2023 Fox Raceway MX National | Kickstart

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha had all but two of its seven-rider 250 team in action last weekend. Spaniard Guillem Farres returned to the team full-time this summer after making a couple of impressive guest appearances in last year's 250 Nationals. Jordon Smith, meanwhile, returned to the Nationals for the first time in four years, as injuries have kept him sidelined repeatedly. Farres was eighth at Fox, while Smith was 13th.

Red Bull KTM's Maximus Vohland had a great showing at the first National of the year, which was likely important to he and the team after he failed to make the main at the Salt Lake Supercross series finale. Vohland was a solid second in the first moto, but a crash at the start of the second moto forced him to come from behind for ninth in the moto and sixth overall. Expect the second-generation racer to run up front this weekend at his hometown race; the Dirt Diggers Hangtown Motocross Classic.

Fox Racing released a new Special Edition throwback kit just in time for the season opener. The Barbed Wire SE was worn in 1992 by Jeff Matiasevich on his factory Kawasaki. Available in red or purple versions, the Barbed Wire kit gave the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders, plus Adam Cianciarulo and Maximus Vohland, a distinct look out on the track!

Thanks to deep prep and constant watering, many parts of the Fox Raceway track developed deep ruts that kept riders on their toes all day long. Chance Hymas negotiates a tricky jump face en route to 12th overall on his Honda HRC CRF250R.

If it wasn't for bad luck, two-time 250 National Champion Jeremy Martin would have had no luck at Fox Raceway. JMart was taken down in both motos in the fourth turn on lap one, and forced to come from dead last both times out. 17th overall on the day, Jeremy told us that this felt like his worst National MX showing of his career.

Jo Shimoda led early in the first 250 moto, but a mistake allowed RJ Hampshire to sneak past and race off with the eventual win. Shimoda told us that he could never seem to find his rhythm at Fox Raceway, in spite of having tons of laps around the facility.

We were excited to see Jett Reynolds finally make his professional debut with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Reynolds was signed to the squad back in 2021 but injuries have kept him sidelined until now. 12-16 scores don't really show the speed this kid has, and you can expect much more than 14th overall from him soon.

Factory Red Bull KTM racer Dante Oliveira decided to line up for the Fox Raceway National and the 23-year-old finished 13th overall.

It's been a few years since we've seen Venezuelan Lorenzo Locurcio at an AMA National, and the 26-year-old was super impressive aboard his Gas Gas MC450F. 7-11 for ninth overall, we congratulated him on a career best and he reminded us that he finished seventh overall at Southwick in 2018!

It's good to have Dylan Ferrandis back in action. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider suffered a concussion mid-way through Supercross and elected to sit out the second half of the season to recover. Third at Fox, Ferrandis was pleasantly surprised but far from satisfied.

The Dunlop MX14 scoop tire was the choice for most of Dunlop's racers in the first moto at Fox. We thought it was interesting to see Adam Cianciarulo using starting blocks on the new steel start grates, as he is over six-feet tall.

Jett Lawrence grabbed the holeshot in both motos and proceeded to lead every lap en route to a winning 450-class debut aboard his Christien DuCharme-tuned CRF450R.

What a pleasant surprise it was to see Cooper Webb line up at Fox Raceway! The Red Bull KTM rider was not originally slated to contest this summer's outdoor series, but he and the team ironed out some details when he started to feel better from the concussion that knocked him out of Supercross Championship contention in Nashville. Webb was cleared to ride a few days before Fox and after one day back in the saddle; decided to spend the summer in pursuit of his first 450 National Championship.

#bigtankmafia JCR Honda off-road racer Ryan Surratt decided to return to his roots and lined up aboard his WORCS race bike (big tank and all!). The Southern Californian is always one of the most creative riders on the track, and in spite of a second-moto crash, turned in 11-17 scores for 14th overall. Looks like Surry will make the drive to Hangtown and race this weekend, too!

When the gate dropped at the start of the final 450 moto of the day, huge plumes of black smoke wafted across the track and we worried that a wildfire might bring out a red flag. Turns out it was a spectator's golf cart that burst into flames and it was extinguished in short order.

Jett Lawrence uses as little energy as possible on the track and rides remarkably light on his machine. Need an example? On the second lap of moto two, Jettson chugged his way through this corner with his feet on the pegs...

...while the rest of the field slammed into the small, sandy rut in the corner sitting down, with throttles pinned.

Twisted Tea/HEP Racing/Suzuki rider Marshall Weltin had a first moto he'd rather forget. In addition to cross-rutting and flying off the track and into a group of track medics, he also got stuck in a banner in another off-track excursion and had to wait for a knife-wielding track worker to cut him free. He rode much better in moto two, finishing 15th and earning 17th on the day.

North Carolinan Matthew Burkeen held it down for the two-stroke faithful at Fox Raceway as he piloted a Yamaha YZ250 to 33rd overall with 32-31 finishes. Braaap!

Motocross Action editor Josh Mosiman threw his orange helmet into the ring at Fox Raceway but some bad luck held him to 31st overall. Older brother of Gas Gas racer Michael Mosiman, Josh enjoyed a successful racing career before picking up a camera and laptop to work at MXA.

Cooper Webb was all smiles, all weekend long. Though his 4-5 showings for fifth overall wouldn't typically please the two-time Supercross champ, it's obvious that he's happy to be healthy and back at the races. Unbelievably, Webb has only one 450 National win to his credit. Can he add to that list in 2023?

We thought it was kind of ironic to snap a shot of Jett Lawrence racing past a string of GEICO Insurance banners, as GEICO's withdrawal from the GEICO Honda's team is ultimately what forced the team to close its doors, just as Jett was turning pro.

Ryan Dungey enjoys being at the races; just don't as him how his weekend was. Haha!

We spotted Jace Kessler and Brandon Ray sharing some laughs after their second moto battle over 24th and 25th.

There were lots of career-bests at Fox Raceway, and especially for Hawaii's Grant Harlan. Fresh off a fruitful Supercross series, the Yamaha pilot turned in 9-6 scores for seventh overall and first privateer!

Jerry Robin switched to a Yamaha YZ450F only a few days before the gate dropped at Fox Raceway. With backing from his former Chaparral/FXR/Honda team owner Michael Lindsay, Robin was able to put together a race bike that included enzo racing suspension, Xtrig clamps, and an FMF exhaust. He raced to 8-14 scores for 11th overall.

Our very own Alex Ray decided to line up for the first National of the year, in spite of having only a handful of days in the saddle due to injuries suffered in Supercross. ARay ran in the points in the first moto but a late-race spill knocked him to 22nd at the checkers. Visibly spent from the first moto, Alex came home 25th in race two and looks forward to gaining fitness and strength as the summer wears on.

Tristan Lane made a last-minute switch to a Kawasaki KX450 backed by the Forrest Butler, and it seems he and Kaden Amerine will both race out of the former Rocky Mountain ATV/MC/Butler Brothers semi. Lane struggled at Fox, carding a DNF in race one and 22nd in the second.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Jalek Swoll returned to action after sitting out Supercross with a broken arm, and proceeded to holeshot the first 250 moto and lead for a while before being displaced by Jo Shimoda. Swoll eventually crashed out of the race and was credited with 40th, which explains his gate pick for race two. Still, Jalek finished 20th in the second moto.

Johnny O'Mara credentials as a racer might soon be rivaled by his track record as a trainer. O'Show has been instrumental in the Lawrence Brothers' success as his racing experience and insight, as well as his physical training program, have blended well with the Australians' work ethic. We watched the early laps of the second 450 moto with Johnny and he told us that the goal with Jett was to have him only race at 100% when he needs to, so that he always has some extra speed on tap when he needs it.

There's nothing that sounds as crazy as the start of a 250 National Moto....except maybe an old 125 National moto...

A little chaos at the start of 250 moto two. Look closely and you can see JMart hitting the deck.

Tom Vialle looked great as he held down second for much of the second 250 moto before being overtaken by Haiden Deegan in the closing stages.

Chance Hymas finished 12th in his National debut as a full-time Honda HRC rider. The Idaho rider certainly showed great speed, but it seems he has yet to develop the endurance to stay at the front of the pack.

Hometown boy Talon Hawkins went 20-17 for 20th overall aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna.

Carson Mumford got the news at the 11th hour that he would race the entire 250 National MX series on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Coincidentally, "Dream Job" tee shirts are now available at Carson's merch shop: cmclothing.shop

Hunter Lawrence looked very good as he raced through the pack in moto one and came home third behind Hampshire and Vohland, but he looked GREAT as he holeshot and ran away with moto two and the overall. Like brother Jett, Hunter's line choice and sit-or-stand technique was notably different than his competitors'.

The fan following that Haiden Deegan enjoys is astounding. As they were in Supercross, the cheers that follow the second-generation racer around the track are impossible to ignore. Both Haiden and father Brian were surprised to see him on the podium at Fox Raceway, as their goal coming into the weekend was top five. Will the 17-year-old racer earn his first win this summer? We wouldn't be surprised.

An early crash in the second 250 moto held Jo Shimoda to sixth, and his 4-6 scores netted him seventh overall. (Ouch!) The Japanese racer has two 250 National wins to his credit, and we expect to see him and a few more this summer.

9-13 scores and 11th overall for Ryder DiFrancisco at the first race of his full-time National campaign. Ryder D contested five races last summer to get his feet wet. Under the guidance of Ryan Villopoto, we expect to see him finish well this summer.

With the exception of the leaders in each moto the racing in the 250 class was close and exciting!

Hunter Lawrence's victory at Fox Raceway was his second 250 National MX win. His first came at Southwick in 2021. Lawrence told us that his win came as a bit of a surprise as he was riding in pain from some injured ribs suffered the Monday before in a practice crash.

Red Bull KTM's Tom Vialle had a fine showing at his first United States MX National, going 7-3 for fourth overall. The two-time MX2 World Champion seemed pleased with his second-moto runner-up finish, and he said that the pace of the Nationals wasn't that much difference from a GP, since the World Championship races were shortened to one-day events during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are interested to see how the Frenchman adapts to all of the National tracks that he will see for the first time this summer and would not be surprised to see him start clicking off wins.

Nothing like a family selfie after a great race!

Haiden Deegan had to different helmets and both had great designs, courtesy AP Designs. We liked the "danger" symbol on the back of this one.

On the podium, RJ Hampshire's pants showed the tale of the moto.

After dominating the first 250 moto, RJ Hampshire crashed on. the first lap of the second moto and circulated the track well out of contention. Two more crashes and lots of hard charging, though, saw him pass Chance Hymas on the last lap for 11th, which was solid enough to earn him third overall on the day.

Looks like that Dangerboy fan was really thirsty, in spite of wearing a back canteen!

Chase Sexton made a shock change in between motos and it made a big difference in his speed on the track. Sexton never looked 100% comfortable in the first moto as he raced through the pack for second, but he looked noticeably better in race two when he stayed on Lawrence's rear fender throughout the moto.

Everyone's favorite cowboy - Aaron Plessinger - was. fast all weekend on his Jade Dungey-tuned Red Bull KTM, but small mistakes and crashes held him to fourth overall. As usual, Plessinger was all smiles afterward, and is looking forward to a fun summer. Can he earn his first 450 National win this year?

13-9 scores for Fast Freddie Noren earned him 10th overall on his new Twisted Tea Suzuki. This is Noren's second stint on the team (2023 World SX) and he says that he feels comfortable on the bike and is looking forward to his best MX series yet. Look elsewhere on the website for a Checking in With interview.

Kyle Chisholm came out to Fox Raceway to get some racing under his belt before heading overseas to contest the World Supercross Championship for the Twisted Tea Suzuki team. Chiz was 12th overall at Fox.

RJ Wageman earned five points at Fox Raceway and rounded out the top 20 on a Yamaha YZ450F he bought only a few days before the season kickoff! The second-generation racer came to the AMSOIL/Dirt Bike Kidz Swapmoto Race Series event at LACR the week prior to shakedown the machine, and it paid off! Support the Wageman brothers and buy some R-Jerky at eatrjerky.com

Another rider who moved up to the 450 class was SoCal racer Brandon Ray. A regular at the AMSOIL/Dirt Bike Kidz Swapmoto Race Series, BRay is a rider we've watched grow up at the track. Setting him apart from the rest of the racers on the track is the fact that he's sponsored by Axell Hodges' Slayco gear brand.

Derek Drake moved up to the 450 class aboard his Bar-X Suzuki and was super impressive! Drake ran seventh in the first moto until his ignition failed late in the race. He was again running seventh late in race two, but he was forced to drop to 10th when his rear brake went out. Sans mechanical gremlins, DD should be a regular fixture inside the top 10.

Adam Cianciarulo was not happy with his Fox Raceway performance. 6-7 for seventh overall, AC was the last factory rider and never found his flow. We hope to see him feeling more comfortable soon, as a happy AC is a fun AC. Have you checked out his Unplugged Podcast yet? If not, you should.

It was relatively close at the checkered flag in the second 450 moto. Not as close as some finishes we've seen, but a lot better than the first-moto runaway. We are looking forward to some great battles between the Honda HRC teammates.

What does Jett Lawrence replenish himself with immediatly after a moto? It's an educated guess, and from the writing on his bottle we'd say its Hammer Nutrition HEED.

Is this a look of determination or frustration?

Watch out, Ryder D; there's Danger behind you.

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Levi Kitchen had a forgettable day at Fox Raceway, and ninth overall is not where he would like to be. Did you notice that all of the 250 squad elected to run their chest protectors over their jerseys?

Caden Braswell, enjoying his weekend at Fox Raceway.

RJ Hampshire told us at the Pala Casino media day that his goal this series was to hold the red plate, as it's something he has never done before. "Even if it's only for one race, that's my goal." If they allowed plate changes in between motos, he would have had it on the line in moto two...

Robbie Wageman joined the Bar-X team for the 250 MX Nationals. Though the younger Wageman brother looked fast, he crashed out of the first moto and elected to sit out the second because he hit his head. "I'll be good for Hangtown," he promised.

While the Kawasaki boys ran the red version of the Fox Racing Barbed Wire kit, Red Bull KTM's Maximus Vohland donned our favorite: the purple!

Garrett Marchbanks made his return to racing after some medical problems earlier in the year. The Utah native has trimmed down by 15 pounds to be more competitive in the 250 division. He was 16th at Fox.

Michael Mosiman assured us that the pre-series rumors about him considering retirement were false, and that he is fit and glad to return to racing. Mosi was 15th at Fox.

It's nothing new, but we love drooling over the carbon fiber protectors on the Monster Energy Kawasakis.

And same goes for all the data acquisition parts!

And oil coolers!

Earlier we mentioned that it seemed odd that 6'1" Adam Cianciarulo needed starting blocks. One look at this massive seat foam and it all makes sense.

Fox made special matching Barbed Wire Instinct boots.

Talking Boy airs out the berries.

Sigh... Eli Tomac's machine sat idle and on display.

Before the first 450 moto, Grant Harlan suffered from some clutch woes and turned to Star Racing mechanic for some technical advice.

Dylan Ferrandis' bike is tuned by Alex Campbell. We asked him what the biggest change on the machine was, save for softer suspension...

...and Campbell pointed to the CRM Composites carbon fiber gas tank. Larger in capacity, the only giveaway is the small portions of the tank that are visible beneath the back of the radiator shrouds. Because the tank lies beneath the seat, Ferrandis reports that it gives the seat a firmer feel because the plastic base cannot flex into the tank.

We noticed that Ferrandis pits out of a private canopy at the back of the team rig, instead of inside the rider lounge.

The horns.

Backyard Designs founder Philipp Klakow showed up and signed up for the 450 class at Fox Raceway!

What do you think Justin Shantie and Adam Cianciarulo are talking about? Podcast subject matter?

Alex Ray ran the Maxxis MX-SM scoop at Fox Raceway.

We asked AC what his butt patch meant. He rolled his eyes and suggested that it was something to do with his new home, and that his girlfriend and Kenny Day had cooked it up...

No kit quite like a pick up kit.

We've longed for one of these. threaded funnels for a while now, as they eliminate chances of spilling oil all over your bike's engine and/or wasting new oil. Recently, we discovered that they are available for sale at dcmxtools.com

We asked Haiden Deegan's mechanic Brent Duffe what was the biggest change in Dangerboy;s MX bike, other than suspension, and he pointed out the now-infamous Steg Pegz- the Australian aftermarket accessory that is designed to help riders better hang onto their machines. These feature custom carbon fiber mounting arms, made in house at Star Racing.

Steg Pegz are Dangerboy approved!

Why would you put a bike on the stand this way? To hold the bike while you drain the oil, of course!

Carter Dubach

Did you see the limited edition Pro Circuit Scott Prospect Goggle that was released a couple of weeks ago? No better eyewear for the team to wear!

Marvin Musquin was on hand to advise his countryman Tom Vialle at Fox Raceway. When we asked what Marv had planned for this summer and beyond, he replied sneakily, "Wouldn't you like to know?" Musquin's Supercross season was cut short before it even started by a broken wrist in the off-season; we hope he comes back for more.

Wil Hahn has been training Michael Mosiman, Pierce Brown, and more. He's also only a few months away from becoming a father!

Chance Hymas is one of the riders who still utilizes the Intake Breathing nasal dilators. All the. rage in pro racing a few seasons ago, the Intake system uses magnets to help open your nasal passages for better airflow. We've used them plenty and the results are amazing. Learn more at intakebreathing.com

With Cameron McAdoo sidelined for. the summer with shoulder injuries, Derek Dwyer has taken over wrenching duties for Ryder DiFrancisco.

Broc Tickle has been training Jett Reynolds for nearly two years now, and he was excited to see his professional debut, "We're not looking to set the world on fire yet," Tickle said. "With all the injuries Jett's had, we want him to get some races under is belt and start building from there."

It's good to have Justin Cooper back on the starting line. This is JCoop's last chance to earn the 250 National Championship before going 450 full-time in 2024.

Caden Braswell filled in for Pierce Brown at Fox Raceway and will continue to do so until Brown is healthy enough to return to racing. "My weekend at Fox Raceway was better than a weekend not at Fox Raceway," Braswell told us, after the race. The comedian was 19th overall.

Aside from a few flases of brillliance, Jalek Swoll had a weekend to forget at Fox Raceway and we're sure he's already focusing on Hangtown and beyond.

We noticed that Jeremy Martin was one of only a few riders who elected not to run the Dunlop MX14 scoop tire in the first moto. "I figured out real quick that was a mistake," he said later.

We like. the more aggressive name font that Fly applied to Chance Hymas' jerseys!

Ryder DiFrancisco and Ryan Villopoto do some pre-race race-face setup.

Gaerne skipped 10 stops and launched the SG-22. This is the first we've seen of it.

Makita makes a lot more than portable drills! What is this used for?

To keep air flowing on your rider, and also to blow dirt out of the new metal start grates!

Suffer now. Summit later. To the SML staff, Summit means the mountain bike park in Big Bear. We'll have to ask Tom Vialle what this means.

Star Racing team owner Bobby Regan founded the. team in 1999 and he has to be pleased with all that it has accomplished.

Blake, Keleigh and Braeker Baggett sighting at Fox Raceway!

RJ Hampshire and Jo Shimoda had a fierce battle in the opening 250 moto. The duo traded the lead several times before Hampshire took over for good.

Check out the forks on Kyle Chisholm’s bike compared to the rest of the team. After witnessing him swap forks and shocks on Wednesday evening, we talked to Kyle about his endless amount of suspension testing for the team in his How Was Your Weekend interview.

The BarX Suzuki crew has had some cool Bell Moto 10s lately. We dig the subtle design additions for the Fox Raceway lids, which we believe are stickers from the guys at Throttle Syndicate. Toyota of Redlands has been supporting our buddy Tallon LaFountaine for a few years now and it’s cool to see them step up their image in the sport, as they are now a large sponsor of the Suzuki squad.

... The A-Kit forks on Weltin and Noren's race bikes.

Justin Cooper’s Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha YZ250F looks quite similar to the machine he raced last season, as he continues to run stock clamps. We’ll keep a close eye on this to see if he sticks with the OEM set or swaps a pair of aftermarket clamps on like the rest of the team.

It’s hard to beat a freshly painted Bell Moto 10 and a few Knowles prepped Scott Prospect’s.

The Pierer Mobility group recently entered the non-motorized two wheel group, as they acquired Felt Bicycles. The AEO Powersports team had a few Felt bikes on display under the semi this past weekend.

With the way the world is these days, I’d be slow to judge the identity of this race bike. I like the sound of KXTM 250F, but I’m sure that’ll offend someone.

Father, mentor, boot washer; Keir Sexton does it all!

Logan George has had quite the break through year as a mechanic. The kid out of New York started 2023 with BarX Suzuki, but joined the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas Factory Racing team in early February. Factory baby!

Our guy Carson Mumford had quite the injury just a few weeks after signing his fill-in deal with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Though, Carson’s been racing through the pain and has worked with the guys at Fox to accessorize his Instinct boot to work with his injured calf. It looked like Carson was back in some off the shelf Instincts this weekend, so we’re assuming the calf injury is healing nicely.

Despite inking a new deal with FXR in 2023, Hardy Munoz opted to stay in the Leatt helmet that he trusts.

Dante Oliveira had an impressive Pro Motocross debut. The Factory KTM off-road racer ended up 13th overall with 15-12 moto scores. We saw Dante sending it with no front fender in one moto, which is NOT easy. If you had a hard time finding Dante in the pits, it’s because he was out of a sprinter van deep in the privateer section like a true off-roader.

You never know what will happen in motocross or how many spare wheels you’re going to need. Though, I was surprised to see some old race wheels on the cart, as the Pro Circuit squad hasn’t ran green hubs since 2018. After looking through old photos, I’ve grown to like the green more than the mag finish on the current race bikes. Bring back green hubs in 2024, Mitch!

RJ Wageman slinging meat in between motos. We’re glad the older Wageman brother is all good after a scary crash in the second 450 moto.

Richard Taylor made the switch to blue for the Pro Motocross series. He told us he really likes how long the shroud is, as he no longer worries about getting the inside of his boot caught while cornering.

The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas Factory Racing team had a unique display bike under the tent this weekend. The Spiderman themed bike went along with Mosiman and Braswell’s kits for Fox Raceway.

Michael Mosiman and fill-in rider Caden Braswell had a cool message to their injured teammates on the back of their helmets. At first glance we thought the riders grabbed the wrong helmets, haha!

... Mosiman's message to Justin Barcia.

Five helmets, but not all are the same. Can your spot the differences?

Brad West made his professional debut this past weekend and had a pretty cool APDesigns painted Fly Racing Formula for the race. Big fans of the flame design!

The BarX Suzuki team has had a few different triple clamps on their machines over the last few months. After running stock sets on the race bikes and then a few other brands, it looks like they have found what the riders have wanted with the XTrig Rocs Pro clamps.