MOTOCROSS ACTION MID-WEEK REPORT

#WHIPITWEDNESDAY

Rider: Ryan Dungey

Ryan Dungey was one of the most consistent riders to race professionally. Iin his early years, he found himself on the ground quite a bit due to uncharacteristic mistakes, this shaped him into becoming one of the best racers of all time. He went on to win every major championship in Supercross and motocross racing and  also won the Motocross des Nations three times. Dungey battled some of the  fiercest competitors in all of motocross, including James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Eli Tomac, to name a few. Ryan outworked the competition; he was not a standout in amateur racing, and to some, it may have seemed that his career as a professional would never come to fruition until Roger DeCoster saw something in Ryan. Ryan practically begged the Suzuki team for a chance to prove his worth, and when he finally got the opportunity, Roger watched him ride and felt that his corner speed was unlike anyone else’s. After winning multiple championships in the 250 class, Ryan moved up to 450, class where he won both Supercross and Motocross championships as a rookie,—he was the first to do so. In the years that followed, Ryan won five more championships, respectively. In his final full year of racing, Ryan only won three rounds of the 17-round Supercross series, but was consistent throughout, proving it’s not always the fastest guy on the track who gets the job done, but the one who shows up and stays consistent, not putting any bad results in throughout the year.

KEN ROCZEN MEANS BUSINESS

Ken Roczen celebrating after his Glendale win.

Ken Roczen was able to get the job done last weekend in Glendale and put himself on the top step of the podium once again. Ken has spoken about feeling better than ever this season and if it wasn’t for a crash at Anaheim 1 he potentially could be the current points leader. The Supercross series is long and to start building momentum early is a key to becoming a champion by the final race. Ken has fought back week in and week out and in Glendale he was finally able to get the job done. Ken has never won a 450 Supercross Championship and it seems for most riders who get around to be around 30 years old that the time left to do keeps getting shorter. This is not the mentality of Ken Roczen. He has had the drive and passion to be a Champion. It will be interesting to see how the Glendale win motivates him even more heading into the two-week break and to see if he can carry this momentum through the rest of the season, he should not be counted out of this championship, just yet.

R.J. HAMPSHIRE WINS THE 250 WEST IN GLENDALE

R.J. Hampshire back on top in Glendale. 

R.J. Hampshire has always embraced a win-or-die-trying mentality. With the spotlight primarily on the two leading contenders, Jordon Smith and Levi Kitchen, many anticipated Glendale would sway in their favor. Both riders showcased remarkable speed, with Jordon Smith even seizing the lead before an unfortunate fall. However, R.J. Hampshire’s flawless performance ultimately led him to victory. During a tense moment in timed qualifying, R.J. narrowly escaped disaster after coming up short on the double that spanned the start straight. Despite this close call, he managed to remain error-free throughout the evening’s races. This resilience allowed R.J. to gain crucial points in Glendale. Now, as the racing shifts to the East Coast, R.J. will benefit from a brief hiatus to gear up for the rest of the season, eyeing the championship with renewed determination.

“THIS WEEK IN MXA:” KEN ROCZEN & SUZUKI MAKE A TOUGH TRACK LOOK EASY

MXA MOTO TRIVIA

Who is this rider? Answer at the bottom of the page. 

HEADING BACK EAST

Austin Forkner will be a force to reckon with this season.

The Monster Energy Supercross season is gearing up to return to the East after a brief hiatus, with thenextg event set to take place in Arlington, Texas. Over the next four rounds, the competition will stay in the East before circling back to Seattle for another 250 West round. The Detroit event was a spectacle of action in the 250 East  class, though it hinted that we might not have seen every competitor’s full potential. A significant first turn crash at the start of the 250 main event saw several riders miraculously evade the chaos. Among them was Austin Forkner, a seasoned victor who has faced challenges in the recent seasons. Unfortunately, riders like Haiden Deegan, Cameron McAdoo and Seth Hammaker were not as lucky, finding themselves entangled in the start of the 250 main. The aftermath of the crash left them struggling to continue, with Deegan battling against a set of bent handlebars—a nightmare for any rider—and Hammaker being forced out of the race altogether due to bike damage. McAdoo encountered a wardrobe malfunction, an issue undoubtedly no competitor wishes to face. Despite these setbacks, both Deegan and McAdoo displayed remarkable determination by choosing to press on and salvage any points they could. This resilience could very well be a pivotal moment in their season, possibly defining their path to the championship. With plenty of races still on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how they manage in the upcoming rounds.

450 POINTS STANDINGS AFTER GLENDALE SUPERCROSS

Jett Lawrence took over the points lead in Glendale.

Jett Lawrence would take over the points lead heading into the two-week break. Ken Roczen and Jason Anderson would make up some points with first and second positions on the night. Unfortunately for both Sexton and Webb, they would move back in positioning on the track causing a loss on Jett Lawrence. As for Roczen, this is something to build on and he knows that very well, if he can continue this momentum he is not out of the points hunt yet. Great night of racing and it will be interesting to see how it continues after the break.

POS. # NAME Total Points
1 18 Jett Lawrence 117
2 1 Chase Sexton 111
3 7 Aaron Plessinger 108
4 2 Cooper Webb 107
5 21 Jason Anderson 106
6 94 Ken Roczen 102
7 3 Eli Tomac 100
8 14 Dylan Ferrandis 93
9 96 Hunter Lawrence 69
10 51 Justin Barcia 63
11 32 Justin Cooper 60
12 27 Malcolm Stewart 51
13 12 Shane McElrath 49
14 111 Jorge Prado 45
15 28 Christian Craig 39
16 15 Dean Wilson 35
17 9 Adam Cianciarulo 33
18 52 Derek Drake 25
19 46 Justin Hill 23
20 11 Kyle Chisholm 18
21 67 Benny Bloss 16
23 22 Freddie Noren 13
24 81 Cade Clason 10
25 981 Austin Politelli 7
26 148 Justin Rodbell 5
27 82 Mitchell Harrison 4
28 97 Tristan Lane 3
29 144 Jason Clermont 1
30 91 Devin Simonson 0
31 636 Luke Kalaitzian 0

MOTO 4 KIDS THRILLER BEEZZZ SERIES

Coming up in just a few short weeks, Moto 4 Kids racing returns at LACR MX for a continuation of the series. This series has been action packed with some classes having full gates. If you’re looking to improve your race craft and get a few gate drops, be sure to mark your calendars as you won’t want to miss this event. The next race is scheduled for February 25th.

WEEKLY PRIZES IN THE SUPERCROSS MXA FANTASY LEAGUE

Even though the season has started, you can still join for an opportunity to win weekly prizes!

Apple app download: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mxa-fantasy-league/id6473468112
Android app download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mxa.fantasyleague&pcampaignid=web_share

Prepare for a  Supercross Fantasy experience like never before! MXA Introduces our cutting-edge app, meticulously crafted to deliver all the action right to your fingertips. Say farewell to web browsers as we usher in a sophisticated, seamless, and completely free platform for you to dive into the world of Supercross Fantasy. While we gear up for the upcoming rider selection entries, you can already engage in intense competitions by joining private parties. Challenge your friends, create groups, and immerse yourself in the competition. You can enter at any point in the 2024 Supercross series (and after that we will have a 2024 AMA Motocross Fantasy game. If you’re using Apple click here and if you’re on Android click here.

NIHILO HEAT SHIELD TAPE

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2024 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE TESTED

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: R.J. HAMPSHIRE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME TIME OFF

“I felt really good at the beginning of the day, and then had a big case in the first timed qualifying. I was in a lot of pain from that, although I knew I needed to pull it together for the Main, and that was when I rode my best. I made a couple of quick passes, then saw I had a bit of a gap after the others made mistakes, and just managed it from there. Really stoked and am looking forward to some time off before Seattle.”

ASK THE MXPERTS: LIFE WITH A TWO-STROKE STARTS WITH A RATIO-RITE

Life with a two-stroke always starts with the Ratio-Rite.

PRE-MIX PRIMER FOR A FIRST TIME SMOKER DAD

Dear MXperts,
I know nothing about motorcycles, but I want to buy my 14-year-old son the Yamaha YZ125 that he has been begging for on his upcoming 15th birthday in four months. My neighbor, who doesn’t know anything about motorcycles either, told me that I can’t just pour gasoline into a YZ125 and that I have to pre-mix it with oil. Please tell me everything I need to know about “pre-mixing” gasoline.

Although there are fuel-injected two-strokes, even they require the engine’s oil to be pre-mixed into the gasoline. Some off-road models have oil tanks and automatically squirt oil into the fuel via the engine’s transfer ports. These are called Transfer Port Injected (TPI) engines and it is mostly used on off-road enduro bikes. KTM, GasGas and Husqvarna’s fuel-injected motocross bikes, do not have an oil tank, nor do they inject oil into the the transfer ports to mix it with gasoline, instead they inject pre-mixed gas and oil via the bike’s throttle body directly into the combustion chamber. These are called Throttle Body Injected (TBI) engines.

The key difference between TPI and TBI injection, is that a TPI engine does everything for the rider (short of putting the two-stroke oil in the bike’s oil tank), while the TBI engine needs to have the gasoline and two-stroke oil pre-mixed in a separate gas can, which is then poured into the bike’s fuel tank. For a motocross racer, TBI is better than TPI—even with the added hassle of having to measure the correct amount of oil needed for every gallon of gas. Why? By adding the oil to the gas in a fuel can, the rider can control the ratio of oil-to-gas, while with a TPI system, the bike’s electronic control unit (ECU) selects the ratio—and the rider has no control over how or when the oil is injected. When you pre-mix the amount of oil your machine calls for in a gas can, you bypass the computer. It is a simpler solution than relying on oil tanks, oil pumps and oil injection systems. However, Yamaha YZ125’s are not fuel-injected—they require the oil to be pre-mixed in a gas can at the chosen ratio of oil to gas. Here are the basics.

(1) Pre-mix oil is not the same as the engine oil you pour into your car’s crankcase. It is specially formulated to work in high-performance two-stroke engines. There are a lot of quality brands of pre-mix oil. MXA runs Maxima K2 pre-mix oil.

(2) Three things dictate oil usage: first, oil quality; second, oil quantity; third, intended usage. A Yamaha YZ125 needs a quality oil because in most cases you are only going to mix approximately 3 ounces of oil per gallon of gasoline. Engine usage has to be taken into consideration because the same size engine that is used for off-road riding could run less oil than if it is used for motocross racing.

(3) What is the best ratio for motocross? MXA believes that the best ratio for 125cc, 250cc and 300cc two-stroke race bikes is 40:1 (40 parts gasoline to 1 part of oil), but the best source can be found in your bike’s owner’s manual. The chart below shows the pre-mix ratios on the left, the gallons of gas across the top and how many ounces of oil are needed per gallon. For example, if you wanted to run a 40:1 ratio in five gallons of gas, you would add 16 ounces of oil (that is 3.20 ounces per gallon of gas). 

(4) How should you mix your gas and oil together? The only safe way to mix your oil and gas is to measure the proper amount of oil into a calibrated measuring cup. The most popular premix measuring tool is the Ratio-Rite. It is sold in every motorcycle shop in America for a few bucks. The Ratio-Rite has calibrations that tell you how many cc or ounces of oil you need for each prescribed amount of gasoline. You pour the pre-measured amount of oil from the Ratio-Rite into an empty gas can. Once you have the oil in the gas can, add half the gas you are blending (for example, 2.5 gallons if you are mixing 5 gallons of gas). Then seal the gas can and shake it vigorously. Then add the rest of your fuel.

(5) Do your best to only mix up the amount of fuel that you can use in the next two weeks. Otherwise, the aromatics of the gasoline will leach through any plastic gas can. Additionally, the plastic gas tank on your bike is also vented, and fuel in it will also lose its punch over time. Once you open a bottle of pre-mix and use some of it, put the cap back on. Pre-mix oil has a long shelf life, but the solvent contents can evaporate over a three-year period.

(6) Metal gas cans keep pre-mixed fuel at full potency longer than plastic gas cans

RIPPING THE L.A. COLISEUM ON A YZ250 TWO-STROKE

MXA PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The 24-hours of Glen Helen is one of the most grueling events of the year. Our media guy Trevor Nelson braved the conditions this year by agreeing to race the 24 hours by himself and as you can see he debated the decision for the whole 24 hours. But, he never gave up and powered through to finish sixth overall and add notch on his belt of racing accomplishments. Them he slept for the next two days.

CLASSIC MXA PHOTO

Ricky Carmichael 2001Ricky Carmichael showing some style during the 2001 AMA National Motocross Championship.

MXA PHOTO TRIVIA ANSWER: The three-time motocross champion, Doug Henry.

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