Barcia's Day

Justin Barcia: "Thunder Valley was a pretty good day! I qualified decent in the top 10, which I wasn't thrilled about, but it was okay. I got off to two good starts, charged really hard all day, and the bike was really good. We made a change after the second practice and it was really consistent, so I was able to adapt to different lines today and felt comfortable. We came away with a solid fourth, so it's good. We want more, so we're going to keep pushing, and we'll get there soon!"

Chase comments

In wearing the red plates on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION for the first time outdoors and coming off a victory at Hangtown, Chase Sexton displayed his front-running pace once again, but track position and a heavy crash while looking to take charge of Moto 2 resulted in 6-5 scores for fifth overall. He currently sits second in the standings, six points from the series lead following Round 3.

Chase Sexton: “It was nice to have the red plate today, and I felt like we had speed on our side, but it just didn’t come together in the motos. Considering the results, we’re still right there in the championship, so look forward to rebounding at High Point next weekend.”

Jett and Hunter Go 1 - 2 at Thunder Valley

Rebound victory for Lawrence at Thunder Valley

Motoonline Competition Post: Kellen Brauer

The Lawrence brothers split moto wins in Colorado.

Image: Octopi Media.

One week on from a tough crash that left a gash in his leg, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence found his way to the top step of the podium at Thunder Valley putting together 2-1 moto scores on the day. It was an all-Lawrence day in the 450 class as Hunter Lawrence went 1-2 for second behind his brother and took over the championship lead in the process.

Both motos ended up seeing a similar script in that Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper led much of both motos from the start before a Lawrence brother caught and passed him. In the first moto, it was Hunter with Jett quickly following into second, and in the second moto, it was reversed.

Hunter Lawrence’s triumph in the first moto was the first win of his 450 class career and he provisionally took over the championship lead with it. Though his brother bested him in the second moto, the result was still enough to give Hunter sole possession of the red plate after three rounds of racing.

Justin Cooper would settle in for a 3-3 day for third overall as he just tailed off at the end of both motos. Behind him, it was Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas’ Justin Barcia who went 4-6 for fourth just edging out Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton for fifth.

Sexton entered Thunder Valley as the championship leader and had a frustrating day at the office. The first moto saw him take a while to get into fourth, but then he fell late in the moto and slipped back to sixth. Then in the second moto, he was on Justin Cooper for the lead when he crashed and eventually finished fifth. He now sits six points down in the championship.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) was sixth ahead of Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) in seventh, Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) in eighth, Dylan Ferrandis (Phoenix Racing Honda) in ninth, and Christian Craig (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) rounding out the top 10.

Next up is High Point in one weeks time where it will be Hunter Lawrence’s turn to defend the red plate for the first time this season.

Old School Dentist

Tusk Air Filters Great Product Great Value

Here at MX43 we love these filters. They are well made, work well and are priced right. We buy several so we always have a clean one ready to go. Riding season is here. Check'em out at www.tuskoffroad.com

VMXDN Foxhill 2024

Double Whammy for Team USA

The third annual VMXdN at Foxhill is getting even more international recognition as word spreads of the success and overall 90's vibe of the four-day festival weekend. Entering its third year held at the iconic Wiltshire Grand Prix circuit near Swindon over the August Bank holiday weekend, the venue is like hallow ground to anybody who was around the 90's and 00's motocross scene.

Italy has now entered two teams, and the USA has entered a second squad, with the first to be announced as New England Fairhurst USA.

Steve Wells, the kingpin behind KX500 Tech, will manage the team. Wells will build and run a 2001 Kawasaki KX 250 with number 25 for the +40 category rider—the legend Keith Johnson. Johnson has been a regular at the VMXdN for a few years and runs the AMA National at Southwick, and the vets race there. He is supported by FXR and 6D helmets.

Second up is Chris Canning, another New England legend who will be racing a RM 250 supplied and run by Fathead Racing, running the number 26 plate. Again, Canning is supported by FXR clothing and 6D helmets.

Third, and by no means least, is Heath Harrison. He is the crew chief for the Phoenix/Factory Connection Honda squad in the States—Dylan Ferrandis' boss! Heath is a very accomplished racer in his own right and will most certainly be up the sharp end of the action. He will be racing a CR 250 supplied and worked on by Ultimate Wheels boss Jamie Smith, running the number 27.

In just two short years, VMXdN Foxhill has quickly established itself as the "must-go-to" event on the British MX calendar. The four-day festival weekend celebrates all that is good about the '90s and '00s two-stroke era at a circuit that is synonymous with the insurgent 125 and 250 GPs held there back in the day.

It's a cracking weekend for the whole family. With a packed schedule, open paddocks, podcast show, entertainment, Show’N’Shine - brought to you by The Range, and nonstop racing action on Saturday and Sunday, it’s no wonder the camping spaces sold out in 2023! This year’s event is on course to sell out before the gates open, which is unheard of for an outdoor motocross event in the UK.

We strongly advise booking now to avoid disappointment! With a weekend adult ticket starting at just £16 a day, not only is it a great 90s vibe MX weekend, but the prices are pretty

Memorial Day

35% Off Deal on EKS Goggles!

The solution is simple, take advantage of the MX43 discount and go get a pair for yourself. These days you have many choices for goggle but most are copy cat models. If you want innovation at a fair price the answer is EKS Brand. Their Lucid goggle is top of the line and perfect for the challenges presented by moto or trail riding. Check'em out at www.eksbrand.com"

MX43 

You can use our 35% discount code at check out for a great deal - code  MX43

MXA TEAM TESTED: EKS BRAND LUCID GOGGLES

WHAT IS IT? After five years of development, EKS Brand’s Lucid goggle is finally 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? $89.00 (clear lens), $99.00 (mirrored 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, 20-mm-thick, three-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 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. 

KTM's Race Leader

The Pit Bull

Pit Beirer might be the Motorsport Director for KTM racing now and has to control the program of the KTM MotoGP effort and most of the off-road challenges, such as MXGP, MX2, Rally and so much more, but a long time ago, more than 20 years in fact, he was one of the toughest motocross riders in the World. When you talk old school, you are talking “The Pitbull”.

He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1989 to 2003 and was one of the top competitors in the FIM 250cc World Championships riding for Honda and Kawasaki. He finished third in the 250-world championship in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002.

He finished second to Frédéric Bolley in the 1999 250cc motocross world championship. Beirer signed with KTM in 2002, but in 2003, he crashed during the Bulgarian Grand Prix and suffered spinal injuries that left him paralyzed and ended his riding career.

It was a huge blow for the motocross paddock, as Beirer was a popular figure between the riders, teams and media. Entering this weeks German Grand Prix, we thought it might be nice to have a small feature on one of the best German riders in the sports history. He spoke to MotoGP in a cool interview and below is what he told them.

“There was one moment when I won in 1991, I won as an up-and-coming kid, the German MX GP. To win a motocross Grand Prix in your own country and hear that national anthem at the end of the day - the emotions there you cannot describe. You want to laugh, cry, hug the whole world. Winning a GP, especially a home GP, that’s something outstanding which will always follow you forever. I had a couple of GP wins, another big one in Germany a few years later - these wins in your home country are so special. But also, I think two or three races where I dominated the Motocross of Nations, the only time of year you can meet all the guys from the USA, together with the Europeans.”

“There I had a clear 1-1 in 1997 in Belgium, so you see these dates come still and the name of the venue still, but you forget many of the others. But of course, there are some special races and since I wasn’t a multi-time champion and winner, the home GP wins are very special. I mean, I had German championships, I even had a Swiss championship, I was always moving around to teams which I thought were best to win championships. I was always ready to leave home and be somewhere alone in the country, where I thought I had the best possibilities. But all these things were nothing compared to winning a GP. That’s still something very special. I always still feel so emotional on the Sunday afternoon when you see the guys on the podium. They achieve something special, and this is something quite nice.”

Reprint fro MXLarge.com

Potential off-track infraction could cost Deegan overall victory.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan finished off a 1-1 performance on Saturday to win the Fox Raceway National. However, results are still pending as officials review an off-track moment for Deegan.

If Deegan is penalized, it would likely hand the win over to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen who went 2-2 right behind Deegan. Kitchen led almost the entire first 250 class moto before Deegan passed him with two laps to go. Then Kitchen stuck right with Deegan the whole second moto and finished only a few seconds down.

The infraction in question came when Deegan went off the track before the big tabletop jump in the back and jumped back on without slowing down and still did the jump. A similar infraction was committed by Red Bull KTM’s Tom Vialle in the first moto which dropped Vialle from third to fourth behind Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas.

As of now, Deegan unofficially took the win with a 1-1 to Kitchen’s 2-2 and Vialle’s 4-3. Chance Hymas came home a strong fourth with 3-4 scores and Triumph Racing’s Jalek Swoll rounded out the top five with 6-5 scores.

Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda was sixth overall ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher, Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas’ Pierce Brown, Triumph’s Joey Savatgy, and TLD GasGas’ Ryder DiFrancesco inside the top 10.

If results stay the same, Deegan will head into Hangtown next week with a six-point lead in the championship as he exchanges purple plates for red ones. Updates will follow once any penalties are made known.

Update: Results have now been made official and Deegan kept the win at the opener, officially going 1-1 on the day.