THIS WEEK IN

M AY 2 7

450 STORYLINES FOX RACEWAY - PALA, CA

ELI TOMAC: CHASE SEXTON: DYLAN FERRANDIS: JETT LAWRENCE:

The defending 450 Class
Champion will miss the entirety
of the summer after he suffered
a season-ending injury while
leading the Monster Energy
Supercross standings. His 4
career titles are second-most
in history, while his 32 wins are
third all time.
Last season’s 450 Class
runner-up enters the summer
on the heels of a breakthrough
championship in Monster Energy
Supercross. Combined with his
performance a year ago, he’s the
proverbial title favorite. He earned
4 wins in 2022.
Adversity has plagued the 2021
titleholder since he captured the
450 Class crown. He’s started
just 16 of the past 46 races
(34%) across Monster Energy
Supercross and Pro Motocross,
but is healthy and determined
coming into the summer.
By capping off his 250cc career
with 4 consecutive titles, the
Aussie phenom has generated
considerable attention for his
graduation into the 450cc
division, which begins this
summer. All eyes will be on how
quickly he adapts to the sport’s
highest level. He won back-to-
back 250 Class titles in 2021 &
2022.

450 CLASS FOX RACEWAY FACTS

HISTORY LESSON:
The Pro Motocross Championship first visited what was then
Pala Raceway in 2010, when Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey swept both
motos for the 10th win of his title-winning rookie season. It was
the season finale and Dungey had already clinched the title weeks
before in Southwick. The track also hosted the finale in 2011 when
Dungey was 14-points behind Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto going into
the race. Dungey won the overall on his Suzuki with a 2-1 result,
but Villopoto’s 1-3 effort was enough for him to clinch the title by
12-points.
RETURN AS FOX RACEWAY:
Pro Motocross didn’t return to Pala until 2019, re-branded as
Fox Raceway at Pala. It was the second race of the season and
Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac nabbed his first of 6 wins with a 1-1 sweep
on the way to his third straight 450 Class title. The following season,
Chase Sexton nabbed his first ever Pro Motocross victory (he never
won in the 250 Class) in the 450 Class during the 2020 season
finale. Dylan Ferrandis also earned his first 450 Class win at Fox
Raceway during the 2021 season opener riding for Yamaha.
DOUBLING UP:
Fox Raceway is one of just 3 venues to host multiple races in a
single season. It was the first to do so in non-consecutive races
with the opening and penultimate rounds of the 2021 season.
Loretta Lynn’s and RedBud were the first venues to host multiple
races in a season when both held back-to-back rounds in 2020. In
2022 Fox Raceway hosted the opener and finale, which is the only
time that has occurred in MX history. This year’s 450 Class race at
Fox Raceway will be the ninth at the venue, which will host only the
opening round.
CHAMPIONSHIP AND OPENER %:
The winner of the 450 Class at Fox Raceway has also won the
title in 4 of 6 seasons (66%). The winner of the 450 Class season
opener has gone on to win the title in just over half of the 450 Class
seasons (26 of 51). In the now defunct 500cc division the opening
race winner won the title in 13 of 22 seasons (59%). Adding in
250 Class title percentage, the winner of the season opener has a
combined title percentage of 50% all-time in Pro Motocross history
(61 of 122).

450 MANUFACTURER & RACER WINS AT FOX RACEWAY

MANUFACTURER WINS RACER WINS FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Overall Wins Overall Wins Chase Sexton: 2020

(Years Won) (Years Won)

Yamaha: 2 1) Eli Tomac: 3

Dylan Ferrandis: 2021
(2021, 2022) (2019, 2021, 2022)
Honda: 2 2) Ryan Dungey: 2
—
(2020, 2022) (2010, 2011)
Kawasaki: 2 2) Chase Sexton: 2
—
(2019, 2021) (2020, 2022)
Suzuki: 2 4) Dylan Ferrandis: 1
—
(2010, 2011) (2021)

— — —

Moto Wins Moto Wins —

(Last Moto Win) (Last Moto Win)

Kawasaki: 5 (2021) 1) Eli Tomac: 6 (2022) —

Yamaha: 4 (2022) 2) Chase Sexton: 3 (2022) —

Honda: 4 (2022) 2) Ryan Dungey: 3 (2011) —

Suzuki: 3 (2011) 4) Dylan Ferrandis: 2 (2021) —

— 5) Ken Roczen: 1 (2021) —

— 5) Ryan Villopoto: 1 (2011) —

PAST 450 WINNERS AT FOX RACEWAY (Moto Finishes)

2010: Ryan Dungey (1-1), Suzuki 2021: Dylan Ferrandis (1-3), Yamaha

2011: Ryan Dungey (2-1), Suzuki 2021: Eli Tomac (2-1), Kawasaki

2019: Eli Tomac (1-1), Kawasaki 2022: Chase Sexton (1-1), Honda

2020: Chase Sexton (3-1), Honda 2022: Eli Tomac (1-1), Yamaha

250 STORYLINES FOX RACEWAY - PALA, CA

JEREMY MARTIN: JO SHIMODA: HUNTER LAWRENCE: JUSTIN COOPER:

The most senior member of the
250 Class is the lone former
champion in the field. Martin has
83 career starts with 20 career
victories (4th all time) and 46
career podiums (2nd all time). His
last start came at Round 10 of
the 2021 season.
The Japanese rider enjoyed
a breakthrough season last
summer en-route to a runner-
up finish in the championship.
Continued consistency could
make him a title contender once
again, coming off 2 wins and 9
podium finishes last year.
Despite back-to-back third-place
finishes the past 2 seasons we’ve
yet to see the best of the elder
Lawrence in Pro Motocross.
He has just 1 career win in 41
career starts, with 13 podiums.
A maiden title in Monster Energy
Supercross has confidence
running high for the Aussie
entering the summer.
In what is poised to be his final
250 Class season, it’s all-in for
Cooper in 2023 as he chases
his first career national title. He’s
been arguably the class’ most
consistent rider since he went full
time in 2018, with 4 wins and 31
podium finishes in 57 starts and
just 5 finishes outside the top 10.

250 CLASS FOX RACEWAY FACTS

HISTORY LESSON:
The Pro Motocross Championship first visited what was then Pala
Raceway in 2010, when Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson swept both motos
for the second overall win of his rookie season. It was the season
finale and Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel held a 7-point lead over
Honda’s Trey Canard going into the race. Pourcel crashed out of the
race in the first moto, which handed the title to Canard, who went
4-3 for third on the day. Wilson also swept the 2011 finale on a
Kawasaki, one week after he clinched his first career title at
Steel City.
RETURN AS FOX RACEWAY:
Pro Motocross didn’t return to Pala until 2019, re-branded as Fox
Raceway at Pala. It was the second race of the season, which saw
Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo earn his second of an eventual 6
victories on the way to his first 250 Class title. It signified the first
time a manufacturer swept the win in both classes at Fox Raceway,
a feat that has been duplicated twice by Honda, in 2020 and
2022. Only one rider has stood atop the 250 Class podium at Fox
Raceway since then.
MATCHING THE GOAT:
Jett Lawrence will go down as one of the most successful 250cc
riders of all-time with 27 career SMX wins and 4 titles, won
consecutively across Pro Motocross and Supercross from 2021-
2023. After 17 combined SMX starts, Lawrence earned his first
career win at the 2020 season finale from Fox Raceway, which
started a string of 5 straight wins at the venue, where he’s won 7
of 10 motos during his unbeaten streak. Ricky Carmichael is the
only other rider in the history of Pro Motocross to earn 5 or more
consecutive wins at a single venue. In the 450 Class Carmichael
won 8 in-a-row at Budds Creek, Spring Creek, and Southwick; 7
in-a-row at RedBud; 6 in-a-row at High Point; and 5 in-a-row at
Steel City. Lawrence is the only rider to hold that distinction in the
250 Class.
CHAMPIONSHIP AND OPENER %:
The winner of the 250 Class at Fox Raceway has also won the
title in 4 of 6 seasons (66%). The winner of the 250 Class season
opener has gone on to win the title in 22 of 49 seasons (45%) and
each of the past four seasons.

250 MANUFACTURER & RACER WINS AT FOX RACEWAY

MANUFACTURER WINS RACER WINS FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Overall Wins Overall Wins Jett Lawrence: 2020

(Years Won) (Years Won)

Honda: 5 1) Jett Lawrence: 5

—
(2020, 2021 x2, 2022 x2) (2020, 2021 x2, 2022 x2)
Kawasaki: 3 2) Dean Wilson: 2
—
(2010, 2011, 2019) (2010, 2011)
3) Adam Cianciarulo: 1
— —
(2019)
Moto Wins — —
(Last Moto Win)

Moto Wins
Honda: 8 (2022) —
(Last Moto Win)

Kawasaki: 6 (2022) 1) Jett Lawrence: 7 (2022) —

Yamaha: 2 (2021) 2) Dean Wilson: 4 (2011) —

— 3) Jeremy Martin: 2 (2021) —

— 4) Justin Cooper: 1 (2019) —

— 4) Adam Cianciarulo: 1 (2019) —

— 4) Jo Shimoda: 1 (2022) —

PAST 250 WINNERS AT FOX RACEWAY (Moto Finishes)

2010: Dean Wilson (1-1), Kawasaki 2021: Jett Lawrence (2-1), Honda

2011: Dean Wilson (1-1), Kawasaki 2021: Jett Lawrence (1-1), Honda

2019: Adam Cianciarulo (3-1), Kawasaki 2022: Jett Lawrence (1-1), Honda

2020: Jett Lawrence (1-2), Honda 2022: Jett Lawrence (1-2), Honda