2024 Hangtown Motocross | Kickstart Recap & Photo Gallery

Getting the Prairie City SVRA’s motocross track ready for the National takes plenty of time and effort from the Dirt Diggers North MC crew. An overhaul of the layout was the focus of this year’s project, which included extensive changes to the Big Mo hillside, re-routing of multiple lanes, and tons of sand being mixed in to help the NorCal dirt hold moisture.

Someone needs to send SKU 10-5356 in the Arai catalog to the Red Bull KTM team hotel ahead of the next race.

A handful of 250 Class riders went to the line for the Session One of Timed Qualifying with the MX14 mounted to their rear rims, then reverted to traditional knobbies for the afternoon motos on the hard packed clay. The scoop will be the tread of choice once the series hits softer East Coast circuits like High Point, Southwick, RedBud, Spring Creek, and Budds Creek.

On the ground, on the gas.

HBI Racing’s on-track presence for the summer will see Hardy Munoz and Slade Varola continue in the 250 Class while Ayden Shive and Jake Masterpool contend in the 450 Class. Three-fourths of the Florida operation are aboard Kawasaki motorcycles; Masterpool’s late addition means he is on a GASAS, and the team has had to source spare parts for the red bike.

IYKYK

Look, we really enjoy going to the sixteen different stadiums that Supercross races in, as the super-modern facilities have everything we could possibly need (most important being stable and quick internet access), but there really is nothing better than spending the summer months outside.

Scotty Verhaeghe is one of the many international competitors on the starting line this summer. The French racer is making his first run at the American series, has lined up for all four motos so far, and left Hangtown with 27-35 finishes for 31st overall and a sore ankle from a run-in with Malcolm Stewart. A quick look at Verhaeghe’s Instagram revealed how the rider was on the mend from his eighth knee surgery at this time last year, an injury nearly forced him to stop racing.

Waiting game. These six riders stayed on the gate until the rest of the pack was halfway around the track, then rolled out for Session One of Timed Qualifying.

The rollers in the back might have been one of the burliest parts of the track build. Riders that carried speed from the downside of the FLY Racing triple around the banked turn and into the first mound could double their way through with relative ease, but guys that went for the inside line had to work to get their momentum going again.

Fox Racing’s Speed Suit RS continues to make waves in MX and MTB. The aerodynamic prototype has only been run by Christian Craig on a handful of occasions, and the gear company put a handful of their marquee downhill mountain bikers in a similar all-encompassing ensemble, with sewn-in pads/chest protection, at the opening round of the Downhill World Cup. However, there is one notable difference between the moto and cycling sets. UCI rules state that jerseys and pants must be separate items, so the MTB Speed Suits are technically two pieces: the base layer jersey goes on first and is then covered by bib-style pants.

It’s 693 kilometers between Dylan Ferrandis’ listed hometown of Bédarrides and Verhaeghe’s listed residence in Paris.

Shane Schaefer, Mike Powers, and Landon Taylor were brought in by the Dirt Diggers to build the layout, a job they picked up after the retirement of longtime club member Dwayne Scott. Hangtown is one of three Pro Motocross rounds that Schaefer drags his blade down at, with the others being Thunder Valley and Spring Creek.

CC changed out of the Speed Suit after Session One of Timed Qualifying and spent the rest of the day in throwback Strafer gear. Decision makers at Fox, hear us out: we love that you’ve put the top guys in these looks and made a few of them available to the public, but please keep the Greatest Hits coming and in some higher-end product lines.

A lot of that new dirt wound up on the underside of fenders and around rims. If your local riding area has some prime loam, be sure to scrape the good stuff off the bike when you’re there so it stays at the track.

Jen Aiello is one of the best parents in the pit area, period. We’ve seen her and son, Kai, on the starting line at everything from the mini bike classes at the TWMX/Swapmoto Race Series to highest level of Pro Motocross. Mrs. Aiello also helps the next generation of riders through her on-track role with the KTM JR SX Challenge.

See the blue and green pylon next to the Acerbis marker? At the top is a closed-circuit camera that documents every moment of the on-track action, one of many on a feed that is monitored by the AMA.

Shane McElrath told us that Twisted Tea/Progressive Insurance/Suzuki squad is going through an adjustment period with the setup of the RM-Z. Although the RM-Z is a well-known platform, there is still a search for “more” by every rider and team technical partner. Considering McElrath and Chisholm spend most of the year riding Florida’s softer conditions, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Active Ride-tuned yellow bikes made a big improvement around Southwick.

16 & 17

Joey Savatgy was on a roll in Moto One. The Triumph Racing rider latched onto Deegan’s mid-race charge and was on-pace with the eventual winner until an electrical issue struck his TX 250-F. We know you just rolled your eyes at the “electrical issue” line, but it’s probably the truth: the team was very open afyer a GPS sensor caused Jalek Swoll’s SX DNF and it’s no secret that the intricate systems, which are connected to everything, are subjected to greater demands outdoors.

The first hot race of the year was the first test for teams and their motorcycles, especially those in the 250 Class. The Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX/Yamaha riders Mark Fineis and Coty Schock both dealt with mid-race issues, as Fineis finished 33rd in Moto One after this pit stop and Schock finished 24th in Moto Two.

Fourteen laps at the front of the field in 250 Moto One meant Chance Hymas had lots of laminates…

While Haiden Deegan’s push from seventh to first left him without any tear-offs.

Cameron Durrow’s lens was finished with a strip of Smartfilm from Armorvision. Developed in the UK and marketed as a “tear off replacement system,” the hard finish repels dirt or water and can be quickly cleaned with a wipe of the glove. Armorvision also sells replacement lenses with the technology built-in for a variety of popular models, including the SCOTT Prospect/Fury and 100%’s full line.

47 & 48. This is what a 0.415 second difference looks like.

We’ve talked about Monster Energy’s launch of Tour Water a few times this year, but the push is really on now, as the drink brand has replaced their iconic M claw coolers on the podium with banners for still and sparkling h2o.

Chuchacabra and mini chuchacabra.

The split-second of the gate dropping and 42 clutches dumping is one our favorite photos to get every weekend.

Marshal Weltin, on the edge. The Gizmo Mods/Rock River Yamaha rider was experimenting with a rear-end holeshot device from Tamer to go with the front-end mounted piece when we talked on Friday.

The end of a chapter. Jett’s crash on the opening lap of Moto One was a massive moment in many ways, as it ended the defending champion’s win streak and reminded everyone, particularly Lawrence, of how quickly things can go awry on a motorcycle. What lessons will the young racer learn from this?

Seventh place through sixteenth in one frame.

The National was Cullin Park’s first visit to Hangtown, and as expected, the Florida rider was a bit taken aback by the fast downhills, off-chambers, and hard-pack of Northern California. The Phoenix Racing Honda rider’s return to action from a broken wrist was quick and relatively issue-free, and he’ll spend the summer getting up to speed in the 450 Class. 18-19 finishes put him 19th overall at round two.

Two of New York’s finest.

Fighting with factory riders on a bike anyone could buy and build. Fredrik Noren kept the MADD Parts Kawasaki KX450 in the top-10 at Hangtown, and 9-10 finishes put the speedy Swede tenth overall in the results. It’s still early in the summer, but at this current pace, it looks like Noren will be somewhere around 13th or 14th when the SMX points are re-racked before the playoffs.

Rancho Cordova is much different than Mount Morris.

Harri Kullas is back for another go on the Pro Motocross tour. The Estonian is a solid outdoor rider and, as you can see from the AMA-assigned two-digit number and 15-13 results at Hangtown, should be able to stack points all summer. Look at the fork: One Click is a great name for a suspension shop.

Sky blue.

Dylan Ferrandis is another rider we expect to see surge when the series heads east. The Phoenix Racing Honda rider has a few more HRC parts on his CRF, namely a braced frame that the entire bike is built around and continues to train with the Lawrence brothers at the Dog/Dawg Pound in Florida. Ferrandis went 6-8 for sixth at Hangtown, but his overall speed was a tick off the top-five.

Want to learn what these hand signs mean? Big James Stewart has decided to open the family’s iconic Florida ponderosa to a handful of riders during the summer months, a program includes expertly prepped tracks and one-on-one coaching from the property owner. stewartcompound.com/

One of these three being a lapper was not something we expected on Saturday morning. Jett’s crash and subsequent results have done a number on the championship standings; leader Sexton now has an eight-point advantage over second-ranked Hunter and is 24 up on sixth place Jett.

Does it get much better than this? Scroll to the gallery below for more shots from this fight for the top spot.

A PistenBully 100 groomer was used to prep the starting area and first turn at Hangtown. PistenBully is part of Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, an equipment manufacturer that specializes in snow and sand, and the American division of the German company is based in nearby Reno. The company’s products are used to tend the slopes at some of the world’s best resorts, and this model is designed to be used at indoor ski halls.

The last time Chase Sexton scored the checkered flag outdoors before this was Moto Two at Ironman 2022, the last race of that season.

The Dirt Diggers and their families go above and beyond the make the Hangtown round feel special. The track staff is some of the friendliest we meet all year, the opening ceremonies and horse display has a unique feel, and things like post-race water bottles for the riders are a small, but important detail.

They take care of their own, too. David Duarte was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award and a six-shooter plaque for his years of work with the club.

Our ideal Fox Racing “Greatest Hits” collection would include a remake of this umbrella. There were quite a few of this exact design on the hills at Hangtown, a nod to the brand’s NorCal roots.

Casey Cochran could be one of the breakout riders of the 250 Class this summer. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has done well in the early rounds of the Pro Motocross series, starting with strong come from behind rides at round one, which was followed by his pace-setting lap in Timed Qualifying and 12-12 finishes for tenth overall at round two.

Tom Vialle’s HWYW interview was awesome. When we asked if the Red Bull KTM rider ever thought that Haiden Deegan was getting too far ahead in Moto Two, Vialle replied with confidence that he was always as fast as Deegan and that his personal goal was to catch up to the leader or crash. This sort of confidence and a willingness to share it on camera is just what the title fight needs.

Art.

Those sparkling wine bottles are slippery.

The first jump of the track, the tabletop out of the second turn, was cut down to a flyaway-style ski launch. Riders were mixed on the new obstacle, as some said it was safer at the start when the pack was bunched up but that it could get dicey during a battle if one person faded over into another’s line.

Fortieth to first.

Phil Nicoletti’s opening lap crash was a scary moment, as the Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX/Yamaha rider went down while running at the front and narrowly avoided getting hit by others over this uphill jump. Phil needed some assistance getting up and off the course, a dreadful sign, but he managed to walk out of Hangtown and to his plane that night. The team has said he’ll miss Thunder Valley for sure with a knee injury.

How many times will we see these two square off this summer?

Technique check with Aaron Plessinger…

Jett Lawrence

Justin Cooper

Hunter Lawrence

Chase Sexton

Justin Barcia

Fredrik Noren

Dylan Ferrandis

Grant Harlan

Justin Hill and Team Tedder are all-in on SMX. The rider and operation are usually SX-only, but with Hill in contention for coveted points and a few rounds within driving distance of the race shop, everyone agreed to keep racing in the summer months. Little Hill went 16-14 for 15th overall.

The last lap of 450 Moto Two was one we won’t forget. Aaron Plessinger had a sizeable but shrinking lead over Chase Sexton when they took the white flag, and all of us on the track with cameras asked each other if there was enough time to make a move. The general vibe was that it’d be close, but unlikely. We weren’t seeing the lap times, though, because Sexton was on a roll and got his teammate by the mechanic’s area.

The win not only validates Sexton’s fitness, but his confidence in the SX-F Factory Edition. Get ready, because the summer is about to get good.

YEEEEEEEEEW!

Onto Colorado.