2019 Unadilla Motocross | Kickstart

It’s impressive to chart Colt Nichols’ improvement in 2019. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider started the year off well with a win at Anaheim One and a long stint in the top spot of the 250 West Coast championship and has continued with top-five finishes through the summer in the Nationals, which has him currently ranked fourth overall in the series standings. With this, Nichols is widely expected to be a front-runner of both series in 2020. “This year we were a title contender in Supercross, won a race. I really wanted to do the same outdoors, be a title contender and win a race. I haven’t quite won the race yet, still two more opportunities to do that, so that’s the idea,” he told us after the race. “We’re building and learning. I went 5-6 today and I’m pissed, but two years ago I didn’t even have a single-digit finish so we’re definitely making progress and doing things right. But just like anything, you want to speed up the process. But it takes time and we’ll get there.”

Teammates helping teammates. When Carson Mumford was without his normal neck brace during Friday’s press session, Chase Sexton let him use a spare one that he kept onboard the GEICO Honda rig.

Team Honda HRC in 2021. One of the biggest talking points in the pit area is Chase Sexton’s practically promised spot on the factory CRF450R in 2021 and how it’s impacting other riders in search of a contract for future seasons. Right now it sounds like Honda will bring Justin Brayton over to their rig from SmarTop/MotoConcepts/Bullfrog Spas/Honda for the 2019 Supercross season, then get a different rider for the 2019 Nationals. It’s pretty apparent that Sexton and Ken Roczen are close friends, because they spent most of Friday’s press session near one another with practice starts, laps on the track, and then post-ride notes.

After years in the amateur ranks, Carson Mumford made his pro debut at Unadilla. The race was what one would expect of the 17-year-old, as he was eleventh fastest in the timed qualifying sessions then experienced his share of battles during the motos for 16-20 finishes and a twentieth-place overall rank. By all measures, that’s a stellar number for a rider that had didn’t know that he would line up until just a few days before the weekend and had just one thirty-minute practice moto under his belt. Sounds like Mumford will finish the summer with the squad in the 250 class, but not make his full-time debut until Hangtown 2020.

Eagle-eyed followers of our Instagram accounts (@swapmotolive) noticed that Ken Roczen wasn’t wearing the high-end V3 at Unadilla, but was instead in the mid-level V2. Why the change? “Personal preference” is what the official word is and really, there’s not much more to it. Both helmets are built with the Fluid Inside technology for rotational forces, but shell construction is different.

We linked up with Jo Shimoda on Friday afternoon and he was gracious enough to run our GoPro Hero 7 on top his helmet for the press session. Why haven’t you seen the footage? Well, Shimoda warned us that he looks down quite a bit when he rides and advised us to tilt the camera angle back, advice we took. Turns out the angle we thought was enough wasn’t and the clips show little further than ten-feet ahead of the front wheel. In fact, you can perfectly read the front number plate at certain times. So yeah, we scrapped the clips. But just know this: Shimoda’s riding style practically made the HyperSmooth feature of the camera unnecessary.

With the weekend being Unadilla’s fiftieth anniversary, the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team decided that a tribute look was in order. White front plastics, a new number font, and a simple old-school graphic complete with Suzuki’s iconic logos.

Instead of the usual bright yellow wheels, JGRMX went for the 70s look with silver hoops…

And hub stickers with the company’s circle logo, which Roger De Coster ran on his jerseys during his run to world champions in the 1970s. Props to the team for changing things up from time to time.

We especially like the big Suzuki S that Fredrik Noren had on his black and white jersey. For real, JGRMX touched on every detail and made sure their riders were in gear colors that would have been standard in the Trans-AMA days. No neon allowed.

It’s worth noting Mumford, Shimoda, Lawrence, and Swoll were aboard the same 250cc bikes they raced at Loretta’s and not the race bikes run by their experienced teammates. Why’s that? The teams felt that the young riders already had enough to learn during their first pro race and that sticking them on a very different motorcycle could only cause more confusion, so it was best to keep them on something they already knew. The biggest differences were in the suspension components and the engine packages.

Another engine spec was tested by GEICO Honda at Unadilla. The team is working towards a more well-rounded powerplant and put in a considerable amount of testing time with their riders in the break between Washougal and Unadilla. Sounds like they’re focusing in on key areas of performance and should have things sorted out for the continued offseason development with their riders for Supercross.

Swag sag. When getting the suspension settled on your bike, it’s necessary to have all the necessary riding gear on so that the bike is under a normal weighted load. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to put the helmet on, as Colt Nichols demonstrated Saturday morning…

We decided on Saturday morning to come up with the Justin Bogle Rookie Style Award, which would go to the first-day pro that demonstrated swag akin to when Bogle went pro at Unadilla in 2011. This year’s talent pool was very deep, but in the end, Jo Shimoda’s riding style and feet everywhere but straight on the pegs habit earned him the nod.

The Friday before Washougal we were told that Cameron McAdoo was considered a sure thing at Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM in 2020. The Friday before Unadilla, we learned that he had instead inked a contract with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki in the days leading up the tenth round of the summer series. This came as a bit of a surprise to all involved and confirms the PC roster will be Forkner/Marchbanks/Smith/McAdoo.

During the opening laps of 250 Moto One Jacob Hayes rode by us off the track with an expression on his face that made it very apparent that he was in agony. The CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha rider caught his knee on the tricky track and did some sort of damage to the joint, but the team wasn’t sure how extensive it was on Saturday afternoon and were hopefully it wouldn’t be a season-ending injury or worse. Here’s hoping all turns out okay for Hayes, because he has a confirmed ride with Yamaha support in the Australian Supercross series that starts shortly after the Pro Motocross championship concludes and solid results down under could help him in negotiations with teams in the US for 2020.

It’s still a father-son thing. Kyle Cunningham and his dad, Curtis, are going the privateer route again this summer and it’s always good to see the duo on the track. It’s worth pointing out how solid of a program Cunningham has put together for this summer with HRT, Merge Racing, Freedom Motorsports, and a few dozen other backers. Cunningham was the top privateer at Unadilla, as 11-12 scores put him 12th overall.

It’s time to bring back this part of the Unadilla track. The hillside was basically the opposite of Screw U, as riders went uphill then made a u-turn and dropped back down. It’s become a spectator area now with some RV parking on the top, but we didn’t see the area get packed with fans like one might expect. Maybe for the 51st anniversary…

Ouch. Just, ouch.

Look, you just can’t call things Screw U in this day and age on television. We get it. But best believe we’re gonna call it Screw U every chance we get. During Saturday’s action we posted up by the drop and watched guys launch their way down the hill, whip the 180-turn, and hold the throttle wide open to get back out. If you go to Nationals, be sure to work your way around the track and watch from different areas. That’s what makes the outdoors so unique compared to the assigned seating of Supercross.

We got some more info on Joey Savatgy’s 2020 situation. With the Honda deal now seemingly off the table, all signs point to JGRMX. But there’s a catch there, too: JGRMX only has one more year left in their current contract with Suzuki. Although they are almost certain to re-up with the OEM, the team doesn’t want to sign multi-year deals with riders until the OEM contract is done. So that means Savatgy would likely be getting a one-year deal from JGRMX for now. Stay tuned…

Lock it down. How many tries does it take you to set the holeshot device on your bike? Odds are the suspension is nowhere near as stiff as it is on pro bikes, but it’s a challenge nonetheless.

Blast off.

Did you catch our post-race chat with Adam Cianciarulo? The last week was big for the 92, as his new deal with Monster Energy Kawasaki for 2020 and beyond was announced and his place in the top spot of the championship continued. Is AC able to enjoy what is for sure his last chance at a 250 title? “It’s one of those things. In my life in general, in the last couple of years me growing as a person outside of the sport, I do my best to not look too much at the past or the future. Coming into the sport, I was touted as the next guy and everyone talked about how good I was going to be, so you’re always thinking about the future and the past. With the injuries and stuff, I’ve hit a lot of valleys. I don’t want to live the ups and downs, so I try to focus on the present,” he shared. “No matter how it turns out, when all is said and done, I’ll be able to live with it because I’ll do everything I can.”

There’s no avoiding the rocks in the roost at Unadilla. The size of the stones range from small pea-sized pellets to a few boulders that resembled baseballs, and they all hurt like hell when you get hit. We got pelted twice on Saturday, once in the face near the mechanic’s area and later in the leg before Screw U. Props to everyone that voluntarily took 30-minutes plus two laps of abuse from a 450’s rear tire.

We noticed that Jason Anderson opted for roll-offs instead of laminated tear-offs at Unadilla, which was sort of strange considering the lack of mud and rain. Is this a way to get more clear vision than what would come from a 21-stack of tearoffs or is El Hombre not trying to litter with the pieces of clear plastic?

Random sights around ‘Dilla.

Saturday’s big news was the announcement of Team USA’s riders for the 2019 Motocross of Nations, which will have Jason Anderson in the MXGP class, Justin Cooper in the MX2 class, and Zach Osborne in the Open Class. The team has extensive plans to prepare for the challenges that will come at Assen and will spend nearly a month riding at bottomless sand tracks that are everywhere in The Netherlands. Hit the homepage and search for our podcast with MA officials Mike Pelletier and Tim McAdams and Team USA coordinator Christina Denney that discusses the riders picked and the infrastructure that will go into this year’s run at the Chamberlain Trophy.

Another 250 start, another Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha YZ250F at the head of the field.

We like some of the grandstands that Unadilla added to key areas of the track, because it showed how much people wanted to watch the action. That said, the VIP area by the Skyshot was sort of a letdown for photographers because of the massive white tent and bleachers that filled the background and made it somewhat tricky to shoot. Would have been cool if in full 1969 style if EZ-Ups were banned and track markers were just hay bales and long strings of flag banners. One can dream…

So that Cameron McAdoo to Pro Circuit deal had an impact on another rider in the pack. Brandon Hartranft was expected to land the last spot on the green team, but with McAdoo getting the contract, Hartranft quickly swooped up the open place at Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM. So with this, the lineup looks like it will be Hartranft, Drake, Moreau, and Brown.

Dylan Ferrandis that his chance to snatch away a title is running out, but the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider isn’t going to ease up until the last checkered flag. His 2-1 scores to Cianciarulo’s 1-2 at Unadilla didn’t close the points gap any, but it kept it from getting any bigger and that is an accomplishment in itself. It’s been great to watch Ferrandis and Cianciarulo, two completely different riders with their own styles and setup, work their way around a track while putting in nearly identical lap times. Don’t expect the two to get aggressive with each other either, because after the race both explained to us how much they respect the hard work and skill of their new rival. As for Ferrandis, he is going to relax in the offseason with a vacation to the tropics and will race at the Paris Supercross, but he will not line up at the Motocross of Nations or other offseason events.

With a weekend off in the Canadian Motocross championship, Marshall Weltin made the trip to Unadilla and raced in the 250 class, as 19-15 scores put him 19th overall. It had been some time since Weltin had raced the US MX series, as he spent the last few years in Europe in the MX2 class of the MXGP circuit and then in Canada with the support of the SKY Racing Team. Weltin plans to run the final round of the Canadian Series this coming weekend at Walton and will return to the US for the Ironman finale.

Red boots and red gloves. Jalek Swoll had the details covered in his pro debut. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has gone through a lot in 2019, from a hip injury at the Arizona round of the Supercross Futures and then a groin injury at Loretta’s, but nothing was going to stop him from racing Unadilla. Swoll went 22-19 for 23rd overall.

Dean Wilson’s shoulder is still far from full strength and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is doing what he has to in order to finish out the summer. Wilson’s worries are far less serious than years past, thanks to a confirmed factory ride in 2020, and he’ll spend the offseason recovering the injury and getting back up to speed at international Supercross events. The shirtless swagger at the starting line was bold, but really Wilson was waiting for a chest protector from Alpinestars.

3D printed louver extensions, riveted into place. We like to see the small touches that teams and mechanics come up with to accommodate their riders.

Much has been made in recent weeks about Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s continued testing of the 2019 YZ450F, including a test that took place at Washougal after the National. While walking behind the starting line on Saturday, we noticed a steering stabilizer setup had been added to Justin Barcia’s bike, which included a cutout on the crossbar pad and a bracket that went between the headtube of the frame and the top clamps. Barcia has praised former pro turned test rider Travis Preston for his input on the blue bike and he looked much more comfortable on the track at Unadilla. How much of this will carry over to the new 2020 Yamaha YZ450F that the team will go to work on at the end of the season?

For comparison, here’s a look at Aaron Plessinger’s YZ450F. Don’t think you could mount the forks any flusher in the triple clamps than that...

As for Plessinger’s results at Unadilla, a bike issue forced the first-year 450 racer to DNF in Moto One and he carded an 18th place result in Moto Two. This is far from the results that Plessinger had in 2018, when he won the 250 MX title, but lingering issues from the broken heel he suffered earlier in the year and issues with bike setup have been partially to blame. Plessinger’s offseason will be focused on getting back to full health, so 2020 could be much better.

Justin Bogle was in the mix early in 450 Moto One, thanks to a solid start and laps led, then went back to 10-9 scores for ninth overall. As we’ve said time and time again, the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider is in need of a contract for 2020 and the talk around the team is that the last spot is between Benny Bloss and Bogle. Right now Bogle is basically confirmed a top-10 rank in the final championship standings and the next track on the schedule is one that he’s claimed an overall win at. Stay tuned…

On Tuesday Red Bull KTM confirmed that Cooper Webb will miss the last two rounds of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship due to the leg injury he suffered in 450 Moto One at Unadilla. Luckily for Webb, the injury is a bone contusion, hematoma, and hyper extension of the left knee and will only require rest to recover, which is much better outcome than Saturday’s initial worry of a torn ACL. Webb is slated to line up at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm on a two-stroke and the Monster Energy Cup in October, and will then buckle down for his 450 SX title defense in 2020.

After Washougal’s dominant as, many expected Eli Tomac to double-down at Unadilla. Well that didn’t exactly happen, and the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider struggled with arm pump in 450 Moto One and earned a seventh-place finish, then regrouped to claim third in 450 Moto Two and take fourth overall on the day. This wasn’t the disaster that some might make it out to be, because although Tomac did loose points to Musquin and Roczen in the championship, he’s still 40 points ahead with four motos to go. It’s entirely possible that Tomac could clinch the title this weekend at Budds Creek.

Benny Bloss is one of the few riders that claims Unadilla as his favorite track on the calendar, but it suits the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider. His six-foot plus stature and long legs allowed him to stand up and smash through ruts and his line selection helped him overcome so-so starts for 9-7 scores and eighth overall. We really need to see footage of this collision and crash that Bloss and Savatgy had after the checkered flag.

Zach Osborne’s progress in 2019 has been interrupted by small injuries, but as the season winds down and the MXON approaches, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is getting back up to full speed and health. Consistency was key for Osborne at Unadilla, as 4-4 scores put him third overall on the day. Budds Creek is next on the list and this a track that Osborne has a lot of history at. Think back to his rookie year fade on a KTM 250 SX-F, then his breakout win in 2016 that led to his dominant run of titles in 2017. What’ll happen with Osborne this weekend? We can’t wait to see.

This shot encapsulates Ken Roczen’s day (almost three-seconds faster than anyone in qualifying, two dominant motos wins, his first clean sweep since 2016). The Team Honda HRC rider told us that he had thought about putting in a perfect weekend in the days ahead of the event, and that came to be in the near-perfect weather on Saturday. Will warmer temperatures at Budds Creek have a negative impact on Roczen this weekend?

This rutted, banked turn might be one of our favorite places to watch at Unadilla. Riders had their own ideas on what was necessary to get through fast curve and there were no two lines or techniques that looked identical.

Martin Davalos isn’t ending this year without a fight. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider spent a good chunk of the summer on the sidelines with lingering issues from his 2018 Arlington Supercross crash and recently underwent surgery to address arm pump. It seemed to help the veteran racer and his best result was a 12th in 250 Moto Two. Still doesn’t sound like there’s a 450 ride in the works for Davalos in 2020, but with recent moves in the paddock, something could come together at a moment’s notice.

This last run of races has to be strange for Shane McElrath, as he’s set to depart from Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM after Ironman for a new ride at Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha. The change in bikes won’t be the only new thing for McElrath, because he’ll soon setup a full-time residence in California (a term of the Star Racing contract) and will work alongside trainer Gareth Swanepoel.

Now that he has clearance to compete from WADA, Cade Clason made his return to US racing at Unadilla. Clason has stayed busy since his positive test for a prohibited substance in 2017 (Adderall was found in his sample, and although he filed a TUE for the medicine, the paperwork was not correctly filed and he was credited with an infraction) by racing in the Canadian series. “I haven’t had to try that hard in qualifying or go that fast as soon as the gate dropped in a moto in a long time,” Clason told us on the line of 450 Moto Two; he went 22-24 for 25th overall. Clason will wrap up his summer in Canada with the final round at Walton, but is unsure if he will come back for Ironman.

The battle between Justin Barcia and Dean Wilson in 450 Moto Two was all-time. The two riders don’t have the greatest history together, but somehow always seem to find each other on the track, much like they did on Saturday. They posted their best lap times during the final stages of 450 Moto Two, when both had a shot at a 10th place finish. We caught them chirping at each other after the race was over and really, really wish we could have heard some of that exchange.

Wide open through footpeg deep ruts. Respect.