2019 Florida Motocross | Race Preview

2019 FLORIDA MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

This weekend’s race of the breaks a 22-year absence of AMA National MX in Florida. Although the Sunshine State is a second home to a list of top riders and the long-running Daytona Supercross, the summer series hasn’t had a stop since Gatorback in 1997. That’ll all change on Saturday, though, when bikes hit the sandy circuit at WW Ranch outside of Jacksonville for the very first time. A somewhat new venue in the northern part of the state, it’s played host to a round of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross World Championship in 2017 and a number of amateur races, but it could be argued that the fifth round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is its biggest event.

We made the trip to Florida for the MXGP round a few years ago and came away very impressed by the facility. Far enough in the swamps that property or noise isn’t a concern, but near enough to the city that all amenities are easy to access, the track is a massive spread of dark sandy dirt. Florida is a mostly flat region of the country and that’s evident at WW, but there is one massive rise in the middle of the track. Don’t think that the lack of elevation means the track is easy, because the sand develops dozens of deep ruts in every section and massive bumps will build up anywhere riders are on the gas or the brakes.

There are few similarities between the 2017 MXGP track and the 2019 US MX track, as the new length seems significantly cut down, likely in favor of lap times and close racing. One new element added to certain areas of the track is split lanes, which have tall berms between them to keep riders in the intended line and will create side-by-side racing without worry of collision. The sections were tested by pro riders during a recent demo day at WW and the video made it look like both sides are evenly racy. We cannot wait to see how this turns out.

But honestly, the track design is a secondary factor to the weekend and instead, Florida’s summer weather has everyone talking. When we went to the track in September 2017, it was one of the hottest races that we can remember going to. The tall trees that surround the property seemed to block any breeze and the stagnant humid air hovered well over 100 degrees. To help riders with the heat, the track crew built a stream of showers on the exit lane of the course and we hope these are back in place for this weekend’s event.

The first four rounds of the series have been cool and pleasant, with temperatures rarely over 80 degrees, but that’s sure to change on Saturday as forecasted weather is for highs in the low 90s. Now that doesn’t sound bad, but with the humidity and heat index factored in, the “feels like” temperature will be well into the triple digits during the afternoon motos. Riders and bikes will both have to withstand the weather and it’s very, very likely that some riders will be unable to finish a moto due to heat exhaustion to their bodies or heat-inflicted mechanical problems with their bikes. Trust us, this is going to rival Freestone a few years ago.

At High Point, we talked with a few riders about the aforementioned demo day at WW Ranch. Below is their take from the day and what they expect will happen when the gate drops.

“It’s a fun track and it’s going to be really gnarly. It’s going to be a hot mo-fo, I can tell you that. We were all suffering that day. It’s really soft and there are a lot of split lanes. I love that place in general, even the camping area is really nice.” – Ken Roczen

“It’s sick, dude. I rode it after the GP to get ready for the des Nations in 2017 and it was really good. But with the new changes that they made, I think it’s going to be awesome and a great race. It will be super gnarly and rough, and hotter than hot.” – Zach Osborne

“It was good. We put two motos together, me and Kenny, and it gave us a feel for the track and the dirt. I rode the track for the GP in 2017 and it changed a lot since then. It is a cool track with all of the split lanes and even though it’s flat, they made some elevation with all of the dirt there. The facility is super nice and I look forward to getting there.” – Chase Sexton

“I thought it was super cool. Obviously, it’s flat so there is only so much that they can do, but there is some elevation changes and some split lanes that will be cool. I think they will both be viable options. It’s going to be a scorcher and that’s going to separate a lot of guys. You’ll have to get good starts and save your energy.” – Adam Cianciarulo

General consensus: it’ll be hot AF, the track is a change to what the series is used to, and the facility is top-notch.

High Point gave plenty to talk about in both classes, and it’s strange to say, but there are a lot of similarities between some riders in each group. Hear me out…

Eli Tomac & Adam Cianciarulo

It seems like the Kawasaki riders can do no wrong. Even on a “bad day” like High Point, which saw Tomac go 3-2 and Cianciarulo 2-1 in the motos, they nabbed the overall victories in their classes. That was important for both because Cianciarulo stretched his lead over Justin Cooper to 26 points (more than a full moto) and Tomac managed to tie Roczen for the top spot in the 450 standings. All signs point to both continuing their success in Florida.

Ken Roczen & Hunter Lawrence

Lawrence broke through for his first 250 Moto win in the US last weekend and many think (us included) this will be the feat that keeps him in the front group for the rest of the summer. Roczen, meanwhile claimed another 450 Moto win at High Point and he continues to hold onto the top spot of the series standings. Here’s where the similarities start. Concerns of how they will handle the heat surround both because Lawrence has spent his year in mild weather of Southern California while we all wait to see if the energy-draining issue that Roczen had in Supercross will be a factor (we hope this is the last time we have to type that line this year). This is the most important thing that we will watch from both on Saturday. As for other similarities, both had relied on Roczen’s dad for coaching at key points in their careers and they ride the track in a much more flowy, Euro-style way than the others on the line.

Marvin Musquin & Dylan Ferrandis

We’ve yet to see either at the front of the field at the beginning of a moto. Both have had issues in the early laps, be it Musquin’s crashes or Ferrandis’ mediocre starts, but they come through the pack in the latter stages of the race thanks to some of the fastest lap times of any rider and riding styles that allow them to search and use unique lines. Musquin has become accustomed to Florida weather thanks to his place in Aldon Baker’s program, while Ferrandis has stayed in California year-round.

2019 FLORIDA MOTOCROSS | 250 CLASS ENTRY LIST

12. Shane McElrath | After missing High Point due to a mid-week practice crash, the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider is in for the Florida race.
23. Chase Sexton
26. Alex Martin
31. RJ Hampshire
32. Justin Cooper | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is currently second in the point standings.
34. Dylan Ferrandis | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is currently third in the point standings.
36. Michael Mosiman
38. Christian Craig | Despite a notification from WADA of an adverse finding for a prohibited substance in an anti-doping test, the GEICO Honda is cleared to ride until a final decision by the FIM.
39. Colt Nichols
44. Cameron McAdoo
45. Brandon Hartranft
52. Jordan Bailey
55. Kyle Peters
59. Nick Gaines
66. Mitchell Oldenburg
72. Martin Castelo
73. Martin Davalos
77. Challen Tennant
78. Ramyller Alves
83. Killian Auberson
92. Adam Cianciarulo | With overall wins at Hangtown/Fox Raceway/Thunder Valley/High Point, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider leads the championship standings.
110. Yusuke Watanabe
112. Thomas Covington | The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is set to return racing in Florida after taking High Point off in order to recover from an ongoing case of Epstein Barr that is draining his energy levels.
136. Joshua Philbrick
156. Jacob Hayes
161. Justin Thompson
162. Maxwell Sanford
168. Cale Kuchnicki
177. Dylan Greer
194. Jerry Robin
196. Hunter Lawrence
210. Jonathan Mayzak
212. Tyler McCoy
233. Derek Drake
247. Brock Papi
291. Zane Merrett
301. Jordan Jarvis
303. Michael Hand
321. Bradley Lionnet
340. Blake Taylor
346. Kevin Moranz
357. Kameron Barboa
363. Pierce Brown | Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider making use of new rule that allows A Class racers to line up in pro competition.
407. Benjamin Nelko
500. Ben Adamson
516. Yeissen Rubalcava
554. Wade Brommel
691. James Justice
719. Joshua Berchem
815. Colton Eigenmann
841. Jeff Walker
916. Jorge Rubalcava
923. Chris Moore
931. Stephen Vuckson
936. Ty Masterpool
964. Mitchell Goheen
979. Phillip Maus
981. Curren Thurman

MISSING FROM THE LIST

6. Jeremy Martin | GEICO Honda rider is still recovering from the vertebra burst fractures he suffered in the 2018 season; he is expected to return to competition in 2020.
24. Austin Forkner | Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider will miss the entire summer with torn ligaments in his knee.
28. Jordon Smith | The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider could no longer deal with the lingering tendonitis in his wrist from a crash in the Supercross season and will soon undergo surgery to correct the injury; Smith will miss the rest of the summer.
40. Sean Cantrell | Lingering wrist injuries will keep the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider from the opening rounds of the season.
61. Garrett Marchbanks | The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider is sidelined until further notice after getting banged up in a crash at the High Point round.
64. Jimmy Decotis | Due to a recent restructure at the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team, Decotis will not be a part of the two-rider 250 team this summer.
67. Enzo Lopes | Due to a recent restructure at the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team, Lopes will not be a part of the two-rider 250 team this summer.
123. Mitchell Falk | A crash during practice at Hangtown left the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider with a broken collarbone that required surgery; he is out for an undetermined amount of time.

2019 FLORIDA MOTOCROSS | 450 CLASS ENTRY LIST

1. Eli Tomac | The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is currently tied with Ken Roczen in the championship standings for the top spot.
2. Cooper Webb
4. Blake Baggett
11. Kyle Chisholm | Continues term with JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team as a fill-in rider while Justin Hill recovers with a shoulder injury and surgery.
14. Cole Seely
16. Zach Osborne | The Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is currently tied with teammate Jason Anderson for third in the championship standings.
17. Joey Savatgy
19. Justin Bogle
21. Jason Anderson | The Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is currently tied with teammate Zach Osborne for third in the championship standings.
25. Marvin Musquin
29. Benny Bloss
41. Ben LaMay
43. Tyler Bowers
49. Henry Miller
51. Justin Barcia
56. Lorenzo Locurcio
60. Justin Starling
63. John Short
69. Jake Masterpool
80. Heath Harrison
90. Jeremy Hand
94. Ken Roczen | The Team Honda HRC rider is currently tied with Eli Tomac in the championship standings for the top spot.
100. Dirco Van der Westhuizen
101. Fredrik Noren
103. Dean Ferris
107. Jimmy Wicksell
116. TJ Albright
119. Issac Teasdale
125. Luke Neese
129. Ryan Diezic
152. Ryder Hanninen
191. Roberto Castro
214. Vann Martin
217. Cory Gilliam
221. Mathias Jargensen
228. Donny Brown
237. David Costa
238. Ben Robinson
254. Cody Briner
261. Landon Davis
265. Nick Fratz-Orr
268. Mitchel Suire
270. Jacob Runkles
288. Parker Smith
314. Tyler Stepek
319. Coty Schock
332. Dustin Winter
354. Matthew Toth
358. Ivon Hays
402. Samuel Greenawalt
405. Joe LaFalce
412. Jared Lesher
441. Scott Meshey
447. Deven Raper
449. Dakota Kessler
456. Ryan Granton
493. Mason Price
499. Dawson Chesnut
507. Nicholas Tomasunas
513. Aerian Weaver
524. Frank Peneno
531. Aerian Weaver
532. Rocky Cagno
553. Brent Rouse
565. Dominic DeSimone
577. Felix Lopez
591. Tanner Myers
596. Carson Tickle
612. Max Darling
627. Daniel Jaramillo
637. Bobby Piazza
647. Matthew Hubert
661. Noah Chambers
700. Justin Weeks
711. Tristan Lane
718. Toshiki Tomita
727. Bradley Esper
745. Kevin Rookstool
755. Kyle Ianuale
808. Joshua Bock
821. Trevor Tate
829. Taylor VanBeek
878. Eric McKay
927. Jamal Porter
929. Taiki Koga | Independent Japanese rider is dealing with a wrist injury, was unable to finish at High Point due to the pain.
957. Jarrett Thompson

MISSING FROM THE LIST

7. Aaron Plessinger | A broken heel will sidelined the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider through the opening part of the summer. He is slated to return at Southwick.
14. Cole Seely | Team Honda HRC rider is sidelined for the remainder of the summer due to a torn labrum and broken shoulder socket, injuries that required surgery and a three-month recovery.
15. Dean Wilson | A shoulder injury from a crash at the Nashville Supercross will keep the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider sidelined through the opening part of the summer.
46. Justin Hill | JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider is out for an undetermined amount of time after suffering a recent shoulder injury and necessary surgery.
54. Dylan Merriam | A hard crash at the 2019 Thunder Valley Motocross left the California privateer with a broken collarbone, fractured T1 vertebrae, fractured rib, bruised lung and pulled groin.