongside his ambassador role work for KTM!

Tony wants to make a deal with KTM to stay racing the Nationals beyond round four this weekend but, despite being top KTM in the last two rounds, it looks like TC will be going home after High Point this weekend, the nine-time world champ said: “This is going to be the last race for the moment, we will see after that what we can do. I would love to stay but I don’t want to just race for fun, sometimes you need some other rewards.”

Cairoli, after not having much prep and only getting the go-ahead to race the Nationals a month before at nearly 37 years old, is already on the top five AMA pace if not quite yet for 30 minutes, but if he had more prep and been able to race the full series he could he even have been an outside contender for the title or at least podium contender from the off? KTM have made some strange last-minute decisions around Cairoli this year especially with the lack of results around the other full-time 450 guys. Let’s see how it unfolds from here…

Thunder Valley 250 Action

Return to the top for Gajser at MXGP of Germany

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Section: Competition Post: Troy Guenther

Benistant breaks through with maiden MX2 overall.

It was a return to the top for Team HRC’s Tim Gajser at the 11th round of the 2022 MXGP World Championship, the red plate-holder extending his advantage, as Monster Energy Yamaha MX2’s Thibault Benistant broke through to claim a maiden overall victory in the class.

Gajser grabbed the holeshot in race one and didn’t look back, ultimately taking a 5.8 second victory over Pauls Jonass (Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing) as Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP) was third. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team) made an impressive comeback after missing the opening 11 rounds this year due to injury to finish fourth. 

In race two, Seewer secured the holeshot for the first time this season and went on to take the moto victory, with Gajser’s second enough to grab him the overall ahead of the number 91. Jorge Prado (Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing) was third in the second bout which elevated him to third overall for the round.

Notably, Maxime Renaux did not contest Sunday’s races after fracturing multiple vertebrae in Saturday’s qualifying races, and Febvre capped off his return fifth overall with a P7 in race two.

Gajser has a 99-point lead in the championship ahead of Seewer, with Prado third as Renaux’s absence dropped him to fourth, 120 points from the red plate.

Image: Supplied.

Thibault Benistant broke through to secure his first MX2 overall with a 3-1 scorecard at Teutschenthal, as disaster struck Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle in the second moto.

Vialle won the opening race ahead of title-rival Jago Geerts (Monster Energy Yamaha MX2) and Benistant, and grabbed the holeshot in race two before a technical issue forced him to retire from the race.

Benistant went on to win the second bout, ahead of Geerts who landed P2 overall, and Mikkel Haarup (F&H Kawasaki) who was third in the second race, and third overall at round 11.

Following the MXGP of Germany, Geerts regained control of the red plate to lead Vialle by eight points, with Simon Laegenfelder (Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing third, a further 99 back heading into the 12th round of the season at Indonesia on 26 June.

Tony Cairoli A Class Act!

First, you’ve got to get used to the honesty. European riders just tell you what’s up, no hesitation, no filter. So, when you interview Tony Cairoli, the nine-time World Champion from Italy, you’ve got to understand that he’s just telling you how he feels. These aren’t excuses, these are reasons, and Tony isn’t here to prove anything to anyone, anyway. He’s checking this off the bucket list, racing a few races in the U.S. before he retires.

We talked to Tony during the Staging Area pre-race show on Friday night before Hangtown. He explained how this American deal came about. Turns out Jeffrey Herling’s foot injury, and the possibility of Jeffrey racing in the U.S. instead of MXGP, held up Cairoli’s prep. He would have liked to have the full green light to race in February, but Herling’s health kept everything on hold. So, Tony waited and instead focused on helping KTM with testing, which means bike time but not much endurance training. In fact, he told us he had barely done any 30-minute motos before last week’s race at Fox Raceway.

“The problem was, I was retired and Herlings had a crash. He was going to start with the nationals, that was the plan. KTM told me, 'Nope, we will have Jeffrey there.' Then I found out in March that he couldn’t ride there because he was going to need another surgery or whatever. So KTM said I could go. I would have liked to have had more time.”

 

Also, Cairoli found the production-based U.S. bike has a stiffer frame than the works bike he tests back home, so he’s had to adapt to that as well. He says he could do better if he was in better shape, but when the legs get tired it’s harder to ride around on an unfamiliar bike.

“I just have to be smart and see where I can push, and not do what my mind always wants me to do, at least until I feel more comfortable,” he said. “For sure I’m a racer, and I fight for wins last year, so for sure you are there, but you don’t really have the possibility, so you have to be smart.”

Cairoli is still going to go for it, though, as he holeshot the second moto at Hangtown. Then he threw a big whip because he thought it would make for a cool photo! That should give you an idea where the fun and work balance is for him this summer. As for now, we expect him to be here at least through round four at High Point. How is it going? Aaron Hansel checked in with him Saturday after Hangtown, where Cairoli went 7-6 for 6th overall in 450 Class.

Racer X: How’d it go today?
Antonio Cairoli: The motos were good. I didn’t really have something to complain about. I knew I’m a little slow the first few laps of the race, the first three or four laps, and I need to work on that. We had some improvement from last week, with the bike especially, and I’m excited about that. Let’s keep on that way and try to improve a little more for next round. I know Thunder Valley is a very tough race because of the altitude. I’ve suffered from asthma since I was a kid, and when I was there for the Motocross of Nations, I struggled a lot. And now I’m a little bit out of shape, so I’m not sure what I expect for that that race, but let’s enjoy it and try to make the best of it.

 

Yes, these first two races aren’t easy, and I didn’t know you had asthma, so that makes for a very difficult first three races for you here.
I always have to use some spray before every race, I’ve had asthma since I was a kid, and when you get to altitude it’s an even worse problem. So, let’s just enjoy and whatever comes we take. We’ll just ride for the obsession of the sport and to enjoy the racing.

Absolutely. Were you struggling with your rear shock today?
Some parts we improved, and some parts we need to still work on. The track here was very brutal I’d say. There were a lot of bumps, especially on the downhills, and there were a lot of kickers in places. But I think we have a good spec from last week already.

You’ve never ridden Hangtown before, right?
No, never.

Wow, that’s got to be tough, and you don’t get much practice.
No. Fifteen minutes of timed practice is not so much for me. I don’t really know how to attack the track, and sometimes someone is slow in front of you, or crashes in front of you, and that can mess up the whole session and you don’t have a good gate pick. This is somewhere where we need to improve also, but it’s not easy because everybody goes very quick here, especially in the first part of the race. We need to work on it, but it’s not easy to improve at this age. I can improve something, but to risk too much, that’s not the case for me at the moment.

 

With practice being qualifying, that’s got to be difficult. After the first couple laps everyone just drops the hammer.
Yes. [Chuckles] On the second or third lap, I don’t even remember the track. I can barely put in a better time in the second session because the track obviously gets rougher and it’s harder to get a better time. There are a few things we struggle with.

Hey how cool was the start of that second moto when you holeshot?
The holeshot was good. I thought maybe someone would get a good shot of the jump because it would make a nice picture for my gym at home.

Is that why you whipped it off that jump?
Yeah! [Laughs] Yeah. I’m in front and Ken [Roczen] is next, so why not?

Obviously, you’re a legend in your own right with nothing to prove here, but is it fun for you to come race in America and come battle with some of the American stars you haven’t gotten a chance to race with?
Yeah, it’s super cool for sure. I’m not in the shape I was three or four years ago, but I still enjoy it. I’m riding say, 80 percent and not really taking risk. I know to make it to the podium it takes 100 percent, and this is what we are not, at the moment. I don’t want to get in a stupid crash and get a stupid injury just because I want to prove something. I know what I’ve been in the past and I know what I am now. Let’s take whatever comes.

Not Moto...but Fun!

Dungey...“IT’S GOING TO COME.”

It was almost a Cinderella story last week when, in Ryan Dungey’s return foray into Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, he passed none other than Eli Tomac to take over third place in the first moto. Third! Passing Tomac! For that brief moment it looked like Dungey was officially riding a time machine, and right back to his old podium ways. It didn’t last because Christian Craig and Jason Anderson rolled by, but Dungey took fifth. This was still an impressive result, even amazing or astonishing depending on how you look at it. Fifth is fine. Fifth is great.

But. The immediate thought was that Dungey would quickly improve. If he was this good in one race, what about the next? Well, these things don’t happen that quickly. At round two at Hangtown, his result was actually worse, with a 6-7 after a 5-5 at Fox Raceway.

 

Ryan Dungey ahead of Christian Craig at the 2022 Hangtown Motocross Classic.Align Media

An easier way to look at it is the deficit from Dungey to the moto winner. Here’s the score from the first four motos this year:

44 seconds back
55 seconds back
50 seconds back
48 seconds back

So, right around the same distance. Don’t feel bad for Dunge, though, because he himself wasn’t expecting a dramatic turn in just seven days. He was pretty happy with his Hangtown result. By the way, Dungey has never won at Hangtown before, so it’s not his best track, for what it’s worth.

Aaron Hansel talked to him after Hangtown for a progress report.

Racer X: How was it?
Ryan Dungey: The day was good. The track was pretty challenging this week I’d say. They brought in a lot of dirt, which softened it up, which was good. The track, how it developed, was actually pretty cool, there were a lot of lines. For myself, we’re in a good spot. I feel like we’re making improvements and headed in the right direction. We tried a few things in the motos, in the second one as far as the setup that didn’t go as well, but we live and we learn and we have a general direction we know we need to go in with the bike. I’m really encouraged by that. Just going to be a steady process of getting better. I have to be patient too, with myself and with this process. I just have to keep building the intensity and improving in all areas. It’s just going to take time.

 

"I feel like we’re making improvements and headed in the right direction." - Ryan DungeyAlign Media

Speaking of intensity, you’ve been here before, you knew it was going to be intense, but have you been surprised at the current level of intensity?
Yes and no. I knew six years away, if I had a whole year to prepare maybe, but I knew the speed and intensity were going to be the biggest factors. For me, that’s going to take time. It’s going to come. I just need to keep steadily applying myself and closing the gap, and for me that’s the challenge, to keep improving. I do believe with where I was kind of gauging, especially in the first moto, where Eli and Christian, and Kenny, I do think we’re making progress. It’s baby steps, but where we were at last weekend to this weekend, it’s encouraging. For me the intensity and speed from a guy like Eli is unbelievable, and from a guy like Chase, he’s just got this raw speed, and he’s smooth. I always knew watching him come up he was going to be really good, so racing with him firsthand, you knew it was going to be tough.

Coming back, are you finding things that you didn’t necessarily think about, but find all kinds of things on race day just coming back to you? Like after qualifying I saw you looked like you were on a mission, you looked intense, and it was straight back to the pits and were immediately talking to Carlos [Rivera] right away. Do you just fall right back into it?
Yeah, it’s kind of the challenge of the whole sport. Yeah, you work physically, and you have to work on the bike, and do all the testing you want, but the race is the true test. So you always want to talk things through to make small steps and changes. We’re trying to get better; we’re driven to get better. Even if we won this weekend, back in the past we’d still be asking how we could get better. It’s inevitable and we’re always evolving because even if you’re winning the competition will catch up. Everything keeps evolving. I think we just have to be proactive, and that’s what you’re seeing.

This question may not apply because it’s not like you haven’t been riding in the last six years, but are you surprised at the difference of the factory equipment now versus when you were racing before?
In ’18 there was a new model, and they raced that one all the way up to the new model they just came out with. This bike, the feel and comfort are for sure better. That was one of the draws to racing again. It was like, ‘Man, I want to race this bike.’ The overall bike has gotten better, and so has all the equipment. Everything has evolved.