Swapmoto Live Podcast: Recent Episodes
Donn Maeda
The Swapmoto Live Podcast is hosted by Donn Maeda, a motorsports journalist with nearly 30 years of experience. The show covers everything related to off-road on two wheels: from interviews with top motocross and Supercross racers and conversations with legends of the sport to first-hand information about new motorcycles and products as they first come to market.
Presented by Maxxis
Last week, we asked, "Will ARay and his bike survive Loretta Lynn's?" Well, the answer was no; he blew his bike up in the first of three motos, but he rebounded with some solid results in the final two races. Racing last weekend also went on in Canada, as the FIM WSX World Supercross Championship got underway in Calgary. We go over both of those big events in this week's show!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, guest host Chase Curtis sits down with Tyler Bereman to discuss his new deal with Ducati, adjusting to the all-new Desmo450 MX, how Red Bull's Island Hopper project came to be, touring the Ducati racing headquarters, his thoughts on Ken Roczen's future, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and hear this week's SML Show with Bereman!
Presented by Maxxis
The annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, kicked off today with practice for the racers, and racing starts tomorrow! Of course, we have our very own Alex Ray throwing his hat into the ring in the +25 class, but he's got some stiff competition. His bike started smoking during his sole practice session today and a clip of him looking like Spy Hunter went semi-viral...will our guy and his bike make it? We believe, Alex. We believe!
We talk about all that and a bit more in this off-weekend edition of the Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis.
Presented by Maxxis
On paper, the 450 class results at Washougal might seem boring, but trust us; there was plenty to talk about in this week's Maxxis Kickstart Podcast! The 250 class, meanwhile, seemed equally boring on paper with a 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, podium, but it was also filled with excitement and drama! Chase Curtis is on assignment today, so ARay and swap ran a two-man show this week. Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis
The Spring Creek National Motocross was wild! All hell broke loose in both the 250 and 450 classes, with crazy crashes really shaking up the results. At the same time, we saw some excellent firsts, with Julien Beaumer earning both his first 250 moto and overall wins of his career, Chance Hymas having his first great result of the 250 series with a win in moto two, and Carson Mumford fighting forward to the first 250 moto podium finish of his career! We discuss those, and so much more, on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis.
As race fans, we got to see something last weekend at The Wick 338 that may never happen again! For the second time this year, the Coenen brothers took advantage of a break in the MXGP schedule to come race in America, and Sacha earned the win in the 250 class in spite of crashing with four laps in the second moto and breaking his collarbone! Lucas didn't fare as well in the 450 class as he crashed on turn one of the first moto, but he charged into fourth with relative ease before crashing towards the end of the moto and retiring for the day, keeping his MXGP championship points lead front of mind. We go over all of that, and more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Do you remember the first time that you saw a STACYC Stability Cycle? I can. "Lucky kids!" I thought. "Why didn't weren't these around when I was a kid?" Now, can you believe that it has already been a decade since the STACYC was invented? That fact really makes me feel old!
For this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast, we caught up with STACYC'S Matt Schumann, to talk about the effects that STACYCs have had on the sport of motocross, the recent LiveWire acquisition of DUST Moto, what's next for STACYC, and more!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Olly Stone to discuss his new role with the MX6 Racing Team, reflect on how the team started, talk how much it costs to run a high level racing team in motocross, possible future signings, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and hear this week's SML Show with Olly!
Presented by Maxxis
By all accounts, the Red Bud Pro MX National was amazing, and especially so because of the weather that rolled through Buchanan, Michigan, on Friday and flooded the track. The Red Bud Track n' Trail team did an absolutely amazing job of whipping the quagmire into a highly raceable track that yielded some excellent racing in both classes. What were the big takeaways for you from round five? For us, it was the performance turned in by Hunter Lawrence, the emotional flare-ups from both Lawrences after moto one (we love it!), Jorge Prado letting a potential overall win slip away, Cole Davies establishing himself as a championship contender, and more...
Presented by 6D Helmets
Cade Clason has been a fixture in 450 Supercross main events for well over a decade now, and the privateer standout announced his retirement from professional racing a couple of months ago, just before the Salt Lake Supercross series finale. The Salt Lake City main event marked the 70th main event of Clason's career, and he joined us at Whistler Bike Park in British Columbia for a special vacation edition of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast.
Presented by Maxxis
Off-weekend podcasts are sometimes the most fun, as we get to flap our lips about what we choose to! This week on the Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis, we recap what we know about the X-Games Best Whip and Best Trick events that went on last weekend in Sacramento, and talk about the new developments in the silly season game of musical chairs. Also, do you wash your motocross gloves every ride? How about your helmet liner? Comment below! haha!
Presented by 6D Helmets
A couple of weeks ago, a post on Travis Pastrana's Instagram caught our attention, in which Dana White phoned up the action sports hero and said that he had gotten clearance for Pastrana to jump his dirt bike over the WHite House lawn. Over the next few days, posts from other heroes of moto began to surface... When Jeremy McGrath showed up tp jump ramps at Twitch's house, we knew something really big was happening!
Unless you've been living in a cave, you should already know that Pastrana, McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Keith Sayers, Brian Deegan, and Jeremy Stenberg all got to jump the White House lawn in the "Freedom Jump" exhibition held as part of the UFC Freedom 250 festivities celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
We caught up with Pastrana to find out just how crazy it was to get such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast!
Round four of the 2026 Pro Motocross Nationals saw some surprising results, with big brother Hunter Lawrence turning the tables on Jettson and sweeping both 450 motos, and Eastern Division 250 Supercross Champion Cole Davies turning in a perfect day in the 250 class to earn his first-ever National win. ARay and Chase review everything that went down at High Point in this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis.
Presented by Maxxis
Round three of the Pro Motocross National Championship Series headed up to Thunder Valley MX, and American race fans were treated to a visit from the Coenen brothers from Belgium, who definitely made a statement with their performances in Colorado. Chase Curtis was on the scene last weekend and was able to gather lots of insight from the event to share with us today on the Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis Tires.
Presented by 6D Helmets
On this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast, our friend Kristen Beat joins us to talk about how she went from law school student to action sports journalist. We also cover the WSX World Supercross Championship, the X Games, and Colby Raha's recent world record, and more!
Presented by Maxxis
Last weekend's race at Prairie City OHV Park was awesome! The Hangtown Motocross Classic is one of our favorites to attend, as the Dirt Diggers MC does an amazing job of promoting the second round of the Pro Motocross Championship series. Donn and Dommer made the drive to NorCal to cover the race, and although they missed the ghost ride in the Kawasaki pits, they saw just about everything else! Had a great time in this week's review show. Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis
The 2026 Pro Motocross Nationals got underway last weekend at Fox Raceway, and the race delivered results that were both surprising and exciting! Hunter Lawrence made a big statement with his dominant performance in the 450 class, and Seth Hammaker enjoyed a breakout ride that saw him make his MX podium debut with a win! We go through everything from last weekend in this week's show, and it was a blast!
Presented by 6D Helmets
If the name Bob Rathkamp doesn't ring a bell, perhaps the brands Axo Sport America, Sinisalo Pacific, or Gaerne North America might. Rathkamp moved to California from his home in Minnesota when a job with O'Neal Distribution presented the opportunity to escape the harsh winters and enjoy year-round riding. Soon enough, he joined his good friend Jim Hale at Axo Sport America, and later took over the North American import and distribution duties for Sinisalo from Finland, and also Gaerne from Italy. Bob and I first met in the early 1990s when I was an assistant editor at Cycle News, and in this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast, we recall many of the great times and products of the past three decades...
Presented by Maxxis
We are only a few days away from the first gate drops of the summer, and what could be the most exciting Pro Motocross Series in years. With Haiden Deegan moving up to the 450 class to join the Lawrence brothers, Jorge Prado, Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, and the rest, that also leaves the 250 title up for grabs and plenty of room for new top-10 contenders. We go over all the good stuff leading into this weekend's Fox Raceway National! Enjoy.
Presented by Maxxis
Last weekend, we were again reminded of how cool Glen Helen Raceway can be when it's prepped for a top-level motocross race, as the Motofest took over the facility for four days for a ton of racing that included the Friday Stopwatch Nationals, the Saturday 250 and 450 Showcase races, and a round of the NGPC Series and the Great Escape Dual-Sport Ride on Sunday. SLR Honda's Justin Rodbell earned a cool $7000 over two days of racing and he joined us on the show to talk about the event, the track, and the upcoming Summer of Rodbell II.
This is the audio from our FMF Racing Checking in with Larry Brooks, posted on swapmotolive.com
Earlier this year, HEP Suzuki Team Manager Larry Brooks was diagnosed with colon cancer and was forced to step away from racing. Still, we saw Ken Roczen on FaceTime with LB after each of his race wins, and it was obvious that, though the team leader was not on hand, he was still very much a part of the effort. We were pleased to see Larry in Salt Lake City yesterday, and overjoyed when he shared the news that he was 100% cancer free after three months of treatment. He still has more chemotherapy on the horizon to shrink the tumor before it can be removed, but the fact remains that he is healthy!
Presented by Maxxis
We've said multiple times this season that the previous weekend's race was "the best of the year!", but there is no denying that the season finale inside Rice-Eccles Stadium was the absolute barn burner! The electricity inside the stadium was unreal, and the sold-out crowd was treated to two amazing main events. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you already know that Ken Roczen and the HEP Suzuki team pulled off the first 450 SX Championship for Suzuki since 2010, and that Cole Davies earned a hard-fought win in the Dave Coombs Sr., 250 East vs. West Shootout. We chat about all of that and more on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, guest host Chase Curtis sits down with our friend Derek Drake to discuss the latest with his racing career, finally getting answers regarding his health, how Lyme Disease has affected his career, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and hear this week's SML Show with Derek!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Cole Townsend turned his love for motocross into a career, and his journey with Fasst Co. has been an interesting one, as he and his family have created and marketed unique, original products that are made in the United States. I have known Cole since we were both racing local Southern California CMC events, and watching Fasst Co. grow through the years has been exciting. It was great to catch up with Cole and get the stories behind all of the great products that Fasst Co. makes!
Presented by Maxxis
Let's be real here...did we have our first snoozer of a race in 2026? Sure, in comparison to the edge-of-your-seat races of the parst few weekends, the runaway performances turned in by Haiden Deegan in the 250 Western Division main and Hunter Lawrence in the 450 main on Empower Field inside Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado, were quite boring. Still, the stage is set for two great races this weekend in Salt Lake City, where the 450 title will come down to a winner-take-all affair between Ken Roczen and Hunter Lawrence, and Haiden Deegan will try to destroy the competition in what will be his last 250 Supercross. Who do you have?
Presented by Race Tech
This is the audio from the Race Tech Editors' Column...
I think that I have gotten many of my best qualities from my mom and dad. Mom was a great writer, and my dad was a hard worker who was one of the most creative people around. There are, however, things that my older brothers and I inherited from them that are not so desirable, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. While both of my big brothers have had to have open-heart surgery, I believed that I could beat the genetic course with hard work and clean living. I discovered mountain biking a dozen years ago, and I honestly thought that my secondary two-wheeled obsession would keep all of those important measurable levels on the right side of the scales. Boy, was I wrong. While some of you may have had better luck than me, I got a massive wake-up call last weekend that saw me hospitalized after a trip to the emergency room with a lethally high blood pressure spike that literally could have killed me. I was discharged from the hospital yesterday, some five days later, with a stent in my heart and four new prescriptions. To be honest, I never really get scared when I find myself in the ER with cuts, scrapes, bruises, or broken bones, (ok ok, the broken neck in 2020 was pretty concerning...), but knowing that my body was failing me a few days ago really frightened me. It'c crazy how quickly word-of-mouth can spread, and it's been humbling to see how many friends, industry co-workers, and SML viewers have reached out by phone, text, e-mail, and DMs. Yesterday, I gathered my thoughts and shared my experiences, thoughts, and fears in this episode of Race Tech Editors' Column. I'm sure most of you will be bored or think I'm being overly emo, but in case anyone is interested, here's my story. If you have had a similar experience or have any advice for me, please share it in the comments! Thank you all for supporting the content that Chase and I create! - swap
Although Mother Nature had her hand in the evening's program; the 2026 Philadelphia Supercross delivered a Championship closing round in the 250SX East Divison, a hopeful extension to Ken Roczen's Supercross Championship chase, and plenty more enticing storylines. Press play to listen to this week's Kickstart Podcast, where Alex Ray and Chase Curtis breakdown Philadelphia and discuss numerous topics before the final two rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross series take place. We discuss everything from Chase Sexton and Kawasaki's continued struggles, how Cole Davies securing the Championship has an affect on 450 silly season, Ken Roczen's incredible story, the chances of seeing Eli Tomac back on the starting line this weekend, and more!
We stopped by the 6D Helmets offices yesterday to sit down with President Bob Weber to share our impressions and opinions about the new Max Goggle after spending the past month riding in nothing else. The oversized goggle rests only on your nose and cheeks inside the helmet, and the rest of the goggle frame is mated to the helmet's eyeport. The result is an oversized goggle lens with a massive field of vision, but that's not why Weber and his team conceptualized the goggle initially. Listen in for an interesting conversation about a very different motocross product.
Presented by Maxxis
The final Triple Crown of the series went down in Cleveland, Ohio, last weekend, and the 450 championship was literally blown wide open. With only three rounds left, we have the tightest premier class championship battle in the history of the sport, with Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen separated by only a single point. Tragically, Eli Tomac's championship hopes came to an end with a crash in the whoops during the first qualifying session, as he banged up his hip badly enough that he was unable to carry on. Our Editor at Large, Kellen Brauer, joins us on today's Kickstart Podcast to add extra insight to this week's show! Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis
Round 13 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, saw the 450-class championship go from the tightest ever at this point of the season, with three racers within five points, to Hunter Lawrence enjoying 10- and 15-point leads over rivals Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac. The hard-packed dirt inside Nissan Stadium posed a problem for many racers, and while Lawrence rode to victory and sole possession of the series points lead, Roczen and Tomac both hit the ground and finished third and 12th, respectively. We cover all of this and more on this week's Maxxis Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by Maxxis
The St. Louis Supercross greeted racers with one of the most technically challenging tracks of the year, and it certainly helped produce some exceptional racing! As race fans, the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship has definitely been spoiling us with some amazing action, surprising results, and elite performances.
With five races left to be run, five points separate Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, and Ken Roczen in the championship, and it's safe to say that at this point, it could be anyone's game. Who do you have, and why? Comment below!
Enjoy this week's show!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Round 11 of the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship went off in Detroit, Michigan's Ford Field last weekend, and - once again - the racing was insane! Dare we say it, sometimes at this point in the series, the action has tapered off in the past and become almost predictable. Not this year! Though Honda HRC Progressive's Hunter Lawrence came in with a solid points lead and three wins in the last four races, a crash in the whoops and damage suffered to his front brake blew the championship wide open again as Eli Tomac reclaimed the red plate with a fifth-place finish. We've got a seven-race series on our hands, folks!
In the 250 Eastern Division class, Cole Davies put an exclamation point on the dominance that he's enjoyed in the class, coming from nearly mid-pack to win by over 10 seconds. The New Zealander was upset with his performance at the first East vs. West Shootout of the year a couple of weeks ago, and he's certainly looking forward to a rematch with his teammate Haiden Deegan next weekend in St. Louis.
We cover these points and a lot more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by 6D Helmets
If you're fortunate enough to recognize the name Tom White and know what he meant to the sport of motorcycling, you'll want to tune into this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. Following in the footsteps of Tom, daughter Kristin, and her husband, John Anderson, launched Dubya USA, the company known as the best resource for high-quality wheels in motocross. Wheels built by the team at Dubya USA can be found on the machines of teams like Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, Triumph Racing, HEP Suzuki, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/Ducati, and more! Recently, the Anderson family branched out and created the Dubya Lab, a resource for custom-printed merchandise and accessories, and business is booming!
Yesterday, Kristin and her daughter, Andie, stopped by the SML studios to talk about everything from what a badass Grandpa Tom was, to the White Brothers years, and from building Dubya USA's wheel empire, to creating the Dubya Lab, which is spearheaded by Andie. Whether it's wheels or merch, business is a family affair for the Andersons.
Presented by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Round 10 of the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Birmingham, Alabama, last weekend, and the action in both classes was spectacular! In the 250 class, we saw the first East vs. West Showdown of the year and were treated to some great racing as Haiden Deegan put on a riding clinic and came from 10th to first, passing all of the top riders from both coasts en route to the win. Or so we thought... Deegan was penalized by the AMA for clipping a track marker entering a split lane and was stripped of his win and docked to second. This gave his teammate Cole Davies the win, and we go over this extensively on the show. Hunter Lawrence was perfect in the 450 class and turned in a runaway performance over Ken Roczen and title rival Eli Tomac, who had one of the wildest nights in recent memory...
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Racers, mechanics, team personnel, and everyone involved in racing, just enjoyed their first off-weekend of the year. Some used the time to transition to motocross testing, others used it to stay on the Supercross grind, while most used it to enjoy some time away from two wheels. What did you do? Let us know in the comments!
Presented by 6D Helmets
We've been lucky to watch Leum Oehlhof grow up in Southern California through the years. Though he moved across the country to pursue his racing dreams several years ago, we were still proud to see him make his pro debut last weekend in Indianapolis, qualify straight into the Triple Crown with the 16th-quickest lap time, and finish 15th overall. That said, we got the second-generation racer to join us on this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast to find out more about his big pro debut!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
The second Triple Crown SX of the year went off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis last weekend, and as expected, the racing was spectacular. Short lap times and a rutted, technical course made for some hairy moments with lappers, and though the three 250 class races were swept by New Zealander Cole Davies, all three 450 races had different winners, including first-time 450 winner Justin Cooper! We discuss everything we saw and learned at round nine of the 2026 Supermotocross World Championship on this week's show!
Presented by Maxxis and Backyard Coffee Co.
There is no denying that Eli Tomac is the baddest dude to have ever ridden a dirt bike at Daytona International Speedway. ET3 earned his record-breaking eighth win at last weekend's Daytona Supercross, and he is now the winningest rider at the World Center of Racing in any form of motorsports. And while much fuss was made of him busting part of his front tooth off when the base of his trophy broke off and sent the brass rider smashing into his mouth, the big story is that the Red Bull KTM rider now has four wins on the season and has closed within a single point of his championship rival Hunter Lawrence. We talk about everything Daytona, in this week's Kickstart Podcast race review!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Dubach Racing Development has been around since the beginning of the four-stroke revolution in motocross, as founder Doug Dubach has likely spent more time in the saddle of a four-stroke motocross bike than anyone else, factory racer or otherwise. As the lead R&D rider for the Yamaha YZ400F, YZ426F, and YZ450F, Dubach has a keen insight as to what makes a thumper really perform, and he used that knowledge to launch DRD, a brand that we know well. Jehan Tetangco started as one of Dubach's employees, using his experience and expertise gained in automotive exhaust, and has been with the Doctor from the start. These days, Doug has "retired" into a not-so-quiet life, and Tetangco is now the owner of Dubach Racing Development. We relived some great memories with Jehan and got the scoop on how the transition went down in this fun episode of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. Enjoy!
Round seven of the 2026 Monster Energy Supermotocross World Championship went off last weekend in Arlington, Texas' AT&T Stadium, and just as every other race this year has, the action kept us on the edge of our seats! From Hunter Lawrence's inevitable first 450 Supercross win, to the talent-laden Eastern Division series kickoff that saw the triumphant returns of Pierce Brown and Jo Shimoda, there was plenty to go over on this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Man, what a race! Heading into the Seattle Supercross, the weather forecast looked grim, the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade was getting in the way, and all in all, we were fearing the worst. What unfolded inside Lumen Field, though, was one of the best races of the year - in both classes - and we were all treated to some amazing action at round six of the 2026 Monster Energy Supermotocross World Championship!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Last weekend's Glendale Supercross at State Farm Arena was epic! Ken Roczen became the fourth 450 winner in five rounds, Hunter Lawrence took over the championship points lead, Jorge Prado earned the pole position as quickest qualifier, Haiden Deegan earned his fourth win of the year, and more! We go over all of it in this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Wow, what a race the 2026 Houston Supercross was! The Triple Crown format always yields some intense racing, but last weekend's race took the cake, with the overall winner in the premier 450 division not being decided until the very end! Of course, we all know that defending Supercross Champion Cooper Webb used consistency to earn his first win of the season, doing so without winning any of the three main events. At the same time, Ken Roczen, Hunter Lawrence, and Eli Tomac each lit the candles. The 250 Western Division, in contrast, was a statement from defending champion Haiden Deegan, who handily won all three main events and notched his third consecutive win. Levi Kitchen and Cameron McAdoo rounded out the podium. We cover all of this, and more, on this week's show!
Presented by 6D Helmets
When Bryar Holcomb was a winning professional racer (heck, he won the 1972 Los Angeles Supercross on a 500!), his father encouraged him to walk away from racing and go to college with a more stable career in mind. And guess what? That's exactly what Bryar did! Holcomb went to college, got a degree in marketing, and landed a job selling ads at a motorcycle magazine before launching a couple of businesses and going on to make a wonderful living in the motorcycle industry. "Wherever you are in life, just try hard," said Holcomb. "Remember to be a good person and be thankful for the good things in life."
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Well, the Southern California leg of the 2026 Supermotocross World Championship has come to a close, and the Anaheim Two Supercross was packed with action on the track, in the stands, and back in the pits! The Swapmoto Live team of Chase Curtis, Donn Maeda, and Alex Ray go over everything that they saw, heard, and learned at Angels Stadium last Saturday!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
For as exciting as the Anaheim One season kickoff was, round two inside San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium was 10 times more thrilling. From the three-way battle for the 450 win to Chase Sexton's last-to-fourth jaunt through the field, and from Haiden Deegan's authoritative pass on teammate Max Anstie for the 250 win to Levi Kitchen's last-to-fourth comeback...there was a lot to talk about on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.!
Presented by 6D Helmets
We were driving through Menifee, California, yesterday, and passed by Jeremy McGrath's race shop - which also used to be home to SML - and saw that MC was out front working on his Kawasaki KRX UTV. We pulled in to say hello, and thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up with McGrath and see what he's been up to! Of course, we also reminisced about some good old times, plus did some bench racing about last weekend's Anaheim One Supercross! Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last Saturday night, Eli Tomac earned the 54th 450 Supercross win of his career at Angels Stadium and made it 12 seasons straight that he has won at the highest level of the sport. "Wow, that makes me feel pretty ancient," he joked. "But winning Anaheim One is the big one - it's our Indy 500, right?" ET3 joined us for this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast to talk about the WSX rounds, pre-season testing, what it's like to work with Roger DeCoster, and lots more. To hear him say that he gets stoked to pull up to the track and see his new KTM is just plain cool...enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Where do we even begin? The Anaheim One Supercross was everything that we had hoped it would be, and more! From the old guard - Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and Max Anstie - showing that age and experience can still rule supreme, to the pleasant surprises of Jorge Prado and Ryder DiFrancisco and their first-ever podium showings, there was so much to recap on today's show that we went twice as long as normal! What were your biggest takeaways from the Supermotocross season kickoff? Comment below...we wanna know!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
In the blink of an eye, the 2026 Supermotocross Championship Series kickoff is upon us, and this weekend, the gates will drop at Anaheim One. There's so much to look forward to: new teams, new bikes, riders in new places, new gear and graphics...What are you looking forward to most? And who do you have picked as your favorites? Drop some comments below because we wanna hear your thoughts!
The boys are back in action, and in this episode of Podium 2 Present with Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward, they chat more with legendary motocross designer Kenny Safford of AXO Sport, Alpinestars, Rocket Parts, and Mechanixwear fame. This one is a classic! Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
We hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas with family and friends! On this week's show, we recap some of the things that have developed in the sport over the holiday, plus talk about what swap saw at the Baker's Factory last week when he paid a visit to Florida to see Malcolm Stewart, Aaron Plessinger, RJ Hampshire, Jorge Prado, Daxton Bennick, Casey Cochran, and more, prepare for the 2026 season.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Unless you're one of the elite few who earn a factory ride, racing Supercross and motocross professionally is not sustainable for years on end. Finding a career that keeps you involved in the sport you love is the dream for most racers when they retire, but even that can be a challenge. Jared Hicks was a Supercross privateer who teamed up with German privateer Philipp Klakow to start a custom graphics company to support their racing habit, way back in 2011. These days, Backyard Design USA has grown exponentially, and Hicks and Klakow are working full-time to grow their company from both sides of the globe. Hicks is also one of Dirt Bike Magazine's staple test riders, so he still gets to spend plenty of time in the saddle of a motocross bike. Jared joins us on this week's 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast for a super-enjoyable chat!
The sport received some massive news over the weekend regarding 450 Supercross Championship contender Jett Lawrence and an injury he suffered on Friday, during a practice crash. Alex Ray and Chase Curtis discuss Jett's injury, how it changes things for his championship rivals, some late silly-season news, and more on this week's Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee
The last race at the last stop of the entire FIM WSX World Supercross Championship provided some excellent racing last weekend, as Joey Savatgy and Jason Anderson traded numerous passes for the lead and ultimately, the 2025 WSX World Championship, with El Hombre prevailing and earning his first World Championship title. Shane McElrath, meanwhile, dominated the final stop with a complete sweep of the racing, but ot wasn't enough to keep Max Anstie from stripping him of his number-one plate. We recap all that action, plus the Supermotocross media days last week, and a lot more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Jerry Robin has long been a fixture on the pro motocross and Supercross circuit, as one of the sport's most prominent privateer racers. His life took a drastic turn on April 19th, though, when he crashed during practice at the East Rutherford Supercross and suffered paralyzing injuries. Through it all, Robin has approached his recovery, therapy, and new life path with the same intensity that brought him success on the racetrack, and only eight months post-injury, he seems to have his new life pretty well figured out. Last week, Robin started a job with his sponsor, FXR Racing, the Canadian MX apparel brand that has made huge strides in American motocross. We caught up with Jerry this afternoon for a super enjoyable conversation.
Kristen Beat joins us on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co., fresh off the plane home from the Gold Coast of Australia, where she worked as a member of the broadcast team at the third round of the FIM WSX World Supercross Championship. We go over everything that went down at last weekend's Supercross, and also some fun and stories from the holiday weekend at the Day in the Dirt Grand Prix!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Kenny Alexander is a lifelong motocross racer who's made a great career for himself in the Hollywood stunt industry. Still, to us, he's the man who founded Fasthouse and also created the Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix. With the Thanksgiving holiday only a few days away, that means that our favorite race of the year is literally upon us, so we got Alexander on the phone to talk about all things Fasthouse, Day in the Dirt, and moto!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co
We just wrapped up our 2026 450 MX Shootout last week, and SML Senior Test Rider Pat Foster joins us on this week's show to talk about bikes, testing, and more. Nine bikes a day, two days in a row, is no joke, and we all learned a lot over the time we spent on all of the machines. We also preview the upcoming WSX Supercross in Australia, and more. Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
It was a successful weekend for the KTM Group, as Eli Tomac made a winning debut aboard his new Red Bull KTM in Canada, and Malcolm Stewart used his Rockstar Husqvarna to earn the King of Paris Crown in France! We were on hand in Vancouver for the second round of the FIM WSX World Championship Supercross Series, and getting to see Tomac compete on his KTM 450 SX-F for the first time was really something. We talk about that and more, on this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co
The 2025/26 FIM World Supercross Championship kicked off last weekend in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, and while we tuned in on the Recast broadcast, our friend Kristen Beat was there working as part of the broadcast team and got to see the action, first-hand. That said, we had Kristen join us on the show this morning to give us her insight and input about all things WSX, then we shifted our attention to last week's Red Bull KTM team launch, and more! Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Whether Dave Castillo's name rings a bell for you or not, we're willing to bet that you have unknowingly enjoyed his work in one way or another. A professional racer in the 90s, Castillo is the son of Jim Castillo, founder of Innovation Sports, the brand that practically invented knee bracing. After curtailing his full-time racing efforts, Dave teamed up with his dad to create Asterisk, the most successful off-the-shelf knee brace company in our sport. Concurrently, Dave began a career in Hollywood as a stuntman. Early on, Castillo specialized in two-wheeled stunts, but eventually grew into other aspects of the industry, including stunt coordinating. Currently, Dave is still busy in Hollywood and remains connected with his motocross roots by racing the annual Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix that started out as a Hollywood stunt event, but also with his family company Intake Breathing, which produces the breathing kit that utilizes two small stick-on steel discs and a magnetic nose clip that expands your nasal passages.
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
While October 1 was the date we expected all of the news about 2026 to be released, much of the formal "goodbye," and "thanks for the memories" press releases have trickled in over the past couple of weeks. Does that mean that the remaining "news" will drop on Saturday, November 1? Or will they be released on Monday the third? No matter...while we await the official news about Sexton and Kawasaki, Tomac and Prado at KTM, Deegan in Fox, Barcia and Ferrandis with Ducati, and more...we had a good time speculating about all those pairings, and more!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Some interesting stuff to talk about on this week's Kickstart Podcast! Last week, formal "goodbyes" were issued by several teams, thanking racers for their time and wishing them success in the future. While it's well known where all of the big players are headed, we discuss the open Kawasaki 450 seat, as well as Jorge Prado's challenging public image in 2026. Chase saw him in action on his orange machine last week, and we talked about that, as well as a telling conversation we had with Cameron McAdoo recently.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Dale Davis is one of the behind-the-scenes players in the motocross industry whose work has made a lasting impression on most of you in one way or another. From advertising work to logos he has created, and from a brand he built to the graphics he has created currently, Davis is a creative mastermind with some great stories to tell. Grab a snack and a beverage and enjoy this edition of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
What a glorious time of year it is! With the 2025 Motocross of Nations in the history books, last weekend marked the first genuine off-season weekend for the motocross industry. Except for teams and racers contesting the Arenacross or WSX World Championship Series, most who were involved in the 31 racers that made up the Supercross, Motocross, and SMX Playoff series should have really soaked up last weekend. Ours started off with the Celebration of Life for our friend and partner Doni Wilson, who we lost on August 11 to a battle with ALS. It was an amazing event and it was a nice way to close the chapter on our time of mourning the loss of DW. There's that, and a whole lot more in this week's podcast!
The 2025 Motocross of Nations is now in the record books, and the events that went down at Ironman Raceway last weekend were simply amazing for a hardcore motocross fan. The best racers from around the world converged on Crawfordsville, Indiana, for the most prestigious race of the year, and patriotism was at an all-time high! Swapmoto Live was there to witness Team Australia earning its second-consecutive MXoN Championship, while the last-minute United States team of Eli Tomac, RJ Hampshire, and Justin Cooper upheld American pride with a solid second-place showing. In this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co., we recap all of the wild stuff we saw!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
For most, it was the first weekend of the "off-season," but with the Motocross of Nations next weekend, plus the upcoming WSX World Championship and more approaching, there really isn't much time these days for rest. Last weekend we headed to Glen Helen to check out Ken Roczen racing the Champ Off-Road National Championships in a Pro 2 truck, spent Saturday night at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium for the Freestyle Kings, then returned to the tracks on Sunday for some riding and racing. Now, we head to Crawfordsville, Indiana, for the Motocross of Nations!
Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward have been busier than ever lately, but the two legends of motocross were finally both in California long enough to return to the Swapmoto Live studios to get together for a couple of episodes of Podium to Present! This week, the guys invited legendary motocross designer Kenny Safford to join them to talk about his early days, starting with AXO Sport, where he and Jim Hale changed the way motocross brands looked and advertised. Enjoy part one...then stay tuned for part two in the coming weeks!
After 31 races, the 2025 Monster Energy Supermotocross World Championship has finally come to a close. In the 450 class, Jett Lawrence handily wrapped up his third consecutive title and remains the only racer to carry the number-one plate since the series' inception. In the 250 class, Jo Shimoda endured a barrage of attacks to earn the 250 SMX Championship and became the first Japanese racer to earn an American championship. Somehow, we survived the weekend to talk about it all!
Presented by 6D Racing
A couple of weeks ago, we were able to get in touch with John Gregory of the legendary JT Racing motocross apparel company from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but we were cut short when his neighbor dropped in for a surprise visit. In this episode, we were able to track John down again and complete his memoirs about the glory years of JT Racing, the transition into JT Paintball, and ultimately selling the brand to retire.
The St. Louis round of the Monster Energy Supermotocross World Championship Playoffs yielded two boring motos and two motos that had us on the edge of our seats! Having two new winners in both the 250 and 450 classes was also a breath of fresh air, and it gave us plenty to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co.!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Last weekend, the Monster Energy Supermotocross World Championship Playoffs got underway in Concord, North Carolina, at xMAX Dragway, and severe weather forced the cancellation of the event after the first 250 and 450 motos were run. Four lightning strikes in the area initially halted the event, but the ongoing threat of lightning, plus steady rain and impending nightfall, finally did the race in. For the most part, racers were relieved, but the fans on hand were upset, demanding refunds and the like. There is no debating the fact that the race could not have run with the lack of lighting in the motocross section of the course outside of the stadium, and the course was challenging enough without throwing in mud and poor visibility into the mix. Eli Tomac told us after Friday's practice sessions that it was "The sketchiest track I have ever ridden on." Throughout the weekend, the track claimed many victims, including top riders like Malcolm Stewart, Seth Hammaker, Julien Beaumer, and Garrett Marchbanks. Jett Lawrence said after the race that the track had a limit that could not be pushed, and that you had "to take your medicine out there," in the rough conditions. We talk about that, and a lot more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last weekend at the Big Bear MX Grand Prix, I spotted a guy walking through the pits in a matching T-shirt and short pants, adorned with the JT Racing Bad Bones graphics that were made famous by Ron Lechien in the late 80s. Of course, the outfit was a modern offering from the licensing holders, but it got my mind reeling with memories of the glory days of JT Racing. That said, I shot a text and a photo I snapped of the guy to John Gregory, the man who founded JT Racing in 1968. Before I knew it, I had John on the phone for this podcast, which will eventually be part one with the man. Gregory lives on an isolated ranch in Idaho these days, and an unexpected visit from his neighbor ended up cutting our time short. Still, it was an entertaining chat and should be a great listen for anyone eld enough to remember the iconic brand. Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
The 2025 SMX Playoffs get underway this weekend at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, and on this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co., we are joined by Sean Brennan from Feld to talk about some of the cool things to look forward to this weekend. What do you think of Justin Cooper being the number-one-seeded rider entering the three playoffs? Does a 25-point advantage matter with the double- and triple-points being awarded at rounds two and three? We had a good time on this week's show...enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
What a wild weekend we had, on both sides of the United States! The Pro Motocross Championships came to a close in Budds Creek, Maryland, with Haiden Deegan wrapping up his second consecutive 250 National Championship and closing out his small-bore racing career with a win. Jett Lawrence bookended the series with yet another victory in the 450 class. In Big Bear, California, meanwhile, the Swapmoto Race Series team put together the inaugural Big Bear MX Grand Prix by O'Neal, and 700 racers and thousands of spectators took over the Bear Mountain Ski Resort for one hell of a good time.
Presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Last weekend's penultimate Pro Motocross National at Unadilla MX challenged racers with a rough, fast, and somewhat dry track, and even Eli Tomac admitted that the high speeds were intimidating. Chase Curtis, Alex Ray, and Donn Maeda go over everything they saw, learned, and heard at Una-freakin'-dilla!
Presented by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co.
The Ironman Raceway National was jam-packed with action, drama, and everything that makes bench racing afterwards so much fun! From Haiden Deegan's perfect 1-1 showing, to Jett Lawrence's one-lap penalty for "jumping the gate," to Chase Sexton's bizarre crash and DNF...we cover it all, and lots more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Today, Stark Future announced its Varg 1.2 electric motocross bike, which features improved handling, better suspension, and, most excitingly, greater battery life and range. We were able to get Anton Wass, the CEO and Founder of Stark Future, on the line for this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast, to talk about the new machine, the growth of Stark Future, challenges faced with the original bike, and more!
On this week's Kickstart Podcast by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co. Dominic Gaytan joins Alex Ray and Chase Curtis to reflect on Loretta Lynn's Ranch and some highlights from this year's event. They also touch on some topics heading into the Ironman MX National, as the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship resumes this weekend following it's two weekend break.
Presented by 6D Helmets
In 2007, Adam Jones was at the top of Freestyle Motocross with a X Games Gold Medal in MTX Freestyle and was also named TransWorld Motocross Freestyle MX Rider of the Year. His decorated competition career carried on for over a decade after that, and these days at age 41, he still makes a living on his dirt bike. Jones owns FMX Ramp-Age, a freestyle demo team that puts on family-friendly FMX shows at fairs and events on the West Coast, and he's also partnered with another freestyle legend - Levi Sherwood - to create FMX Legends, a resoource to help guide up-and-coming FMX riders not only with trick and riding tips, but with career guidance as well. We were pumped to catch up with our buddy Yadum in this fun installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast!
Presented by Maxxis Tires and Outhouse Coffee Co.
Round eight of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship Series visited the Pacific Northwest last weekend, and Washougal Motocross Park always provides an excellent track that challenges the racers. The racing this summer has been excellent, and even though the results have been repetitive, the action has made up for it. This weekend, though, we got to see different riders atop the podium, as Honda HRC Progressive's Jo Shimoda earned his second win of the year in the 250 class, and Chase Sexton chalked up the win in the 450 class. We talk about that, and a lot more in this installment of the Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by 6D Helmets
California was once the hotbed of motocross activity. With five of the major manufacturers based in SoCal and a place to ride motocross every day of the week, the sport was alive and well for decades. Recently, the loss of tracks like Milestone MX, State Fair MX, Lake Elsinore MX, and Los Angeles County Raceway has led to a decrease in the number of places to ride in the Golden State.
Cory Redenius, a former professional racer from Tehachapi, California, has acquired 150 acres of land and plans to create 517 Motorsports, which will feature both a motocross track and an aftermarket parts store. The 517 Motosports track has been under construction for some time now, and it caught our eye a while ago when we happened across the @517motorsports Instagram account on our explore page. Laid out over rolling hills, the track boasts lap times in the two-minute range and has already hosted several private riding sessions and motocross schools. We caught up with Redenius today to get the scoop on his new motocross facility, and make plans to visit sooner rather than later!
The 2025 Spring Creek Motocross National was one for the books; thanks to epic track conditions, entertaining battles, and an unforgettable final Moto victory by Jeremy Martin. For this week's Kickstart Podcast, Chase Curtis and Alex Ray break down the race, while Donn Maeda and Jeremy Martin discuss his dream exit from professional racing. More on that, and more, on this installment of the Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis and Outhouse Coffee Co!
Red Buuudddd! Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward do some amazing bench racing and reflecting on America's favorite MX National of the year. This episode has some real gold inside - "A big dick move: I got your starting blocks taken away..." RJ to Wardy. Enjoy!
Presented by Maxxis
For motocross fans, Independence Day means one thing in particular: the Red Bud Pro Motocross National in Buchanan, Michigan! In the 450 class we saw the same Jett Lawrence sweep that we have seen countless times before, but this one was extra special as the Honda HRC Progressive rider came from 18th to win moto two. While some would argue that the Australian is making racing boring, we disagree! Jettson's ability to find unique lines, combine bumps to make jumps, and work past his competitors is something truly special that we are all fortunate to witness. Bookending Honda's great weekend at Red Bud was a 1-1 moto sweep in the 250 class by Japanese rider Jo Shimoda, who turned in a pair of stellar performances. But what of Haiden Deegan? The series points leader had multiple mishaps, crashes, and mechanical woes and suffered his worst overall finish of the year. More on that, and more, on this installment of the Kickstart Podcast, presented by Maxxis!
Round five of the Pro Motocross Championship took place last weekend at MX 338, and yes, the results were the same in both classes, but all four motos were anything but boring! The stranglehold that Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan have on the 450 and 250 classes, respectively, is amazing, and we should all consider ourselves fortunate to be witnessing the performances that these two riders are putting on. On this week's podcast we recap everything that went down at Southwick, as well as at the Mini Monsters Lincoln Trail race.
The X Games have always been about the progression of the sport: greater heights, longer distances, bigger tricks, higher speeds... Ironically, after Patrick Evans earned the Moto-X Best Whip Gold Medal at the 2024 Summer X Games aboard a Stark Future Varg, an electric motocross bike from Barcelona, Spain, that seems to have gone out the window. Evans was notified a few months ago that electric motorcycles were no longer allowed to compete, but that he could defend his title aboard a gas-powered machine. Similarly, Colby Raha, who earned a silver medal in Moto-X Quarterpipe in 2024, was told the same. As most of the best free riders in the sport assemble in Salt Lake City, Utah, this weekend for the Summer X Games, Patrick Evans will be flying elsewhere to participate in a freeride demo aboard - you guessed it - his Stark Future Varg. We caught up with Evans this morning to see what his thoughts and feelings are about sitting this one out...
The Annual Mammoth Mountain Motocross is the highlight of the year for many motocross racers, and last weekend, the veterans of the sport lined up behind the starting gate. Yamaha's Ryan Villopoto was - to no one's surprise - the cream of the crop all weekend, but he did have some challenged from Josh Grant and RJ Wageman. Our very own Alex Ray made his 30 Pro debut at Mammoth, and our Senior Test Rider Pat Foster is the hometown hero in the High Sierras, so of course he was there flying the SML flag! We recap a great weekend, and more!
The boys are back at it again! Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward get together for an amazing episode of Podium to Present with none other than the Flyin' Hawaiian, John DeSoto. The AMA Hall of Famer was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and came to the mainland to race dirt bikes! A hero in the late 1960s and early 1970s, DeSoto was a hero to both RJ and Wardy, and their conversation is one not to be missed!
The High Point Pro Motocross National was awesome! The weather that everyone feared all day finally rolled in and let loose just as the final 450-class moto got underway, and that made for some amazing racing that saw Eli Tomac score his second moto win of the season. At the same time, Jett Lawrence was forced to work through the pack after a poor start and a soft early race pace to earn his fourth overall of the series. And of course, Haiden Deegan rebounded with a vengeance after his Thunder Valley MX defeat to absolutely dominate both motos for his third win of the season. We cover itr all, and more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast.
PRESENTED BY 6D HELMETS
On August 21-24, Big Bear Mountain in Southern California will host the inaugural Big Bear MX Grand Prix at the Bear Valley resort. The event has been years in the making, and our DMs and inboxes have been flooded with questions about the exciting developments, so we asked CMXRS Race Director Aaron Cooke to come in and share every single bit of information about the race with us. Registration opens on August 1st at 12:00 p.m. Mark your calendars!
Round three of the Pro Motocross Nationals took place at Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, Colorado, and the high altitude, combined with the rain of the previous days, delivered some thrilling racing that saw a new winner in the 250 class and some intense battles up front in the 450s. We recap the things we saw and learned at the mountainous track in this week's Kickstart Podcast.
Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward are back for part two with legendary motocross and mountain bike journalist Zapata Espinoza. If you missed episode one with Zap, be sure to scroll up and find it, as it's a good one!
On paper the overall results from the Hangtown Motocross Classic are a repeat of round one, but the action was far different and - dare we say - even more exciting! The Dirt Diggers M.C. always do an amazing job of putting on the NorCal race, and even though the temperatures were borderline unbearable, the things that unfolded on the race track made the sunburn and dehydration all worthwhile.
Two-time 250 National Champion Jeremy Martin left the 2023 Hangtown 250 National in the back of an ambulance with a badly broken arm that would ultimately put him out for the remainder of the season. After missing all of 2024, and then accepting a job as the VIP Tour Guide for the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team during this year's Supercross series, many assumed that JMart was, in fact, done with racing. Off the record, he told a few months ago that he planned to purchase a bike race this summer's Millville 450 National as his final farewell to racing, but that all took a big u-turn when he was asked to fill in for the numerous injured Star 250 riders at the first three Nationals this summer.
Martin lined up last weekend at Fox Raceway with a mere eight days of riding the Star machine under his belt, and he carded 20-20 moto scores for four championship points and 21st overall at the series kickoff. "Absolutely got my teeth kicked in at Pala," he wrote on his Instagram on Monday. "Went from training for a marathon to racing round one."
We tried to speak with Martin after the race on Saturday, but he was long gone by the time we made it to the Star truck, so we asked him to join us for some bench racing in this afternoon's Midweek Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets!
The Fox Raceway National was awesome. It was as simple as that. That being said, we were too excited to get to talking about the things we saw, so we got together for a Sunday evening edition of the Kickstart Podcast! Enjoy!
The 2025 Pro Motocross Nationals get underway this weekend at Fox Raceway and both classes are stacked with contenders. In the 450 division, we have lots to look forward to as Saturday will mark the return to action of both Lawrence brothers and Eli Tomac and the American motocross debut of Jorge Prado. Of course, you can't count out defending 450 Champion Chase Sexton who has plenty to prove after narrowly missing out on the Supercross Championship, or new SX Champ Cooper Webb, for that matter. Who do you see winning this weekend? Comment below!
Jeff Ward and Ricky Johnson are back at it again! This week, the two motocross legends break down what all went down at the Salt Lake City Supercross, and more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
When Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Eli Tomac brake his leg at the Tampa Supercross in February, fans around the globe groaned with disappointment that the eight-time AMA Champion was again sidelined with injury. After having his fibula plated on February 14, Tomac initially told us that he hoped to return to racing in time to get some gate drops in the final rounds of the Supercross championship in order to be ready for the May 24 Pro Motocross kickoff at Fox Raceway. After getting back on the bike, however, ET decided that his time would be better spent training at his Cortez, Colorado, ranch in preparation for an all-out assault on this summer's series, and he told us in today's podcast that he is 100% up to speed and has never come into a motocross series so prepared. Tomac also told us that this most recent injury, coupled with how great he felt before it, has changed his mind about 2025 being his last year of racing full time. "I am not done racing," he said, with certainty. But hit play already and hear him say it himself! Thanks for checking out the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast, on a Friday. Ha!
Supercross 2025 is done and dusted and what a series it was! The Salt Lake City finale inside Rice-Eccles Stadium provided plenty of action and we go through everything that we saw, learned, and heard! Enjoy!
The guys are at it again and this time, Jeff Ward and Ricky Johnson have invited their first guest on the Podium to Present Show! Zapata Espinoza is a lifelong motocross and mountain bike journalist who has been around Johnson and Ward from the beginning. Who would you like to see on the show? Comment below!
The Denver Supercross provided more than its fair share of exciting moments, didn't it? From Chase Sexton's picture-perfect day-long performance to Haiden Deegan's authoritative pass on his teammate to earn his third win of the series and wrap up the title with one race left, the crowd on hand at Empower field didn't know whether to cheer or boo! We recap it all on this week's show!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Several companies have seemingly created their own niches in the world of motocross parts and accessories, and Works Connection is definitely one of those brands. Starting with aluminum skid plates back in the 80s, the brand has also set the standard for on-the-fly adjustable clutch perches, holeshot devices, and bike stands. Eric Phipps is the man behind the brand and a long-time friend. It's taken several requests to get him to share his story with us, but lo and behold, he finally has! Enjoy!
Round 15 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship went down in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, last weekend, bringing the best form of motorsports racing to the area for the first time in over 40 years. And let's just say that the capacity crowd on hand was stoked to see the racing action that unfolded! Maximus Vohland joins us on today's show to talk about his first professional podium finish, his crazy hand brake, and more. Today was a good time...enjoy!
Welcome back to Podium to Present with Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward. After last weekend's successful show launch, the two motocross and Supercross legends are back to talk everything Motocross of Nations and Trophy des Nations. If you are old enough to remember the glory days of motocross, grab your favorite beverage and settle in. If you're too young, grab a notepad and learn a thing or two! Enjoy!
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship rolled into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the 14th round of the 17-race series, and the track was gnarly! Seth Hammaker and Chase Sexton turned in riding clinics in the 250 and 450 main events. respectfully, making the technical conditions look much simpler than the rest of their competitors. We address everything that we saw and learned last weekend in this week's Kickstart Podcast.
If you are a serious motocross and Supercross fan, you should know the names Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward. Together, they have 14 National Motocross and Supercross Championships, over 100 race victories, and 11 Motocross of Nations Championships. In their prime, they were fierce rivals but these days they get along quite well. Swapmoto Live is proud to welcome the two racing legends onto our team, where they will host the Podium to Present Show. Welcome to the series pilot! Please comment below your thoughts, memories, and suggestions!
We are in the home stretch of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series, and things are heating up! For the second weekend in a row, rain played a big role in the track surface, and while not a quagmire like we had in Foxborough, the track in Philadelphia was certainly treacherous in its own way. We saw Cole Davies earn his second-straight win in a row in the 250 division, although this time, his win came in the East/West Showdown, and he passed all of the big names en route to his win. We are all very impressed with the young New Zealander and are anxious to see how much more dangerous he becomes with each passing win. In the 450 class, Chase Sexton closed the points gap between he and Cooper Webb to 12 with a textbook victory in the challenging conditions, and it's evident that it is going to be a dogfight until the end between the two rivals.
This weekend will mark the first of five Monster Energy Supercross events that Dean Wilson will compete in on the Honda HRC Progressive team as he fills in for the injured Jett and Hunter Lawrence. Since retiring from full-time racing last year, Wilson has maintained a fairly robust schedule, competing in races around the globe for fun and making the most of his ability to race a dirt bike. The recently crowned British Arenacross Champion joined us for a fun Fly Friday Podcast to talk about the Grandpa Earl announcement video, his busy past few months, the factory HRC Honda CRF450R, and more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
SLR Honda's Mikayla Nielsen recently traveled to Australia with four other American female motocross racers to represent the United States in the Oceania Cup, a WMX event that pitted four countries against each other over a two-day, three-moto format. The event - in which the USA finished a close second - hasn't seen much publicity in the American motocross media, so we asked our SoCal neighbor to join us on the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast and fill us in on the whole experience. Enjoy!
Our luck ran out last weekend in Foxborough, and round 12 of the Monster Energy Supercross Series was an absolute quagmire! While the winners in each class were no surprise, the rest of the results column was filled with names in places that we're not used to seeing. On that note, we invited fourth-place 250 finisher Justin Rodbell to take a break from his job as an HVAC technician and join us on the Kickstart podcast.
For as ho-hum as the Birmingham Supercross was a couple of weeks ago, the Seattle Supercross was a barn burner! Rain in the days before the race produced a race track that was arguably the most technical and challenging of the year, and the racing action that developed was wild! We recap everything from the Pacific Northwest in this week's Kickstart Pod.
We're officially past the halfway part of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship and things are as tight as ever with only eight points separating Cooper Webb and Chase Sexton in the battle for the number-one plate and 10 points between East Coast Champ Tom Vialle and pursuer RJ Hampshire. Last weekend's final Triple Crown of the series may have lacked tooth-in-nail battles to the finish, but there was plenty of material to go over in this week's race recap.
Malcolm McCassy has been involved in motocross since he was a teenager working in the No Fear warehouse. Through the years, he's held down numerous positions with amazing brands, launched a category defining brand, discovered future talent, and more. Today, Malcolm runs Mendid MX, a new brand that has its finger on the pulse of amateur MX and its threads on the back of none other than Jeremy McGrath!
The Monster Energy Supercross Series took a much-needed break last weekend, but that left us wondering what to do with our time. Well, the 3 Bros KTM 6-Hour Endurance Race sounded like a great idea, but a few laps into the race we were wondering what the heck we had gotten ourselves in to! We talk about that, plus Sean Brennan from Feld joins us to talk about the awesome SX series we are all enjoying.
We always think that it is amazing when a former champion can retire from motocross and Supercross racing and start a new life, completely separate from the sport that consumed every moment of every day, previously. But that's what four-time National Motocross Champion Mike Kiedrowski has done. After retiring from MX and SX racing with 30 wins in 1997, the "MX Kied" worked as an electrician briefly before joining the factory Suzuki Off-Road race team and earned a gold medal at the International Six Days Enduro before retiring for good and settling into a lucrative construction career and hanging up his boots...for good. While Kiedrowski still follows the sport closely and attends the races that are close to his Santa Clarita, California, home, it's been years since he threw his leg over a bike and he says that he doesn't miss it at all. We were excited to catch up with Mike this morning to reminisce about some old times, talk bikes, gear, and teammates, and see what he thinks of the current state of racing. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Racing
Our friend Andy White is always fun to chat with and with FXR Racing's big leap into the world of sponsoring a factory race team, we thought it was the perfect time to bombard him with all of our questions about designing, developing, producing, and marketing motocross apparel. The factory Triumph Racing team made a big splash with Jordon Smith earning the marque its first-ever Supercross win a few weeks ago, and he certainly looked good while doing it!
We apologize for missing last week's episode of the Kickstart Podcast. You may have heard that our guy Chase Curtis, got taken out by an out-of-control racer at the Arlington Supercross and had emergency surgery on a badly broken leg the Sunday after. Curtis has been asked to remain local by the surgeon until he is cleared to fly home, so he's been cooped up in a Dallas hotel ever since. This week, we recap the Daytona Supercross, which featured some great action, big crashes, and plenty to of drama to talk about!
Presented by 6D Helmets
There was a collective groan around the world from every Supercross fan when Eli Tomac clipped the back of his left leg with his footpeg and pulled off the track during the Tampa Supercross timed qualifying sessions. The event was too reminiscent of when Tomac ruptured his Achilles tendon while leading the championship in 2023, even down to how he pulled off the track in disbelief. Unless you've been living in a cave, you know by now that Tomac raced through the pain in Tampa and finished 17th in the main event aboard his Yamaha YZ450F. Later that week, further examination revealed that he had broken his fibula, making his 17th a lot more impressive than it might be on paper. Tomac had the broken bone plated back together and is at home recovering, with plans on "returning before the end of Supercross to get some gate drops to be ready for the MX Nationals." We enjoyed a great conversation with ET3 in this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. Enjoy!
The weather outside Ford Field was freezing, but the racing inside was red hot! The Detroit Supercross saw several horrendous crashes, the 450 points leader stuck in the gate, another spectacular McAdoo crash and the third red flag of the 250 East Series, a surprising single-file restart for three laps, and much more! We had a blast recapping what we saw in Motor City!
Malcolm.
Do we need to say more? Not really.
Malcolm Stewart's first-ever 450 Supercross win came last Saturday night in front of his family and friends at the Tampa Supercross. And it couldn't have been sweeter. The younger Stewart brother started the race around 10th and set blistering fast laps and methodically chased down his rivals before taking the lead as he pressured race and championship points leader Chase Sexton into a mistake in the whoops, the area of the track in which the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider was phenomenal. Malcolm's win came exactly 20 years after big brother James' first premier Supercross win, forever earning the brothers a place in the record books as the first siblings ever to do so.
We talk about that, and a whole lot more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
SLR Honda's Billy Laninovich was already in the record books as the oldest rider to qualify for a 250 Supercross main event at 40 years of age, having done so last year. Still, he extended the record even further last weekend in Glendale, Arizona, at the Triple Crown inside State Farm Stadium by doing it again at 41, only a couple of weeks shy of 42! We caught up with him yesterday as he recovered inside a hyperbaric chamber at his trainer's house. It's always a pleasure chatting with Lano; such a great guy...
The first Triple Crown Supercross of the year provided some excitement, didn't it? A fourth winner in the 250 class and a dramatic DNF from the defending champion in the 450 class, plus our first two-time winner of the year was more than enough to get excited about! We recap what we saw and learned at last weekend's Glendale Supercross, round four of the Monster Energy Supercross championship!
What a season it's been so far! In the first three Monster Energy Supercross races, we've seen six different winners top the 250 Western Regional an d450 Supercross classes! Too good to be true? Maybe, maybe not. Last weekend in Anaheim, the "favorites" - defending Supermotocross Champions Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan - came out on top of the rain-dampened 250 and 450 main events, respectively. In this week's Kickstart Podcast, we go over everything we saw, heard, and learned!
Presented by 6D Helmets
If you pay close attention to pro racing and what the racers are wearing, we'll bet you have admired the handiwork of this episode's guest, Michael Adams, better known as Michael J. Kicks. While MJK makes his living in insurance, his creative outlet and passion is art: customizing sneakers and motocross boots. We met MJK at Anaheim One when he and Marta Gazzola of Gaerne presented RJ Hampshire with a pair of custom-painted SG22 boots. Once we realized it was the Michael J. Kicks, we set up this interview and had a ton of curious questions for him...enjoy!
If you weren't at Snapdragon Stadium last weekend, you missed out! Round two of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series was in a word...awesome. Eli Tomac turned the Beast Mode dial up to 10, JuJu Beaumer earned his first career 250 Supercross win, and the rest of the action that unfolded was simply amazing. This week, the King of Supercross joined us to bench race and analyze what went down in San Diego!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Two-time 250 National MX Champion Jeremy Martin has had many ups and downs during his career, but there have also been some dark times. A broken back, concussions, shoulder injuries, and broken bones...injuries are a very real part of our sport and the risks go without saying, but the toll they take on your body and mind all add up. Martin's most recent setbacks have forced him to take a step back to evaluate what is most important to him, and we had a very candid conversation with the Minnesota native on this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast
There have been plenty of great Supercross season openers, and last weekend's Anaheim One was pretty darned cool as far as we're concerned. While Chase Sexton and Jo Shimoda weren't total shockers as the winners of the 450 and 250 mains, per se, it was exciting to have the class favorites face some adversity in the first two main events of the season. Two-Time Supercross Champion Rick Johnson joins us again for today's show to offer some added insight.
Presented by Pro Taper
The gates drop on the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series this Saturday, and we couldn't be more excited! Two-Time Supercross Champion Ricky Johnson joins in on the fun going over all the things to look for on this week's show as we go over everything we've learned and heard this off-season. Who do you have for the class wins this Saturday?
Presented by Pro Taper
How can it be Christmas Eve already? This year has flown by, especially the short "off-season" following the SMX Final in Las Vegas. Anaheim is on;ly a few short days away and we can't wait for the first gate drop of the new season. Join us for some holiday conversation in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
Five-time Arenacross Champion Kyle Peters joined us on the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast this week to talk about the challenges of new contenders, rough riding, and more, in the tight confines of the AMA Kicker Arenacross Series. Lots more to chat about from the final Swapmoto Race Series event of the year, ARay's potential Stark Arenacross Adventure, and more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
The WSX Supercross World Championship Series has come to a close. Eli Tomac added to his list of career accomplishments by earning his first World Championship title in the four-race series that routed racers through Canada, Australia, and the Arab United Emirates. We caught up with the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha racer for this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast to talk about his "off-season" adventures, his preparedness as Anaheim One draws near, being on the largest team in the pits, and much more!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last Wednesday, the WSX World Supercross Championship ended in Abu Dhabi with Ken Roczen scoring his first overall victory of the year while Eli Tomac wrapped up his first WSX World Championship. A few days later, the action heated up in Boise, Idaho, as the AMA Arencacross Championship rolled into town! In this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, WSX reported Kristen Beat joins us to offer some feedback and insight in the first half of the show, and MCR Honda's Ryan Breece - who was also in Abu Dhabi - popped in to talk about the rough world of AMA Arenacross! Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend was an eventful one on both sides of the globe! The AUS-X Open saw Joey Savatgy and Shane McElrath crowned the Australian SX and SX2 Champions in the relaunch of Australia's biggest stand-alone Supercross race. McElrath stayed up late to call in from his hotel room in Abu Dhabi to join us for part one of this week's show, and our camping neighbor Ryan Villopoto joined us for part two to talk about the party that was the Day in the Dirt 27 Grand Prix!
Presented by 6D Helmets
It's been six years since the Swapmoto Live team launched, and Editor Michael Antonovich has played a vital role in every aspect of our brand's business. Known best as "Anton," he is our man on the road and has attended almost every motocross, Supercross, and Motocross of Nations, with his bag of cameras on hand. With the conclusion of the 2024 racing season comes a big change for our partner and friend, as he is leaving the SML family to venture out as an independent journalist. With a long history that dates back to the days before he could legally consume a beer, swap and Anton sat down to talk about the future and reminisce on the past.
Presented by Pro Taper
Rounds two and three of the WSX Supercross World Championship Series went down last weekend in Perth, Australia, and Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Eli Tomac was again the man with a plan, and emerged from both rounds with the overall wins. Tomac is getting warmed up for the Monster Energy Supercross Championship kickoff in January, and it certainly looks like he will be firing on all cylinders when the gates drop at Anaheim One. Our friend Kristen Beat was on hand leading the broadcast team in Perth, and she joined us to give us her first-hand observations!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend, the Paris Supercross went off in La Defense Arena, and our man Anton was on hand to see Cooper Webb use consistency to earn his first-ever King of Paris crown over Jett Lawrence, who suffered an unfortunate DNF in a moto that caused him to lose his crown. But that's not all we get to talk about! ARay went to Finland to race a Supercross and in typical Alex fashion, got a borrowed set of kit suspension confiscated just as he buckled his seat belt. Hear about that and a lot more, on this week's show!
A weekend of racing at the 2024 Paris Supercross is complete! Two nights at the La Defense Arena made for six motos per class, and given the competition, one mistake was all it took for a rider's shot at the King or Prince of Paris honors disappear. We grabbed time with Tom Vialle, Jo Shimoda, Malcolm Stewart, Dylan Ferrandis, and Jett and Hunter Lawrence after Sunday's checkered flag and talked about everything from the track to the battles to the jet lag from flying across the Atlantic.
Tom Vialle | 0:18
Jo Shimoda | 2:21
Malcolm Stewart | 4:42
Jett Lawrence | 8:26
Hunter Lawrence | 10:55
Dylan Ferrandis | 12:22
Presented by 6D Helmets
If you've been around since the start of freestyle motocross, the name Nate Adams will bring to mind many things. From his multiple X Games gold medals to his flawless, precise riding style, or from his Target sponsorship to his glove brand, Deft Family...Nate Adams has lived the life of five men combined. It's been a minute since we heard from Patchy, so we tracked him down and got him on this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. Needless to say, we are saddened to learn of the health issues he's struggling with that have ultimately forced him to hang up his boots for good.
Feld Entertainment and MX Sports have shared analytics of the 2024 broadcasts on NBC, with double-digit percentage increases in total audience delivery and minutes streamed across 31 events among the highlights.
The programming stats are telling, especially amid current television trends, and when paired with live attendance figures and online followers, it shows how SuperMotocross is part of the popularity boom that racing is experiencing.
Live sports and the audiences they draw play an important factor in the television business, and for motorsports especially, the shift to streaming has been a big win, as the investment by broadcasters to get a share of an audience means more racing is happening and viewers are reliably tuning in in recording setting numbers.
SuperMotocross will be one of a few motorsports on NBC in 2025, and, given the growth from consistent scheduling and the amount of content produced, it'll be interesting to see how the series is integrated into Peacock, as every race will again be shown live on the streaming service while television broadcasts will be split between NBC, CNBC, and the USA Network.
Presented by Pro Taper
The WSX World Supercross Championship Series got underway last weekend in Vancouver, Canada's BC Place Stadium, and we were on hand to check out the action. Eli Tomac was impressive as he topped the 450 class, and we enjoyed seeing him in such a jovial mood. Ken Roczen, of course, was fast, but a few mistakes kept him from seriously challenging Tomac for the win. While swap was North of the Border, Anton was risking his life and limbs aboard a KTM Factory Edition 350 XC-F, competing in the final GNCC of the year at Ironman Raceway.
Presented by 6D Helmets
We've been great friends with Mike Sleeter for decades. We met when he was a 125 Supercross racer, recruited him as a magazine test rider, and had him stripped away by KTM to help develop new motocross bikes, got him back momentarily when he left the Austrian manufacturer many years later, then lost him again when he moved to Australia! Now with Stark Future, Sleeter was in town for a few days on business and we got him into the office for a great catching-up podcast! Talk about a guy who has done it all!
Presented by Pro Taper
We had an eventful weekend and have been taking full advantage of the short off-season that we have. ARay went racing, Anton saw the Cookie Monster, Chase jumped out of a tree at a wedding, and swap got to see a really white version of a Tik Tok dance at the Mammoth Airport! Enjoy this week's show...
It's official: the off-season is officially here! Anton spent the weekend at the Mini Monsters Finals Lincoln Trail MX in Illinois, ARay and swap hit up up LACR MX, and Chase was sick in bed. The Australian SX Championship kicked off on the other side of the world, though, and we were all stoked to see Joey Savatgy's return to form. All told, we had interesting weeks in our own special ways...enjoy this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by 6D Helmets
In this extra episode of the 6D Helmets Weekend Podcast, we stopped in at - you guessed it - 6D Helmets headquarters in La Habra, California, to sit down with founder Bob Weber. I've been friends with Bob for over two decades as we were co-workers at Dirt Rider Magazine in the late 1990s. When Weber launched 6D helmets in 2012, he effectively changed how the motocross and off-road world thinks about helmet safety, as he and the brand shed light on the deadly rotational brain injuries that seem to happen so often in off-road motorcycling. Weber's story is fascinating, so grab a snack and a beverage, and enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2024 Motocross of Nations at Matterly Basin was one for the record books, indeed. Although Team USA came up one spot shy of victory, the racing in all three motos was enough to get any motocross fan cheering. Aaron Plessinger, Cooper Webb, and Eli Tomac answered the call to represent our country and all three did us proud with gritty rides for the Red, White, and Blue. For Team Australia, the event was a dream come true as Hunter and Jett Lawrence, and Kyle Webster, put their country on the top step of the podium for the first time in the event's 77-year history. Our very own Michael Antonovich was on hand and shared his experiences and observations with us in this week's Kickstart Podcast.
Three thrilling races at the 2024 Motocross of Nations saw Team Australia take home the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in history, an incredibly strong Team USA finish second overall, and Tim Gajser make a last-turn last-lap pass for a crucial win. We grabbed time with the guys at the end of the day to discuss the weekend in England.
KTM and the Pierer Mobility Group's financial situation was one of the industry's biggest talking points through most of the past summer. Certain details that were shared in a public earnings statement, including the stock price, inventory surpluses, and workforce downsizes were repeatedly mentioned in online articles or videos, and the company has enacted new measures to correct the issues.
Dozens of international motorcycle journalists were invited to Austria in September to see and hear what is happening with the Pierer Mobility Group. The two-day trip included presentations on how KISKA analyzes and designs for the motorcycle market, tours of the KTM Component, Engine, Assembly Line, and Research & Development buildings, conversations with executives, and rides through the mountains on production and prototype machines.
Hear what we saw during the trip, including how all of KTM's off-road production remains in Austria, from SML's Michael Antonovich.
At 44 years old, Matt Buyten was enjoying life as a seven-time X Games Gold Medalist with a successful FMX career behind him and a young son to raise. Tragedy struck the Texas transplant in July when he suffered a horrific crash at a Loretta Lynn's qualifier that left him paralyzed from mid-chest down. Support for Buyten has been great, but he still has a long road ahead. We caught up with Buyten to learn more about his injury and how he is doing, and recap some highlights of his awesome career! If you can afford to do so and are so compelled, please support Buy10 by visiting road2recovery.com where you can find his page in the athlete causes tab.
After 31 races, the 2024 SuperMotocross Series finally came to an end last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, and by all accounts, the event was one of the most exciting races of the year! From Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan's second SMX World Championships, to Pierce Brown's long over-due win, to Chase Sexton's tragic hand injury that left Team USA for the Motocross of Nations in jeopardy!
A long year of racing wrapped up at the 2024 Las Vegas SuperMotocross, the title-deciding round of the SuperMotocross World Championship. Hear from two-time winner Jett Lawrence, runner-up Hunter Lawrence, 250 overall winner Pierce Brown, retiree Phil Nicoletti, and race finishers Coty Schock, Jett Reynolds, Julien Beaumer, Marshal Weltin, Fredrik Noren, and Grant Harlan.
Coty Schock 0:18
Jett Reynolds 2:24
Julien Beaumer 4:04
Pierce Brown 4:56
Phil Nicoletti 7:22
Grant Harlan 10:37
Marshal Weltin 12:25
Fredrik Noren 15:08
Hunter Lawrence 17:50
Jett Lawrence 19:03
Presented by Pro Taper
The second Supermotocross Playoff at Fort Worth featured some of the best 450-class action in recent memory! Form Hunter Lawrence's first SMX win to Eli Tomac's return to the "beast mode," there was a ton to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper!
Playoff Two in the SuperMotocross World Championship proved to be crucial for racers, as a challenging track, hot weather, and the chance for double points made for thrilling motos. Hear what Hunter Lawrence and Haiden Deegan had to say about their wins and ranks as the top riders going into the finale, plus talks with Jordon Smith, Julien Beaumer, Jo Shimoda, Tom Vialle, Cullin Park, Colt Nichols, Malcolm Stewart, and Dean Wilson.
Jordon Smith | 0:18
Julien Beaumer | 1:36
Jo Shimoda | 3:09
Tom Vialle | 5:26
Haiden Deegan | 6:31
Cullin Park | 7:37
Malcolm Stewart | 9:28
Dean Wilson | 11:38
Colt Nichols | 13:55
Hunter Lawrence | 16:34
Presented by 6D Helmets
Yusaku Yoshimura came to the United States in 2008 to work at the company his grandfather's company, Yoshimura R&D, based in Chino, California. At the time, Yusaku didn't speak English and started working in the production department, where his job was to clean pipes that had just been produced. Through the years, he worked many different jobs and learned all aspects of the business and in 2017 was promoted to President of Yoshimura R&D. Since then, Yusaku has streamlined production practices, grown business, and even expanded the company into the mountain biking industry. We caught up with "You Suck Yoshi" today for this week's 6d Helmets Midweek Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
It was a big weekend in racing at the first of three SMX Finals went off at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Jett Lawrence made his return to racing in winning fashion, Haiden Deegan made a statement with a pair of dominant moto wins, and Eli Tomac found his usual form! A few hours away, meanwhile, the Mini Monster East by Seven MX also gave amateur mini racers a chance to showcase their speed on the amazing Monster Mountain MX course. We go over everything that we saw and also have a guest appearance by Red Bull KTM's Julien Beaumer, who earned his first career podium in Charlotte!
Round one of the Supermotocross World Championship took in North Carolina at zMAX Dragway, and riders were put to the test during two 20-minute and a lap motos on a super-sized track. Hear from Justin Cooper, Shane McElrath, Julien Beaumer, and Chance Hymas about the 2024 Charlotte SuperMotocross.
Chance Hymas | 0:18
Julien Beaumer | 2:02
Shane McElrath | 3:48
Justin Cooper | 7:34
Presented by Pro Taper
We all enjoyed the one-week break between the Pro Motocross Championship Finale and the first of three SML Finals... What did you do with your free weekend? We had plenty to talk about and ponder regarding the upcoming finals...
Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Ironman Motocross, the track changes, the 2025 MXoN, SMX, schedules, and more.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Can you believe that it's already shootout season? Yesterday, we concluded our comparison testing of the 2025 450 MX bikes with a final day of back-to-back riding at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. Representatives from the manufacturers were on hand to help set up the bikes ideally for each test rider, and we outfitted all of the bikes with excellent Maxxis SI tires to ensure consistent traction between all the machines. Thank you to Temecula Motorsports for making our private test day possible!
The 2025 Beta RX450 and Suzuki RM-Z450 are not yet available, but we will test them when they arrive.
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up last weekend at Ironman Raceway and there was plenty of amazing action to talk about and recap; from Chase Sexton's dominant final performance, to Aaron Plessinger's gritty and popular home track performance, to Eli Tomac's awesome return to the podium in only his second outdoor of the year. Motocross of Nations news and more, all in this week's episode. Enjoy!
The Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up a four-month, 11-race tour of the country with the 2024 Ironman Motocross. A picturesque August day in Indiana saw four action-packed motos and the awarding of the 450 MX title, and after everything was over, we grabbed time with a handful of riders to talk about last gate drops of the summer.
Mark Fineis 0:18
Coty Schock 1:43
Julien Beaumer 3:54
RJ Hampshire 5:51
Chance Hymas 7:11
Devin Simonson 8:36
Shane McElrath 10:00
Malcolm Stewart 12:29
Christian Craig 14:29
Phil Nicoletti 16:21
Chase Sexton 22:56
Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Budds Creek Motocross, some broad thoughts on the Motocross of Nations, and what he knows about Team USA's selection process.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Michael Leib has transitioned from journeyman Supercross racer to entrepreneur in less than five years. His companies - Canvas MX and Lucid Manufacturing - have found their place in motocross and in many ways, have changed how many of us think about motocross and off-road riding apparel. Leib's newest venture - SMX Jerseys - has begun to fill a void and create a new niche for race fans, by producing replica racing hero jerseys that are available on an on-demand basis. Wearing your own motocross jersey to a Supercross is dorky, but what if you could wear an Aaron Plessinger #7 Thor jersey? That's one no different than wearing a Jordan jersey to a Bulls game, right? We sat down with Leib to get the scoop on SMX Jerseys, only a few weeks after ordering our own David Bailey replica JT Racing jersey off Instagram!
Presented by Pro Taper
Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, has hosted some truly memorable races through the years. The mention of the legendary racetrack always sparks a memory for motocross race fans of all ages and generations. Last weekend's racing at the championship's penultimate round certainly produced some new memorable moments, from Haiden Deegan's dominant first moto championship-clinching performance to Chase Sexton's amazing passing en route to the final 450 moto win. We recap all that, plus a lot more!
The Pro Motocross Championship continued its summer-long run with round ten, the 2024 Budds Creek Motocross. A warm day in Maryland saw rain and heat, close racing in both classes, multiple passes, and a title presentation, all of which riders detailed for us after the checkered flag.
Julien Beaumer 0:18
Haiden Deegan 1:53
Shane McElrath 4:10
Fredrik Noren 6:10
Broc Tickle 7:47
Aaron Plessinger 11:47
Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Unadilla Motocross, past trips to New York, a first-time ride on local county-maintained bike trails, and why Eli Tomac racing WSX is a good thing for race fans everywhere.
Torrential downpours on Friday, excellent track prep, and a refreshed field of riders made the 2024 Unadilla Motocross one of the summer's best races! Chase Curtis, Alex Ray, and Michael Antonovich recap what we saw and heard at round nine of the Pro Motocross Championship on this episode of the Kickstart Podcast.
The excitement of the Pro Motocross Championship picked up where it left off with countless battles over four thrilling races at the 2024 Unadilla Motocross. We talked about round nine with Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen, Jalek Swoll, Max Anstie, Cooper Webb, Shane McElrath, Phil Nicoletti, Fredrik Noren, Grant Harlan, and Dylan Ferrandis.
Max Anstie | 0:18
Jalek Swoll | 4:18
Levi Kitchen | 6:40
Cooper Webb | 9:13
Shane McElrath | 11:13
Phil Nicoletti | 15:25
Fredrik Noren | 18:34
Grant Harlan | 22:25
Dylan Ferrandis | 24:40
Chase Sexton | 28:29
For this week's episode of the SML Show, guest host Ricky Johnson sits down with Jeremy McGrath to reflect on Jeremy's career, team switches, the final years of racing, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this special episode of Ricky Johnson and Jeremy McGrath on the Swapmoto Live Show!
Presented by 6D Helmets
The other day, we randomly wondered what Travis Pastrana has been up to lately. The last time we spoke was just before the 2023/34 Nitro Cross Series finale in Las Vegas, and TP had just undergone knee replacement surgery. A quick "What's up?" text, and voila, this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. As always, Travis is a hoot! Enjoy!
Michael Antonovich and Alex Ray discuss what the took away from watching a week of action at the Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's and the looming push to end this year's Pro Motocross Championship.
Michael Antonovich talks about why he ended up driving home from Washougal, rolling through the Black Hills and stopping in Sturgis ahead of the rally, and a burning desire to camp at the Pro Motocross Championship.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Mike Genova made his fortune producing products for hot tubs through his company Leisure Concepts, but his real passion lies in racing and as such, he has fielded the Motoconcepts Race Team for well over a decade. We enjoyed this opportunity to chat with Genova away from the race track and learn the story behind his career, and why he opts to invest so much into a motocross and Supercross team.
The month of July flew by! Michael Antonovich talks about what he saw and did over three weeks while traveling to the RedBud, Spring Creek, and Washougal rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship.
Presented by Pro Taper
There was no race last weekend to bench race about, but this week's show was a fun time that was filled with rumors, ideas, memories, and more!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Adam Cianciarulo to discuss his struggles with his injury late in his racing career, what's next for him, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy Adam Cianciarulo on the Swapmoto Live Show!
Presented by Pro Taper
Coming into last weekend's Washougal Pro MX National, you'd be hard-pressed to bet on anyone other than the current points leaders. But does that mean the racing is boring? We say, NO! There was plenty to watch as both Haiden Deegan and Chase Sexton raced to the 250 and 450 wins, respectfully. Today's podcast was executed under challenging conditions, as our man on the scene, Michael Antonovich, makes his way home to Illinois via rental car, after the massive IT outage that has made airline travel an absolute nightmare.
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend's Spring Creek MX National was one for the record books as a massive crown saw four dominant performances from Chase Sexton and Levi Kitchen, a freak lightning-induced delay, a first-turn crash that wiped out many top contenders, and more!
Presented by Factory Backing
Have you heard of Janky Productionz? We spotted a yellow Geo Metro on the freeway earlier this year, and it had two mini bikes strapped to the back of it, with @JankyProductionz emblazoned on the side. Days later, they showed up on our Instagram explore feed and we followed, intrigued by the father-and-son duo that planned to travel across the country in the Metro, riding in every state along the way. Hit play and meet Adam and Hunter Knudsvig, a small family who are living their best lives.
Presented by Pro Taper
Without a doubt the most anticipated MX National of the year is the Red Bud MX National, held on Independence Day weekend each year in Buchanan, Michigan. This year's race lived up to the hype, and the rowdy crowd on hand was treated to a first-time win for "local boy" Chase Sexton and Honda HRC's Chance Hymas' first-career 250 National victory. As always, there was a lot to bench race about, and this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast is a good one!
Michael Antonovich shares some thoughts on what he saw and did over the weekend at the 2024 Southwick Motocross, round five of the Pro Motocross Championship.
The fifth round of this year's Pro Motocross Championship was the best yet! Close battles in both classes at the 2024 Southwick Motocross, plus X Games in California, gave our guys plenty to talk about for this episode of the Kickstart Podcast.
The summer solstice lined up with the first weekend off of the Pro Motocross Championship! Our crew is everywhere right now, with swap in Whistler for days of downhill MTB action, Chase in SoCal at the SML HQ, ARay doing the 9-5 at O'Neal, and Anton at home in Illinois, but we got together to talk about what's happening in moto before the next big push. Press play!
Presented by Pro Taper
Round four of the Pro MX Nationals traveled to the East Coast and visited the legendary High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. And while the 450 class results were the same as they were are, we were treated to a special victory by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's fill-in racer Ty Masterpool. There's something special about a racer's first career win, but making this one even more memorable was that it was the Pro Circuit race team's 300th victory!
Presented by Factory Backing
Bill's Pipes has a rich history in off-road racing that started in the dirt track arena with legends like Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts, then ventured into ATV racing before finally landing in the motocross and Supercross disciplines, where it rose to prominence and earned several motocross championships with riders like Doug Henry, Steve Lamson, Travis Pastrana, Damon Bradshaw, Jason Lawrence, Buddy Antunez, Mike Brown and more. With founder Bill Cervera taking a step back, his step-son Jeff Springman and Brandon Dunn took over the reins and are guiding the brand back towards the top of the sport.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Thunder Valley MX National produced the same overall results, but the action in the motos varied radically from what we've seen thus far in the young series. Big congratulations to first-time moto winners Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas, as their performances were the weekend highlights in the Rockies. We recap that and a whole lot more in this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Pro Taper.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Hangtown MX National was hands-down, one of the best motocross races we've seen in years, and definitely the best performance of Chase Sexton's career. Fortieth to First is going to be a catchphrase when it comes to the Red Bull KTM rider, no doubt! We talk about everything that we saw and learned at the second round of the great outdoors!
Presented by Pro Taper
Round 18 of the Supermotocross World Championship got underway at Fox Raceway yesterday, and it looks like the Pro Motocross Nationals are in store for some amazing action! Will it be the Summer of Jettson again? Yesterday's 1-1 scores might indicate that it will be, but we saw some inspiring performances from Chase Sexton, Hunter Lawrence, and Aaron Plessinger that give us hope for some different winners.
In the 250 class, the battles between race winner Haiden Deegan and runner-up Levi Kitchen kept us on our tiptoes as they matched each other's every move throughout the two motos. Tom Vialle, Joey Savatgy, Chance Hymas and more, kept both motos super exciting. We had a lot to talk about this morning! Enjoy a special Sunday installment of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, and enjoy your Memorial Day holiday!
Presented by Pro Taper
The gate drops on the start of the 2024 Pro Motocross Nationals this weekend at Fox Raceway and we are amped! We got to see some pre-series racing last week at the Glen Helen Stopwatch Nationals, and it got us all fired up for this summer. It's gonna be so good! Who you got?
On this installment of the Factory Backing Midweek Podcast, we sit down with Geoff Patterson, who founded Leatt Brace USA decades ago and was essentially one of the partners who put the neck brace on the map. Since then, he's created an alcohol brand, an airline sleeping aid, and most recently, the Hitch Hotel. If you've attended a West Coast Supercross in the past two years, you've probably seen the Hitch Hotel on display with the Motoconcepts Honda team. Geoff is an interesting guy and a good friend; we think you'll enjoy this conversation!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship came to a close last weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, and even though all three championships were settled in a relatively anti-climatic fashion, there was still plenty to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and YamahaFor this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Tony Alessi to discuss the evolution of MotoConcepts Racing, rule changes in Supercross, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Tony!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Denver Supercross was - all in all - probably one of the least-exciting races of the year as Jo Shimoda and Jett Lawrence won the 250 and 450 main events, respectively, with no trouble at all. What Denver did do, however, is set us up for one hell of a series finale in Salt Lake City next weekend!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with skateboarding legend Steve Caballero to discuss his passion for motocross, hobbies outside of skating, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Steve!
Presented by Factory Backing
Bob Morales has been a fixture in two-wheeled sports for decades, first making moves in BMX by helping pioneer a new discipline in the sport, then launching several brands within the industry. Now in the motocross industry, Morales owns ASV Inventions, a manufacturer of unbreakable folding levers, quick-adjust clutch perches, bike stands, and more! We invited Bob to visit us at the SML HQ to take a trip down memory lane and share some insight about the sport, the state of the industry, creating and developing new products, and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
Monster Energy Supercross returned to Philadelphia for the first time since 1980 and - as expected - the event was a massive hit! In addition to the crowd turnout, the racing in both classes was unreal! From Max Anstie's hard-earned win to the spectacular Jalek Swoll and Seth Hammaker collision in the 250s, to the dominant display of riding by Jett Lawrence to Jason Anderson and Cooper Webb coming together on the last lap in the 450s, Philly was one to remember.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Nashville Supercross saw all hell break loose in more ways than one. While the 2024 season has been relatively injury free thus far, big crashes and mayhem took down several top contenders in both classes. Alex Ray joined Michael Antonovich in Tennessee last weekend, and this week's pod is extra insightful.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and YamahaFor this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Team Honda HRC's Jo Shimoda to discuss his 2024 Supercross season, the adjustment period he is experiencing with the bike, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Shimoda!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and YamahaFor this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Justin Bogle to discuss his new deal with Stark Future, stepping away from racing in America, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Bogle!
Presented by Pro Taper
Without a doubt, this is the best 450 Supercross Series we've enjoyed in years! A championship points tie with only four rounds left in the series? Pinch us! We go over the spectacular action from the Foxborough Supercross, and a whole lot more in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by Factory Backing
Kris Coan-Palm immigrated to the United States over a decade ago after visiting Southern California on a motocross vacation, and he's found a niche in the sport that's allowed him to make a living.
The past weekend offered a nice break for racers on the Monster Energy Supercross tour, but that by no means meant that the week was boring or without highlights! Sadly, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo announced his retirement from professional racing after the Salt Lake City finale. We all reflect on what a great guy AC has been to deal with and more, as we've known him since before he even got on big bikes. Blake Baggett also returned to the track last weekend! Does this mean he's coming back to fill in on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna? We don't think so, but it raises some spectacular possibilities, doesn't it? This week's show was super fun...
Presented by OGIO Powersports and YamahaFor this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Austin Forkner to discuss his brutal crash in Arlington, touch on the massive gains Pro Circuit has made on their machine, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Forkner!
The final Triple Crown Supercross of the year was held in St. Louis last weekend and it provided not only three times the amount of racing and excitement, but three times the normal amount of drama, too! We recap what we saw, heard, and learned in this week's Kickstart Podcast!
For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Malcolm Stewart to reflect on the beginning of his 2024 season, discuss what the team is chasing on the bike, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Mookie!
The Seattle Supercross could have been the most challenging and treacherous track of the year thus far, as rain in the days before the race softened the dirt surface and left the racers with rutted jump faces, rhythm section transitions, straights, and corners. The action, however, was amazing as home-state hero Levi Kitchen scored a popular win in the 250 Western Regional main and Cooper Webb earned a massively popular victory in the 450 main after a race-long battle with defending Supercross Champion Chase Sexton that saw multiple lead changes.
Presented by Factory Backing
Cari Schahr stopped by SML Headquarters in January to discuss the Host Kawasaki team that she fields with rider Dylan Walsh, to talk about her road to team ownership, her family's involvement in motocross, running the Grindstone MX Compound, and more. Sadly, Walsh was badly injured in the first qualifying session of the day at Anaheim One, rupturing his intestines and undergoing emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and repair his internal injuries. Walsh has made a remarkable recovery and will return to action at this weekend's Seattle Supercross, so we thought it was the perfect time to release Schahr's episode of the Factory Backing Midweek Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
The 10th round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series rolled into Indianapolis, Indiana, last weekend and the traditionally tough and treacherous track hosted the second Triple Crown of the year. The racing was three times as exciting with three main events in each class, and there was a lot to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast...including some news about the ability to place bets on the remainder of the Monster Energy Supercross races and all of the Supermotocross Series this year!
Presented by Factory Backing
Jason Fontes has worn many hats in the motocross industry, starting with a warehouse position at N-Style, where we first met. These days, "Fonzy" is a staple at Fasthouse, and one of the brand's biggest voices. It was a pleasure to sit down and retrace Jason's journey in this thing we call moto.
Presented by Pro Taper
Heavy rainfall in the days preceding the first-ever Birmingham Supercross left the Dirtwurx Crew challenged with the task of building the track for round nine of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, but they rose to the occasion and the track - sans whoops - yielded some excellent racing action. We recap the racing - and mishaps and penalties - in this week's show.
Presented by Pro Taper
As always, the Daytona Supercross kicked off Bike Week in Florida, and the racing was everything that we have come to expect from the roughest circuit in the series. Jett Lawrence put on a riding clinic as he notched his third win of the season, handily topping seven-time Daytona winner Eli Tomac in his first premier-class showing at the World Center of Racing. We talk about everything we saw, learned and heard at last weekend's race.
Presented by Factory Backing
We caught up with Travis Pastrana today to talk about this weekend's Nitrocross at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegan, Nevada, but the conversation also turned towards the amazing Supercross season that we have all been enjoying. It's always a pleasure chatting with 199...we think you'll enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Arlington Supercross was one wild night for sure! We saw lots of things and had a ton to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast. With Chase Curtis in Florida with tester Pat Foster for the Triumph intro, we invited our long-time test rider and friend, Tallon LaFountaine to join in on the bench racing today!
Presented by Factory Backing
Paul Perebijnos has a rich history in the sport of motocross. From professional racer to college graduate, from privateer mechanic to factory mechanic, and more recently from Pro Taper Brand Manager to Renthal's Global Offroad Manager, he's got a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of motocross. Paul joined us in the office for a chat about the journey he's enjoyed on two wheels.
Presented by Pro Taper
The ninth-annual Mini Monsters MX by Seven MX went off last weekend at Glen Helen Raceway and nearly 800 racers showed up to do battle on an exclusive track layout. We talk about all the weekend shenanigans - both during and after hours - as well as the latest happenings in our sport!
Presented by Pro Taper
The sixth round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Glendale, Arizona, last weekend and the massive track yielded some great results, even though the racing on the track wasn't necessarily that spectacular. We battled through some horrible screw-ups and a missing co-host this morning to bring you this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Rest assured, some big changes are coming for next week. Thanks for bearing with us.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Detroit, Michigan, last weekend for the fifth round of the year, and the event did not disappoint! Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship Series kicked off and we got to see a whole new batch of racers behind the starting gate. Highlights included the debut of the Triumph racing team, our first repeat winner of the season in the 450 class, Haiden Deegan's debut as the defending 250 SMX Champion, and of course....Cameron McAdoo's gritty ride after a horrific first-turn crash. McAdoo called in on today's show to talk about the incident that social media is buzzing about: this week's show is nuts!
Presented by OGIO Powersports
Though he's been retired from professional racing for over a decade, Jason Lawrence remains one of the most polarizing personalities in our sport. Earlier this year JLaw was set to race the Kicker Arenacross Series with the Phoenix Honda team, but that deal unravelled before the series even started. Lawrence has since taken an interest in the AMA US Sprint Enduro Series and is set to compete at round two this weekend in Union, South Carolina, aboard a Kawasaki KX450 that he purchased recently. We caught up with JLaw this morning to talk about his new interest in Sprint Enduro, what happened with Phoenix Honda, his biggest regrets in racing, cool riding gear, and lots more!
Presented by Pro Taper
We're four rounds deep into the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Series and we have an incredible eight - that's right: eight - different overall winners in the 250 and 450 classes! Last weekend's Triple Crown produced some amazing races on a brutal track that challenged riders throughout the day, but at least it wasn't raining, right? This week, we recap everything that we saw, heard, and learned...all in person!
Presented by Yoshimura
Imagine starting a graphics company in a small town in Germany, just to fund your dirt bike habit, and having it blow up into a worldwide success! That's exactly what Philipp Klakow has done with Backyard Design USA. As our favorite graphics company to work with - their designs and quality are second-to-none - we were stoked to see Philipp stateside a few weeks ago as he had planned to race the first couple of Supercross rounds for fun. Sadly, he broke his femur in a crash a few days before Anaheim One, but we can assure you that this injury will not dampen his enthusiasm for the sport.
Presented by Pro Taper
Almost unbelievably, we had another mudder in San Diego. This one was different, though, as riders were still able to jump many of the obstacles, and this made racing super sketchy! We had two more new winners this year, and seeing Aaron Plessinger get his first career win was amazing. We chat about everything we saw and learned...
Nine years ago, we created the Mini Major by Seven MX, a race that is tailored specifically to mini bike racers in our efforts to support the overall growth of the racing portion of our sport. And it was a hit! Each and every year, the Mini Major has attracted key talent and grown in overall participation. Past winners include Stylez Robertson, Ryder DiFrancisco, Jett Reynolds, Talon Hawkins, and more! For 2024, the event has been rebranded the Mini Monsters by Seven MX, and is an AMA Major Event, complete with National-Championship Number-One Plates! Race Director Aaron Cooke stopped by the SML offices this morning to discuss!
Presented by Pro Taper
Unless you've been in a coma for the past couple of days, you already know that the San Francisco Supercross inside Oracle Stadium was a crazy, messy, quagmire and that the racing - although slow - produced some great results, some bitter disappointments, and some career highs. We had a great time recapping everything that we saw, heard, and learned in NorCal.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Anaheim One Supercross was everything we had hoped it would be, and more! What were your biggest surprises and letdowns? See how they lined up with ours! This is the longest, most-fun pod we've ever done after a race. Enjoy!
Presented by Yoshimura
Right after graduating high school, Maki Ushiroyama left his home in Japan and moved to California with the dream of riding dirt bikes and finding a job in the motocross industry. While attending an art school in San Diego, he drove to Troy Lee Designs in Corona, some two hours north, to meet Troy and ask if he could intern at TLD. And with that, as they say, the rest is history. Maki spent 32 years designing helmets, t-shirts, riding gear, race team graphics and transporters, and more, during his time with the legendary brand. Now venturing out on his own with Groove Machine Inc., and independent art agency, Ushiroyama stopped by to reminisce his three-decade history in the sport.
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series kickoff is a mere four days away and we couldn't be more hyped! Who looks good? Who will take it? What new looks and sponsorships will we see come Saturday? We talk about all of this, and more, on the first Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast of the year.
Logan Karnow has made quite the name for himself over the past two years, thanks to his results on the track, desire to have fun after the checkered flag, and the sponsors on his motorcycle, including OnlyFans, which linked up with the Ohio privateer in 2023 and renewed their support of Karnow's program for 2024.
With the first gate drop of the year just days away, we grabbed a few minutes to talk about preseason prep in Florida, working with the subscription-based content platform, and what it takes to be a well-known racer in the modern era.
Presented by Pro Taper
We took the Kickstart Podcast on the road this morning and visited our cohost Alex Ray at his place of employment. The O'Neal Racing HQ in Camarillo, California, is a beautiful workplace and home to one of the legacy brands in our sport. We caught up on lots of things in this week's show, but mostly just enjoyed ARay's company, face to face.
Presented by Yoshimura
This weekend, Glen Helen Raceway will host rounds six and seven of the Nitrocross Series, and even though the vehicles will have two extra wheels; we're stoked to head out there to see some amazing racing. One of the big draws for us, of course, is the head-to-head match-up between Travis Pastrana and Brian Deegan, both in the E Division electric cars and the Can-Am Side by Sides. It's the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles X Games where both Pastrana and Deegan pulled off the world's first 360s in freestyle motocross, which gives the Deegan vs. Pastrana vibe even more juice.
We rang Travis Pastrana up on Facetime to get his take on this weekend's race, electric vehicle racing, the Stark Varg, injuries, and more.
We also have three pairs of general admission and one pair of VIP tickets for this weekend's racing at Glen Helen to give away. Want to win? Drop a comment with a compelling reason why you should win, and we will choose the four winners Thursday morning at 9 am. Good luck!
Presented by Pro Taper
We missed last week's show because all four of us were sick and had no voices, so we chatted about all the shenanigans at this year's Day in the Dirt Grand Prix, Jorge Prado's big announcement, Arenacross, and more!
Presented by Yoshimura
Skillz Racing is a 100% custom motocross gear company based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and we chatted with owner Ismael Navarro about how he got started, the challenges he faced, and more. Most importantly, we got more information on how he is giving back the sport by supporting the privateers of the Monster Energy Supercross series!
Presented by Yoshimura
The 2024 MX Shootout is in the books after several weeks of comparison testing, and one final day of back-to-back comparisons with a panel of test riders and technicians from all of the manufacturers to assist with bike setup. While the official Bike of the Year scores are being tallied and will be announced soon, our panel of test riders gathered at the SML headquarters to bench race about all six of the machines...
Presented by Pro Taper
The 40th Running of the great Paris Supercross went off last weekend in France and our very own Michael Antonovich was there to document the action and sip an espresso or two. We go over everything that he saw and learned at the most important off-season race of the year!
Jordon Post is one of one. We've gotten to know the tattooed journeyman over the last few years at rounds of Supercross and Pro Motocross, as his roles with the track crew put him on location early and in the heart of the action. After Post gets done hanging banners or helping assemble various structures around the track and paddock, he continues the hustle by picking up his camera and documenting the action in a way only he can.
The last twenty minutes of this talk take a heavy turn, as Jordan discussed the loss of his stepbrother Wills Fedrick at the Nashville race this year and the way working in the industry has helped him come to terms with the things that happen in life.
Presented by Pro Taper
You've probably heard us referencing the upcoming wedding for several months now, and it all went down last weekend: Our very own Alex Ray is officially hitched and off the market. We chat about the wedding, the Texas Mini Major, and the upcoming Day in the Dirt in this week's show...
Presented by Pro Taper
Round two of the WSX Championship went down in Abu Dhabi last weekend and sparks flew as the tiny arena required racers to get aggressive for positions. While Joey Savatgy was the event's overall winner, the runner-up, Dean Wilson, was arguably the quickest rider on the track. We coordinated time zones with our buddy Deano and got him in on today's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Pro Taper.
Presented by Yoshimura
It's been 13 years since Jason Lawrence's pro racing career came to an end, but the name JLaw still attracts attention whenever it pops up. A couple of weeks ago, Lawrence was invited to race the Ironman GNCC with the powerful Phoenix Honda team and his appearance sparked interest in both the fans and in Lawrence, himself.
Now, it appears, JLaw will contest this winter's AMA Arenacross Championship Series with the Phoenix Honda team, alongside defending champ Kyle Peters. JLaw phoned us up this morning on his way to North Carolina to start his preparation. The conversation was too good to hold until the middle of the week, so here ya go!
Presented by Pro Taper
In this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, we talk about the Honda CRF Electric that we flew to Japan to see in action with Trey Canard. Also updates on the state of World SX, new rides and more!
After five years of employment with the Ford Motor Company as a Research Engineer, Sean Hilbert decided to step back from the workforce and pursue higher education through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MIT Sloan School of Management. During Hilbert's time at the prestigious schools, he put together a vision for the future of the powersports industry that would use "individualized focus" to make off-road motorcycles custom-built for the consumer and soon gathered business partners and financial support that made the idea a reality.
The group acquired Cobra Moto from Bud Maimone, a machinist who revolutionized amateur motocross with his American-made mini bikes, in 2003 and has spent the past twenty years growing the brand with a lineup of performance-focused models, an international dealer network, a large production facility in Michigan, and direct support for the racing families who at the track every weekend.
Presented by Pro Taper
Three weeks into the off-season and we are still finding plenty to chin-wag over...new rider and team combos, bike tests, new gear, and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
It's been a relatively quiet week in motocross and Supercross as the off-season is now in full effect. The big news is Guillem Farres to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, but we've also heard and seen a few more interesting things...
Presented by Yoshimura
Our long-time test rider Rene Garcia got to trade in his gloves and helmet in for a passport and a set of wrenches as he traveled with Team Guam to Ernee, France, as Joshua Varize's mechanic at the Motocross of Nations. We asked him to join us and give us some insight into what goes into getting a privateer to the biggest race of the year.
Presented by Yoshimura
Yesterday, the SML testing team wrapped up its final day of comparison testing for the crop of 2024 250 MX bikes at Fox Raceway, and we gathered at the office afterward to compare our thoughts about each of the six machines from Gas Gas, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, and Yamaha. Special thanks to Fun Bike Center, Motul, and OGIO Powersports for making our comparison test possible
We've officially had one week of the offseason and man, did it feel good! Not that we weren't busy, mind you...we had a ton of testing to do and we've been wide open as usual. Anton is leaving for France with the rest of Team USA for the Motocross of Nations, ARay is working the Chaparral Parking Lot Sale, Chase is filming a wedding in Mexico, and Donn is orchestrating the 2024 250 Shootout this coming week! Busy, busy...
Presented by Pro Taper
To say that the Supermotocross Finale at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum delivered would be an understatement! The inaugural SMX Championship produced some amazing racing, two new champions, and new rivalries that will keep fans entertained for years to come. Join the SML staff as we recap everything that we saw and learned at the last American race of the year.
Presented by Pro Taper
The pass. You know; the pass everyone is talking about. What did you think of Jett Lawrence letting Ken Roczen pass him for the second moto win at last weekend's final Supermotocross Supermorocross moto? We cover that and a whole lot more in this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper
Presented by Yoshimura
On this installment of the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast, we invited our SoCal neighbor Tag Gasparian of Tagger Designs to stop by and share his story, From his early days as a professional surfer to his current role as one of motocross' most popular helmet painters, Chances are that you have either admired some of Tag's work, owned some of it, or have something he designed on your Christmas wish list. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Well, the Supermotocross Playoffs are finally here, and for the SML staff, the new series is everything we had hoped it would be and more! The racing in Charlotte was insane, and the results were mixed up, and that's more than we could have ever wished for. 250 winner Jo Shimoda joined us for this morning's show and added some insight and humor, too! Enjoy!
What did you think of the first SMX playoff? Comment below!
After a tumultuous few weeks with rumors of race cancellations, boardroom negotiations with financial backers, and a press release that promised "positive future developments" to support the FIM World Supercross Championship, SX Global has announced the sale of its business to a new investment group.
The organization, led by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, will work alongside longtime WSX principal Adam Bailey, who will maintain his role as CEO of the series as it continues its second year.
Kyril is the son of Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who served as CEO of advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi and sporting giant adidas, while his great-great-grandfather Léopold Louis-Dreyfus established the family's businesses in agriculture, shipping, energy, raw materials, and finance that, according to its 2022 financial report, operates in more than 100 countries with 21.6 billion dollars in total assets.
Sartori is known for forming the Union Group immediately after graduating from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and through his increasing political influence with the National Party, the oldest active political group in the South American country.
Louis-Dreyfus and Sartori have been close friends and business partners for some time. Both are on the board of directors at Sunderland AFC and will join Adam Bailey in similar roles at SX Global.
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend, Chase Curtis made the trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to experience his first-ever Mammoth Mountain Motocross. We recap that, share some Mammoth memories, talk silly season rumors, and what's up with the upcoming SMX finals this weekend!
Presented by Pro Taper
Well, he did it! Jett Lawrence wrapped up the 2023 450 National MX Championship a couple of weeks ago, but last weekend at Ironman Raceway the Australian wonderboy completed the third perfect season our sport has ever seen...as a rookie! Meanwhile, big brother Hunter Lawrence wrapped up the 250 National MX Championship with solid finishes, and Jo Shimoda went out in grand style with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team with a perfect 1-1 sweep for the brand's only win of the series. We recap all of this and a lot more, on this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
The Pro Motocross Championship is about to close out at the 2023 Ironman Motocross, an action-packed weekend that will kick off with the announcement of Team USA for the Motocross of Nations.
Although the Americans are the defending champions of the Chamberlain Cup and will run numbers one, two, and three when they go to France in October, putting the team together has been a challenge.
Yes, interest in the race is at an all-time high after last year's victory on home soil at RedBud, and multiple OEMs have pledged their time and resources, but sending the exact same lineup as last year is not possible due to Eli Tomac's ongoing recovery from an Achilles injury, Justin Cooper's long-planned wedding which lands on the same weekend, and Chase Sexton's upcoming switch from Honda to KTM.
And that's why AMA Director of Racing Mike Pellitier had to push the team's lineup declaration from its usual date at Unadilla, to the finale at Ironman. He and managing partner Roger DeCoster have spent the better part of the summer working out scenarios for Ernee, a complicated matter considering the time some candidates were missing with injuries, the extended season for SuperMotocross, and the numerous rider-team changes that will happen in October.
Here's what we do know ahead of the official announcement.
Aaron Plessinger is a lock. At third place, the Red Bull KTM rider is the highest-ranking American in the 450 Class championship standings, and he has not finished outside the top ten once this summer. Eager for redemption after the RedBud mud in 2018, expect AP to be the Open Class pick.
Chase Sexton, the only available rider from last year's lineup, is down to go, and could use the race as his debut on the Red Bull KTM. Team Honda HRC has offered support to Sexton through the race, as they'll be backing the Lawrence brothers for Team Australia, but we've been told that Sexton would like to get on the orange bike as soon as possible.
Sexton's involvement was said to motivate and determine Haiden Deegan's participation. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider has been impressive as a rookie, and making the MXON his first race overseas would be a big draw for both the team and the event, but we've learned that the teenager and the group around him may opt-out after a long year that started in the Supercross Futures class.
The MX2 rider is often crucial to a team's overall score, and this year, it sounds like the group favors dropping a willing and experienced 450 Class rider down to the small-bore bike, rather than picking among the other Americans in the 250 Class.
Justin Barcia is the most likely candidate. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing rider has been on Team USA a few times already, including 2015 in Ernee.
Cooper Webb is another possibility, but it sounds like his current focus is getting up to speed on the YZ450F ahead of the SMX rounds.
An added benefit of these two is that if Chase Sexton decides not to go after all, either Barcia or Webb could step up to the MXGP spot and run the number one plate.
Here's my interview with Mike Pellitier from last Friday at Budds Creek, where he explained some of the obstacles faced this summer and the importance of unifying Team USA.
The Budds Creek MX marked the penultimate stop of the 2023 National MX Championship and though Chase Sexton made it interesting in the final 40 moto, it was yet another Jett Lawrence 1-1 romp to victory. We discuss that, the MXoN USA team, rumors, hurricanes, and more, on this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Yoshimura
At the age of 18, Steve Piatonni made the mature decision to leave behind a potential professional motocross career to start a business for himself: Shock Therapy Racing, a SoCal-based suspension, and mechanic service specializing in dirt bikes. With 40 years of experience behind him, Piatonni is a go-to for SoCal racers looking for help with their machines, and he joined us for this week's Yoshimura Midweek Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Jett Lawrence Train rolled through Utica, New York, last weekend and the 20-year-old wrapped up his first 450 National MX Championship in grand style with. 1-1 performance that kept his perfect season intact. We talk about that and a whole lot more on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Pro Taper.
This week marks the first Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast without good ole Alex Ray in-house as we record. Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few months, you know that ARay hung up his helmet for good and has joined the working force with a job at O'Neal USA. With one week in his new career under his belt, ARay phoned in, and along with Michael Antonovich, we cover the wet and sloppy Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur Nationals.
Presented by Pro Taper
The first of two off-weekends has passed and a lot was still going on for the SML staff; ARay had his bachelor party in Havasu and Chase and Donn headed to Whistler, B.C. for Crankworx with the King of Supercross. We had a nice bench-racing session about the newest rumors floating around, what to look for at Loretta Lynns next weekend, and more!
Presented by Yoshimura
Rob Salcedo has enjoyed a three-decade career in the motocross industry, and we are lucky to have known him for most of it. From his early days in the Fox Racing warehouse to his current position with Leatt, Salcedo has gotten to work around great personalities in our sport throughout. We caught up with "Chuchacabra" at the Crankworx MTB Festival in Whistler, B.C. this week to get the Cliff Notes version of his long journey in the two-wheeled world.
We are in Whistler, B.C. Canada for the Crankworx MTB festival with the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, for the second time ever. Following up with our first installment in 2019m we got together this evening for our (now) traditional Live Tequila Podcast. Both McGrath and swap went live on Instagram to field some questions from viewers, and it was a good time - albeit somewhat more controlled and in control than the second installment (which was never aired and archived, by the way). Jeremy and Donn talk about everything from Jett Lawerence's dominance to two-strokes making a comeback, to MC dislocating his hip on his KTM, to nearly dying in an off-road truck, and more! Enjoy!
The Pro Motocross Championship made its annual trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Washougal Motocross, a busy and exciting weekend that gave Anton and ARay plenty to talk about. In this episode of the Kickstart Podcast, we'll cover Haiden Deegan's 1-1, Jett's perfect season continued, Eli Tomac's appearance at the Alpinestars MX24 launch, and Thursday night's action at PIR.
Presented by Pro Taper
The second half of the 2023 MX Nationals started last weekend at Spring Creek MX in Millville, Minnesota, and fans were treated to some great racing in both classes. While the results columns may not have seemed exciting per se, there was plenty to see on the legendary track, and we discuss all the best stuff in today's show..
A lot went down at round six of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship! Last weekend's Southwick National saw some entertaining racing, championship heartbreak, and resulted in Haiden Deegan holding the red plate. Press play as we cover everything that Michael Antonovich saw in-person, as well as everything Alex Ray and Chase Curtis learned over the weekend.
We spent the better part of an hour during Friday afternoon's downtime at the RedBud Motocross talking stickers with Matt Davis, co-creator and co-owner of Throttle Jockey. The Indiana print house has made its share of iconic graphic kits since starting in 1992, and for the past twenty years, they've handled everything for Team Honda HRC's motocross operation in America.
It's a role that Davis takes pride in, and as you'll hear, his appreciation for motocross stretches back to the family's very first visit to RedBud in the 1970s.
Presented by Yoshimura
Wes Smith is a behind-the-scenes guy who has done business with many of the sport's top racers and freestyle riders over the past few decades. A lifelong motocross rider and enthusiast, Smith fine-tuned his craft working for Planet Hollywood before branching out on his own as Smithline Industries, a custom memorabilia framing, and mounting shop. Through the years, he's done work for the likes of Robbie Maddison, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Justin Cooper, Nate Adams, and more. Most notably, however, Smith had a goal to work with his favorite rider, Jeremy McGrath, when he started out and has been largely responsible for the personal museum known as Jeremy McGrath's Attic. We asked Wes to stop by so he could tell us his motocross story!
Presented by Pro Taper
Is there a bigger motocross race than Red Bud? We think not! Last weekend's MX National in Buchanan, Michigan, saw some amazing racing, some big surprises, and the first of many Haiden Deegan wins. We cover everything that we saw and learned and Alex Ray also makes a big announcement in this week's show!
Presented by Pro Taper
The first break in the MX National Championship Series gave riders, mechanics, and everyone involved in the racing side of our sport a much-needed break. Some used the time to regroup and reset, while others kept their noses to the grindstone in search of more speed, more fitness, or simply a better bike setting. This week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast has no rhyme or reason, but we sure had a great time flapping our lips about moto and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
We thought that Thunder Valley was Rut City, but last weekend's High Point MX National was on a whole different level of gnarly! There was lots to talk about after round four of the 2023 MX Nationals: Ken Roczen's return to action, Hunter Lawrence's seven-point penalty, RJ Hampshire's first moto win, Jett Lawrence finishing both motos in Red Bullet helmet mode, and more!
Presented by Yoshimura
We've known Todd Ford for over three decades since we first met him when he was a young, enthusiastic salesman at a popular graphics company. These days, Ford owns and operates Custom Upfits, a NorCal-based vehicle upfitter that has built moto vans for the likes of Chad Reed, Justin Barcia, Andrew Short, Ryder DiFrancisco, Jett Reynolds, and more! Todd is also a huge supporter of Road to Recovery, and has donated complete vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and more, to help injured motocross racers.
Presented by Pro Taper
Brutal. That's the word that best describes the track that greeted racers at round three of the MX Nationals last weekend at Thunder Valley MX, just outside of Denver, Colorado. We talk about the whos, whats, wheres, and whys, of last weekend's race!
Presented by Pro Taper
Round two of the MX Nationals went off last weekend at Prarie City OHV Park in Rancho Cordova, California, and the Dirt Diggers MC did a fine job of promoting one of our favorite events of the year. The Lawrence Brothers swept the 250 and 450 classes again, but Hangtown saw the arrival of Haiden Deegan as the 17-year-old earned his first professional moto win in convincing fashion aboard his Yamaha YZ250F. We talk about everything that we saw and heard at Hangtown...this is a good one!
Last week's kick off for the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship gave us a glimpse of what's to come through the summer, as the motos at Fox Raceway had a who's who of names cycle through the top-10 in the 250 Class and the first of many head-to-head battles for the win in the 450 Class.
For this episode of the Midweek Podcast presented by Yoshimura R&D, we'll go over race day for the top-three finishers in both classes, from the way it played out on track to what they said in the post-race press conference hosted by Broc Glover.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man what a way to kickoff the 2023 Monster Energy MX Nationals! The Fox Raceway track was challenging and unforgiving for the racers who lined up at yesterday's first National MX of the summer, and there was some great racing in both classes. The Lawrence brothers left with both red plates, but there was a lot that happened that the result sheets don't reveal. Enjoy this special Sunday edition of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast and enjoy Memorial Day with your loved ones!
Presented by Pro Taper
We enjoyed an off weekend as the dirt bike circus took a one-week hiatus between the conclusion of the Monster Energy Supercross and the National Motocross Championship Series. ARay drove to Kentucky to pick up his bride-to-be, we did a lot of tire testing, and all of us are really looking forward to the Fox Raceway National MX kickoff this weekend!
The Salt Lake City Supercross went off last weekend in Rice-Eccles Stadium and although there were no real surprises, the racing did provide some excitement worth talking about! After a fun-filled five days in Utah, the SML crew reconvened at our SoCal office and went over everything that we saw and heard at the series finale.
Presented by Pro Taper
There are almost no words to describe what went down in Denver at the penultimate round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship! From Eli Tomac's shocking injury while leading, to RJ Hampshire's gritty, come-from-behind win, the Denver Supercross left all of us with our mouths wide open. On this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper, we recap all that we know about the race that went down inside Empower Field.
Nick Wey stopped by the Swapmoto Live HQ today to sit down for a new installment of the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast. A few months ago we sat down with the guys from Hammer Nutrition to learn more about their philosophy on sports supplements, and this is a follow-up of sorts as Wey is a partner in ARMA Sport, the fastest-growing supplement company in our sport. We picked Wey's brain about the benefits of supplements, his personal experience, his business partners, and much more. It gets really good at the end!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Nashville Supercross was, for all intents and purposes, the end of the excitement that has built up around the 450 Championship championship battle between Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb. Treacherous track conditions and hard racing took several riders out for the remainder of the series and sadly, one of them was Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb. We recap the carnage, the rumors, and the results in this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
What a race the East Rutherford Supercross turned out to be! Two new winners this late in the series? too good to be true! When the skies in New Jersey opened up and drenched the track, we all wondered what the outcome would be after the lightning-induced delay in the program, and we were rewarded with some of the best racing of the year! From Max Anstie's amazing first-career Supercross win to Eli Tomac's awesome performance after his practice crash, we cover it all in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart podcast.
Presented by Yoshimura
This week, we are joined on the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast by Charles Dao, founder of ICON Fitness Studio, a gym in Murrieta, California, that has played an integral role in the success of many motocross, Supercross, and freestyle motocross riders' careers. From the early days with Ronnie Faisst and Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, to the present with racers like Austin Forkner, Vince Friese, Josh Hill and more, Dao has a history in the sport that dates back to the early 2000s.
Presented by Pro Taper
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted the Monster Energy Supercross Series last weekend and the racing was fast and furious, for sure! The track was brutally rough and challenged racers every step of the way. We go over what we saw and learned at Atlanta, and also cover some other activities that we've been up to in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend was full of action as the Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Glendale, Arizona, for the final Triple Crown of the year, while in SoCal the premix crowd gathered at Glen Helen Raceway for the Fasthouse Two-Stroke World Championships. We cover it all in this episode of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Yoshimura
The crossover between motocross and mountain biking has existed for decades, and Intense Cycles is one of the first brands to get involved with motocross, dating back to the Jeff Emig era. Jeff Steber is a mad scientist of sorts, and the brand's founder has conceptualized frame geometries, suspension systems, and more, throughout its 30-year history. Steber was gracious enough to take some time away from his fab shop to join us for a sit down to talk the moto/MTB crossover, new trends in bicycling, business models, and more! Enjoy.
Presented by Pro Taper
It's been four years since we launched Swapmoto Live and it has been an absolute blast! With no race last weekend to shoot the breeze about, our content team sat down to reminisce about all of the great times we've had. Thanks for joining us on our journey! Enjoy!
Presented by Yoshimura
Ever wonder what goes into developing a new motocross bike? Takeshi Katsuya is one of Kawasaki's most important pre-production test riders, and he also serves as the official Kawasaki MXGP team test rider too. That's right; in addition to working on next year's KX models, he helps set up the race bikes for Romain Febvre and Mitch Evans! A four-time All Japan IA2 Champion himself, "Taka" is one of the coolest guys we've sat down to do a podcast with. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Seattle produced some great racing last weekend and while it was good to see Eli Tomac back on the top step of the podium, it was painful to see Chase Sexton again fall victim to a front-end crash while leading. We cover that and a whole lot more in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
Mike Emery is responsible for many of the images you see posted after every round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Born in Pennsylvania, hardened by years of work as a mechanic on the West Coast, and now leading the charge with Align Media, Emery has a perspective on the sport that's all his own.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Detroit Supercross had it all: a runaway leader, a heartbreaking last-lap crash, nail-biting battles for second- through fifth place, teammate drama...you name it, and we got it in Motor City USA. We recap all that, and more, on this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper.
Presented by Yoshimura
If you're an eagle-eyed race fan, you've already spotted the Loma Linda University Health logos on the side panels of the Red Bull KTM factory race bikes. A hospital sponsoring a dirt bike race team? Well, that's a first! We were fortunate to have Loma Linda Health's CEO Trevor Wright and Director of Business Development John Level in our office for this installment of the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast, and we found out exactly why a hospital would want to sponsor a race team, and lots more!
Presented by Pro Taper
Without a doubt, the Indianapolis Supercross inside Lucas Oil Stadium produced the most popular results in recent memory, with Progressive Insurance/Ecstar/Suzuki rider Ken Roczen scoring the win over a hard-charging Justin Barcia and giving Suzuki its first 450 Supercross win since 2016. Our very own Alex Ray returned to action after a few weeks off with a broken thumb, and he had some great first-hand insight about the super-challenging track conditions. Tune in for a great time!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Daytona Supercross was a wild one with some great racing and some big crashes. Typically the toughest race of the year, Daytona treated us to spectacular performances by Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb, while Hunter Lawrence topped all comers in the 250 class. We recap all of that and a lot more in this week's Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Yoshimura
Jay Clark is one of those behind-the-scenes players in the motocross industry that everyone knows, and he's represented multiple brands over the past three decades. I first met Clark in 1992 when he began representing Wiseco Piston, and I was an assistant editor at Cycle News. These days, Clark's client list is extensive and he also runs a popular YouTube channel, Dirt Bike TV. We had a great time discussing our 30-year friendship in this installment of the Yoshimura Mid-week Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Arlington Supercross marked the second Triple Crown of the year and as did the first, this one yielded some exciting racing and new results. Our man on the scene Michael Antonovich was joined in the pits by our injured cohost Alex Ray and the two bring an interesting set of insights to this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
The rain-delayed Oakland Supercross went off in Ring Central Coliseum last weekend and the track was amazing! Big ruts, huge combos....it had it all. Eli Tomac bounced back from his "off" fifth-place finish with his fourth win of the series aboard his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, and Jett Lawrence scored another seemingly effortless win in the 250 West Coast main. Join us as we recap the second round of Supercross and even chat about last weekend's Mini Major by Seven MX.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Tampa Supercross was one for the record books with a challenging track, crazy racing action, hit-and-miss weather conditions, and more! Join the SML team as we recap the whos, whats, wheres, and whys of round six of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series.
Presented by Yoshimura
The Eighth Annual Mini Major West by Seven MX is upon us, and next weekend hundreds of minibike racers will converge at Glen Helen Raceway to compete on a special track, designed just for kids. In this week's Mid-Week Podcast, we invited CMXRS President Aaron Cooke and his son, Reegan, to join us to talk about everything racers and parents need to know about the upcoming race weekend. Lots of information in his podcast if you're a SoCal mini racer or parent, as well as some big, breaking news about the Mini Major franchise in general!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Houston Supercross was a wild one! The start of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship, the debut of several rookie pros, and. the classic Tomac vs. Sexton showdown. This week's podcast was a good time, so grab a snack and hit play!
Presented by Pro Taper
Anaheim Two marked the first Triple Crown Supercross of the year and it was a wild event that was full of thrills and spills. The track proved to be quite technical and it provided some great racing that produced two different winners than we've seen thus far in 2023. The results columns provide a lot of information, but in today's show we talk about a lot of stuff that you won't see in the results.
Presented by Yoshimura R&D
Sean Brennen, Senior PR Manager at Feld Motorsports, stopped by the SML office during the downtime between the San Diego and Anaheim Two rounds of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship. The launch of the SuperMotocross Championship has led to a number of new initiatives within the company, which includes the hiring of New York communications firm DKC, outreach to non-endemic media, and getting the word out about the two rescheduled rounds.
Presented by Pro Taper
Round three of the Monster Energy Supercross Series is in the books, and man what a great time we had at the first SX inside the new Snapdragon Stadium! We had plenty to bench race about in this week's Kickstart Podcast as ARay made his first main of the year, and much, much, more!
Presented by Pro Taper
The second round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series in Oakland, California, was postponed until February 18 due to heavy rains in Northern California, but that doesn't mean that there wasn't plenty to talk about in today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. To start the show off, Carson Mumford called in and told us all about his fill-in ride with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, and the steps he took to secure the opportunity. We also cover the ins and outs of the postponed race, the Arenacross many privateers raced instead, and much more!
The postponement of the 2023 Oakland Supercross is a milestone moment, as no race in the history of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship had been moved from its date due to weather. Heavy, persistent rains have soaked California's Bay Area for nearly three weeks, and with another few inches set to hit the RingCentral Coliseum this weekend, officials decided it was best to run the race to February 18th.
We spoke with Mike Muye, Senior Director of Operations for the series, about the efforts by Feld Motorsports and Dirt Wurx to build the track, working with the stadium to find a replacement date, and what comes next for the series.
Presented by Pro Taper
It's raining again in Southern California, so Alex Ray used a dry Monday to get in one last day of practice at the Yamaha Supercross track before the skies opened up again. That said, the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast is a Tuesday edition today! Hear all of the things we saw and learned at Anaheim One...which was the best race of the year!
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you believe that Anaheim One is already this weekend? The off-season has flown by and we can't wait for the first gate drops of the new season! Today's show was chock-full of interesting stuff, predictions, contests, and more. Thanks for listening!
Presented by Pro Taper
It's hard to believe that Christmas is this weekend! Our week thus far has been jam-packed with activities - including the 2023 250 Shootout - and that is why the Kickstart Podcast is coming to you this week on a Wednesday. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
It's been about a year since I first talked with Adam Bailey about the FIM World Supercross Championship. In the 357 days since, he helped the series launch and run through a pilot tour, moved his family up the coast of Australia, and got promoted to CEO of SX Global.
The twelve months of work and travel gave Bailey a glimpse into the next part of his motocross career.
He knows that directing WSX's plans for the sport will be an ambitious effort, one that'll rely on everything he learned from Australia's small but mighty motocross industry and will take a few years to see through.
But he's ready for it all, motivated by the teams involved and feedback from fans that were in Cardiff and Melbourne.
Presented by Bell Helmets
Colt Nichols has been putting in tons of work aboard his new Honda HRC CRF450R since signing with the team a couple of months ago, and according to those who have seen him in action, the former 250 Supercross Champion is looking quite comfortable aboard his new red dragon. Nichols has always been a personable, easily approachable personality in the pits, so we thought he'd be a great candidate for the inaugural House of Bell Podcast, presented by Bell Helmets. Listen in for some candid information and news from the Oklahoma native.
Presented by Yoshimura Racing
Brandon Hartranft's world was turned upside down a few short weeks ago by a freak crash at the Supercross track that left him with a long list of injuries, including several fractures in his back, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a severe concussion, a dislocated hip, and a broken scapula. The HEP Suzuki racer was in the early laps of a training moto at the team's private testing facility in Northern California when his engine locked up and send him into the ground. Hartranft underwent a lengthy surgery to repair the damage to his body and was eventually transported by private jet to the Casa Colina rehab facility in Pomona, California. While Hartranft's prognosis is very promising, he has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He and his new wife plan to return to his home state of New Jersey once he is released from the rehabilitation facility, and whether or not he returns to racing someday remains to be seen. "For now, I am just so thankful that I have a second chance at life," he told us.
We caught up with Brandon on the phone for this installment of the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast, and were amazed at how upbeat and positive he is...he even had the energy to tell us some funny golf stories!
Road to Recovery has established a fund to help Hartranft, and we encourage you to contribute if you are in a position to.
Presented by Pro Taper
It's been dumping here in Southern California for a couple of days now and that means no riding! That doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of bench racing to be done, though, and this week we cover the Honda HRC team intro, Justin Cooper on a 450, AC's elbow, ugly riding kits, and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
For an off-season week, we sure have been slammed here in SoCal. This week's Kickstart Podcast is a few days late because of all of the activities going on in our neighborhood. From a top-secret press conference to Red Bull KTM and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna inviting us out to their private test tracks, to suspension testing with Alex Ray on his new 2023 Yamaha YZ450F; our week has been jam-packed already! Add on top of all that the news about Ken Roczen and the HEP Suzuki team, and we have a recipe for a great KSP by Pro Taper!
The AMA has posted a Competition Bulletin highlighting changes to the rulebook for the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, which has clarification for on-track procedures and penalties, adjustments to the National number system, and how riders will advance through the 250 Class.
It's been a busy week for Zach Osborne. On Monday, he and wife Brittany welcomed their third child to the family. Then, on Thursday, he announced a return to professional racing with the AM-Pro Yamaha team, a two-year agreement that will put him on the starting line at GNCC and Sprint Enduro events on the East Coast.
Everything about off-road appeals Osborne: strategy, physical fitness, and bike time hit at his competitive side and will be put to the test by the hours-long races, while the easygoing atmosphere that comes from everyone hanging out together at the campground is something his wife and kids can enjoy.
Presented by Pro Taper
Sometimes when there is no racing to talk about it is hard to fill the Kickstart Podcast with conversation, but so much has been going on in our sport lately that we had an absolute blast on the show today. Between Ken Roczen rumors, our SML 450 Shootout, ARay's new 2023 Yamaha YZ450Fs, and much, much more; we had a heck of a great time flapping our lips. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Sometimes when there is no racing to talk about it is hard to fill the Kickstart Podcast with conversation, but so much has been going on in our sport lately that we had an absolute blast on the show today. Between Ken Roczen rumors, our SML 450 Shootout, ARays new 2023 Yamaha YZ450Fs, and much, much more; we had a heck of a great time flapping our lips. Enjoy!
We've been logging hours and hours on all of the 2023 450cc motocross bikes since they first started showing up at our offices, and yesterday we converged on Cahuilla Creek MX with support from all of the manufacturers to give all the bikes one last head-to-head comparison. Afterward, we gathered at Blackmore Ranch to shoot the shit about the 2023 Gas Gas MC 450, Honda CRF450R, Husqvarna FC 450, Kawasaki KX450, KTM 350 SX-F, KTM 450 SX-F, and Yamaha YZ450F. Enjoy!
Eric Perronard is one of my favorite people in the industry. A part of the pit area for longer than I've been alive, the well-connected Frenchman stays busy with roles like a global advisor for Fox Racing, competition director at Red Bull's Imagination and Straight Rhythm events, and rider coordinator for the Paris Supercross.
Last weekend's race at the LaDefense Arena was Eric's thirty-fifth, and with Xavier Audouard, they put together a championship-caliber lineup that drew two nights of massive crowds and worldwide attention.
We grabbed some time with Eric on Sunday afternoon and talked about everything from the essence of the race and its place in European motocross to the next step for electric motorcycles and what he sees from his place in the sport.
Presented by Pro Taper
The biggest off-season Supercross of the year went down last weekend in Paris, France, and one-half of our staff was there to participate and document it, firsthand! Some surprises for sure, and lots learned in the City of Love, and we recap it all in this week's Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend was a sad one for the motocross community, as the sudden passing of Coy Gibbs has left the industry stunned. JGRMX changed the face of motocross and Supercross racing with Gibbs' all-in approach to racing and running a team, and we reminisce about some of our best memories with Coy. The Dubya USA World Vets also went down, and two of our guys are headed to France this weekend for the Paris Supercross. Thanks for listening!
Presented by Pro Taper
What a peaceful weekend! With no professional racing on our calendars last weekend, the SML staff got to enjoy time with friends and family. That said, we bounced around between a bunch of different subjects on today's Kickstart Podcast; from where is Roczen going, to Friese-gate, to big dudes almost killing others at LACR last weekend! Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The inaugural WSX World Championship wrapped up in Melbourne, Australia, last weekend, and our man on the scene Michael Antonovich and last-minute racer Alex Ray were there to give today's KSP a first=hand insight into the eventful race. From Ken Roczen and Shane McElrath wrapping up the titles, to the spectacular crashes, to the rumored take-out bounties, we cover it all!
The Red Bull Straight Rhythm returned after a two-year hiatus and landed smack-dab in the middle of Huntington Beach, California, and we were there for all of the action on the pit lane side of the course. We even fielded Nico Izzi on our 2023 Yamaha YZ250 test bike! Listen in as swap, Chase, Anton, and ARay recap the event and preview this weekend's World Supercross Championship in Australia!
Presented by Yoshimura
It's been a few months since the SML crew flew to Barcelona, Spain, to throw our legs over the Stark Varg electric motocross bike, and it's right about now - October 2022 - that we were told that the first machines would begin rolling off the production line and into consumers' garages. It's been relatively quiet on the Stark market (pun intended), but a video released by the factory last week announced a delay in production bike delivery due to unforeseen supply chain issues. That said, we contacted Anton Wass and Benjamin Cobb to catch up, see what was new with the brand, and ultimately find out when we and the rest of our anxious brethren in the Stark Varg owners group could expect to rip some silent motos!
The WSX World Championship kicked off last weekend in Cardiff, Wales, and it proved to be quite a show with great racing, a new format, and breaking news. Our man Michael Antonovich was on hand to cover all the action and we go over all of it in. this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
The first time I met Adam LaRoche and Jason Baker was minutes before we recorded these interviews.
What little I knew about both, Baker for his years of work with Dream Traxx and Moto Sandbox, LaRoche for his purposeful end to a twelve-year career in Major League Baseball, turned out to be the big reasons behind Red Bull Imagination.
LaRoche's interest in motocross expanded when he retired from baseball, and after some research on private tracks, he messaged Baker to build one on the family's Kansas spread. One thing led to another, like the cornfield track for Ryan Dungey's Red Bull video, and soon Baker talked Tyler Bereman into visiting the site for his own project.
Presented by Pro Taper
We are only a few days away from the first gate drop on the World Supercross Championship Series, which gets underway in Cardiff, Wales, this Saturday! We've seen several of the players in action recently, and we go over who we've seen and what we think. There's also some big news in the works, and we touch on all of that and more, on this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Pro Taper!
Presented by Pro Taper
What an amazing weekend it was at the 2022 Motocross of Nations at Red Bud Track N Trail! Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you know that Team USA earned the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in 11 years with a dominant showing by Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, and Justin Cooper. Michael Antonovich was there tp soak it all in and we all had plenty to bench race about today!
Negotiations for a new contract between Ken Roczen and Team Honda HRC reached a critical point last week, as the rider's commitment to the World Supercross Championship forced both parties to comment publicly about the stalemate. Roczen shared his side with James Stewart in the latest episode of the Bubba's World Podcast, and Team Honda HRC countered through a press release statement from Brandon Wilson, the Manager of Sports & Experiential at American Honda.
Presented by Pro Taper
swap is back in town after his little Italian vacation and it was business as usual today. Anton was at the Red Bull Imagination last weekend and fills us in on that, and we discuss the Ken Roczen and Honda HRC split in detail. Its a great off-season already!
The offseason has already given our guys plenty to talk about. With swap away on a family holiday, Anton, Chase, and ARay linked up to discuss the happenings of the past week, including the mechanical issue Ken Roczen's bike had on day one of SX prep, McGnarl's flipping the tabletop at Perris, surgery in the Rocky Mountains, and what's new with Alex.
Tyler Bereman had just unloaded his latest haul from Walmart into the barn at Adam LaRoche's home when we called. The building, complete with a bunkhouse, kitchen, full-size indoor basketball court, and baseball batting cage, is home base for Red Bull Imagination. And that supply run might have been the last time he goes anywhere other than the barn or the event site, located on a different part of LaRoche's property, in the next week.
Being a namesake and a creative force behind an event comes with responsibilities. For Bereman, it means welcoming the nine riders on the entry list, revealing the all-natural course Jason Baker of DreamTraxx carved into the Kansas hillside, and competing during Saturday's final.
But no role is more important than that of the guinea pig. TB knows how difficult it is to size up hundred-foot-plus hits and doesn't feel right asking others to jump something he hasn't. The sense of purpose helped Bereman overcome his most recent injury, a compound fracture of the ulna and radius in his right arm, just in time for Imagination.
Red Bull Imagination will stream as a one-hour special on ESPN+ in the U.S. on September 25 and later through Red Bull's content channels.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man what a weekend! The Fox Raceway Two National MX series finale was scorching hot and full of great racing on the track. We had a full house in the SML offices today as Michael Antonovich is still in SoCal and ARay is back from his courting sessions in Kentucky. Eli, Chase, Jo, Hunter, Jett...we covered it all in this week's extra-long edition of the Kickstart Pod. Enjoy!
Presented by Yoshimura
Properly fueling your body for the rigors of motocross riding and racing is just as important as the gasoline that you put into your motorcycle, and there are plenty of misconceptions about what to eat and drink on race day. In part one of a three-part Swapmoto Podcast Series, we sit down with Brian Frank and Victor Sheldon from Hammer Nutrition to learn about the company, its philosophy, and what you should and shouldn't fuel your body with. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The penultimate round of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals went off last weekend at Ironman Raceway and can you believe that we are headed into Fox Raceway Two with the same one-point spread between Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton? Anything can happen this weekend, for sure, but let's get into what we saw in Indiana!
What happened with the "official results" from Budds Creek? What happened between Dylan Ferrandis and Justin Barcia? Why did Justin Cooper get the nod for Team USA? Is Ryan Dungey coming back in 2023? Who is Justin Rodbell finishing the season out for? Which K Brand will HEP be on next year? Who will Kenny ride World SX for? All this, and more, is addressed in today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend's Unadilla MX National was a barn burner with tons of great racing, as we saw Chase Sexton retake the series points lead from Eli Tomac with a solid 1-1 victory in the 450 class, and Jo Shimoda earned his second 250 National win in grand style. Justin Cooper also proved that he is determined to earn the 250 spot on Team USA for the Motocross of Nations with his return to form, and we discuss the pros and cons of each cantidate.
After decades of working separately, and even competitively against each other, Feld Entertainment and MX Sports have come together to form the SuperMotocross World Championship.
The series, set to launch at the end of 2023, will seed the top finishers from the 250 and 450 Classes at Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross into a three-race series and crown two overall champions at the LA Coliseum in October.
But the added hybrid races are just part of the program, which includes a 10-million dollar yearly purse made possible by a newly renegotiated television package, improved communication between the two series and the motorcycle manufacturers, and a clear pathway from amateur levels to professional competition.
Dave Prater of Feld Entertainment and Carrie Coombs-Russell of MX Sports joined me for a conference call to discuss why and how SMX came to be shortly after the news was released, a 30-minute conversation that cleared up current misconceptions.
Expect full details for the 2023 race season, including the schedules for Supercross, Pro Motocross, and SuperMotocross, to drop in October.
Presented by Pro Taper
Welcome to the special Wednesday edition of the Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper. Some scheduling conflicts have the four of us gathering later in the week than normal, but the conversation was as fun as ever as we recap Antons trip to Loretta Lynn's last week, plus much, much more!
Presented by Pro Taper
One weekend down, one to go. The summer break in the Lucas Oil MX Nationals sure feels good, and we took full advantage of the weekend off. Chase Curtis was given the day off today as he turned 23, so Dominic Gaytan sat in on today's Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
As we come to the final stretch of races in the 2022 season, riders, federations, and fans around the world have started to prepare for the trip to RedBud for the Motocross of Nations.
This year's running of the international event is shaping up to be one of the best in recent history, as there are several teams with legitimate chances at winning the Chamberlain Trophy and a list of racers eager for an opportunity to represent their country.
We'll go over some of the confirmed teams, speculated lineups, and details in this SML News Break, presented by FLY Racing.
Presented by Pro Taper
Life is back to normal this week as swap is back from vacation and joins Anton, Chase, and ARay in the SML loft to recap the Washougal MX National, Whistler Bike Park, big injuries, and racers who are back from a stint in jail!
Presented by Monster Energy
In this episode of the King and I Podcast with Jeremy McGrath, we venture back into the King's hallway of memories and dig up some really cool memorabilia, including a real Ricky Johnson Bell Moto 4 helmet, a couple of custom RS Taichi leather jackets, and more. Even if you're not old enough to remember the glory days of Jeremy McGrath dominating our sport, you want to tune in to learn about the man who helped make Supercross so great today!
Presented by Pro Taper Spring Creek MX, one of the most favored stops on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross schedule, hosted round seven of the series last weekend and saw some amazing battles and rides from numerous racers. On today's Kicktart Podcast presented by Pro Taper we chat about the well-liked track, incredible battles, the possible Motocross des Nations team, and more. Click play for a really fun podcast
Max Anstie found himself in a tough spot a few months ago. Supercross was a bit of a mess for the likable Brit, as crashes and injuries forced him to miss multiple rounds, but all of that seemed insignificant when BBMX released much of their staff, including Anstie, mid-season.
Getting hired as fill-in for a factory team became the immediate goal for Anstie, though that too proved to be a challenge, as former co-workers Joey Savatgy and Shane McElrath were going after the same gigs Monster Energy Kawasaki and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.
Thankfully, things turned positive after Anstie talked to Martin Davalos, and soon the two charted a plan to join the Fire Power Honda team, line up for select rounds of Pro Motocross, and then commit to being a 250 Class rider in 2023.
Anstie is one of the best interviews in the pits, and for an hour, he eloquently explained what it's like to join a new team, where the idea to drop to the small-bore bike class came from, and why most pros don't have a motorcycle of their own.
The traditionally roughest track of the year - MX 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts - hosted the Lucas Oil MX Nationals last weekend and we saw some amazing rides from numerous racers. On today's Kicktart Podcast presented by Pro Taper we chat about the sand, the cross-jumps, the yelling, and more. Click play for a really fun podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
Red Bud. What more do we have to say? Anton and ARay were on hand in Buchanan, Michigan, for the renown Independence Day weekend event, and they shared what they saw and heard on today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
Red Bud. What more do we have to say? Anton and ARay were on hand in Buchanan, Michigan, for the renown Independence Day weekend event, and they shared what they saw and heard on today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
swap and ARay just got back into the country after traveling to the other side of the world last weekend to race the Singapore MX Beach Race on Sentosa Island with the locals. We catch Chase and Anton up on all the wild happenings in Asia, then dive into what we've heard about the World SX Championship, and more!
Most of you know who Evan Ferry is by now. The Florida teenager has made a name for himself through wins on the amateur motocross circuit, a booming presence on social media, and well-deserved factory support. But as much as we've seen "Little Red Dog" rip, we've only had a few one-on-one conversations with him, and always during busy times like Loretta's or the Monster Energy Cup.
It's been an eventful year for Ferry. A few weeks back, he and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing mutually agreed to end their contract, a surprise development that made the rider a free agent during the qualifying process for Loretta's. In the weeks that followed, Ferry bought a YZ250F, lined up for a few local races, did a tryout with Star Racing, and then signed with the NSA Yamaha Factory AM Team.
The changes provoked plenty of discussions, with conflicting reports online from "those in the know" about what happened and why. With that, we linked with Evan to talk about everything, from his earliest MX memories to the path he's currently on. To say that he is a student of the game would be an understatement. Life at the track has allowed him to watch the sport's best, study their techniques, learn the motorcycle, and see what it takes to reach the top. During the talk, Evan pointed out that the family has tried to maintain a balance of fun and work, but the feeling that comes from winning is still what drives him most.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man, if nothing else, the High Point MX National delivered some barn-burning racing action! From Ryan Dungey and Ken Roczen battling over the first 450 moto win, to the Lawrence brother's nail-biting race to the checkered flag in the second 250 moto, there was no telling what was gonna happen at round four of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals! Today's show is an international production as co-host Alex Ray is in Sentosa Beach, Singapore, for Pablo Toribio's Singapore Beach Race this weekend! Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Round three of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals headed to Thunder Valley, Colorado, last weekend and the action was ridiculous! From Levi Kitchen's first career moto win to Ken Roczen's first win of the season, to the crazy plastic barrier incident with Jason Anderson and Eli Tomac, we BSed about it all!
Presented by Fox Racing
Journalists and test riders from around the world converged in Barcelona, Spain, last month to take their first rides on the Stark Future Varg electric motocross bike at Golf MX Track. Donn Maeda and Rene Garcia made the trip abroad for Swapmoto Live, and we narrowly missed our former test rider Mike Sleeter, who made the move to Australia with his family last year and is now testing for motoonline.com. We did, however, cross paths with our buddy Dylan Woodcock; the Supercross racer handling the testing duties for Dirt Hub, a UK-based media outlet. We all got together for a tri-continental test rider podcast today, and though we all vary greatly in ages, riding abilities, and locale, we all agreed on many things about the Stark Future Varg. Enjoy!
When the FIM World Supercross Championship was announced a few months ago, we quickly assumed that MotoConcepts Racing would be involved. Mike Genova, the owner of the independent team that's become a mainstay in the paddock, has always been vocal in his beliefs that following the traditional schedule of US SX and MX would only take his team and the sport so far.
So we weren't surprised when MotoConcepts Racing was among the first teams awarded a highly sought-after license. MCR will field four riders between the SX1 and SX2 categories during this year's pilot season, which will take place in the final months of 2022, and is confident that their lineup will be championship contenders.
According to Genova, the program presented by SX Global checks every box for MCR, including financial support for teams, appearance fees, logistical support for the international tour, and a vested stake in the future of the series. The business side of him sees plenty of positives, too, as the commercial opportunities could bring more money to the team, its partners, and his other ventures.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Hangtown Classic went off last weekend and the racing in both classes was insane! Chase and Donn were on hand in NorCal working the event, and teamed up with Anton and ARay for this morning's bench-racing session. Tune in to hear what we saw and learned at Prarie City OHV Park!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2022 Lucas Oil MX Nationals kicked off in grand fashion last weekend at Fox Raceway in Southern California, and it was an all-Honda day at the series opener with Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Jett and Hunter Lawrence sweeping the top spots of the podium in both classes. A lot more went down than you can learn in the results column, though, so we got together this morning to go through it all!
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you believe that the Lucas Oil MX Nationals are already upon us? This weekend, the best motocross racers in the world will converge on Fox Raceway and there will be so much to keep our eyes on, that it makes our heads spin. From nine-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli making a guest appearance to the return of Ryan Dungey to Dylan Ferrandis defending his 450 National Championship from teammate Eli Tomac...it's gonna be an incredible weekend. Alex Ray and Michael Antonovich aren't in town, but we still had a great time shooting the sh*t today.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Kickstart Podcast is a day late this week because our entire editorial staff was traveling yesterday: Chase and Donn to Red Bud to test the 2023 KTMs, and Anton to Boise, Idaho, for the WPS Dealer Show. ARay is back home in Tennessee playing in the World Series of Love, and we were joined on today's show by our senior test rider at SML, Pat Foster. Lots to BS about and enjoy in this week's show, even with no racing!
For this one, we talk with Alec Gaut, a hard-working member of the logistics teams that handle the on-track appearance and safety processes for Supercross and Pro Motocross. Tour life is a dream for the Kansas native, as he's been able to visit parts of the US, watch the action up close, and become friends with his co-workers and people in the pit area.
But it's not the easiest gig. Gaut and the crew spend most of the year on the road, a schedule that puts them in a new city at the start of each week and requires days to get a venue ready. In addition, travel from race to race varies; flights are necessary to get to each Supercross, while Pro Motocross is a summer-long road trip in a van.
As good as Gaut is at being a flagger, he's hopeful the time on the road may lead to another position in the industry, preferably something in media. He's done camera work before, both as an aspiring freelancer and as part of the Racer TV production team, and plenty of his shots from Friday's media sessions were shared by riders this SX season.
The hour with Alec was fun and motivating, as he's a true fan who's found an essential role for himself in the sport when things were very uncertain. You can find him and more of his work on Instagram, @alecgaut.
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Series is done and dusted, and the series finale at Salt Lake City's Rice-Eccles Stadium was certainly a good one! There was lots to talk about concerning the final round, from the dusty press day and Yamaha LCQ Challenge Privateer Race, to the new West Coast Champ and the Malcolm Stewart/Justin Barcia drame. Click play for a good time!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship was decided last weekend in Denver as Eli Tomac piloted his Pro Taper-equipped Yamaha YZ450F to the second SX championship of his career, but a lot of other cool stuff went down in Colorado that we cover in this week's show. Sorry if you're a new listener, but we have a few minutes of baby talk at the start, as our man on the scene, Michael Antonovich and his wife Megan, welcomed their first child into the world last Tuesday, too!
Welcome to episode five of the King and I Podcast, where we get together with the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, to bench race about all things old and new, as well as take some fan questions, and more! After a brief hiccup that saw us meet to film in two different places, we were glad to get together and share some laughs and memories! Even if you're not old enough to remember the glory days of Jeremy McGrath dominating our sport, you want to tune in to learn about the man who helped make Supercross so great today!
Presented by Pro Taper
Supercross returned to Foxborough, Massachusets, last weekend after a three-year hiatus, and the enthusiastic crowd on hand inside Gillette Stadium was treated to some truly amazing racing. We recap everything we saw and heard from the weekend, and more! Michael Antonovich called in from the delivery room while he and his wife Megan are welcoming their first child into the world!
The largest minis-only race on the West Coast is coming to State Fair MX Park on April 28-May 1, and we got CMXRS Race Director Aaron Cooke in studio to run through everything that is the Mini Major with us. If you have a mini racer and plan to attend, this is a must-listen!
Presented by Pro Taper
Atlanta Motor Speedway was host to last weekend's Monster Energy Supercross and the larger field space of the outdoor speedway allowed the Dirt Wurx crew to really go big with the track. The monster triple jump was the talk of the pits during Friday's press day riding sessions. but the leap was cut down significantly when riders and team personnel protested its size and positioning on the track. Our co-host Alex Ray has a first-hand account of what the track was like, and our man on the scene Michael Antonovich was our eyes and ears at the races. Today's bench racing session was all time! Enjoy!
Over the last ten years, we've watched a change in how families have fun on two wheels, thanks partly to Stacyc. Thousands of kids have learned the basics aboard the small battery-powered bikes, while parents have gotten the chance to share their love of riding easier and safer than ever before. These are things that Ryan Ragland hoped to accomplish when he first wired an assortment of RC car parts to a bicycle frame for his son.
The popularity of the electric balance bikes, plus support from parent company Harley Davidson, has allowed Stacyc to develop two new models. The bikes will be meant for bigger kids, complete with 18-inch or 20-inch wheels, plus a more robust motor and battery pack to power them, and will land at retailers in the next few weeks.
We spent more than an hour with Ragland talking about the company's base, its growth, and what comes next just ahead of the launch. What was the most compelling detail about the project? That Ragland got to work with his original test rider on the new bikes.
Presented by Pro Taper
The St. Louis Supercross Triple Crown of Supercross was filled with so many things to talk about - from Dean Wilson's ass-tearing crash, to RJ Hampshire's first win, the Alex-on-Alex Crime that went down between Martin and Ray...we had a great time bench racing this morning!
This episode of the Midweek Podcast is another team manager talk where Michael Antonovich spent an hour on the phone with Dustin Pipes going over the Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports/Suzuki squad of Justin Bogle, Brandon Hartranft, and Adam Enticknap.
Dustin does a great job of spreading the praise to everyone involved in the team, including the crew in charge of the RM-Z's setup, the decision-makers at Suzuki who know the importance of racing, and the people who help secure sponsorship agreements from corporations like the Boston Beer Company or Progressive Insurance. He knows their efforts are what allowed HEP Motorsports to get to its current level, and if things continue at this rate, they'll be the ones who benefit the most when the team reaches its competitive goals on the track.
Although some use Suzuki as a weekly punchline, Pipes pointed out that the business world does not have the same perception of the company. Instead, he says the OEM's global presence and winning history have helped draw non-industry sponsors to the team.
Presented by Monster Energy
In the fourth installment of the Monster Energy King and I Podcast with Jeremy McGrath, we visit the King of Supercross at his home in Encinitas, California, and chat about everything from raising two daughters to coaching current riders, and from his dingleberry helmet to retiring without the fanfare he would have liked...plus a whole lot more! If you are a fan of Jeremy McGrath - and who isn't - this is a show you don't want to miss!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Monster Energy Supercross Series returned to the West Coast this weekend and the Seattle Supercross certainly didn't disappoint! In addition to Eli Tomac earning his fifth race win in a row, we had some amazing 250-class action, too! We recap all of that, and more, on today's show!
Presented by Pro Taper
Okay, unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you already know that our cohost Alex Ray got a lot of attention at the Indianapolis Supercross for his mid-heat race tussle with Deven Raper. We got Raper on the phone today to work through the mess before getting on with our regular Kickstart Podcast bench racing. Indy was amazing, with a brutal track, great racing, and plenty more. You don't want to miss this one!
For this installment of the Midweek Podcast, Michael Antonovich called Jeff Crutcher and talked about his two-week MX Spring Break in Florida, which included seat time at track's around the sunshine state, wrenching for Scotty Wennerstrom at the Daytona Supercross, and lining up for motos at A Day In The Dirt Down South.
If you've seen stuff with Jeff and Anton before, you know the back-and-forth can be a bit detailed, and that's exactly how the extended chat went. For those of you looking for a scene report from the Orlando MX area, we cover that in the first few minutes. Jeff absorbed all he could during the day with the 501 privateer and outlined some of the knowledge he aims to make use of when his RR CZ KTM team goes SX racing next year in the middle of the talk. Finally, we cover the weekend of riding at Dade City MX for A Day In The Dirt Down South, an East Coast spin-off of California's Fastest Party In Town.
Presented by Pro Taper
The carnage at last weekend's Detroit Supercross was unbelievable! Needless to say, we had plenty to talk about in this morning's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, including crazy crashes, challenging track conditions, best-ever finishes, and ARay's first main event of the year! Enjoy!
Presented by Monster Energy
In the third installment of The King and I Podcast, we decided to relocate to Jeremy McGrath's home in Encinitas, California. And you know what that means...a trip down memory lane in his massive garage and man cave! Getting to sit down and chat with the King of Supercross about old memories, what's going on these days. and more, is something that we will never grow tired of. So grab a cold beverage, sit back, and enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Daytona Supercross is regarded as the toughest and most challenging stop on the Monster Energy Supercross circuit, and last weekend's race surely did not disappoint when it came to great action and excitement. We gathered this morning to recap and bench race about everything that went down at the start of Bike Week 2022.
We spent an hour talking with Bruce Stjernstrom about the changes made by Monster Energy Kawasaki ahead of the 2022 season and the current state of the sport. A lifelong race fan who's held his executive positions in the industry, including four terms with Kawasaki, Stjernstrom's explanations and outlook leave little to misinterpret.
Although Eli Tomac's departure from the green team was one of the most significant developments of the last year, the group's decision to put Jason Anderson alongside Adam Cianciarulo has yielded immediate success. To date, Anderson has claimed three Main Event wins, has outdueled the sport's best on multiple occasions, and is ranked second overall in the 450 Class championship standings.
Is Stjernstrom surprised? Less by the results and more by Anderson's personality. Part of Bruce's role as Director of all racing operations at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A is finding the right people for the job and seeing how they work together as a group, something he says Anderson has been excellent at.
Another topic discussed at length was the perception that Monster Energy Kawasaki is very strict regarding bike setup. Over the last few years, we've heard repeated comments by former racers that the group prefers the KX450SR to be tuned and ridden a certain way, and this was said to be a factor in Tomac's decision. Stjernstrom says this is not exactly the case; yes, the team has lots of data to show what the motorcycle does on the track and what it's capable of, but they're still more than willing to try parts or settings if a rider is interested.
Because our call came hours after announcements for the FIM World Supercross Championship, I asked Stjernstrom if the series is something Kawasaki is interested in following. In recent years, the Monster Energy Kawasaki team has turned away from international events to instead focus on the American-based series, and Stjernstrom outlined some of the reasons for their absence at things like the Motocross of Nations. Simply put, racing in America is where Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A wants its efforts to be directed, thanks to the largest off-road bike-buying market in the world and the two established series that travel the country.
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you say WILD? The Arlington Triple Crown was full of great racing, takeouts, collisions, and crashes! We got together this morning to do some super-fun bench racing about everything that went down in Texas!
Presented by Monster Energy
With 72 Supercross wins to his credit, Jeremy McGrath is the undeniable King of Supercross, and he has a lifetime's worth of stories, memories, and anecdotes to share with his fans. With a friendship that spans three decades, MC and swap sit down for the second installment of the King and I Podcast to do some good old-fashioned bench racing. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship headed east after six weeks on the West Coast, and US Bank Stadium played host to round seven and. the kickoff of the Eastern Region 250 Supercross Championship last weekend. There was a ton to talk about, so hit play and hear what we have to say!
Andrew Bocarossa is a fast 20 something and aspiring videographer from the Northeast. We were introduced to Andrew last summer at the Southwick National by mutual friend Jared Conley, the man behind In A World Of Echo, and we sat down for a Privateer Power interview that you can find on our site. What sets Andrew apart from other video guys is that all of his footage is shot on film, a medium that while expensive and time consuming, remains a favorite for creative types. His latest project, Extended Vacation, is from time spent in Southern California, a trip he made on a whim while waiting out the winter up north.
Bocarossa is true to his word when he says he wants to make videos like the ones he grew up watching, as Extended Vacation's nine-minute runtime shows Darryn Durham and Patrick Evan in the hills of Reche Canyon and then transitions to a slew of fast pros like Josh Hill, Hunter Yoder, Logan Karnow, Dylan Woodcock and more at Lake Elsinore's SX track, all cut to tunes by Turbonegro and Deftones.
All of the work is funded by Andrew full-time job of cleanup and reconstruction of dilapidated homes. While there is no corporate check covering the costs of film development or travel, Andrew has completely control of the look and edit. It's cool to hear a guy take on a passion project like this, with no expectations or direction, and hopefully see more from him in the coming months.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Monster Energy Supercross Series has officially left SoCal and we'd be lying if we didn't admit to being a bit sad about it. It's always nice when the racing is happening in our backyards and man...things went out with a bang at the third and final Anaheim Supercross! We apologize for the one-day delay on this week's Kickstart Podcast...swap forgot to bring the audio recorder to the office yesterday and blamed a Supercross hangover! Enjoy.
Presented by Monster Energy
Having the world's fastest and most accomplished landlord is pretty dang cool, and if we didn't take advantage of the days when Jeremy McGrath was in the shop, we'd be fools! Welcome to The King and I podcast, where swap gets to sit down with MC and reminisce about their three-decade friendship and bench race about everything from the good ole days, to what's going on with The King of Supercross nowadays!
Presented by Pro Taper
The first Monster Energy Triple Crown went off inside State Farm Stadium last weekend in Glendale, Arizona, and there was PLENTY for us to bench race about today on the Kickstart Podcast. We have Anton in town today and it was great to have a full house. Enjoy!
Dave Prater has been part of Supercross for decades and his current role as Senior Director of Operations for Two-Wheels at Feld Entertainment means he's involved in almost every aspect of the series, from team relations and tour scheduling to television broadcasting and social media strategy.
Prater's input is especially important now, as Supercross is beginning a new era. The organization has experienced its share of setbacks and successes since 2020, a chain of events that made Feld Entertainment reassess plans for future growth, improved their connection to the paddock, and gave them chance to try things with Tuesday night races. Ultimately, Feld Entertainment decided it'd be in the series' best interest to end their working agreement with the FIM and return to a 17-stop tour of venues exclusively in the United States, with races managed by the AMA and happening in the usual Saturday evening time slot.
Presented by Pro Taper
Round four of the Monster Energy Supercross Series returned to Anaheim this weekend for the second of three stops at Angels Stadium, and the racing proved to be everything we have been hoping for, and more! Chase, Anton, ARay and swap recap everything that went down at Anaheim Two, and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
The San Diego Supercross was a barn burner full of great racing, big crashes, retaliation takeouts, and of course, wild moves by our very own Alex Ray. With Anton in town it was a great time today with a full house for this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Yoshimura R&DFor the first episode of the Midweek Podcast presented by Yoshimura R&D, we got in touch with Carey Hart to discuss his ambassadorship role with helmet technology company MIPS, how improvements in protection and equipment have been accepted by other disciplines of motorcycling, and what he sees from his place in the industry.
Presented by Pro Taper
Round two of the Monster Energy Supercross Series headed to NorCal's RingCentral Coliseum, and the results in the premier division were surprising, to say the least! The track was big, rough, and claimed many competitors throughout the weekend, including our co-host Alex Ray who is still on a quest to qualify for a 450 main event. We recap the event's happenings from four different locations on today's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper.
Presented by Pro Taper
Well, we made it through Hell Week. Between parties, press conferences, photo shoots, and more, the week leading up to Anaheim One is always as taxing as it is exciting. And what a race it was! The action in both classes was amazing and we don't think anyone could have predicted the things that transpired on the track inside Angel's Stadium. With Michael Antonovich in town, Alex Ray, swap, and Chase Curtis, all break down the ins and outs of the race that was A1.
Presented by Pro Taper
We're less than a week away from the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series kickoff at Angel's Stadium in Anaheim, California, and things couldn't be more exciting as teams and riders wrap up their final preparations for the season opener. We spent the morning at State Fair SX checking out some riders in action - including our very own Alex Ray - and things are gonna be good this weekend!
Presented by Pro Taper
It's the Monday after Christmas and all of us seem to be a little hungover from the holiday. Still - as usual - we had a ton to talk about as the 2022 Supercross Season is rapidly approaching. We posted a $500 main event bounty for our boy Alex Ray in order to motivate him at A1. Anyone wanna pitch in? DM us on Instagram!
Earlier this week, the FIM announced it entered a partnership with promotion group SX Global to create a new racing series, the FIM Supercross World Championship.
Although SX Global is a new endeavor by Adam Bailey, Ryan Sanderson, and Tony Cochrane, the Australian group has a history of holding on Supercross races, has been involved with the FIM, and is experienced in motorsports.
Bailey and Sanderson were behind the AUS-X Open in Australia and the S-X Open in New Zealand, events that boosted the sport in the Southern Hemisphere and acted as the FIM Oceania International Supercross Championship.
Cochrane, meanwhile, served as the founding chairman of the V8 Supercars Championship and helped it become the premier motorsport series in Australia.
We rang up Adam Bailey to learn more about the new series for this installment of the Midweek Podcast.
The countdown is on and Anaheim One is only a few days away. And you know what that means....dudes are slamming the mat! Sadly, we were on hand at State Fair MX this morning and a couple of guys went down big. Thankfully both are okay, but man it was scary for a minute there. We talk about that and a whole lot more in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
On Tuesday, another OEM entered the off-road motorcycle segment, this time with an all-new electric-powered machine. STARK Future, an independent brand created by industry executives, has presented the VARG as its initial offering. The VARG is a high-performance bike that produces up to 80hp, weighs 242 pounds, offers wide adjustability to the power curve, and can run between one to six hours on a single charge.
STARK Future says it made several advancements in electric-powered technology with the VARG motorcycle, including creating what they say is the most energy-dense production system in the world. The honeycomb magnesium case-structure battery produces 6kWh while weighing 32kg, roughly equating to the same power output as a 450cc bike. A complete recharge cycle can take as little as an hour, depending on the power source and charger used.
Josh Hill was involved in the VARG's test and launch, so we called him to discuss the ride and his attraction to electric bikes.
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you believe there are only a few weeks until the gate drops at Angel's Stadium for the first Supercross of the year? Tracks are abuzz in SoCal with riders fine-tuning their Supercross skills and bike setups, and we're lucky enough to get to see lots of them in action. We also got to test the 2022 Kawasaki KX450SR this morning, but we can't talk about it yet...haha!
If you've been following along this offseason, then you've heard about the moves made by riders and mechanics in the pit area. We cannot remember a time for mechanics as hectic as this one because, in addition to the usual moves from one rig to the next, a handful of guys have decided to leave their positions entirely.
Matt Winters is one of the few that decided to call time on his wrenching career. Paired with Colt Nichols at Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha in 2021, the duo scored three Main Events wins, finished on the podium in every race, and claimed the 250 East Coast Region title, a career-first championship for both the racer and mechanic.
It was a massive moment for Winters, a Maryland native who had worked for three high-profile teams. During our call, Winters went over almost everything that happened during the past decade, like his early aspirations shadowing local tuner Shane Sneft, how he became Cooper Webb's legal guardian, what it was like to build a bike from scratch at Red Bull KTM, the chassis changes he and Shane McElrath made to a Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM, and how he returned to Star Racing for a second stint.
So, given all that success, what would make a guy want to stop? Matt was very forthcoming in his reasons and said that finally accomplishing a lifelong dream was one of the things that made him reconsider his priorities. Fortunately, fellow former mechanic Kristian Ortiz helped Winters get lined up with a new gig at SpaceX, with a position at the aerospace group's Florida facility.
Presented by Pro Taper
It's crunch time and there are only 33 days until the Anaheim Supercross season opener! There was a lot to talk about on today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, including some mysterious news with ARay's SGB Racing team that we tried to get to the bottom of. We even had a couple of callers that made things even more fun. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
We hope everyone had an amazing holiday with family and friends last week! After the Turkey was gobbled, the SML crew loaded up and headed to Glen Helen Raceway for the Red Bull Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix. We've been to well over a dozen of the events, which is now in it's 24th running, and it is always fun to race, bench race afterward, and party in the pits. We chat about that and a lot more, in this week's KSP. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
It's hard to believe that the holidays are already here, but alas, Thanksgiving is this Thursday and we are about to enter the crunch time portion of the off-season with Anaheim 1 only a few short weeks away. The SML staff got together a day late this week to put together the Kickstart podcast, but the mood was high, the laughs were plenty, and the info was thick. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you believe that we're already halfway through November? Before you know it, we'll be waiting for our passes at Angel's Stadium at Anaheim One! This week on the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, co-host Alex Ray phones in from the California high desert, where he's three weeks deep into pre-season boot camp with Carson Mumford, Derek Drake, and. their trainer, Davi Millsaps. Anton talks about the Hoosier Arenacross he attended last weekend, Chase and Donn discuss last week's grueling 250 shootout, and we all predict how many hours (or minutes) ARay's new Honda CR250R two-stroke build will last before he blows it up.
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend, we were all at the 2021 Mini Major West, the largest all-minis motocross race of the year. With nearly 1000 mini racers signed up, it was a wild four days of action that never seemed to end. With Alex Ray in boot camp in the high dez, big Dominig Gaytan filled in on this week's show!
Presented by Pro Taper
Man, this off-season stuff is getting old! We are ready to go racing...how about you? ARay's dad Ronnie is in town and he sat on the couch and watched today's podcast recording with a smile on his face, but he was also shaking his head quite a bit, too! Haha!
Presented by Pro Taper
The off-season is in full effect but we have still been busy regardless of whether or not there are races to attend. Anton about drowned at Ironman Raceway last weekend swap got his butt kicked at LACR, and ARay ruined one of our brand-new test bikes in 30 minutes of riding last week. See? Always a lot to talk about with our cast of characters! Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Another off-season weekend has passed but just because there was no racing to bench race about, that doesn't mean we didn't have a good time! Chase Curtis was busy working on our 2022 450 Shootout video, so Bar X Motorsports/Ecstar/Chaparral/Suzuki's Derek Drake filled in for him, joining Michael Antonovich, Donn Maeda, and Alex Ray on the mic today. We had a good time. Enjoy!
Presented by O'Neal
It's been a few weeks since Malcolm Stewart was announced as a full-time member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team through 2023, and Mookie has been so busy getting ready for the new season that it has taken us this long to track him down! We finally got Malc on the phone today for a quick podcast, to see how he's liking his new FC 450, adapting to the Bakers Factory program, and much more! Above is a video version for those who prefer YouTube, and below is the podcast player. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
It's another off-season Monday, but this one is special because we have our whole SML family under one roof as Michael Antonovich is in town for a wedding. Furthermore, ARay's big team news has finally dropped so we get to hear about all of that, plus a whole lot more in this installment of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Presented by Pro Taper
In spite of there being no racing last weekend, there was a lot to talk about on today's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper. Our very own Michael Antonovich got to the bottom of the Supercross Vaccine Mandate rumors over the weekend so we discuss the ins and outs of that, as well as cover all of the surprising silly season switches and empty slots that we know about. ARay went home to Tennessee over the weekend so we got to hear about home cooking and all the weight he's put on in the off-season, and swap talks about the rope between two trees that he got taken out by last week. Haha!
This is the audio-only version of the SML Show starring Jo Shimoda, following his excellent 2021 season with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team!
Presented by Pro Taper
We had fun this morning recapping what we saw at the 2021 Motocross of Nations, but more than that; we had an awesome time sharing stories with each other about our individual motocross experiences. Why do we love it? How did we get started? What do dirt bikes mean to each of us? Please drop us a DM or comment on social media to give us your feedback or ideas about future show talking points!
Presented by Pro Taper
The off-season is in full swing, and you'd think we had nothing to talk about in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, but the non-racing shit is arguably even more fun to shoot! Anton was in Kansas last week for the Red Bull Imagination 2.0 event with 12 of the gnarliest free riders in the world on hand and had lots of stories to tell. ARay, meanwhile, spent last week in Punta Cana on vacation with two other couples. If you saw any of the Instagram stories last week, you'll wanna hear his stories, too.
Presented by Pro Taper
Well, that's a wrap! The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Nationals came to a close at Prarie City OHV Park in Sacramento this weekend, and we go over all of the exciting things that went down on the track and behind the scenes. We also had the Seven MX Mini Major East at Monster Mountain MX in Alabama this weekend, and we touch on that as well; including Chad Reed and his three kids coming out for their first big motocross race!
The big news in the hours leading up to last weekend's Fox Raceway Two MX National was that the FXR/Chaparral/Honda team would cease to operate following this weekend's Hangtown series finale, leaving team riders Carson Mumford and Coty Shock without rides. There are multiple sides to every story, of course, but we asked team owner Michael Lindsay to give us his reasons for shutting down the team after two successful seasons of competition.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Fox Raceway Two National went off this weekend and the whole Kickstart Podcast crew was on hand to see what went down. With Michael Antonovich in town, we had the whole team together for this morning's recording, and it was a great time! Listen in for some things we saw and learned at the penultimate race of the season!
This is the audio file from the SML Show, presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha Motorsports, with Ryan Hughes. This is part one of two.
Presented by Pro Taper
The heat was on at Ironman Raceway in Indiana last weekend! Michael Antonovich and Alex Ray spent the day sweating their asses off in the infield and had plenty of insight about what went down on today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. COVID-19 absences, big crashes, spectacular rides...you name it. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The staff of SML was all over the map today and we were so conflicted with scheduling that Alex Ray couldn't even come on as he was kidnapped in Las Vegas. swap is on vacation in Whistler, Canada, and called in between downhill runs, joining Michael Antonovich and Chase Curtis for some good ole bench racing about last weekend's race!
Presented by Pro Taper
Technica difficulties prevented us from bringing you the Kickstart Podcast on Monday, but we got the crew together today from four different locations to get the deed done today! Unadilla was a wild one and there was plenty to talk about. Join swap, Anton, ARay, and Chase as we bench race about the who, what, why, and where of Unadilla!
The Mini Major East presented by Seven MX is only a few weeks away. The September 10-12 event will be held at Monster Mountain MX in Alabama, and it's one of my favorite events of the year. I got CMXRS Race Director Aaron Cooke on the phone to find out more about the Mini Major East, and also to chat about the AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha
This is the audio-only version of today's SML Show for all you podcasters out there! Wil Hahn is the new Team Trainer of the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/Gas Gas Factory Racing team. We speak to the little guy about his big career change and lots more!
Presented by Pro Taper
Anton was in Hurrican Mills, Tennessee, all of last week at the annual AMA Amateur National Championships. We shoot to poop about everything that he saw down at the ranch and more, on this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper. Our show is actually early today because swap had to get home to wait for a refrigerator repairman. Lol!
Presented by Pro Taper
This week's installment of the Pro taper Kickstart Podcast is a few days late because we were all spread across the United States on Monday for different reasons. Even now, Anton is at Loretta Lynn' with zero cell service, so we invited SML Senior Test Rider Pat Foster to fill in. This week we get the lowdown on all of Alex Rays surgeries and he talks about pooping a lot, and then we cover the 2022 Honda CRF250R media launch that we attended this past Sunday through Tuesday. Not a lot of pro racing talk, but still a good time!
Brady Sheren is a former professional motocross racer who wanted to give back to the sport that he loves most. In addition to helping launch Matrix, the popular motorcycle stand, and accessory brand, Sheren was the leader in the development and production of the Atlas Air Brace, which was largely regarded as the easiest neck brace to grow accustomed to. Sheren and Atlas Brace dropped a big one on the motocross industry a few weeks ago when they introduced the Vision Anti-Compression Collar, which is by far, the most comfortable and least restrictive protective device for the neck that we've ever ridden in.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
Josh Hansen joined us for a second time on the SML Show, and this is the audio-only version for our friends who listen on the road!
Presented by Pro Taper
Washougal MX was a barn burner last weekend and we had plenty to shoot the shit about on today's Kickstart Podcast. Sadly, it was the last race of the year for our co-host Alex Ray as he is currently in Colorado preparing to have both of his wrists worked on. From Jeremy Martin's amazing second win in a row to Chase Sexton's breakthrough victory to Jalek Swoll's scary concussion-inducing crash, we flapped our lips about it all. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Millville MX National was amazing! Justin Barcia earned the first National victory for Gas Gas, Jeremy Martin raced through the pain of two broken fingers, a broken navicular bone in his wrist, and a banged-up shoulder, and a ton of other exciting thing went down. Our man on the scene Michael Antonovich was there to see it all unfold, and Alex Ray earned three more National MX points, and we talk about it all in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by OGIO Powersports
Red Bull KTM's Maximus Vohland joins us in studio for this weeks SML Show. The youngster is quite the talent on the track, and very well-spoken off the track. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Southwick MX National was a gnarly one! Rain preceding the event made the sandy course even tougher than normal, and the action that unfolded on the MX 338 track was nothing short of extraordinary! Alex Ray scored his first National point of the series, and he joins us in studio to go over everything that happened over the weekend.
It's been a few weeks since we'd seen or heard from our pal Cameron McAdoo of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. After an eventful 250 Supercross series, "Madoo" regrouped, took a deep breath, and showed up healed, rested. and ready for this summer's 250 MX Nationals. Sadly Cameron's summer came to an end in the second moto when a came into contact with another racer and injured his knee severely enough to need surgery and a lengthy recovery process. We caught up to see how Cameron has been doing, get an update on his recovery, and much more. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The Fourth of July weekend Red Bud National never disappoints, and this year's race in Buchanan Michigan, was jam-packed full of events to bench race about. From our very own Alex Ray casing the crap out of LaRocco's Leap to Dylan Ferrandis earning his third win of the season to Aaron Plessinger driving the crowd nuts with his stars and striped shirt on the podium, we discuss plenty! Enjoy.
For the second time this summer, we had an off-weekend break in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Nationals, and the SML Crew was spread across the country living our lives on two wheels. With the Red Bud National this weekend, there was plenty for us to chat about. Who do you have winning the 250 and 450 classes this weekend?
Presented by Pro Taper
The Lucas Oil MX Nationals headed back East last weekend and visited the famed High Point Raceway in Steel City, PA, and riders were expecting the worst as the forecast predicted a 100% chance of rain with as much as one inch of rainfall. The Moto Gods smiled down upon the racetrack, though, and all that fell was a light misting during one of the 250 motos that made the racing surface ideal. We were all treated to some spectacular racing action, and we go through it all in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Still waiting for ARay to score a point, though...
Presented by Pro Taper
There was no AMA Pro MX this weekend, but that doesn't mean that the world stopped turning! Swap got back on his road bike, Chase bought a Harley, Alex fried from clutches, and Anton has been trying to make a baby. Catch up with the SML crew in this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by our great friends at Pro Taper.
Presented by Pro Taper
Round two of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals went off last weekend at Thunder Valley MX in Colorado, and the racing action was even more intense and exciting than at the opening round! As usual, we gathered to shoot the poop about what we saw and heard, though this week's Kickstart Podcast is a day late thanks to a mini vacation I took in the Pacific Northwest to do some mountain biking with some friends. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Last weekend's Dirt Bike Kidz Fox Raceway MX National kickoff was one for the ages. With a brutally rough track, great racing, and four different moto winners; what more could a motocross racing fan ask for? Our co-host Alex Ray survived without any big crashes and with his muffler intact, so he was anxious to tell us just how scary and challenging the track was today in this week's Kickstart Podcast covering the Fox Raceway MX.
Presented by Pro Taper
This week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast comes to you on a Wednesday as we wanted to check out the action at yesterday's Fox Raceway National Media Day first. The track was brutal yesterday and the four riding sessions were very telling about who's ready and who's not. Our very own Michael Antonovich joined us in-office this week, making it a great panel with the three California locals; Donn, Chase and ARay.
Presented by Pro Taper
There are two weeks left until the gate drops on the 2021 Lucas Oil MX Nationals, and we are starting to get pumped! Tracks all over SoCal are abuzz with activity, and it is definitely a tough time to be an amateur motocross rider because the Nation's fastest pros are out here getting their laps in. Alex Ray spent the morning riding with 10 of the top 20 racers in the world at State Fair MX this morning, and we talk about that and a lot more nonsense in this in-between series version of the Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series just wrapped up a few days ago, and we're already wide open into the silly season rider/team changes. We go through all of the news we've heard, plus a few more new rumors that we heard just this morning, as well as give Alex Ray our normal Monday barrel full of crap. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
Whew! The SML team is back home after an extended stay in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the final two rounds of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series, and we had a lot to talk about in today's Kickstart recap. From the action on the track, to ARay's action in the pits, to mountain biking, to Las Vegas; we cover it all. Enjoy!
Our buddy Brian Lopes in a legend in mountain biking and BMX with 18 championship titles to his credit, and he's giving back to the sport of cycling by being involved with All Kids Bike, a national movement led by the Strider Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for free, using donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. We checked in with Lopes to see what he's been up to lately and also get the scoop on the latest fundraiser that offers a few really great prizes up for grabs to donors.
Visit www.allkidsbike.org for more
Presented by Pro Taper
The next-to-last Supercross of the year went off inside Rice-Eccles Stadium last Saturday night and man, was the action insane! From Jo Shimoda's first=ever win to Marvin Musquin's surprise win in the 450 class over championship leader Cooper Webb, we couldn't have asked for more out of an entertaining race. We;ll, it would have been better if our guy Alex Ray had been in the main. We recap the race and much more from our AirBNB in Salt Lake City on this rainy Monday afternoon! Enjoy.
Presented by Pro Taper
A lot went down at Atlanta Motor Speedway last week, and there's nothing better than getting together on Monday mornings to BS about the whos, whats, and whys, of the weekend's racing. Of course, our guy Alex Ray was at the center of some of the attention-grabbing action, and getting his take on things is always entertaining. We cover the Jason Anderson incident, the social media bullies and more, on today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.
Today, April 17, Bell Helmets releases its newest off-road motorcycle helmet, the Moto 10 Spherical MIPS. Unless you're blind or do not pay close attention to the sport, you should have taken notice of the new Bell Helmet that has been worn by Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teams since last year's Salt Lake Supercross marathon. Benny Tozzi from Bell Helmets stopped by the SML offices to share the story behind the helmets, which is hands-down the most sophisticated helmet Bell has ever produced. We've been riding in one for a few weeks now, and we can attest to the fact that it is super light, insanely ventilated, and supremely comfortable.
Presented by Pro Taper
The first of three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway is in the books and though it started off muddy, it was hardly the quagmire that the forecast predicted it'd be. Our guy Alex Ray made it to the 450 main straight out of the heat race on the extra-long race track and Michael Antonovich was there to see it, and a whole lot more. We go over the who, what, why and what of Atlanta One on this week's KSP.
Presented by Pro Taper
We're in the final stretch of the three-week spring break in the Monster Energy Supercross Series, and man we are ready to get back to racing! What we learned today, though, is that we don't need a race to bench race about to have a good time on the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast! Our co-host Alex Ray shed a lot of light on training drills and such that can help with riding technique, and that bit alone makes the pod worth a listen! Enjoy!
They say that time flies when you're having fun and that is most certainly the case when it comes to working at SML. We launched on April Fool's Day in 2019 and since then it has been a wide-open party, covering races, testing bikes, and creating content. We sat down for a quick trip down memory lane. Thank you to everyone who supports us, from our advertisers to our test riders, to you: the listeners and viewers!
Presented by Pro Taper
The best thing to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic? Without a doubt, it's the modified Monster Energy Supercross Championship schedule that has racing on Saturdays and Tuesdays! We've certainly become spoiled with the non-stop racing action as fans and now that we're one-third of the way through the mid-series gap, we really understand just how great it's been to have so much to look forward to. Our regular co-host Alex Ray joined us in our new HQ today to fill us in on his big MTB enduro racing debut and more, and we had no lack of things to talk about amongst the four of us...there's even some breaking news about new bikes for 2022...
Presented by Leatt
This is originally a video interview for the Leatt Science of Thrill Thursday feature but our conversation with SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda rider Shane McElrath was so telling that we decided to make it available as a podcast as well.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man, today's show was a fun one! Fresh off his Arlington 3 main event, our co-host Alex Ray was fired up and ready to talk about his exciting last-lap pass on Cade Clason for the final transfer spot of the night. Of course, we talked about a lot, lot, more, but that's what we were chomping at the bit to discuss. Supercross seemed extra exciting last weekend in Texas, as the stands housed the most fans that they have all season. The track featured some BIG booters, and racing was extra exciting.
We've got two off weekends approaching...any subject matter that you'd enjoy hearing up flap our lips about? Drop us a line at swap@swapmotolive.com!
Presented by Pro Taper
The first of three Supercrosses inside Arlington, Texas' AT&T Stadium went off last weekend and provided more than its fair share of surprises and excitement. Our co-host Alex Ray made the main event! We got together today to go over all the bumps, bruises, thrills, and chills that made up round 10 of the Monster Energy Supercross Series. Enjoy!
Presented by PRO TAPER
The Monster Energy Supercross Series passed the halfway point this weekend in Daytona, Florida, and the 450 Championship appears to be a two, possibly three-man battle, while the 250 West Coast Championship got a lot more interesting with Cameron McAdoo scoring his first career win and taking over the red plate from Justin Cooper. We cover these developments, and a whole lot more, on this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Justin Cooper suffered a setback only a few weeks before the start of the Western Regional 250 Supercross Series when he crashed in a corner and suffered a broken right foot from the bike landing on it. Cooper waited a few weeks before having a special brace made for the inside of his Alpinestar Tech 10 boots and returning to the track. All told, he had four days of riding before the gate dropped at the Orlando Two series kickoff, but the New Yorker made quite a statement by setting the fastest qualifying time and winning the first West Coast 250 main of the season in dominant fashion. We caught up with Cooper this past Saturday to get his take on the race, the rest of the season, and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
With Alex Ray in NorCal training with his old HEP teammates, we recruited Jeremy McGrath to help us with today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. The King filled us in on his MotoCar Fite Klub win last week, and we also picked his brain and shot the shit about this year's Supercross Championship. As always, conversing with McGrath is an absolute joy.
This is the audio track of the recent SML Show presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing, starring FXR/Chaparral/Honda's Carson Mumford.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man what a night we had inside Camping World Stadium for the Orlando Two Supercross! There was no shortage of thrills or chills on the track, and last weekend Maeda and Antonovich got to witness a lot of it, first hand. Today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast covers the crashes, injuries, mechanicals, and victories in detail with swap, Anton, Chase and ARay. Enjoy.
Did you hear the news? Ryan Dungey is racing next week! Hold your horses...it's inside a dirt track car not the Daytona Supercross. Still, it was fantastic to catch up with the legend this morning. We chatted about the brief GEICO Honda ownership, his possible return to Supercross only, the upcoming Fite Klub car race with guys like Carmichael, McGrath, Reed, and more, as well as what led him to launch RD Coffee.
Presented by Pro Taper
Round seven of the Monster Energy Supercross Series visited Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, last weekend, and we saw two second-time winners this season in Cooper Webb and Jett Lawrence. Rain hammered the area in the hours prior to the race, but the Dirt Wurx crew did a phenomenal job of keeping the track dry and although the racing surface was slippery, it was far from the quagmire that many feared it would be. Freshly cleared with a negative COVID-19 test result, Alex Ray rejoined Chase Curts and Donn Maeda in the SML HQ, while Michael Antonovich phoned in from Orlando to recap the weekend's events and more!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
This is the audio from last weekend's SML Show, featuring Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda of Suzuka, Japan.
This is the audio file of Malcolm Stewart's most recent appearance on the SML Show, presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing.
Presented by Pro Taper
Sorry for the late installment of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, but our Monday was a hectic one filled with SML Show tapings, photoshoots, doctor's visits and more. We recap the wild and crazy Indy 3 SX, discuss the unfortunate Barcia/Friese incident, provide some insight about the upcoming West Coast 250 opener, and more. A 450 main event racer has also been struck down by Coronavirus and will miss the opening Orlando SX round, and we go over that, too!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series rolled into Indianapolis, Indiana, last weekend for the first of three rounds inside Lucas Oil Stadium, and the racing was just as amazing as it was in Houston. Our very own Alex Ray had the most spectacular crash of the night, and it wasn't even his fault! Hear about that, plus about all of the behind-the-scenes happenings at the track and in the pit that you won't catch on the race broadcast. It's cold, snowy, and windy in the Racing Capital of the World this week, so there was a lot to talk about. Enjoy!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
This is an audio track from this week's SML Show, starring Shane McElrath. You can find the video version on swapmotolive.com
Presented by Pro Taper
The Houston leg of the Monster Energy Supercross Series is finally behind us, and before we look to Indy this weekend, we got together to recap the wild happenings of H3. Co-host Alex Ray had some great insight about the Wilson/Roczen incident, and we go over that and much, much more!
Presented by Fox Racing
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jordon Smith will be kicking off his Western Regional 250 Supercross campaign on February 20 in Orlando, Florida, and that should give the three-time 250 Supercross winner more than enough time to get up to speed following a broken thumb suffered last month in a practice crash. We got together with Smith on the phone today to bench race about the Houston One and Houston Two action, talk about his Pro Circuit teammates, and reflect on what some of the highs and lows of his career have felt like. Smith is one of the easiest guys to hold a conversation with, and we think you'll enjoy this installment of the Fox Moto Podcast.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
We've been asked by multiple fans to upload the audio tracks from the SML Show (video property) to our podcast server, as many people have time to listen, but not watch. This is the Justin Brayton show that aired yesterday, Sunday, January 17.
Presented by Pro Taper
What a time to be alive! The Houston One Supercross went off last weekend and we were treated to some great racing action, emotional victories, and result sheet surprises! We're still in H-Town so we gathered at a distance to do this morning's show, and also called in SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda's Broc Tickle to join in on the fun. We recap the race and also get great insight from Tick and ARay about how gnarly the track was and just how stacked the field is for 2021. Enjoy!
Jeremy Coker is the Team Manager of the new Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha 450 squad, but it's not a role he is unfamiliar with. Technically, Coker has been the Engine Technician for the team for a few years now, but in reality, he has been assisting Brad Hoffman and Wil Hahn for quite some time. Coker's experience in racing is extensive and dates all the way back to the Troy Lee Designs Honda team, and there is no better person to lead the squad of Dylan Ferrandis, Aaron Plessinger, and Malcolm Stewart into the Houston Supercross kickoff. We caught up with Coker to talk about his expectations, the challenges he's faced along the way, the machines, the riders, and even about what he expects from his brother, Christian Craig in 2021. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
We're less than a week away from the kickoff of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series and man, we are amped! We go over the past week, talk about the things we saw at the Gas Gas factory launch, the Muc-Off Honda photo shoot, and more. ARay has been training with some fast company and he says he's ready to go, and Anton and swap are chomping at the bit to get to Houston and start pumping out content for swapmotolive.com!
Presented by Pro Taper
Happy New Year, everyone! We've barely dipped our toes into 2021 and we are all already so slammed, that we are bringing you a Wednesday edition of the Kickstart Podcast! The four of us spent the holiday in separate locations across the country but one thing is for sure...we are all ridiculously excited for the start of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series next weekend in Houston, Texas!
Michael Lindsay On The Swapmoto Podcast
FXR/Chaparral/Honda made it through 2020 intact. Despite a mid-season lineup change and ongoing pandemic, Michael Lindsay's independently-funded effort fulfilled the year one obligations of putting more red bikes on the track and scoring points in both AMA championships. Recent changes to Honda's 250 Class efforts earned the FXR/Chaparral/Honda team increased support for 2021 and beyond, something that is reflected in the personnel (Carson Mumford and Coty Schock as racers, Richard "Pedro" Sterling and Tony Archer as mechanics) and the technical programs (part budgets, new sponsors, refined engine and chassis). Michael Antonovich discussed the recent changes and offseason work with Lindsay in this episode of the Swapmoto Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
Can you believe that Christmas has already come and gone? It seems like just the other day that we were answering the door for our neighborhood trick or treaters, and here we are already only a few days away from the New Year. Today's Kickstart Podcast covers a variety of subjects, including Alex Ray's recovery from last week's concussion scare. ARay actually called in today from Center Hill, Florida, where he is finalizing some bike settings with the team and shooting poster photos at Tyla Rattray's new compound. Chase got out with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda to film last week, and he offers some insight about the Japanese rider and his progress on the new green machine. All in all, a great time on today's show! Thanks for listening.
Presented by FLY Racing
Mitchell Oldenburg has been off the radar this offseason. That's what happens when you leave the SoCal SX hotbed for Texas and its far-removed race tracks. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, because it's allowed Oldenburg to quietly recover from a knee injury and get back on his Penrite Honda CRF250R in preparation for the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series. With the start of the 250 West Coast region about a month away, we gave Freckle a call for this episode of the FLY Racing Swapmoto Podcast.
Presented by Pro Taper
Last week, the biggest news among our staff was Alex Ray taking a trip to Endonesia and sleeping in the middle of the track for a few minutes at the State Fair SX track. We hear all about our poor little buddy's misadventures, plus cover a lot of other fun stuff and eve some legitimate news on today's show.
Presented by Pro Taper
Is it just us, or is the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast getting more and more fun with no pro racing to talk about? We're deep into the off-season and the SML crew covers a ton of things in today's show. swap and Chase spent Monday and Tuesday at the Baker's Factory in Florida, so that's why this week's pod is a Wednesday edition. We talk about what we saw there, plus cover the exciting - and gruesome - happenings at last weekend's Swapmoto Race Series season at Glen Helen, riding the new Gas Gas motorcycles, and dissect the good and bad about the new 2021 Monster Energy Supercross schedule. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
It's been a minute since we caught up with our friend Zach Osborne. We phoned him up early this Saturday morning to recap the emotions of wrapping up his first 450 championship and talk about the upcoming 2021 Supercross season. As always, Zacho was a great conversationalist and he even hinted at something new in his program, come January. We tried to pry it out of him but had no luck...maybe we need to go on a spy mission to Florida to find out!
Presented by Pro Taper
This week's edition of the Kickstart Podcast is a doozie! In addition to the usual bench racing, we delved into what is inadvertently a hot topic on the Vital message board and amongst Pulp Nation soldiers...the Ride-Gate drill scandal! But really, beyond that nonsense, we cover a lot of the happenings in the sport and have a ton of laughs!
Presented by FLY Racing
Carson Mumford made his professional debut this summer in the 250 MX Nationals and finished a respectable 12th overall aboard his GEICO Honda CRF250R. A long-time member of the GEICO Honda squad, Mumford made his mark in the mini classes aboard a very special CRF150R, winning several Amateur National Championships along the way. When the team announced that it was closing its doors, Mumford was left without a ride, even though he had two years remaining on his contract. Recently, news has broken that he has joined the Chaparral Honda squad, which is now in its second year of operation. We checked in with Mumford this afternoon to see how the new team, machine, and personnel are suiting him.
Presented by FLY Racing
There's been a lot of fuss made over Jett Lawrence in recent days, but we wanted to chat with older brother Hunter Lawrence to get his take on all of the changes for 2021 and beyond. HLaw has always been one of the coolest racers to chat with, and today's episode of the FLY Racing Swapmoto Podcast is excellent! We talk with Hunter about everything: the new HRC Honda deal, Alpinestars gear, sibling rivalry, golf, fancy watches, mountain biking, and more! Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
The 23rd running of the A Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix went off last weekend and what a great time we had! There were thrills, spills, and of course - with co-host Alex Ray involved - blown up dirt bikes involved. In today's episode of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, we recap the ADITD shenanigans and more!
Presented by Pro Taper
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and here in SoCal, that means one thing to dirt bikers: A Day in the Dirt Grand Prix! In addition to going over the latest happenings, rumors, and so on and so forth in Supercross, we chat about the ADITD race; something we looks forward to every winter. Our regular co-host Alex Ray ditched swap for the Moto A Go Go team race in favor of his husky roommate, Kenny "Taco" Bell, and both ARay and KTB join us on the show this week. Lots of laughter and good times...enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
We're caught the opening rounds of the Hoosier Tires Arenacross Series a few weeks ago in Oklahoma and were introduced to Jay Reynolds, the organizer and the promoter of the 15-round race series. It's cool to see hundreds of amateur riders and a few Nationally-ranked pros on the starting line in the same night, and Reynolds has big plans to make the series even more appealing.
If you're a pro-level racer or a very good amateur, then you should really have an eye on the Hoosier Arenacross series. Their purse payout and sponsorship contingency package is solid, but the broadcast plans that MAVTV and FloRacing have announced are excellent opportunities to get your name and results out to the world
But if you're a back of the pack rider or a beginner, the Hoosier Tires Arenacross series will have something to offer you. It's tough to get a race in during the winter months and you'll have that chance at venues around the Midwest and Southeast over the next few months.
Presented by Pro Taper
SoCal is abuzz with activity at the public and private Supercross tracks as racers are starting to prepare for the upcoming 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship. We spent the morning at Lake Elsinore's recently opened Supercross track, and the course was as packed as the 91 freeway at 4:00 p.m. Our co-host Alex Ray was among the riders circulating the track, but he was nearly lost amongst the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha and SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Moptoconcepts/Honda teams, who made up a large portion of the attendees. There were no races to bench race about today, but it was one heck of a fun show. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
Our 2021 250 Motocross Shootout comparison has come to a close, and after our final day of comparison testing at Cahuilla Creek MX Park, our testing staff gathered at Blackmore Ranch in Murietta, California, to relax and do some bench racing about all five of the machines we spent the day riding. While the official shootout results are yet to be determined (lots and lots of data and test rider feedback must be processed), the PNG Happy Hour conversation offers a ton of insight about each of the machines. Which bike will win? Draw your own conclusions and see if you were correct when we drop the official results next week! Use the code SML20 for 20% off all PNG products at pinnaclenutritiongroup.com
Presented by Pro Taper
This week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast comes a couple of days late as our staff was all traveling back home from Reynolds, Georgia, on Monday, following the inaugural Seven MX Mini Major East race at Silver Dollar Motorsports Park. The event was amazing and it was great to meet so many new min riders from the other side of the country, and we certainly look forward to growing the race in the years to come. On this week's show, Alex Ray and Brandon Hartranft call in from Northern California, where they are both testing in preparation for the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Hartranft talks about his new Suzuki RM-Z450 and we also confirm several new team and rider pairings for the upcoming season!
Presented by FLY Racing
The annual DUBYA USA Vet World Championships are this coming weekend, so we called up DUBYA USA's John Anderson to get the scoop on the well-loved event. This podcast is much more than an event hype piece, we also chat about the early days of the company, the late, great, Tom White, product secrets, and more! John is one of the coolest guys in the sport, and DUBYA USA is the company most of the top-tier racers and teams turn to for wheel needs.
Presented by Pro Taper
The off-season is in full swing and there have been some interesting developments - some that we knew about in advance, and others that were a complete surprise. Our regular co-host Alex Ray was still recovering from Halloween weekend (kidding), so we invited Jeremy McGrath to fill in as today's co-host. It was a great time chatting about new stuff, old stuff, and other stuff! Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
Yesterday, the SmarTop/BullFrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda team announced its 2021 Supercross roster and Shane McElrath will make his 450-class debut on one of the team's Honda CRF450R race bikes. It's been a wild few weeks since the Fox Raceway National finale for McElrath and his wife, Joy, as they've been busy testing out a handful of different race bikes with teams that wanted to secure his services. Ultimately, McElrath was most impressed by the MCR Honda machine as well as the team's inner-workings. We caught up with our buddy Shane on Halloween afternoon to talk all about the new deal!
Presented by Pro Taper
We're three weeks into the off-season and there are still a bunch of super-talented racers who have yet to land rides, team manufacturer deals yet to be finalized, and race schedules not yet announced. The 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship series is set to be announced tomorrow, and we talk about what we've heard and are expecting. Lots of nonsense in today's show, but it's all good and fun. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
After a whirlwind year, we're well into the offseason and already looking towards 2021. This short lull between the last race and the start of preseason prep will be a busy time for teams, as they're already pulling together the parts and pieces needed for whatever series they're signed up for, be it Supercross or Arenacross. Our friend Jeff Crutcher was in Anton's area getting some suspension serviced for his newly-formed ATC/FLPSDE Racing team and the guys decided to take some time and bench race on the recorder.
Presented by Pro Taper
The American racing series is over, but that doesn't mean there is nothing to talk about! Silly season, bike tests, local racing, and Anton's career crash highlight reel were just a few of the subjects we covered in today's bench racing session. Have an idea for a topic that you'd like covered in the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast? Drop us a comment on swapmotolive.com and we'll get to it!
Presented by FLY Racing
The inaugural Mini Major East is set to go off November 6-8 at Silver Dollar MX in Reynolds, Georgia, and if the recent Mini Major West was any indication, we are in for a barn-burning good time! Catering solely to the mini bike crowd, the three-day event will run practice on Friday, and one championship moto per class on Saturday and Sunday. Classes for all minis will be available, including two premier divisions for girls. With so many questions about the event floating around, we decided to get Race Director Aaron Cooke, Silver Dollar MX manager and trainer Matt Walker, and Seven MX's Roger Larsen on to discuss the event. Even if you're not planning on attending, this podcast includes plenty of insight about the sport in general. Hope to see you there!
Presented by FLY Racing
Next weekend Feld Entertainment will hold a two-day Monster Jam show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, their first event in front of an audience since the start of COVID-19.
Why is that important for Supercross? How this goes will set the tone for the Monster Energy Supercross Series, which is set to announce a schedule for 2021 in the next few weeks.
To learn more about the lead up to the event and safety procedures that will be in place in Arlington, we called Jayme Dalsing, Director of Operations for Monster Jam, discussed what's happened over the last few months, and how important this event is for the future of live entertainment.
Presented by Pro Taper
What a year! COVID-19 did its best to screw us over, but we got full Supercross and Motocross Championship series done thanks to some hard work by the promoters, sponsors, racers, and teams. Last weekend's Fox Raceway MX National went off without a hitch and both classes saw first-time National Champions crowned in dramatic fashion. We also had first-time winners, first-time competitors, and new rivalries spark up out of nowhere. We covered it all in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by Fox Racing
This week, Fox Racing released the newest installment of its excellent UNPLUGGED series, featuring five-time AMA National Champion Jordan Jarvis. Intrigued by the video, we decided to track the 19-year-old down and find out a little more about her in this episode of the Fox Feature Podcast.
Says Fox Racing:
North Carolina native Jordan Jarvis has been spending time at a motocross track since she was a few months old. The daughter of a former racer, Jordan was raised around the sport and eventually chose to pursue racing full time as her interest in team sports like tee ball and soccer started to fade when it they took away from her time at the track. Around the age of 8 or 9, Jordan's speed had progressed quite a bit and she started lining up against the boys to test her skills. Fast forward and 4 Loretta Lynn's titles later, she's taking on a new goal. To qualify for an AMA Pro Motocross national in the 250 Class. If anyone can do it, JJ can.
Presented by Pro Taper
The penultimate round of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals went down last weekend at Lakewood, Colorado's Thunder Valley MX, and there was plenty to talk about in today's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast! If you watched the race go down, you know that there were some spectacular saves, big crashes, and a stray muffler laying on the ground in the opening 450 moto. And guess whose that was? Lots of funny stuff in today's show...big thanks to Randy and the guys at Pro Taper for making it all possible.
Presented by FLY Racing
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha racer Justin Cooper earned his first 250 National win of the season this weekend in Lakewood, Colorado, at the Thunder Valley MX round of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals. Having struggled with a hand injury early in the series, Cooper has finally found his flow and looks like the number-32 racer we know. We phoned up the New York native to get his take on the big win and also to ask about the social media drama that unfolded afterward!.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man what a weekend! Our staff was split on opposite sides of the Nation: Anton at the WW Ranch National in Florida, and Donn and Chase at the fifth-annual Mini Major by Seven MX. While there was great racing at both events, the stories that came out of them far outweigh the on-track action. Tonight, the three of us - plus ad guy and donut connoisseur Dommer - bench race about all that happened on two wheels over the weekend.
Presented by 805 Beer
Last week, we concluded our 2021 450 MX Shootout. After our final day of back-to-back testing, we converged on Jeff Blackmore's Blackmore Ranch to hang out in his bar and bench race about the six bikes that we had just ridden. This was originally a video, but we also exported the audio so it could be consumed in podcast format. Featured are Donn Maeda, Mike Sleeter, Pat Foster, Kyle Puerner and Connor Ericsson aka Buttery Films.
Presented by OGIO Powersports The Lucas Oil MX Nationals rolled into Florida's WW Ranch last weekend and we saw points leaders Dyan Ferrandis and Zach Osborne both turn in perfect 1-1 performances. After the checkered flag, we tracked down as many of the racers as possible to ask them how it was out there for them.
Presented by FLY Racing
Mike Sleeter has been a good friend of mine since he started testing for me at TransWorld Motocross way back in 2000. Through the years, we've worked side-by-side in many different capacities and it's been exciting for me to see him transition from Supercross racer to KTM R&D rider, to dad, to small business owner. Today, on the final day of racing at the Mini Major, I asked Mike to sit down for a few minutes to reminisce on the two-decade journey that we've shared together.
Presented by Fox Racing
The fifth annual Mini Major is going down this weekend at State Fair MX Park in Perris, California, and with over 1000 entries filling a 34-moto schedule, there is plenty going on in the pits and on the track. Kawasaki Team Green's Ryder DiFrancesco is a former winner of the event and has recently made the jump to big bikes, and he is on hand to lead out the parade laps and interact with his friends and fans at the OGIO Powersports booth. We had a fun chat with Ryder D in between parade laps and got the down-low on everything from his recent number switch to his mini career highlights to what it's really like to train with Ivan Tedesco. Check it out!
Presented by Pro Taper
What a weekend it was! From the epic battles at the Spring Creek MX National to the rough ride at the Ultra 4 National at Area BFE with Jeremy McGrath, all of us had a kickass weekend and we just couldn't wait to BS about things in today's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper. Alex Ray even came within one finishing positon of making swap pay up. Close, but no cigar, but there are three more races left!
Presented by Pro Taper
With a break in the MX Nationals, we all got to enjoy some personal time this weekend. Anton went racing, Chase painted a house, Dommer ate some donuts, and Donn rode everything possible, motorized or not. There have been some interesting silly season rumors that have surfaced and we go through those, and our regular co-host Alex Ray called in to talk about scoring zero points in 10 motos. All in all, it was a great time and it should be an entertaining listen. Thanks to Pro Taper!
Presented by FLY Racing
Chase Sexton has enjoyed a great rookie 450 MX season by all accounts, having finished second overall at the Red Bud One National and being a consistent front runner in qualifying and in most races thus far. With two Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championships to his credit, the Honda HRC rider also moved out of the 250 class quicker than many, having spent only three and a half years in the division before moving up to a factory ride in the premier class. We caught up with Sexton this morning as he drove to the golf course to enjoy a leisurely round on this off weekend in the abbreviated Lucas Oil MX National Championship Series. Thanks to FLY Racing for making this possible.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Red Bud doubleheader over the Labor Day holiday weekend produced some great racing that was easy to bench race about on today's Kickstart Podcast! From Barcia's aggro pass on Marv, to Ferrandis and J-Mart touching (handlebar) tips, to Hampshire almost doing a Sonny Bono, last weekend's racing was all-time! SML Senior Test Rider Pat Foster joined us in the studio as he was down for this afternoon's 2021 KTM 250 and 350 SX-F test sessions with us.
Presented by OGIO Powersports
The first-ever motocross National double-header is in the record books, and the racing at Red Bud Two was spectacular! Though it was certainly odd to watch races at Red Bud Track N' Trail with no fans, both rounds went off without a hitch and produced some memorable results. After the checkered flags flew on the 250 and 450 classes, we headed to the pits to get the scoop from as many racers as possible, and then hit it even harder on Tuesday morning with a few phone calls! Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
Tevin Tapia had a horrible crash one month ago at Fox Raceway and broke a few vertebrae in his neck. Luckily, the long-time privateer did not suffer paralysis. Instead, Tapia lost control of his left leg but maintained feeling throughout his body. After 10 days in the ICU, Tapia was relocated to a rehabilitation facility and has continued to make progress. We gave him a call today to get an update on his recovery and were pleased to hear some great news.
Presented by OGIO Powersports
Temperatures were fair and the conditions were prime for Friday's fourth round of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals at Red Bud Track N Trail in Buchanan, Michigan, and Jeremy Martin and Zach Osborne topped the 250 and 450 classes, respectively, in grand style with 1-1 moto sweeps. After the races were over, we tracked down as many racers as we could to get the scoop about what really went down! We've also turned this into a podcast, as 50 minutes of interviews might be easier to digest in audio format.
Presented by Pro Taper
Man, there was a ton to talk about in this morning's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. The Ironman MX National produced some awesome racing, but there were also some bits of news that surfaced last weekend that will make things very interesting this off-season. Join Donn, Chase, and Anton, plus our regular co-host Alex Ray as we run down the sights and news from Ironman MX.
Presented by OGIO Powersports
Rond three of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals visited Ironman Raceway and racers were greeted with the first relatively dry track of the year. The action was amazing in both classes, and after the dust settled we did our best to track down as many racers as possible in person and on the phone to ask, "How Was Your Weekend?" Once again, the video that lives on SwapmotoLive.com is nearly 60 minutes long, so we thought it would be a good idea to turn the interviews into a podcast for those who would rather listen, not watch!
Presented by FLY Racing
Josh Grant is one of the most stylish, hardest-charging racers of the modern era, and his absence at the races is definitely felt by his legions of hardcore fans. Though it sounds like he's closed a chapter on full-time pro racing, JG33 still rides for fun, competes in selected races on the calendar, and is a full-time husband and dad to his wife Ashley and sons Wyatt and Easton.
The Grant family has recently begun attending the AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series, and Wyatt and Easton are front-runners in their respective mini bike classes. We caught up with Josh about being a mini dad, reflected on his 17-year professional racing career, and even touched on the licensed cannabis operation that he's been working on since stepping away from racing full time.
Presented by Pro Taper
The Loretta Lynn's Two MX National was an even gnarlier mudder than the first, and the results, upsets, and surprises were certainly worth talking about on this morning's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast! Our regular cohost Alex Ray was back in the studio with us, and we even got a surprise call-in from Monster Energy Yamaha's Broc Tickle, who added tons of flavor and excitement. Join us for a really fun hour and a half of quality bench racing.
Presented by FLY Racing
Life changed for our buddy Tevin Tapia at around 9:30 a.m. on August 7. Out for a day of moto at Fox Raceway with his dad, Rod, Tevin went to size up a triple jump with a deck landing but was sent into a violent endo when he landed in softer dirt than he had anticipated. On impact, Tapia broke his C6 and C7 vertebrae in his neck and initially, could not feel his legs. Thankfully, Tapia gained his feeling back as he was being transported to the hospital. In the ICU, Tapia's neck was fused by surgeons to stabilize the vertebrae. Currently, Tevin is in a rehabilitation center in Murietta, California, and he has minimal movement in his left leg. It's going to be a long road to recovery, but Tapia is grateful that it was not worse and he is impressively optimistic and upbeat.
Presented by Pro Taper
The 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Nationals finally got underway last weekend at Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, and thanks to a gnarly rainstorm that passed through the area in the day prior, the track evolved into what was regarded by many racers as one of the most challenging in recent memory. Bell Helmet's Benny Tozzi joined us in the SML headquarters today as we phoned up our man on the scene, Michael Antonovich, to gain some insight and do some grade-A bench racing!
Presented by OGIO Powersports
The 2020 Lucas Oil Motocross Nationals finally got underway yesterday at Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, and the racing was everything that fans had hoped it would be. Strict social distancing rules prevent the media from interacting with the riders, so this summer's edition of How Was Your Weekend presented by OGIO Powersports will be gathered a little differently. We phoned up a ton of the top riders and got their race recaps today, and actually got more details than normal. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
Unless you've been living on a deserted island for the past several years, you have undoubtedly seen (and heard) the small electric stability cycles known as STACYC. Equipped with small electric motors and throttles, the little bikes have allowed countless youngsters to develop their two-wheeled motor skills sooner. What does this mean to the motorcycle industry? Future growth, of course, as the STACYC bikes make the transition onto a mini bike a practically seamless affair.
Yesterday, KTM and Husqvarna debuted a line of officially licensed STACYC bikes at Fox Raceway, and we were able to sit down with STACYC CEO and inventor, Ryan Ragland, and his wife, Brandy. The story is interesting and inspirational, as Ragland is a friend of ours from his early days as a mechanic for the Red Bull KTM race team! Even if you don't have a youngster who rides a STACYC, this is a great listen. Enjoy!
Presented by Pro Taper
And just like that, the racing world is back to normal again! The AMA Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn's went off last week in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, and last weekend we had the FIM MXGP resume in Latvia. For race fans like us, all seems right in the world again and to top things off, our MX Nationals start in only five days! There have been some interesting developments in the sport in the past week, and we go over them all in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
It's been nearly one year since Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin lined up behind a starting gate aboard his Frankie Latham-tuned 450 SX-F, and the likable Frenchman is anxious and excited to get back to action next weekend at the inaugural Loretta Lynn's Pro MX National. The damage Musquin's knee sustained last winter was serious enough to keep him off the bike until only a few weeks ago, but he reports that his fitness and speed are good and he is ready to race.
Presented by Pro Taper
The AMA Amateur National MX National Championships at Loretta Lynns starts this week and our man on the scene, Michael Antonovich, gives us the rundown on who to keep an eye out for. We also discuss the upcoming Nationals, a few rumors we've heard, and give Dommer a hard time about his "low moral fiber" starting technique at last weekend's Swapmoto Race Series event at Glen Helen Raceway.
Presented by FLY Racing
The 2020 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MX Series kicked off last weekend at Gopher Dunes, and Californians Ryan Surratt and Richard Taylor are set to contest the entire Canadian championship with the Sky Racing Kawasaki team in the 250 division. We're very familiar with both Surratt and Taylor as both have been test riders for us in the past. That said, we're especially interested in their experiences north of the US border. We phoned them up to talk about their two-week trailer quarantine in the woods, the racing, and their crash course in camper cooking while in isolation!
Presented by Pro Taper
There was lots to talk about this morning on the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast as there have been subtle changes made to the upcoming Lucas Oil Pro MX Nationals, a manufacturer dropped out of the Loretta Lynn's Amateur National, some last-minute pro roster changes, a near-600-racer turnout at last weekend's AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series event at LACR MX, and our very own resident Clydesdale, Dominic Gaytan, threw hit hat into the observed trials arena last Friday! Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
Tyler Bereman is - hands down - one of the baddest dudes in freestyle motocross. I'm lucky to have been buddies with Bereman since his days as an amateur motocross racer, and it's been fun to watch his career on two wheels evolve into what it is now. This Tuesday, Bereman and a handful of other hand-picked riders will compete in the first-ever FMX Fite Klub event, and we phoned him up to get the scoop on the event. It was very interesting to hear about the different disciplines involved in the event and to get some insight into the bike setup and riding technique required for each.
Presented by Pro Taper
We're 26 days away from the start of the Lucas Oil MX Nationals kickoff at Loretta Lynn's, and we are HYPED! Still, there's some grumbling about the schedule from race teams, and of course the ever-changing COVID-19 conditions from state to state. We sure hope the schedule goes off without a hitch, as we want to see some great racing as badly as everyone else. Anton brings some great insight on today's show and our regular co-host ARay is back in the studio with us. Lots of great stuff this week! Thanks to the guys at Pro Taper for making it all possible.
Presented by FLY Racing
Last week Anton and Crutcher hopped in the white moto van and headed out for a weekend of riding at tracks in the south. The plan was rather loose, with a meeting on Friday, a day of riding at the all-new Oak & Harrow facility in South Carolina, and then a dash over to Alabama for laps at Monster Mountain MX. Hours behind the wheel and miles on the interstate were the perfect time for the guys to bench race and when they got back to Anton's house on Monday morning, they plugged in the podcast equipment and recapped the weekend. COVID-19 has done a number of everyone's summer racing plans, but if you have the time and energy to travel, you could make a great "moto vacation" with friends, especially if it means finding new tracks to ride in your region. Have a place we should check out? Hit us up on Instagram (@swapmotolive @swapmotolivedotcom @michaelantonovich @rippinruts) and tell us where you think we should head to next.
Presented by Pro Taper
It's been a busy week for the SML staff as we combed the local MX tracks last week in search of good content, promoted round two of the AMSOIL West Coast Open Series and had a whopping 630 entries, and also road-tripped across the East Coast to ride at Monster Mountain in Alabama. Our good buddy Scrub Daddy joined us in the office to co-host because Alex Ray was busy testing with his mechanic Cholo Mike and all in all it was a very enjoyable 45 minutes of bench racing about the state of motocross.
Presented by FLY Racing
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Zach Osborne is one of the most well-rounded riders in motocross and Supercross today, and this weekend he will throw his hat into the ring at the High Voltage Park round of the GNCC Series. We hadn't had a chance to chat with ZO since his big win at the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship finale in Salt Lake City, so there was lots to catch up on a BS about with the likable rider from Virginia.
Presented by Pro Taper
What a strange time in the world we're in at the moment. Still on a high of sorts from the Salt Lake City Supercross marathon last month, we've all been somber at the news that the Pro MX Nationals are on hold for now, with hopes of arranging an abbreviated series that will start in August. For now, like the rest of the sport, we're in a holding pattern just waiting for the gate to drop. Today's episode of the Kickstart Podcast is a bit of a mash-up, as swap returned to the office for the first time since returning from Salt Lake City nursing a neck injury suffered on a mountain bike. Lots to talk about, though...Anton bought a new dirt bike, ARay broke his Kawasaki and had to borrow parts off Donn's, Chase actually spoke a little, and we have a new presenting sponsor in Pro Taper Handlebars! Woo!
Presented by FLY Racing
When the “indefinite postponement” of 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship came today, we called our contacts at MX Sports for more details. No, the race season will not kick off in the middle of July like we expected, but it's not all bad news.
Our main conversation was with Events Organizer Tim Cotter, and it answered a lot of questions that many of us have thought about over the last few weeks. Tim is one of the guys we see at every round of the outdoors series and his role in the newly founded Race Leadership Team means that he's discussed and planned for every possible scenario this summer.
During our talk, Tim explained that the current plan is to start the season at some point in August and to hold a minimum of six races, but maybe as many as nine, all of which depends on how the next few weeks play out. There will be restrictions and requirements in place at the track, something we had long assumed but hadn't heard directly from MX Sports until now, all of which were addressed. If you come to the races, don't expect much interaction between yourself and the pros, nor the usual mass gathering at the podium after each moto. For those of you wondering, wearing a face covering will be encouraged but not mandatory.
One of the biggest details of the talk with Tim was that MX Sports intends to announce races 30-days ahead of time and that we can expect some more information to come out in mid-July.
Presented by 6D Helmets
It was a busy weekend for the SML Crew! Although there was no pro racing to speak of anywhere in the States, we headed to Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California and joined our fellow Vet Class warriors for two days of racing at the Trans Am Vet Classic. An event that caters to the aged and experienced rider with a unique track, full gates, and awards, the Trans Am Vet Classic is one of our favorite times of the year. Our resident Clydesdale Class competitor Dominic Gaytan filled us in with details of what it was like to spin laps on the track while Chase Curtis recapped the bar to bar battles he witnessed from the infield. After a half-hour of chatting about the weekend, we turned our attention to the latest developments in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and Monster Energy FIM Motocross World Championship, two series that are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 closures. Who will Mitch Payton put on the Pro Circuit KX250? What class will Christian Craig line up for? Under what conditions will the races happen?
Presented by FLY Racing
Now that we're back home from Utah, we've had some time to reflect on the seven-race run in Salt Lake City that wrapped up the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series. All things considered, it's incredible to see how Feld and everyone involved in the events came together and worked through the unusual situation, especially with new measures that were put in place to reduce contact between those of us that were on-site. Everyone's experience in Salt Lake City was different and we wanted to hear what it was like for a smaller organization, so we called up Michael Lindsay and asked how his Chaparral/FXR/Honda crew managed the month at the races.
Knowing how detailed Michael's answers are, we kept the questions simple and let him share as much information as possible.
Presented by 6D Helmets
What a whirlwind the past three weeks have been! Though the last seven rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship couldn't have been held in a more beautiful location, everyone involved in the historic event - whether it be racers, mechanics, crew members, or even the media - the checkered flat at yesterday's finale couldn't have come at a better time. It's been a blast covering the racing over the past three weeks, and our co-host Alex Ray has experienced a wide range of track conditions, results, and emotions. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
When Salt Lake City was announced as the location for the final rounds of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series, one of the first thoughts that came to mind for everyone was about the tracks. A new layout for every round is a defining trait to Supercross, but there were concerns that Feld Entertainment and the Dirt Wurx crew would be limited by the short time between races and the space of Rice Eccles Stadium.
With a handful of races complete it's clear that the crews were up for the challenge, even against weather like wind, heat, and rain. The tracks have all been different in their own ways and they've managed to make the Utah soil much more than just the dry and slick hardpack we saw at race one.
With the time in Utah winding down we got the chance to talk with Alex Gillispie of Dirt Wurx and Mike Muye of Feld Entertainment, two guys that call the shots on track prep, and discussed what it was like to draw seven different designs, the modifications to their workflow due to limited staffing, and how the open-air stadium has been a factor.
Presented by 6D Helmets
We're officially over the hump with the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Salt Lake City seven-race wrapup, and the racing action is getting better and better! 250-class rivalries, Ken Roczen's rebound from health issues, and Cooper Webb's popular wins, and more, have kept us all on the edge of our seats. With one week and two races left, swap, Anton, and ARay, recap and bench race about the most recent two races in SLC...
Presented by Fly Racing
On this week's Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast, we phoned up our buddy Cole Seely to get his take on the Monster Energy Supercross reboot in Salt Lake City, get the scoop on his new KTM 450 SX-F, and see how the freshly retired racer handled the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Jokingly, Seely told us that he "retired just in time," to avoid the uncertainty of the 2020 race season and the upcoming non-stop racing as the break in action has effectively eliminated this winter's off-season. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
In the past week we've seen two drastically different Supercross races at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, and we recap all of the things we saw in the pits, on the track, and on television. Our regular co-host Alex Ray of the SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt's Kawasaki team joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich to discuss all that's been going on in SLC.
Presented by FLY Racing
Even though you might not know Tom Journet, you've seen his video work somewhere in the last few years thanks to his ongoing projects with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team, Bell Helmets, and Team Fried. A 20-something from the suburbs of New Jersey, Journet cut an interesting career path at a very young age, first as a contributor for Vurbmoto and then as a hired filmer for brands in the industry, but nothing compares to the cult following he, Anderson, and Matt Rice experience around the world through their personal online videos. We've heard the chants of "Team Fried" for ourselves in the sands of the Netherlands and the stadiums of Australia, as the group's aesthetic manages to connect with everyone while being completely abstract from the norms in MX videos.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Journet went through the massive collection of hard drives that he's filed with footage over the last few years and edited it all together for a full-length flick, "Team Fried: The Lost Files." Shot around the world and at different times, the video is edited with each riders personality in mind and is matched to a diverse soundtrack. You can watch it for free on YouTube or swapmotolive.com
Presented by 6D Helmets
It really happened! Racing resumed at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, yesterday on a hot, windy afternoon and everyone was elated to back on track to finish out the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series. The atmosphere in the pits was strange with no fans and the social distancing rules made things strange, but hell: we'll take it! Co-host Alex Ray - fresh off his 17th in the 450 main event - joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich in our remote SLC office to do some bench racing!
Presented by 6D Helmets
It's really happening! Starting this weekend, the Monster Energy Supercross Series resumes in Rice-Eccles Stadium, and over the next three weeks, seven made-for-television races will be run in rapid-fire succession. Our bags are packed and we are making the drive to Utah to be a part of this historic string of events, and we can't wait!
Presented by Fox Racing
In six days, racing will resume and over the next 21 the final seven rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Series will be held inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Among the 40 450-class racers lining up will me Mountain Motorsports rider Chad Reed, now in his final tour of duty before calling it a career in motorcycle racing. Interestingly enough, Reed will line up on a different machine than he began his farewell tour on: a KTM 450 SX-F. In this 50-minute conversation, we cover what led to the switch, Reed's take on the COVID-19 pandemic, getting back to racing, and more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last week, we attended the first-ever Moto Fite Klub event in Ohio and it certainly felt great to be working again. The race was awesome and getting to see some of the legends of our sport doing battle again was nothing short of amazing. On today's 6D Helmets Kickstart podcast we wrap up what we saw and learned, and talk about the upcoming seven rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship that will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Presented by FLY Racing
Unless you've been living under a rock thus far in. 2020, you should already know that Spanish trials and off-road motorcycle manufacturer Gas Gas has been acquired by the KTM Group. In motocross and off-road circles, this means another complete set of machines based on the tried-and-true KTM platforms, but what does this mean for moto trials? For now, the championship-winning machines will be produced as is, but expect some KTM influence to find its way onto the popular bikes. 10-time National Trial Champion Geoff Aaron is the biggest name in American moto trials, and even though he retired from pro competition years ago he has continued to be an ambassador for the sport with his ERE action sports shows, and as Team Manager of the US Gas Gas Trials Team.
Moto trials in America has long been a small, niche part of off-road motorcycling, but we'rfe predicting that with the KTM Group's involvement, the underappreciated and underexposed sport will finally gain some widespread popularity. We've been buds with Aaron since before he earned his first championship, and had a great time catching up with him in this installment of the FLY Racing Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by FLY Racing
With some time left until Supercross starts back up, Anton made the drive to Iowa to watch the Justin Brayton Shootout at Riverside Raceway. Since Iowa has lifted restrictions from COVID-19 in recent weeks, the weekend in Winterset quickly became a must-ahead for riders of all skill levels in the central part of the United States and by the end of the weekend there were 1834 total race entries in a wide variety of classes. A sizeable purse payout to the Pro Classes lured a handful of speedy riders from around the region, including big winner Marshal Weltin, and it gave Anton a fix of competitive racing and motorcycles.
But part of the trip was to meet up with close friend Jeff Crutcher. A fixture in the Midwest MX scene, Crutcher has carved a unique space for himself through his start-up graphics shop (Rippin Ruts), coffee brand (Gimmick), and assorted ambassador deals with brands in the industry. Jeff has seen it all during his 23-years as a card carrying member to the AMA and over the last few years, he's honed in on the fun that comes with being a fast local rider. One of the biggest things that Anton and Crutcher have noticed in recent years is the return of of familiar faces to the track, as their 30-something year old friends have decided to get back on bikes or started the cycle over again with their kids on minis. Grassroots racing isn't going anywhere and the guys discussed what they're seeing at tracks around the country.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The SML team is on site at the Moto Fite Klub track and we are fired up for tomorrow's elimination-style race! The track looks challenging, yet simple enough to yield some great racing tomorrow, and the event should be super entertaining to watch. swap and Anton chat about tomorrow's event, as well as some Supercross updates, and more, in this week's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Of course, tune in to swapmotolive.com for tons of event coverage and behind-the-scenes footage.
Presented by FLY Racing
There's probably no one that's been impacted more by the current halt in racing than RJ Hampshire. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider came into 2020 with a new team and put in career-best results through the first few rounds of the 250 East Coast series, despite having a serious knee injury from a preseason crash. Because the original plan was to hold the remaining seven rounds of Supercross in the fall, Hampshire decided now was the best time to get the damaged repaired, only to see Feld and the teams propose a return to racing in June. With that, Hampshire's plans to spend the summer recovering for a final push later in the year became uncertain and he'll have a choice to make if Supercross starts in June. With word that the decision for the Supercross will come out in the next few weeks, we called RJ and discussed the injury, how likely it is that he would race in June, and his transition to the Husky squad.
Presented by FLY Racing
If you've been on social media at all the past week, you've certainly caught wind of the MX Fite Club race that's going on next Tuesday, May 12. MX Fite Klub is a bracket-style race that will pit 10 legends of our sport in two-rider, two-lap elimination races until an MX Fite Klub champion is crowned. For this installment of the FLY Racing Swapmoto Podcast, we caught up with all nine of the 10 racers (we already did a podcast on Monday with Ryan Villopoto about Fite Klub) to get their take on the ground-breaking event, see what they are doing to prepare, and get a little insight about what to expect. Listen in to hear from Mike Alessi, Damon Bradshaw, Broc Glover, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Sipes, Jeff Stanton, Ivan Tedesco, Ryan Villopoto, Jake Weimer, and Kevin Windham!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Things are getting exciting in the world of Supercross and motocross! Tracks are opening back up, pros are spinning laps on Supercross tracks in preparation for a return to racing, outlaw events are going down in the midwest, and 10 legends of motocross are set to do battle in a bracket-style race that will be broadcast live on the FITE TV app. Final word is expected to drop this Wednesday from FELD Entertainment about where and when SX will resume, and we share some insight as to the locations that are being considered.
Presented by FLY Racing
Ryan Villopoto is always a fun chat, and this week on the FLY Racing Swapmoto Podcast we got the 11-time champ on the phone to talk about MX Fite Klub. Unless your phone is busted and you haven't been on Instagram, you should have already caught wind of the event that is going down on May 12 on the Fite TV app. Ryan Villopoto, Mike Alessi, Travis Pastrana, Ivan Tedesco, Damon Bradshaw, Ryan Sipes, Jeff Stanton, Broc Glover, Kevin Windham, and Jake Weimer will face off in one-on-one grudge matches in a bracket-style race. Hear about the MX Fite Klub, and more, in this episode with RV2.
Presented by 6D Helmets
It's been an exciting week with lots to talk about. Many racers want to return to Monster Energy Supercross racing on the potential May timeline, but a few do not. Will it happen? We hope so, but don't see how it could work. On a positive note, California motocross tracks re-opened to the public with social distancing regulations in place, and we were able to get out and burn some motos!
Presented by FLY Racing
Have you watched every episode of this year's Red Bull Moto Spy series? Led by Wes Williams and Jeremy Malott, the dedicated film crew has produced six documentary-style episodes that showcase the efforts that Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, Brandon Hartranft, Pierce Brown, Brian Moreau, Adam Cianciarulo, Zach Osborne, and others have put in to reach the top step of the podium in Supercross through storytelling and action clips. With the series complete for now, we discussed how the project was put together, the reaction riders and teams have to being involved, and other highlights from the months of filming with Malott and Williams. To see all six episodes, visit swapmotolive.com.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The latest news to hit the scene is that Feld is kicking the idea around of completing the final seven rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship in May at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Our man on the scene Michael Antonovich did some digging this weekend and we discuss the potential of getting back to racing next month!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last week was the most miserable on the California quarantine thus far, as heavy rain fell throughout the week and prevented us from even stepping outside. All was not lost, however, as some of us were able to head to the hills for some 2020 Husqvarna off-road bike testing. Join swap, Anton, Dommer, and ARay as we have a great time discussing the state of racing, quarantine life, and more!
Presented by Fox Racing
Jordon Smith's season came to a halt just a few days before everyone else. A crash on the opening lap of the 250 Main Event left the Smith with torn ligaments in his right knee, which Smith revealed was already weakened by an off-season incident. Surgery was deemed necessary to repair the damage and the recovery timeline means that Smith will spend most of his first year with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad on the sidelines.
Back home in Southern Georgia, Smith's focus is now on getting back to full strength through therapy with sports specialists in Tallahassee so that he can make the most of 2021, plus plenty of time playing XBOX (JSmitty62 is his gamertag).
Presented by FLY Racing
It was a quiet Monday afternoon at the SML headquarters until we got a surprise visit from our buddy Connor Ericsson, AKA Buttery Films. Buttery was running around town doing errands that most people with a brand-new dirt bike do; picking up parts, dropping off suspension, etc. We thought we'd follow up on our SML Show visit with Buttery, and just so happened to have our podcast equipment handy. As always, chatting with our social media superstar friend was a great time. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
A lot has gone on in our SoCal locale in the past week...two more of our motocross tracks have been closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some teams are losing sponsors, more events are being canceled, and motocross brands are coming together to support our country's frontline healthcare workers. And you know what else happened? Swapmoto Live turned one! Thanks to all of our advertisers, friends, listeners, viewers, and readers for your support. You make it possible and all worthwhile!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last week, Feld announced that "It's. Not. Over." and that the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series would wrap up in the Fall after the summertime MX Nationals. This was encouraging news for race fans around the world, as the thought of the amazing 2020 series coming to a premature end was heartbreaking. In addition to this, we've spent some time on the phone with Feld officials to get the scoop on what might be in store. Kill some time with the SML staff and guest co-host Alex Ray this week on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast.
If you're in the market for a new helmet, remember that motocross is a dangerous sport and equipping yourself with the best protection possible is a must. 6D Helmets changed the way we all think about helmets with their patented omnidirectional suspension system that helps guard against rotational impact brain injuries. Choose 6D Helmets.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The COVID-19 crisis has had a major impact on the Monster Energy Supercross Series and over the last few weeks we've seen announcements of cancelled rounds and intentions for makeup dates at a later time in the year. Dave Prater is the Senior Director of Operations for Two Wheel activity at Feld Entertainment and has been one of the key people working out possible solutions, including the current plan to resume completion in September, after the conclusion of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. But as you'll hear in our conversation, there are a lot of factors that must be taken into consideration, mostly what venues will be available and when, and what will happen with the mainstream sport that are going for similar dates.
During our conversation, Prater explained the chain of events that led to the Indy Supercross cancellation and then the other dates, plus the current plan for the Fall races.
Presented by Fasthouse
The lack of racing is starting to get to us. Sure, we've made the most of the time away from airports and stadiums, yet there's something missing from our weekend routine. With that, Anton and Dommer decided that now would be a good time to rewatch the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series from the beginning, starting with the 2020 Anaheim One Supercross. That night in January feels like forever ago, but when relive the moment and know the outcome, everything hits a little different. On Friday night we sat down at our couches (1800 miles apart for safe social distancing) and had bench racing sessions with 250 Main Event and 450 Main Event playing in the background through the NBC Sports Gold Pass. We encourage you to fire up the TV, grab a drink, and listen along! To be in sync with what we see, fast-forward to 1:58.00 mark in the NBC broadcast for the 250 Main Event and the 2:36.00 mark for the 450 Main Event.
Presented by FLY Racing
Earlier this afternoon, motocross and Supercross legend Rick Johnson announced on his Instagram account (@therickyjohnson) that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Already on the backside of the virus, RJ shared some insight about what the illness was like in his post. As the first person we actually know who has been infected with Coronavirus, we thought it would be a great opportunity to gain some insight into the pandemic from someone who has first-hand experience.
And of course, since it's always a thrill to chat with RJ, we continued on to talk about dirt bikes, adventure bikes, and bandanas!
Presented by Fly Racing
What is a normal practice day like for a high-level racer? Do they show up to the track with a set agenda of what they will work on, be it the bike or technique, or is there more importance on laps and lap times? We have so many questions about the weekly grind and testing parts, many of which were answered by Zach Osborne in an hour-long phone call. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is one of the most detail-minded guys in the pit area and there's a reason for every action that he takes. During our conversation, Osborne explained what a day at the Baker's Factory is like, his relationship with riding partner Cooper Webb, and how he works with the team to perfect the feeling of his Husqvarna FC 450. Press play and learn why it's important when riders make mention of their bike changes when they're on the podium.
Presented by 6D Helmets
This is the first Monday since California has been under Stay at Home orders, and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive effect on our sport. With the seeming cancellation of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series, racers and teams have been left in limbo. The announcement of the amended 11-race MX National Championship Series was a bright spot last week, but who knows if the worst will have passed by the proposed June 13 start date in Jacksonville, Florida. This morning, we responsibly gathered at the Swapmoto Live offices and maintained a distance from each other to knock out this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets. In these strange and scary times, it was nice to enjoy a laugh or twenty with friends.
Presented by 6D Helmets
In line with the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is undergoing, our sport is on hold indefinitely and racers, race teams, and race fans have suddenly found themselves empty-handed, so to speak. The last-minute cancelation of last weekend's Indianapolis round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series was a big wake up call about just how serious the spread of the infection is and on today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast, we discuss the effects that the shut down is, and might have, on the industry and our sport in general. SGB Racing/Maxis Tires/Babbitt's Kawasaki rider Alex Ray joins us in the studio as co-host of today's episode. Have an idea for podcast subject matter? Drop us a comment on this podcast's post on swapmotolive.com
Presented by Fox Racing
Ideally, we'd be chatting with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks while doing track walk at the Indy Supercross, but with the cancellation of the event due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we caught up with the racer from Utah on the phone on this rainy SoCal Saturday morning. Having earned the first 250 Supercross win of his career last weekend at the Daytona Supercross by Honda, Marchbanks is understandably still on cloud nine and had plenty to talk about in this week's Fox Feature.
Presented by Fly Racing
One of the important behind-the-scenes guys in our sport, O'Neal Racing's President Frank Kashare is also one of the coolest guys in moto. Today, we ventured to the new Camarillo, California, headquarters of O'Neal Racing and sat down with Kashare and Rider Support Manager Mark Shear for a fun episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
Genki Watanabe is a freestyle motocross rider from Osaka, Japan, and he followed in the footsteps of his friend Taka Higashino by coming to America to escape the pressures of racing and make a name for himself in freestyle. Known for his insane whips and super-clean style on and off the bike, “Wanky” has been accepted with open arms by all of America’s top freestyle riders. With Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg as his personal English teacher, you can only imagine the words that will come out of Wanky’s mouth in this episode of the SML Show. Enjoy!
Thanks to Ogio Powersports, FMF Racing, Alpinestars, Shoei Helmets, FXR Racing, Scott Motorsports, and FLY Racing.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The 50th Daytona Supercross by Honda was as rough and challenging as always, and two Kawasaki racers emerged with the 250- and 450-class wins. While Eli Tomac's fourth Daytona victory came as no surprise to anyone, the fantastic ride turned in my Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Garrett Marchbanks in the 250 class caught everyone off guard. On today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast, the staff of SML reviews the race and picks apart all of the fun details.
Presented by Fox Racing
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo is almost two weeks post-surgery on his collarbone that he broke at the Arlington Supercross Triple Crown, so we thought it was time to track him down and get his thoughts on his otherwise excellent rookie 450 Supercross season. AC has long been one of the best interviews in the sport, and we were able to chat about everything from his injury, to his race results, to pickup kits, to e-bikes and training. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
As always, the Battle of Atlanta proved to be a barnburner and aside from Honda HRC's Ken Roczen running away with his third win of the season, the action behind the leader was amazing with some aggressive passes and gritty performances. Monster Energy Yamaha's Justin Barcia overcame a terrible start to return to the podium while defending Supercross Champion Cooper Webb shocked everyone by fighting to third place in extreme pain after his horrific crash last weekend in Arlington. In the 250 class, Chase Sexton earned his second win of the season and took sole possession of the red plate, leading RJ Hampshire and title rival Shane McElrath home in third. We had a lot to chat about in today's 6D Helmets recap of the race - and last week - so sit back and enjoy! Thanks for listening!
Presented by Fly Racing
While the track crew put the final touches on the 2020 Arlington Supercross, we sat down with Mike Muye, Feld Entertainment's Director of Supercross Operations. One of the executives of the Monster Energy Supercross Series, Muye is responsible for a number of details to each race weekend, including logistics of getting the staff in the right place at the right time, the creation each layout, and the overall infrastructure.
During our 40 minute conversation, Muye explained how things are transported around the country for all 17 rounds, the importance of the Supercross Futures program, how the tracks for this year were designed, and what the future holds for the series. One very telling detail Muye shared was that the FIM will continue to be involved in Supercross and that the series aims to branch out into international markets with races in the near future, while still keeping a 17-round schedule.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The second Triple Crown of the Monster Energy Supercross Series went down last weekend in Arlington, Texas, and there was plenty of on-track action to talk about in today's 6D Helmets recap! Swap had the Martian Death Flu all last week and is lacking much of a voice, so big boy Dommer stepped in to cover for him with Anton and Chase in this week's episode. Enjoy!
Presented by Fox Racing
Simply put, Manuel Lettenbichler is one of the most talented riders on two wheels today. The German off-road star earned the 2019 World Enduro Super Series Championship, topped the Red Bull Romaniacs event, and is the uncontested Ultimate Enduro World Champion.
SML was fortunate enough to come into contact with Lettenbichler while he was in Southern California visiting some sponsors. If you've never heard of Manuel - do yourself a favor and look him up on YouTube!
Audio version of our in-studio talk show.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
Thus far into the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series, Malcolm Stewart has finished inside the top 10 at every round aboard his SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda, and the former Western Regional 250 Supercross Champion is gaining confidence with each passing race. Last year, Stewart's season was cut short after only one-and-a-half races when he suffered a broken femur, but he spent the time since rebuilding his fitness and has made an impressive comeback from such a horrific injury. Stewart was one of the first guests to ever appear on the SML Show, and this is his second visit. And what a good time it was!
Thanks to Ogio Powersports, FMF Racing, Alpinestars, Shoei Helmets, FXR Racing, ODI Grips, Scott Motorsports, and FLY Racing.
Presented by 6D Helmets
What a race the Tampa Supercross was! In addition to kicking off the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship, the Raymon James Stadium event also marked the return to racing for Josh Hill, Jeremy Martin and Broc Tickle, as well as Jo Shimoda's rookie debut...and the return of James Stewart to the races! Join the staff of SML for a little bench racing about the happenings at last weekend's race!
Presented by Fly Racing
The Monster Energy Supercross Series is on the East Coast this weekend and Tampa's Raymond James Stadium will host round seven of the 450 championship and the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Series kickoff. The excitement for tomorrow's race is high, as we will finally get to see many racers on the track for the first time. During today's press day function, we caught up with Alex Ray, Justin Barcia, Jordon Smith, Jo Shimoda, Shane McElrath, Cooper Webb, Broc Tickle, Zach Osborne, and Aaron Plessinger. Enjoy!
Tomorrow night in Tampa, Florida, will mark the start of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship and while much of the hype surrounds defending champion Chase Sexton of the GEICO Honda team and his rivals like RJ Hampshire, Shane McElrath, Jordon Smith and more, one rider who is rather quietly making a return to competition is Josh Hill. The 30-year-old from the Yoncalla, Oregon, will contest the entire series aboard a Yamaha YZ250F with support from the Club MX Race Team, after several years away from full-time racing. Hill, who is best remembered as a factory Yamaha racer, has spent the past few years earning a living as a freerider and social influencer, but when the opportunity to line up again presented itself, he got in shape, trained at Club MX, and is coming into this series, "fit and ready to race for wins."
For this edition of the Fox Feature, we phoned Hill up for an insightful and entertaining podcast. Be sure to keep your eyes out for the number-175 Yamaha YZ250F on Saturday night!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing With seven X Games medals to his credit, Colby Raha has certainly made his mark on the sport of freestyle motocross, but it wasn't all fun and games for the new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider. Once one of the many aspiring mini racers who travel the country in pursuit of amateur motocross glory, Raha's racing career took a radical detour when he was in his early teens and he thought his chances of being a professional racer were over. Through hard work and dedication, he found a way to express himself on two wheels without starting gates and checkered flags, and his story is one of the most interesting we've heard. Colby Raha is a lot more than a gnarly freestyle rider...he's one of the coolest guys we've had on the SML Show, too! Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Round six of the Monster Energy Supercross Series visited San Diego's Petco Park last weekend and the pits were filled with special graphic kits and gearsets for the Military Appreciation theme. Dylan Ferrandis earned his third win of the season and further extended his championship points lead heading into the six-week break in West Coast racing while Supercross Champion Cooper Webb broke the seal on his title defense with his first win of the season. A lot more went down than the results column reveals, though, and we discuss all of the things we saw and heard at Petco Park in this week's installment of the 6D Helmets Kickstart podcast. Enjoy.
Presented by Fly Racing
Broc Tickle's FIM suspension for his failed drug test at the 2018 San Diego Supercross ends next week, February 10, 2020, and the former Western Regional 250 Supercross Champion will make his return to racing at the February 15 Tampa Supercross. In preparation for his comeback, Tickle had assembled an impressive Husqvarna FC 450 race bike with help from AEO Powersports, Twisted Development Racing, and REP Suspension but as luck would have it, a fill-in ride with the JGRMX Suzuki team presented itself and it looks like we'll see a yellow number 20 bike next weekend in Florida. We phoned Broc up this evening to get an update on how things are progressing, and to chat about the excellent team he had assembled before he was presented with a factory fill in.
Presented by Fly Racing
SGD Racing/Maxxis Tires/Babbitt's Kawasaki rider Alex Ray has been enjoying a solid season aboard his new Kawasaki KX450 and save for the Anaheim One season opener he has been a regular contender in the 450 mains. The likable privateer had a great showing at last weekend's Oakland Supercross, and we invited him to join us in the SML offices for this installment of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Round five of the Monster Energy Supercross Series visited Oakland, California's RingCentral Coliseum last weekend, and the SML crew was on hand to capture all of the action. Great racing developed in both classes and there was plenty for us to bench race about today on this installment of the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
In the four decades that the Dakar Rally has been held, no American racer has ever stood atop the podium in the motorcycle division until now. California's Ricky Brabec broke KTM's 18-year stranglehold on the event this month by winning "The Most Prestigious Off-Road Race in the World" aboard his Monster Energy Honda, and we were super excited to get him on this week's show!
Thanks to Ogio Powersports, FMF Racing, Alpinestars, Shoei Helmet, FXR Racing, ODI Grips, Scott Motorsports, and FLY Racing.
Presented 6D Helmets
The first Triple Crown of the season went down last weekend at the Glendale, Arizona, round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series and lots went down, literally and figuratively. While Honda HRC's Ken Roczen pulled a clean sweep in the 450 class, it was not without incident as there was plenty of carnage on the track around him. In the 250s, Austin Forkner rebounded with a win after his poor Anaheim Two showing and closed his points deficit to ten.
Presented by Fly Racing
GEICO Honda's Jett Lawrence made a huge impression on Supercross fans around the world last Saturday with his spirited ride in the Anaheim Two 250 Supercross main event. The 16-year-old came within two straightaways of winning his first Supercross and had the crowd on its feet as he did his best to hold off a hard-charging Dylan Ferrandis. Sadly, the rookie's near-win ended with a spectacular crash only seconds away from the finish line that left him with a minor concussion and a broken collarbone. But make no mistake: Jett Lawrence is for real and he will be back. We caught up with the popular Australian this morning to see how he's doing and learn a bit more about him in this installment of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
Save for a forgettable 2019 season in the United States, Thomas Covington has spent his entire professional racing career abroad, chasing glory on the FIM World Championship Motocross circuit. The likable racer from Alabama has tasted victory four times on the GP circuit and has given American race fans someone to cheer for in the World Championships. After struggling with injuries and a bout with the Epstein Barr virus in '19 when he was lured back to his home country by a ride with the Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna team, Covington has elected to return to the more familiar World Championship circuit in '20 and beyond. Always one of our favorite racers to chat with, Covington joined us on the SML Show set just before heading overseas to prepare for his first assault on the MXGP class with the Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha team. We really enjoyed our conversation with Big Air Tom, and we think you will, too!
Thanks to Ogio Powersports, FMF Racing, Alpinestars, Bell Helmets, FXR Racing, ODI Grips, Scott Motorsports, and FLY Racing.
Presented by Fly Racing
It's always great to have new race teams entering the sport and the new FXR Chaparral Honda team is especially interesting as it is owned one of our friends and former moto-journalist, Michael Lindsay. Known affectionately by the SML team as "Talking Boy," Lindsay is one of the good guys and he is fielding his own team to both check off a line on his personal bucket list and also to help several privateer racers make it to the races. We convinced TB to swing by the Swapmoto Live offices for a quick interview in between unloading his team semi and helping his mechanics rebuild race bikes. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
What a wild night we had at the Anaheim Two Supercross! The racing was unreal and there was plenty for us to talk about and dissect, from Jett Lawrence's amazing and heartbreaking ride to the controversial Dylan Ferrandis and Christian Craig collision, to Eli Tomac's first win of the season and more! If the first three rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross series are any indication of what we can expect all season long, man are we pumped!
We're trying something different and posting the audio from our in-studio video SML Show. Let us know if you'd like us to continue to share the audio via podcast format.
Presented by OGIO Powersports and FMF Racing
Jordan Troxell has always been one of the coolest guys in the pits and one of the mechanics who we really enjoy visiting with at the races. From his early days as Tarah Geiger's mechanic at the Troy Lee Designs Honda team, to his current role as Ken Roczen's factory mechanic at Team Honda HRC, Troxell has always had a smile on his face and it is obvious that he takes pride in his job. We had never had a mechanic on the SML Show before, and Troxell was our first choice to invite on for a chat. It took a while, but it was well worth it! Enjoy!
Thanks to Ogio Powersports, FMF Racing, Alpinestars, Bell Helmets, FXR Racing, ODI Grips, Scott Motorsports, and FLY Racing.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship headed west last weekend to St. Louis, and though it was snowing outside, the action inside the Dome at America's Center was hot and heavy. In addition to Ken Roczen earning his first win after three years of injury and illness, we saw Austin Forkner earn his first win since dropping out of last year's 250 championship with a blown-out knee. Join the SML edit staff as we dissect the whos, whats, and whys of round two of this year's Supercross series.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last weekend's Anaheim One Supercross was everything we had hoped it'd be and more! The capacity crowd on hand at Angels Stadium of Anaheim was treated to great racing in both classes, one first-time winner, and the beginning of what could be a couple of new rider rivalries. On this installment of the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast, we review what went down at A1, as well as discuss some interesting developments, as well as look ahead to this weekend's St. Louis SX.
Presented by Fly Racing
A few weeks ago, we introduced Bernard Kerr to our listeners. A world-class mountain bike racer from the UK, Kerr spent several weeks in SoCal in an attempt to try and qualify for the night show in the 450 class at last weekend's Anaheim One Supercross.
With support from Maxxis and Fly Racing, Kerr was able to live out 90% of his dream as he was loaned a Kawasaki KX450 race bike by Jeremy McGrath and received track side coaching from McGrath and Weston Peick. Kerr's learning curve was steep, and during the time he was in California he was quite impressive.
Sadly, Kerr was denied entry into the event on the Thursday before Anaheim One, and his #Pray1 campaign came to a heart-breaking end. Was he fast enough to qualify for the 40-rider night show? We'll never know for sure, but we can say with certainty that he would have been quicker then many of the riders in the C practice sessions.
Kerr joined us for a quick wrap-up before heading home to begin training for the 2020 World Cup Downhill series. Follow him on Instagram @bernard_kerr
Presented by Fly Racing
Instagram @justincooper_32
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Justin Cooper had a big night this weekend as he earned his first-ever 250 Supercross win at the Angels Stadium of Anaheim Monster Energy Supercross Series kickoff. Known for his cool-as-ice demeanor, it was cool to see how emotional Cooper got after scoring the big win aboard his Yamaha YZ250F. We got the New Yorker to come onto the Swapmoto Podcast this evening, while his emotions were still high over last night's victory.
Presented by Fly Racing
Unless you've been living in a cave for a couple of years now, you already know that CBD has become one of the most popular products and sponsorships in our sport. Dean Wilson gained a ton of attention last year when he landed Dan Bilzerian's Ignite CBD brand as a personal sponsor, then was told by Feld that he could not run logos due to NBC broadcast regulations. Chad Reed was next to land a CBD sponsor with CBDMD, but he was told the same.
Flash forward to a few days before the start of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series, and CBDMD is the Official CBD of Supercross. Funny how that works...
But what the heck is CBD, and does it really work? Most people know that it is derived from the hemp plant, and most immediately assume CBD gets you high. We've been in contact with no less than eight CBD manufacturers since the product first came into prominence, but Sean Miller from Pure Kana is the first representative who has been able to answer all of our ignorant questions. If you're interested in CBD products for health, wellness, or recovery, listen in...we learned a lot during our 45-minute chat with Sean!
Learn more at purekana.com
With swap in Japan, Anton called Dommer up and bench raced for an hour about the upcoming 2020 Anaheim One Supercross and Monster Energy Supercross season. This year's seventeen round series should be one of the best in history, as it will see a list of accomplished riders, past champions, and determined competitors in both classes. This is just a quick conversation, but we will have another in-depth installment just ahead of the opening round next week.
Presented by OGIO Powersports
In just a few weeks, Adam Cianciarulo will make his proper, long-awaited debut in the 450 class at the 2020 Anaheim One Supercross. That's not to discredit the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider's big win at the 2019 Monster Energy Cup, but as you'll hear in this chat, he knows the October race is much different than what he'll face over the course of seventeen weeks.
For how popular and acclaimed AC is, he's done a very good job staying under the radar this offseason. The majority of his time was spent in Southern California, which allowed him to test parts and setup on the KX450 alongside the team, and he continued his work with riding coach Nick Wey.
This will be a big year for Cianciarulo, as he is widely expected to be in the mix for good finishes in every Main Event, with hopes for a win should things go his way. Impressive results will be key, as he has signed just a one-year contract with Monster Energy Kawasaki and sees the season as his chance to prove to the sport why he's worthy of a long-time spot from 2021.
Presented by FLY Racing
When the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series kicks off in a few weeks at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Michael Mosiman will be on the starting line in the 250 class. Back with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for another two years, the 20-year-old is expected to take the next steps forward in his career during the 250 West Coast region races, with the initial goal being a career-first podium finish.
If you follow Mosiman on Instagram, then you know there's much more to him than just motorcycles. An analytical and spiritual person who is always looking for something new to learn, Mosiman's outlook on life developed a bit different than most racers and it's obvious that he's put a lot of thought into what he does and says.
Presented by OGIO Powersports
The last few weeks have been busy for Benny Bloss. There was the news that he would not be offered a contract extension by Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM for 2020, a last hurrah with the team at the 2019 Monster Energy Cup in October, lots of phone calls to put secure a ride for 2020, an offseason race in Spain, and now confirmation that he will take on the full Monster Energy Supercross Series and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in the 450 class with support from Rock River Yamaha.
For this week's episode of the OGIO Powersports How Was Your Weekend Podcast, we rang up Bloss and discussed his return to Rock River (the Midwest dealership was a long-time sponsor), how he has adapted to the YZ450F, and what he expects of himself in the looming race season.
Presented by 6D Helmets
There're only 19 days until the gates drop on the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season, and a lot has happened in recent weeks. Editor Michael Antonovich relocated to his hometown of St. Louis, IL, recently, so he and swap had a great time catching up and bench racing a little in this week's Kickstart Podcast.
Martin Davalos made the trip to Switzerland last weekend for his first-ever run at the Geneva Supercross. Aboard a Kawasaki KX450 and with his riding coach doing double-duty as his mechanic, Davalos swept Friday night's format (Heat Race, Head-To-Head bracket battles, Main Event) and was consistently quick through Saturday (top qualifier, second in his Heat Race, second in the Head-To-Head, third in the Main Event after laps led and a crash) In the end, Davalos technically tied on points with Justin Brayton was technically ranked second overall, due to Saturday night's Main Event tie-breaker.
Once Davalos made it back to the United States, we rang him up to talk on this installment of the OGIO Powersports How Was Your Weekend Podcast. For a half-hour, Davalos discusses the race in Switzerland, his new SX-only deal with Team Tedder on a KTM 450 SX-F, and the possibility of going to the factory team in place of Marvin Musquin.
Presented by 6D Helmets
A "freak accident" during practice at the 2019 AUS-X Open Supercross event in Australia put Joey Savatgy in a precarious situation a few weeks ago. Thousands of miles away from home and with multiple fractures to the bones in his heel and ankle, the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider had to undergo a surgery to stabilize the injury, fly 14 hours from Melbourne to Los Angeles, and then go through a second separate procedure to help with the recovery and future range of motion.
Now in the United States, Savatgy's recovery period that fill the early months of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Despite the setback, he is hopeful that the entire process will go smoothly and there's a chance to be back on the starting line as early as late spring. On this week's episode of the 6D Helmets Kickstart podcast, Savatgy explained the entire injury, return home, and expected recovery.
Presented by Fly Racing
One of the best downhill mountain bikers in the world, Bernard Kerr is in the United States to try and qualify for the night show at the Anaheim One Supercross. Spawned from a bet made with his mates during a night on the town, Kerr bought a new Kawasaki KX450 at home in the UK, built a Supercross track at a friend's place, and has been counting the days until January 4, 2020. Though Kerr has only raced motocross a handful of times, much of his skill on a mountain bikes transfers over and he is actually quite skilled on a motocrosser. With help from his "personal sponsor" Jeremy McGrath who is loaning him a bike to race and hopefully offering some tips at the track, Kerr hopes to be among the fast 40 in the 450 class at Angel's Stadium.
By chance we bumped into Kerr and his buddies this morning as he pulled into Jeremy McGrath Motorsports to pick up his motorcycle, and we cornered him for a quick chat. Enjoy!
Presented by Fly Racing
This week's Swapmoto Podcast is a little different in that one of my fellow journalists is our guest. For over seven years, Drew Rohde was an editor at Decline Magazine - a mountain bike magazine focused on the gravity side of the sport - but one day without warning, he and the rest of the staff were told that the magazine was being shut down. Sound familiar? Instead of finding work with another title or leaving media altogether, Rohde assembled a small group and launched The Loam Wolf, an online property that picks up where Decline left off. Sound familiar?
TheLoamWolf.com has been an inspiration for all of us at Swapmoto Live, and we've often bounced ideas off of and compared notes with Rohde.
At the end of the day, both Swapmoto Live and The Loam Wolf are two media entities that are fueled by passion and a love for all things two-wheeled. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Mitchell Oldenburg has gone through a lot in the last few years, both good and bad. Widely considered one of the top riders in the 250 class, he claimed Heat Race wins, Main Event podium finishes, and top qualifier honors at various times in Supercross. That he logged the single fastest lap of the 250 class in practice at the 2019 Las Vegas Supercross, against both coasts, proved that "Freckle" knows what's he's doing on the bike.
Unfortunately, much of his two-year contract with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha was spent on the sidelines with injuries (a complicated collarbone break and torn ACL in 2018, a third-degree burn in 2019) and as a result, he was not re-signed to the team for 2020.
Oldenburg could have easily walked away from the sport and started a new career as an electrician, but instead, he pursued a deal to race the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship with Penrite Honda. The ride meant a multi-month move to the suburbs Melbourne, Australia, in a house with his wife, infant son, and mechanic, Nathan Alexander.
Through the five-rounds series down under, Oldenburg showed class-leading speed and won the three-moto overall at the 2019 AUS-X Open Supercross this past weekend. But the biggest perk came a few weeks into the series when the team told Oldenburg that they were going to run a full operation for the 250 West Coast Region of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series with him as one of the two riders.
Oldenburg has done a lot of reflecting in the past year and during my last night with his family at the team house we talked for an hour about the setbacks, breakthroughs, and future.
Presented by Fly Racing
Michael Antonovich is down under this weekend for the Aus-X Open, and he grabbed some face time with the mechanics of the Penrite Honda team that is supporting Americans Justin Brayton and Mitchell Oldenburg in Australia. Listen in for some insight and perhaps a hint of what's to come in 2020...
Presented by OGIO Powersports
Rocky Mountain ATV/MX KTM's Justin Bogle traveled to Barcelona, Spain, last weekend to compete in what would be his first international off-season Supercross in several years, and the former 250 Supercross Champion topped a field that included Americans Benny Bloss and Tyler Bowers, as well as a slew of fast French Supercross racers. Bogle phoned in to talk about the race in Spain, his recovery from Epstein Barr, as well as the season ahead.
Presented by 6D Helmets
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Colt Nichols had a breakthrough year of sorts in 2019, and the Oklahoman is looking forward to an even bigger and better 2020. Unfortunately, a broken foot and shoulder injury has put a damper on his off-season preparations, but he is still doing all he can to be prepared for the East Coast kickoff at Tampa. We caught up with Nichols this afternoon to see how things are going...
Presented by 6D Helmets
With little racing on the schedule to discuss, we rang up Brett Smith of wewentfast.com for this week's episode of the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. A career moto journalist, Smith's latest endeavor are a website and social media channels that share the stories of the sport, but with a focus on timeless tales and not the news of the day. A few months back Smith acquired the entire inventory of Terry Pratt's book, "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season." Filled with images and reports collected by Pratt during his year in Europe following the series, it's an incredible look at the early years of motocross. If this is something you'd like to add to your collection, we recommend that you act fast, because the inventory is limited and it will never be printed again.
Presented by Ogio Powersports
There was no racing in the United States this weekend, so we phoned up Broc Tickle for this quick Ogio Powersports How Was Your Weekend Podcast to see how his preparations for the Tampa Supercross are coming along. Tickle's suspension will lift on 2/10/20, and he is planning to contest the last 2/3 of the Monster Energy Supercross series aboard a privateer Husqvarna with backing from AEO Powersports and FXR Racing. After we chatted about the Post Malone concert he went to on Saturday night, Tick got into the nitty gritty of what it's gonna take to make a serious return to racing in February.
Presented by Fly Racing
He may be on the sidelines with a hip injury, but Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna Factory Racing's Dean Wilson is back in the spotlight again. Last year, Deano gave away a Husqvarna TC 50 to a deserving youngster, and this year he's bumped it up to a TC 65! We chatted with Deano about his desire to give back to the sport, as well as how his recovery from the dislocated hip he suffered at the Monster Energy Cup is going, and lots more!
Presented by 6D Helmets
This was a busy weekend for the SML staff, and we were on opposing sides of the world covering events. Here in SoCal, we hosted the Seven MX Mini Major at State Fair MX and nearly 600 minibike racers showed up to compete in what has quickly become the most important mini race of the year. Seven MX COO Dennis Bloch joins us to recap the event in today's episode, and we also phone up Michael Antonovich, who just got home from the Supercross de Paris, where he watched Justin Barcia, Malcolm Stewart, Dylan Ferrandis, Jeremy Martin, Vince Friese and Justin Hill lead the way.
Presented by Fly Racing
This week's episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast is an hour long talk with RJ Hampshire. These last few months have been massive for RJ, as he left the GEICO Honda team with a year remaining on his contract to join Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's 250 program. It was a deal that many knew about during the summer months, but per RJ, the ink wasn't dry until the last race of the nationals.
The team change has had a major impact on Hampshire's life, because it comes with a spot in Aldon Baker's training program alongside Anderson, Webb, Musquin, and Osborne. To make the most of the opportunity, Hampshire has made the hour plus move from his home in Wesley Chapel Florida to Clermont, and has spent the past few weeks doing everything on bakers schedule to be ready for the East coast kick off of the Supercross season. As you'll hear, Hampshire is already seeing physical changes thanks to the intensity of the workouts and the diet.
Hampshire was widely expected to be a constant contender in the 250 when he was signed to GEICO Honda, but things didn't go the way he and the team anticipated due to injuries or performance issues with the CRF250R. All is still good between the rider and the team, something RJ made clear when the topic of getting out of the contract came up, and that's a rare thing in our sport. But with a bike that suits his riding style and increased confidence, it's clear that he has his eye on a title in 2020.
The Dubya USA Vet World Championships went down today at Glen Helen Raceway and SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda rider Mike Alessi made a last-minute decision to join in on the fun and showed up literally 20 minutes before the gate dropped on the first 20 Pro moto and went on to sweep the title with a 1-1 tally. On this week's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast, we chat with Mikey about his new Vet World Championship, the Monster Cup on a two-stroke, and reminisce about his long pro racing career.
Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
The summer of 2018 was a strange time for Phil Nicoletti. Despite having a number of top-ten finishes and even an overall podium to his credit, the New Yorker had no lucrative offers on the table to race in the United States. With all stateside options exhausted, he took a contract with the Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha team to contest the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown series in Canada that promised two years of full support and a confirmed status as a front-runner in the very competitive field. It's a route that a handful of riders have taken in recent years, especially because the series offers a 100,000-dollar (Canadian currency, by the way) payout to the person with the most combined points from the Arenacross, motocross, and Supercross tours.
After an eventful year that included race wins, podium finishes, and that impossible to miss incident in the post-race cooldown zone, Nicoletti clinched the title with a sizable margin over defending champion Cole Thompson. The move north has given Nicoletti a new lease on his career and at 30 years old, he feels that he has a few more years to stack wins over the border.
Presented by Fly Racing
One of the biggest storylines of this offseason is the JGRMX operation. A staple of the sport for over a decade, it is the only factory Suzuki motocross effort in the world and is always a place riders keep in mind when it comes to signing a contract for the next season. Unfortunately, this has been a very rough tear for the North Carolina-based operation has felt the effect of Suzuki's recent inner-company restructure and for a while, it was unclear if they would even be at Anaheim One in 2020. Although a number of riders rode the team's Suzuki bikes in 2019, Alex Martin is the only person with a confirmed contract from the manufacturer and team for 2020, and much of their future will revolve around him. The team resumed a normal offseason testing schedule a few weeks ago, with Martin back on the RM-Z250, so we rang him up to get the story straight. Always a good interview, AMart openly shared insight on the past race season, the current situation at JGRMX, and what he sees for himself in the future.
Presented by 6D Helmets
It's been over a year since we've gotten to see the number-six machine of Jeremy Martin line up behind a starting gate. After breaking his back at the 2018 Muddy Creek National, the former 250 National Champion underwent three major surgeries to properly fix the damage to his body. With only a few weeks of training and testing under his belt, Martin made a last-minute decision to compete at last weekend's Monster Energy Cup and showed flashes of his old self as he raced to an eventual eighth overall aboard his GEICO Honda CRF450R. JMart called in for today's show after a long day of testing in Hesperia, in preparation for the upcoming Paris Supercross.
Presented by Ogio Powersports
It's been an exciting few weeks for Adam Cianciarulo. After wrapping up his first 250 National Championship at Iron Man MX a few weeks ago, the Floridian has been getting his feet wet aboard his new Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450, as he will make his premier class debut this weekend at the Monster Energy Cup. For today's How Was Your Weekend Podcast, we phoned up AC to check in and see how he is getting used to the new bike, his new team, and his new teammate, and more! Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Did you forget that Cooper Webb won the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series championship? May feels like a lifetime ago and Friday's press intro for KTM's factory-backed teams served as a reminder to all about which rider will rep the number one plate through the 2020 season. A leg injury at the Unadilla Motocross put Webb on the sidelines and out of mind since August, but he's back aboard the 450 SX-F and the title defense will be his motivation through the upcoming offseason. We spent about twenty-minutes with Webb between practice sessions at KTM's private practice track on Friday and discussed some of what's gone in the past few months, his outlook for 2020, he desire to remain with Red Bull KTM for the remainder of his career, and what draws him back to the starting line every Saturday.
Presented by Fly Racing
Erick Bartoldus has been a fixture in motocross for nearly two decades now, and in his current role at Yoshimura R&D he oversees the marketing strategies of the high-performance exhaust manufacturer. From his early days as a professional BMX racer to his pivotal role at GT Bicycles to his start in motocross as an editor at TransWorld Motocross to his instrumental role in rebranding Answer Racing, "Big E" has enjoyed every minute of his multi-faceted career. You may not have heard of Big E before, but chances are good you've enjoyed some of his work.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The 2019 Red Bull Straight Rhythm is done and dusted and what an event it was! The two-stroke-only format has breathed new life into the race, and more fans than ever turned out at the Pomona Fairplex to watch Honda HRC's Ken Roczen, FXR Racing's Joey Crown and Triggr Racing's Tyler Bowers take the top spots. SML helped get Alex Ray to the event with a super-fun two-stroke Suzuki RM250 build, but after being matched up with Supercross Champion Cooper Webb in the first match race of the night, we were eliminated early on. Still, we invited our buddy to come cohost today's show with us!
Presented by Fly Racing
This weekend's Red Bull Straight Rhythm at the Pomona Fairplex is sure to be a good time, as the sweet smell of two-stroke premix will fill the air as a field consisting only of two-stroke motocross bikes will fill out the starting grid in the tournament-style match race. Today was the practice day at the Fairplex, and cohost Mike Sleeter and I sat down with Red Bull's Jeremy Mallot, the guy who brainstormed the Straight Rhythm race back in 2012...
Presented by 6D Helmets
The 2019 Motocross of Nations is in the books and Team Netherlands earned its first-ever MXoN championship. Michael Antonovich was on the scene for Swapmoto Live and this morning's 6D Helmets podcast was recorded on both sides of the world, as race fan extraordinaire and snack addict Dominic Gaytan joins Anton for a little race recap.
With the 2019 Motocross of Nations just days away, we took a minute to preview the top teams and riders ahead of the international event at Assen in the Netherlands. Will the French continue their run of dominance? Can the Dutch claim the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in history, on their home turf? How will the extensive practice time in Europe help the American riders? Michael Antonovich and Dominic Gaytan share their thoughts, predictions, and stories of MXON past on this episode of the FLY Racing Swapmoto Live Podcast.
Presented by 6D Helmets
With no races going on last weekend, we decided to pay a visit to our friends at 6D Helmets this morning to learn more about the men behind the brand and the creation of the helmet technology that changed the sport for the better. Bob Weber and Rober Reisinger are both former professional motocross racers who continue to live and breathe for the sport of motocross, long after their racing careers have come to a close. Eight years ago, the 6D ATR-1 helmet changed the way we all think about safety, as its patented Omni-directional impact reduction system was the first to ever address rotational impact brain injuries. Now, almost every premium helmet manufacturer has adopted some sort of new technology into their helmets to address the same rotational impacts. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the 6D offices, and this is one of the most interesting and educational podcasts we've ever produced. Enjoy!
Presented by Ogio Powersports
With the Motocross of Nations less than one week away, we phoned up Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Justin Cooper for this installment of the How Was Your Weekend Podcast. Cooper is representing team USA on his Yamaha YZ250F in the MX2 class, and he has been in Belgium training in the sandy conditions since Monday. We were pleasantly surprised to hear how well he is adapting to the softy conditions in preparation for next weekend's showdown, and he had plenty to say about the European riders that he's been training with all week. Enjoy!
“MOTO: The Movie” showed viewers the rigors of motorcycle riding over the course of ten installments. But when the production wrapped on last year's video, the crew decided it was time to take things in a new direction. Longtime leader Taylor Congdon passed over the assets to partners Jason Plough and Dominick Russo, which allows the two young filmers to direct future projects as they see fit. After a long year of banking clips and cutting them up into an hour-long film, the guys are set to embark on a nationwide tour to hype the release of “This Is Moto.” Before the long travel started, we sat down with the duo at a Southern California coffee shop and talked about all that went into the film's creation, their equipment, and the bigger vision to the company.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The Montreal Supercross went down in the Great White North last weekend and SML was on hand to capture all of the action. Justin Brayton finished third overall aboard his Penrite Honda CRF450R and had some of the most intense battles through the evening. JB10 joined us on this morning's Kickstart Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets.
Presented by Fly Racing
Have you kept track of all that's happened to Joey Savatgy over the last twelve months? Things like his advancement to the 450 class via a ride with Monster Energy Kawasaki, the pack-leading performance at the Monster Energy Cup, a handful of top-seven finishes in Supercross, some mechanical woes outdoors, and an eventual departure from the factory team were the easy things to keep track of. But there was much more to all of those things than what one could see from the outside and now that the season is over, Savatgy has had some time to reflect about each. In this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, we talk with the currently unemployed racer about the year, the Monster Energy Cup move over, misconceptions about reimbursement, the details of his departure from the team, and how close he is to inking a deal with another team in the pits.
Presented by Fly Racing
Osaka, Japan's, Genki Watanabe is one of the most stylish guys you'll ever see on a dirt bike. Less than one year ago, "Wanky" suffered a badly broken leg that was further complicated by compartment syndrome. After nearly losing his limb, Watanabe worked hard to regain strength and rehab himself back to fitness and just a couple weeks ago he earned a silver medal in the Best Whip contest at Norway X Games. We heard that Watanabe would be visiting his sponsors at Seven MX last week so we met up with him to learn more about his career that started as a professional racer in the All Japan National MX Championships. Seven MX's Roger Larsen joins us as co-host of this show.
Presented by 6D Helmets
We started riding our 2020 450s all the way back in June when we took delivery of the Husqvarna FC 450 and KTM 450 SX-F test bikes, and once we were allowed to pick up the Suzuki RM-Z450 a couple of weeks ago, we assembled a panel of six test riders and invited the manufacturers to join us for one final day of comparison testing. After hundreds of laps and dozens of hours logged on each bike, the Yamaha YZ450F came out as the overall favorite of the Swapmoto Live staff and earns 450 Bike of the Year honors. Today, Mike Sleeter and Pat Foster join us to talk about all six of the machines and the strengths and weaknesses of each. In the market for a new bike in 2020? You need to listen to this!
Presented by Fly Racing
Of the handful of anti-doping violations in professional motocross, Cade Clason's case is one of the more mismanaged. Clason, a privateer that followed the US pro series for years, tested positive for a prohibited unless TUE-approved amphetamine in 2017 and had his racing career come to an abrupt halt.
When news of the time the result became public, Clason immediately stated that the substance was Adderall, a medicine that can be approved by WADA on a case by case basis if deemed necessary, and that he had filed the paper but took it without hearing back from officials if the use was approved. The misunderstanding made no difference to the authorities that presided over the case and Clason was issued a suspension from competition in for the 2018 and 2019 seasons by the FIM.
While Clason was kept from racing, he was approached by FXR's Andy White with a job offer to help manage the gear brand's growing list of supported riders, a job that kept him at events in North America. When a major shakeup in Canadian motocross pulled the National series away from the FIM-recognized federation, Clason was technically free to race the Rockstar Energy MX Championship and he did so in 2018 and 2019.
In the middle of this past summer, Clason's suspension was lifted by the FIM and he was free to compete at AMA-FIM organized events again. Once his AMA membership was approved, he made it to the starting line for the Unadilla and Ironman rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Just before the last race of the year, we sat down with Clason and discussed much of what has gone down since 2017, how the time away helped him appreciate racing, his move to Arizona with his wife, and what the future holds.
Presented by 6D Helmets
It's been a long road to recovery for Malcolm Stewart since he broke his femur in January, but the popular rider has been putting in some serious work in preparation for his return to racing. Though Anaheim 1 is the ultimate goal for the Motoconcepts Honda rider, he will compete in a handful of off-season events, starting with the September 14 Montreal SX.
Malcolm recently returned to SoCal to start testing with the team, and it's always good to have him in the neighborhood. We caught up with Mookie to talk about just about everything. We had a good time, and so will you when you listen in!
Presented by Fly Racing
Justin Bogle has always been one of the coolest guys in the pits, and catching up with the Oklahoman is always a pleasure. It's been an interesting season for the former East Coast 250 Supercross Champion, as he recently revealed that he has been suffering from the Epstein Barr virus all year long. His results on the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM 450 SX-F have been impressive nonetheless, and Bogle is hoping to stay on with the team for 2020 and beyond. Michael Antonovich caught up with Captain 891 in this episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
After graduating from the 2019 Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals, Jo Shimoda joined the Lucas Oil MX Nationals tour at Unadilla as a full-fledged member of the GEICO Honda team and turned in two top-15 finishes aboard his Honda CRF250R. Hailing from Suzuka, Japan, Shimoda is expected by many to be the first Japanese rider to have an impact on AMA Pro racing since Akira Narita finished third at the 2005 Anaheim Supercross. Jo joined us at the SML offices this morning for some bench racing before flying to his hometown tomorrow for three weeks of rest and relaxation. When he returns to California, it's wide-open prep for 250 Supercross!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Multi-time Amateur National Champion Bradley Taft has been missing from the AMA Pro Racing scene for a while now, but he's hoping to return to action, starting next month. Taft stopped by the SML offices to bench race about last weekend's Budds Creek National, and also to fill us in on his new deal.
Presented by Fly Racing A few weeks ago we learned that Christina Denney will leave her position as Team Manager of CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha after the 2019 Ironman Motocross. Denney's involvement in the team over the last 10 years has helped it go from a simple spot in the pit area to a competitive effort that allows riders the chance to learn the ropes of pro racing. Although her role in pro racing will change, Denney will still be close to the industry through Roost MX, the graphics company she and her husband operate in Georgia. At the Budds Creek Motocross, we spent a few minutes with her to discuss the decision to step down, the way the team developed over the past decade, and what's to come for herself and the squad.
Presented by Fly Racing
We tried something new last night and did an Instagram Live broadcast with Jeremy McGrath from our condo in Whistler, Canada. The tequila was flowing just beforehand, so this is likely the "loosest" interview we've done with The King. Why are we in Whistler? Maxxis Tires brought us all here to join in on the fun at the annual Crankworx MTB festival, and we've been having a great time on two wheels.
Presented by Fly Racing
We're in Whistler, Canada, at the Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival, and we sat down with Maxxis Tires' Chris Meyer to chat about all things Maxxis, from mountain bike tires to truck tires to the all-new motocross tires that have been developed by Jeremy McGrath. Coincidentally, The King is also in Whistler, so he sat down to help us co-host this show and this is definitely one worth listening to as it's packed with interesting information, great stories, and quite a few laughs. Maxxis Tires had made huge gains in motocross recently, and we're excited to bring the behind-the-scenes stories to you, the listener!
Presented by Fly Racing
American Honda invited Swapmoto Live to Fox Raceway today to take delivery of our 2020 Honda CRF250R test bike. Our initial impressions of the bike are rock solid as the changes made to the little red rocket equal big performance gains. Pat Foster and Michael Antonovich run down the changes and the gains they yielded in this installment of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast.
Presented by Fly Racing
In 1992, Jeff Steber hand-built his first mountain bike inside his SoCal garage, a full-suspension MTB that he dubbed The Spider. Intense Cycles was founded one year later and made its debut at the '93 Interbike Show in a 10'X10' booth, and the rest - as they say - is history. Today, Intense Cycles is one of the most accomplished bike brands in the gravity sectors of racing, but with a giant selection of new mountain bikes in all categories, the brand is definitely making moves. And especially in motocross. Sponsor of the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha and GEICO Honda teams, Intense continues to support the sport that we all love. We caught up with Steber at the Temecula, California, Intense Cycles headquarters to talk about the past, present, and future of the brand. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Michael Antonovich and Chase Curtis recap the stories of the 2019 Unadilla Motocross round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Ken Roczen's big win, Eli Tomac's arm pump struggles, Dylan Ferrandis and Adam Cianciarulo's duel for the overall, Team USA's roster announcement for the 2019 Motocross of Nations, and talk of riders and their recent deals with teams for the 2020 race season.
Presented by Fly Racing
Just before the start of the motos at the 2019 Unadilla Motocross, the AMA and MX Sports announced the lineup selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 Motocross of Nations will be Jason Anderson in the MXGP class, Justin Cooper in the MX2 class, and Zach Osborne in the Open class. For Osborne and Anderson, the selection is a much-desired second shot at the Chamberlain Trophy after their past experiences at the international event (Anderson in 2016 at Maggiora, Osborne in 2017 at Matterley Basin). For Cooper, it's an honor for a second-year pro that has shown class-leading talent. Osborne will serve as the Team Captain while Roger DeCoster returns to his role as Team Manager.
On Friday afternoon, we sat down with AMA officials Mike Pelletier and Tim McAdams and Team USA coordinator Christina Denney to discuss the riders picked, the infrastructure that will go into this year's run at the Chamberlain Trophy, and how much time the riders will spend in Europe ahead of the event to prep for the sand at Assen.
Presented by Fly Racing
The 2019 Kawasaki KX450 was all new and the green machine emerged from several shootout comparisons with Bike of the Year honors thanks to its strong, usable powerplant, excellent suspension package, and well-balanced chassis. For 2020 it returns unchanged, but is that enough? swap and SML test rider Pat Foster review the '20 KX450 and also talk about what they learned after spending a year on the '19 bike.
Presented by Fly Racing
Japan's Taka Higashino has been a fixture on the American freestyle motocross circuit for over a decade now, but it wasn't until we sat down with him for this podcast that we realized just how cool hos story about coming to the United States is! In 2007, Higashino came to California with $6000 in his pocket and a dream, but no plans whatsoever! After riding at Lake Elsinore MX Park and hitting the same jump over and over, he set out to find some real places to ride FMX. With the help of Google Earth, he found a house with ramps, drove there, and knocked on the front door...
Taka's English has improved massively since he first came to California, but this may be tough for some to understand. The longer you listen, though, the easier it becomes to understand his Jenglish!
Presented by 6D Helmets
GEICO Honda's Hunter Lawrence returns as a co-host on today's 6d Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Sadly, Hunter has been on the injured reserve list for a few weeks now after breaking his collarbone in a practice crash when his engine let go on the face of a jump. Lawrence had just won his first couple AMA motos and was looking for his first overall win, but that will have to wait until next year. With a break in the Lucas Oil MX Nationals, our attentions were directed towards the AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's, as well as the Summer X Games in Minneapolis. Lawrence's younger brother Jett rides for the AMSOIL Honda squad and turned in plenty of impressive results, and was only held back from the A class championship by an engine failure in the final moto. We talked all about this and plenty more. Thanks to Hunter for coming back on the show!
Presented by Fly Racing We're at Gray's Harbor ORV Park for round seven of the 2019 WORCS Series, as KTM invited the media to actually race test the new line of 2020 KTM XC TPI bikes. After our race, we bumped into two familiar faces: TransWorld Motocross test rider, Supercross racer, and current SLR Honda team rider Tallon LaFountaine, and his team owner Mark Samuels who is himself a multi-time Baja 1000 Champion. Tallon has made a great transition into off-road in the past year or so, and we wanted to get some insight into the work that went into the switch in disciplines, as well as chat with Samuels about running a team and being a racer himself. If you know either of these guys, you already know that this was a good time. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
What a week it's been! The SML crew has been spread all over the map over the previous seven days, and we have a lot to talk about! From the Washougal Motocross National, to Fly Summer Camp, to the Fox Racing HQ to see the new gear, to Whistler Mountain in Canada for some downhill mountain biking...we've been busy boys!
Presented by Fly Racing
This week's Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast is with my buddy Mike Sleeter, whom I've known for nearly two decades. During that time, we've tested bikes together, talked a whole lot about bike settings and handling, pedaled mountain bikes together, raced together, and even ridden road bikes together. I've watched Sleeter race Supercross events, mountain bike races, and even plenty of our own AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series rounds. He's taught me riding technique, and I've taught him about photography. Needless to say, Sleeter is one of my best friends and he's also done a hell of a lot in our sport; most notably he's helped KTM progress to the powerhouse that it is today, during his 15-year tenure as a R&D test rider for the manufacturer. These days, Mike is busy running a new nutrition brand that he's launched, Pinnacle Nutrition Group. Sitting down to chat with Sleeter was a blast, though I must admit that a technical difficulty (screw up on my part, haha!) has left the third and final segment lacking in the audio department. It's still worth a listen...lots of good stuff in this one! Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Michael Antonovich, Chase Curtis, and Dominic Gaytan recap the wild and wet 2019 Spring Creek Motocross, plus discuss the MXGP championship, the SwapMoto Race Series, and some contract talks for the 2020 season in the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast.
Presented by 6D Helmets
This past weekend was a nice break in the Lucas Oil MX National Championship Series, and racers and crew members alike took the weekend off to enjoy a little R&R. After spending the past couple days at the beach, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Justin Cooper stopped by the SML offices this morning to join us on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race with us about the 250 MX Nationals thus far. The New Yorker remains unfazed by his slip to third in the point standings and he is determined to do some damage in the second half of the series and close up the 26-point deficit he has to leader Adam Cianciarulo.
Presented by Fly Racing
Last week, Husqvarna Motorcycles invited SML to test the 2020 Husqvarna FC 250 motocross bike at Milestone MX Park. We brought out our Pro-level test rider Rene Garcia to help us put the new bike through its paces, and he came away very impressed with the new Husky, even though only a few small changes were made to the bike for 2020. The new machine is already on dealership floors and carries a price tag of $9199. Is it worth the investment? Listen and find out!
Presented by 6D Helmets
The Red Bud Motocross National saw some interesting twists and spectacular moments, and HEP Suzuki's Adam Enticknap drove down from Central California to join us on today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The 722 is an absolute student of the sport and had a ton of insight to throw out there, but he wouldn't grant us a freestyle rhyme. Haha! This was a fun show to do, and we're sure you'll like it, too. Enjoy!
Presented by Fly Racing
We took delivery of the new 2020 Kawasaki KX250 yesterday at Castillo Ranch in Central California yesterday, and the bike is much improved with changes to the engine, suspension, and chassis. Senior test rider Rich Taylor and I spent the entire day spinning laps on the new green machine, and we break down our first impressions of the KX250 in this episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast.
Presented by 6D Helmets
The Red Bud Motocross National saw some interesting twists and spectacular moments, and HEP Suzuki's Adam Enticknap drove down from Central California to join us on today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The 722 is an absolute student of the sport and had a ton of insight to throw out there, but he wouldn't grant us a freestyle rhyme. Haha! This was a fun show to do, and we're sure you'll like it, too. Enjoy!
Presented by Fly Racing
Doug Dubach is a legend in motocross. From his days as a struggling privateer, to his time as a factory Yamaha rider when he won the San Jose Supercross, to his days as R&D rider for Yamaha, to his brand Dubach Racing Development; Doctor D seems to have done it all. We caught up with Doug at his DRD shop for one of the most enjoyable chats we've had on the Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Colt Nichols suffered some bad luck at MX 338, but even after an off weekend in what has otherwise been a great season for the Oklahoma native agreed to join us to bench race and fill us in about his program on today's installment of the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Nichols was a solid fifth in the first moto at Southwick, but a lap-one crash in the second left him scrambling to come from behind. Nichols' charge from 37th to 11th was nothing short of spectacular, and he tells us all about it in today's show. swap is on a boat somewhere in Mexico this week, so Michael Antonovich takes over as host, with Chase Curtis assisting as today's co-host. Enjoy!
You'd think that a retired racer would do his best to enjoy a life of leisure after leaving the non-stop travel and hustle and bustle of professional motocross and Supercross, but these days it seems as if Ryan Villopoto remains as bust as he's ever been. Since joining forced with Yamaha, RV has been having more fun than ever, racing selected events, joining the press on media junkets, playing around on pit bikes...you name it and he's doing it! We visited RV in his Newport Beach home earlier this week to catch up on everything he's got going on, plus dad life, mini bikes, vans, and more!
If you've always been a Ryan Villopoto fan, you'll love this one. If you're not a fan; give it a listen...he'll win you over.
Thanks to Scott Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Toyota of Escondido, Husqvarna Motorcycles, Intense Cycles and Roy's Cyclery.
We took delivery of our 2020 KTM 450 SX-F test bike today at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. Sister to the Husqvarna FC 450 that we tested last week, the KTM has some distinct differences that make it a bike all its own. SML Senior Rest Rider Pat Foster joins us to talk about the intricacies that make this what he calls, "The best KTM ever."
Presented by 6D Helmets
Our buddy Carson Mumford swung by the Swapmoto Live office this morning to join us on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The AMSOIL Honda rider is days away from heading to the High Sierras for the annual Mammoth Mountain MX, so we wanted to chat him up about amateur racing at the highest level and also do some bench racing about last weekend's WW Ranch MX National. Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, and KTM USA.
It's almost unbelievable that it is mid-June and we just took delivery of our first 2020 motocross bike. The new Husqvarna FC 450 is based on last year's 2019.5 Rockstar Energy Edition, but it has several notable refinements in the engine mapping and suspension departments. Test rider Pat Foster put the bike through its paces alone today as swap is battling the flu, but hear his first impressions in this quick podcast!
Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely saw his summer come to a premature end last week when he crashed while training in Florida and suffered a dislocated and broken shoulder. The SoCal native will undergo surgery today to repair his shoulder, but we caught up with him last night to chat about everything under the sun: from what effect this injury will have on his career, to driving drift cars one-handed, to his girlfriend making a living off of Instagram! We really enjoyed this most recent chat with CS14...grab a chair and enjoy!
Thanks to Husqvarna, Roy's Cyclery, Scott Motorsports, and Intense Cycles.
The Lucas Oil MX Nationals headed east last weekend and High Point Raceway yielded some great racing action. Michael Antonovich was on hand for SML, and joins Donn Maeda and guest Broc Tickle for some bench racing and BS. Enjoy!
Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, and KTM USA.
After finishing fifth in the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship with the GEICO Honda squad, Cameron McAdoo found himself without a ride for this summer's 250 MX Nationals. The Iowan continued to train and stayed sharp by pounding motos on one of the GEICO Honda team's spare 450s, and he was ready and willing when the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team called and asked if he'd like to fill in for four rounds, starting this weekend at High Point. McAdoo joined us in the Swapmoto Live offices this afternoon for a really nice chat. Enjoy!
Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, Husqvarna Motorcycles and KTM USA.
It's been 10 years since Tyler Bowers contested an entire MX National Championship Series, but the popular 28-year-old is making a go of it this summer on his Bowers Motorsports/Triggr Racing Kawasaki KX450 after a successful Monster Energy Supercross Series. We caught up with Bowers yesterday at Glen Helen Raceway, where he was putting in motos to try and find a better set-up for the Mt. Morris National in two weeks. Listen in to get a peek into what makes The Hulk tick on a daily basis!
Thanks to Husqvarna Motorcycles, KTM USA, Scott Motorsports, Intense Cycles, Bell Helmets, Roy's Cyclery, and Toyota of Escondido.
GEICO Honda's Hunter Lawrence how has three US MX Nationals under his belt, and he joined us today on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race and fill us in on his American motocross experience thus far. Hunter struggled a bit at the Hangtown opener but showed his true potential at Fox Raceway when he ran up front in both motos. Sadly, he couldn't find that same form last weekend in Denver, but he is optimistic about the races as the series heads east!
Presented by 6D Helmets
Last weekend's Fox Raceway National is behind us, and man what a race it was! Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM racer Jordon Smith joined us in the Swapmoto Live offices in Lake Elsinore this afternoon to bench race a little bit and fill us in on what it's like to ride for the legendary style master, Troy Lee. Did the starting gate flinch in that second 250 moto? Hear what Smitty has to say!
Thanks to 6d Helmets, KTM USA, and Yoshimura R&D
This past weekend's Hangtown MX National kickoff was a barn burner, and former Western Regional 250 Supercross Champion Jake Weimer stopped by the Swapmoto Live offices to bench race about the race and also fill us in on retired life in Idaho.
Fasthouse is a relatively new brand in the motocross riding gear arena, but in the short few years since it debuted a line of pants, jersey, and gloves the brand has gained an impressive amount of popularity and traction. We visited Fasthouse headquarters today in Valencia, California, and sat down with founder and president Kenny Alexander to get the story behind the brand.
Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin is one of the friendliest guys in the pits, and it is always a treat to catch up with the personable Frenchman. After starting the season off with a knee injury, MM steadily gained speed and confidence and wrapped up the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in third place. We caught up with Marv in his Corona, California, residence for a great chat. Enjoy!
Presented by 6D Helmets
This past weekend a select group of Supercross racers was invited to attend the inaugural Hawaiian Supercross on Oahu, and among them was our SoCal neighbor Alex Ray, who finished eighth overall on his HEP Suzuki RM-Z450. We asked ARay to join us at our new Swapmoto Live HQ to give us the scoop.
It's been 15 months since Broc Tickle failed a WADA drug test at the San Diego Supercross, and he's been waiting patiently ever since for the powers that be to determine his sentencing. Today, Tickle breaks his silence and shares the news we've all been waiting for.
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider Derek Drake is set to make his professional racing debut in a couple weeks at the Hangtown 250 National Championship kickoff. Drake joined us at Jessy Nelson's Lake Elsinore, California, home to talk about the big jump up, his roots in riding, and much, much more in this week's Swapmoto Live podcast.
GEICO Honda's Christian Craig joins us in this week's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race about last weekend's Las Vegas Supercross Finale, plus discuss the upcoming MX Nationals and the ins and outs of life as a professional motocross racer. This week, our co-host is Chase Curtis, as Michael Antonovich has been tasked with getting the Kickstart Feature written and posted on Monday.
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha Team Manager Wil Hahn invited us to the team's race shop in Murrietta, California, today to bench race about last weekend's racing in East Rutherford on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Of course, we chatted about a bunch of other stuff as Wil is one of the coolest guys in the sport and always fun. Did you know he has a girlfriend now? Breaking news!
Santa Clarita, California's Robbie Wageman is a journeyman Supercross racer contesting the Western Regional 250 Championship, but this weekend he topped all comers in the Open Pro division at the Wiseco Pistons Two-Stroke World Championships, hosted by Fasthouse. Wageman's competition included defending champ Zach Bell, 500-mounted Tyler Bowers, SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda rider Mike Alessi, and more. Wageman joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich to recap the race and talk about a whole lot more in this week's show. Enjoy!
There are some people that you feel good after hanging out with, and Jessy Nelson is certainly one of those guys. Though he was paralyzed in a motocross racing crash a few years ago, he has continued to live his best life and is satisfying his competitive nature on four wheels these days. We sat with Nelson and caught up about a lot of things, including a recent surgery he had that has shown some promising results in only a matter of weeks. This one is a good listen!
Thanks to Scott Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.
The Denver Supercross yielded some great racing in both classes and some wild weather conditions. Seven-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich to bench race and shoot the poop about the sport in general in this week's installation of the Kickstart Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets.
With the first-ever Nashville Supercross in the record books, we thought it would be fitting to have hometown racer Alex Ray join us for this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by 6D Helmets. Having grown up only a couple hours away from Music City, ARay was stoked for the race in front of his friends and family.
Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha Team Manager Wil Hahn had quite the Saturday in Houston last weekend, as his riders Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols both landed on the podium in the 250 class. For Ferrandis, it was his second win in a row and he pulled within five points of the championship points lead with only two races left. Hahn has always been a favorite of ours, from his days as a racer and now as a Team Manager, and he is always fun to catch up with. Hahn joins us for a fun and informative podcast this week. Enjoy!
6D Helmets brings you the Kickstart Podcast, in which we will bench race about the weekend's happenings. Last weekend was a wild one in Houston at the third Triple Crown of the season, and our friend Nick Wey was glad to join us to chat about the goings on inside NRG Stadium. As Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo's personal riding coach, Wey had some great insight about AC's not-so-great luck in Houston. Later in the show, we were joined by two special guests; Vincent and Donovan Wey. Enjoy!
In 2019, consumers have the chance to own something truly special when it comes to motocross machinery. Three manufacturers - Honda, Husqvarna, and KTM - produce special edition versions of their popular 450 motocross bikes that offer greater value and performance than the standard versions. We gathered the 2019 Honda CRF450R Works Edition, the 2019.5 Husqvarne Rockstar Edition FC 450, and the 2019.5 KTM 450 SX0F Factory Edition machines, and compared them back to back with a testing crew of four riders of varying size, age, and skill. While Broc Tickle brought the star power, the testing experience shared by Editor in Chief Donn Maeda and Senior Test Rider Pat Foster, plus 20-year testing veteran Kyle Puerner helped round out the panel for this comprehensive comparison.
We're branching out and adding a new podcast show to the Swapmoto Live catalog. The Kickstart Podcast will happen at the start of every week and will review the past weekend's racing action and/or cover the upcoming week's activities. Hosted by SML editors Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich, we'll invite a different guest to co-host with us each week. And what better way to kick off a new show than with the one and only Ryan Villopoto? Enjoy!
Iowa's Cameron McAdoo is in his third year as a professional Supercross racer, and he is nipping at his first 250 SX podium finish. One of the nicest, most humble personalities in pro racing, the GEICO Honda racer is ready to get back to racing this weekend in Seattle as the Western Regional 250 SX Championship resumes. We caught up with McAdoo to chat about the races, his modest beginnings in the sport, and of course, about mountain biking.
Jeff Ward is an absolute legend of our sport. The seven-time motocross and Supercross Champion has won championships in every division and discipline at least once: 125, 250, and 500 MX, and well as 250 Supercross. Along with Johnny O'Mara and David Bailey, Wardy helped elevate the fitness levels in professional racing to all-new levels in the 1980s and 90s. After his career in moto was done, Ward went on to enjoy success in professional mountain bike racing, Indy Car, and Supermoto. Now, at the age of 57, Ward will throw his hat into the ring in the American Flat Track Series at selected TT events. And we won't be surprised to see him on the podium! We've seen Wardy in action with a steel shoe, and he flies!
To say that I was thrilled to have the AMA Hall of Famer join me in the Medterra Podcast studio today for a chat would be an understatement. Please enjoy this awesom trip down memory lane, and more!
Special thanks to Ogio, Scott Motosports, RynoPower, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, Roy's Cyclery, Bell Helmets and Toyota of Escondido Action Sports.
Disclaimer! This episode's recording was never intended to be a podcast, as I conducted a 30-minute phone interview with Chad Reed for a written feature on Swapmotolive.com. Several readers, however, requested a podcast version. The audio quality is not great as we were on the phone, but the content makes it worth a listen. Chad Reed is one of the legends in our sport and he is always a pleasure to catch up with.
Hot on the heels of the 2019.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition FC 450 comes its orange brother, the 2019.5 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition. The new number-25 machine enjoys the same major updates as the Husky - revised fork settings, a new front wheel, all-new triple clamps, and internal engine changes - but to assume that the bikes perform identically couldn’t be further from the truth! In this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast presented by OGIO, I am first joined by KTM North America’s David O’Connor to talk about the changes made to the exciting machine, then by SML test riders Kyle Puerner and Rich Taylor, both of whom have excellent feedback and insight to offer our listeners who may be interested in purchasing one of these limited-edition motorcycles.
The 2019.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition FC 450 is one badass machine, but is it worth the $11K+ price tag? It's got several key refinements in comparison to the standard 2019 FC 450, and it even has some new technology that we might not see incorporated into the standard line until 2021. We've already logged 10 hours on our test bike since taking delivery of the bike from Andy Jefferson and his team at Husqvarna Motorcycles, and we are very impressed with the overall package. Join Editor Donn Maeda and Senior Test Rider Pat Foster as they break down the ins and outs of the exciting new machine in this informative podcast.
We sat down with Monster Energy Yamaha's Aaron Plessinger for a super fun conversation about everything from dirt bikes to dick injuries. Plessinger suffered a setback in the off-season that kept him off the bike for a few weeks and left him scrambling to catch up with bike setup before the season, but he’s been making progress at the races each and every week. One of the most down-to-earth racers around, Plessinger was candid and honest about everything we chatted about in this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by OGIO.
Who should we sit down with next? Comment below! Racers? Mechanics? Industry icons?
GEICO Honda's Christian Craig was originally slated to contest the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship, but a testing crash left him with a badly broken bone in his right thumb and revised plans to race on the East. Cleared to ride only a week before the Minneapolis series kickoff, Craig showed up at US Bank Stadium hoping to salvage some points, even though he was in a lot of pain. This telling podcast documents Craig's day in Minneapolis, and also offers tons of insight as to what goes into being a top racer in our sport. We spoke with his team owner Jeff Majkrzak, team R&D manager Christian Kibby, his mechanic Ricki Rock, KYB suspension tech John Yamada, and more! The day's end result was not what anyone was hoping for, but we still learned a lot shadowing our long-time friend throughout the day.
The Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship kicked off inside US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and GEICO Honda's Chase Sexton rebounded from an early race crash to finish fifth aboard his Jade Dungey-tuned Honda CRF250R. In the off-season, Sexton suffered a broken collarbone while training, but rebounded quickly and showed up hoping to win the opener. We shadowed Sexton throughout his day in the snow-covered city, and also got to chat with several key players on his team. Ever wonder what a day in the life of a Supercross star is like? Wonder no more! Enjoy.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo captured his third Western Regional 250 main event of the year this past weekend at Petco Park in San Diego. Heavy rains in the area turned the race track into a quagmire, but AC rode a flawless race and led every single lap to take over the championship points lead just as the series heads east and takes a multi-week break. Cianciarulo invited us to spend the day with him in San Diego to give listeners a behind-the-scenes understanding of what goes down on a race day, from the moment he arrives at the track until after the checkered flag flew.
Whether he has a factory ride or not, Dean Wilson is always one of the most popular racers in the pits thanks to his fun personality and super cool riding style. In 2019, Deano led most of the Anaheim One season opener and made a statement that his private racing effort is one to be taken seriously. Recently, with the news of Supercross Champion Jason Anderson's injury, Wilson has been asked to rejoin the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna race team to fill in. We caught up with Wilson to talk about the factors that would go into making that switch, as well as about the Ignite CBD controversy, and much much more!
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team captain Shane McElrath put it all together last Saturday night to win the first Monster Energy Triple Crown Supercross of the season at Anaheim Two, and the seven-year veteran of the team says he is set to make a serious bid for the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship now that the team has better dialed in his bike for race conditions. We caught up with the personable racer from North Carolina tonight in Wildomar, California, where he and his wife Joy are staying with her parents during the West Coast swing of the series.
Thank you to Ogio, RynoPower, Scott Motorsports, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.
Malcolm Stewart was enjoying a great start to the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series until he was struck down with a crash in the Phoenix main event. Stewart suffered a broken femur, but he's already working out in hopes of returning to action as soon as possible. We paid Mookie a visit at his home in Corona and sat down for a podcast with him and his mechanic Jason "Rango" Montoya.
Ryan Villopoto is one of my all-time favorites, and especially so since he's been retired from professional racing. These days in his role as a marketing partner with Yamaha Motors, RV is laid back and loving life as he raises his twin sons with his wife Kristen. Tomorrow, RV and I will take to the rainy streets of SoCal aboard the new 2019 Yamaha YZF R3, but we caught up in this fun podcast tonight to discuss everything I could come up with. This one was one really enjoyable conversation...I hope you enjoy it too.
Honda HRC's Cole Seely made his return to Monster Energy Supercross yesterday at Anaheim One after missing most of the 2018 season due to horrific injuries he suffered while running second in last year's championship. Always one of the fun riders to work with, we decided to try something different with this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Starting as soon as Cole arrived at Angel's Stadium, we shadowed him throughout his day to give listeners some insight as to what a factory rider goes through on race day at a Supercross. We were surprised at how much we actually learned about the process, and we're sure you will enjoy this exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Seely's day at Anaheim One.
Thanks to the entire Honda HRC staff for allowing us to invade the semi, as well as to the show's sponsors, Ogio, RynoPower, Scott Motorsports, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.
It's hard to believe that we are already on the eve of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series opener, isn't it? Press day functions were held today at Angel's Stadium and all of the major teams were on hand to ride for the press and take part in a conference that was broadcasted live on TransWorldMX.com. I thought it would be interesting to take a recorder around and see what people in the pits had to say about the new season. Included are Rockstar Energy Husqvarna tuner Chris "C-Lo" Loredo, who spins wrenches on Jason Anderson's bike, new in-booth announcer Ricky Carmichael, Yamaha's Aaron Plessinger, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Mitch Payton, D'Cor Visuals owner Danny Dobey, HEP Suzuki's Alex Ray, and privateer hero Dean Wilson. Enjoy!
Former Eastern Region 250 Supercross Champion Justin Bogle was set to field his own privateer effort in this year's Monster Energy Supercross Series this year, but a last-minute offer with the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM team will see him compete aboard an Austrian-made KTM for the first time in his career. We saw Bogle in action at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park aboard his new bike this morning and were able to catch up with him this evening to get the scoop on how everything came about.
Bogle has enjoyed more success than most professional racers ever will, but his career thus far has still been filled with more challenges than any one man should be forced to overcome. Hear about this and a whole lot more with this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio.
NOTE: The first upload glitched at the 53 min mark. This episode is complete! GEICO Honda's latest recruit comes to us from Australia, via the MXGP World Championship Series. Nineteen-year-old Hunter Lawrence will make his American Supercross debut in February at the Minneapolis kickoff of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship alongside teammates Christian Craig and Chase Sexton. Lawrence and his family have an intriguing story, as they sold everything they owned in Australia to chase the motocross dream in Europe, with the ultimate goal of racing in the United States someday. Now that the Lawrence family is finally here (younger brother Jett is also signed to the Amsoil Honda amateur branch of the team), few doubt that they will succeed in accomplishing their two-wheeled dreams.We went for a chilly early mountain bike ride up Corona, California's renowned Skyline Trail this morning, then sat down with Hunter for this installment of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Give it a listen; we're sure you'll become a fan of the personable young Aussie.
GEICO Honda's latest recruit comes to us from Australia, via the MXGP World Championship Series. Nineteen-year-old Hunter Lawrence will make his American Supercross debut in February at the Minneapolis kickoff of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship alongside teammates Christian Craig and Chase Sexton. Lawrence and his family have an intriguing story, as they sold everything they owned in Australia to chase the motocross dream in Europe, with the ultimate goal of racing in the United States someday. Now that the Lawrence family is finally here (younger brother Jett is also signed to the Amsoil Honda amateur branch of the team), few doubt that they will succeed in accomplishing their two-wheeled dreams. We went for a chilly early mountain bike ride up Corona, California's renowned Skyline Trail this morning, then sat down with Hunter for this installment of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Give it a listen; we're sure you'll become a fan of the personable young Aussie.
Alex Ray got the break of a lifetime last year when he was recruited by the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team to fill in for an injured Cooper Webb, and that helped lead him to a ride with the HEP Motorsports Suzuki support squad for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series. One of the funniest guys in the pits, ARay is always fun to hang with. We braved the high-crime area of his condo parking lot to chat about a wide variety of subjects in this episode of Swapmoto Live, presented by Ogio.
First of all, I am at the tail end of a gnarly chest cold so my voice is completely blown out and for this, I apologize. Today, we rode all six of the 2019 250cc MX bikes for a back-to-back comparison in day one of the TransWorld Motocross 250 Shootout. Though we will spend several more days on the machines before coming to a conclusion for print in the magazine, I thought it would be interesting for listeners to hear feedback from two of my most regarded test riders, Mike Sleeter and Pat Foster, about how the machines stacked up. With Foster residing some five hours north in the mountain town of Bishop, we recorded this episode of Swapmoto Live, presented by Ogio, while he was still in town...thus the reason I was unable to wait for my voice to return to normal. Again, please bear with the super froggy sound of my voice, but enjoy the invaluable feedback and insight offered by Sleeter and Foster.
Weston Peick suffered horrific injuries at the Paris Supercross in November when he crashed at the start of a race and his head was landed on by another racer. Three surgeries and two weeks later, Peick is finally home in SoCal and we were lucky enough to chat with him and his fiancee Kelly Cleland, about the life-changing ordeal. Please listen to this heart-wrenching Podcast and then consider donating to Peick's recovery fund at www.road2recovery.com
The 2019 Suzuki RM-Z250 just arrived on American shores and we got to throw our legs over ours today at Cahuilla Creek MX Park during the Insideline Connect Media Camp. Though Suzuki flew selected journalists to take our first ride on the bike a couple months ago in Japan, the event was rained on and the track was a far cry from the circuits we have in the States. So technically, today was our second ride on the all-new yellow bike, but our first on a familiar track. We were pleasantly surprised and quite impressed with the new 'Zook. Mike Sleeter joined me today to chat about what we thought of the bike after one full day of riding it.
We took delivery of the 2019 Honda CRF250R last week and gave the bike its first shakedown today at Cahuilla Creek MX Park in Anza, California. This is a two-part podcast. In part one, we discussed the changes made to the '19 bike with American Honda technician Jason Paredes. We also covered set-up tips for the new bike, plus Jason shared a few insights about getting the most performance and durability out of the CRF. In part two, we are joined by TransWorld Motocross test rider Pat Foster, who has been with the magazine for 18 years. Foster is regarded by many as one of the most thorough and insightful test riders and is well respected within the industry. If you're in the market for a 2019 Honda CRF250R, this is a show you've gotta hear! Thanks to American Honda, Jason Abbott, and Cahuilla Creek MX Park. This show is made possible by Ogio Powersports, RynoPower, and Roy's Cyclery.
GEICO Honda's Christian Craig is healthy and anxious for the 2019 Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship to get underway in January, as he was sidelined for the summer with injuries sustained in a crash at the 450 National series opener. Healthy and fit, Craig is sure to be a contender each time he lines up. We caught up with the father of two yesterday at the Honda test track before he started a long day of engine and suspension testing with the team.
At 34, Justin Brayton is at the peak of his career. Fresh off his third Australian Supercross Championship, the MCR Honda rider joins us in Paris, France, for our second show and first-ever international production! In town for the 2018 Paris Supercross, Brayton admits that he may not be up to par as he has struggled with pneumonia and bronchitis for the past couple of months, but as always he will give it his all. We chatted about everything from his early days dreaming about racing Arenacross, to winning the Daytona Supercross and everything in between! Enjoy! Please comment with any suggestions and or ideas about future shows.
Anaheim 1 is less than eight weeks away and for the first time since moving up to the 450 class, Malcolm Stewart is preparing for the season with a solid ride. Well, sort of. The Motoconcepts Honda team has been supporting Mookie through the off-season with the promise of a full-time ride for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship if he A: can attract an outside sponsor to help offset the expense of supporting him, and B: hire a trainer and get into the best physical shape of his career. Thus far, it looks like both requirements are panning out, as Team Manager Tony Alessi told us last week that the money part of the equation is coming together, and Malcolm has been busting his butt with trainer Gareth Swanepoel. Malcolm has been one of the most popular riders in the pits since he turned pro, and the former 250 West Coast Supercross Champion has always been a good friend of mine, so he was an easy choice for the first-ever episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio.