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Matthes Report

A Matthes Report: Foxborough

PulpMX’s Steve Matthes on a few topics.

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Look, there is not a hell of a lot going on out there in the Monster Energy Supercross series. It has been one of those years where injuries have struck. Seven out of the main event at the opening round of 250SX East series (including three out of the top four) are out, six of the main event from Anaheim 1 in the 450SX class (not including Yamaha’s Justin Barcia who just got back) are out (of course, KTM’s Broc Tickle is suspended and not hurt).

Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger’s got fifteen points on Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo with two races left, Husky’s Zach Osborne’s got fifteen on KTM’s Jordon Smith with one race left and, of course, Jason Anderson’s most likely going to clinch the 450SX title this weekend with over a race lead.

In short, there is not much going on. In fact, we do not even have any more Triple Crown races left! Whaaaaaaa! In all seriousness though, let’s touch on something that I’ve been doing lately.

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Jason Anderson could lock the 450SX title up in Salt Lake City.

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I started riding dirt bikes again.

Most of us, heck I would guess ninety-five percent of us in the industry started riding and racing dirt bikes, right? I mean, how in the hell else are you going to get into this line of work? We were all, at some point, captivated by the feeling of riding a dirt bike, jumping, the thrills of racing or whatever. I know I was. I started at age seven, raced my entire life in the spring, summer and fall in Canada.

My whole life was about Sunday’s and race day. Heck, I continued on racing all the way until I headed down south to become a mechanic. Granted, I was now a pro and pretty good at riding. I was also paying for it all on my own, crashing and dealing with injuries a lot as well though. From age twenty on up, racing became harder as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

In ’96 I came to the USA to be a mechanic and promptly stopped riding outside of a few rides here or there. I was just too busy wrenching, I had nowhere to live and I had no money to buy a dirt bike. Once I got settled a bit in 2002, I bought a YZ250 and rode it here and there. Then I quit again for four to five years and bought a Kawasaki KX450F in 2006 and rode that until probably 2009, 2010 or so. Sold that and honestly didn’t have a lot of desire to ride.

But Kris Keefer, my Pulpmx Show co-host, just would not leave me alone about riding. You see, Keefer loves dirt-bike riding maybe as much as life itself.  He’d rather ride than go to a race, he’d rather ride than have sex. Well, maybe not, but riding is JUST about everything to him and he couldn’t believe I wasn’t riding anymore.

Just because he was like this little pebble in my shoe, constantly there and constantly annoying me, I decided to try to ride again. Yeah, I sucked badly at first. I couldn’t believe how bad I was, how bad my arms pumped up, how badly out of shape I was… Wait that I could believe.

Keefer let me keep a Suzuki 450 he had (with Suzuki’s blessing) and I’ve been slowly getting back into it. Got the suspension set up for me, got some new gear, dialed in the bike a bit better than it initially was and, heck, I even ate crap and couldn’t really move for two days.

I’ve been trying to ride once a week, but haven’t met that goal yet and, yes, I’m terrible (it’s amazing I used to be pro, tabletops scare me now), yes I’m out of shape and get arm pump just looking at my bike, but you know what? It’s been fun getting back to riding. Having the feeling of hitting a berm right, having to remember what to do when things are coming at you fast and just getting roosted takes you back to why you started riding dirt bikes in the first place.

We all get caught up in this world we live in covering dirt bike racing, travelling, working regular jobs or whatever it is. It’s a good thing for all of us to get back onto a bike though. Dirt bikes are why you are reading this, dirt bikes are why I’m writing this and so if you haven’t ridden in a while, what’s stopping you?

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Christian Craig will continue with HRC through the summer.

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Honda’s Christian Craig announced recently that his 450SX fill-in for Cole Seely has become permanent and he’ll ride 450MX as well for the HRC Honda squad. This past weekend he grabbed the holeshot in the main event (his starts had left him recently), which was great, but then he cross-rutted before the first lap was over and went down. That was bad.

I caught up to Christian after the main event to get to the bottom of everything.

Steve Matthes: On the Pulp Show this past Monday, we talked about your starts. You said, yeah, they have gone away. I agreed. Then tonight you got the holeshot. You were leading. It was looking so good. Then what happened?

Christian Craig: Well, first off, I give the props to Steve, Pulp Show. You really brought back my starts. It’s all you. Obviously, I got off to a good start, holeshotted. Haven’t done that in a while, so that felt good. Led half a lap, then cross-rutted, went right into a tuff block and decided to slide into first base off the track. Sitting there waiting for people to go by to get my bike, I was just furious.

Can we talk about the Jagger Craig tantrum where you jumped up and down a little bit?

Oh yeah. I was pissed. I was furious. I think people knew that too, obviously, but I think anybody’s going to be mad when you’re leading it and you throw it away to last.

I just haven’t seen a grown man jump up and down like that, in that kind of anger. But that’s okay. So that corner, a lot of guys were cutting it tighter than you. I missed right before it. Were you swinging it wide or did you go in the middle and hook that way?

No, they patched it after the 250s and I think the ruts were still in there somewhere. When I hit it, it just went right. Obviously after that I put my head down and charged. I think I ended up eleventh. I wanted inside the top ten, but that’s what happens.

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Christian Craig is eighteenth in 450SX, despite missing eight rounds.

Honda Racing Corporation

We were talking about it up in the press box, because you were getting lapped and you were by far the nicest guy. You were slowing down and you were like, look, go. Privateer guys and guys who were on the bubble, still kind of fight. It’s just because you’re like, whatever. But, in the end, I think that cost you some positions.

Yeah, for sure. I was like right on [Chad] Reed and then I was going to let Eli [Tomac] by and it’s like he didn’t want to go by at the time. I’m like, “alright, what’s going on here?” I was too nice, but I’ve been on the other side of it when obviously where a lapper won’t move. I see it on both sides. It did cost me I think another position, but you can’t go back now.

Track was pretty easy for guys like you. Sand I guess was a little bit of a problem. It was just a difficult, weird track dirt-wise?

Yeah. From practice to race, it was like we went to an east coast race on practice and then we ended up at Anaheim or something in the race. When I went out in the heat race, I was like what is this? This is different dirt. It hardened up and then it got silty and dry. That was tough. The track was basic. A lot of it was similar to last week. If you notice the start, first section and then the second section was identical. They need to work on that. It’s alright. We’re going onto next week.

Did we have an issue with [Vince] Friese out there again or are we okay?

No. I think he thought I was a lapper for a second and then he saw me. He’s like, no, then he ran into me and I parked him. But I didn’t want a rerun from Monster Cup. I’m good with that. I’ll just try to pass and go.

Words: Steve Matthes | Lead Image: Honda Racing Corporation

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Matthes Report: Daytona

Predictions from Steve Matthes!

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The 2021 Monster Energy Supercross series riders and teams just had their first week off of the season this past and when the halfway flag gets thrown this Saturday night at Daytona, we’ll officially be halfway through the 450SX series.

Here are some random predictions on some random things in regard to both the 450SX and 250SX classes.

– It’s been a while since we saw anyone not named Cooper Webb or Ken Roczen win a 450SX main event but we may finally get someone different this weekend. Now, don’t hold me to that because the top two riders in the points have been so good. This is Daytona though. This is something different for the guys and we know how good Eli Tomac is down at the speedway. I’m not going to stamp a Tomac win but it says here he will be more competitive this weekend than he has been. Good vibes will be hanging in the air for ET and even if he does not get a start, he can make it work there. I predict a strong performance for Tomac this weekend with either a win or a runner-up ride.

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– Honda’s Chase Sexton makes his return to racing after a crash in Houston while leading the 450SX main. The #23 will be a boost to the series and I think he’ll do something memorable this weekend. I do not know what exactly; maybe win a heat, lead some laps or podium the whole thing? I’m not sure but Sexton will make a splash. You watch!

– Jason Anderson has been getting progressively better since his awful opening round and subsequent finger injury. Now, how much his improvement had to do with the harder packed Orlando track is something we’ll see. I think he’s on the right track to be top five or on the podium at Daytona.

– Marvin Musquin is very good at Daytona – he’s had some hell of good rides there with a couple of 450SX podiums and a win in 250SX. It’s been a hot and cold season for Marv, but he’ll be hot this weekend.

– Dylan Ferrandis was great at Orlando 2 but had just an eleventh to show for it after he had to pull into the mechanics area for mid-race repairs. On this track, with more of an outdoor-ish feel to it, I think Ferrandis really shines. I predict a top five for the Yamaha rider. Yeah, I said it.

– I predict Justin Cooper wins the 250SX West main event. Boring, right? I know. This series is his to lose now with Jeremy Martin out with a shoulder injury. Cooper was not even at one hundred percent at Orlando 2 and he did that. Wait until he gets an extra week of prep for this one.

– I’m not sure what Star Yamaha team owner Bobby Regan said or did to rookies Nate Thrasher and Jarrett Frye in the time since Orlando 2 but I guarantee you it was not good. I’ve heard many stories about how Regan has talked to riders under the Star tent and with both kids underperforming at their first ever supercross, I predict they both come out with better performances than what we saw in Orlando. How much better? I do not know, just better.

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– Garrett Marchbanks does not win this main event like he did last year but he does end up on the podium, which is a good result for him and his team.

– Troll Train will shine this weekend and redeem himself after KO’ing himself last race. That’s what “we” do.

– I think Martin Davalos will fall down at some point in this weekend’s main event. I hate being a negative Nancy here but he’s done it in every single race this year but one. I cannot see how Marty gets through a rough and tumble Daytona track where things change every lap without making a mistake but maybe this is exactly what Marty needs to stay on two wheels!

– I predict that Kyle Chisholm will continue to Chiz, because Chiz will always Chiz. In fact, he might have some extra Chiz happening because he is usually pretty solid at Daytona.

– This one is not tough to predict but Ken Roczen will continue his great season with another great ride. Hey man, I can’t be wrong if I just predict stuff like this!

Thanks for reading!

Words: Steve Matthes | Lead Image: Align With Us

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Matthes on: Alex Nagy

Feel-good story from Orlando.

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There are a lot of cool stories in the pits in the course of a year of Monster Energy Supercross but let’s face it, these days with COVID-19 still affecting everything, things still suck. Although the racing in Orlando was cool, in terms of some fans being there, it’s still not supercross, you know?

In Orlando, we had a cool story going on though. Privateer Alex Nagy made his first ever main event via his third in the 250SX LCQ. Nagy is a privateers privateer, you know? There are guys that are what you would call privateers but they are on teams and sometimes have expenses covered  some guys get everything paid for but not factory help at all and we still call them privateers. The word “privateer” has changed a ton over the years for sure, but there is one thing that’s not in doubt and that’s that Alex Nagy is a privateer.

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Nagy had lined up for 132 races and had made 118 night shows, most of them in the 450SX class. The 250SX East series has been wrecked with injuries so that definitely helped Nagy’s case, but he’s also been riding very well. In Orlando, we saw history!

“I honestly haven’t even kept track of how many night shows or how long,” Nagy told us after the race. “My first year of racing supercross was in 2013, and I did that on a 250. Then every year after, I’ve been in the 450SX class. This is kind of like my first time back in the 250SX class. I’m glad I was finally able to capitalise on a good coast to ride and be able to put it in the main finally.”

Look, once he made the main the rest was gravy, right? Nagy rode pretty well in the 15-minute main event though to end up with a fifteenth on the night. That’s pretty decent for a guy who’s not used to racing that long. Nagy got six points toward ditching his three-digit number and getting one of those two digits that the cool guys get.

Surely Nagy was going to reward himself with some sort of extravagance for his efforts, right?

Nope.

“I’m going to spend the night here. I spent the night here last night. I spent the night in the van the night before, and I’ll probably spend the night in the van tomorrow night too,” he told me. “It’s kind of funny because even in Indy I stayed in the van. I didn’t run it, didn’t use the heat in it and didn’t have a heater. I just had four sleeping bags and I just ground it out.

“Honestly, it sucked. It was cold waking up in the morning. Then when you are kind of cold and then you’ve got to put cold clothes on or cold gear on, that was rough. Like I always say, you don’t even really think about it. It’s just in the past.”

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Nagy spending the time in freezing cold Indianapolis sleeping in his van for rounds four through six is next level. Hey, he loves the sport and it shows!

This is a part of the issue I have with the MXGP series. Yes, there are wildcards out there that some riders can get but it’s not easy to show up at an MXGP and race like it is for riders over here in SX and MX. That’s one of the things, in my opinion, that make motocross great. A guy can get a bike, modify it a bit and line up with the world’s greatest riders. Talent is the separator, not money spent. Nagy has spent time riding in the winter down in California but unfortunately not this year. His program is, how we say, pretty loose!

“I didn’t even have an off-season because I was in Illinois the whole time. All I did was ride. I would ride with a track that was half snow, and then two jumps of dirt. That was all I did. I wasn’t in California. This was the least prepared I’ve been going into a year, and I did the first round on a 450 and was able to get in on it which was sweet. I was stoked on that, to make the night show.

“Then I wanted to do a 250 the whole time, but I didn’t get the bike that I’m riding until the night that I left for Houston. I pretty much just had a brand new 250. I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll race the 450 at the first one and then switch the suspension over.’ I broke the bike in in the parking lot. The first time it ever saw dirt was the practice at Houston 2, which is pretty funny.”

The thing about that is he broke the bike in around the pits and he hadn’t ridden the bike on a track until the first practice at Houston 2! The bike had stock bars, stock grips, a stock head pipe and suspension modified last year. Yet, somehow, five rounds later he’s in the main!

Nagy’s now going to race the much-more competitive 450SX class while the 250SX East series is on hold and I don’t like his chances to make the main there. However, Alex Nagy will be out there sleeping where he can and practicing where he can. Nagy’s enjoying his life and now he’s got that main event on his record. We need more Alex Nagy’s in the pits.

Words: Steve Matthes | Lead Image: Align With Us

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Matthes Report: Ken Roczen

A look at Ken Roczen’s triumphs.

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It’s not too hard to imagine that, although Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen just grabbed his second win in a row in the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross series, he should actually have four wins. He passed Houston 1 winner Justin Barcia a couple of times in the first main of the year and, of course, we all know that lapper Dean Wilson cost him another win.

It’s not a stretch to imagine Roczen with four wins out of five races to start the season and his current points lead being even bigger, right? He has been amazing and on it right from the first round and it’s cool to see; having Roczen healthy, happy and fast in SX is a good thing for the sport.

One of the things I was wrong about, and boy there’s a lot, was Kenny’s adaption to the all-new 2021 Honda CRF450R. The bike barely shares anything with the 2020 model and I’ve seen plenty of riders and teams at the highest levels struggle to figure out new models. The most recent Kawasaki, for example, wasn’t easy for Eli Tomac and the Team Green guys to get a handle on right away. The 2009 Honda. The backwards-motor Yamaha – there could be a book written about trying to get that bike set-up and working right.

The point is that with data acquisition teams are able to get improvements done to the bike but it usually takes a year. Then of course parts and 2021 Honda 450 bikes themselves were late getting to the USA only adding to my thought that this might be a year where the team and Roczen are constantly learning. The fact that Tim Gajser was on it all last year in the MXGP’s probably helped a bit but SX is quite a bit different from MX as we all know.

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We had Roczen on the PulpMX Show on Monday and I asked him about the bike.

“There’s always little things that could be better, but I think ultimately it comes down to the stock bike has to be good from the get-go to be able to start off and not have huge problems,” Roczen said. “Our previous bike was not quite like that – it was a very difficult bike to set up, especially for all different kinds of conditions. We are in a super good spot.

“My bike is very raceable, especially in the conditions that we have had. It’s been rough. It’s been rutty and tacky. I think it will just be that much better even when it gets a little bit more hard-packed. I think we have had the most difficult conditions. I think everybody would agree with that. We are just solid.”

Honda’s had former SX/MX winner Trey Canard aboard to help with the testing the last couple of years and there’s no doubt that he has been a huge help to the team as far as getting a base set-up down so that the team does not waste a lot of time with Roczen testing. He’s able to just focus on himself.

“I’ve said this a few times; this bike is not a revolutionary bike. Honda has done this in the past with big steps like the dual mufflers or the aluminium frame and, although this bike is different, it’s not so different from the previous model. We were never so far off with this bike; it was pretty good the first day we rode SX. We could race it like this. It gave us a good head start on things

The biggest thing for me is there is less rigidity in this frame. At the end of the mains when the ruts are choppy and bumpy, you have to be perfect. This bike makes a difference and the rider can sustain a hard effort. These guys are going fast the whole time. The power is also more usable in more ways.”

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The new “thing” for the factory teams is having someone like Canard, or Ryan Morais at KTM, who is still a great rider, knows how a bike works and can eliminate some directions that the team wants to try. I’ve been there as a mechanic and spent some long days at the test track trying clamps, bearing races, cams, pistons etc. and trying to get through what works and what doesn’t. The riders themselves don’t really enjoy those days. The quicker you can get the testing over, the better. The riders can then focus on putting in laps and getting themselves ready for the season.

“I think the last three years, I’ve learned a lot. At first we would come up with something and he [Roczen] didn’t like it or he didn’t win. The wins for me as a test rider were hit and miss. I’ve gotten to know him better,” Canard says about specifically testing for Roczen.

Yeah, maybe I was off on my take of him figuring out a new bike or maybe Canard has been such a massive help that they have overcome those usual new bike blues. Either way, Roczen looks as good as ever here to start the series. I wondered if Canard himself was surprised at how good the #94 and the new Honda 450 look so far?

“I’m not surprised at how good he looks. The last year and a half, his health has been a struggle. Even the races he did win, it seemed to me he wasn’t happy with the way he rode. He came a long ways since we started SX – we started a bit late due to the nationals going longer. When he took that time off this past summer, I got a sense he would get things sorted and he did.”

That’s the understatement of 2021 so far.

Words: Steve Matthes | Lead Image: Align With Us

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