2019 High Point Motocross | Kickstart

Props to the High Point track crew for their work to build out a pro section through the woods for this year’s visit to the “Motocross Country Club.” To be blunt, the Pennsylvania track hasn’t been the same since the major overall it received a few years back, but the new section opened up the flow, had fresh dirt that was soft and held moisture, and was well-received by racers.

Race ready. Last week we had the chance to try out the Stage Two engine package that JGRMX now offers to consumers through the retail division of their race team. Developed through testing with the team’s pro racers including Alex Martin, the kits include a fine-tuned cylinder with JGRMX camshaft for performance and stock components for reliability, a developed high-compression piston by JE Piston, a pre-programmed GET ECU, and some other assorted accessories including engine covers, Yoshimura exhaust systems, carbon fiber skid plates, and more. It’s not exactly what the race team runs on the weekends, but for the average rider or up and coming amateur, it’s more than enough. Hit the home page and see the full test video.

Carbon fiber covers over key areas of the hydraulic clutch master cylinder and lines, engraved caps, pop-button holders on the number plate. These are all little things that make factory bikes so trick.

After our post-race chat with Eli Tomac for “How Was Your Weekend,” we asked the day’s overall winner a few more questions for a write-up that’ll hit the site later in the week. We’ll save the most important quotes and details of the interview for that day, but Tomac did share that his recent contract extension with Monster Energy Kawasaki was for two years (2020 and 2021) and that getting the deal done, especially after a trying Supercross season, has brought him peace of mind for the summer ahead.

Let’s get tropical. French painter OCD has long handled the Red Bull paint schemes for Marvin Musquin and the Red Bull KTM rider had a fresh Airoh lid for round four. The small details that OCD took care of, like extending the print of the flowers to the tip of the visor/mouth guard/top vents, is impressive.

This is Adam Cianciarulo’s best (and likely, last) chance to add a number one plate to Mitch Payton’s trailer door. Cianciarulo really wants to make good on the investment that Payton and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki put into him since his pro debut, and he’s now a full moto of points ahead of second place in the standings. Oh, and just to add some contract talk into the mix, signs are pointing to the 92 staying green in the future.

Final Touches with Brandon Zimmerman.

GEICO Honda continues to test and fine-tune the engine package of the CRF250R and it sounds like even more progress was made between Thunder Valley and High Point. This is year two of the current generation bike and the major changes Honda made to the engine’s internal specs (dual overhead cam, larger bore and shorter stroke) are things that the team cannot alter due to the AMA rules. Knock on wood, but the reliability of the red bike has not been a concern and the only mechanicals have occurred due to damaged water pumps and oil filter caps. This is something the team has addressed with a more protective skid plate that has an extension over the oil filter.

RJ Hampshire told us that his chassis setup differs from the rest of the GEICO Honda team and we’d have to think a part of that is through is use of Showa suspension components while others run KYB. “My bike is way different than theirs, just with the chassis,” he explained to us at the end of the day. “I love my chassis right now. We’re trying to get more speed out of it and that’s what we’re going for. We’re on a way better bike than we were last year and hopefully it keeps improving and we’ll be there again.”

With Jordon Smith done for the year, the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team pulled his identifying parts from the KTM 250 SX-F and swapped them for Cameron McAdoo’s setup. During our podcast with Smith two weeks ago, he told us that the tendonitis in his wrist caused his hand to go numb around the halfway point of the moto and that he had little time on the bike during the week. The injury was something that Smith had been dealing with since February.

Dean Wilson is back on the bike and putting in practice motos around Southern California, but there’s still no set timetable on his return to the starting line as his shoulder has not yet fully recovered. While Wilson’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike sat idle at High Point, Deano still made news by riding with NFL running back Marshawn Lynch at Fox Raceway. If there’s a vlog from the day, it could pull some Grandpa Earl-level numbers.

Fresh paint from AirTrix on a Fox Racing V3. No matter how many times we see it, there’s still something sweet about a Red Bull moto helmet.

Ken Roczen was very forthcoming about a setup mistake he and Team Honda HRC made for the first moto at High Point. “I tried a setting on Thursday before I came here. I only had five minutes on it because it was raining so bad, so I started off with that this morning and it did not work out for me really that well. I wasn’t that good in qualifying practice and was uncomfortable out there. Before the first moto, I basically went back to my Colorado spec but with different clickers, kind of like what I have been riding with in Florida but that didn’t work out too well for me either,” he explained to us at the end of the day. “I was really uncomfortable out there and couldn’t really ride that well, so I basically went back to the full Colorado spec with the clickers and everything.” Roczen’s struggles in the first moto dropped him out of the top spot in the point standings, but he rallied to win the second moto and ended the day tied on championship series points with Eli Tomac. Because of this, both Roczen and Tomac will run the red plates in Florida.

On Friday it was announced that Cole Seely’s 2019 season is done due to a shoulder injury he sustained in a Tuesday crash. Per Team Honda HRC, the crash wasn’t too big but it still managed to dislocate his shoulder and caused significant damage to the labrum and broke part of the socket. Seely flew from Florida to California shortly after the crash and visited with the doctor that did his prior surgery, and that’s where the full extent of the injury was determined. A full surgery will be necessary to repair the area, which is set to happen on Tuesday. Injuries are always unfortunate, but this one is especially so for Seely since 2019 was a rebuilding year after the pelvis injury that sidelined him for most of 2018. The Team Honda HRC rider has made it clear the 2018 injury and rehabilitation caused him to give some thought to retirement, but his performance through the Supercross season and early part of the Nationals proved there is plenty of fight left in the 14. He currently holds a one-year contract with Team Honda HRC that will expire at the conclusion of the race season. We’d hate to see Seely stop racing due to this injury, especially because he has plenty of talent and would be an asset to any team, but understand he has nothing left to prove on the track and this really could be the end.

Seely’s CRF450R was kept on display during the weekend and had a strong cable lock through the rear end as a theft deterrent. You might not think this would be necessary, but bikes do get stolen at pro races from time to time and a factory bike would be a big, albeit impossible to profit from, heist.

Deep blue hue of the titanium and intricate welds of some additional material to protect the header from the roost. Factory bikes are bad ass.

We’re always impressed how aware riders can be to certain things on their motorcycles. We caught Eli Tomac and mechanic Brian Kranz during their final setup of the controls on the Monster Energy Kawasaki Saturday morning and right away Tomac noticed something that was sticky on the clutch lever. Something small to some could be a major issue to others.

Taiki Koga's Alpinestars kits are always complete with a patching fitting of his personality.

A wrist injury hampered the Japanese privateer at High Point and he did not line up for the day's second moto, a bummer after points were scored at Hangtown and Thunder Valley.

Tyler Bowers KX450 has a few parts and pieces that you won’t find at your local Kawasaki dealer. Thanks to his ties to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, things like factory Showa suspension and the trick oil cooler are bolted on to his race bike. But Bowers’ bike isn’t a full factory machine with different graphics and if you look closely, you’ll see some of the various sponsors that support his independent effort.

We know a few riders have voiced their frustration about the procedure one race official has at the start of qualifying practice sessions, something that goes back to issues in the Supercross season. On Saturday morning the official explained to riders why he is so stringent with the green flag and that he has to time the start of each session to the minute with the race day schedule. It makes sense and all, but maybe teasing the riders with small flinches before throwing the flag isn’t a perfect strategy to stay on schedule.

Hey Doug Schopinsky, what tire tread would you recommend for this? What would you call a self-cleaning tread pattern?

There will be another skull and crossbones on the back of AC’s jersey come next weekend.

Cotter pin through the axle nut, wheel pulled far back in the swingarm, drilled bolts holding the rear brake, colored hubs.

Thomas Covington was absent at High Point, a measure taken by the rider and team as a result of his recent diagnosis with the energy-draining Epstein Barr virus. We weren’t surprised to learn that Covington would miss the race, and team manager Bobby Hewitt explained the decision to skip the weekend to us on Saturday morning. “He took it easy going into Colorado and was off the week after that. So with the two weeks during the break and this one, we’re hopeful that at WW he can come back. He’s feeling better each day, but he’s been struggling with it. He finally got all of the test results back and the good news is he is on the backside of it, so he probably had it for quite a while. And that explains a lot. Each day that I talk to him, he says he feels a little better so we’ll take it one week at a time.” Always one to support the riders, Hewitt made it clear that he understands the situation Covington is going through. “I told him this year hasn’t gone the way we wanted with all of the road blocks and bumps, but like with all my guys, I still believe in him and think he can do well. He’s in bad situation and the year hasn’t gone well. Mainly, I just want to keep him positive mentally. They don’t forget how to ride. But when they get in a hole, it’s hard to get them out.”

Not razor sharp, still titanium. Still badass.

It was good to have Benny Bloss back in the thick of things. The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider has been on the sidelines with a knee injury since the holidays and was eager to get back on the track as quickly as possible (he told us he wanted to race Hangtown but the team said to wait it out a little longer). This is an important summer for Benny because his one-year contract with the team is up and every result is a reason for him to keep a spot on the factory-supported squad. Clearly the time off didn’t hurt Bloss, because he was eighth overall in qualifying, 14th in Moto One, ninth in Moto Two, and 12th overall on the day. Top-five by summer’s end?

We were surprised to see so much wood in the trash. A few minutes through a tree chipper and boom, you have new material to mix into the dirt at a track…

Isaac Teasdale and JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing worked out a deal that put the East Coast rider on a “customer spec” RM-Z450 at High Point. Per Jason Weigandt on the Racer X podcast, Teasdale’s tie to the Cherokee tribe and casino in North Carolina is part of the deal and that there are talks of the tribe becoming a title sponsor to the team in 2020.

Two veterans going for it. The summer hasn’t gone the way Alex Martin or Martin Davalos would have hoped, but neither are devastated by their results and they seem to enjoy what comes with every race weekend. Martin has hovered around the top-ten through all four rounds, which is far from his past summer results, while Davalos has been on the mend from a rib injury at the opening round.

Mechanical issues again haunted Jordan Bailey in 250 Moto One. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team told us it is the same issue that happened at Thunder Valley and although they have a better idea of how to fix it, the bike was not running right in the middle of the race and Bailey was forced to DNF. Bailey rebounded and finished 15th in the second moto, a result that salvaged his day with an 18th place overall result.

It’s good to see Fredrik Noren back in the mix after a few tough years. The likable Swede was hampered by injuries in the past two summers and it seemed like some had forgotten what he was capable of in the challenging conditions of the Nationals. But with a clean bill of health and support from some very dedicated sponsors, Noren is back on the road and has scored points in all eight motos contested so far this season. High Point wasn’t great for Noren, he battled from deep in the pack during Moto One (his pass on Jake Masterpool late in the race was ballsy), but 15-17 finishes put him 17th overall on the day and he holds 12th in the series standings, the highest privateer in the points.

Jordan Jarvis quietly made the decision to line up at High Point and there was little fanfare or expectations for the WMX champion, which allowed her to focus on her first National (Jarvis is making use of the new rule that allows A Class amateurs to learn the ropes of pro racing). We spent a half hour with Jarvis, her father, and the small crew of supporters that helped her through the day for a write-up that’ll hit the site this week. Jarvis made it clear that she wants to be treated like any other rider on the track and she was close to making the cut in the LCQ until a mechanical issue struck her YZ250F on the last lap. She will make the 40-rider cut before the summer is over.

Do you consider Jason Anderson an “outdoor” rider yet? The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider logged the fastest lap of the 450 class in qualifying and went 2-5 for third overall on the day. At one point in the second moto it looked like Anderson was going to get the overall win, but a push by Tomac and two dropped spots by Anderson late in the race changed the outcome. During our post-race talk Anderson explained how it feels to race after so much time off (he hasn’t done a full season since his Supercross championship in 2018) by saying, “Coming back to racing is kind of overwhelming, but I have been solid. I’ve been in the top-five every moto and am getting some podiums, so I’m going to try and keep building. I want to end this season solid. That’s my goal and I feel like people have noticed.”

Blake Baggett found his flow in 450 Moto One at High Point. The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider nabbed a rare holeshot, immediately put a gap on the rest of the pack, and was never truly challenged for the top spot. After a rough start to the season, this was a big improvement for Baggett and proved that he can be the best of the field in a given moto. Unfortunately, a crash put Baggett deep down the running order in the important second moto and a 15th place finish put him seventh overall on the day.

Cooper Webb acknowledged that his chase for the Supercross championship had a negative impact on his prep for the Nationals, but the Red Bull KTM rider used the time off between Thunder Valley and High Point to up his training and fine-tune setup of the KTM 450 SX-F. It clearly had a positive impact on his results at round four, because even with that brutal crash in Moto One, Webb bounced back to finish the race in seventh, led laps in Moto Two, slid back to third place at the checkered flag, and finished fourth overall on the day. Expect Webb to get stronger as the summer continues.

Week by week progress for Justin Barcia. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider is still not up to full health but he’s pushing through the issues and has stayed consistent on the track through the first four rounds. The time off in the schedule seemed to help Barcia and he went 10-10 for, you guessed it, 10th overall at High Point. A mud moto could really help Barcia…

The last few weeks have been eventful for Coty Schock. The Northeast privateer was the victim of theft and the culprit made off with a pit bike, a new KTM 450 SX-F, and A-kit suspension from WP, but he pulled together some loose ends and made it to High Point for the first East Coast race. Schock made the 40-rider field via a win in the 450 LCQ, then went 26-24 for 26th overall. We met Schock a few weeks back through the FXR guys during his first trip to the West Coast and were impressed by his talent on unfamiliar bikes and new tracks. If you need a privateer to root for, he’s one to watch for.

Okay, let’s just call High Point Joey Savatgy’s 450 outdoor debut. Thunder Valley was less than ideal for the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider but he bounced back with the seventh-fastest lap in qualifying, a long run in second place during 450 Moto Two, and 8-6 scores for eighth overall. Has the first-year 450 rider surprised you or is this where you expected him to be in the premier class? Either way, Versace is another guy that will contend for top-five finishes in the summer series.

If their boys are on the track, then John Tomac and Jerry Masterpool are somewhere close by. The two found a perfect spot on the hillside to watch the motos at High Point and let their sons do their jobs, as they never seemed to go to the side of the track to cheer or distract.

Four-way stretch, sublimated logos, laser cut vents, hidden seams. Some pro riding gear is just as trick as the race bikes.

To compensate for his short stature, JGRMX raises the footbed of the pegs for Alex Martin a few millimeters. AMart has run his share of high-rise pegs over the years and these are probably the cleanest looking setup we’ve seen for a short rider.

Carbon fiber cover, drilled brake piston, race-spec Dunlop rubber.

Battles...

Just before the 30-second card went up on 250 Moto Two, RJ Hampshire felt the rear tire on his GEICO Honda was going flat. The team’s techs rallied to swap out the rear wheel and had the whole job done in less than two minutes, all while Hampshire hung out unfazed feet away. Props to the team for getting that change done without a hint of panic or confusion.

When we caught up with Kyle Peters at the end of the day, the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider told us that he caught his leg on the track and tweaked his knee, the same one that he tore the ACL in last year. Peters didn’t seem too concerned about the injury and said it didn’t feel like a serious problem, so this will probably be a “recovery” week. Peters went 17-16 for 17th overall at High Point.

High Point was the start of Cameron McAdoo’s fill-in ride with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team and the replacement rider went 8-7 for seventh overall on the day, which is solid considering it was his first gate drop in more than a month. The initial agreement was for McAdoo to ride for the team in four races, but with Smith out for the rest of the summer, it sounds like he will complete the summer with TLD KTM. During our 6D Kickstart podcast last week, McAdoo hinted that this could lead to a full-time spot on the factory-supported squad in 2020.

Hunter Lawrence has arrived. The GEICO Honda rider was on the move in 250 Moto One and worked his way to the top spot in just his seventh moto in the US, on a track that he'd never put a wheel to before Saturday morning. It probably helps that High Point really is the closest thing to a GP-style track in the US (Unadilla used to have that honor, but it's almost too mellow in elevation or technical jumps by GP standards these days) but there was no denying Lawrence the lead. The Australian has been well-received by race fans and he enjoyed the podium celebrations with some of High Point's finest. You should watch his "How Was Your Weekend" interview just to get the full effect of the accent and emotion.

Tough weekend for Garrett Marchbanks. Things were looking good for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider in the qualifying sessions, as he was tenth overall and on pace with the competition. Things went sideways in the first moto, though, and Marchbanks ejected in the technical downhill rollers that have caught so many out over the years and went face-first into the ground (we’re 99-percent sure it was just a few feet from his season-ending crash last year). Marchbanks was taken away from the track with the help of the Alpinestars Mobile Medical crew and did not line up for Moto Two, but it doesn’t sound like he suffered any sort of serious injury and should be back on the track soon. Damn shame what happened to that new Bell Moto 9…

Chase Sexton's Supercross championship ice cream hangover has burned off, because the GEICO Honda rider was on the gas at High Point. Sexton held the top spot in both rounds of 250 class qualifying and his best lap was the fastest of the morning, 450 class included. The day wrapped up with a solid run to a second place finish, behind close friend Adam Cianciarulo, and his first overall podium of the summer.

High Point was Wilson Todd’s last race with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team and the friendly Australian will head back to his homeland this week, just in time to resume the country’s National championship. Todd’s other two races with TLD KTM were marred by crashes and issues, so his 12-10 ride for 10th overall lets him leave on a high note. Will that be enough to land a full-time ride in the US?

Dylan Ferrandis made some waves with his move on teammate Justin Cooper in 250 Moto One and his podium comment (“I thought I was faster.”) but that all shows how determined the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is to get to the front of the pack. So-so starts have hindered Ferrandis through the opening third of the season and although he is able to come through the pack to score crucial points, it’s not helping his championship chances. A look at the lap times show that if Ferrandis were to get up front early in the moto, he can run the same pace as current point leader Adam Cianciarulo, and even go faster.

The rigors of outdoor racing have caught Jacob Hayes by surprise. It’s been years since the CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha rider lined up for a full summer and in our post-race talk, he explained how challenging the tracks and pace can be, even for a well-prepared rider. “It’s been really good. The weeks have been long and I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough. Coming from Arenacross and then doing Supercross I was like, ‘What are these guys complaining about?’ Then we got outdoors and I am like, ‘Wow, okay (Laughs).’ I’m trying to take naps in the middle of the day. My trainer Seth has me prepared and I feel strong throughout the moto, which I am happy about. I was a little nervous about that. Fitness is good, I’m just trying to work on some things speed-wise.”

Ben LaMay won’t let mechanical problem get in his way. The privateer’s Honda had issues in-between motos and when it seemed like the problem was going to keep him from lining up, Honda tech Lars Lindstrom went to work on the CRF450R and got everything sorted out while LaMay got ready for the moto. The bike got to the gate just before the start of the race and LaMay logged 16-16 finishes for 16th overall at High Point.

Marvin Musquin hit the deck at the holeshot stripe in 450 Moto Two, remounted his Red Bull KTM at the very tail of the field, and worked back to seventh place at the checkered flag. The first part of the year has not gone the way Musquin would have hoped and he’s had his share of crashes, but that ride and the points scored kept him near the top of the championship standings. We’re interested to see how Musquin fares on the two sand-style tracks that are next on the schedule, because these could be the turning point to his summer.

Dean Ferris’ day at High Point in 2019 wasn’t as amazing as his last trip to the track in 2017, but all things considered, 11-11 rides for 11th overall is good considering that Ferris was tapped as a last-minute fill-in rider and is going against one of the most competitive rosters of riders in recent history. Aaron Plessinger set to return to action soon, but Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing has pledged support to Ferris for the remainder of the summer.

Let’s make a deal: we won’t bring Ken Roczen’s arm injury again if you do’t, with the exception of a mention in a long-form article that will come should he win the summer’s title. The Team Honda HRC rider has proven time and time again that he can do what he has to on the track and his recent moto wins reaffirm his place as one of the top riders in the sport. As we mentioned above, Roczen and the team missed the mark with a setting in Moto One, went back to his Colorado spec in Moto Two, and fought from eighth place on the opening lap to a commanding race win and second overall on the day.

Crystal awards and fizzy drinks.

See you in Florida…