AC Hangs'em Up at the End of Supercross

ADAM CIANCIARULO INTERVIEW: “STARTS ARE LIKE A GOLF SWING; SOMETIMES YOU JUST SHOW UP AND FEEL GOOD”

ADAM CIANCIARULO INTERVIEW: “STARTS ARE LIKE A GOLF SWING; SOMETIMES YOU JUST SHOW UP AND FEEL GOOD”

Make no mistake about this; Adam Ciancurulo is happy to be racing Supercross. but he is still not pumped about his fourteenth place in the Supercross standings. Now 27 years old, the Floridian has had a very promising career, however, injury after injury has slowed his progression. Only time, and maybe technology will determine his future. But Adam is living his best motocross life.

BY JIM KIMBALL

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ADAM, LETS BEGIN WITH YOUR CRASH IN MOTO ONE AT THE ST. LOUIS TRIPLE CROWN. It was unfortunate that Mitchell Oldenburg’s bike came into my line, and I crashed into it. I felt I was riding well during qualifying. Initially, I thought I had a big problem with my lower leg or ankle, but I now believe it’s more of a sprain. Having the next weekend off comes at a good time! My plan is to be back at the next round. It’s dirt bike racing, but I had hoped to put in a good ride for my mechanic Justin Shantie who is moving on to a job in the auto side. So, that part was disappointing.

Unfortunately, after his collision with Mitchell Oldenburg, Adam Cianciarulo was unable to keep racing in St. Louis.

PREVIOUS TO YOUR NIGHT ENDING EARLY IN ST. LOUIS, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR APPROACH TO RACING RIGHT NOW. YOU’VE HAD SOME PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWING YOU TO RACE AT YOUR BEST. It is not my fitness, and I am in great shape.  It is not a matter of me getting tired or not being strong enough, or anything like that. But a lot of my issue is that things would get worse as the race went on. Nerves are funny. It is an evolving thing that simply morphed into something different, where it is hard for me to have that sprint pace. If you watch me at the end of the race, my lap times are still how they were in the beginning. If anything, sometimes my heart rate this year has been maxing in the low 170s, like where I could normally get it to 190 or so. That shows you that I just can’t push really that hard. My main priority is just trying to get the absolute most out of it. I have a job to do for Kawasaki and that bike deserves to be up front. The guys work hard, and I still have this opportunity in front of me. So, it is one of those things where I must control what I can control, and that is what I am doing. I’m trying to be as positive as possible and think my way around the track a little bit. Hopefully, I can start working on getting the bike towards the front.

After struggling last year, Adam is feeling a lot more confident on the new 2024 Kawasaki KX450 model.

SPEAKING OF YOUR NEW KAWASAKI 450, I HEAR GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT. I love the bike.  It was a great step from last year. Overall, last year we were struggling with some turning, and the first thing I said when I got on the 2024 was just how much feel there is, like the center of gravity. It feels like a balanced, and plush motorcycle. At the same time, in saying that, it has also kept the Kawasaki KX a stable bike as well. Probably the best thing about our bike is its stability, and it kept that.  No complaints about the bike; the bike can win, absolutely.  There are a lot of talented guys out there. Of course, every team is working hard, and it takes a rider too.

WE HAVE NOW HAD A COUPLE OF TRIPLE CROWNS, DOES THAT SUIT YOU? DO YOU LIKE IT OR DISLIKE IT? It suits me because my game plan right now is just to do consistent laps and stay out of trouble. And I finally feel confident in my starts again. Starts are like a golf swing; sometimes you just show up and feel good. Other times you lose it a little bit. I got the confidence back on a couple of good starts in Alabama and figured out some things at the track recently. At the shorter races, I think it will help me to start up front. I am always down for whatever the fans are excited about. The Triple Crown from a rider’s point of view, is that it is a little risky because any time you are going four wide off a triple, it is risky right? The starts are hectic and that’s where you can make or break your race. It is a little riskier from that point of view, but I think it is great for the fans.  

Constantly running into bad luck Adam is one of the most positive guys at the track and is loved by many.

RETURNING TO YOUR NERVE ISSUE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO?   I have had over ten or twelve surgeries, trying to figure out what it is. The most conclusive thing we have come up with so far is that I dislocated my shoulders so many times around the time I turned pro. I also grew like seven inches in six months during that time. I probably just rushed things a little bit. There are the nerve endings that sit on the top of your shoulders, called the brachial plexus and those nerves have been stretched out so many times from the shoulder dislocating. It is one of those things where nerves require rest. Sometimes they can heal and come back but our sport is high impact. A lot is going on, and it just has not really been able to have that rest that’s needed. I am still hopeful, and I still always trying different techniques to keep my mind open about it. I am in a great place mentally and just in a very accepting place where I can only do my best. I believe there are some people out there who think I just woke up and forgot how to go fast on a dirt bike suddenly. But that is fine, I am still having fun out there.

RACING IS SO CONSTANT.  IT HAS TO BE DIFFICULT TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME REQUIRED OFF. It is hard to take time off. Especially in this sport, the level is only elevated. Everybody is getting faster. You have Jett coming in now and Chase. Those guys have raised the pace so much, and I love to see it from a fan point of view. These guys are extremely talented, and it is great to be out there on the track with them. But yes, it is going to require some rest and, it is what it is.  

Adam has been riding for Kawasaki since his 85’cc days and has been dedicated to the brand to this day.

IT’S INTERESTING TO ME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WITH KAWASAKI YOUR ENTIRE PRO CAREER TO DATE; YOU MUST HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. Of course, I have always valued loyalty, and Kawasaki has been great to me. Of course, there have been a lot of times in amateurs and getting close to the pro ranks where there were different offers. But you both must be loyal to each other, right? I could not have asked for a better situation. If you had told me when I signed with Kawasaki in 2004 that I would still be riding for them in 2024, twenty years later, having gone through the team green program to Mitch’s program and now to the factory 450 level, it has really been a dream come true. This does not happen often; it is just a testament to those guys. The way Kawasaki runs their program, with the people they have in-house is amazing. We all have great relationships; they stuck by me and always supported and encouraged me. We have a great relationship, so it is really something that I do not take for granted.  

Unfortunately, Adam has found himself on the ground more than a few times this year but is always determined to get back out and improve his results.

LET’S FINISH UP WITH THIS; WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO THE REMAINING ROUNDS? With my results this year, if you watch me ride, I think it could be easy to jump to the conclusion that I am just content with what I am doing. I think it is hard to understand my results. I say how much fun I am having, and that I am in good head space, but that does not mean I am stoked to get twelfth place. I grew up winning my whole life and I have always had at least the speed to win.  There have been some missing ingredients in there that at times, I have not put it all together, but as a racer, I am always going to go out there and do the best I can for myself and for the people who support me.  I owe that to myself, and I owe that to them.  Until I race my last lap, I will always give it everything I can within reason, the smartest way I know how to. My mindset is that I have dropped my expectations.  Now I feel like I just try to get the most out of myself and not attach it to an end goal.  Just focus on the process and do what I can and whatever it will be, will be.

Can Two Strokes Jump?

Remember this jump?

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The Hurricane Talks Moto!

Bob Hannah The Big Interview Episode 1

Bob Hannah gives an exclusive video interview with Motocross The Golden Era. In his typical no-holds-barred style, Hannah gives his outspoken views on the sport that he once dominated.

Riders frustrated with red cross flag situation in St. Louis

Five riders were penalized shaking up the Triple Crown results massively.

At the tail end of the second 450SX race in the Triple Crown at St. Louis, Vince Friese was down in the middle of the finish line jump and landing prompting the red cross flag to be displayed as he tried to get his bike off the track. The red cross flag was shown during the white flag and checkered flag, and five riders still jumped the finish resulting in several penalties.

Jett Lawrence had won the race and jumped the finish line with the checkered flag and red cross flag displayed. He immediately looked back and put his hand on his head realizing his error, but he was not the only one. Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton, Aaron Plessinger, and Jason Anderson all jumped as well, with Anderson committing the infraction twice. Each rider was penalized two positions per infraction meaning Anderson received a four-place penalty.

Image: Octopi Media.

“I knew it was the end of the race and I didn’t even look it,” said Jett Lawrence after the race. “It kind of sucks because Vince, who they had the flag out for, was off the side of the track in between. I’m just pissed. I wish they would have warned earlier.”

Of the top seven riders in the race at that time, Eli Tomac in second and Hunter Lawrence in seventh were the only riders to not commit the infraction and roll the finish line jump. The AMA spent nearly a full hour sorting through the footage and finally posted the corrected results just before riders began staging for the final 450SX race. It promoted Hunter Lawrence, who had initially finished the race in seventh, all the way up to second place as he was able to roll the finish line jump both times.

“A lot of guys jumped on it but what are the chances you get closer than like fourth or fifth,” said Hunter Lawrence post-race. “They called out Mr. Tomac [in staging for Race 3] and then 96, and I was like, “Yeah, we’re not asking questions. We’ll just go ahead on out.” We’ve been on the bad side of that for sure many times with the red cross flag. I just had eyes on it tonight like a hawk and it worked out.”

Lawrence rolled it after watching Cooper Webb and Aaron Plessinger jump it on the white flag lap in a battle just ahead of him. Then all three were able to roll on the final lap. Eli Tomac was given the race win after finishing second to Jett Lawrence, whose two-place penalty dropped him to third. Tomac would go on to sweep all three races then while Webb still salvaged second overall with the wild scores of 5-6-2. Webb, like Jett Lawrence, knew his mistake as soon as he made it.

“Basically, we were going super inside, and it was a white flag mixed with a red cross and I saw it right when I was going up the face,” explained Webb. “I knew right then and there I did it. Like I said, I saw the white was out and then the red cross just inside of it. It was a bit tricky. I think a lot of us honestly didn’t see it. I think when I finally saw it, I was a foot from going off the takeoff. It was kind of a hectic last turn because we had a lapper and AP was on my butt. I went inside and rolled because I saw it, but it was a tricky spot for sure.”

The red cross flag was displayed as a stagnant flag, meaning it simply hung out from the AMA officials left hand while he used his right hand to actively wave the white flag and eventually the checkered flag above it. With one flag waving and one flag not, some riders did notice seeing something, but were not quite sure of what until it was too late.

Aaron Plessinger was in a battle with Cooper Webb for fifth place at the time and the intensity of that battle along with the challenging nature of the track contributed to Plessinger missing the red cross flag on the beginning of the final lap.

“When they put the finish line like that, we’re coming out of a sharp corner and we’re already looking at ruts,” Plessinger stated. “So, I knew something was there. I thought it was the white flag, but then he was waving something, and I hit the finish line, and I looked back, and I saw it. I was like, “Dude, my luck.” We’ll take the penalty and move on. But when you put the finish line like that when you’re already kind of focused on everything else, it doesn’t really matter. There’s five of us that didn’t see it.”

The whole situation left many riders frustrated, but all of them admitted their mistake and knew what the rule was and how they would be punished for it. The moment did reignite the debate about in-helmet communication or perhaps LED lights on the handlebars to warn riders of red cross flag situations. While no immediate solution is on the horizon, the AMA has mentioned a few times that it’s a situation they’d like to improve to make it so riders can either see the flag or be aware of the situation better.

‘It was a wrong place, wrong time situation’ – Barcia

Justin Barcia and Jett Lawrence explain their perspectives of the collision in St. Louis.

Image: Octopi Media.

In the final race of the Triple Crown at St. Louis, Justin Barcia and Jett Lawrence came together in a big collision that saw Jett Lawrence end up down on the ground for some time. Following the race, Barcia immediately went up to Jett to apologize, and has now further commented on this situation and what happened from his perspective.

It all happened just as the second lap got underway and the field was tightly bunched together. Jett Lawrence was trying to pivot early out of a berm to get alongside his brother Hunter Lawrence when suddenly he met Barcia at the bottom of the berm. Barcia was going defensive on the inside route into the berm as he had Vince Friese trying to get underneath him to make a pass and the contrasting lines of corner entry and corner exit resulted in a violent collision between Barcia and Jett Lawrence.

“Anyone who knows dirt bikes knows that was a racing incident. Not intentional by any means. It was such a bummer,” said Barcia in a video on Instagram. “Early on in the laps, you’re just racing hard, and I came in super-hot, Jett cut down and it was a wrong place, wrong time situation. I spoke to Jett after the race. He completely understood what happened. He knew I didn’t do that intentionally. But I felt like I wanted to go over to the Honda truck and talk to the whole crew and everyone was obviously really upset. On our crew, it was just a bummer. It took us out of the race so that was disappointing, but everyone was understanding and knew it wasn’t intentional. That’s not my style. I’m glad we can move on from this. Jett is okay and healthy. I’m okay and healthy. Luckily Jett is a grown man and a great racer and understood the situation and we can put it beside us and go racing in a couple of weeks.”

As mentioned, Barcia immediately came up to Lawrence after the race to apologize and the two talked for about 20 seconds on track before Jett Lawrence gave him a thumbs up. Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom was none too happy and was seen speaking with AMA officials’ post-race about the situation.

Fortunately, it does appear Jett Lawrence avoided any serious injury. He was examined at the track, and it was determined nothing was broken but rather he was just very sore and bruised. Thanks to the Triple Crown format, Lawrence salvaged an eighth-place result on the night and still leads the 450SX standings by eight points.

“It’s just a sucky situation,” explained Lawrence. “I just cut down under Hunter, and obviously Barcia was defending his line from someone else on the inside of him—just wrong place, wrong time. He kind of hit my arm pretty good; I got a gnarly Charlie horse. He hit some nerve in my arm, where I kind of lost feeling and strength in my hands. That’s why I was trying to get up and get going early, but I physically couldn’t—I had no strength. It is what it is. Thankfully we had a bit of a buffer on second. We’ve got a break, we’ll come back stronger. We’ve got five races to go.”

Fortunately for Lawrence, the series has a weekend off before returning to action on April 13^th in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Andrew Short to Race 2024 VMXdN at Foxhill

No Short measures for Team USA

February 22, 2024

The promoters for the annual VMXdN Foxhill have announced that former factory HRC, KTM Factory Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha rider Andrew Short will be racing at the legendary Wiltshire Grand Prix circuit over August bank holiday weekend (August 22^nd-26^th) as part of the American squad.

Short has had a stellar sixteen-year pro career, during that time, he earned over 50 podium finishes and nine wins, he is also one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet. One of his personal highlights was being part of the American Team that won the 2010 Motocross of Nations held in his home state of Colorado. 

After he retired from professional motocross at the end of 2016, Short then worked as a team advisor and brand ambassador for Factory Honda HRC before making a big transition to compete in rally racing and take on the ultimate rally race – the Dakar.

After a steep learning curve, he was able to become competitive in rally and even took his first win at the 2019 Rallye du Maroc, a leadup to the 2020 Dakar. He raced for the Rockstar Husqvarna team as well as the Monster Energy Factory Yamaha rally teams.

After a nasty injury while riding at home, he is now back to full fitness and bang up for the challenge that is Foxhill, the greatest 2-stroke event in the world. Short will race a 2002 YZ 250 built and maintained by the crew at DocWob. Team USA won the inaugural event in 2022 and finished 3^rd.

behind Team GB and Team Northern Ireland in 2023. 

The race is already creating a huge buzz with new and returning legends being announced weekly, it really is a whos’ who of the sport through the golden heydays of the 90’s and 00’s era.

Labelled by RacerX magazine as “the Woodstock of two strokes” the event simply goes from strength to strength.

With ticket sales up year on year, the promotors have been blown away at the response to the event and are urging spectators to purchase tickets asap. Could this be the first outdoor motocross event in the UK to be ticket only? Camping passes will be capped at last year’s numbers as simply putting it – it was full!

Ensure your place at the most anticipated event on the British MX calendar by booking early.

Saturday, Sunday, Weekend and Camping passes are available at https://vmxdnfoxhill2024.eventbrite.co.uk

Carmichael: I hated racing

Ricky Carmichael is the GOAT on a motorcycle, and a lot of that success came from what Ricky learned as a kid. But even though he stuck through it, Ricky hated racing when he was growing up. And despite his parents being supportive and not pressuring him to continue, Ricky felt he would be letting them down if he stopped racing. Thankfully, Ricky kept at it and enjoyed racing when he was older.

MX43 Teams With EKS for Spring Sale...35% Off

Just in time for the start of the International Vet MX Series at Glen Helen. This is the perfect time to grab a new pair of Lucid Goggles, if you haven't tried a pair you will be amased at the visual clarity and quality construction.

"The MX43 team has been using EKS Brand goggles for many years. We love the clear vision, durability, comfort and best of all the price! The new Lucid model is over the top awesome." MX43

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MXA TEAM TESTED: EKS BRAND LUCID GOGGLES

WHAT IS IT? After five years of development, EKS Brand’s Lucid goggle is here to provide clear vision and ultimate goggle function for the most demanding situations of motocross and off-road racing. With over 35 years of experience in the goggle business, EKS Brand is a family owned and operated goggle company that specializes in top-level quality at a reasonable price point. 

WHAT’S IT COST? $99.00 (clear lens), $25.00 (replacement lenses). 

CONTACT? www.eksbrand.com or (818) 706-1700.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the EKS Brand Lucid goggles.  

(1) Lens. The new Extreme Definition Optics (XDO) Lucid lenses are pre-curved, injection-molded, polycarbonate lenses that have greatly improved optical clarity over traditional flat lenses. The pre-curved lens is durable, impact-resistant, and is available in nine different tints and colors. The Lucid lens also has an anti-fog coating built into the plastic that makes it easier to clean and helps prevent dust from sticking to the inner goggle. Note: Refrain from cleaning any goggle lens with Windex, as polycarbonate is a strong material, but it’s not designed to be used with any glass cleaner. 

(2) Auburn Afterburner lens. Similar to the Oakley Prizm lens that was designed to enhance contrast so you can see terrain in better detail, EKS Brand’s optional Auburn Afterburner lens uses a special three-color tint to boost vision even further than with the XDO lens. The Auburn Afterburner lens uses a rose, grey and persimmon tint to enhance light on a cloudy day and brighten up shadows while also providing protection against harsh light. This technology originated in the skiing industry where cloudy days, bright reflections off snow and shadows are an everyday reality.

(3) Frame. The Lucid goggle is made with a stiff outer frame and a soft inner frame. The stiff outer frame is necessary for holding the thicker and heavier injection-molded lens. The soft inner frame works with added leverage from outriggers to help the goggle’s foam seal to your face. Plus, the outriggers move the strap away from the goggle, allowing more airflow into the side vents. The frame features a removable nose guard and an impressively simple quick-change lens tab.

(4) Foam. EKS Brand tested many shapes and styles of face foam before landing on a wide, 17-mm-thick, four-layer face foam. Unlike most other face foams that are flat, the Lucid foam is 3D-molded and pre-shaped to fit your face for optimal comfort. 

(5) Tear-offs. The EKS Brand Lucid goggle can be used with standard tear-offs and stacks of  seven laminate tear-offs. The number of tear-offs MXA test riders use varies. In long motos where heavy roost is likely, they run up to 21 tear-offs in three stacks of seven laminates. Other less-picky testers use two to three standard tear-offs per race. Our testers liked the EKS Brand tear-offs and appreciated the integrated tear-off posts on the left outrigger, which made installing tear-offs easier. 

(6) Performance. We assigned our pickiest goggle testers to the EKS Brand Lucid goggle test. After racing in the Lucid goggles, there were three highlights that stuck out: First, the goggle’s ability to keep sweat off the inner lens is impressive. There was still some splash, but the 20mm foam and inner sweat channel directed most of the sweat away from the eyes and lens. Second, the injection-molded Extreme Definition Optics (XDO) lens was  clearer than a traditional lens, even with multiple tear-offs over it. The Auburn Afterburner lens was an instant MXA favorite for any riding condition, because it helped define rocks and bumps more distinctly in the shadows. Third, the Wavelatch quick-change lens system made changing lenses easy.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Even with three-layer foam and sweat channels, our heavy sweaters still splashed on the inner lens. We’ve yet to find a goggle solution that completely blocks sweat from ending up there, but the Lucid ranked high in this contest.

MXA RATING: The rigid frame scared us initially; however, once we wore the goggles on the track, our worries disappeared as it conformed to our face. Plus, the injection-molded, pre-curved lens was noticeably better than any flat lens. We could see without distortion. This goggle battles with the best in the business in quality and beats them in price. 

Plug in mx43 in the code box when ordering for a 35% discount

www.eksbrand.com

Craig Out

Craig to undergo another surgery on troubled elbow injury

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Section: Competition Post: MotoOnline

Factory Husqvarna 450SX entry to remain on the sidelines.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christian Craig will undergo another surgery on his troublesome elbow, sidelining him indefinitely.

The former 250SX West champion withdrew from Arlington’s seventh round of Monster Energy Supercross last month after re-aggravating the elbow injury that sidelined him for majority of last year, while he was also absent from the 450SX field at Daytona’s eighth round on Saturday.

The team has since revealed that the 32-year-old is scheduled for surgery this week, which will further delay a return to racing, although the statement stopped short of indicting a timeframe.

“Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX regular Christian Craig is scheduled to undergo surgery [this] week on his ongoing elbow injury, which will extend his time on the sidelines,” the team announced following Daytona. “We look forward to welcoming him back to racing once he is healed and healthy to line up again.”

Craig has experienced a luckless season so far, with a season-best result of 12th coming at Glendale’s sixth round of the season. Teammate Guillem Farres is also currently recovering from injury after undergoing surgery on a broken femur sustained late last month.