Summer Break | 250 Class Midseason Review & Notes

INSTAGRAM | @swapmotolive

2019 LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Let’s act like this one weekend break in the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is our summer break? After seven rounds of racing around the country, we have a solid understanding of how the 250 class has shaped up thus far and a good idea of what will happen in the last 10 motos of the summer. Below is a brief synopsis of the top-10 riders in the point standings, plus a few other notable riders. Check back next week for a similar article on the 450 class…

Adam Cianciarulo | 307 points | Laps Led – 70 | Moto Wins – 5 |Average Finish – 2.2

This has been a big summer for Cianciarulo. Many wondered if the outcome in Las Vegas was going to have a negative lasting impact on him, especially since he’s come close to reaching his potential many times only to have it halted in every gut-wrenching way possible, but it’s obvious he’s pushed it out of mind and is instead focused on the task at hand. He’s kept the red plate on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki since Hangtown, won five of the 14 motos contested with dominate performances and bar to bar battles, and has highest average finish of anyone in the class. It’s been all but announced that this is his last year in the class and a full factory ride awaits in 2020 (it’ll be with Monster Energy Kawasaki), so this is his last chance for a 250 title.

With all that said, the season hasn’t been perfect. Multiple off-track excursions (he picked the outside gate in Moto One at Fox Raceway just to cut over to the firm dirt that was outside the markers, a move that people applauded Chad Reed for at Ironman last summer/a risky line choice and mistake sent him through the banners in Moto Two at Thunder Valley/ issues on the opening lap in Moto One at RedBud for which he was docked two spots) have caused some controversy, he’s missed the mark with his settings a time or two, and been out-right beaten by Dylan Ferrandis in recent motos. Cianciarulo cannot allow any of those things to distract him in the final five rounds, because there’s little room for error.

Dylan Ferrandis | 282 Points | Laps Led – 44 | Moto Wins – 4 |Average Finish – 3.1

It has taken a few years, but Dylan Ferrandis is coming into his own. Free of the issues and injuries that slowed his progress in his first two years of American racing, the French rider has become a contender for wins on any given weekend. There’s no denying he has outright speed, because he’s often near the top of the results in qualifying and has posted the fastest lap times in a number of motos (remarkably, his best laps usually come late in the race when the track is chewed up and other riders have tapered off). The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider had a number of top-five finishes to start the season, but his Moto Two win in Florida seemed to be a breakthrough and he’s taken the checkered flag in three of the last four motos. Another thing we’ve noticed is his demeanor on and off the track; he’s not afraid to force his way by a rider, he enjoys his success and doesn’t dwell on lackluster results.

Ferrandis recently stated that his 250 SX title was somewhat of a distraction at the start of the season, but a mechanical issue at Hangtown and mediocre starts sure didn’t help, and before long he was down a fair amount of points to Cianciarulo-Cooper. Moto wins have helped him make up the difference, but he still has a sizeable margin to close and only a little time to do so. Keep an eye on the relationship between he and Cianciarulo; although there has not been a real fight between the two, it’s quite clear they view the other as their biggest competition and neither wants to back down.

Justin Cooper | 281 Points | Laps Led – 66 | Moto Wins – 3 | Average Finish – 3.3

Justin Cooper’s summer started off incredibly well with Moto One wins at Hangtown, Fox Raceway, and Thunder Valley. In just his second season in the 250 class, Cooper proved himself as one of the fastest riders in the class with the aforementioned wins, solid qualifying times, and consistency through the first six motos. His desire for an overall victory was obvious and he pushed himself to the point of exhaustion in the sweltering heat of Florida in order to accomplish it, something that was well worth the effort. Consistency is one of Cooper’s strengths, he’s placed in the top-five 11 times in 14 motos and is yet to finish outside the top-10, and that’s an unheard-of accomplishment for a sophomore racer. Maybe it’s his Long Island attitude, but Cooper doesn’t seem to care what people think of him and lets the results do the talking.

With that said, Cooper does get caught up in issues on track and has let things around him impact the performance. It could be argued the incident with Cianciarulo at Thunder Valley led to his crash a few moments later and he was way out of sorts at High Point, evident in 6-9 moto scores. He hasn’t won since that weekend in Pennsylvania (his Florida overall was with 2-2 results) and has slid to third in points, so he’ll need to win a few races to keep his chance at the championship afloat.

Colt Nichols | 204 Points | Laps Led – 4 | Average Finish – 6.7

Nichols has opened a lot of eyes in 2019. His Supercross success was impressive and he’s backed it up with good finishes through the first part of the National series. Outdoors hasn’t always been Nichols’ strength, so laps led and eleven top-10s through fourteen motos indicates that he’s on the verge of reaching the next level of moto wins and podium overalls. If that happens this year is still uncertain, especially considering those around him, but this is a building year by all standards. Nichols is back with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha in 2020.

RJ Hampshire | 200 Points | Laps Led – 3 | Average Finish 8.4

RJ Hampshire has faced more than a few setbacks this summer. A second-place finish in Moto One at Fox Raceway proved that Hampshire has the speed to be at the front of the field, but a mechanical issue forced him to DNF Moto Two just a few moments later. Hampshire has been openly vocal in his lack of satisfaction with the performance of GEICO Honda’s CRF250R this summer and he’s pushed the development of the red bike; it sounds like the team has figured out a setting with the chassis and engine that suits his needs. It’s widely known that Hampshire is going to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in 2020, but the fact that he’s still pushing and helping a team that he’ll soon depart from is admirable.

Bike issues aside, Hampshire has the pure speed to be in the mix for podium finishes and even moto wins. He was caught up in an opening-lap crash in Moto Two in Florida, remounted in last place, and fought back to sixth place. His ride in Moto One at RedBud might be more impressive, though, because he started the race in a good spot, plotted his way around the track and passed other riders, and finished in second place.

Hunter Lawrence | 193 Points | Laps Led – 13 | Moto Wins – 1 | Average Finish – 9.2

Expectations were very high for Hunter Lawrence this summer. An import from the MXGP scene and known as one of the best 250 riders in the world, he sat out Supercross with injuries and put his full focus on the outdoor season. The first three motos were not great due to first-race jitters and a mechanical DNF, but he bounced back and battled Adam Cianciarulo for the top spot in Moto Two at Fox Raceway. Early race issues aside, Lawrence has leveled out in recent weeks, won Moto One at High Point, and has finished in the top-10 in ten of the fourteen motos. Similar to Hampshire, he’s working with GEICO Honda to get the bike to his liking.

By far the biggest issue Lawrence faces is the way tracks in America shape up compared to the MXGP series. Lines, like he would have used in Europe, don’t develop here and the one-day format doesn’t help, so he’s learning a lot as he goes. Another thing to keep in mind is his decision to stay in Southern California for most of the summer, so things like East Coast humidity and three-hour time changes in travel take some getting used to. Write 2019 off as a learning year for Lawrence; 2020 will be a better indicator of what he is capable of.

Michael Mosiman | 173 Points | Average Finish 7.0 (Missed Two Motos at Southwick)

Mosiman has stepped up in 2019. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was a bit wild in 2018 and had a knack for crashing. He seems to have shaken that this year through a more controlled riding style, better physical fitness, and all-around confidence. Things started to go well for Mosiman late in Supercross and he carried that into the summer, when his first career overall podium happened at Thunder Valley. When everyone else seemed zapped after Moto One in Florida, Mosiman looked like he could have kept riding if not for the checkered flag. Unfortunately, his momentum was halted by a practice crash after that and he sat out Southwick due to lingering issues, which cost him a lot of points. The only rider in the top-10 to have not led a single lap yet this year, he could change that in the latter part of the season and it wouldn’t be a surprise. This is a contract year for Mosiman, yet all signs point to him staying on a factory Husqvarna for 2020; he works well with the team and has set up camp with Aldon Baker in Florida.

Chase Sexton | 167 Points | Average Finish 8.4 (Missed Three Motos So Far) | Laps Led – 8 | Moto Wins – 1

What started off so well is now on hold. Sexton came into the year with a surprise Supercross title to his credit and the ability to run the pace of the leaders. All of the problems that Hampshire and Lawrence have with the GEICO Honda bike didn’t apply to Sexton, and he was the top qualifier at High Point. Sexton’s biggest accomplishment this summer is also his downfall, as he won Moto One in the Florida heat but was too exhausted to line up for Moto Two. He raced Moto One at Southwick and finished in 13th place, but pulled out for Moto Two. With ongoing health issues caused by that day in Florida, Sexton and the team have decided to park the bike until he is back to full strength. He might be back at Washougal.

Alex Martin | 165 Points | Average Finish – 9.7 | Laps Led – 4

This summer hasn’t gone the way many expected for Alex Martin. Hangtown was a rocky start to the season with 23-2 scores, but he’s leveled out since and has scored points in every moto since. Unfortunately, an average finish of 9.7 isn’t the same as the 4.7 he had at this time in 2018, when he was in contention for a title. A number of things have played a role in the results, with the RM-Z250’s engine and chassis settings being one of the bigger factors, but development between Martin and the team might have solved that. Martin’s recent ride at RedBud might be an indication of what’s to come from the class veteran, as he ran second-place in Moto one until a blown engine then backed it up with a third place in Moto Two. 2019 is year one of a two-year agreement with JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing.

Shane McElrath | 129 Points | Average Finish – 10.3 | Laps Led – 2

Shane McElrath will write off the 2019 season. He’s worked to overcome a lack of comfort and confidence in the KTM 250 SX-F all season and missed races with injuries, all of which has kept him from going for either championship. Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM made massive staffing changes to get the bike to their rider’s standards and it’s helped, but McElrath’s health issues have been his own burden to deal with. He’s shown flashes of old Shane a few times, so there’s no doubt the speed is still there, and he’s scored points in every moto he’s lined up for. Being ranked 10^th overall in the championship during a “bad year” is not a disaster and McElrath has the potential to be a front-runner when everything is right. That’s why Star Racing has signed him for 2020.

OTHER NOTABLE RIDERS

TY MASTERPOOL

The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider will undoubtedly net rookie of the year honors in the 250 class this summer. A late addition, the Texas teenager has scored points in every moto (that is a very big deal, I cannot overstate that enough) and put in a stellar fourth-place showing in Moto One at RedBud. This could be the start of something good.

BRANDON HARTRANFT

Mechanical woes set him back early in the year, but Hartranft and the CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha team have sorted it out for a string of consistent motos recently. Hartranft didn’t have “the coming out of amateur hype” that so many riders ofter receive, but he’s better off for it and his determination is obvious. He will push all the way to the checkered flag as long as the wheels are on the bike.

JORDAN BAILEY

When everything is going right, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider can make things interesting. But it’s been few and far between this year, due in part to repeat electrical failures on the FC 250. It’s nothing Bailey and his wrench Jed Rodriguez are doing wrong; every other KTM-Husky mechanic seems baffled by the issue. It has to be tough on a rider’s confidence to wonder if the bike can go a full moto without bogging down.

MARTIN DAVALOS

By all accounts, this is a farewell tour. Pointed out of 250 SX and at the end of his deal with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, the South American had plans to race through the summer and earn the attention of a 450 team. But the nerve damage in his neck from the 2018 Arlington Supercross crash is again wreaking havoc on his body and he’s parked the bike until he can get a handle on the issue.

THOMAS COVINGTON

Like Lawrence, there was a lot of outdoor hype around the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider. Supercross did not go well, as it’s a tough transition to make and he had some big practice crashes, but a serious bout with Epstein Barr as zapped Covington of his energy levels. Getting through a moto is next to impossible and he’s been benched by the team until it’s out of his system.