2023 Unadilla Motocross | Entry List, Injury Report & Race Schedule

2023 UNADILLA MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

After a much-needed break, the Pro Motocross Championship is ready for its ninth round, the 2023 Unadilla Motocross. The New York valley is practically hollowed ground, as the racers of every era have navigated their motorcycles through the footpeg-deep ruts and dodged the rock-filled roost, and this weekend could see the crowning of a new champion.

Both divisions are expected to be near capacity. The published pre-entry lists have 90 riders in the 450 Class and 89 in the 250 Class, but there will be some changes and updates until the morning of the race.

Jett Lawrence’s remarkable run of 16 moto wins, eight overall victories, and a current total of 400 points puts him within reach of the title. The Team Honda HRC rider has a 95-point lead on second-ranked Dylan Ferrandis going into Unadilla; if Lawrence scores at least five more points than Ferrandis and increases the total to 100 or more, he’ll become the fifth person in series’ history to win the premier championship in their rookie season.

Hunter Lawrence and Haiden Deegan will continue to vie for the top spot in the 250 Class through the final three rounds of the series. Team Honda HRC rider Lawrence has a three-point lead on Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider Deegan, but it’s just one of many things to follow in a back-and-forth that’s been riveting since RedBud.

With a live broadcast slot on NBC and the possibility of the championship celebration, MX Sports Pro Racing has adjusted Saturday’s schedule for this round. The race order will have the 450 Class going first, and the “Half Time” break between the first and second motos has been removed.

A few additional things to note going into the weekend…

Daxton Bennick, the Open Pro Sport champion and Horizon Award winner at the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, will finish the summer with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha. However, this won’t be Bennick’s first motos, as he raced three rounds as a Pro-Am and scored 54 points. Star Racing has signed Bennick to a multi-year contract, with support through his first seasons as a professional.

Justin Barcia will be back in action following a complicated recovery from a broken collarbone. Improvement in the SuperMotocross Championship and consideration to race for Team USA at the Motocross of Nations are significant incentives for the next six motos. Barcia is currently tenth in the combined SMX standings and down 72 points to Eli Tomac and 73 to Ken Roczen; he could pass both inactive riders ahead of the looming reset by averaging 13 points each moto/26 total points each weekend.

The press release by Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing that confirmed Barcia’s return also announced the end of Caden Braswell’s time as a fill-in. Braswell’s time as a free agent was fortunately short-lived, and he will finish out 2023 aboard a KX250 alongside Ty Masterpool, Scott Meshey, Hardy Munoz, and Cole Bradford at HBI Racing. A rookie in the 250 Class and last year’s Horizon Award winner at Loretta’s, Braswell is ranked 11th in the outdoor standings and 13th in the SMX championship.

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha will field Jay Wilson in the 450 Class for the remaining outdoor rounds. Wilson, an Australian racing for the Yamaha Factory Innovation Team in Japan, will help the American group sort out the setup of the new YZ450F.

Despite being included on the entry list, the following riders will not race Unadilla due to injuries: Guillem Farres (arm), Jett Reynolds (illness), and Chance Hymas (knee).