#WHIPITWEDNESDAY

Rider: Eli Tomac
Location: Anaheim Stadium
Bike: 2017 Factory Kawasaki KX450F
Date: January 7th, 2017
Photographer: Daryl Ecklund
Camera: Canon 5D Mark iv
Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8
Focal length: 200mm
Exposure: 1/1000 sec.
F-stop: 4
ISO: 2500

MXA VIDEO: FIRST RIDE 2017 1/2 KTM 450SXF FACTORY EDITION

THEY SAID IT: ARLINGTON SUPERCROSS

Jason Anderson got on the podium for the first time this year in Arlington. 

Jason Anderson– “I qualified well all day. I felt good and it was definitely a step in the right direction. I feel like I need to be on the podium every week. I had a rough few weeks, but I’m 100 percent healthy now with my arm. I just put in some good laps in the main. I had an incident in the heat race when I got hit by another bike and my bike ended up doing a 1080- so I had to take it back to get repaired. I was able to come back and make it in the semi. Then I got a decent start in the main, put my head down and moved forward and got into third. I was all by myself out there, and just rode it home for a podium. I’m really looking for that win- I know I can win. and that’s the goal for next week.”

Noah Mcconahy filled in for Tyler Bowers when he got hurt for the 5150 Energy team.

Noah Mcconahy– “My confidence continues to grow and the whole team has really helped me get comfortable these last two weeks,” mentioned McConahy. “I made it difficult on myself in the Main, hit the deck a few times, was in 20th at one point, but just focused on passing the rider in front of me. I put down some of my fastest times of the night and then did try one last aggressive pass on Chiz to try and get inside the top 10.”

Seely got his best finish of the year in Arlington with a 2nd. 

Cole Seely– “Tonight was really about managing mistakes. I think we were all making small mistakes here and there but by managing them, I mean trying to make less each lap or to have them not affect you so much. The track was really sketchy and incredibly icy during the main so there was carnage everywhere out there. It was basically all about trying to stay calm and collected. Not only did the track break down a lot making it really tough but also lap times were short so in 20 minutes it really felt like we did so many laps. I’m happy with second and definitely don’t take these podiums for granted. So I am going to enjoy it, but really want to work towards that top spot.”

Marvin finally got his first win under his belt in the 450 Supercross class.

Marvin Musquin– “I was super calm, trying to stay relaxed and not put any pressure on myself. I had a great start and worked on pacing myself and I was just doing my laps out there and it happened. The biggest thing was that I didn’t make any big mistakes and I stayed on my bike. Today I was more relaxed and I’m really happy.”

Wilson is looking comfortable on his new factory Husky. He had, by far his best finish of the year with a 5th. 

Dean Wilson– “The night didn’t start off amazing, but it needed up being really good. It took a little while to get going in the heats and semis, but then in the main I got a decent start and just tried to ride smooth and consistent every lap. I ended up with a fifth, which I’m over the moon about. It’s almost like a win to me just because it’s been a rough couple years-I’m so stoked.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: GAERNE SG10

The Gaerne SG-10’s has dual composite rubber soles, lightweight alloy, replaceable buckle system, exclusive Gaerne “grip guard”, floating “razorback” with a built in ankle alignment system, Supercross shank as well as a heel bumper and memory cell inner foam liner that completes the construction for an unforgettable fit. Go www.gaerneusa.comfor more information.

SUPERCROSS KNOWLEDGE

By Broc Bridges

1. Marvin Musquin became the 61st rider to win a 450 Supercross class race with his victory in Arlington. It was his 27th career start and he now has nine podiums to go along with his victory. He is the third rider to win a 450 Supercross race on a KTM.
2. Marvin Musquin is now the second rider to earn his first win aboard a KTM (Ken Roczen in 2014) and is the first-first time winner since the Anaheim opener of 2016 (Jason Anderson).
3. Musquin is the fourth different winner in the first six races of the season.

Marvin Musquin’s wife congratulates him after his win.

4. For the second time in Supercross history two different riders have won on a KTM in one season (2014 Roczen and Dungey).
5. With Musquin’s victory, he is now the fourth Frenchman to win a 450 Supercross race; Jean-Michel Bayle, Sebastian Tortelli, and David Vuillemin being the others. Vuillemin is the last Frenchman to do it, when he won Indianapolis in 2002. Musquin and Bayle coincidentally both won their first races in Arlington.

David Vuillemin is one of four French riders to ever win a 450 Supercross main event. 

6. European invasion: For the first time in Supercross history only one Japanese bike was in the top five of the main event. In Arlington it was KTM, Honda, Husqvarna, KTM, and Husqvarna.
7. Cole Seely holds up the Japanese brands with a runner-up finish. It was his fifth top five and second podium on the season. Seely now has 12 career podiums and is looking for his first win since round 14 of 2015.
8. Jason Anderson cruised to his 10th career podium and first of the season with his third place in Arlington. He now has 38 starts.

Jason Anderson was all alone is third place. 

9. Dungey finished off the podium for the first time this year, but kept his top five streak alive at 41 with his fourth place finish.
10. Dean Wilson earned his first career top five finish in Arlington. His previous best finish was a seventh in Daytona in 2014.
11. The 1977 Pontiac Supercross was won by Bob Hannah on a Yamaha, but if you look down the results you will notice team Husqvarna’s Kent Howerton and Chuck Sun finishing in 5th and 6th. That was as close as Husqvarna would get to placing two riders in the top five over the next 40 years. Fast forward to Arlington in 2017 and Husqvarna finally has pulled it off with Anderson and Wilson (third and fifth).
The 1977 Pontiac Supercross was won by Bob Hannah on a Yamaha.

12. Broc Tickle rode to his first top-10 of the season with a sixth. It was his 71st career start.
13. Jake Weimer made his 73rd career start in Arlington and earned his first top-10 of the season with a seventh.

MINI-VIEW: JEREMY MARTIN

Beset by bad luck, Jeremy Martin’s 2017 Supercross campaign has been a series of unfortunate events. At times, the Geico Honda rider has set the fastest qualifying times, only to be derailed by a multitude of events. At Phoenix, Martin would ram into Tyler Bowers bike, and knock himself out of racing with a concussion. Now 9th in points, Martin is still enjoying the racing, and taking it all in stride.

Jeremy has had some bad luck this year thus far. 

By Jim Kimball

Jeremy, so far in 2017 Supercross series you have been the fastest guy on the track, but you sure have had some bad luck.
Obviously the results have not been there. I definitely have qualified well; often I had been the fastest qualifier. So it has never been a thing of speed. It is just when the gate drops, and being in the right position and stuff like that. I have gone down in so many of the rounds so far. As I said, it is not a matter of speed. It is not a matter of do I want to win. I have all the same passion, the same everything for wanting to win is still there as it was in 2014 or 2015, it is just that you got to get through the first turn. But it is Supercross. The track is only so wide and there is only so much time. In outdoors you have time to make up for mistakes. You know you have 30 + 2 and here you have at most 15 laps, so it is a relatively short race, there is only so much you can do.

You raced the Glen Helen USGP on your new Geico Honda 250, but when did you truly feel comfortable on the new bike?
I would say that I definitely felt like I was pretty ready about a week or two before the Supercross season, and I felt like things were clicking pretty good at the time. I was pretty comfortable and for me the biggest thing was that I just wanted to go race. I was planning on doing East and then things kind of changed after we did a team scrimmage. When I raced the Glen Helen GP I was not 100% fit, or was really all that comfortable. But I went out there, and I just wanted to race and ride with some good guys–and that is what I did.

Jeremy is on the sidelines due to a concussion. 

In the past, you might have stayed in Florida. But with you racing the West coast I am assuming that you are in California.
Yes, I was set up to do East coast, so I had a house out there, and I was going to train at The Nest. Things changed when I was told that I was doing West, so I came out here about two weeks before the season, and did some testing with the team. We truly were getting better. Recently I have been staying with my brother in California, out at an apartment near the test track. So I have trained some with the Troy Lee Design boys. A lot of the guys that are on my team are in Florida right now, between R.J. Hampshire, Chase Sexton and Christian Craig, so I am just a one-man show. Jimmy (Decotis) comes to train with Swanny (Gareth Swanepoel) and them, so I just do my own thing. I try to ride with some 450 guys during the week, but with all of this rain that we have been getting here in Southern California, it makes that kind of hard to do some riding.

Has it been difficult or easy to get use to the Honda?

It has gone pretty well. If you take the basic package from Star Yamaha and the basic package from what I have here in Honda, I would tell you night and day that I was hands down more comfortable, and faster on the Honda. I feel better on the Honda. I feel more confident. Unfortunately, with Supercross I have not been able to show it, but it will come. This sport is vicious as far as the fact that you are only as good as your last race; that is unfortunately how the media and everyone see it. At the end of the day, I know what I am capable of, and I do it for myself. I do not care what anyone else says. I am a grinder and I focus on the process of getting better. If you focus on that, the outcome of the results and trying to win, that will all come.

GOT $20,000? YOU CAN BUY A REPLICA JGR RM-Z450

Build a bike that looks just like this. But you’re looking at spending $20,000.

Last week the JGRMX engine and suspension technicians buttoned up the details on a replica JGRMX team bike. The Suzuki RM-Z450 was ordered by Cycra Racing and Xceldyne in a joint project. The photo above is the fruits of everyone’s labor. Almost no stone was left unturned in the build. It has many of the products that the race team relies on. Internally, the engine has a different cam spec, as well as proprietary piston, buckets, springs and retainers, GET system, REM-treated transmission, and a few secrets we can’t divulge. Our suspension department installed a Showa conversion kit, turning the forks into an air/spring combination. The tubes were DLC coated, as was the shock shaft. What’s the total bill? You’re looking in the neighborhood of $20,000. We can make a carbon copy of this bike if interested. Contact our engine department at (704) 274-3431.

TWO-STROKE SPOTLIGHT: CHRIS OVREBO 2000 YAMAHA YZ250

The 2000 Yamaha YZ250 Jeremy McGrath tribute bike. 

I bought a 2000 Yamaha YZ250 off my local Craigslist, blown up for $500 and decided to build the McGrath tribute bike I always wanted when I was in High School, but could never afford. I call it a “tribute” not a replica because its not an exact replica and I use some cheap parts in place of more expensive parts. I tore the bike completely down to every last nut and bolt. I rebuilt the engine, suspension and painted everything myself. Once it was complete I rode (and still ride) the heck out of it.

The before picture of the YZ250 that Chris bought for $500.

The bike has the same Pro Circuit exhaust that I bought it with, I just did the freezer trick to pop all the dents out and then buffed the heck out off it. I shortened the silencer to a shorty. It has Acerbis plastics, Renthal bars and grips, Bridgestone tires, a 1998 airbox, an eBay seat cover and the rest of the bike is just cleaned up OEM. Fusion Graphix out of Washington made all the graphics for the bike.

Nothing like watching Supercross in the living room.

Please keep those submissions coming. If you would like your bike to be featured in the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” please email me at [email protected]. All I ask is that you give a breakdown of your bike and a detailed description of the build. Please also send a few photos of your steed. By submitting your bike for the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” you agree to release all ownership rights to the images and copy to MXA. Please don’t email me spam or try selling me Taylor Swift concert tickets or email me spam. I already celebrate T-Swizzle’s entire collective, and there will be “bad blood” if you send me junk mail. See what I did there? Happy submitting your smoker.

2017 RACE SCHEDULES: BE THERE OR BE SQUARE

California is the richest race state in the union, with seven major events in 2017. Folks in Michigan should rejoice, as Supercross (Detroit), Arenacross (Grand Rapids) and the Lucas Oil Nationals (Red Bud) visit “The Great Lake State.” And those residing in the Pacific Northwest will be happy hosting a bevy of events, from Supercross to the AMA Nationals.

2017 MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS SERIES

January 7…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 14…Petco Park…San Diego, CA (West)
January 21…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 28…University of Phoenix…Glendale, AZ (West)
February 4…Alameda Coliseum…Oakland, CA (West)
February 11…AT&T Stadium…Arlington, TX (West)
February 18…U.S. Bank Stadium…Minneapolis, MN (East)
February 25…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA (East)
March 4…Rogers Centre…Toronto, Canada (East)
March 11…Daytona Speedway…Daytona, FL (East)
March 18…Lucas Oil Stadium…Indianapolis, IN (East)
March 25…Ford Field…Detroit, MI (East)
April 1…America’s Center…St. Louis, MO (East)
April 8…CenturyLink Field…Seattle, WA (West)
April 22…Rice-Eccles Stadium…Salt Lake City, UT (West)
April 29…MetLife Stadium…East Rutherford, NJ (East)
May 6…Sam Boyd Stadium…Las Vegas, NV (East/West)
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SERIES

January 7-8…U.S. Bank Arena…Cincinnati, OH
January 13-15…Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids, MI
January 20-22…Royal Farms Arena…Baltimore, MD
January 28-29…Bridgestone Arena…Nashville, TN
February 4-5…Freedom Hall…Louisville, KY
February 18-19…Sprint Center…Kansas City, MO
February 24-26…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA
March 3-5…Landers Center…Southaven, MS
March 11-12…Smoothie King Center…New Orleans, LA
March 18-19…Moda Center…Portland, OR
March 24-26…Livestock Events Center…Reno, NV
April 1-2…Golden I Center…Sacramento, CA
April 22-23…Denver Coliseum…Denver, CO
May 5-7…Orleans Arena…Las Vegas, NV
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 20…Hangtown…Sacramento, CA
May 27…Glen Helen…San Bernardino, CA
June 3…Thunder Valley…Lakewood, CO
June 17…High Point…Mount Morris, PA
June 24…Muddy Creek…Blountville, TN
July 1…Red Bud…Buchanan, MI
July 8…Southwick…Southwick, MA
July 22…Spring Creek…Millville, MN
July 29…Washougal…Washougal, WA
August 12…Unadilla…New Berlin, NY
August 19…Budds Creek…Mechanicsville, MD
August 26…Ironman…Crawfordsville, IN
* Visit http://www.promotocross.com/mx/tickets to buy tickets

2017 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25…Losail…Qatar
March 5…Pangkal Pinang…Indonesia
March 19…Neuquen…Argentina
April 2…Leon…Mexico
April 16…Trentino…Italy
April 23…Valkenswaard…The Netherlands
May 7…Kegums…Latvia
May 21…Teutschenthal…Germany
May 28…Ernee…France
June 11…Orlyonok…Russia
June 25…Maggiora…Italy
July 2…Agueda…Portugal
July 23…Loket…Czech Republic
August 6…Lommel…Belgium
August 13…Frauenfeld…Switzerland
August 20…Uddevalla…Sweden
September 3…Charlotte…USA
September 10…Assen…The Netherlands
September 17…Villars sous Ecot…France