Team HRC General Manager

Pereira de Freitas interview

Marcus Pereira de Freitas the Team HRC General Manager for the MXGP class has seen a very up and down start to the 2023 season. Having been to the highs of an MXGP championship with Tim Gajser in 2022, the Team HRC suffered the lowest of lows as the Slovenian, five-time World Champion suffered injury in a pre-season race and will miss the opening six or seven rounds of this year’s championship.

The team then saw Ruben Fernandez made his first appearance for the team at the opening round of the Argentina Grand Prix and take a very surprising victory. 

Question: Obviously you had the start of the season with that stunning win by Ruben in Argentina. Can you explain how that felt?

Pereira de Freitas: Argentina was just an amazing event for us at Team HRC. Ruben went there and just rode superbly, and to win the second moto was a big achievement, but to then take the overall was just a massive boost of confidence to him and everyone in the team. What a start to Ruben’s time with Team HRC! He has worked so hard over the winter to be in this position so he deserves a lot of credit, and then to put it together here is amazing. He certainly didn’t make it easy after race one, but he came out and rode flawlessly in race two, taking the victory and the overall. It was just such an impressive performance, and a great way to start his year and a great moment for the whole team who all work so hard to make moments like this possible.

Question: Even on the Saturday in Argentina he looked very strong?

Pereira de Freitas: We are all very happy with Ruben’s performance. It is never easy to start on a new team, and especially with a big crowd supporting him, he could easily have been nervous, but he was calm and relaxed and just went out and rode really well. The fourth place not only gives him the seven points for the championship, but also fourth gate pick for the two races, so we are going to work hard to make sure he can go out there and repeat the result from today.

Question: Saturday in Riola Sardo was good, better than expected I would think after Rubens past races in sand?

Pereira de Freitas: Overall, it was a very good day for Ruben and the team. He showed his sand skills today and we are very happy with his riding in all three sessions. Each time he went out on the track he got better and better, from 11th in free practice to fifth in timed practice and then he was in the top five for the majority of the qualification race, only dropping to sixth when he tried to make a pass for second place a couple of laps from the end. 

Question: Sunday though, it didn’t go well and it was really difficult for the team and Ruben?

Pereira de Freitas: Unfortunately, it was a tough day once again in Sardinia. Riola Sardo certainly hasn’t been kind to Team HRC but we won’t dwell on that and instead focus on getting things right in Switzerland at the next round. Ruben knows what he is capable of, and he showed some really good signs throughout the weekend, so the talent is there, he just made mistakes at the wrong time and on this track that is really costly.

Herlings Back on the Gas!

MXGP Sardegna

SX Points Tied Going to Arizona

Tomac vs. Webb who can sustain the intensity needed to win this title. The Hurrican demonstrates intensity.

Tomac Wins His 50th

Tomac ties Stewart all-time with 50th win in Seattle

 Post: Aaron Durant

Sexton recovers for fifth after crashing out of lead.

Image: Octopi Media.

The 2023 Monster Energy Supercross visit to Seattle’s Lumen Field proved to be impactful as Eli Tomac drew even with Cooper Webb in the points standings with a historic 50th career victory.

With Tomac’s victory over Webb by a margin of 4.798s, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider also tied James Stewart on the sport’s all-time wins list.

Kevin Moranz, the consistently great-starting privateer, grabbed the holeshot with room to spare and successfully led the race’s first lap. With a charging Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) behind, Moranz went over the berm in a bowl turn and got stuck on the tough blocks, falling to the back of the field.

Sexton assumed the race lead with Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) close behind, along with Tomac, Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), and Webb (Red Bull KTM).

A mistake for Cianciarulo and a quick run through the whoops for Tomac promoted the points leader and reigning champion into third, and he then set his sights on Roczen in second. With just over 14 minutes remaining, Tomac rocketed past Roczen, but the two traded positions two additional times after mistakes from the other on the fading track.

With 10 and a half minutes on the clock, Sexton fell victim to the challenging conditions and went over the handlebars, falling to fourth from the lead. Tomac assumed the lead, with Webb just over 2s behind. Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) and Sexton got by Roczen for third and fourth before Roczen fell victim to a surge from Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), dropping from a podium spot to sixth.

A late-race charge toward Tomac was not to be for Webb as the KTM rider settled for second, finishing just under 5s back from Tomac at the checkered flag.

Earning extra reason to celebrate on his birthday, Barcia captured his third podium of 2023 with his fourth top-four result in as many rounds. Sexton ended the night in fifth, failing to back up his Detroit victory and losing more championship ground.

Roczen, Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Cianciarulo, Christian Craig (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), and Justin Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports) comprised the remainder of the top 10.

One red plate will become two as the series returns to action April 8 in Glendale. Tomac and Webb will both carry red number backgrounds inside State Farm Stadium as they carry 248 points into the season’s 12th round. Sexton’s Seattle fate has him 22 points back heading to Arizona after a weekend off.

Surprise... Seattle Might Be Wet!

MORNING REPORT

Well, it's wet, though it might not end up being much of a mudder tonight. Some rain persisted overnight and the tarps were finally lifted off the track this morning early to reveal some water in the low-lying areas. But that might be the worst it gets as no more rain is expected to fall throughout today and the track should only wear in more as the day goes on. Hopefully we end up with a solid racetrack by the evening.

As for the storylines, Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb enters tonight with a three point lead in the championship over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Eli Tomac. Honda HRC's Chase Sexton won last week in Detroit but was penalized seven points after jumping on the red cross flag which pushed him down to 17 points back in the championship entering Seattle. Many other riders like Ken Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson, and more have shown race winning speed of late making this 450SX class very interesting as we begin the homestretch of the championship.

The 250SX West class is back in action this weekend after a little over a month off going back to mid-February when they last raced in Oakland. Honda HRC's Jett Lawrence has a commanding lead over Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's RJ Hampshire and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Cameron McAdoo, but perhaps a tricky track tonight could shake things up.

Practice will begin shortly and then we'll roll right into qualifying where you can watch Race Day Live and eventually the main broadcast this evening. View the full broadcast schedule below. Let's get going in the PNW!

Cooper ready to defend red plate in Seattle

GASGAS wins SuperEnduro Manufacturer's title

Fighting hard right down to the last moto at the final round of the 2023 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Taddy Blazusiak was able to help GASGAS clinch the manufacturer's title and secure himself a bronze medal in the overall champiionship standings! The legend of indoor enduro never gave up, always put in 110%, and the results speak for themselves. Nice work Taddy, and the whole GASGAS team.

Herlings Appears Ready!

Jeffrey Herlings rode his first home race since his return from injury at the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Harfsen, the Netherlands. Jeffrey won both moto's and seems ready for the world championship in 2023.

Seely Returns to SX in Seattle

Cole Seely is back! The 2023 Seattle Supercross is here and Cole is making his return to the AMA Supercross series, but only for two rounds. Cole is racing the Seattle and Glendale Supercross rounds and using them as a practice to get ready for the FIM World Supercross series. The MotoConcepts Honda team is a Supercross-only program, with Mitchell Oldenburg and Anthony Rodriguez racing 250SX West Coast Supercross and Cole Seely joining the team, alongside Vince Friese, for WSX. In this interview, Cole talks about coming back to racing, and he tells about his time as a Motocross Action test rider before he signed with the Troy Lee Designs Honda team.