Sometimes You Don't Need A Motor!

Anderson and Musquin open up on Oakland Contact

Duo speak out on that topical incident together from round five.

Newfound rivals Jason Anderson and Marvin Musquin have finally spoken out on the contact that left the latter on the ground in Oakland at round five of the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series.

Runaway title-leader Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) made an aggressive move on the Red Bull KTM contender as he picked his way through the pack to victory, but declined to comment following the press conference last weekend.

After making it back-to-back wins in San Diego on Saturday night, this time ahead of Musquin, both gave their take on the matter when questioned post-race. It’s been reported in the US media that a rift had developed between them in the off-season, despite both training under Aldon Baker and forming part of the KTM Group, and Anderson confirmed it on the weekend.

“I think we’re just competitive and it comes out on the track,” Anderson commented. “Sometimes we get a little too far ahead of ourselves and in Oakland, you know, honestly my bad… I was trying to go forward and obviously it’s not good between us [laughs], but at the same time I want to be battling with Marv. I don’t want to take him down, but I just get ahead of myself [in the] heat of the moment. It’s hard to put into words.”

Musquin voiced his frustration over the coming together that resulted in him eventually crossing the finish-line in fourth, but with his championship hopes already hindered by the shoulder injury sustained in Houston, it didn’t have a direct impact on his title chances at this point. He’s currently eighth in the standings following six rounds, 45 behind Anderson.

“I was in a good position in Oakland and obviously I didn’t expect and I didn’t hear at all Jason,” said Musquin. “So, I was going off the turn and I couldn’t do anything. For sure, when you’re in a good position in the main like that, running third, and you go down, it’s a bummer. My thoughts… we’re both racing.

“I feel like at the end of the whoops tonight I could have sent Jason over the berm [laughs], but I didn’t. I mean, it’s not really my style, but one day if I have to, I will. Definitely, the situation is not the same, but we’re fighting for the championship. That’s the way it is – it’s not a big deal.”

Following that, Anderson quickly added: “Basically, he owes me one [laughs].”

Marvin Speaks

Marvin Musquin interview

Posted on February 12, 2018 By MXlarge.com

Heading into 2018, many journalists—myself included—picked Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin as the odds on favourite to win the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross 450SX Championship. Marvin had a virtually perfect offseason, winning every race he entered. With his teammate and friend Ryan Dungey retiring, Marvin looked poised for a run at the vacated Supercross Championship.

After winning round 1, everything was going as planned, but a heat race crash at round 2 in Houston changed everything. Marvin separated his shoulder in the crash at Houston, and while the title hopes were all but gone, Marvin continued to race through the pain and is just now beginning to get that confidence back that he had heading into season. While the #25 is now 43 points behind Jason Anderson and a long shot for the title, after a second place finish in San Diego over the weekend, we will not be surprised if the wins start coming soon.

After his podium finish at Petco Park, Chris Cooksey got a chance to ask Marvin about the injury he sustained, his relationship with training partner Jason Anderson and his much criticized whoop speed.

MXlarge: Marv, how was your night overall? It seemed like about halfway through the main event you really found a groove.

Musquin: Yeah, maybe I was getting a little bit better throughout the main. Riding was maybe getting better. I was finding new lines and I was able to get pretty consistent in the whoops, which was not the case for the other guys. For example, [Justin] Barcia, I think he got me at the end of the whoops, but then he was making big mistakes. I was able to stay light in the whoops and pretty clean. I was surprised I was able to catch [Cole] Seely and [Jason] Anderson a little bit. I feel like I was in a good position for the main off the start. Barcia got me and that made me a little bit mad because I was in a good position and I was like, “no.” He got me and, not slow me down, but I had to pass him again. That’s what I did and it was a good thing for the end.

MXLarge: Obviously, everybody is still talking about the incident with you and Jason Anderson last week. Did you see Jason out there and did it create a little extra motivation for you? There’s no better revenge served than to beat him. Was that in the back of your mind tonight?

Musquin: Yeah, for sure, but at the end of the day, I really focused on myself—especially because I’m still not 100%. The shoulder is not 100%, so I just want to get better and get back to full confidence. Then I will be able to fight against him. Last weekend, to be honest, I was going through the turn and didn’t see him coming, so I hit his bike.

MXLarge: I’m very familiar with shoulder injuries. I saw the way you landed in the crash at Houston and that looked very much to me like a shoulder separation or a shoulder dislocation. It looked like it was out and you were trying to get it in.

Musquin: Yeah, a couple years ago at Glen Helen my shoulder popped out, but I moved my arm and it went back in so that was okay. This time it was out on the back. I could feel it and was trying to move it to put it back in, but nothing happened. When I got off the track, the Alpinestars medical guy put it back in. That was good, but after that, the memory or the reaction from the muscle was nothing. I tried to get on the bike, and I’m like, “I don’t want to go out there off the big triple,” and what about the landing. It’s scary and mentally it’s very difficult. Right now the muscle—like right on the back—is very sore, but on the bike it feels pretty good so I’m happy. On the bike, it’s pretty tough.

MXlarge: Did you have an MRI? Was the labrum okay?

Musquin: I did. The labrum had a minor tear and impact on the bowl of the shoulder [the cup your upper arm sits in].

MXlarge: Yeah, those are usually injuries you can ride through. It’s just a matter of if you can tolerate the pain. Was the labrum not bad enough to where they worried about it tearing more or another separation?

Musquin: A normal person would have stayed three weeks in a sling. That’s what the doctor told me, but we know athletes like us want to keep riding. I actually did therapy the whole week and started doing band exercises. The Friday after I actually felt pretty good on the bike and decided to race Anaheim 2 the next day. That’s why your confidence goes down.

MXlarge: Some of your critics like to point out your struggles through the whoops or your whoops speeds, and they talk about how you immediately resort to jumping through them instead of skimming them. In tonight’s heat race you lost four or five spots through the whoops, but you were better in the main. Is it because when they are fresh early in the night, guys have more confidence through them, but as they break down and get more technical, you get better in them?

Musquin: No, they just go really fast entering and my entering speed in the whoops is a little slow. It’s hard to build up speed into it, but in the main, I just wanted to be consistent. The bike was better too.

MXlarge: The bike was better? What did you guys do to it before the main?

Musquin: Just the positioning of the bike, it was a little easier for me to ride it.

MXlarge: When you say positioning, are you talking about handle bars, suspension—what do you mean?

Musquin: Suspension, just height and stuff like that.

Bad Breaks Slow Barcia

Rear Brake Issue Costs Justin Barcia in San Diego

 by: Chase Stallo

According to a post on his Twitter account, Monster Energy/Knich/Factory Yamaha’s Justin Barcia lost his rear brake last night in the 450SX main event in San Diego.

Barcia rounded the first lap of the main event in fifth and worked his way up to third by lap seven. A few laps later, Barcia began to slide backward and eventually finished eighth.

"Dang was having a good night and got into something and lost my rear brake onto next weekend bikes awesome teams awesome ready for Dallas," said Barcia.

Barcia is currently second in 450SX points, 28 behind Jason Anderson.

2018 Sumter National Enduro Highlights

Steward Baylor picked up where he left off last year by winning the opening round of the AMA Enduro Series near Sumter, South Carolina.

The KTM rider took care of business on the rough and sandy 60-mile course, winning three of six tests en-route to an 18-second margin of victory over Josh Toth.

Style in any Era!

 

Roger DeCoster epitomized classic motocross form and function. RD won 6 world championships for Suzuki, but in 1975 he ran number 2 since his rival Heikki Mikkola had captured the championship the year prior.  Suzuki had already been penalized in 1973 when the ruling body decided to make the teams meet a weight limit, and the Factory Suzuki was 30 pounds too lean! This was also the beginning of long travel machines and you can see multiple top shock mounts for his moved forward and laid down rear dampers. Too,  sound issues were just coming into play and you can see the gigantic rear silencer on the downpiped factory 370 Suzuki.

Austin-Del Valle Motocross Park

Enjoy ADV MX Park

• By Nadine DeMoura, Sentinel News Editor

AUSTIN — I know what you are thinking. How did I find myself at a motocross park? Well it actually isn’t that random at all. Like most spouses, I have taken on one of my husband’s interests. And it has quickly become an interest of my sons as well.

My husband is a motocross sport- fanatic. Every Saturday night of motocross season, for the past six years, we watch the motocross games where professional athletes compete for speed on a large dirt and sometimes muddy track. For me it used to be an excuse to order pizza, but now I admit I have gotten quite into it myself. We even attended one of the races in New Jersey one year to cheer on James Stewart, one of the most famous riders.

So, the weekend arrived and my husband wanted to find a course to watch the motorsport bikes in action. We chose the Austin-Del Valle Motocross Park because it had good reviews and was just 15 minutes south of Austin. The ride from Killeen was about an hour.

While it isn’t as exciting as the actual race, it was cool to see kids and adults of all ages joining in on the fun. And yes, girls do motocross as well! As we saw on the track, men and women of all skill sets are welcomed to try out the course.

The park’s website boasts of a perfect loamy dirt course fully prepped and ideal for junior and veteran riders. We found that to be accurate, and the course looked ideal for all the riders, not too muddy and we didn’t see a lot of falls or any accidents.

We saw a lot of trail bikes there, however four wheelers are no longer permitted.

Parents and Family members watched from the sidelines with their trucks, umbrellas and lawn chairs. You can tell it is an all-day Family event for most visitors.

There is a small playground, but most kids were either participating, cruising the outer limits of the track or racing remote trucks near their parents.

There are no food trucks or stands on normal days, so if you do go, bringing your picnic gear and a cooler of food is a good idea.

Entrance to the park is free for visitors who just want to watch, but participants pay a small fee depending on the size of their bike.

Visiting days vary based on weather and the park updates their Facebook frequently to reflect that. For more information call 512-417-3753 or visit the ADVMX site at advmxpark.com.

I enjoyed seeing the look on my son’s face as the motocross bikes raced by. I recommend this location as a great weekend day trip for motorsports fanatics.

Western Power Sports Partnes With MonsterEnergy Supercross

Feld Entertainment and Monster Energy Supercross Announce 2019 Western Power Sports Partnership

Agreement includes official gear sponsor with FLY Racing

BOISE, ID, (February 8, 2018)– Feld Entertainment^® announces a new long-term partnership deal with Western Power Sports and Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.

Starting in 2019, Western Power Sports (WPS) will become the official and exclusive Power Sports Parts and Accessories Distributor for Monster Energy Supercross, the most competitive and highest-profile motorcycle racing championship in the world. The FLY Racing brand will also become the official and exclusive gear sponsor, including helmet, gloves, jersey, pants and boots.

WPS/FLY Racing is honored to announce our long-term partnership with Monster Energy Supercross and Feld Entertainment. Our goal at WPS is to always provide the highest quality service to our dealers and the very best products to their customers. WPS has a passion for the power sport industry, and this is another way to show our long-term commitment to the growth of the sport. Teaming up with Monster Energy Supercross is a proud day in our company's history,” said Western Power Sports President and CEO, Craig Shoemaker. 

As part of the long-term agreement, Western Power Sports will provide significant experiential marketing activations within the weekly Pit Party at each event for the thousands of fans to enjoy fully-immersive experiences. WPS will also host and engage their robust dealer network each week.

“There is a vision for the long-term health and growth of Monster Energy Supercross that we share with Western Power Sports. That like-minded thinking, coupled with the entire organization’s passion for the sport, made them an ideal long-term partner that all of us at Feld Entertainment are pleased to welcome,” said Jason Bitsoff, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships for Feld Entertainment.

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to SupercrossLIVE.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross, or follow via social channels:

• §  Facebook:         
• §  Twitter:               
• §  Instagram:          
• §  YouTube:           

About Feld Entertainment, Inc. 

Feld Entertainment^® is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that uplift the human spirit and bring people together. Properties include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Sesame Street Live! and Marvel Universe LIVE! Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 75 countries and on six continents. Visit feldentertainment.com for more information.

About Western Power Sports

Boise, Idaho based Western Power Sports (WPS) distributes over 130,000 products; including offroad and street motorcycle, ATV and UTV, snowmobile, and watercraft parts and accessories to dealers nationwide. Currently one of the fastest growing nationwide delivery systems of powersports industry products, WPS distributes products through its regional warehouse network; with locations in Boise, Idaho; Fresno, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; Ashley, Indiana; and Midlothian, Texas. Learn more about WPS by visiting
www.wps-inc.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WPSDist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WPS_Dist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/western-power-sports
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WesternPowerSports

About FLY Racing

Established in 1998, FLY Racing is one of the fastest growing off road motorcycle riding apparel and hard part brands in the powersports industry. FLY Racing develops quality products for the competitive North American market and is distributed worldwide in 40+ countries. In the United States, FLY Racing products are distributed exclusively by Western Power Sports (WPS). To view FLY Racing products go to www.flyracing.com.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FlyRacingUSA/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FLYRacing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlyRacingUSA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FlyRacingUSA

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. 

Chad Reed at Oakland

MILLSAPS RETIRES

DAVI MILLSAPS RETIRES | PERSONAL LETTER

 Feb 7, 2018

           

Davi Millsaps with his factory Yamaha YZ450F that he never got to race.

By Davi Millsaps

After 14 years as a professional Supercross and motocross racer, today, I announce my retirement from racing. Obviously, this was not an easy decision for me to make. Before the crash that I sustained back in October, I felt great while on the bike, and I was looking forward to an awesome 2018 season with my team, Monster Energy/Knich/Yamaha Factory Racing. Everything was falling perfectly into place: my training, my fitness, and the bike. I had high expectations for the 2018 Supercross season. Then, the unexpected happened and life changed so fast. I was sent to the ICU with a major concussion, bleeding in and around my brain, and a shattered elbow, along with being bruised and banged up pretty much all over. After months of recovery and consulting with my neurologist and family, we came to the difficult decision that it was time for me to retire from racing.

I say this with great sadness, and this is definitely not how I wanted to end my career. But health is a priority. When the doctor told me that he couldn’t release me due to the risk that another impact on my head could be life-altering, not to mention life-threatening, it was pretty tough news for me to swallow. The reality of retirement was very hard to face. It brings out a bag of so many mixed emotions. It saddens me greatly to have to go out like this. I have given so much of my life to this sport. I basically grew up on a track chasing my dream.

Davi with his Rockstar Suzuki team and family.

From the time I first rode a bike at the age of 3 till now, at almost age 30, I’ve had a blast. In return, this sport gave me an opportunity to be the best and work with the best. My racing career has brought me so many amazing opportunities, many great races competing against the sport’s finest athletes, amazing fans, and many lifelong friends. My wife, Brittney and I were fortunate to have been able to share my career with our two kids, Dane and Bryn. I cannot begin to express my sincere gratitude to so many individuals and sponsors who have stood by me throughout my entire career. I thank you, and I am very appreciative for all you have done for my family and me.

Supercross and Motocross fans are the best fans in the world. I thank you so much for being there for me and for all you have given me through your encouragement and love. Looking back at my wins and losses, long list of injuries, surgeries, and all of the highs and lows I’ve experienced, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Back in 2006 when Davi won the East Coast 250 Supercross title. 

I’m not going to lie, I will miss it. This sport has been so good to me, and I’m fortunate that I can walk away looking forward to the future with my family. I’ve been so lucky to have had this experience as a pro athlete, and I will cherish each and every moment of it. I truly appreciate all the support over the years. Thank you, everyone!