Masterpool Out

Ty Masterpool Undergoes Surgery on Both Ankles, Set to Get Shoulder Surgery in "Next Few Weeks"

Ty Masterpool has posted an update on his personal Instagram page. 

The Texas native posted a three-and-a-half-minute video providing an update on his shoulder injury, which will keep him out for the remainder of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, and more injuries he is working through.

In short, Masterpool said in the video that he dislocated his shoulder ahead of the Arlington 250SX East Division opener. He got it put back in (via Gizmo Yamaha team manager Bobby Fisher's help) quickly, but they decided to have him sit out the opener. Then, while on a turn track before the Daytona SX his shoulder was not feeling good still and was tight. Masterpool said an MRI revealed a "pretty big tear" in his labrum, which will require surgery.

While sidelined for the immediate future with this shoulder injury, Masterpool said he wanted to have surgery to fix "bad ankles" he has had his whole life. He got both ankles fixed in one surgery and is hoping to get his shoulder surgery in the next few weeks. 

It sounds like the shoulder surgery could likely keep Masterpool out of the first half of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship as well, as he said the recovery process from the surgery is three to six months. Pro Motocross starts May 30 in California. Three months from now is two weeks into June: six months from now is two weeks into September. Is this going to end Masterpool's year completely?

Here is Masterpool's full explanation, which you can read and/or watch below in his post.

"What up, guys? As you can tell, we're in a wheelchair and have to get three pretty big surgeries, and didn't even have a crash, [Laughs] So, I guess I'll start from the beginning. But, yeah, I was here at the facility testing with the team, testing a 250 and shoulder just got yanked forward and it popped out the first time I ever popped my shoulder out, so kind of weird for it to come out like that. But yeah, shout out to Bobby [Fisher], the team manager, he popped it back in pretty quick. So, I was good that [it] wasn't out for too long. And then, yeah, later that week we were just doing PT, and I tried to ride and shoulder was just pretty...it was just too unstable. So, team and I thought it was best to miss the home race [Arlington] and get ready for Daytona, which was the weekend after. And meanwhile, MRI report came back and doc said, I have a pretty big tear in my labrum as well as some other damage. And they said if I don't get surgery, it'll just keep on popping out and create more damage. And obviously that could lead to a bigger crash and etc. So, yeah, they're saying three to six months for that.

And then to address the ankles, pretty much just had bad ankles my whole life. I was just born with them. Like, for example, whenever I would go to a trampoline park whenever I was a kid, like I couldn't even walk the next day, I'd be in so much pain. So, yeah, like pretty much every day I ride supercross, I'm in quite a bit of pain, but I mean, I've just managed to be able to block that out and push through it and not let it hinder me at all, so. To me, I was like, no point of getting surgery and being out for that long with that. So, but to me, since I have to be out for a while [after shoulder surgery], I thought I would just fix the ankles, and I feel like I'll be able to be a better athlete with them fixed as well. But that's a whole nother long story [Laughs] to go over all that." "Yeah, sorry for the late post...just news kept on getting worse and worse by day. So, yeah, it's been a pretty hard pill to swallow to get three pretty big surgeries without even having a crash. And obviously I was a privateer this year, especially after spending all my own money. I spent a lot of money and a lot of good sponsors helping me out and didn't even get to show myself. So, yeah, pretty, pretty bummed on that. I was just having so much fun riding and I was feeling good.

And, yeah, I didn't even get to show myself. So, yeah, I've kind of been a rough couple of weeks. But I mean, I truly believe God works all things for good, even though, like, it's hard for me to see what that good is right now. But I'm sure eventually I'll be able to see it. But I mean, all I can do right now is make every day the most of it. So, yeah, that's why we're in the gym right now, getting a little upper body workout. I mean, I guess the better I go under surgery, the better I'll come out. So, yeah, just doing everything I can to keep the fitness and keep the ball rolling. And, yeah, obviously I tried to get all three surgeries at once [Laughs], but they wouldn't let that happen. I can only convince them to do the both ankles. Normally, though, you don't even do both ankles at the same time but convince them to do that. And, yeah, I couldn't get the shoulder done. So, we'll get the shoulder done here in the next few weeks and, yeah, I'll keep you guys in the loop, keep you guys posted when I'll be back. But, yeah, I guess that's kind of it for now. Yeah. Just appreciate you guys for all the love and support and all that. So, yeah. See you guys."

Super Cross Lappers

Eli Tomac tweets about lappers and wanting works bikes!

After his comments in lappers in the press following nearly having his night ended by Vince Friese, Tomac has added more with a rare tweet!

In the press conference, Tomac argued that there should only be 15 riders in the main event on short lap time main events and 30 on the gate outdoors, saying: “I was able to get to second at one point and then got balled up by lappers and paid the price for it. It was frustrating that way and then I almost got taken out in the in the second moto by lappers. It’s bad I think if the track sub 50 seconds, make it a 15 man gate. I mean, there, they’re just riders that are way off the pace of the top lead group and if the promoter wants to potentially lose championship contenders, I mean, let’s keep it the way it is, but yeah, frustrating but got out of here healthy and clean and second is what we had.”

“Like what Hunter said it’s repeat offenders It’s the same people doing the same thing over and over again. They don’t get a big enough penalty for it. It’s just it’s kind of outrageous. It’s frustrating for us. Yeah, I mean these guys are six/seven seconds a lap slower  – maybe even more and they’re out there with this. So really they’re just a hazard, I don’t know for the exact penalty. I think it’s just less riders on the gate and I actually think motocross should be 30 guys on the gate. I think both series has an issue with with too many bikes on the track and then especially once it gets to a short lap time.”

See the incident with Friese here:

This article continues below

Tomac then responded to some of the chatter he has been reading with a long tweet saying he would love works bikes back!

Tomac tweeted: “People saying we wouldn’t deal with lappers with if we were all on stock bikes. It’s quite the opposite of the truth. The 450 class is actually easier to be competitive in its current state compared to the 250 class. Want to be competitive throughout a whole season with a do it your self effort on a 250, going against teams with endless R&D squeezing maximum power out of the small displacement. Good luck.

“On top of keeping engines and race bikes in safe hourly rotation. There’s not a whole lot of light at the end of that tunnel without a blank check. IMO 450 class needs to be non production based, with the baddest works bikes on planet earth.

“The beautiful thing about Supercross and Motocross is that skill and hard work will always prevail. And yes that would still shine with works bikes.

“Or maybe we just keep everything the way it is, because our sport is pretty sweet.”

HRC stars dominate MXGP of Argentina

The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship roared into life in spectacular fashion at the season-opening MXGP of Argentina, where Jeffrey Herlings delivered a flawless debut for Honda HRC Petronas with a dominant 1-1 performance at the spectacular Bariloche MX Race Track.

After a difficult qualifying race on Saturday, the Dutchman bounced back in emphatic style to claim his 113th career Grand Prix victory, taking control of the championship lead thanks to two race wins.

Reigning champion Romain Febvre began his title defence solidly with second overall for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, while former MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle impressed on his full-time MXGP debut with third overall, completing a strong opening weekend for Honda.

Packed hillsides of fans were treated to intense racing around the fast, wide Argentine circuit, which had been lightly reworked overnight to make conditions more technical under the blazing Patagonian sunshine.

Herlings made a perfect start in race one, grabbing the holeshot ahead of teammate Vialle and Andrea Adamo.

The early laps saw a thrilling battle develop at the front, with Vialle launching a bold move around the outside to take the lead on lap four. Behind them, Febvre and rising star Lucas Coenen worked their way into contention.

Herlings bided his time before striking late in the race, sweeping past Vialle in the closing stages to secure the win. Febvre held off Coenen for third, while Pauls Jonass completed the top five.

Further back, Tim Gajser battled through injuries from a Saturday crash to finish sixth ahead of Maxime Renaux.

The second moto began chaotically after an aborted start forced a red flag and restart.

Renaux grabbed the holeshot when racing resumed, but Vialle quickly moved into the lead while Febvre slotted into second.

Herlings initially found himself outside the top ten and faced a serious charge through the field. Using a fast line along the start straight, the Dutchman picked off rivals one by one, first passing Gajser and then Vialle.

When Renaux crashed while battling stomach cramps, the focus shifted to a tense fight between Herlings and Febvre. With only a handful of laps remaining, Herlings launched a decisive cutback pass that sent the Argentine crowd into a frenzy and secured both the race and the Grand Prix victory.

Gajser finished third in the race, with Vialle fourth and Ruben Fernandez rounding out the top five.

Herlings’ perfect 50-point score means he and teammate Vialle leave Argentina tied at the top of the championship, although the Dutchman carries the red plate thanks to his superior race wins tally.

Febvre sits just two points behind after a consistent weekend, while Coenen and Gajser complete the early top five.

With the opening round delivering drama, speed and packed crowds, the 2026 MXGP season has already laid down a serious marker ahead of round two in Europe.

Herlings sensational, Vialle a standout rookie: big day for Honda in MXGP

Honda triumphs in Argentina with its new stars: Herlings wins the GP, Vialle 2nd, champion Febvre completes the podium. Report and standings.

First outing with Honda, first GP triumph with a double moto win. What more can be said about the extraordinary Jeffrey Herlings? With zero points yesterday in qualifying, he completely put the hiccups behind him and stamped his mark in his own way on the Bariloche round. Dominance in Race 1, a comeback on champion Romain Febvre and a final triumph in Race 2, in which Tim Gajser grabs his first podium with Yamaha. The expected riders did not disappoint, but let’s add the wonderful surprise Tom Vialle, a rookie starting from pole in MXGP and 2nd overall, to the delight of Honda HRC Petronas, which kicks off with a one-two in the overall. Our Andrea Adamo, the best of the Italians at this GP, begins his 450 adventure with two top-10 finishes. Note, a sandy track with plenty of water poured both yesterday and before the races to make the surface more “forgiving.” After yesterday’s twists and turns (here are the qualifiers), here’s how Sunday’s racing in Argentina went.

Race 1

Gate drops and Jeffrey Herlings takes the lead: after the pile-up in the first corner, the former KTM rider, coming off a complicated qualifying, is out for payback. Adamo and Vialle follow, with the latter soon getting the better of the Italian as he aims to challenge his teammate. Great launch by Bonacorsi in 5th behind reigning champion Febvre, Coenen meanwhile loses several positions and Gajser sits on the edge of the top 10. After a few laps the duel at the front between the two Honda HRC aces heats up! Vialle gets the upper hand and checks out for at least a few laps. Herlings seems to be closing in, an error allows Febvre and Coenen (who had crashed earlier) to move up, but only for a moment. The Dutchman charges back, and in the last three laps he makes the decisive attack and break: first triumph with Honda—actually an HRC one-two with the Frenchman in P2—while champion Febvre claws back to third. Noted: a crash and retirement for Bonacorsi, a real shame as he was holding his first top 10 with Ducati...

Race 2

Lightning start this time from the Kawasakis, especially Febvre who immediately takes the lead. Fernandez, Adamo and Vialle follow, while Herlings is 13th. Guadagnini retires straight away, Ducati loses Vlaanderen, and eyes now on Bonacorsi aiming for the top 10. But on lap 2 comes the red flag, everything stops, and we can clearly see what happened at the start: Forato jumped early because the gate dropped prematurely, while two other riders were blocked by gates that stayed up despite the go signal. A few minutes and a restart for everyone from the original order: another hectic launch, until Vialle edges out Renaux, Febvre, Gajser, Fernandez, Herlings, Adamo and so on. There’s also an early pile-up, with Forato among those involved... As the laps go by, however, the champion climbs back and takes the lead, Renaux crashes, while Gajser gets very close to his first podium with Yamaha and finally wrests it from Vialle. Is that it? Absolutely not—watch out for a rampant Jeffrey Herlings who decides 2nd isn’t enough: he marches back up to Febvre, passes him and takes his second win of the day, sealing the overall GP victory. There couldn’t have been a better debut with Honda!

MX Large .com...Herlings Takes Argentina

Herlings is still blistering fast after all these years!

HRC factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings has gone 1-2 to win the MXGP of Argentina, his 113th GP victory and his first for the Honda team. Brilliant start to the MXGP season of 2026 as the five time world champion just oozing confidence as we head to Spain and round two. Frenchmen, Romain Febvre of the Kawasaki factory team went 3-2 and Tom Vialle of HRC went 2-4 for second and third overall.

Jeffrey Herlings: Yes, it wasn't easy, that second moto I was second and somebody smashed it in there and I was 8th or 10th and passed all the top guys. Kept my energy for that second moto. Going 1-1 is pretty special and for the team, I want to thank them, Honda, Gariboldi, they worked hard for this. We had a small problem after the crash, on the bike, but today 1-1 and the first moto was easier than the second one. I look forward to the next one.

Romain Febvre: I can be happy about the podium, because I don’t feel my self on the bike and we need a better set-up, but I don’t feel comfortable and we adjust some things and we get better.

Tom Vialle: For sure, coming here I didn’t know what to expect, but my speed was good. Led and then stalled the bike and hopefully we can fix that for the next one.

Championship points are now Jeffrey Herlings 50 points, Tom Vialle 50 points, Romain Febvre 48pts, Lucas Coenen 42pts and Tim Gajser 36pts.

MXGP Moto Two

Febvre with the lead in the second MXGP moto, with Adamo second, then Fernandez, Vialle, Jonass, Guadaganini, Renaux, Gajser, Bonacorsi, Coenen, and Herlings 11th. Vialle pushed his way past Adamo, and Herlings moved past two riders to move into ninth place.

Febvre with a 1.4 second lead over Fernandez, with Vialle pushing his fellow HRC team-mate. Coenen and Herlings both around eight seconds behind Febvre. Jonass into fourth with a pass on Adamo, and Coenen and Herlings both pass Gajser to move to seventh and eight.

Top ten on lap two was Febvre, Fernandez, Vialle, Jonass, Adamo, Renaux, Coenen, Herlings, Gajser and Bonacorsi. Coenen and Herlings all over Renaux for sixth place. Red flag and the race is stopped. Probably because of the riders who jumped the start.

After the re-start, it was Renaux with the lead this time from Vialle, Febvre, Fernandez, Adamo, Horgmo, Coenen, Gajser and Herlings in ninth place. Vialle into the lead as its French riders, first, second and third. Gajser into fourth place, with Herlings into seventh place and Coenen ninth.

Herlings moved past Adamo and into sixth place on lap one and Coenen 8th. Top ten was Vialle, Renaux, Febvre, Gajser, Fernandez, Herlings, Adamo, Coenen, Horgmo and Benistant. Herlings into fifth and closing up on Gajser in fourth.

Lap two the lead by Vialle was two seconds over Renaux, with Febvre now 2.4 seconds back in third. Febvre into the lead and Renaux second, with Vialle now third, and then Herlings, who passed Gajser. Pretty exciting for second to fourth, with Renaux, Vialle and Herlings all pretty close, but Febvre getting way with a three second lead.

Herlings into third place as he passed Vialle and going after Renaux. Second place would give Herlings the overall with 1-2 to Febvre 3-1. Febvre now 5.2 ahead of Renaux, but still 18 minutes and two laps to run. Renaux went down and Herlings now second and a GP overall in his name if he stays there.

Top ten on lap five was Febvre, Herlings, Vialle, Gajser, Fernandez, Renaux, Coenen, Adamo and Benistant 10th. Herlings now 7.2 behind Febvre. Herlings starting to cut the lead of Febvre with it down to 6.8 seconds.

Herlings cuts it down to 5.9 on lap nine and with 10 minutes to go, are we seeing another Herlings charge? Now 5.6 seconds and “The Bullet” is coming. Top ten on lap 10 was Febvre, Herlings, Vialle, Gajser, Fernandez, Renaux, Coenen, Adamo, Benistant and Horgmo.

Herlings can stay in second and still wins the GP, but he cuts the lead to 5.2, with Vialle 7.3 off the leader. Now five seconds and the Dutchman making a charge for the 1-1 result. Febvre responds and it went to 5.1. Now 4.8 second and then 3.9 seconds.

Gajser charged under Vialle for third place and the top ten was Febvre, Herlings, Gajser, Vialle, Fernandez, Renaux, Coenen, Adamo, Benistant and Horgmo. Lead is now 3.5 with four minutes and two laps remaining. Lead down to 2.6 seconds with more than three laps remaining.

Herlings just a second behind Febvre and looking very hungry for the perfect day. Herlings pushing hard to get past Febvre, but the Frenchman responded again. Lead was now 1.4 seconds, but Herlings pushes again and all over the leader once more. Herlings a beautiful pass and he gets the 1-1 results and a huge victory.

Supercross - Round 9 Indianapolis

Roczen ‘aware of the situation’ in 450SX title bid

450SX contender Ken Roczen admitted that he is ‘aware of the situation’ as he pursues a maiden Monster Energy Supercross premier class title in 2026, intent on applying added pressure as his points deficit extended to 20 following Daytona.

The Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki rider has opened the SMX World Championship season with his customary fast start, claiming victory at Glendale’s fifth round and standing on the podium on a further four occasions.

Ranked equal third in the 450SX standings, title rivals Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) and Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM) finished ahead of Roczen at Daytona, a scenario he has since acknowledged must change.

“I know that points-wise, I can’t let these guys be in front of me all the time,” Roczen explained. “Having said that, it’s a good thing that Eli won, and Hunter was second, so I only lost a couple of points overall. But I’m going to have to get on that, try to change something about it.

“It doesn’t really mean that I’m going to do anything different – I’m aware of the situation, but I’m not stressing about it. We still have a lot of racing to go, I have to just start getting a couple wins here and there, for sure.”

With the series set to contest its second Triple Crown event of the season at Indianapolis this weekend, the 31-year-old noted that starts will be a priority, with three gate-drops having a significant influence on the final result.

“Over the last few weeks, I’m still doing some testing because I feel like we can get better and more consistent,” he continued. “But I have been getting pretty good starts when it counts the most, so I’m hoping to bring that into the Triple Crown next week because that’s obviously more than half the battle, so [we’re] focusing on that.”

Lawrence leads the 450SX standings on 171 points after eight rounds, with Tomac trailing the Australian by a single point following his eighth premier-class Daytona victory. Roczen sits level with defending champion Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), with both riders on 151 points.

Ken Roczen and the great Saturday night misunderstanding

There are these moments in Supercross that feel bigger than they actually are. The gate drops, Ken Roczen He comes along as if on rails towards the first bend, lays down two clean rhythm sections in a row, and suddenly that thought is there again: Tonight is his night. Tonight he's in control.

Three laps later, everything seems logical. Five laps later, it looks dominant. And sometime around the halfway point of the race, the mood shifts. The gap closes. The pressure mounts. The TV receives verbal support from the living room.

Many fans' simple explanation is that Roczen's performance is declining – but the numbers tell a different story.

The rocket launch is no coincidence

Anyone who looks at the Main Event lap times from Anaheim 1, San Diego, Anaheim 2, Glendale, Seattle, Arlington, and Daytona will see a clear pattern: Roczen is almost always at winning pace in the opening minutes of the race. Not "good." Not "solid." But really fast.

In several races, his first five to seven laps are among the strongest in the entire field. He positions himself at the front, controls the pace, and forces the competition into his line choice. That's not luck, that's quality.

Roczen isn't a rider who works his way into the race. He's there from the start. And that's exactly what shapes the perception.

Not a break-in – but a creeping shift

The crucial point: the figures show no dramatic drop in performance. Consistency scores repeatedly reach around 98 percent or higher. This is not the profile of a driver who is physically "running out of steam".

In Anaheim 1, his average lap time is practically on par with the leaders. In San Diego, he's within the same time range as Lawrence and Tomac. Again, no collapse, no sudden jumps in pace, no chaos. What is apparent, however, is more subtle: In the final third of the race, his lap times increase minimally, with only two exceptions, presumably due to lapped cars. Three tenths. Sometimes five. Not a game-changer. But in the 450SX field, that's exactly what's needed.

Arlington is a prime example. Roczen leads for a long time, consistently posting clean lap times in the 49s and 50s. From the final laps onward, he starts dropping into the 51s. At the same time, Lawrence stabilizes his pace – or even improves slightly. Suddenly, the lead shrinks. Suddenly, the momentum shifts.

No drama. Just mathematics.

The competition drives differently – not necessarily faster.

What about drivers like Hunter Lawrence, So Tomac or  Cooper Webb What's striking is their race strategy. They start fast, but controlled. They seem to stretch their energy over 20 minutes plus one lap – not over the first eight minutes.

Daytona illustrates this particularly clearly. Roczen takes an early lead, setting the pace. But while Tomac consistently maintains lap times in the low 1:18 to 1:19 range, Roczen's times later dip slightly towards 1:21. Not a disaster – but enough to lose his rhythm.

This isn't a fitness problem. It's pacing or traffic on the track.

At this level, Supercross is no longer decided by seconds, but by tenths of a second that multiply. Three tenths per lap over eight laps adds up to almost two and a half seconds. That's the difference between control and defense.

Why it feels worse

The emotional effect amplifies everything. As long as Roczen is in front, the race seems stable. But when the first attack comes, every small time difference feels dramatic. An overtaking maneuver in the final minutes leaves a more lasting impression than ten consistently strong laps at the beginning.

The brain stores the image of the pursuer passing – not the phase in which Roczen dominated the race. And that's how the narrative of "decline" arises.

The real question

Perhaps the crucial question isn't: Is Ken Roczen declining? But rather: Is he riding the first 40 percent of the race slightly too intensely?

The data suggests that his early-race peak is extremely high. He sets a pace there that's geared towards victory. His competitors, on the other hand, ride more conservatively – and still have reserves at the end. In Glendale, where he won the race, everything came together perfectly. The early pace was high, the consistency was excellent, and there was no noticeable pace shift in the final third. That's exactly where you see how the model can work.

Not a battery problem, but a racing architecture issue.

Ken Roczen isn't collapsing. The numbers don't support that narrative. What they show is a minimal performance trend, which dips slightly in the final third – while the competition remains stable or improves slightly.

That's enough in a championship at this level.

Supercross is neither a sprint nor a marathon. It's a controlled, high-speed, heart-pounding race lasting 20 minutes. Whoever manages it best wins. Roczen is often the fastest in the stadium during the opening minutes. However, the titles are decided in the final minutes.

Ferrandis out of Indianapolis Supercross – thumb injury

Corona, CA, March 5, 2026 — Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing rider Dylan Ferrandis will sit out this weekend’s Indianapolis round of the AMA Supercross Championship as he continues to recover from injuries sustained during last Saturday’s race in Daytona International Speedway.

Ferrandis crashed during his 450SX heat race in Daytona, hyperextending his thumb. Despite the injury, he attempted to compete in the evening’s main event but suffered another crash and was forced to retire early.

An MRI conducted earlier this week showed no broken bones or ligament damage. However, significant fluid buildup, inflammation, and bruising remain in the injured thumb. After attempting to ride during practice on Thursday, Ferrandis experienced weakness in his grip and determined he would be unable to safely compete in Indianapolis.

“I had an MRI on Tuesday and the results were positive with no broken bones and no ligament damage,” said Ferrandis. “I tried to ride today (Thursday) before I was planning to fly to Indy, but right away on the first lap I felt my thumb was not capable of pushing or holding onto the handlebars, so I have decided not to race this weekend. It is very frustrating and I am very bummed for myself and the team.”

Ferrandis will use this weekend and the upcoming off weekend to focus on rest, rehabilitation, and recovery with the goal of returning for Round 10 of the championship in Birmingham, Alabama.