2023 East Rutherford Supercross | Kickstart Recap & Gallery

Hunter Lawrence told us on Friday that he was still dealing with some pain around his, um, “self” from the Main Event swap at the ATL SX, and that it was so bad during the week that the Team Honda HRC rider visited the hospital for a check-up and didn’t do a lap of practice between races. Lawrence told us that despite the minor injury, the hype of the Showdown, and the possibility of winning the title, his plan of attack for the weekend remained the same: go for the win and make a mark on the class.

As you can see here, Jordon Smith was fast and on the edge during the afternoon laps. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider recorded a 48.728 and was on the top of board during Session One of Timed Qualifying but went down multiple times in Session Two and was back at the truck before the checkered flag flew. Fortunately, the early speed was enough for second overall in the East Coast Region and was the fourth-fastest lap of the small-bore division

There was noticeable mood swing inside MetLife Stadium after Eli Tomac’s crash, and it was felt for the rest of Timed Qualifying. The way the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider hit the ground and hobbled out of the stadium, before one lap had even been recorded, left everyone stunned and raised some concerns about past knee injuries, the title chase, and if slams like this would sour him against more years of racing…

Word got out that Tomac would be back on the line for Session Two and all eyes were on him once he mounted the bike behind the team rig and rolled back to the starting line. He clicked off nine total laps in the 10-minute session, two at speed and seven at what one could call a “cautious pace” for the rider, and a 48.930 put him seventh overall in the final Timed Qualifying results.

Just to add more to the situation: Tomac narrowly avoided the mistake Justin Barcia made on the opening lap, the one that claimed Adam Cianciarulo and forced the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider to sit out the night show with whiplash.

Might be time to hit Hunter Yoder up for some starting tips. The Partzilla/PRMX rider was at the head of the pack when the 250 West Region Heat Race exited the first turn. We had a quick chat with team owner Julien Perrier on Saturday morning, and he sees plenty of potential in Yoder, which he hopes will be fine-tuned through the rest of the year racing SX/Canadian MX and then unleashed in 2024.

Pile-Up.

RJ Hampshire’s extension with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing was announced on Friday, a two-year deal that will see the rider continue aboard the FC 250. To be honest, we’re a little surprised that the path to the 450 Class wasn’t outlined in the press release because it’s long been a shared plan between the rider-team, a promising showing at Daytona, and the need for a rider on the big bike this summer…

Then again, RJ is seen as one of the guys to fill the void the 250 Class will have when the Lawrence brothers leave, a belief that was backed up by his 250 West Region Heat Race win over champion to-be Jett, a margin of just 0.452 seconds. Watch our Pre-Race News Break from last Friday to hear Hampshire’s comments about the contract.

Jo Shimoda is in similar situation, as he’s another rider who is nearing the end of his current contract with a team and is widely considered to be a title contender in 2024. We’ve heard all sorts of possible plans, including a re-up at Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki or even a move to Husqvarna or Honda, but don’t know for sure where he will wind up.

One thing we can say with confidence is that more heads-up races and wins against the Lawrence brothers, including this one in the 250 East Heat Race by 0.442 seconds, will boost his negotiating power. Shimoda got his first win of the year in a matter of three gate drops (ATL Heat & Main, NJ Heat).

Battlin’. Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb squared up and broke away from the pack in the opening moments of 450 Heat Race One, a nine-lap duel that saw both riders do their personal best on lap six (47.318 for Roczen, 47.706 for Webb) and within three seconds of each other to the checkered flag.

The win went to Ken, who celebrated with a big whip on his Progressive/ECSTAR/Suzuki. Shoutout to Roczen for his PR work leading up to the weekend, which included a learn-to-ride segment on the morning shows for Fox News and NBC, on-air spots with sports programs in NYC, and lighting the Empire State Building in the SMX colors. Again, hit the News Break video to hear Ken say what it was like to see the city and represent the sport to the world’s largest media market.

The last moment of normalcy in New Jersey. Shortly after we snapped this shot of Jett Lawrence on the gate for the pre-Showdown parade lap, AMA officials rushed to the starting line and ordered everyone back to the tunnel due to lightning in the area…

As usual, there were lots of theories floating around as to why the race was delayed and who made the call. MetLife Stadium, an open-air venue, stuck to its standard severe weather policy and supervisors directed fans out of the seats and up to the covered terraces and exit ramps. We heard a few people say that the AMA could have rushed the race program along but remember, there was a red flag and delay during the LCQ for Joshua Varize had that not happened, they likely would have started the Showdown and then red flagged it when the lightning did come into the area. Imagine that sort of debacle.

Riders and bikes were kept in the stadium’s dock area, both as a precaution for the lightning and because it’s against the AMA rule book for racers or their equipment to leave the area once they’ve been loaded into the gate, as outlined in Sections 4.19 and 5.13: “Once a motorcycle enters the staging area and is called to the starting gate, the motorcycle will not be permitted to return to the paddock. If the motorcycle leaves the staging area after this point, the rider will not be permitted to start the race.”

The hold proved to be helpful for mechanics, who suddenly found themselves with enough time to convert their dry-race prepped bikes into mud-ready machines. Wrapping the air filters with a fabric cover, like the Twin Air skin Tony Archer is holding here, was the first task that many took on.

Just behind the stadium sits the Meadowlands Racetrack, a horse track known in harness racing circles. The two venues are part of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which is a 750-acre marsh that was first developed in the 1970s and now includes a training area for the Giants NFL team and American Dream, a massive shopping mall with indoor ski hill, an ice rink, amusement park, and water park. One could spend hours reading about how the area was established by area politicians in the 1960s, how it expanded through the 1980s, the now closed arena, and the issues that arose during the construction of the mall.

nack attack. Which Lays product would Star Racing Gareth Swanepoel approve? In the end, Levi Kitchen opted for a Nature’s Bakery Fig Bar.

The rain started right when everyone seemed to be the most anxious or questioning if it’d happen at all. We remember looking at radar around this time and seeing that one of the biggest cells in the storm was headed right for our location dot.

Impromptu pit area

Separate bottle for the dip spit.

Like Alex Ray said on the Kickstart Podcast, Evans Waterless coolant is the go-to for teams during mud races, as its 375-degree boiling point helps engines against the heat created by the mud’s added weight and reduced air flow.

First look after being in the tunnel for over an hour.

Dirt Wurx had the track looking good ahead of the Showdown. Again, the timing of the rain could not have been better, because it came just after everything had been re-prepped and readied for the Main Events.

We noticed some rocks in the dirt when it was dry, but the rain really brought the gravel and stones to the surface.

Last clean moment of the 250 Showdown.

Despite all the talk of unexpected winners ahead of the Showdown, Max Anstie’s name never came up. The Fire Power Honda rider started the season off strong and was one of the top riders in the East Region through the opening weeks, only to have issues drop him down the championship standings and seemingly out of mind when discussing front-runners for East-West faceoff. An excellent start was as a quick reminder to everyone of what he is capable of in the muck.

“Slidin' Lookin' for the opps, they been hidin'” Pierce knows what we’re talking about.

Will the stains on the St. Jude-inspired pants and jerseys increase their asking price? Almost every team and rider took part in the annual event for the children’s research hospital, either through gear or graphics, and all of it was rounded up after the event and cataloged for the upcoming auction. We’ll share a link when the sale goes live.

Mud butt.

The other day we posted a Brand Breakdown of the bikes/parts/gear used by racers in the Showdown. As important as the multi-rider teams were, it was privateer Luke Neese that wound up being big factor in the final tally, as he helped Honda/FMF Racing/Showa/Dunlop/6D/Alpinestars all reach the top of their respective categories. You can see the full rundown on our home page.

“Oh my God…” starring Coty Schock.

We were like a chameleon trying to watch two different things play out at once, with one eye on Max Anstie as he crossed the finish line and another on Jett Lawrence as he entered the last turn just ahead of RJ Hampshire. The move was wild, even for RJ standards, but the failed attempt and unable to restart bike cost him nine positions in the final results.

What’s 0.500 seconds look like in the mud? Here it’s the difference between third for Hunter Lawrence and fourth place for Max Vohland.

Shootout or Showdown? Max Anstie fired off a few finger guns to the crowd during his celebration for a career-first win. It’s going to take a lot of Froth to get that bike clean.

To those of you who bought tickets and that stuck out the storm/delay: you’re badass. When the stadium’s PA system relayed the message that the worst of the storm had passed and racing would soon resume, thousands of remaining Northeast fanatics let out a cheer so loud that everyone in the tunnels, from racers to track workers, heard it and got revved up by the excitement.

Last clean moment of the 450 Main Event.

Shoutout to Devin Simonson for putting in the sixth-fastest lap of the 450 Main Event. Not to discredit the Partzilla/PRMX rider’s mud skills at all, because clearly they’re pretty good, but we have to think some timing played a part, as Simonson ducked into the pit area for new goggles, emerged in the space behind the leader group of Roczen/Barcia/Sexton/Tomac and ahead of the rest of the pack, and seemed to catch a tow from the front-runners around the “clear track” for his 1:04.752.

Another privateer shoutout to Tristan Lane, who made his first Main Event of the year at MetLife Stadium. Like we’ve mentioned in other Kickstarts, we’ve gotten to know the Florida racer and his mechanic Donald through their F1 themed graphics with SKDA and it was great to see him get back into the swing of things after a mid-season injury.

Benny Bloss’ decision to ditch his goggles early had an impact on his finish. The Truck Centers/Rock River/Yamaha rider was among the top-five at the opening laps, but lost ground to the leaders after he pulled off the Oakley Airbrakes and was gobbled up by the pack when he went into the work area to get a fresh pair. Still, Bloss ended the night in eighth place, a season-best result.

BAM! Clear vision!

Colt Nichols made the decision and pulled his overwhelmed roll-offs off at the halfway point. Goggles faced their four biggest foes during the 450 Main Event, with rain, mud, standing water that hampered vision and hot sweaty heads that fog up the insides of lenses.

Justin Barcia’s ability to get around the track was incredible. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing rider found lines that no one thought to use, slipped and slid without worry, and knew to take it easy on the bike after his lead had reached a certain point.

Fredrik Noren was another guy who put in “clean” laps for a season-best finish. The MADD Parts/Big Buildings Direct/Kawasaki rider ran as high as seventh place, was caught by the leaders in the middle of the moto, and ultimately finished in eleventh place. Noren is in a head-to-head battle with Grant Harlan for twentieth overall in the 450 Class championship, an important position for its the end-of-season payout and inclusion in the SMX finale. They are separated by two points with three races to go.

To say this win is a big one to Justin Barcia is putting it lightly. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing rider told us all the reasons why in HWYW, like that it happened miles away from his literal birthplace, but the one thing that stood out most was his plans to enjoy it as much as possible by celebrating with the team over chicken wings. Bam also reminded us of his new two-year deal at TLD and said that he could even be up for another few seasons after that.

We sort of expected Eli Tomac to have a grimace of pain across his face after the finish line, understandable considering the day, but instead saw a massive smile through the eyeport of his Bell helmet, all thanks to his runner-up result and ample points after a day that could have been much worse. Eli is now 11 up on Cooper and 21 on Chase with three races to go.

Just a bunch of dads. Speaking of, how much does a win/podium bonus compare to a college fund for the kids? Is it enough to cover for a full four years or just books and a meal plan?

Onto Nashville.