2019 Monster Energy Cup | THOR MX Kickstart

What’d you think of the Monster Energy Kawasaki bikes? Since the event and the team share a title sponsor, Kawasaki always makes sure their setup is a little different than the norm. There were still some small details for sponsors that had to be sorted out before D’COR Visuals sent the files to printer, but it was cool to see every company signed off to use of an all-black version of their logos. The gold flake was a part of the material, which looked great in daytime and under the stadium lights.

On Friday afternoon we were ushered into a small meeting room at the stadium and told of Feld’s newest advertising partner: cbdMD. Considering the massive amount of money that’s coming from a new industry (early figures put the CBD market at 20 billion, yes with a B, by 2024) and early interest from a handful of companies, it was inevitable that a deal like this would come together, but we had no idea it’d be so soon. There are still some gray areas that Feld and cbdMD have to work through, particularly in states that have not legalized CBD and that all CBD companies interested in supporting motocross must produce products that are derived from hemp, not marijuana, but all of that will be sorted out soon enough.

Jeremy Martin had two CRF450R bikes at the track during Friday’s press session. We initially assumed that there were different parts from one bike to the next, particularly suspension, but soon we realized both were outfitted with KYB goods. So, what was the difference? One bike had roughly ten hours on it and one was brand new. JMart prefers the feel of the broken-in frame, so that was his ride of choice on Saturday night.

The weekend served as a first look for people in their new jobs, like Oscar Wirdeman. After a few years as Ken Roczen’s mechanic at Team Honda HRC, the Swede has moved over to Monster Energy Kawasaki and now serves as Crew Chief over Adam Cianciarulo’s part of the program. With this move, Jordan Troxell has taken over the wrenching duties for Ken Roczen.

Big block.

Bummer for Jordi Tixier. The French rider was the “other” Euro on the entry list for the Cup Class and he had spent a good amount of time on Supercross tracks in France and Southern California to get ready for the race. Aboard a KTM 450 SX-F built with parts from all of his regular sponsors, Tixier’s pit area was an EZ-Up behind the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rig. A hard mistake at the end of the long rhythm lane threw Tixier off the bike and he hit the back of his head against the berm, which knocked him unconscious for a few moments. He’ll have to take some time off to recover but still has the Paris Supercross on his schedule in early November.

There were a slew of new parts we noticed on the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcept/Honda bikes. The most obvious was a switch to Akrapovic, something we pointed out back at the Montreal Supercross, because the riders like the low-end pull offered by the European exhausts when paired to the XPR Engine package.

Vince Friese’s CRF450R was outfitted with an adjustable link on the rear suspension…

And both bikes featured factory-level suspension direct from Showa, which comes with increased support from the company.

Smokin’. Mike Alessi’s deal for the weekend was put together through the MotoConcepts team and Eddie Sanders Racing, a California tuner known for his bored-out engine kits. Alessi’s YZ was punched up to 325cc and held its own against the 450 four-strokes that filled out the other 21 spots on the starting line, which made him the first two-stroke mounted rider to make the main events at the MEC.

Alessi’s bike was complete with a plated pipe that was badged with an “ESR” logo. Maybe it was our eyes playing tricks on us, but the Sanders expansion chamber looked slightly bigger than your typical YZ250. If you want to add some displacement to your bike, visit eddie-sanders-racing.com

Did you listen to our pre-race chat with Chad Reed? The veteran racer was a late addition to the entry list, something he later explained was due in part to sponsor cbdMD’s new multi-year deal with Feld, and he had only a few hours on the fully built CRF450R before it was taken to the race. With a deal at JGRMX no longer an option (the team looks like it will support just Joey Savatgy in the 450 class and Alex Martin in the 250 class through 2020), it’s an uncertain time for CR22 and his current plans are only through the offseason events he signed on for months ago (Paris, Australia, and New Zealand in November).

Reed’s ride for the weekend was put together with parts and services from his close friends. Mountain Motorsports, a dealer group in the South owned by the guy that Reed is teammates with in car racing, supplied the CRF450R. Bundy Built Motorsports and DASA worked together to craft the engine package while Art Of War, the new tuning shop started by former JGRMX tech Johnny Oler, handled the setup of the suspension.

Flying in formation. All three of the HEP Motorsports Suzuki riders were in the mix for respectable finishes in the Cup Class and finished in order (Kyle Chisholm in 12th, Alex Ray in 13th, and Adam Enticknap in 14th), a big feat for a team of fan favorites. Like JGRMX, there’s a sense of uncertainty at HEP due to Suzuki’s recent change in plans for funding motocross and there’s no confirmation who will have a spot under the tent in 2020.

Good news for Martin Castelo: he’s locked in at JMC Motorsports for the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series and will race the 250 West Coast region. We’ve gotten to know the Ecuadorian racer over the last few years and like many, are impressed by the progress he’s made from his rookie season to now. With a full offseason to prepare, next year should be his best yet. Being aboard the Husqvarna FC 250 against a field of 450 bikes put Castelo at a disadvantage and he missed the cut from the LCQ by four spots.

If the post-race press conference is any indication, riders were not fans of this year’s Joker Lane. Intended to drastically slow a rider down on one lap, they did just that with three big walls and deep sand pits. Most opted to air out the first two walls and go far out in the soft white sand and then roll the last one into the corner, which made for harsh landings, while others stayed as low as they could over the vertical peaks. There didn’t appear to be an advantage between the two riding styles.

Dean Wilson’s crash was the dark shadow over the entire day. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was a favorite for a podium finish and race win, especially after his pace in the early practice sessions, but a small mistake in the long rhythm lane forced him to eject from the bike and his body came down at one of the worst places possible: on the raised, exposed dirt that was the side of the nearby berm. The early diagnosis is a dislocated hip and we’re waiting for further word from the team about the expected recovery. This is something no one wanted to see, especially after Wilson’s history of injuries and his recent string of success. Get well soon Deano, we know you’ll be at it again soon.

One thing we’ve always noticed about Tim Gajser and his crew is how they have a wide assortment of clothing branded “GT 243.” From shoes to socks to shirts, there’s always something with the letters and numbers in yellow on them.

Mullet Watch

Motocross icon Johnny O’Mara has been hired to help Jett Lawrence as the young Australian learns the ropes of pro racing. A deal that started a few months ago, O’Mara’s role is to help the GEICO Honda rider see lines in track walk, stay in shape off the motorcycle, and deal with the day to day details at the races. O’Show has worked with a slew of riders, including multi-time champions Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Dungey, so this is a very good mentor for Lawrence to learn from.

Did Jett Lawrence become your new favorite rider over the weekend? The GEICO Honda rider made waves over the summer in his first appearance at Loretta’s and his speed in the last three Nations, but his sweep of the Futures class has him on many people’s radar. He’ll now turns his attention toward a possible Supercross debut in the 2020 season, but for sure a spot on the gate at Hangtown.

We’re interested to see how many KTM and Husqvarna racers will opt for the high airflow side panel that the Austrian brands are offering this year. This isn’t a revelation, especially because the factory-backed 250 teams have used parts like this of their own for a while, but it’s been cool to see the OEM make the modification a standard.

Eagle-eyed fans might have noticed the absence of AMSOIL logos on Jett Lawrence and Jeremy Martin’s bikes last weekend. After 20 years together the oil company and team have parted ways which means that Factory Connection, the initial company behind the formation of the team, will have a more prominent look on the amateur race bikes (GEICO remains the title sponsor of the pro team).

There's something about a fresh tire that always catches our attention.

It’s always interesting to see what happens with a mechanic when their rider parts ways with a team. Justin Shantie stayed in his spot at Monster Energy Kawasaki and took over the duties for new addition Adam Cianciarulo. Big win on the first day together? What a way to start.

Fresh aluminum frame, scuff-free carbon fiber, and a titanium exhaust with a uniquely placed resonance chamber. We love factory bikes.

Looks like Adam Cianciarulo is going to continue Monster Energy Kawasaki’s testing of the Showa BFRC factory shock. Do we need to get into this again? The internals of the shock are different, as all of the valving is behind the adjuster. The intent of the design is to keep the rear-end in contact as much as possible, which has been met with mixed results in Supercross applications due to a “dead” feeling.

Benny Bloss made his last appearance with confirmed support from the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM team and raced to seventh place overall with 9-7-7 scores. We spent an extended amount of time with Bloss and discussed the situation, including what options he has on the table, what he has planned, and elements of his career. Check back for the full interview later this week.

“Name two riders tougher to pass.” We posed this question on our Instagram and apparently the sense of the comment went way over the audience’s head, because they instantly jumped into naming riding like Eli Tomac. Bruh, we know a fast guy is hard to pass. Think about how much these two dudes will fight you for every spot on the track.

Personally, this was cool to see. Rich Taylor and his son, Richard, have been close friends of the SML crew for years and have given important feedback in many tests. The EKS Brand empire lined up for the Futures class, where Richard scored ninth in Moto One but 17th in Moto Two for 12th overall.

Personalized message board? Yeah, Evan Ferry is “that” level of factory rider.

Tim Gajser’s inclusion on the entry list is what Feld has always wanted. The original intent behind the Monster Energy Cup’s hybrid track was to attract talent from the MXGP scene and they got exactly that when the newly crowned world champion was on the line. We watched the Slovenian throughout the weekend, from his early laps during Friday’s press session to the passionate fans that followed him from Europe to Saturday night’s consistent 7-4-4 scores for fifth overall, and it was impressive to see how quickly he adapted to the situation. This was much better than his infamous attempt in 2017, when too soft of suspension caused a huge crash, and that’s largely thanks to pre-event testing with Team Honda HRC in Southern California. With guidance from the American team, he stiffened up the Showa suspension to SX-spec and figured out the timing of the long rhythm lanes. A few years back Gajser expressed an interest at moving to the US full-time, but it no longer sounds like that’s a part of his long-term plans.

Alpinestars pushed out their latest limited-edition collaboration gear, a complete set with motorcycle slash surf culture brand Deus Ex Machina, just ahead of the weekend’s race. We’d heard about this stuff a little while ago and that the original plan was for Jason Anderson to be the debut model, ala his creative set at Fox Raceway with Midnight Studios, but that was scrapped when he pulled out to rest in the offseason.

– It was impossible to miss Justin Barcia on the track. Outfitted in gear with every neon color imaginable, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider raced to 5-8-6 finishes for sixth overall. Always one to rock a custom painted helmet, BamBam’s Arai featured clean lines and a cartoon frog (his family nickname) done by the crew at Troy Lee Designs. This as one of Barcia’s best looks yet.

Do you like the look and big lens of the SCOTT Prospect goggle, but have issues with the larger frame fitting in your helmet’s eyeport? Then the new Fury might be the thing for you. It makes use of the same lens and a four-snap Lens Lock retention system, but with a strap and frame that’s slightly smaller. Debuted on Saturday, it is available now at your preferred retailer.

How’s it hanging? Long, low, and to the left…

Custom kicks for Jalek Swoll. We remember seeing these from Loretta’s and were bummed when he didn’t get the chance to run them at his Unadilla debut.

This just looks right.

A textured powder coated frame? This is something we might able to get behind…

Rather than put Gajser on one of Team Honda HRC’s bikes that’s unfamiliar to him, the team shipped over a CRF450RW that was built with his normal parts. What’s different about Gajser’s bike? At first glance there’s the Pirelli tires, SuperSprox sprockets, carbon fiber skid plates, and Blackbird graphics…

Both teams utilize Yoshimura exhaust systems, but Gajser’s are complete with an expansion chamber to further fine-tune the power delivery. Inside the engine is a Vertex piston, while the American team uses parts from Wiseco. Though the teams are tight-lipped, we’d have to assume that there are some changes to the chassis, which is allowed under the works bike rule in the MXGP series.

We noticed some lights flashing under the handlebar pad when the bike was running, but when we asked if the part was a light system that helps a rider know when they’re in the optimal rpm range on the gate, the tech withheld the information. The pattern of these holes would lead us to believe that it’s something related to a starting aid.

Jeremy Martin’s bike wasn’t as gnarly as Gajser’s. In fact, with the exception of an exhaust system and clutch, the CRF450R powerplant was stock. Remember when four-stroke bikes came back on the scene in the early 2000s and header pipes practically dragged the ground? It looks like we’re headed that way again.

Props to Justin Starling for his results over the weekend. You can count on the Florida rider for good results, no matter where the race is or what bike he’s on, and that trend continued at the MEC with 14-10-9 for 11th overall. Starling was on a Kawasaki for the weekend, but he’s tied to the ML512 team that’ll race the 250 West Coast region in 2020.

A peek inside the new starting gate system, which is powered by an air compressor and activated by a button. Is this the end of the doghouse?

Although it’s been allowed for a few years at the MEC, riders took advantage of the two-way radios that were offered by Cardo Systems. To be honest, we were surprised to see how well it was received because it’s so uncommon and rarely do riders want more things that could pose as a distraction in a race situation. Will this be the start of something new? We’ll wait and see. In our opinion, a one-way system that allows the officials to talk to riders of incidents on track would be the best way to implement the new technology and then roll it out to teams in time.

Sippin' on some siz-erp, sip, sippin' on some, sip…

Justin Hill’s deal with SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda for 2020 was announced last week, but the number 46 CRF450R sat idle at the MEC. Hill hasn’t put in enough time on a bike following his summer shoulder injury and the team doesn’t want him to peak with his training too early, so the full effort will start in November. Hit the homepage for more with little Hill...

From what we’ve heard, this was likely the last Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium. Set to be shut down once the new Raiders Stadium is finished, it’s been a welcome venue to Supercross over the years and open to any sort of wild idea the track crew had. Since football season will be going on in October, the new spot near the Strip will certainly be occupied or unwilling to give up two weeks of games at their brand-new building. Where will the race happen? Los Angeles sounds likely.

Okay, not trying to cause an issue here, but what was the idea behind gate pick in Cup Class Race One on Saturday night? During opening ceremonies, every rider or mechanic was told to come to the stadium and write their gate pick on a sheet of paper. It was just as confusing as it was time

How long until January? Luckily, we have plans for a few offseason Supercross events on our schedule, so we’ll get our racing fix in November and December.

This, unfortunately, was the highlight to Aaron Plessinger’s night. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider has had a tough year with injuries and a hard slam in Race One only added to his list of issues. Plessinger got married just a week prior, so we can’t imagine a ton of prep was done ahead of the standalone race.

Have you subscribed to Alex Ray’s YouTube channel? ARay’s vlogs are a perfect look at what his everyday life is like, from walks with JBone to bike rides with swap. Filmed on his GoPro, the video from press day is a good mix of laughs from pre-ride jokes and ontrack action.

To win your debut ride with a factory 450, against one of the best riders in the sport that happens to be your teammate, is another fitting storyline to the Adam Cianciarulo career. Fast from the moment his front tire touched the track, the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider let it be known that his intentions were to win. A holeshot in Moto One to a crash moments later, steady second place finishes in the Moto One and Two, and a big victory when it counted in Moto Three gave him the 100,000-dollar payday over Eli Tomac.

Vince Friese was on the verge of a breakthrough in 2019 until a torn ACL put him on the sidelines at Dallas. The delay only made the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda racer’s ride and result in Moto One that much better, as he slipped into the lead when Cianciarulo went down and held off eventual winner Tomac for a number of laps before going back to fourth place. Keep an eye on Friese in the next few months, because there’s a very good chance 2020 will be his best year yet.

We figured it’d be this group in some order on the podium, with Dean Wilson as another variable. Much has been made about the short list of competition at this year’s race, that there weren’t enough factory riders to make it an accurate gauge, but we’ll say this: Tomac was there and he’s considered a race winner on every given night of the 17 rounds, so what does that say about Cianciarulo and Stewart?

You know how there are guys that can show up out of nowhere at a race, use their skill to get into the Main Event, and then leave with a good result? Austin Politelli is one of those. The California racer stays to himself most of the time, but when the gate drops, he can get in the mix and make things interesting. 20-13-16 scores put Polietlli 16th overall on the night.

This kid probably doesn’t have a full fleet of practice bikes at his disposal, but he made the night show for the SuperMini class. Respect.

Lead the pack after a year on the sidelines. It was incredible to see Jeremy Martin jump out to the early lead in Moto Two of the night and the GEICO Honda rider told us that his return to action almost felt like it was his first race. Martin will be on the East Coast region next year and says that he expects to be in the hunt for a title by the late part of the Spring.

Leaders of the Malcolm Stewart Fan Club.

For the first time in a long time, there was no Honda CRF150R on the entry list for the SuperMini class at the MEC. It was strange not to hear the low thump from the minibike, as it was replaced by the high-pitch hum of mostly KTM and Husqvarna 85s. We wish you could smell this photo…

Evan Ferry was in a class of his own on Saturday night. The newest addition to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider went 1-1 for the SuperMini overall and is now one of the top prospects of the amateur ranks. Just 15 years old, it’ll be interesting when and where his pro debut will occur.

The storylines between these two are pretty incredible. One is a kid from Florida that came into his own with the help of the Stewart family and Husqvarna, while the other is a kid from Australia that has moved all around the world to chase his family dream of being a top pro. Both had their own special touches to their gear (a smiley face with X eyes on Jett’s throttle thumb, those flame boots for Jalek), worked their way to the top overall results, and have us eager to see how this racing relationship pans out in the next few years.

Did you watch Adam Cianciarulo’s GoPro footage from Moto Three? The video shows just how close the Monster Energy Kawasaki riders were in their fight for the win and how hard both tried to take the top spot from the other. If you need to see their crafty line changes for the first time or the tenth time, click the homepage and scroll down.

Will Kawasaki be okay if they come away from the 2020 season without a SX title? No. The top executives at the company have told them that winning Supercross is a must. Check back for a more detailed explanation and other insight from race team director Bruce Stjernstrom in an upcoming interview.

I tried Jackie, they won’t take it.” “Look, I don’t know what your bank is telling you, this is a real check. I signed it myself!” “It’s written in glitter, man. Can’t you, you know, write me a regular size check?” “Maybe you should try a different bank. A big bank.” “A bigger bank?” “One that has a ‘Big Check Department.’ That’s what I’d do.”

After the race was over, Malcolm Stewart and Adam Cianciarulo shared laughs on the podium and talked about how the two came from the same sandbox practice tracks in Florida. Think back to all of the stories these two have on their own from amateur days to now. 2020 is going to be a big year.

We cannot wait for Anaheim One.