This Week in Powersports - The week of February 25, 2024

SPEED ON PIERCE BROWN'S SIDE IN ARLINGTON WITH ANOTHER TOP-FIVE FINISH

Outright speed was evident yet again for Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing's Pierce Brown in the latest round of the AMA Supercross Championship, with Arlington marking the second stop of 250SX East for season 2024.

• Team celebrates Military Appreciation Round at AT&T Stadium
• Second-straight fifth place boosts PB to second in the 250SX East
• Bam Bam overcomes afternoon crash to claim 450SX points

Pace has been on Pierce's side so far across the opening two rounds of 250SX East riding his GASGAS MC 250F Factory Edition, qualifying in third position today before finishing sixth in his Heat Race. The start didn't go his way in the Main Event, however he managed to put on a charge from outside of the top 10 to fifth position by the time the checkered flag waved. With 5-5 scores to open the series, he's climbed to second in the point standings.

Pierce Brown: "Overall, not a bad weekend. Riding was good and I think we improved as a whole, so that was good. We got another fifth, but we're second in points now and we're in this –?I'm excited! Now we're back to work on Monday to tighten a few things up before Daytona this weekend."

Premier class teammate Justin Barcia pressed on in 450SX following a heavy crash in practice, able to put a difficult afternoon behind him to transfer via a win in the LCQ and then push to 14th in the Main Event. He's now 11th in the championship, motivated to regain full fitness and his front-running form on the GASGAS MC 450F Factory Edition.

Justin Barcia: "Tough day here in Arlington. I had a big get-off in the final practice, lucky to somewhat come out of it alright with no big injuries – just a bit of whiplash, a bit bruised up, and a bit sore. Unfortunately, a crash in the Heat put me in the LCQ, which I won, and then in the Main Event I got in a second turn pile-up. I put on a good charge, was moving through the pack, and was about to crack into the top 10, but had another crash so that pretty much ended my hopes of a good result. It was a really tough weekend, but we're gonna go back to the drawing board and keep working. We never give up."

Results – 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, Round 7 450SX Results – Arlington SX 1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 14. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)

450SX Championship Standings (After Round 7) 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 135pts 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 132pts 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 128pts 11. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 71pts

250SX East Results – Arlington 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki) 3. Tom Vialle (KTM) 5. Pierce Brown (GASGAS)

250SX East Championship Standings (After Round 2) 1. Max Anstie (Honda) 38pts 2. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) 34pts 3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) 32pts

CONSISTENT RESULTS FROM MALCOLM STEWART AND GUILLEM FARRES IN TEXAS

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pair Malcolm Stewart and Guillem Farres both managed ninth-place results at Arlington's seventh round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, with both displaying front-running pace throughout the program.

While Christian Craig was unfortunately ruled out of the Millitary Appreciation Round with a re-aggravated elbow injury following press day at AT&T Stadium, it was Stewart who flew the flag solo in the 450SX division on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition. Stewart was seventh on the charts at the conclusion of qualifying and then battled for the victory in Heat 2 on his way to second position. A troubled Main Event saw him go down early and recover to ninth, marking his third top 10 of the season in an inspired performance. Importantly, his confidence is on the rise in the mid-stages of the season.

"Arlington always treats me okay and all day I felt really good on the bike," explained Stewart. "I was gelling with everything and it was good to lead in the Heat. I enjoy being on the East Coast, we've all been putting in the work, and it's beginning to click. In the Main Event, we made some passes really quickly but came together with another rider and went down. I got back up and felt like it was one of the best rides I've had all year long. I know the results aren't what everyone wants to see on paper, but we've been moving in the right direction and it's just a matter of time before we're heading for the box or a win."

The resumption of 250SX East was a welcome one for Farres as he continued to gain Supercross experience during his rookie campaign, qualifying in an encouraging sixth position and then claiming fourth in his Heat. The Main Event saw him ride to ninth place, banking his second top 10 result in a row onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition.

"My day started pretty good, felt good in practice, and then in qualifying I was sixth," Farres said. "The Heat was positive with fourth and then I felt good coming into the Main Event. The start was decent, around top-five, and then I made a mistake and got passed by a couple of riders. I ended up ninth and felt better towards the end, so overall I am happy because we made a big step from Detroit in the past few weeks."

Next Event (Round 8): March 2, 2024 – Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida

Round 7 Results: Arlington 450SX – Arlington Results 1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) … 9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250SX East – Arlington Results 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki) 3. Tom Vialle (KTM) … 9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 135 points 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 132 points 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) - 128 points ... 12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 64 points 16. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points

250SX East Rider Point Standings 1. Max Anstie (Honda) – 38 points 2. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) – 34 points 3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) – 32 points … 9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 27 points

AARON PLESSINGER AND TOM VIALLE CHARGE TO ARLINGTON SUPERCROSS PODIUMS

ARLINGTON, Tex. - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claimed a pair of podium results in Arlington's Millitary Appreciation Round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, where Aaron Plessinger placed third in the 450SX Main Event and Tom Vialle landed a first-career 250SX East podium.

Plessinger made his customary recovery from a lowly qualifying position to go on and lead the opening Heat of the night on his way to P2. A strong start in the Main Event placed him in contention and he was able to greet the checkered flag in third position, which also has him ranked third in the current championship standings on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION.

Aaron Plessinger: "It was another good night for me to be on the podium again here in Arlington. The bike's good and I've been having the most fun so far this year that I've had in a season. It's just been good, everything is coming to me. Like tonight, I was riding around thinking I was pretty much off the podium, before at the end of the race some things switched around and I got to be up here. It was a good race, I feel good and am still feeling fresh too."

Defending premier class champion Chase Sexton was quick out of the gates on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, second fastest in qualifying and then fourth in his Heat. The Main Event proved more challenging though, coming from outside of the top 10 at the end of the opening lap to claim important points for sixth place. He's now positioned fourth in the series.

Chase Sexton: "We finished sixth in Arlington, it isn't where we aim to be, but we will look ahead to next weekend and aim to keep fighting from here."

As 250SX East resumed with Round 2 following two weekends off, Vialle's day began in more difficult fashion in crashing during the afternoon, but he managed to rebound for fifth in his Heat Race. That set him up for the Main Event, where the two-time MX2 World Champion charged to a first-career Supercross podium in third position following a convincing effort on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION.

Tom Vialle: "We're happy to be on the podium and excited with the result. I had an okay day, aside from my crash in practice, and that affected me in the Heat race, so it wasn't great for the gate pick. I was able to ride well the whole Main Event, it's amazing to get my first podium in Supercross and I want to fight now for the win –?that's really the goal from this point."

Next Race: March 2 – Daytona Beach, Florida

Results 450SX Class – Arlington 1. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha 2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha 3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM OTHER KTM 6. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM 17. Justin Hill (USA), KTM

Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 7 of 17 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 135 points 2. Cooper Webb, 132 3. Aaron Plessinger, 128 4. Chase Sexton, 127 OTHER KTM 18. Justin Hill, 29

Results 250SX East Class – 1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha 2. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki 3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM

Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 2 of 9 rounds 1. Max Anstie, 38 points 2. Pierce Brown, 34 3. Daxton Bennick, 32 OTHER KTM 11. Tom Vialle, 24

Learning Opportunities for Team Honda HRC at Arlington Supercross

While the podium alluded Team Honda HRC at the Arlington stop, round 7 of the AMA Supercross series included plenty of positives for Honda’s factory team. Jett Lawrence was the fastest 450SX rider and led most of the main event; although late falls ultimately dropped him to fourth, he retained the points lead leaving Texas. Hunter Lawrence had what was arguably his best ride aboard a 450, running near the front of the main event before equaling his career-best premier-class result in fifth. Meanwhile, Chance Hymas turned in his best result of the young 250SX East season, with a seventh-place finish.

An impressive holeshot kicked off the 450SX main event for Jett Lawrence, with Hunter just behind, then slipping a spot before the second turn. While Jett went about establishing a gap at the front, Hunter did his best to defend third place, which he successfully did until Aaron Plessinger got by on lap 6. Through the middle section of the race, Hunter tried hard to retaliate, but he was overtaken by Eli Tomac with six laps remaining. Three laps later, Jett went off the track in a rhythm section and fell, losing the lead to Cooper Webb. Nearly two seconds down and with time expiring, Jett took off after the leader, getting to his rear fender on the last lap. He attempted a pass through the whoop section, but he made contact with a lapped rider and went down, resulting in a fourth-place finish. Also on the wild final lap, Hunter made a valiant pass attempt on Plessinger but slid into the stadium wall and had to settle for fifth.

Chance Hymas was just inside the top 10 as the 250SX East pack rounded turn 1 in the main event, and he completed lap 1 in eighth place. He moved by Guillem Farres on lap 4, then dispatched Tom Vialle for sixth a lap later. On lap 7, a pass on Nick Romano put him into the top five, but the second half of the race saw him lose a couple of positions to end up seventh—three better than his result at the opener.

NOTES

• After having been without the red plate for four rounds, Jett Lawrence once again ran it on his CRF450RWE at Arlington, indicating his leadership in the championship chase.
• To commemorate the military-appreciation theme of the Arlington Supercross, Team Honda HRC ran Navy logos on their CRF race machines, while Phoenix Racing Honda ran Marine Corps logos. Fire Power Honda featured two different camouflage liveries, recognizing the Navy on Dean Wilson’s CRF450R and the Army on the CRF250R of Max Anstie.
• DFW Honda (a dealership in Grapevine, Texas) set up a pop-up activation booth in the Team Honda HRC pits at Arlington, displaying powersports products and engaging with fans and customers.
• After two weekends off (one for the series pause and one during a 250SX West round), Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas was back in action at Arlington aboard his CRF250R. The break gave him a chance to recoup the torn ACL he suffered just prior to the 250SX East opener.
• Jett Lawrence was the fastest 450SX rider in combined qualifying times, half a second quicker than the next-best rider, with Hunter Lawrence a solid sixth-best and SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda rider Mitchell Oldenburg impressive in ninth. In the 250SX East ranks, Chance Hymas was the fifth-best rider, one behind Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie.
• In the first 450SX heat race, Hunter Lawrence started in third and, after slipping one position on the first lap and another spot near the end, finished in fifth—one ahead of Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis. SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda’s Vince Friese also made it through from the same heat race.
• The wild second 450SX heat race saw Jett Lawrence take the holeshot before being passed by Cooper Webb and Jason Anderson on the first lap. Lawrence powered back by Webb moments later and pressured Anderson for the lead, only to be overtaken by Malcolm Stewart on lap 3. Lawrence then took a couple of laps to regroup before making two passes in one corner to take the lead. Although he then lost the lead to Stewart, he retook it on lap 8 and kept it to the finish.
• Chance Hymas was slotted in the second 250SX East heat race, and he completed lap 1 in seventh place. The Idaho native made good passes to end the race in fourth. Meanwhile, heat 1 had seen Max Anstie finish second, with TiLube Honda riders Henry Miller and Ryder Floyd also making it through. Lasting Impressions-backed privateer Red Rider Izaih Clark finished second in the last-chance qualifier.
• Honda had the most riders of any manufacturer in both main events (tied for most in the 250SX East class). Seven of the 22 riders in the 450SX main event were Honda-mounted, with eight brands represented. In the 250SX East main event, five of the 22 riders were Honda-mounted, with seven brands represented.
• Jett notched the fastest lap time in the 450SX main event.
• One round after Jett and Hunter Lawrence became the first brothers to ever finish in the top five in an AMA Supercross premier-class main event, the Australians repeated the feat in Arlington.
• While Jett’s late falls proved costly in the points standings, the AMA Supercross premier-class rookie still holds the title-chase lead, with a three-point edge over Cooper Webb. Hunter sits in ninth place.
• In the 250SX East ranks, Fire Power Honda rider Max Anstie is enjoying another strong showing thus far this season. The Brit currently sits atop the points standings, with Chance Hymas in eighth.
• Next weekend, the AMA Supercross series will kick off Daytona Bike Week in Florida.

2024 Marks the Fourth Year of Team Dunlop Flat Track Elite

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires continues to be the official tire of American Flat Track (AFT) and is continuing its successful Team Dunlop Elite Flat Track program to support amateur racers and continue to include more minibike racers. In addition to being the official tire of AFT for the eight straight year, Dunlop will continue to develop its Team Dunlop Elite Flat Track program.

“Dunlop’s support of amateur racing is unmatched in the United States,” said Mike Buckley, Dunlop Sr. Vice President of Sales/Marketing. ” We have proven that the Team Dunlop Flat Track Elite program assists riders in their journey to the professional ranks, just as the motocross alumni have over the 18 years.”

This year, Dominic DeMario and Evan Renshaw who were part of the program since its inaugural year plus Bradon Pfanders who has been on the team since 2021 have graduated out of the program and are on their way toward their American Flat Track professional racing debuts, as a Team Dunlop Elite Alumni. They will join the ranks of other Team Dunlop Flat Track Elite alumni, including Jess Reynolds, Chase Saathoff, Logan McGrane, Billy Ross, and many more.

Like the Team Dunlop Elite motocross program, the Team Dunlop Flat Track Elite program includes select amateur racers who will receive unique benefits and support on and off the track. In addition to the Elite riders, any amateur flat track racer can apply for tire discounts through the new teamdunlop.com.

Joining the Team Dunlop Flat Track Elite 8 rider selection this year will be Jackson Joiner, Sam Drane and returning racer Travis Horn. Joiner is one of the top 65cc racers in the country who will race on the KR345 and help develop future Flat Track minibike tires. Drane is the 2023 AMA Flat Track Grand National 250 Production Champion who hails from Australia and will compete all this year in the US. Horn will return to the team after honing his skills in road racing the last few years. They will line up with returning Elite team riders Adam Costan, Colton Shafer, Braxton Ragan, Jack Brucks and Meg Greimel. Ragan, Shafer and Brucks will continue to prove the performance of the 17” DT4!

Team Dunlop was formed 18 years ago to help amateur motocross racers obtain tire support and receive more exposure so they could chase their goal of becoming pro riders. Today, the Team Dunlop Elite amateur motocross program has successfully helped many riders make a transition to the professional ranks, including g Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Adam Cianciarulo, Chase Sexton, Austin Forkner, Max Vohland, Haiden Deegan and many more.

“We are very excited to continue with the Team Dunlop Elite Flat Track amateur program” said Rob Fox, Dunlop Amateur Motocross/Flat Track Support Manager. “It’s great to work for a company who puts so much effort into amateur racing. With more Team Dunlop Elite alumni graduating into the pro level, it really proves how successful our program has been over the past few years!”

To apply or inquire about Dunlop’s flat track amateur support program, go to the NEW https://www.teamdunlop.com

Josh Herrin ready to defend the Daytona 200 title with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati

The time of America’s great race is fast approaching, and the defending champion, Josh Herrin, is ready to rumble.

Scheduled for March 7-9, 2024, the 2024 Daytona 200 is stacked with the most competitive field in years, with any number of riders capable of victory. However, they will all be after Herrin, who will reunite with the dominant Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2 after a stellar 2023 season, finishing in second place while campaigning the Ducati Panigale V4R in MotoAmerica Superbike.

Herrin’s record at Daytona speaks for itself. The number two took the Time Attack pole position in 2022 and 2023, claiming a historic victory for Ducati in 2023 to match his previous race success from 2010.

Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati – #2) “The first year I took the MotoAmerica Supersport title on the V2 in 2022 was the bike’s first year in America, so there was lots of work to set it up correctly. Now we have a good base to work from, so I think we’ll have an even more competitive package than when we won the Daytona 200 in 2023. That gives me lots of confidence because I know it will be a fast race this year.

“It’s been a long off-season, and Daytona is my favorite race of the year. I always look forward to riding the high banks, the constant drafting in the race, the different tire manufacturers, and the overall race build-up. The Daytona 200 is getting bigger and bigger each year, and with the level of riders on the grid, the race is quickly getting back to the stature of when it was the biggest race in the world.”

Jason Chinnock – Chief Executive Officer, Ducati North America “We are honored to support world-class motorcycle racing in North America, and the partnership with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati and Josh Herrin at the Daytona 200 is a perfect opportunity to reaffirm our racing heritage at a circuit that not only has an American story but draws global attention,” said Chinnock.

On-track action for the 2024 Daytona 200 kicks off at 9:30 am EST on Thursday, March 7, with Herrin first set to ride at 11:25 am. Qualifying for the A Group will commence at 2:50 pm that same day.

The all-important Time Attack qualifying session is scheduled for 1:15 pm on Friday, March 8, while the big one, the 2024 Daytona 200, is scheduled for a 1:10 pm race start on Saturday, March 9.