News and stories from Powersports racing in the United States.
MotoSport.com Expands Partnership with Pro Motocross Championship for 2023 Season
MX Sports Pro Racing has announced that MotoSport.com will return as the “Official Online Retailer” of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The online powersports store will retain the cornerstone elements of its multifaceted series support, returning to its longtime role as title sponsor of the MotoSport.com Holeshot for all 22 motos across both the 450 Class and 250 Class as well as its annual event sponsorship of the legendary MotoSport.com Washougal National, the eighth round of the summer on July 22, from the scenic Pacific Northwest. Additionally, the retailer will expand its partnership for the upcoming season by becoming presenting sponsor of Race Day Live, presented by MotoSport.com, the new official pre-race show of Pro Motocross.
“Around here [in the Pacific Northwest], ‘Washougal Week’ is our ‘Super Bowl Week’ and the buzz starts at the end of May with Round 1 of the Pro Motocross season,” said John St. Juliana, Vice President and General Manager of MotoSport.com. “We have an employee base of former pros, weekend warriors, and those who just love watching the sport. You won’t find a more dedicated or enthusiastic group of folks supporting the Nationals than our team at MotoSport.”
A staple of Monster Energy Supercross for many years, the extension of Race Day Liveinto Pro Motocross will further unify each respective championship under the new SuperMotocross World Championship. This one-hour preview of each race day during the season will bring more of the best on-air personalities in the sport, led by host and lead commentator Jason Weigandt alongside analysts Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart. Viewers will be treated to exclusive live coverage of the final timed qualifying sessions of the 450 Class and 250 Class on Peacock and the SuperMotocross Video Pass, which will set the gate for the afternoon motos. Additionally, MotoSport will plan a massive summer-long giveaway contest with the “Ultimate Two-Stroke Sweepstakes” where one lucky winner will take home a 2023 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke.
“At its core, MotoSport.com is a company driven by the passion of motocross enthusiasts, which has made it an ideal partner of American motocross for many years,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “Their commitment to Pro Motocross and leveraging our series to the benefit of their customers is something we’re truly grateful for. You cannot attend nor watch a single National without taking notice of MotoSport’s support and we’re eager to watch this partnership grow even more this summer with the addition of Race Day Live.”
MotoSport.com has led the powersports industry for nearly 25 years by offering the widest selection of parts, gear, tires and accessories for dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides. The company’s continued presence in Pro Motocross and involvement at local level tracks and rider sponsorships shows its clout in growing and preserving one of America’s most treasured pastimes. MotoSport has an undeniable impact on the sport and its continued presence on and off the track demonstrates its dedication to helping amateurs and pros of all ages to get out and ride. For more information, visit www.MotoSport.com
Mere days remain until the roar of 40-rider gates greet the most passionate fans in motorsports for another memorable summer of the Pro Motocross Championship. The 11-round season will travel to 10 different states, with visits to the hallowed grounds of Fox Raceway, Hangtown, Thunder Valley Motocross Park, High Point Raceway, RedBud MX, The Wick 338, Spring Creek MX Park, Washougal MX Park, Unadilla MX, Budds Creek Motocross Park, and Ironman Raceway.
Support Class Title Chases Tighten Up At Barber Motorsports Park
You won’t find a MotoAmerica Championship more closely fought than the one for the REV’IT! Twins Cup title after Sunday’s eventful race at Barber Motorsports Park.
How’s this for close? Defending REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis leads Gus Rodio and Hayden Schultz by just two points after three rounds and six races. And despite not taking part in the two races at Daytona and DNFing the first race at Road Atlanta, Rocco Landers is lurking in fourth just 12 points behind.
Three straight wins will do that for you.
Landers won both races in Alabama and those two wins, combined with two non-finishes by former runaway championship leader Gus Rodio, have flipped the championship upside down.
REV’IT! Twins Cup race two kicked off the feature events on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, and Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia rider Landers completed a perfect weekend where he earned the pole, won race one and was also victorious in race two. Landers’ teammate Rodio didn’t fare as well, unfortunately. He had the points lead coming into the weekend, but a crash in each of the two races moved him down to second in the standings where he is tied with Schultz.
Davis finished second in Sunday’s race aboard his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha and took over first place in the standings by two points over Rodio. The WagBar MP13 Racing’s Kayla Yaakov got her second podium finish in as many days with a third-place finish on Sunday to go with her second-place finish on Saturday. Yaakov missed the Daytona and Road Atlanta rounds of the REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship due to injury, but she came back strong at Barber Motorsports Park in her debut weekend in the class.
“Somehow, I’m like 12 points back now, Landers said. “It’s wild. We missed the first round and then we had a DNF in Atlanta, which was infuriating. I couldn’t give it up to my whole Robem Engineering Rodio Racing team enough, my mechanic Chad works so hard to make the bike perfect for me. Matt Spicer is helping me out so much, Robem. The whole Rodio family. Such a bummer to see that happen to Gus (Rodio). Always nice to get a team one-two, and for Aprilia, as well. Maybe I could talk them into letting me finish the season off for him, because we’re getting kind of close in the championship. It would be nice. But it was a good race, though. I enjoyed it.”
Junior Cup – Badie’s First
In the Junior Cup Championship, Sunday’s race one saw a Belgian rider take the checkered flag for the first time in MotoAmerica history. Badie Racing’s Levi Badie came from behind during the race to beat out Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese by only three milliseconds. Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher, who won Saturday’s race one, had his winning streak snapped at three victories when he finished third on Sunday.
“I didn’t think I was going to win,” Badie said. “But I saw him (Bicknese) struggling in the last corner. I saw him held in the limiter, or something. So, I was like, ‘Okay, now is the chance. Go full tucked in and just go for it. If it’s second, it’s second.’ I was happy for both of the places. I didn’t think, but I’m first so I’m happy.”
Stock 1000 – Gillim’s Double
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim had a horrible opening round to the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship at Road Atlanta, but he turned that into a distant memory with his second victory of the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday.
Gillim’s efforts were rewarded as he gained 14 points on championship leader Ezra Beaubier, with the Orange Cat Racing-backed Californian finishing third on Sunday behind Gillim and his teammate Kaleb De Keyrel.
Beaubier now leads Gillim and De Keyrel, who are tied for second, by 26 points, 86-60, with Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp (fourth today) fourth with 50 points and Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman (DNF today) fifth with 46 points.
“I tried. Ezra (Beaubier) didn’t make that happen very easy. It was good. He got a good start. I was hoping he would be kind of a little easy in turn one again today, and he drove it off in there. It was a good race. It was fun those first couple laps. There were a couple spots I knew where if I could get a little bit of a gap, I didn’t think he could get up next to me and try any out-braking maneuvers. I just put my head down and tried to go. I knew I had really good pace and I knew I could kind of hold it pretty easy. I just pushed and pushed and went and started opening up the gap a little bit. This was a good weekend. I needed this weekend. Atlanta was a pretty big shock to my confidence and everything. I didn’t know if it was me or the bikes. I didn’t know what was going on. So being able to come out here and do this, I knew this track was going to be good for us. It was a great weekend. I’m happy to get up here twice for the team, for myself, and bring home the big trophy.”
Gagne Perfect With Doubleheader Sweep Of Medallia Superbike Races At Barber
Other than surviving one of the scariest moments of his racing career midway through the Medallia Superbike race at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne had the perfect weekend in Alabama. The two-time defending Medallia Superbike Champion started from pole position and led every lap en route to a clean sweep of the two races.
Sunday’s victory was Gagne’s third in a row, and it increased his lead in the championship to 24 points over Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, 95-71. The win was also the 32nd AMA Superbike victory for Gagne and it moved him into a tie for fourth overall with Miguel Duhamel and Toni Elias on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.
Gagne’s only scare was when he lost control of his Yamaha YZF-R1, ran on to the grass and dirt on the inside of turn three, somehow saved it and carried on to win the 20-lap race by 2.9 seconds.
“It could have been bad. I got lucky,” Gagne said of his near crash after the race.
Other than that, Gagne’s 32nd win was like the other 31. Get a great start and don’t let anyone else get near you, much less past you.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was second on his Yamaha YZF-R1 with the South African getting the better of Beaubier after a near race-long battle for the position. Their race came down to a last-lap brawl with the pair crossing the finish line just .161 of a second apart and almost hitting as Scholtz unknowingly swerved into Beaubier’s path.
Beaubier, who was fourth on Saturday with the harder-compound Dunlop R5s, switched to the softer R3 Dunlop for race two on Sunday and it paid dividends as he was a fighting third.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante had his best Superbike weekend to date, and he ended it in style with an impressive fourth-place finish on Sunday. Escalante was 5.7 seconds behind Beaubier and some six seconds clear of fifth-placed PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker getting the better of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, who struggled with tire-wear woes.
With Herrin sixth, seventh went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander, who was less than a second ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Toni Elias was ninth with Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the top 10.
The most notable of the non-finishers was Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen with the South African crashing out of second on the opening lap while trying to keep pace with Gagne.
Superbike Race 2
- Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
- Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
- Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
- PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
- Josh Herrin (Ducati)
- Corey Alexander (BMW)
- Ashton Yates (BMW)
- Toni Elias (Suzuki)
- Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Superbike Quotes
Jake Gagne – Winner
“I got off to another good start. There was some chaos on the grid. I pulled up to the grid last and I got off to a sweet start, luckily. I heard Cam (Petersen) went down in five. I was surprised on my gap. Even on the first lap I think I had a half second on my board, or something. So, I think that kind of gave me that little bit of a separation in the beginning. Put my head down. I was surprised to see 22.4 (a 1:22.4 lap), honestly. Really surprised. So, those first couple laps gave me a good break. We made some improvements on the bike. It was a little easier for me to ride. It was turning a little better than it was yesterday. But I think halfway through out of turn two, I had a moment that I haven’t had in years. Totally sideways, almost highsided. Ran off the inside grass, up over the curb, into the grass up over turn three. It was gnarly. I don’t even know. I think I only lost like a second somehow. I was expecting to lose a lot more than that. So, I got really lucky that I even kept it. After that, I’m like, I got to bring this thing home. I know these guys could – I had enough of a gap, they could reel me in a bit. I just needed to bring it home. Good weekend. This is obviously a track that really, really suits the Yamaha. So, I wanted to come in here and take advantage of that. Next up, Road America. I think all these boys are going to be in the hunt. It’s not going to be easy to get a win there, but we’ll just keep doing our job. Again, hats off to the team. I’m glad we got two dry races in here, because the weather was looking kind of gnarly. Good weekend.”
Mathew Scholtz – Second Place
“I think I pulled a little bit of a gap and Cameron (Beaubier) closed me down. I kind of knew from I think maybe lap six or seven that Cam had a couple tenths on me. So, I didn’t really try to push as hard as I could on the limits and use too much tire. Once he passed me, I just made sure I made a couple good laps down that he didn’t pull a gap. There were a couple sectors on the track that he was definitely quicker, a couple sectors I was a little bit faster. On the final lap, I knew Charlotte’s Web was one of the main points that you could pass someone, so I went in there really, really deep. Then ruined the drive coming out. Cameron got up next to me going into corner seven. I brake-passed him there and it was a pretty hard pass. So, I kind of thought that I had a couple bike lengths and going into the final corner I tried to focus on driving out hard. Pushed the front and I just kind of had to close the line a little bit, because I know Cameron was obviously right there and driving off the corner well. Obviously, I don’t mean to try to cut somebody off, but I’m just happy to be sitting up here in second place. Obviously watching Cam ride Moto2 for the last two years, it feels awesome to be up here battling with him. So, well done to Jake (Gagne). He spanked us one more time. Hopefully ,in two weeks’ time we can give him something.”
Cameron Beaubier – Third Place
“This morning I was super happy with how I was riding. I was super happy with the step we made this morning. We made a couple tweaks to the bike overnight and threw the soft tire in. I’ve been struggling pretty much ever since I got on this bike to make a good time on the soft tire. I think part of it is I’m just not trusting the TC, I’m not trusting the bike. I felt just really good first from as soon as I rode out of pit lane. I was just trusting the thing. I was really riding the bike. I felt like I made a good step this morning on it. So, we just decided to race on the R3 soft rear, and it was a lot better than yesterday. I had really good grip there at the beginning. I just got stuck behind Josh (Herrin). He was really good on the brakes. Obviously, the Ducati has some speed on the straight. So, that was a little tough, but I put my head down after I was able to get by him and was able to reel in Matty (Scholtz). Matty had a really good pace going, and so did I at the beginning. I saw low 23s for a while on my dash. I was able to pass Matty and just kept my head down. Then I started running into tire problems. Even my front was pushing around. The rear was coming around here and there. Then I just kind of lost my roll speed around the track. Ended up almost losing it down into five, into Charlotte’s Web. Matty got by. I just tried to do everything I could to stick on Matty’s wheel because he had a really good pace going. He was high 23s, low 24s. I tried to do something with him on the last lap. Like I said, I was struggling just to hang there. I came into the last lap. I was going to try to line him up going into Charlotte’s Web. I wasn’t close enough. Then he pushed the front in the last corner, and I snuck up the inside of him. I thought I was going to beat him to the line, but he got me with a sneaky little swerve. I don’t think he realized I was as close as I was. Hats off to him. He was riding so good. Obviously, Jake (Gagne) rode incredible all weekend. It’s going to be tough to close the gap to that guy, but just happy to get out of here with a podium and move on with the season.”
FOUR-RIDER RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING ROSTER SET FOR 2023 PRO MOTOCROSS SEASON
Murrieta, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will field a complete four-rider roster in the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, featuring Cooper Webb and Aaron Plessinger in 450MX, alongside 250MX contenders Maximus Vohland and Tom Vialle when the season opens in Pala, California, this Saturday, May 27.
Marking the second stage of the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), which combines both the recently-finished AMA Supercross Championship and 11-round Pro Motocross Championship before the SMX post-season, all four KTM riders will be READY TO RACE when the gate drops on the outdoors.
Two-time premier class Supercross champion and former 250MX champion Webb makes his anticipated return to Pro Motocross riding the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at this weekend’s opening round, having sat out the series last year. The 27-year-old was in contention for a third-career 450SX crown when a crash in Nashville ended his indoor campaign prematurely, however, he has been given a clean bill of health by doctors and is excited for the challenge ahead.
Cooper Webb: “I’m extremely excited to be lining up for the Pro Motocross series. I didn’t compete outdoors last year, so this will be my first time racing it since 2021. I’m super grateful for the team and I to be able to do it together and get back behind the gate. After my crash in Nashville, I’ve been able to take some time off and get fully healthy, cleared, and ready to go. Hopefully, I have some great results with the Red Bull KTM team this summer, we’ll see where it puts us and I can’t wait to see the fans again – I’m looking forward to getting back behind the gate!”
Also in the 450MX division, 27-year-old Plessinger has been focused on taking things outdoors in recent weeks and has made significant progress with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION during pre-season testing for Pro Motocross. The fan favorite, who is also a former 250 Class champion, finished seventh in the standings last year and has his sights set on challenging for the title from the outset in 2023. He’s coming off a convincing runner-up result at the final round of Supercross, two weeks ago in Salt Lake City.
Aaron Plessinger: “I’m looking forward to outdoors this year. The team and I have been working hard on the bike’s motocross setting and it’s really coming around now – I like the way it’s working and it should be a good summer. I’ve been waiting for outdoors ever since Supercross started and I can’t wait to get on the gate and show these boys what I’ve got! It’s a good opportunity to get out front and try to get a taste of this red plate, so hopefully we do that at Pala and move to Hangtown with the points lead. We’ve gotta get there first and see how we stack up, but I think we can do really good this year and be title contenders – I’m excited to get going!”
After finishing sixth in the 250MX championship one year ago, Vohland is confident that he can make an additional impact this season riding the KTM 250 SX-F. In his third year with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing competing at the professional level, experience is building for the 20-year-old and he is motivated to make this year count outdoors.
Maximus Vohland: “I can’t wait to get the outdoor season started! I really like racing outdoors, especially getting to go race at Hangtown, which is my home track. I have had a reasonably successful first couple of years, going ninth in my rookie season and sixth last year. My bike is working great, so I’m definitely ready to battle up front, be on podiums, and be in the championship hunt this year.”
There will be a lot of interest in French newcomer Vialle when the gate drops at Round 1, the reigning and two-time MX2 World Champion – who lifted the crown in 2020 and 2022 – due to commence his Pro Motocross career in the U.S. At 22, Vialle successfully completed the 250SX East series and enters the outdoors at 100 percent fitness, putting him in an ideal position to showcase his capabilities in a more familiar motocross environment onboard the KTM 250 SX-F.
Tom Vialle: “We just finished Supercross racing and had one weekend off, and now we start 11 rounds of motocross racing, starting with Pala this weekend. I am looking forward to the Pro Motocross series because it’s the kind of racing that I am used to and I raced a lot successfully in Europe. It is pretty different splitting the year up between two different racing series, because in Europe we just focus on one series for a whole year. But I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge and really excited for outdoors, because obviously, that’s the racing I know best.”
It’s a welcome return to a full rider line-up for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing after being affected by injuries in the latter stages of Supercross. The combination of Webb, Plessinger, Vohland, and Vialle is a competitive one, with the team working extensively in transitioning to Pro Motocross for the upcoming summer and motivated to strengthen its position leading into the three SMX events later this year.
Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “I’m really glad everyone is in one piece and healthy, and that the team is able to put forward a full four-rider line-up for the motocross series given we had a turbulent last few rounds in Supercross. We have put in the hours as a team and made a lot of improvements to both our 250 and 450 motocross bike set-up during the off-season and think we are in a really good place to start the season off. The riders have done their work and all four look in good shape, so we should be ready come Pala’s opening round of the season this weekend.”
Supercross Celebrates $1M Fundraising Milestone Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Thanks to the generosity of racers, teams, industry partners, and fans, Monster Energy AMA Supercross is pleased to announce it has surpassed the $1 million fundraising milestone in support of the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®: Finding cures. Saving children.® This milestone marks seven years of commitment to St. Jude families.
The partnership between Feld Entertainment and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital kicked off in 2017, when Feld Entertainment and Supercross legend Ryan Dungey launched the initiative within the Supercross community.
“Every new bridge that Supercross and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital cross together just opens my eyes to how meaningful and impactful this relationship is and can be. I’m looking forward to a long-continued partnership in the future,” said Dave Prater, Vice President of Supercross.
Over the course of each season, the Supercross community supports St. Jude through an annual text-to-donate campaign, online auction, and special moments with patients and their families. The auction is launched each year on the heels of an annual race dedicated solely to the kids at St. Jude. Round 14, of the 2023 season, which took place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ served as the annual race in which athletes and teams featured St. Jude patient-inspired artwork on their jerseys, gear, and bike graphics. These one-of-a-kind items were then donated to the auction where 100% of the proceeds went directly to supporting St. Jude and its families.
Because of fundraising through partnerships like this, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food – so they can focus on helping their child live. The 2023 Love Moto Stop Cancer text-to-donate campaign raised an impressive $92,789 throughout the season while the online auction raised an additional $137,290 in just two weeks. Supercross is the only entity outside of Country music to use their own community-wide slogan – Love Moto Stop Cancer. Moto is short for Motocross which embellishes both disciplines of Motocross and Supercross. The spike in donations is a direct result of Supercross’ commitment to St. Jude and this year’s one-of-a-kind campaign. Donors who pledge $19 or more per month receive an exclusive Love Moto Stop Cancer T-shirt, routinely worn by all the sport’s top athletes.
Click the image below for an impassioned look at St. Jude and Supercross through the years.
International superstar Ken Roczen, Dave Prater, and Sr. Public Relations Manager Sean Brennen commemorated the $1M occasion at an honorary lighting of the Empire State Building in New York City. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“What an incredible milestone to celebrate with our friends at Feld Entertainment and Supercross — all in the name of coming together to help kids around the globe,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “We are so grateful for these amazing partners and their loyal fans in the New York and New Jersey area and around the world who give back to help the 400,000 kids globally who will get cancer every year.”
Former St. Jude patient Owen (left), his family, and Supercross racer Josh Hill at the Love Moto Stop Cancer Race in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
For more information about Supercross and ways to support St. Jude please visit Supercrosslive.com/stjude.
Aprilia Set For MotoAmerica Sponsorship As It Sets Its Sights On 2023 Twins Cup Title
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is proud to announce that Aprilia will again be an official partner of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship with its RS 660 also a major player in the REV’IT Twins Cup title chase.
Aprilia RS 660-mounted teammates Rocco Landers (97) and Gus Rodio (96) are in the thick of the 2023 REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship battle. Photo by Sara Chappell.
Aprilia and its RS 660 won the 2021 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship, and the Italian marque is hoping to re-gain the title in 2023 with nine riders signed up to compete in the REV’IT! Twins Cup title chase on RS 660s. So far so good for the brand as Aprilia RS 660-mounted racers have won five of the first six races of the season with victories at Daytona International Speedway, Road Atlanta and Barber Motorsports Park to start the season.
Aprilia, which is headquartered in Noale, Italy, has been a major player in international racing, winning 54 World titles (38 in Grand Prix, seven in World Superbike, and nine in off-road disciplines). Aprilia produces four sportbike models (RS 660, Tuono 660, RSV4, Tuono V4) and an adventure bike (Tuareg 660). The company also produces the RS-GP, a MotoGP race winner, and World Championship contender.
“Aprilia’s history in motorcycle road racing speaks for itself,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “They are a true racing company, and it shows in their products. The RS 660 had a big impact on our REV’IT! Twins Cup class and was a winner right out of the box. This year’s series promises to be a fight to the very end and Aprilia is definitely in that fight. We look forward to some exciting racing this season and are very appreciative of Aprilia’s continued support of the MotoAmerica series.”
“We are pleased to continue our participation in MotoAmerica with Aprilia, and the REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship with the RS 660,” said Marco d’Acunzo, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas. “The series provides the perfect platform to showcase the abilities of the RS 660, which offers competitors a winning combination of performance and precision. The capability of the RS 660 is inherent from the race history of Aprilia, which has a heritage of producing championship bikes and riders, and with MotoAmerica Aprilia has the ability to support a new age of racers who can grow through the brand here in the U.S.”
Suzuki 2023 Race Teams Primed For Motocross
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC is pleased to announce its continued alliance with HEP Motorsports for the 2023 AMA Pro Racing Motocross Championship. Suzuki and HEP Motorsports will race as Twisted Tea/HEP Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance. Bar X Suzuki will continue to spearhead Suzuki’s 2023 motocross 250-class racing efforts in the Championship.
Coming off a successful 2023 Supercross campaign, Twisted Tea/HEP Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance team riders include Fredrik Noren (47), Marshall Weltin (50), and Kyle Chisholm (11) racing on Suzuki RM-Z450s.
Marshall Weltin and Fredrik Noren will run the 450 class, with Kyle Chisholm competing in select rounds of the 2023 AMA Pro Racing Motocross Championship.
Veteran racer Fredrik Noren joins the Twisted Tea/HEP Suzuki squad. Freddie Noren comes to the team with 27 career AMA Pro Motocross Championship 450-class top-ten results and is projected to be a strong addition to the team and its continued progression.
Supercross 450-class stalwart Kyle Chisholm finished the 2023 Supercross season with solid results. Finishing the 2023 SX season in 15th place, Chisholm had consistent race performances, with his best result of the 2023 SX season at the penultimate stop in Denver, recording a solid 8th place. Chisholm will compete in select 2023 MX Outdoor rounds.
Rounding out the Twisted Tea/HEP Suzuki 450-class team is Marshall Weltin. Hailing from Ulby, Michigan, Weltin is moving up from the 2023 250 SX East series, where he showed consistent performance, highlighted by 11th-place finishes in Atlanta and Daytona.
Robbie Wageman, and Dilan Schwartz will spearhead BarX Suzuki’s 250 class efforts in the 2023 AMA Pro Racing Motocross Championship while Derek Drake will try his hand on the RM-Z450.
Competing for Suzuki in the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship’s 250 class is BarX Suzuki’s Robbie Wageman (59), and Dilan Schwartz (85): who joins the BarX Suzuki squad from the Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki team. BarX Suzukis third rider, Derek Drake (53) will step up into the 450 class for the outdoor series. BarX Suzuki also showed consistency and progress in the 250 SX season that just concluded.
Wageman had a solid season in the 250SX West series, finishing 11th overall, with a best result of ninth at Glendale. Derek Drake, from San Luis Obispo, CA continues with Bar X having finished in 15th place in the 250 SX West Series Championship. Drake’s strongest showings were 12th-place finishes at Anaheim 1, Glendale, and Denver. Dilan Schwartz joins Bar X having achieved a 16th place finish in the 250 SX West Series Championship, with an 11th place result at Denver.
“The 2023 Supercross season was an exciting time for the Suzuki teams, with a nice progression of improving results as the season progressed,” stated Suzuki’s Motorsports Manager Chris Wheeler, “with both the RM-Z450 and RM-Z250 continuing to show consistent performance and results, our teams are amped to race the Outdoors,” added Wheeler.
“We are excited to bring the team’s Supercross season momentum to the Outdoors series. Our program has made great strides in 2023, and we are looking forward to extending this effort to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Testing and development efforts in 2023 have achieved some great results for Suzuki fans,” HEP Motorsport’s Team Principle, Dustin Pipes stated.
Suzuki’s teams now take on the challenge of the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross Championship. And then onto the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals fueled by Monster Energy returning this September.
The all-new series seeds the top 20 racers in combined supercross and motocross season championship points into two Playoff rounds, and the Final at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
The AMA Pro Motocross Championship kicks off at Fox Raceway in Pala, California on Saturday, May 27th.
For more team news, and the latest from the Supercross season and SMX World Championship series, please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocrossand HEPMotorsports.com.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Announces Contenders for 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Monster Energy® Kawasaki and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki are ready for this year’s Pro Motocross Championship. The riders will line up for 11 grueling rounds across the nation to take on the best of the best, in hopes of clinching the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship and secure their spots for the 2023 SuperMotocross Championship.
Monster Energy® Kawasaki will begin the 2023 Pro Motocross season with Adam Cianciarulo in his 18th year riding for Kawasaki. In 2020, Cianciarulo finished runner-up in the championship standings capturing two overall victories and is looking to return to the podium in 2023. Kawasaki teammate Jason Anderson will sit out the season opener while he continues his recovery following the injury he sustained in Supercross and will return as soon as possible. In the 250 class, Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki will continue with its roster of talented riders and proven race winners with Jo Shimoda, Ryder Difrancesco, Carson Mumford and making his professional debut, Jett Reynolds.
“We are ready for the Pro Motocross season and looking forward to continuing the momentum from Supercross.” said Kawasaki Racing Senior Manager, Dan Fahie. “Adam and the team have been putting in the hours and we are looking forward to lining up on Saturday aboard the KX™450SR. We are optimistic about Jason’s return to the gate once he is physically ready to showcase the work and dedication that he’s put in during his time off.”
The No. 9 KX450SR of Cianciarulo looks to maintain the momentum gained from the Supercross season to come into the Pro Motocross Championship and fight for the top step at each round. The KX450SR rider has shown massive growth over the last few Supercross rounds and is ready to be a top contender for the 2023 Pro Motocross season.
”I’m going into this season with a positive mindset. I’ve proved to myself that I can battle for the podium and I’m more motivated than ever. I am confident in my progression and I’m looking forward to a great summer with the whole Monster Energy® Kawasaki Team.” said Cianciarulo.
A partnership with more than 30 years of professional racing history, the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team will enter the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross season with a strong lineup of up and coming racers. Shimoda, DiFrancesco, Reynolds and Mumford will be on the hunt weekly battling for a chance at glory at the 11 rounds of Pro Motocross.
“Coming into the first round of Pro Motocross we feel prepared. We have a great team that has been putting in long hours to get us where we are today.” said Mitch Payton. “Jo had strong finishes in Supercross so we are expecting front running results from him. Both Jett and Ryder have been hard at work to be top contenders this year and we look forward to helping them continue to progress for the rest of the season.”
After recovering from an injury sustained in the early 2023 season, Shimoda returned to Supercross and immediately placed himself in the top-five in Atlanta. From then on he continued to improve and round out the remainder of the Supercross season on a high note with multiple top-five finishes including a podium in Nashville. Shimoda is ready to carry on his momentum and success into the Pro Motocross season at Pala where he has previously shown consistent success.
After another successful Supercross season in the futures class, DiFrancesco looks to return to the Pro Motocross Championship on his KX™250 as one of the riders to watch this season. Coming off multiple top-three finishes, the No. 75 looks to start strong at Fox Raceway.
The remarkable amateur, Reynolds is back up to speed showing tremendous growth and ready to head to Pro Motocross to make his professional debut with the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team in 2023.
Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki is looking forward to having Carson Mumford on the Pro Motocross team for the 2023 season after showing consistent results and progress throughout the Supercross season.
Motocross Industry Gathers to Commence 2023 Pro Motocross Championship with Season Kickoff from Pala
With a mere 48 hours until the first gate drop of the summer at the KTM Fox Raceway National, the motocross industry gathered in Southern California on Thursday to officially commence the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with a season kickoff event that featured a morning press conference from the Starlight Theater at Pala Casino Spa Resort, followed by an afternoon riding session at Fox Raceway at Pala. Several dignitaries from prominent partners of the series were on hand to speak to attendees, while a collection of the top athletes from both the 250 Class and 450 Class took part in a Q&A session with the media.
The conference was emceed by NBC Sports and Peacock host and lead commentator Jason Weigandt, the voice of American motocross, and featured several announcements that will be important to the upcoming Pro Motocross season as well as the ongoing SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) and its impending Playoffs and Final this September. Additionally, a new multi-year extension to host the opening round at Fox Raceway was announced by the Vice Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, owners and operators of the track.
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The kickoff event was the precursor to the 2023 Pro Motocross season
and Saturday’s KTM Fox Raceway National.
Photo: Align Media
The halfway point of the 31-race SMX season served as an ideal opportunity to celebrate the successes of the recent Monster Energy AMA Supercross campaign, which saw more than 850,000 fans attend the 17-race stadium season, including four sellouts and record attendance in five additional markets. Additionally, Supercross enjoyed growth in television and streaming viewership from the multi-year partnership extension with NBC Sports and Peacock, which was complemented even further with a significant level of growth from international subscribers to the SuperMotocross Video Pass, which is now available for a limited-time 50% discount entering the Pro Motocross season.
The success of Supercross bodes well for the Pro Motocross Championship, which is already experiencing growth in ticket sales and will be easily accessible for fans watching from home with uninterrupted coverage of all 22 motos across the 250 Class and 450 Class on Peacock. Additionally, Race Day Live, presented by MotoSport.com, will kickstart each race day with a one-hour showcase of the final timed qualifying sessions for each class. With the addition of a 30-minute “halftime” between motos, Peacock will provide a total of 5.5 hours of coverage at every National. Not to be outdone, NBC will carry two live hours of coverage from the Crestview Construction Southwick National (July 8) and Honda Unadilla National (August 12), allowing both classes to be shown on network television for the first time, while USA Network will air next-day coverage of the FXR Spring Creek National (July 15) and Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National (August 19).
“It’s incredibly important to provide our fans with the most seamless and accessible platform possible to watch our races, as is a transparent level of consistency across all 31 events of the SuperMotocross World Championship. Peacock and NBC Sports have delivered on that promise,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “It’s also vital that our international audience, which is far larger and more passionate than people recognize, is provided with a high quality and proven streaming platform through a partner like Endeavor. To top it all off, not a single person on the planet will ever have to worry about missing a single minute of the action once the gate drops.”
MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs (at podium)
offered important insights and acknowledgements.
Photo: Align Media
A collection of both 250 Class and 450 Class riders took to the stage to discuss their anticipation to the new season and their preparations for the summer-long 11-round championship that has traditionally served as one of the toughest tests in all of motorsports. Championship hopefuls in the 250 Class like Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda were accompanied by the division’s most established racer, Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin, among others. In the 450 Class, newly crowned Supercross Champion and last summer’s runner-up Chase Sexton was joined by his new Team Honda HRC teammate Jett Lawrence, who will debut in the premier division, former champion and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing Yamaha rider Dylan Ferrandis, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, and more, including Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb, who confirmed his participation in Pro Motocross just days prior.
It was also confirmed that the series will see the addition of metal starting grates at Pro Motocross events, which aligns with the practice adopted by both Supercross as well as the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) and the annual Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Coombs then welcomed the series’ sanctioning body in AMA Pro Racing, in addition to announcing that the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) will officiate Pro Motocross for the first time in more than a decade to offer another layer of competitive consistency to the entirety of SMX. Special recognition and attention was provided to RedBud MX co-owner Amy Ritchie, who along with her brother Tim will celebrate 50 years of moto at one of the sport’s most iconic venues for the FMF RedBud National, which has formally been announced as a retro-themed race on July 1 during the Independence Day holiday weekend.
The top athletes from the 250 Class and 450 Class
took part in a Q&A session with the media.
Photo: Align Media
Both Weigandt and Coombs took time to bring attention to the historic level of financial investment around the SuperMotocross World Championship, which will directly benefit the racers. The Pro Motocross Championship will see a purse increase of 42% this summer, while the SMX Playoffs and Final will pay out an unprecedented $5.5 million this fall, which will see $25,000 for the 22nd-place finisher in the 450 division, upwards of six figures for a top-10 finish, and $1 million for the 450 winner. Additionally, it was announced that the points scoring system for the SMX Playoffs will operate under the traditional 25-point scale that has been used for decades in Pro Motocross, was the structure for Supercross for many years, and is utilized as well in other series like MXGP. As a result, the progressive point system for SMX will see 25 points go to the winner of Playoff 1, 50 points for the winner of Playoff 2, and 75 points for the winner of the Final.
“The unification of Supercross and Pro Motocross, which represents the partnership between Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing in establishing the SMX League, is truly changing the future of this sport to the benefit of our athletes and our fans,” added Coombs. “This new era is long overdue, but we could not be more thrilled to see the historic impact the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship has had already. This is just the beginning and the sky’s the limit for how much more we can bring progressive and effective changes to the sport and improve the overall health of the industry for generations to come.”
At the conclusion of the press conference teams, racers, and members of the media made the one-mile trek to Fox Raceway at Pala for an afternoon ride session. All officially entered participants for Saturday’s race took to the track for the first time, to allow the entire field to get a head start on preparations for one of the most important races on the entire SMX calendar.
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Racers across both classes took to the track at Fox Raceway to wrap up the afternoon.
Photo: Align Media
The season-opening KTM Fox Raceway National will get underway on Saturday, May 27, to kick off the Memorial Day weekend celebration. Coverage of Round 1 will be showcased exclusively on Peacock, starting with Race Day Live at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET and followed by all four motos across the 450 Class and 250 Class, beginning at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET.
SuperMotocross World Championship Hits Midway Point of Inaugural Season as Pro Motocross Begins this Saturday in Pala, California
The inaugural 31-event series of the SuperMotocross World Championship hits the midway point as the focus now turns toward the outdoor Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Round 1 of the 11-round summer season of racing (Round 18 of the SMX World Championship) gets underway this Saturday, May 27, in Pala, Calif. with the Fox Raceway National.
The indoor-stadium season of Supercross concluded recently in Salt Lake City with Chase Sexton capping off a spectacular season with six wins and the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, giving Team Honda HRC its first 450 premier class title in 20 years. Sexton enters the Pro Motocross season currently seeded number one in the SuperMotocross World Championship points standings with 372 points.
Chase Sexton celebrating with Team Honda HRC after winning his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports
Adding to the list of accolades for Team Honda HRC, Australian brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence both won their respective 250SX Class championships, with Jett winning the Western Regional title and Hunter winning the Eastern Regional title. Despite his success in Supercross, Jett will begin the summer at a significant disadvantage in the SMX World Championship standings as he makes the move up to the 450 Class and will start with zero points. As a result of Jett’s graduation, Hunter becomes the top-seeded 250cc racer in the SMX World Championship with 224 points and will continue in the 250 Class for Pro Motocross, where he will be in search of his first AMA National Championship.
Jett and Hunter Lawrence speaking to the media at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Jett won the Western Regional 250SX Class title and Hunter won the Eastern Regional 250SX Class title.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports
The 17-round Supercross season witnessed record attendance across the board as more than 850K fans made their way through the turnstiles for the races and over 343K came early for pre-race FanFest across the 16 different markets. The season featured four sellout races (Anaheim Opener, Anaheim 2, San Diego, Salt Lake City) and record high attendance in five other markets, including Glendale, Ariz., Indianapolis, Ind., and Arlington, Texas. Overall, live event attendance increased by 5% YOY, and combined with FanFest, it saw a 15% increase YOY.
Television and streaming viewership also showed strong signs of growth across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network. NBC Sports’ multi-year rights extension with Feld Motor Sports laid the groundwork for Peacock to serve as the home of Supercross, Pro Motocross and the SuperMotocross World Championship this year and into the coming years. Peacock exclusively streamed 12 Supercross races this season, with consumption up nearly 100% vs. 2022. The five rounds that aired on NBC and USA Network reached more than 5 million total viewers.
The SuperMotocross Video Pass, allows international streaming of every round of the SMX World Championship, including the Pro Motocross Championship for the first time. Over the past five years, the streaming service has seen 30% growth globally and in 2023, a new partnership with Endeavor Streaming gives international fans premium access with expanded service and even greater service reliability. The full season package is now available to all countries and territories outside the United States, making SuperMotocross one of the most accessible sports on the planet.
The top 10 countries for international streaming include Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, and Mexico, all of which have their best talent competing in the series leading to international intrigue, tune-in, and global audience interest.
As the SuperMotocross World Championship continues with the Pro Motocross Championship, fans from across the globe can continue to tune in via Peacock and the SuperMotocross Video Pass as the entirety of the 11-round championship will be streamed live, with four and a half hours of live racing with uninterrupted coverage of all four combined 450 Class and 250 Class motos.
In addition to the most extensive streaming coverage to date for Pro Motocross, network broadcast coverage will bring the action into millions of homes during select rounds of the season. NBC will air live network showcases of the opening motos from the Crestview Construction Southwick National, on July 8, and the second motos from the Honda Unadilla National, on August 12, while USA Network will broadcast Sunday re-airs of the final motos from the FXR Spring Creek National, on July 16, and the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National, on August 20. Encore presentations of the second motos from all 11 rounds will also air on CNBC every Monday following a National.
Bringing the action to the passionate Pro Motocross audience will be host and lead commentator Jason Weigandt, the longtime voice of American motocross, alongside the Hall of Fame tandem of multi-time AMA Champions Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart. These former on-track rivals have become two of the most knowledgeable and savvy color analysts in motorsports, each boasting a racing résumé that made them icons of the sport. Trackside insights will once again feature former racer Jason Thomas in addition to longtime reporter Will Christien during the NBC broadcasts.
2023 Pro Motocross Broadcast and Streaming Schedule:
Kicking off each National over the course of the summer season will be the addition of Race Day Live, presented by MotoSport.com, the official pre-race show of both Monster Energy AMA Supercross and now the Pro Motocross Championship. This one-hour preview will live-stream the final timed qualifying sessions of the 450 Class and 250 Class, which will set the stage for the afternoon battle for victory each weekend.
Storylines abound for the SuperMotocross World Championship as the series heads into the Pro Motocross season as Sexton, Lawrence, and Adam Cianciarulo all look to keep the momentum going into the summer. Additionally, several key athletes will make their return from injuries as the season unfolds – Cooper Webb, Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson, Dylan Ferrandis, Christian Craig, Malcolm Stewart, Michael Mosiman, Pierce Brown, Jalek Swoll, and others.
For the first time in the sport’s 50-plus year history, athletes have an additional incentive to keep racing as they accumulate points towards the SMX World Championship. The top 20 athletes in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points (both classes) will be automatically seeded into the SMX Playoffs and World Championship Final. In addition to racing for the sport’s ultimate title, the best athletes in the world will also be competing for the sport’s biggest prize – $5.5M spread across the final three races ($10M spread across the SMX series).
All roads lead towards the SuperMotocross World Championship as Playoff 1 will take place on Saturday, September 9 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. and Playoff 2 is set for Saturday, September 16 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., followed by the SuperMotocross World Championship Final on Saturday, September 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final Schedule:
- SuperMotocross Playoff 1 – zMAX Dragway – September 9, 2023
- SuperMotocross Playoff 2 – Chicagoland Speedway – September 16, 2023
- SuperMotocross World Championship Final – LA Memorial Coliseum – September 23, 2023
Domestically, Peacock continues to be the exclusive streaming home for all SuperMotocross World Championship action, including 11 rounds of Pro Motocross, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, two SuperMotocross playoff races and then the SuperMotocross World Championship Final.
Internationally, the SuperMotocross Video Pass (Supermotocross.tv) is the go-to platform for all 31 events across the SMX World Championship. With it being the midway point in the series fans can take advantage of a current price reduction.
Mere days remain until the roar of 40-rider gates greet the most enthusiastic fans in motorsports for another memorable summer of the Pro Motocross Championship. The 11-round season will travel to 10 different states, with visits to the hallowed grounds of Fox Raceway, Hangtown, Thunder Valley Motocross Park, High Point Raceway, RedBud MX, The Wick 338, Spring Creek MX Park, Washougal MX Park, Unadilla MX, Budds Creek Motocross Park, and Ironman Raceway.
For more information about the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship series, the Pro Motocross Championship, tickets, and streaming options, visit Peacock and supermotocross.com.
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