THE TRUE STORY OF AN MXA TEST RIDER’S AMA 450 NATIONAL ADVENTURE

These are the moments where your heart rate rises before you even start riding.

BY JOSH MOSIMAN

It’s common to feel like James Stewart at your local track during practice when there’s nothing at stake and nobody is watching. But, you feel like a Novice when you show up at the same place for a race when the track is rougher and the competition is breathing down your neck. That’s why MXA “race tests” every new bike, and we document their performance afterwards in our reports. In my first race wearing an orange helmet, I rode a Honda CRF250 in the first moto and a Suzuki RM-Z250 in the second moto. I quickly learned the difference between the two bikes and learned that next time I’d choose the stiffer-suspended RM-Z250 for the first moto and the plusher CRF250 for the second moto.

Ty Masterpool (81), Jose Butron (107), Josh Mosiman (171), Derek Drake (53), Jerry Robin (93), Aaron Plessinger (7) and Adam Cianciarulo (9) during start practice.

For the final round of the 2021 Pro motocross season, I raced a bone-stock 2022 KTM 450SXF, with stock WP air forks and all, just to see how it would do in AMA National conditions. Sure, the suspension was too soft, but otherwise, it had all the power I needed to qualify into the Fast-40 lineup for the National. Leading up to the 2022 outdoor season, I knew I wanted to race a few outdoor rounds, so what better way to do it than in true MXA fashion by testing different bikes at each race? I lined up on the Honda CRF450 at Pala 1, Kawasaki KX450 at Hangtown, Husqvarna FC450 at Washougal and KTM 450SXF at Pala 2. It was a bummer to leave Yamaha out of the picture last year, but I wasn’t very comfortable on the previous YZ450F platform.

“I HAD BEEN PLANNING TO RACE THE 2023 NATIONALS EVER SINCE I GOT OFF THE TRACK AT PALA 2 LAST YEAR, BUT I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE 450 CLASS WOULD BE SO DEPLETED OF TOP-TIER FACTORY RIDERS.” 

With Yamaha’s all-new 2023 YZ450F, I was excited to spend more time on it, set it up for myself and see how it performed in race conditions. As for the GasGas, this was the most practical choice. Our 2023-1/2 GasGas MC450F Factory Edition came later, which meant it had much less time on it than our KTM 450SXF Factory Edition or Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition models. And, since it is the same basic bike, it made sense to race it. I also set out to race-test the 2023 Honda CRF450 Works Edition the following weekend at Thunder Valley, but we’ll save that story for another day (in the October issue of MXA).

Josh Mosiman’s 2023 Yamaha YZ450 armed and ready for the 2023 Pala 450 National. It was a clean machine. The Maxxis SM scoop tire was just on the bike dfor the very muddy first qualifier.

Josh Fout used MXA’s KTM 450SXF to race the Hangtown and Thunder Valley amateur days—which left him Saturdays to wrench on Josh Mosiman’s bikes.

Being an MXA test rider, I have access to a lot of free stuff, and I get help from a lot of knowledgeable people, which gives me a leg up on most of the privateers you see on the line. However, no amount of free parts or knowledgeable friends will make the process of setting up a race bike simple. The task of preparing a bike for the AMA Nationals is strenuous, and it requires time—one thing I wish I had more of. It takes time to track down every part and spare part needed. It takes time to test the bike and prepare it for the roughest tracks in the world. It takes time to build and maintain the bike. And, it takes time to pack and prepare for all of the off-track activities that come with racing the Nationals. Long story short, I have all the resources needed to build a great bike and have a great program, but I don’t have a team of 10 or more crew members working full-time to make the dream happen, and I don’t have the time to dedicate myself to full-time training, either. The two main guys in my corner have been Dennis Stapleton and Josh Fout, both of whom have day jobs and help MXA and me in their free time. Dennis helped me gather the bikes and parts, while Josh Fout drove the bikes to the races, changed all the Maxxis tires, wrenched on the bikes, and stuck the pit board out for me at each race. 

“AFTER LAST YEAR’S SCORCHING-HOT 105-DEGREE WEATHER AT PALA 2, IT WAS WEIRD TO BE AT PALA IN 70-DEGREE TEMPS. OF COURSE, THEY RIPPED THE TRACK DEEP AND WATERED IT HEAVY, BUT IT WASN’T AS BAD AS IN 2022.”

I had been planning to race the 2023 Nationals ever since I got off the track at Pala 2 last year, but I had no way of knowing that the 450 class would be so depleted of top-tier factory riders. One by one, the 450 class fell like flies during Supercross. A strong group went out with an injury early, a few more got hurt in the middle of the season, and then the floor fell out and seemingly everyone was either injured or coming back from being injured. This was great for the privateers who were looking to climb up the ladder, and it even motivated some 250 riders to jump to the 450 class for outdoors, but it also took away some of the prestige from the 450 class as well. As a media guy who wants to build up the excitement of the sport and get the thrill of racing with some of the best riders in the world, I was bummed that so many top guys missed so many rounds. I also felt more pressure to get better results and score points because of the lack of factory riders.  Josh and Josh with the YZ450F on Friday before the Pala National.

There is a lot of hurry up and wait before the races start, but not much after the action commences.

When it came time to race the first National of the year at Pala Raceway, I had ridden the chosen 2023 Yamaha YZ450F with my Enzo suspension and Luxon Gen 3 Pro triple clamps only four times—five if you count the 30-minute press-day session on Thursday before the National. Of course, this wasn’t great for my confidence. I had big plans to be more prepared and ride each bike for months in advance, but it wasn’t so easy to track down suspension for each bike, and the reality of my regular non-racing duties as a test rider made it hard to dedicate adequate time to racing the Nationals.

Josh Fout changed a lot of Maxxis tires.

“I FOUND MYSELF BUNCHED UP WITH THE PACK. I GOT SQUEEZED, AND I SAW ANOTHER RIDER CUT INSIDE OF THE MARKERS OVER THE DIRT HUMP IN THE FIRST TURN, AND I FOLLOWED HIM. OF COURSE, I HAD NO INTENTION OF CUTTING THE TRACK WHEN I LINED UP ON THE INSIDE, BUT INSTINCT KICKED IN, AND INSTEAD OF LETTING MY FRONT END GET HIT AND POSSIBLY CRASHING, I TOOK THE SAFER AND QUICKER ROUTE, FOLLOWING THE OTHER GUY WHO PAVED THE WAY.”

The on-board view of Josh’s hot line in the first turn at Pala.

I relate more to the privateers who work a full-time job during the week and race on the weekends, only I’m racing a different bike each time. As for the GasGas at Hangtown, I rode that bike three times with the Pro Circuit suspension and Luxon Gen 2 triple clamps. However, this wasn’t too stressful for me, because I was already comfortable with this setup from racing a 2023 KTM 450SXF with the same WP, Pro Circuit and Luxon components at the 2022 Pala 2 National.

After last year’s scorching-hot 105-degree weather at Pala 2, it was weird (but very nice) to be at Pala with moderate-high 70-degree temps. Of course, they ripped the track deep and watered it heavily for the first qualifying session, but it wasn’t as bad as the year before when they were afraid of the scorching heat drying the track out, which happened anyway. Because of the Sahara-like weather of September 2022, the Pala Raceway crew decided to water the track so much that it had standing water in some of the low corners. 

We had two orange helmets in the 450 class. Ezra Lewis (830) and Josh battled in both motos at Hangtown.

Ezra Lewis with his mom/mechanic heading back to the truck after finishing 22nd in Moto 2.

Josh headed to the rider’s meeting with his wife Ashley, his dog Lily and Freddie Noren.

MXA test rider Brian Medeiros was a part of the 250 B group’s qualifying session last year, tasked with clearing the water off the track. Comparatively, this Pala track wasn’t so bad, but it was still gnarly. After the two small step-ups over the man-made hill in the middle of the track, the next double-step-up section and the following rhythm section had continuous ruts on the landings and lips of the jumps, which is always the scariest aspect of the Nationals.

The MXA team also brought the 2023 KTM 450SXF that Josh Mosiman raced the 2022 Pala 2 National on. This time Josh Fout raced this bike in the pre-race amateur events.

Ron Hinson helping out the MXA gang on Friday before the race.

For the 2023 Pala National, I qualified 18th in the first 450 Group A session and was pretty happy with it! But, there were quite a few fast guys in the 450 B practice who edged out my time, scooting me to 25th overall on time after qualifying was done. I used the Maxxis SM scoop tire for the first qualifying session when the track was very deep and muddy, but I elected to go with the Maxxis SI (soft intermediate) tire on the rear for the second qualifying session and for the two 450 motos. By then, the mud had dried out and the ruts were for the most part hard and choppy. 

You can tell the Twin Air radiator screens did their job. The radiators are clean, and the rest of the bike is packed with mud.

With my 25th gate pick for moto one, I had the option of the very inside gate or a plethora of gates on the outside. With a fairly short start into a 180 left and then a 180 right, I elected for the very inside gate. I almost snagged the gate right next to Chase Sexton, but the rider with the 24th pick took it right before me. From the very inside, my jump off the new metal starting grate wasn’t good, and I found myself bunched up with the pack. I got squeezed, and I saw another rider cut inside of the markers over the dirt hump in the first turn, and I followed him. Of course, I had no intention of cutting the track when I lined up on the inside, but instinct kicked in, and instead of letting my front end get hit and possibly crashing, I took the safer and quicker route, following the other guy who paved the way. It wasn’t a good decision. I was wearing my own Insta360 camera, and every other photo and video camera at the track was focused on capturing the first-turn action. Plus, I was wearing a bright orange MXA helmet that’s hard to miss. 

“ORIGINALLY, I WAS GOING TO RACE THE HONDA AT HANGTOWN, BUT WITH ONLY THREE DAYS ON THE HONDA AND A LESS-THAN-STELLAR PERFORMANCE AT PALA, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO RIDE SOMETHING I WAS MORE COMFORTABLE ON AT HANGTOWN.”

The grates make you feel like you’re starting on a loading dock instead of a motocross track.

From there, I came out of the next corner in 15th place by virtue of having a clean outside line around the bunched-up pack on the inside. This was much further up the food chain than I would’ve been if I hadn’t cut the track. As always, it was chaos on the first lap with riders going everywhere. The track crew had groomed the lip of one of the small tabletops in the back, pushing the mud up it. My bike knifed on the lip and sent me sideways through the air. Luckily, nobody was directly next to me. Then, I made the banked right-handed turn in the back and headed for the step-up triple jump, the same one that Pala has had for years. The run-up has a bend to the left in it, and it was muddy, bumpy and rutted, with ruts going all the way up the face to the lip of the jump. I approached it while being pounded by painful 450 roost, and then hit the jump with my front wheel in one rut and my rear wheel in the other. I started on the far left, and I got sent completely sideways to the right. It was the worst case of cross rut that I ever had, and I looked over to see my good friend Freddie Noren next to me in mid-air. He saw me flying towards him, and we were both helpless. My elbow hit his swingarm, and I had a small gash from his chain, and my finger must’ve hit his footpeg, too. Somehow we both saved it, but it was very sketchy. I pulled off to make sure I didn’t lose my finger (as it was numb and bleeding already) and to collect my marbles mentally. If you read the June issue of MXA, you’d know I was one of the main perpetrators of the massive start-straightaway crash at Glen Helen’s World Two-Stroke Championship carnage. Long story short, I had some PTSD from that wreck that resurfaced after my incident with Freddie and made it hard to charge the rest of the moto. I soldiered on to a 33rd-place finish. 

The black rectangle sticking out of the jersey is the Insta360 camera, capturing on-board video.

In moto two, I wanted no part in the chaos of the first two laps. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I basically let the pack go off the start and then started making passes after that. Moto two saw me floating around the 28th-place mark. Then, once Jett Lawrence came around to lap me, I admired his smooth lines and made serious efforts to get out of his way. The act of pulling over while being lapped deflated my energy levels, causing a theoretical parachute to deploy. Then, with the motivation of Hangtown and Thunder Valley in my mind, I knew I couldn’t give up. I pulled the parachute back in on the last three laps and passed back to 28th, with the 26th- and 27th-place riders in sight.

Chase Sexton trails Jett Lawrence during Moto 2 at Pala.

 I raced the Kawasaki KX450SR at Hangtown last year, so my only real criteria for this year was to race something other than a KX450. Josh Fout was driving my van and bikes to Hangtown and then on to Thunder Valley, but he wasn’t coming home in between. This meant we had to be strategic with the number of bikes and spare parts we brought on the trip. Originally, I was going to race the Honda at Hangtown and the GasGas at Thunder Valley, but with only three days on the Honda and my less-than-stellar performance at Pala, I thought it would be better to ride something I was more comfortable on at Hangtown. 

“I’M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADJUST MY EXPECTATIONS NOW THAT I’M A FULL-TIME MXA TEST RIDER AND NOT A FULL-TIME RACER. AND, THE FACT THAT I’M RACING ON DIFFERENT BIKES EACH WEEKEND MAKES IT EVEN HARDER.”

For the Hangtown 450 National Josh chose MXA’s GasGas MC450F Factory Edition—saving the Honda CRF450 Works Edition for the power-robbing high altitude of Colorado.

Josh Fout raced Hangtown amateur day on our 2023 KTM 450SXF, which meant we were at the track at 6:30 am for his race on Friday, and while he was racing, I was in charge of parking the van, which he was also using for the day, in the pro pits at 9:30 once privateer parking began. I also needed to install graphics, take my bike through tech inspection, get credentials and passes at will call, interview riders during press day, help Trevor with our other media duties, and ride the press-day practice myself before talking about it all on camera for our YouTube videos. It doesn’t sound like much as I put it down on paper, but it was a hectic day with almost zero time for sitting down. It wasn’t ideal for saving energy for the big race, but I enjoyed my time interviewing the other riders, and although it added stress to ride press day, it was a big benefit to get on the track one day early and re-accustom myself to the GasGas again. Friday night consisted of computer work at our Airbnb with MXA’s digital editor, Trevor Nelson, pumping out YouTube videos and me editing the Insta360 on-board camera footage for our track-preview video. 

When Saturday came along, I talked to the Pro Circuit team about the track conditions and elected not to run the scoop tire in qualifying. The Hangtown track wasn’t ripped very deep for press day, and they didn’t go as deep as normal for race day, either. I was 19th in the first qualifying session, and I was happy with it! At this stage in my career, my biggest strength at the AMA Nationals is that I can lay down a quick qualifying time when the pressure is on and the track is sketchy. However, the track got a lot better for the second qualifying session. They groomed the rollers in the back section before the step-up, making it much easier to double through. The track also dried out and didn’t get as rutted or rough as usual, leading to quicker times in the second qualifying session. I was 29th in the second 450 Group A qualifying session, but seven riders in the B group were quicker, putting me 36th overall in qualifying, the final transfer spot before you have to race the LCQ. With me not being a full-time racer, it’s hard enough to do two 15-minute qualifying sessions and two 35-minute motos. Adding an extra last-chance qualifier race in between would really take a hit on my energy levels! I was very relieved to dodge that bullet and make it through. The only AMA National LCQ I’ve ever been to in my career was in the 250 class at Unadilla in 2016, but thankfully I made it through that to the motos.

It was hot at Hangtown with temps in the 90-degree range, much warmer than Pala and warmer than what we were having in SoCal in what has been a crazy spring, weather-wise. In between both qualifying sessions, I got out of my gear and into street clothes to cool down, and I had an ice chest that was dedicated to cooling my feet down after the motos. I didn’t have room in the van to bring an ice bath, so the extra ice chest would have to do. The sight lap for moto one was slick. They had watered the track a lot, and it was rough, but not the typical soft rough that you find at the AMA Nationals; it was hard-packed and edgy. 

Cooper Webb and Jett Lawrence showing respect.

My start wasn’t great. I was on the outside, and I double-clutched it off the metal grate. It’s not easy to control a 450 four-stroke with one-to-one traction. I made it through the first lap clean (something that I didn’t do in the first moto at Pala) and charged to 32nd place. It wasn’t a result that I could be proud of, but I’m still trying to figure out how to adjust my expectations for myself now that I’m a full-time MXA test rider and not a full-time racer. My training is minimal, and the fact that I’m racing on different bikes each weekend makes it even harder. I felt fine on the GasGas, and I couldn’t put my finger on any particular aspect that I needed to change for moto two. I just wasn’t comfortable pushing my limits. 

“I WAS VERY RELIEVED TO DODGE THAT BULLET AND MAKE IT THROUGH. THE ONLY AMA NATIONAL LCQ I’VE BEEN TO IN MY CAREER WAS IN THE 250 CLASS
AT UNADILLA IN 2016, BUT THANKFULLY I MADE IT THROUGH THAT TO THE MOTOS.”

In the second moto, I had a better jump off the gate, but I noticed riders starting to get out of line next to me, and I slammed on the brakes. Thankfully, I reacted just in time to stop behind a 10-rider pile-up. Although I didn’t actually fall, I had to pull my bike backwards to get out of the carnage and keep going. Whew! I dodged a huge wreck, and I also was now behind the rest of the pack for the opening lap, which meant I was safe from the scariest lap of the race. From there, I was able to find a pace I was comfortable with and push forward. Because the tracks were rough and the weather was unusually warm for NorCal, the AMA Nationals are all about pacing yourself and managing your energy levels. Especially for privateers who battle from 15th place back, there are always a few riders who go really fast and then get tired and fade backwards. There’s always someone who crashes out or has a mechanical issue, and everyone else is battling for their position. 

Haiden Deegan earned his first moto win at Hangtown and placed third overall.

In a local race when the track isn’t as rough and/or the race is shorter, you can fake it till you make it, meaning you can push the limits and get away with it. At the Nationals, the competition is too close and the course is too tough. If someone’s faster and more fit than you, they’ll find a way to pass you. I passed MXA test rider Ezra Lewis early in the race, and around the midway point, he got me back! He’s the most stylish of the MXA test riders, and we call him “Ezra Sexton” because his technique is so good. I followed his lines, and that helped me stay engaged for the 30-minute moto. I made a push to get close enough for a pass with three laps to go, but that emptied my tank and allowed him to slip away from me. Still, I crossed the line 23rd, with Ezra 22nd, and I was finally proud of my result! Sure, the first-turn crash definitely knocked some guys out of contention, but it was nice that I could reap the benefits of my quick reaction time. 

Qualifying for an AMA National is never easy, and I chose to make it harder on myself by racing a different bike each weekend. However, it is a rewarding experience to challenge yourself mentally and physically. Even though I didn’t get the glory of finishing inside the points by scoring a top 20, I can’t take it for granted that I was able to qualify in the Fast-40 out of the 80 riders trying to make the field. It is an accomplishment to survive the brutal tracks, and my favorite part about all of it is that I can take the valuable lessons learned and tell the stories to you through MXA’s Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and magazine articles every month. Stay tuned for the Thunder Valley adventure!

Jett Lawrence, Dylan Ferrandis and Cooper Webb stood on the 450 podium at Hangtown.

2023 PALA AND HANGTOWN NATIONAL TOP 10

450 RESULTS: PALA NATIONAL
1. Jett Lawrence (Hon) 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Hon) 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yam) 3-3
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 5-4
5. Cooper Webb (KTM) 4-5
6. Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw) 6-7
7. Grant Harlan  (Yam) 9-6
8. Jose Butron (Gas) 10-8
9. Lorenzo Locurcio (Gas) 7-11
10. Fredrik Noren (Suz) 13-9

450 RESULTS: HANGTOWN NATIONAL
1. Jett Lawrence (Hon) 1-1
2. Dylan Ferrandis (Yam) 2-3
3. Cooper Webb (KTM) 4-2
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 3-6
5. Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw) 5-4
6. Ty Masterpool (Kaw) 7-7
7. Derek Drake (Suz) 8-8
8. Jerry Robin (Yam) 10-9
9. Lorenzo Locurcio (Gas) 9-11
10. Jose Butron (Gas) 16-5

 

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