2019 Southwick Motocross | Kickstart

We won’t lie, there were some doubts that we’d see Chase Sexton at Southwick early in the week. The GEICO Honda rider was so smoked after his 250 Moto One win at the Florida round that he was unable to race 250 Moto Two and it takes a lot longer than a few days to recover from heat related exhaustion. Sexton told us he took it “easy” during the week and only rode two times, but that he felt much better than before. At Southwick on Saturday, Sexton was 12th overall in timed qualifying and a 13th place finish in 250 Moto One, but was again so drained that he did not line up for 250 Moto Two. In an Instagram post Sexton said that he will spend this week figuring out the issue in Florida; we’ll know later in the week if he will race RedBud.

There’s something about the Northeast that makes the local racers so damn determined to beat the visiting pro series. In sprint car racing, the Pennsylvania Posse does all they can to outrun the World of Outlaws at tracks like Williams Grove and Lernerville, and in motocross the NESC crew holds their own against the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at Southwick. This year Chris Canning was the one to watch, as he is the defending NESC champion and is a nationally ranked rider in the AMA top 100. On Saturday Canning qualified 13th overall in the 450 class, but a 21st place finish in 450 Moto One after a crash and mangled bike put him in the hole. He rebounded to claim 19th in 450 Moto Two and scored two points, something few can say. We’d like to see how Canning would fare at a track like RedBud or Millville…

Ryan Dowd was the other big name local on the starting line at Southwick and it’s cool to see the son of former pro/Southwick icon John Dowd doing what he can in the sport. We’d type up a bunch about Dowd’s day, but his Instagram post (@rdowd716) says more than we can: “019 Southwick National. Had a killer first moto coming from 27th up to 16th to score a few points! But I might’ve over exerted myself in that first moto. Second moto was a nightmare from the beginning, I got to staging late and lost my gate pick so I picked last and something wasn’t right with my helmet before the sight lap so I missed that too. But ended up getting a better start anyways and was running good up around 20th and went down in a corner. After picking up the bike the heat got to me and my energy was completely drained. I had nothing left in the tank and my back locked up lap 4 so that moto just went downhill. But I ended up picking a few guys off at the end of the moto and ended up 24th. So I went 16-24 for 21st overall! Better than last years overall and I was the top new englander in either class!! Man that feels good. I was so disappointed with myself after the second moto but the track was gnarly and I’m trying not to dwell on it too much. I can’t thank Ozzy and joe v enough for getting the bike and my gear ready for each time I went out and my whole family and all my friends enough for helping me as much as possible after each moto getting me cooled off and getting my gear off and stuff. I was dead after each moto. I have the best people behind me and I wouldn’t want anyone else working with me. Until next year southwick. Next up, Gopher Dunes in 2 weeks!!”

What’s John Dowd up to these days? In addition to cheering on Ryan, he has JYD Excavation in the Northeast. Need a project done? Hit up the Junkyard Dog.

Did you see our onboard video with Jordan Bailey from Friday’s press session? The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was gracious enough to stick our GoPro on his helmet for the afternoon ride and his short 10-minute moto makes Southwick look like a place that anyone can hold the throttle to the stop around. If you haven’t watched it yet, hit the homepage when you’re done with Kickstart and scroll down. As for his Saturday, Bailey has been riding closer to his potential in the last two weeks (seems the team has sorted the mechanical issue that hindered him at Thunder Valley and High Point) and 15-18 for 17th overall. Expect more from Bailey in the next few weeks as he gets into a groove.

Aaron Plessinger was back on the line after a lengthy layoff with a broken heel. We didn’t realize this until Colt Nichols pointed it out to us on the Kickstart Podcast, but this is the first time since Plessinger started working with trainer Gareth Swanepoel that he has missed motos due to injury. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider told us that he was eager to come back a few rounds ago but that the team recommended a little more time off to recover fully, hence Southwick. Another thing that AP told us is he is not a great sand rider, which was a surprise considering his size and style. So all things considered, his 18-16 results for 17th overall shouldn’t cause any big concern and we should expect steady improvement from Plessinger over the next few rounds.

2019 has been not ideal for Justin Barcia and a list of bothersome, but not season-ending injuries have kept him from full speed. With some of the issue behind him, things are coming together for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider (getting healthier and setting up the YZ450F more to his liking) and it showed in 6-6 results for sixth overall at Southwick. Oh, and from what we’re hearing, Yamaha’s race team already has a handled on the updated 2020 YZ450F and that it should be even more competitive. We would think the new bike will be on the starting line by the end of the summer.

Southwick Sand Neck.

No detail goes untouched by a factory mechanic.

The last two weeks have not been stellar by Eli Tomac standards. Sure, the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has been at the front of the field, finished on the podium, and holds down the top spot in the series standings by more than a moto worth of points, but even he acknowledged that Southwick was a rough one and that he left wanting a little more from himself. “Southwick was tough today. It’s a track that beats up, probably one of the most of the year and that’s how I felt today. in the second moto I was pretty cooked. I spent too much energy trying to get guys early. It was an awesome day for points, but I would have liked to get a win here because it’s one I always look forward to.” If you can re-watch the second 450 moto, pay close attention to the lines that Tomac picked around the track. There were certain spots that he was substantially faster than the riders that were ahead of him due to his line choices and his bike looked incredible over the chop.

It’s obvious that Martin Davalos is making the most of what could be his last year as a pro, neck injury be damned. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider was riding well at the ‘Wick but the results won’t show it due to a late crash in 250 Moto One and another one in 250 Moto Two that forced him to DNF. If you get the chance to talk with Martin this year, take the time to do so, because you will be hard-pressed to find a pro more appreciative of what they have in racing than him.

Southwick was the start of Fredrik Noren’s new deal with JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing and yeah, he’s already comfortable on the yellow bike. We spent some time with Fredrik Friday for a piece that’ll get posted later in the week that explains his summer so far, but for now, just focus on his 5-7 finishes for seventh overall and his intensity against some of the top riders in the sport. Noren held his own against everyone at Southwick, a track that used to be one of his worst and is in the hunt for a top-10 spot in the series standings. Another thing to note was his switch to O’Neal Racing gear, another new deal that will run for the rest of the summer.

Staples of Southwick…

Personal note here: this was my first time to Southwick and I just have to say that it lived up to all the hype that I’ve heard since 2001. You can see much of the track from one of the hillsides, the track is a true test of a rider’s skill and a motorcycle’s performance, and the location in the middle of town is super convenient compared to some of the far-flung races we go to. If you ever get the chance to go to a race at Southwick, do it.

It wouldn’t be Southwick without Bill Dill and the 3D Racing team…

Kyle Peters had two tough weeks at High Point and WW Ranch due to crashes that left him beaten and bruised, but it’ll take more than that to stop the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider (this is a guy that podiumed with a freshly torn ACL in 2018). Peters finished 16th in 250 Moto One but had issues and was credited with 35th in 250 Moto Two, which put him 20th overall on the day. All things considered, this has been a good run so far for a rider that didn’t even think he was going to race three weeks before the start of the summer.

Glitter glistening in the sun and flames out of the exhaust vents. Custom painted helmets kick ass.

After a rough start to the summer, it seems like things are turning in Alex Martin’s favor lately. The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider seems to have found something more from the RM-Z250 and with his fitness, it shows in his results at two of the tougher races of the year. Martin went 10-5 at Southwick for sixth overall and is within a few points of climbing up the ranks in the series standings. How he’ll fare at RedBud and Spring Creek, two of his better tracks, can determine how the rest of his year will be.

A sliced up Fox Racing jersey complete with the skull and crossbones victory iron-on. Think of all the legends in the sport that have run this look.

Keep an eye on Brandon Hartranft in the new few rounds, because things are really coming together for the CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha rider. The New Jersey native was on the gas at Southwick and was 10th fastest in qualifying, seventh in 250 Moto One, eighth in 250 Moto two, and seventh overall on the day. Hartranft has really figured out the pro scene through his two years at the Rock River Yamaha team and should be a top-10 contender for the rest of the summer.

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: this is a big learning year for Jacob Hayes because it’s the first time that he’s done a full SX and outdoor season in the 250 class. The CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha rider has been fast at times and struggled at others, but 12-9 rides for 10th overall at Southwick is a big accomplishment for someone that had never been to track before. Like his teammate Hartranft, Hayes should be in the top-10 much more through the rest of the summer.

Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s pick up of Cameron McAdoo might be their big saving grace to an otherwise tough summer. McAdoo seemed completely over the heat exhaustion he suffered a week ago in Florida and went 11-6 at Southwick for ninth overall. Seriously, that is a huge surprise considering how bad of shape he was in after 250 Moto One in Florida. Also, don’t be surprised if McAdoo is under the TLD KTM tent in 2020.

The last two weeks have been tough for Ken Roczen, but Southwick was arguably harder for the Team Honda HRC rider. Although he is not using his energy issues as much of an excuse, it has to be a factor in his slide in results at two of the toughest races on the schedule and he was visibly slowing in the late stages of both motos on Saturday. 12-10 results and ninth overall on the day have caused some people to panic about Roczen, but really, that’s not too terrible for how bad it could be and he is still in the top-three of the series standings. Getting through RedBud without an issue and then to the weekend off will be key for Roczen. There was a lot to read from Roczen in the team’s press release: “I was coming into Southwick fairly excited, though struggling a little bit recovering from last weekend’s race. Still, I came in with full motivation and a new fork setting that unfortunately didn’t work out very well for me in the first moto. On top of that, I could’ve recovered a little better from the weekend before, but I knew that I went out there and gave my best. For sure it wasn’t what we were looking for, but we’re going to continue working hard on the bike and I’m going to continue working on myself to get back in top shape and get back to winning races. For now I have to take it as it is, but I’m going to keep my head up and hope for a much, much better result from RedBud. I’m going to do everything I can throughout the week to prepare myself and get back to the very top. Other than that, there’s not much to say about my result besides we’re not very happy with it and are looking to turn it around next weekend.”

Ken Roczen and Fox Racing had their own take on all the fuss about Roczen’s past two arm injuries with this T-rex patch on the back of his pants.

As for the rest of this kit, it’ll be a style in the 360 line for 2020 and will come out around Spring Creek.

If you need another motocross Instagram to follow, then make it our friend Jey Crunch at @crunch724. We first met the Swiss shooter years ago at a European SX race and his dream has always been to follow the US series. He got the opportunity through French media site LeBigUSA.com and will spend the summer driving across the county to different rounds of the series. Jey’s work is top notch and you’ll double tap his photos plenty of times.

Custom bend. The perks of being a pro.

If you’ve paid attention closely over the last few years, you’ll know that KTM and Husqvarna teams have added holes to the airbox covers of their bikes for increased performance, something that continued at Southwick with nine holes in the side of the TLD KTM bikes. We know that a number of normal riders have made similar modifications to their bikes, but for 2020 and beyond, all new KTM and Husqvarna bikes will come with an accessory side panel that has the same mod.

Justin Cooper has been right where we expected him to be this summer, in the thick of the championship chase and near the front of the pack every weekend. Since Southwick is one of the most talked about tracks in the Northeast, we figured the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider had logged plenty of laps at the track as an amateur, but were surprised to hear that until the 2018, the last time he put a knobby to the sand there was on a 65. Cooper was again one of the frontrunners and 2-3 finishes put him third overall. As we hit the backside of the season, it’s time for Cooper to click off more wins if he wants to take the title.

Ramyller Alves was one of the big surprises of the day at Southwick. Maybe the Florida rider felt at home in the sand, but 18-12 results and 14th overall are the best finishes of the four motos he’s contested so far this summer.

After a few difficult months, it looks like Shane McElrath is nearing full strength and speed. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider was one of the fastest in the 250 field throughout the day, evident in his qualifying time, and he backed it up with 6-7 finishes and fifth overall on the day. This is great for McElrath in what’s becoming a rebuilding summer to close out the year. As for all that Shane to Star Racing talk, well, a blue 12 bike will take some getting used to…

After a difficult day in Florida, we were interested to see how Joey Savatgy would rebound at another sand race. Unfortunately for the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, issues in Moto One pushed him back to a DNF/36th place result but that could have been a good thing, because he had extra time to recover for the second moto and went on to finish a solid 8th place and it helped him salvage 13th overall on the day. We should really see what Savatgy is capable of outdoors and on the big bike in the coming rounds.

To keep sand from funneling into the vents of his helmet, Joey Savatgy tapped off the top portion of his Just1 lid. After seeing how sandy the tops of some people’s heads were, this wasn’t too bad of an idea, but airflow is important on hot days.

– It was only a matter of time until Zach Osborne nabbed a moto win. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has taken to the 450 class incredibly well and is one of the fittest, most determined riders in the field. Everything lined up well for the veteran racer/450 rookie in 450 Moto Two at Southwick and he went on to win in dominate fashion. He’ll get an overall very soon and could be within the top-three of the standings at the end of the summer.

We had high hopes for Lorenzo Locurcio at Southwick. In 2018, the privateer put in two stellar motos and did well a week ago in Florida, so all signs pointed to another good run for the South American. A DNF in 450 Moto One took a toll on Locurcio’s final results, but he rebounded for an 11th place effort in 450 Moto Tow and ended the day 16th overall. If you need a privateer to watch each week, Locurcio is one of the top independent riders and always puts in the effort.

Team Fried in full effect…

We don’t know how much of difference comes with getting rid of the middle row of teeth, but appreciate the effort teams go through to find the perfect setup for their riders.

Florida riders are expected to be sand specialist, so there was some hype around RJ Hampshire these last two weeks. That crash and charge in Moto Two last week in Florida showed that the GEICO Honda rider is capable of running the pace of the leaders and at Southwick, he stayed consistent with 4-4 and fourth overall. Hampshire is one of the many in the 250 class that will be making moves this offseason. But more on that soon…

Dean Ferris and the family have decided to get in a motorhome and drive across the country to follow the series. We’re stoked to see the Australian do this, because it would have been next to impossible for him to bring his wife and kids along to the far-off races on the East Coast. With Plessinger back, Ferris was moved to the front side of the team rig but will stay on a full-blown Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing YZ450F for the rest of the summer. Ferris went 8-12 for eighth overall at Southwick and is, you guessed it, eighth overall in the championship. Not bad for a short-notice fill-in…

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There was some hype around Hunter Lawrence at Southwick. A GP import, the GEICO Honda rider has turned his share of laps on sand tracks and was expected to be in the mix with AC/Ferrandis/Cooper. That, unfortunately, didn’t happen and Lawrence was admittedly out of sorts on the track, which resulted in 9-13 rides and 11th overall. If anything, 2019 will be chalked up as a learning year for Lawrence and he will be one to watch, indoors and outdoors, in 2020.

There were two Cody Williams on the 250 class entry list at Southwick, but the 167 Cody Williams was definitely the easier to pick out in the field as he was the only rider aboard a 125 two-stroke. It was awesome to hear the bike on the pipe all the way around the track and Williams earned his 22-40 results the hard way. Here’s hoping he tries it again at another race soon.

Jerry Robin has made it a point to change the perception of his as a crasher these last few years and his ride at Southwick showed what the Minnesota privateer is capable of. No lie, we were surprised when the 194 was in the top-10 during the early laps of 250 Moto One but he held his own on the track and went 14-17 for 15th overall on the day. Here’s hoping Jerry can keep the momentum going in the next few weeks and can carry that into 2020.

Tyler Bowers hasn’t had it easy the last few weeks. Sure, he’s getting some technical support from the Monster Energy Kawasaki crew, but that doesn’t help him avoid travel issues on the way to the races. Bowers had to drive the last part of the journey from Florida to Southwick (he’s been back east with his in-laws this summer) and was 19th in 450 Moto One, but pulled out early in 450 Moto Two and was credited with 40th place and 24th overall.

Jason Anderson’s solid summer continued at Southwick. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider didn’t seem too fazed by the heat before the gate drops, but after the motos was quick to get his helmet and gear off for a cold-water rinse. 7-5 finishes, plus some of the fastest laps in the field through qualifying and the motos, put him fifth overall on the day and are further proof that he’s becoming a more developed all-around rider.

You have to admire Ben LaMay’s dedication to race this summer. Things have not been easy for the independent rider due to repeat mechanical issues with his Honda CRF450R and that continued this weekend, as the bike was under the factory tent and in pieces during first call for 250 Moto One. The technicians got the bike back up and running in time for LaMay to post 25-17 finishes. Like Noren a few weeks ago, LaMay’s wife is running the pit board and helping out every way she can. It would be great if LaMay, a consistent top-20 rider indoors and out, could land a ride with a team in the future.

After Thunder Valley, Justin Bogle wasn’t 100-percent certain he’d have a spot on the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM team for the rest of the summer. Yeah, we all assumed he would be, considering his top-10 rank in the series standings and great rides through the summer, but the word wasn’t confirmed until High Point. Bogle has put in a lot of effort to test the 450 SX-F with the team in Oklahoma recently and he seems comfortable on the orange bike. With two tough years behind him, we have to think that Bogle lands some sort of ride for 2020 and beyond.

What’s the little cloud on Taiki Koga’s helmet? It’s for Japanese brand John Derrick, a clothing company that is a mix of streetwear and luxury.

40 riders funneled into the first turn. Never gets old.

Another up and down day for Blake Baggett. The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider has been one of the fastest riders on the track at certain points this year, but at other times has struggled to settle in and charge. That seemed to continue at Southwick, as Baggett was in the mix early in 450 Moto One until mistakes dropped him to 10th place, then finished 18th in Moto Two, and ended the day 12th overall.

Marvin Musquin says that his focus is one race at a time and not the championship as a whole, but if the Red Bull KTM rider keeps it up, he’ll be within a few points of Eli Tomac very soon. Musquin, the winner of the 2018 race at the ‘Wick, was our pick to win again in 2019 and he did just that with 1-2 moto finishes. Musquin is known for mounting a mid-season charge that puts him within reach of a title at the end of each season and it really looks like the same is happening right now.

Where were we?

Privateer hero of the weekend goes to John Short. The Texan has been on the circuit for years and his ride at Southwick was a breakthrough of sorts with 15-9 scores and a 10th place overall finish. Seriously, a full privateer in the top-10. That’s rare to see in this sport and Short deserves some credit for his effort.

Ty Masterpool is making progress as the series continues. The rookie rider for Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha seemed to adapt quickly to Southwick’s sand, even if it was a little more hard-packed than he expected, as he was 15th fastest in the morning qualifying session and went 8-15 for 12th overall on the day. That Moto One ride is his second top-10 moto result of the summer, which is great for a rider that most didn’t know was racing until Hangtown.

Dylan Ferrandis does things his way and it’s working. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider has gotten over the early issues he had this season and is back to being a usual name in the top-three results. Like Musquin, we expected a win from Ferrandis at the ‘Wick; he did win 250 Moto Two but a third place finish in 250 Moto One kept him from the overall. Note the visor extension on his Bell Helmet; that’s a vacuum-formed piece that pops directly over the normal visor and acts the same as a taped-on goggle lens.

Speaking of the visor extension, Marvin Musquin was the only other rider we saw that opted for one in the sand of Southwick and like Ferrandis’ piece, this tip is an accessory from Airoh that attaches right to the visor without fuss.

Jake Pinhancos is a Massachusetts local that knows every bump and rut of Southwick. Pinhancos went 27-24 for 25th overall on Saturday, so it wasn’t exactly a Keith Johnson 2001 finish, but it had to be good to race in front of a crowd that favored him more than most of the factory-backed pros.

Kevin Moranz is one of those privateers you know you’ll see each week and his determination is bringing better results. Moranz has raced six motos so far this summer and his 24-16 scores at Southwick got him some points that can result in a top-100 National number in 2020.

This is a lot of money. It might not look like it to the average person, but trust us, it is.

There were plenty of concerns about how Adam Cianciarulo was going to do at Southwick. Not one of his best tracks, plus the stress of a so-so week in Florida a round before, had many questioning how the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider would do at a track he was historically subpar at. Well, he changed that in 250 Moto One with a start to finish run in the lead, then led laps in 250 Moto Two before a slide to second place. With another overall win and points scored, Cianciarulo inched further ahead of the field in the series standings.

Nick Wey has been a big part of Adam Cianciarulo’s recent success. NYK isn’t one of those coaches that gets in a rider’s face immediately after the moto or tries to interject where he’s not needed, but he’s always there when it’s needed. After the gate dropped on 450 Moto Two, we caught Wey looking at gates on the starting line. Only Nick would do something like that…

We always like the interesting trophies that tracks on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship come up with. Rather than just give the guys a plaque with their finishing place on it, Southwick whipped up some big awards that were complete with a box full of the iconic sand. Sick.

Launch control to show when you’ve reached the right rpm on the starting line, a data logger behind the number plate, carbon fiber covers over the master cylinders of the brake and clutch, plus a bunch of other stuff that’s just for him. Yeah, there’s a lot to Zach Osborne’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing FC 450.

Kitted.

Custom paint for Justin Barcia. California painter apdesigns laid metal flake, gold foil text, and bold colors between some broad lines and the iconic Monster Energy logo on this Arai lid. Barcia is always good for a painted lid.

Quiet day for Cooper Webb, but things are on the right track for the Red Bull KTM rider. 4-4 finishes for fourth overall is a great day for a rider that had some things to get through at the start of the summer and he’s now sixth in the series standings with a good gap over those behind him. Should Webb wind up within the top-five overall this summer, that plus his Supercross title will be a career-defining rebound for a rider that many wrote off in 2018.

On to the next one