2024 Ironman Motocross | Kickstart Recap & Photo Gallery

Kayden Minear’s performance in Moto One of the Combine was attention grabbing, to say the least, as Ironman was the Australian’s first race in America, and he won by a commanding 14 second lap. Although he was virtually unknown in the US before the gate drop, Minear is a nine-time champion down under, is part of KTM’s factory-run program, and was ranked second overall in the country’s recently completed MX2 championship. The Orange Brigade will keep him here for a month and have him riding Supercross on the East Coast to prepare for the SMX finale in Las Vegas.

Face in the crowd. Friday’s practice and Sunday’s amateur racing are among the few times the Ironman motocross track is open to the public and we saw hundreds of riders, including FXR Moto owner Milt Reimer, in staging for their shakedown sessions.

Don’t be fooled by the topsoil. Saturday morning’s practice starts were a bit tricky, as the watered loam looked lush, but underneath was a rock hard and icy slick base that was quickly worn down to. More ripping by the track crew and repeated clutch dumps by riders helped tremendously and had the section in near-perfect conditions for the motos.

Romain Pape has established himself as an outdoor specialist over the past two summers. The Frenchman raced all 22 motos this summer, had a personal best of 11th in Moto One at Spring Creek, a worst of 34th in Moto Two at Washougal, and ended up 17th overall in the 450 Class championship standings. Pape is on the list to race the LCQs for the SMX races, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in the three-race hybrid series.

Keep your competition close.

Watching practice starts in Timed Qualifying is one of our favorite parts of a Saturday morning, as it’s a treat to watch dozens of riders try to execute the single most important act of a race in their preferred way. Take note of Jason Anderson’s body positioning, with a finger on the clutch and toes just under the shifter, how the front-end is locked down by the holeshot device, and the tension of the chain as it goes into the lower guide and then over the top of the swingarm.

According to the AMA results, these four riders led 248 of the 354 laps logged in the 450 Class. Sexton had 101, Lawrence 97, Plessinger 35, and Anderson 15. The only other two riders credited in the tally are Justin Cooper with 29 and Jett Lawrence with 77.

We watched Eli Tomac pull off to the end of the mechanic’s area and wait for a break in the pack during the early moments of Session One, a tactical move that set him up for a flying lap and his first heater of the morning, a 2:14.165. According to the individual segment times, ET’s ideal lap would have been a 2:14.101, with potential for improvement in Segment Two (holeshot stripe to the takeoff of the downhill tabletop).

Yo, Christian, how old is that pair of TLD-Shock Doctor compression pants?

Was that Kyle Chisholm’s last National? The Twisted Tea/Progressive/Suzuki rider was part of Friday’s pre-race press conference panel, and we brought up the popular topic of his career longevity, as the 36-year-old completed a full season of SX and MX and made the cut for SMX. “I did it last year unexpectedly, but I really hadn’t committed to doing the outdoors since 2018. But the playoffs have me and Grandpa Earl (Dean Wilson) out here battling, and it’s been fun because I like the challenge. The recovery is not the same as when I was younger, but I like the challenge.”

Tom Vialle wasted no time when it came to making a race-deciding move, as his block of Haiden Deegan going down the start helped the Red Bull KTM rider get a clear run to and from the first turn while the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider was forced deeper into the pack and then went down on the opening lap.

If passing points were awarded in MX, Deegan would have collected a grip in Moto One, as he went being scored 29th on Lap One to 11th at the checkered flag. That, however, does not reflect the dozen or so spots he picked up immediately after getting back on the bike following a quick tip-over at the top of the hill.

Last 250 MX for RJ Hampshire? Sounds like it, as the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider confirmed at the end of the day that the intent in 2025 is to race the 250 Class indoors, either on the East Coast or as defending champ on the West Coast, and then move to the 450 for the summer. This plan has been in the works for quite some time.

When we asked Ty Masterpool if 2024 had been a career-defining year, the Texan simply smiled and said, “Yeah.” A strong showing on the KX 250 all summer, marked by High Point’s overall, has earned him a two-year contract with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki for 2025 and 2026.

How will these two fare at Matterley in October? Vialle will be again part of Team France’s MXON effort, a reward for last year’s victory plus this year’s SX title and outdoor results, while Hymas will represent Team USA for the first time, with both racing the competitive and crucial MX2 category.

It was a treat to see Ken Roczen do laps on the RM-Z250, and knowing all the coordination between the HEP/PMG and BarX squads and their assorted sponsors made it even cooler. Basically, BarX wheeled one of their small-bore bikes over to the HEP pit, Roczen’s preferred Renthal components and a Pro Circuit exhaust were mounted, some minor modifications were done by Twisted Development and REP, and off he went. Roczen latched onto Levi Kitchen and Nick Romano for a few laps, and the training partners gave the veteran a tow during press day and part of Saturday practice.

We’re hearing that Star Racing’s 250 program could be changing gear brands in 2025, as there’s Alpinestars could outfit the roster in everything from helmets and boots to gear and even goggles. Would that be the only sponsor to change? We say that because current outfitter THOR is part of Parts Unlimited, and they’re another long-time backer of the team, but Alpinestars is also distributed by the powersports giant. We have no indication either way, but knowing the competitiveness of business right now, it’s another thing to note in what could be a very, very eventful offseason.

How good does that look?

If you want to give your track the same perfect till, find a heavy equipment dealer that stocks the Maschio Pinocchio, which is “designed for tractors ranging from 50 to 160 horsepower” and “is ideal for medium-small specialist businesses and farms with narrow row spacing (vineyards and orchards).”

Blocs de départ pour Pape et Ferrandis.

The gold details and Yankee-style pinstripes in Phil Nicoletti’s send-off kit were a nice touch by FXR and FTA. What will they put the man in for his true send off in Vegas?

Parade lap practice start techniques. Aaron Plessinger likes to stand and get weight over the rear of the bike...

But quickly drops back into the center of the seat for optimum control.

Hunter Lawrence has a similar, but different approach, as his body is much more angled and further forward…

And he instead drops to the rear of the seat.

Chase Sexton keeps it simple, as he stays seated and tries to stay in the pocket from the moment he goes over the gate.

SKDA got inspiration from Team Honda’s 2014 factory bikes for Jeremy Hand’s Ironman kit. Yeah, the stickers looked great with Hand’s sponsors subbed in for Muscle Milk, but we really loved the use of white plastics on the front number plate and fork guards.

Summer’s really over.

“I get the jump, I tow you. You get the jump, you tow me.”

As popular as Sexton’s sweep and title clinching was for the fans, nothing got them going like Aaron Plessinger’s pass to take the lead in Moto One. The Cowboy’s hometown of Hamilton, Ohio, is less than three hours from the front gates of Ironman, and he spent lots of time in the Indiana woods during his days as an off roader.

The woods section was incorporated into the race day layout for the first time this year and it seemed to be a well-received addition for the already popular track. Dozens of trees were cleared to make the segment possible, and it looks like they mixed the mulch into the dark, virgin dirt. The spectating area was pretty big and always filled with fans, and there were amenities like portable restrooms to keep people back there. This’ll be a popular place to watch from during the MXON in 2025.

Ironman was a landmark day for KTM, as the brand went 1-2 in both 450 Class motos and the final standings and claimed the 250 Class overall win. Now that the orange bike seems to be working for all of the factory riders, we’re eager to see how it fares in 2025.

Chase Sexton didn’t need to win Moto One to secure the title, but in his mind, he had to. The Red Bull KTM rider told us in How Was Your Weekend that he doesn’t want to ease up on himself or the competition, a determined and confident outlook that could be huge in the looming SMX playoffs and the race against the world at the Motocross of Nations.

Respect

Where were you when AP threw Big Blue? A few fans had shirts that celebrated the memorable moment from Ironman’s 2023 podium, and to be honest, it was oddly hilarious to see them screaming and waving the shirts for the rider while his young son was just feet away on his grandmother’s shoulders.

The attitude and aggression of the 250 Class is awesome. Tom Vialle, Haiden Deegan, and Chance Hymas had a three-man scrap in Moto Two, an all-out battle that saw bold moves from each rider and went on for a while. Scroll to see Deegan’s block on Hymas and dive to the inside line to get a wheel on Vialle, then go to the big gallery below for another batch of shots that show similar moves on the next lap.

Where’d you think Roczen would rank in the 250 Class? The intensity of the small-bore division is quite different than the 450 Class, and Roczen was up for the challenge in the early stages of both motos. However, the rider later explained on social media that his energy draining health issues have recently flared up and kept him from full-strength at Ironman. This’ll be an important matter for Roczen to address over the next three months, because his schedule calls for three SMX races around the US, the MXON in England, and the four WSX races that will run in Canada, Australia, and the UAE, followed by prep for 2025.

End with a win. Deegan’s 10 victories accounted for nearly half of the 22 motos run this summer.

Gate Drop

First Turn

According to Friday’s pre-race press conference, 48 of the 550 riders that applied for pro licenses in 2024 were from outside the United States, a talented pool that represented 16 countries. Tristan Purdon was one of the many from South Africa, while Harri Kullas was the only person from Estonia to race.

With second place overall on the day and third place in the championship secured, Aaron Plessinger spent the family lap of the summer saluting the crowds along the fence line. A true fan favorite.

What was underneath the black box on the KTM front fenders? A GPS sensor from data component supplier 2D.

13 Moto wins, seven overall victories, an average qualifying position of 2.4, and an average finish of 1.9. Chase Sexton’s stats make the number one plate even more impressive.

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