2023 Southwick Motocross | Kickstart Recap & Gallery

Welcome to The Wick. Everything you've heard about the place is true, as it's located in the middle of a small New England town, between an American Legion hall and a high school, and is the sandiest and most compact track on the Pro Motocross Championship. Crestview Construction, a Massachusetts company specializing in excavation, site work, and trucking, signed on as the National title sponsor; you'd be surprised how many places called "Crestview Construction" come up in an online search.

Last week, we posted a Midweek Podcast with Matt Davis, co-owner and creative mind at Throttle Jockey. American Honda's "Woody Era" was discussed a few times during the 45-minute together, as Davis described the sales of the cartoon sticker kit during the early 2000s, its continued legacy on restored bikes, and how licensing agreements with Universal Studios have made it impossible to put on the factory bikes. You can find the conversation by clicking the navigation bar above, through the SML YouTube channel, and all podcasting platforms.

You know how airlines have milestone awards for travelers who've logged a few hundred thousand miles in the sky? Suzuki should do the same for Cory and Barry Carsten because we're positive no one has as many hours of seat time on an RM-Z as the father and son.

What’s “Schilderwerk Beutha GmbH?” It’s a German company that produces a wide range of signage and equipment, including markers for roads, in-building safety, advertising, and construction, as well as the necessary hardware. The group is based in the eastern part of the company and has signed on to help Dominique Thury for Pro Motocross. www.sw-beutha.de

“Who is Chandler Baker?” We’ve heard that a few times this summer, as the Oklahoma privateer has become one of the occasional point scorers in the 450 Class (he’s scored 15 through six motos). We met Baker a few years back in Iowa at the Justin Brayton Shootout and have kept tabs on him through the last races of his amateur career and the transition into the professional ranks.

Did you see our Privateer Power piece with Cody Groves? The five-minute interview was one of the funniest things we’ve recorded all year and included the backstory of the independent rider’s hauler, the job he left for the summer to race Pro Motocross, and the feeling of going five-wide while hanging off the back of the bike.

A stock lower clamp paired with Neken upper clamp was the setup of choice on Dylan Ferrandis’ YZ450F at Southwick. The rider and Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha are still fine-tuning the blue bike, but seem to have a handle on a few things as of late.

AMA officials have a way of keeping track of the bikes and pipes that run through sound testing. After a muffler is checked by officials, its bike number and decibel level is written in paint marker on the end cap, then covered with a small piece of plastic to protect it from being washed off or tampered with. The Star Racing YZ450F read 114.2 on the sound meter.

What’s your pre-ride warm-up? Dylan Ferrandis does a mix of lunges, neck rolls, and arm motions to get loosened up before the gate drops…

While Aaron Plessinger opts for the classic jumping jacks.

TJ Albright has teamed up with 3D Racing for 2023. Albright, a native of New York, told us that he’d always seen Bill Dill’s setup the pits and that the operation has helped dozens of privateers through the past two decades. Although Bill has passed away, his daughter has taken on the responsibility and will keep the blue and orange bikes on the track for a while longer.

Shoutout to Grant Harlan, Kyle Chisholm, Kevin Moranz, and Max Miller for lining up at the WSX British Grand Prix one weekend and the Southwick Motocross seven days later. We can’t think of two events any more different than these, but with races happening all the time, guys are going to do whatever is possible and necessary to be at as many as possible.

Our friend Andrew Boccarossa made the annual attempt at qualifying for the 250 Class at Southwick. A racer with a creative mind, Boccarossa is just as sharp behind the lens of a video camera as he is the controls of a Suzuki RM-Z250.

Seeing Jimmy Decotis go P1 in Timed Qualifying at The Wick will be one of our summer highlights. Everyone knows that the first laps of the morning is when the track is best, as it takes only a few minutes for the sand to be made roughed up, and Decotis executed his plan perfectly by getting a heater in early during Session One of the B Group. Check out HWYW with Jimmy to hear all about the day, including how he met his modest expectations and the overwhelming support he received.

Struggles with Lyme disease forced the fan-favorite to retire five years ago, but thanks to extensive research and some unconventional therapy, Decotis says he has a handle on the situation. If you or someone close is going through something similar, reach out to Jimmy D online.

We met Ethan Day during a Moto Combine a few years back and bumped into him again recently at RedBud. The Michigan privateer told us that the experience of the Combine was eye-opening, as it revealed some of the realities of race day, and that a conversation with Adam Cianciarulo soon after convinced him to follow through with his professional aspirations.

We’ve noticed during practice that if you see one Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike, another is sure to follow, as RJ Hampshire, Jalek Swoll, and Talon Hawkins all use each other to learns lines and get used to the pace of the 250 Class.

Working The Wick. If you want to see how the property looked on Friday, watch our tranquil track walk video posted elsewhere on the site or on our YouTube channel.

Signs of the past. Looks like we need to talk to Keith Johnson, John Dowd, or Doug Henry about changing this TWMX shield to the SML bolt.

Lars Van Berkel is an animal. The Dutch sand specialist signed up for Southwick and raced to 16-15 finishes in the 450 Class on Saturday, then drove eight hours for two motos and 4-2 results at Gopher Dunes for third overall during Sunday’s round of the Canadian National championship.

“Abstract Carnage”

Here’s a glimpse of what the safety lights and flags that alert riders of precarious situations look like from the track. Could you see these during an all-out charge in one of your motos?

The introduction of starting grates has been another variable riders and the race series have had to adapt to this summer. Riders say that having 40 identical spots on the grid has made the first turn even more chaotic, and officials believe that not ripping and prepping the first ten feet of the straightway could help split the pack up and lessen the madness.

Where’s RJ Hampshire on your MXON dream team, and what size bike would you want him on? The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has made it very, very clear that he’d love to represent America in France this fall, and strong results in what’s now a much closer championship chase could earn him a spot.

The fighter jet flyover from the Air National Guard took the pre-race excitement at Southwick to another level. The two ripped over the track just as the National Anthem concluded and whipped a surprisingly docile crowd into a frenzy before the gate dropped on 250 Moto One.

Hunter Lawrence wasn’t going to ruin the rut by his gate on the sighting lap. While everyone else revved the engines and dumped the clutch, the Team Honda HRC rider eased off the line and calmly rolled toward turn one.

The moments before the first gate drop of the day are some of our favorites. How are there only be five rounds left in the summer?

Finding smooth lines is key in the sand, and as Justin Cooper demonstrates here, the edges of the track are the best places to look.

Looks like Tom Vialle brought one of the MXGP pit boards with him to Pro Motocross. The big black sheet being hung over the mechanic’s area wall caught our attention and prompted us to shoot other messages from the signal area.

Speaking of Vialle, the move to America with Red Bull KTM is paying off. The two-time MX2 champion has figured out how to run with the lead group in the 250 Class (motos at the Bakers Factory in Florida helps) and hounded Justin Cooper during 250 Moto One at Southwick until a fall by Cooper put the Frenchman into the lead. Vialle told us afterwards that he hoped to get a win in his first year here, and that this will help him take the next step as the summer continues.

Another "Perfecta" prep. https://www.umequip.com/seedbed-tillage/perfecta/

Jett Lawrence had a minor miscue in the first turn and seemed to bury the front-end of the Team Honda HRC into the soft dirt while ahead of Aaron Plessinger. For a split-second we thought it would be an issue, but as the sequence shows...

Jett not only rode out the mistake, but turned it into a positive by tracking straight through the next lane of track and passing Chase Sexton before the pack reached the next turn.

One jump, two angles with Dylan Ferrandis.

Apparently Jett's RedBud podium comments about lappers got a few people pissed, but after hearing it again, listening to a further explanation in the press conference, and seeing how he negotiates traffic late in the motos, it's easy to see where he's coming from. He's been the first guy to come up on the back of the pack in most races, and the pace he approaches seems to be quicker and the bike quieter than what's expected by the backmarkers, which has led to a few close passes.

Another AP-DF duel

Hunter Lawrence's bad day at Southwick has changed the entire championship for the 250 Class. These next two rounds will be key for the Team Honda HRC rider, as he'll need to finish in the top-three to claw back points on Deegan and to keep others from gaining ground in the standings. His SMX lead is still safe, as there's a 46-point gap to second-ranked RJ Hampshire.

It was fun to watch Caden Braswell and Daxton Bennick duke it out in 250 Moto Two. The young riders are just a few motos into their pro careers and went at it for 11th and 12th like it was for first and second. Watch HWYW to hear Caden's take on the action.

Estonia's Jorgen Talviku made a mark on the 250 Class at Southwick by going 14-16 for 16th overall. Talviku was one of nine foreign riders in the small-bore class at Southwick.

If you pay attention closely, you'll notice that Jo Shimoda almost always runs black SCOTT Prospect goggles. Why? SCOTT has made special "Asian fit" face foam for Shimoda so that they sit better on his face than the American-European profiles that the frames are originally molded for.

Jo and Mitch have come a long way from their early, non communicative days together at PC. The team owner is one of the first people the rider looks for around the podium after a moto and they always spend a few moments going over what happened on the track.

Sand blasted.

How hard was Jo hanging on? Enough to spin the grip backwards a few inches (the cut-out in the flange is to give the clutch lever more clearance).

Teenaged rookie with the red plate. Haiden Deegan said that Southwick would be all about getting through two motos without incident, but the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha made massive progress on what was to be a modest day. He's ahead by nine points going into round seven.

America, France, and Japan all on the box. It's great to see the diversity and talent of the 250 Class this summer.

Southwick's slogan is quite literal...

The Motosport.com holeshot hill changed constantly through the day, and as the laps clicked off, the lines pushed all the way out to the edges of the track. The far left line here was good for a while, but once bikes started to get swallowed up in the deep rut, riders moved toward the right.

The heat and sand did everyone in, including Jett. The overall winner was quick to get his boots off (your feet are a major heat retention zone) and did his podium interview without a jersey so his core cooled down quicker. Shoutout to Jett for getting Garrett Marchbanks water after the rider was sent to the podium unexpectedly.

While everyone huddled in the cooldown zone and focused on riders, AP rode up to the podium, dumped the clutch for quick burnout, and rolled down the ramp with a mischievous grin.

Jimmy Decotis was on the scene at the podium to help Chris Canning. The Northeast connection between riders is strong and is one of our favorite things about going to the Massachusetts track.

Garrett Marchbanks has the big cushion from GUTS Racing mounted to his YZ450F, as the high and wide foam suits the tall rider best on the slimmed down bike.

Marchbanks told us after the race that despite a summer of top-five results in the 450 Class, his plan is still to drop back to the 250 Class for Supercross in 2024, as he says the team's bike is more than capable of helping him contend for a title. BTW, look at all of the sweat and dirt being wrung out of his jersey...

Many teams, including Honda, went with oversized tanks to ensure there was enough fuel to get the bikes to the finish line.

The factory squad has also added an oil cooler to machine, which mounts to the backside of the left radiator.

Johnny O isn't giving any secrets away...

Like we said, the Northeast moto scene looks after their own, and on Saturday Chris Canning was given a $1500 bonus from the John Wall Memorial fund for being the top finishing local in the 450 Class.

On to Spring Creek.