2020 Tampa Supercross | Monday Kickstart

The Tampa Supercross marked the start of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship, but it was also the return of James Stewart after a near four-year absence from the scene. Stewart broke his silence and officially announced his retirement in a video series presented by Seven in 2019, and this year he has done several excellent race breakdown videos following the early rounds of this year's series. Tampa, however, was the first time James physically came to the races, and it was great to see him. On hand to cheer on his brother Malcolm, James brought his young family with him, too.

During the daytime activities, James took part in the pre-race Raceday Live broadcast with Jim Holley and Daniel Blair. Fans inside Raymond James Stadium went nuts when Stew was interviewed on the big screen, but we were disappointed that he was not invited into the booth for the NBC broadcast like Chad Reed and Jett Lawrence have been previously.

Seven MX Brand Manager Roger Larsen had his hands full - literally and figuratively - with both Malcolm and James to manage.

The return to Florida was good for Malcolm Stewart. The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda rider has been in SoCal for several months training and testing with the team, but now that the Supercross series has headed east, so has Malc. "I got to spend a few days at home before the race and it was good be home," he said. "I was more homesick than I thought."

In the main event, Stewart gated at the front of the pack and held down third for over half of the race. Though he looked great while in podium contention, he admitted that he simply ran out of steam. "I was gassed," he said. "It felt great up there but I used too much energy." At the finish, Malcolm crossed the finish line in seventh.

It's been a long off-season for Monster Energy/Star Racing/s Shane McElrath and his mechanic Matt Winters. "We've been chomping at the bit to go racing," said McElrath. "To be honest, though I was ready physically to race West Coast, we were able to dial in some more things on the bike in the extra time we had. " McElrath had told us several times before Tampa that he has never felt so good on a motorcycle before.

"We had some good practice sessions, which was step one," said McElrath. "We had a good heat race, which was step two, and we holeshot the main and won, which was step three! This team is pushing mer out of my comfort zone and that is really helping me grow. This feels amazing."

Shane and Joy McElrath were all smiles after his triumphant season opener. This is the first time since 2016 that Shane has raced the Eastern Regional 250 SX Championship and though more travel will be involved for the SoCal resident, it appears the coast assignment was a good one.

It seemed like Tampa was a big day for returns! Broc Tickle was certainly a sight for sore eyes as he returned to racing following his FIM suspension for a failed drug test at the 2018 San Diego Supercross. Though Tickle had built an impressive privateer effort with AEO Powersports Husqvarna, he was invited to join the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team a couple weeks before Tampa.

Both Tickle and his buddy Kyle Chisholm wore special FXR Racing gear that was created for the St. Jude's theme of the Tampa Supercross. The gear sets were emblazoned with children's artwork provided by St. Jude's.

"It sucks to finish poorly when you are riding great like I was tonight," said Cianciarulo. "But look at Anaheim Two for instance...I was riding terribly and I got sixth. I slept okay that night. But to be a podium guy and finish seventh...man!"

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo qualified fastest again in Tampa, and took control of the lead in the main event early on. Things looked good for AC as he led Eli Tomac, but his teammate found his way past with an outside pass in the sand section. With a big gap on third, it all fell apart for AC when he washed his front end in the whoops and got stuck on a tuff block. Cianciarulo was ninth at the checkers.

"I felt like my pace was good, but I had a couple big bobbles in that sand section where I basically came to a complete stop," he said. "There are some positives to take away from tonight, but I am not really pumped with 13th." Regardless of from what many fans think, Friese is one of the good guys that we love to interact with.

Ah, the sand section. Eli Tomac is in there somewhere! Riders either loved or hated the powdery white Florida sand as it caused numerous bobbles and crashes. Tomac, however, seemed to be a master of the soft stuff as he railed through the longer and softer outside line to take the lead from Cianciarulo.

The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda team has established itself as a force in the 450 class as all three of its racers have made every main, and in Tampa MCR bikes notched two of the top-10 finishers.

After spending over a year healing from a broken back suffered in a horrific crash at Muddy Creek in 2018, GEICO Honda's Jeremy Martin returned to the podium at Tampa with a solid third. "It's taken a lot of hard work to get back to this point," said Martin. "It was a crazy day! It's been a long time that I have been out of the game and I am ready to battle back and make this season a bar banger!"

Martin held down second early in the main event, but there was no denying defending Eastern Regional 250 SX Champ Chase Sexton. The two GEICO Honda teammates got close, but kept it clean as they scrapped over second place.

Martin and his mechanic Derik Dwyer share some smiles after the race.

JGRMX/Yopshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing's Jimmy DeCotis turned in a super-impressive ninth-place finish in Tampa. While ninth is usually not a position for the New Englander to write home about, it was this weekend because he nearly didn't line up at all. DeCotis had a massive crash the Monday prior and sustained a bad hip injury. "Racing hurt sucks, but I am proud of working up to ninth and earning some good points," he said. "I didn't even ride the first practice session and it wasn't looking good, but thanks to the team I have behind me it all worked out better than I could have imagined." Get better, Rippa!

Yet another rider making his return in Tampa was Josh Hill. The former factory rider will contest the entire Eastern Regional 250 Championship aboard a Yamaha YZ250F. To get the complete lowdown on his efforts and what brought him back to racing, check out the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast we did with Hill last Friday. Find it elsewhere on the site or on your favorite podcast host.

Hill had a miscue at the start of the main that left him scrambling to come from behind, but he worked up to 12th at the finish. "I tried to come back and be the man, but I wasn't," he joked. "That was the worst start of my life and coming through from the back was carnage. That sand section was terrible. There will be better days!" Regardless of the result, it certainly is good to have Big Hill back.

GEICO Honda's Jo Shimoda made his Supercross debut in Tampa and finished a solid 10th in the 250 main. Shimoda is the first full-time factory supported Japanese rider in AMA racing history.

Shimoda's times in qualifying were well inside the top 10, but he seemed to struggle with some first-race jitters in the main. Jo started the race fourth on his Cameron Camera-tuned CRF250R and looked solid in the early laps, but was unable to fend off the charges of the more-experienced competitors that found their way past. "I tried to keep up with my teammates, but they are definitely fast," he said. "My heart rate was so high! It was definitely different than the Monster Energy Cup. I will keep trying and improve with each race."

Defending Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Champion Chase Sexton was solid at Tampa and will only get quicker. After suffering a broken collarbone on a pit bike in the offseason, Sexton only had a few weeks in the saddle before starting his title defense.

"I had a tough day with two big crashes in practice," he said. "They weren't really my fault, but it turned around with a win in the heat race that felt good. I didn't execute my start in the main the way I wanted to but I made some good passes to get into second, but I didn't get to battle with Shane because he was gone. Looking forward to next weekend already."

Honda HRC's Ken Roczen was solid in Tampa, but a small crash kept him from making a serious run at Cooper Webb for second. "I had a small fall while I was in third and I had to pass Malcolm back, but I am happy with the way I rode after the crash," said Roczen. "I know that the red plate changed hands but I am not going to take a podium finish for granted because there are weekends when you wish you were up there. I am going to work hard on my starts this week in preparation for the Triple Crown in Texas. The format was good to me last time!"

Tickle was impressive in his return. After turning in the 11th overall quickest time in the class in the opening B group practice session, he was allowed to join the A group in the first timed session. As a former Western Regional 250 Supercross Champion, it seemed incorrect to make him ride in the B group, regardless of championship point standings. Tickle went on to transfer straight to the main with fourth in his heat race. A poor start in the main, Tickle battled back to 12th. "The intensity is high and it was my first race in two years, so I have some work to do," he said. "There's plenty of fight in me, though, and I am really glad to be back."

The sand even forced Supercross Champion Cooper Webb into a mistake or two en route to his impressive runner-up finish.

Though most racers sat down as they powered through the soft sandy section, we caught this cool shot of Malcolm Stewart standing as he powered through the section. Pretty cool, Malc.

SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts/Honda rider Vince Friese has gotten his starting technique back in order and the number 64 has been a frequent sight at the front of the pack again.

McElrath led the way through the open practice session and the first timed qualifying session. but GEICO Honda's Jeremy Martin snuck in a quicker lap time in the final timed session. No matter; McElrath led every lap of his heat race and the main event to earn the fifth 250 Supercross win of his career.

FXR Honda's Justin Starling finished 20th in the 250 main but was pleased about being able to race in spite of a torn-up shoulder suffered earlier in the year. "I was figuring I would race Atlanta at the earliest," he said. "But I figured I would give it a go and managed to make it straight out of my heat race and into the main. 20th is nothing amazing, but we got some points and the team has been amazing all day. We will just build from here!"

Phoenix Racing Honda's Kyle Peters finally made his Supercross debut for the team after spending the past several weeks trading wins in the Kicker Arenacross Series with his teammate Jace Owen. "I am a little disappointed with my finish because I am a top-five guy," he said. "But it's good to be racing Supercross and I will be better next weekend in Texas."

The first turn in Raymond James Stadium was unique in that the outside dipped into the powdery sand. That didn't deter Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Shane McElrath from starting on the outside of the doghouse and railing the outside of turn one in his heat and in the main to emerge with both holeshots.

Barcia's jersey had the art on his sleeves! A blue elephant on his right elbow...

...and a pink one on the right. Barcia's rise through the field to fourth, right at the finish, was amazing after the hairy crash he had over the triple during the afternoon practice sessions. Barcia's hand slipped off the bars in a rhythm section, forcing him to basically loop out over the triple that followed. We watched Justin Brayton, Eli Tomac, and Adam Ciaciarulo all miss the downed Yamaha rider by mere inches in the moments that followed. Lucky!

Monster Energy Yamaha also incorporated some of the St. Jude's childrens' art on its bike graphics. The white panels really stood out on what it usually an all-black machine.

Alpinestars created some special riding gear for Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia at the St. Jude's-themed Tampa Supercross. Check the artwork on Tomac's thigh.

Im reference to the snazzy new hairdo that Kenny debuted in San Diego, Fox Racing sewed him up this cool butt patch. Alas, Roczen's mohawk was visibly faded from the flo-red color that it was in San Diego...

Big props to Seven MX for the new kit Malcolm raced in. All white with coral and paste accents, the inspiration came from a shoe. "I saw a Nike shoe that was those colors," said Larsen. "And we already had a pair of custom boots in the coral color for Malcolm to wear last year but he got hurt so they were still new."

Defending Champion Cooper Webb is back to his speedy ways. After last week's win in San Diego, Webb was a solid runner-up in Tampa and proved to be fast until the very end.

Alex Ray has made it a point to ride the Friday morning press sessions for the local news channels and with the Tampa round falling on Valentine’s Day weekend, he gave the on-site reporter a rose before teaching her how to ride a pit bike. If one good thing comes from A Ray’s 2020 tour, it’ll be the little black book of women he will have from various cities…

RJ Hampshire made his true debut with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team at Tampa and he showed serious speed during the weekend. A run-in with another rider put Hampshire in the Tuff Blocks during the 250 Main Event, but he managed to regroup and posted the fastest lap time of the race (49.740) midway through the moto, which shows he has the fitness to go with speed. Sixth in the final results is very good and he’ll need to rebound with a podium finish soon to stay in the championship chase.

Rookie road rash for Jamison DuClos…

Caution: Hot

It was impossible to miss Chase Sexton’s bike on the track. The GEICO Honda team swapped their usual red plastics for an all-white set and special graphics to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which made the 1E and red backgrounds stand out even more. We really like how GEICO Honda is willing to mix up the look of their bikes for certain races, especially when it’s for a good cause.

Detailed shots of the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing graphics.

Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM swapped out the standard look on Blake Baggett's bike for a special white graphic that incorporated the St. Jude logo as part of the design.

Anyone else impressed by Garrett Marchbanks? That's not a knock on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, but he was solid in Tampa and could be a breakout rider in the East Coast. Now completely healed up from his past knee injuries and under the watchful eye of Ivan Tedesco, Marchbanks looks better than ever on the bike finished fourth in the Main Event.

The Tampa dirt had quite a bit of debris in it, like this hunk Colter Ahrens pulled from the face of one jump during track walk. We’re going to chalk this up to the dirt in Tampa being used for Monster Jam much more often than it is for Supercross.

Happy Late Valentine’s Day from Mookie.

Bell Helmets continued their run of custom painted helmets with a special Ethika-Monster Energy scheme on the Moto-9 Carbon Flex, which was heavy on the red and white accents. Snaps and claps for Benny, Vara, Foz, and apdesigns for getting this done.

We kept an eye on Jordan Bailey at Tampa. During our interview in the offseason, Bailey stated that he didn't deliver the results he was paid for, that he nearly stopped racing, and that he is determined to make the most of the opportunity he has with the TiLube Honda by Buddy Brooks team and learning how sports-business management while racing. That's a good plan, especially for a 19 year old.

We noticed the GEICO Honda guys were in two very different jerseys of their new Bowery line during the free practice session. Chase Sexton had the high-performance 3lack top to match the pants…

While Jeremy Martin and Jo Shimoda had the Bowery LS Tee shirt with the appropriate logos ironed on. Why’s this important? The LS Tee is exactly what you think it is: a standard cotton long sleeve shirt like the ones you have in your clothes basket. Jeremy Martin didn’t seem too distracted by the thicker material when we asked if he was hot in the Florida sun and said, “I’ll run whatever they give me!” All three guys were in the regular four-way stretch tops when it was timed for the qualifying sessions.

It was an up and down day for Jalek Swoll, as Tampa was the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider’s pro debut and home race (he’s a Florida native and grew up racing in the area), so he was able to spend time with family and old friends during the afternoon pit party. Swoll’s early results were mixed, as he was 19th overall in qualifying, crashed early in his Heat Race, and battled with Isaac Teasdale in the LCQ for the final transfer spot to the Main Event, only to bobble in the last few whoops and hand the position back to Teasdale. Swoll was visibly upset after coming up short, but the team was quick to share words of encouragement and explain what they’ll work on to be ready for round two.

Controlled chaos. Sometimes the top riders in the sport get out of shape on the track but reel it in just before disaster strikes. Cooper Webb demonstrates with an unintentional scrub into a bowl turn.

Gripping with his knees, in attack position, with his eyes looking toward the next section of the track. This is what we mean when we say that Chad Reed’s technique is still spot-on. Seriously, pay close attention to CR22 if you go to a race in person this year, because these times will be few and far between soon.

Token Tevin Tapia photo.

#realfansgo

We’re eager to see what Jerry Robin and Lorenzo Locurcio do in 2020. Both riders have been independent for most of their careers and have had moments of success in the 250 class, but this year they have confirmed spots with well-backed teams for the full East Coast region (Robin on the FXR/Chaparral/Honda squad, Lorenzo with Team PR-MX). Robin fared better of the duo with a 16th place result in the Main Event while Locurcio’s night ended with a seventh in the LCQ.

Benny Bloss had his second hard slam of the season, a tumble through the whoops, during the final timed qualifying session on Saturday and the crash forced the Rock River Yamaha rider to the sidelines for the night show. The early word was good and Bloss suffered no apparent serious injuries, so his efforts will be put towards resting up and recovering in time for next weekend’s race in Arlington.

Tyler Bowers is one of those guys you can always count on to be in the Main Event. The Trigger Racing rider has made the 450 feature race at six of the seven rounds run thus far (his only 0 is because he skipped St. Louis for a well-paying gig in Germany) and in Tampa he matched his season-best score with a 15th place. Bowers is currently 16th in the championship standings with 42-points, which is nearly double the sum on 17th place ranked Justin Bogle, so he should be able to focus more on closing the gap ahead of him.

Alex Ray had a massive slam in the final practice that forced officials to throw the red flag. After a few long moments on the ground to catch his breath, ARay got up and walked back by the rest of the 450 A Group as they waited for the restart. A massive hematoma on his back looked painful and Alex hobbled his way to the starting line for the night show and did a lap to collect his part of the purse money. It’s a hard way to make a living.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

With the 250 West Coast region on hiatus, Michael Mosiman has returned to Florida and will put in his laps at Aldon Baker’s facility. Since Tampa is about a two-hour drive from his place in Clermont, Mosiman made the trip over and helped the team take down the pit area before the night’s racing started. Seriously, we can only think of a handful of factory riders that we’ve seen do this before.

Justin Starling’s moto van is up for sale. Hit the FXR/Chaparral/Honda rider up on social media if you want to make his Chevy Express van your own. Maybe he’ll leave the sticker on if you pay extra.

John Short was very impressive in Tampa. Backed by the Manluk/K&R Racing team for the full 250 East Coast region, the Texas rider started the day with fast laps in qualifying (he was 12th overall in the afternoon portion of the program), posted a solid sixth place in his Heat Race, and finished 15th in the Main Event. Short isn’t known for his Supercross skills, but he’s made big gains over the past year and continues to make progress with coaching from Gregg Albertson. Can he post a breakout ride at some point the next few weeks the way he did at Spring Creek last summer?

We’ve heard that GEICO Honda has made gains with the performance of the 2020 CRF250R engine, something that was obvious in the excellent starts that Craig and Lawrence nabbed on the West Coast. Chase Sexton proved that the engine package is just a potent on the other side of the country with an instant advantage when the gate dropped in his Heat Race.

How many times have you replayed Adam Cianciarulo and Ken Roczen’s battle for the win in 450 Heat Race Two? The training partners got to the front of the pack early and charged around the Tampa track within a few feet of each other, just like they do during the week at the practice track. Roczen waited until the last laps to make his move on AC and left the rookie little time to retaliate and retake the top spot. Here’s hoping GoPro posts the footage from their Hero8 cameras this week.

Zach Osborne is having a tough go lately. There’s no doubt that the Rockstar Energy Husqvarnra Factory Racing rider has been fast, but crashes in the opening laps have been costly and have kept him from getting the results that reflect his speed. A first-lap spill in Tampa put Osborne in dead-last and he spent the full duration of the race working through the running order for an 11th place finish. One trouble-free race could really do wonders for Osborne’s season.

Billboards.

We walked through the pit area during the downtime between races and caught the Monster Energy Kawasaki guys as they watched the Kawasaki Science of Supercross segment that explained the importance of their trackside tool cart. The TV feature is an informative way to explain details of the sport that are often unnoticed by the casual fan and it’s cool to see the people on the team openly take part and be so casual on camera.

Shoeshine. If you want to keep your kicks clean between motos at the track, take a page from the Alpinestars Racing Services department and wipe them down with a bottle of Simple Green and a damp rag. Save the pressure washer for after the race, that way the foam in your boots doesn’t get waterlogged and heavy.

How do teams keep their bikes spotless at a Supercross? Since mud races are few and far between and the schedule between practice sessions leaves little time for maintenance, most mechanics will focus on key areas of their bikes with a heavy-duty degreaser (suspension cleaner in this instance), a water-based dirt removing spray (matte finish cleaner), a rag, and an air compressor. The extra water and pressure from a power washer would risk getting key electronic areas or the intake system wet and could cause a mechanical issue.

Debrief. Justin Barcia and Jim Perry went over the lap times between the Heat Race and Main Event, which helped the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider claim a fourth-place finish in the feature. Barcia and Yamaha have put in a serious effort getting the YZ450F set up to the rider’s liking with a new engine package and chassis setup that is largely guided by what Barcia wants, not a predetermined base that they are constantly altering. It seems to be working, as Barcia has been consistent (seven top-10 finishes so far) and is still within the point range of being billed as a title contender.

How many riders have had their night ended by a bent rear brake lever? Add Travis Sewell to that very long list…

“Racing is life. Everything before and after is just waiting.” - Steve McQueen

We spotted these burly Nihilo Concepts carbon fiber airbox covers on the Club MX Yamaha YZ250F race bikes at Tampa and were instantly intrigued. The YZ250F’s radical intake system is one of the reasons why the blue bike has such a strong power curve and the Club MX crew is doing what they can to force even more air into the engine with the larger intake ports and taller stack Nihilo has fabricated to fit into the stock mounting areas. Like what you see? This is part of Nihilo’s catalog for $299.99.

There’s no building quite like Raymond James Stadium, especially with the tropical vibe that the pirate ship, beachside bar concession stands, and palm trees that fill the backdrop of the photos. The weather in Florida was great, crowd turnout was solid, and the racing was exciting. We’ll see you when the series returns to the venue in 2022; Feld told us that it’ll be absent from the 2021 schedule, but back after that.

Give it up for Joey Crown. The Michigan rider has been on our radar for a while, as he’s been known for solid results at random events around the world (Prince of Geneva this past Decemeber) or mechanical DNFs that left us wondering what could have been. Backed by the Club MX team for 2020, Crown started the 250 East Coast region off with a good showing in Tampa and an eighth-place finish in the Main Event.

Looks like Kyle Peters is putting his Arenacross passing techniques to use in Supercross. The Phoenix Racing Honda rider was on the line at Tampa, as the opening SX round fell on an off weekend from his current AX championship run, and he finished seventh place in the 250 Main Event. Peters has been good in past years and scored a few podium finishes (Indy as a privateer, Foxborough without an ACL) so it’ll be interesting to see if the confidence boost of a possible Arenacross title and his current Honda setup will make him into a surprise fighter for top-five finishes. Peters will miss the Atlanta SX, because it’s the same time as the Kicker Arenacross series.

The 250 East Coast region means a new crop of riders and teams that can make a results sheet very interesting, like Nick Gaines and the 3D Racing team. Gaines has been a fixture of the East Coast and it’s easy to chart the improvements in his riding and results from year to year. Back with Bill Dill’s team for 2020, Gaines was eighth-fastest in the qualifying times (the highest non-factory-backed rider) and then finished 14th in the Main Event.

See the AOS logo on Roczen’s jersey? That’s for Art Of Sport, the athlete-founded skincare company that Roczen owns a stake in alongside the family of Kobe Bryant, Ryan Sheckler, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and James Harden. The company launched its full product line nationwide in Target locations and we even picked up a bottle of the body wash to support the hustle. Initial thoughts? It’s good! Not an overly bubbly lather, super pleasant smell that isn’t too strong, with no dryness or greasy feel. Get a bottle on your next run to the store.

Race face.

Broc Tickle’s setup was complete with a custom-painted Alpinestars SM10 helmet by Tagger Designs. The SoCal paint shop was commissioned by Carey Hart to lay a colorful scheme to the carbon fiber lid as an advertisement for his new CBD company, Hart Luck CDB.

Same section, one lap apart.

This is what the sand section looked like by the end of the night. We know that riders aren’t the biggest fans of sand and it’s pretty brutal on the bikes (it has a way of sneaking into every crack and pore), but it’s an element that’s been used for decades and makes a race so interesting. Looks like the next big sand pit will be a long straightaway and a kinked turn at the Atlanta Supercross in two weeks. Get those goggles ready.

If you ever are given the opportunity to walk a Supercross track at the end of the night, do it. You’ll be surprised at how deep ruts can be cut into turns, the holes and bumps that are hidden throughout, and how many lines can be plotted within just a few inches of each other.

Ready for Arlington? Pack a coat, because it doesn't look like the weather in Texas will be as warm as it was in Florida. Thanks for reading...