2020 Daytona Supercross | Monday Kickstart

We caught a glimpse inside one side of the Red Bull KTM tool cart, which serves as a closet for Cooper Webb’s collection of Bell Helmets lids. How many Moto-9s do you think are in there?

While we’re on the topic of helmets, here’s a freshie for Webb. Red Bull’s preferred paint shop, Air Trix, went all-out with this one. We like the color-matched grey gasket…

The David Mann-inspired biker scene on one side… (Look up David Mann’s art when you get done with Kickstart)

And the front gates of Daytona International Speedway on the other.

Special race, special graphics. The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda team printed up a Daytona-themed kit for their CRF450R bikes, which included the colored stripes of the flags and the checkered-pattern grandstands.

Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM went a similar route with retro numbers, faint palm trees, and the flags of the speedway logo on their stickers for the weekend.

Benny is back. With Justin Bogle now sidelined with a concussion for the rest of the Monster Energy Supercross Series, the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM team went the logical route and brought Benny Bloss back into the fold. It makes sense that Bloss would go back to the team, seeing how he spent much of his professional career there and is on a factory-backed bike, but it does mean that he gave up a full-time seat with Rock River Yamaha, Nationals included, for a seven-race stint.

Up close with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing bikes. Here’s Aaron Plessinger’s YZ450F, which is outfitted with a KYB PSF air fork and Renthal TwinWall handlebars.

Justin Barcia’s bike is built with a completely different setup, as he opts for the traditional mechanical spring fork from KYB and a Renthal Fatbar.

If you’re an F1 fan, then you’re familiar with the many tire designs that Pirelli brings to the paddock each weekend, all of which are noted by certain names, colors, compounds, and branding. The Italian brand decided that moto needs some of the same identifying principals on their motocross tires and put stickers of the compound on the sidewall of the rubber.

Start them young. JGRMX/Yoshimura/SuzukI Factory racing mechanic Rene Zapata had some help from his youngster while he built the RM-Z450 for French fill-in rider Charles Lefrancois.

Some insight on the Charles Lefrancois-JGRMX deal. Lefrancois is a French rider with a solid Supercross background (he’s a front-runner in the SX Tour/UK AX/ADAC series) that has ties to Suzuki. With the team in need and Lefrancois fresh off a busy winter of racing, it was the most logical option to bring him to the US for a limited deal while they wait for their original riders to recovery. Lefrancois was aboard a modest RM-Z450, which had a mostly stock engine, parts from key team sponsors, and Lefrancois’s preferred Showa suspension and linkage.

Bummer for JB. A last-lap collision with Vince Friese for 10th place left the Team Honda HRC rider with a broken bone in his left hand and he’ll have to sit out upcoming rounds of the series in order for it to heal. When we talked to Brayton on Sunday, he was hopeful that he would be able to race despite the injury, but a further evaluation and weakened grip of the bike has forced him to wait it out. It’s uncertain if Team Honda HRC will fill the sit for the expected three-week absence, but we doubt that they do.

Harley might be the first brand that comes to mind when you think of Bike Week, but Honda has done more for the event in recent years, including their longtime role as a sponsor to the Supercross race and other activities in town. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Supercross, Team Honda HRC had Throttle Jockey take cues from their past race bikes and create a retro kit for the CRF450R bikes.

There were plenty of small touches that really added to the look. Throttle Jockey brought back the iconic Honda H and laid the rider’s signature over the top, ala the 80s, while Fox Racing, Renthal, Wiseco, and Twin Air approved retro logos to be used.

CRF450R Elsinore

Rocket Rex Staten. If you get a moment to talk with Rex, make sure you do. The man came up in a complete bygone era of motocross, rode some of the bikes that we are still awe-struck by, and is around the races a far bit.

Daytona International Speedway presented ten past winners of the Daytona Supercross with a special momento during Friday’s media day session: a gold ring that celebrated their accomplishment as a winner over the course of the event’s 50 years. (We won’t lie, we really thought it might have been a Rolex when we saw the boxes, since the track and watch maker have a long history.)

We had a feeling Aaron Plessinger was going to be fast in Daytona. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider has been on the rise through the last few rounds and his pace during Friday’s press session was impossible to miss. Turns out AP was eager to score some redemption at the race that curbed his rookie season, something he alluded to in our How Was Your Weekend interview and a season-best sixth place finish (this continues his trend of 8-7-6 finishes over the past three weeks). Oh, one more very important thing: Plessinger is not leaving his spot on the team in 2021. Like many of you, we heard the rumors that he was going to become Yamaha’s guy in off-road racing, so we asked about it on Friday. Plessinger said he’s heard the same talk, but explained that there’s nothing more to it and confirmed he’ll be back on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing YZ450F for SX and MX. That adds a whole layer of intrigue over the looming silly season.

It’s waiting for you, Adam. Click the homepage or your preferred podcast hosting site to hear swap’s recent interview with Adam Cianciarulo, which recaps the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider’s rookie year in the 450 class and his recent collarbone break.

Three amigos.

Customary shots of bikes in the garage. Here’s Pierce Brown’s Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM 250 SX-F.

Chase Sexton’s GEICO Honda CRF250R.

Shane McElrath’s Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha YZ250F.

Cooper Webb’s Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F.

On display. Broc Tickle is hopeful that he’ll be back from his broken hand in time to race the final few rounds of the SX season with JGRMX. That should give Joey Savatgy a little more time to recovery and get prepared for the upcoming Nationals, too.

Marvin Musquin was out and about in Daytona, but his bike is still idle as he recovers from last year’s knee issue. It’s strange to see his Red Bull KTM sitting in the pits, especially since Musquin has been rather injury-free.

We know a lot of you will scoff at this, but think all that Ken Roczen has gone through in the last few years with his help, the number of people he comes in contact with on any given weekend, and the importance of his current championship chase as he bows out of public appearances during the Coronavirus situation. Will SX be impacted the same way other sports have or are at risk of? We’ve been told there are plans in place should something interrupt the remaining six races. More on that later…

The sandy surface of the Daytona Supercross meant that many riders tried different tire designs than their normal knobby, with many going for Dunlop’s sand-mud tread. It’s pretty common for riders to try the paddle tire during qualifying at mud races, but as the day dries out and the racing line develops, they almost always revert back to the standard block for the motos. That wasn’t the case in Daytona, and many stayed with the scoop for the whole day, including 250 Main Event winner Garrett Marchbanks.

During our visit to Blake Baggett’s property in Florida last week, we got to know Zane Merritt and Current Thurman. It’s impossible to miss the two riders in the 250 East Coast class, as their long hair is always hanging out the back of their helmets, and the interviews we did with the guys will give you plenty of respect for the three-digit heroes. We’ll get them up soon. Unfortunately, Merritt missed making the night show when his rear wheel busted during qualifying while Thurman had to race much of the 250 Main Event without a front fender after an early crash.

We wish this was another good shout out to Nick Gaines, but unfortunately it could be our last one for a bit. The 3D Racing Yamaha rider was one of the many that got caught up in the chaos that was the whoop section in the opening lap of his Heat Race and he took the full force of Chase Sexton’s bike to the body. GuyB at Vital MX is reporting a broken hand for Gaines, which means he’ll most likely miss a race or two.

Eli Tomac’s helmet had equally appropriate art for the weekend and apdesigns put a mural of the grandstands on the rear of the carbon fiber shell.

Is Twisted Tea a new sponsor for the HEP Motorsports Suzuki squad? There are some rules that guide alcohol and tobacco sponsorship in American racing, but seeing how Feld has the Mike’s Hard line of hard liquor as a series sponsor, it’d be good to see some teams bring some booze money into the bank accounts. We’d love to have a few glasses of Martini and Rossi bubbles while under a team hospitality trailer on Saturday.

Obligatory Alex Ray photos.

If you’re a race fan, a trip to Daytona is a must. Everywhere you go in town is in some way influenced by the track and the history runs deep. Take a tour of the museum, walk pit lane, explore the garages, get a drink in one of the many bars, look for the France family yacht in the marina.

New gear check. Here’s the Fox Racing Trilen style of the 360 line on Ken Roczen, which was inspired by the colors seen in the shell of a beetle.

Benny Bloss and the rest of the Fly Racing squad debuted the 2020 style of the Kinetic Mesh line, which is the company’s popular and durable vented line.

Tyler Bowers in Answer Racing’s Daytona special Akron Korza kit.

Remember what we said earlier about Rolex and Daytona? The watch company has the famed Daytona cosmograph style in their collection, which was designed for the long endurance races that take place at the track. How much does one of those cost? Well, the one Anton wants (Oyster, 40 mm, yellow gold) has a price tag north of 35K. But that’s a steal compared to the record price that Paul Newman’s Daytona Rolex fetched at auction a few years ago, which went for 17.8 million.

Props to Malcolm Stewart. Daytona is the track that one would assume to be the most opposite of Malcolm’s style, but the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider was one of the fastest riders of the day. Fourth overall in qualifying, Stewart was steady in the night’s races and is one of only four riders to finish in the top-10 through all ten rounds. Who are the others? Tomac, Roczen, and Barcia.

Damn, Dean. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider got heavy with his throttle hand when he went over the sand roller.

O’Neal Racing decked a number of their riders out in matching Mayhem Crackle 91 kits and Deven Raper took the look to the next level by having a helmet wrapped to mimic Jeff Emig in 1996. A true privateer, Raper’s run at qualifying for his first Main Event of the season was ended when the clutch in his Kawasaki gave out during the LCQ.

Oh, this is Charles Lefrancois, in case you were wondering.

Something about the heat wrap on the gas tank, the dark blue header pipe, and the 90s NASCAR logo really went together on Jared Lesher’s KTM 450 SX-F.

How gnarly was the sand at Daytona? A number of riders didn’t think the standard 21 laminated tearoffs would be enough and instead opted for roll-off film systems. Long laps, heavy conditions, and dark lights put even more importance on clear vision.

Do it for Dale.

Add Jerry Robin to the injury list. FXR/Chaparral/Honda team owner Michael Lindsay said that Robin’s crash during the night show left the likeable and fast Minnesota racers with a busted hand, so Justin Starling will be the team’s only rider for Indianapolis.

Postcard from the pit lane.

We have to think the matching white uniforms for the flaggers was a nod to Daytona’s history and attire by a past generation of marshals. Us? We mostly remember Daytona as the time of year that gear companies would debut their white-based gear sets for the summer.

Pre-race chat with Chad Reed and Mitch Payton.

We had dinner with Jordan Bailey last week and learned how much Daytona means to the TiLube Honda by Buddy Brooks rider. A Florida native, Bailey went to the race as a kid with his family and became hooked, which prompted his family to fully invest in an activity they knew nothing about prior and he became one of the notable amateur riders in the recent era. Bailey rode well and fought to finish 11th in the 250 Main Event.

Yeah, you heard a two-stroke on the broadcast. Chris Canning qualified for the night show in the 250 Class aboard a KTM 125 SX, Considering the deep sand and long lanes, Canning was totally outmatched against the thumpers, but that he qualified for the night show on the premix burner is a remarkable feat in and of itself.

We could see these two having their share of battles this summer. Martin is eager to get back to the top step after his time on the sidelines while Marchbanks has intent to be a top-five threat in every moto.

Ryan Sipes really is one of the most versatile guys on two-wheels. With support from Red Bull and KTM (but not Red Bull KTM), Sipes built a 350 SX-F and lined up for the 450 Class at Daytona, a perfect start to his Bike Week adventure that will include American Flat Track next Saturday. An eighth-place result in his Heat Race put Sipes directly into the Main Event, where he finished a solid 16th.

Experience over youth. The way Chad Reed snaked through the inside line of the first turn in his Heat Race, moments after a fitting send off in opening ceremonies, showed that CR22 still knows a few moves that can put him at the front of the field.

Another week, another podium for Cooper Webb. It sounds like the Red Bull KTM rider is over the hump on his Arlington crash and injuries, as he was able to put in a real day of practice laps ahead of Daytona and looks to get back into the routine as we get ready for the next part of the season. Webb’s pace in the early laps of the Main Event made it clear that he’s still going to go for it, soreness be damned, but a mistake in the sand caused him to lose ground on the front runners.

Pit bike. Ken Roczen and his crew had a nearly perfect 1994 Honda Z50 to cruise Daytona on and we had serious envy of the little white ride. We asked Roczen if he had one of these as a kid and to our surprise, he said that they weren’t available in Germany.

The Daytona crew had little elements added throughout the track that played up the race’s history, including replicas of the old tunnel jump for the speed-check single and even a foam block that was meant to mimic the pit walls that were capped with dirt and used as jumps in the 1970s.

Chase Sexton placed second in the 250 Class Main Event at Daytona, but compared to his title rivals, it was practically a win for the GEICO Honda rider. The 22-points scored, while McElrath and Hampshire finished off of the podium, put Sexton 10-points ahead of the duo in the championship standings. Visit our YouTube channel, Swapmoto Live, and subscribe for a recent interview with the 1E that talks about his recent runs at the front of the pack, riding with Ken Roczen, and what his first day was like on the factory CRF450R.

We’ve got a first timer here. Garrett Marchbanks has been building through the 2020 season, but did anyone think the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider would be the winner at Daytona? Marchbanks told us recently that he’s ready to be one of the top guys in the 250 Class, a big statement from a teenager that’s still early in his career, but his race craft and patience during Daytona proved that he might be capable of all that very soon. Congrats to Garrett, his mechanic Colter Ahrens, and riding coach Ivan Tedesco for the W.

What do Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac like about their battles? Watch How Was Your Weekend to get their take on each other’s riding style and strengths. It was cool to hear the two be complimentary, especially considering the very close championship chase they are currently in.

Team Race

That was a big one. Eli Tomac has won Daytona in the past, but this could be one of the more memorable victories for the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider. Down a considerable amount in the early laps, Tomac soon settled into a groove, worked his way by top-tier talent like Barcia-Anderson-Webb, zoned in on Roczen, upped the pace, and made the pass. He’ll hold the championship lead by three points as the series heads to round 11 this weekend.

Flashy lights and El Hombre. Let’s end Kickstart here. Thanks for reading.