Five Things To Look For In The East: MX2 Class

1. Austin Politelli

 So far in the 2013 Monster Energy Motocross Nationals this guy has been on an absolute tear in the MX2 class. Politelli’s smooth and effortless riding style served him well at the western tracks, and since the eastern tracks are going to be even rougher, we’re sure he will continue to do just fine. With his main rival, Kaven Benoit, now out for the remainder of the season with an injury, Politelli will continue to be the man to beat.

 Also in his favour is the fact that in years past he has excelled on sandy tracks. Since Politelli is on the tall side, he is able to maneuver his bike over the huge bumps that always seem to form on a sand track, not to mention that he’s a rider that likes to stand up a lot, so his style is definitely suited to the sand. Look for Austin Politelli to be very tough to beat in the east.

 2. Two-Stroke Invasion

 As we saw in the western rounds, a few MX2 riders have chosen to ride two-strokes. The most prominent was Shawn Maffenbeier but he didn’t make it through the first round as he broke his collarbone in Nanaimo. It will be interesting to see how Maffenbeier fares now that he is healthy and is clearly very motivated to show everyone just how fast he is.

 There are other riders to watch on two-strokes. First is KTM rider Liam O’Farrell, who has been ripping on the local Ontario circuit so far this season. Michigan rider Jerry Lorenz will also be lining up on a two-stroke, and since he is from Michigan, you know he is a very accomplished sand rider. Finally the wild car on a two-stroke will no doubt be Ontario Intermediate rider Dylan Wright. In the last month this kid has been on fire on the local Ontario scene beating established Pros like Kyle Keast, Liam O’Farrell and Richard Grey. He will be riding a Yamaha YZ 250. Since he is just beaming with confidence at the moment, look for this kid to turn some heads in the east. Since all of these riders are capable of running inside the top ten in the MX2 class, this class will certainly being sounding different than in years past.

 3. Who Will Step Up?

 If Austin Politelli continues his dominant ways in the east, who do you think will win the battle for second? There are a number of riders who have been riding very well so far in the 2013 MX2 Series, riders like Topher Ignalls, who, other than Politelli, has been the fastest MX2 rider so far. While he had a little bad luck in the west, look for him to let it all hang out in the remaining five rounds.

 Another rider is Brad Nauditt. This kid has been the picture of consistency in the west. If it wasn’t for one bad moto, he would be close to Politelli in the points race. Nauditt has been training hard. With the eastern tracks being rough and the temperatures high, to be successful you’ll need to be fit.

 Finally, one rider who might be near the front is Blake Savage. Blake injured his wrist before the series even began but he has somehow been gutting it out at each round. With a few weeks rest under his belt, Savage should be back up to speed. We believe that his speed is good enough to win motos. Let’s hope all of these riders find another gear in the remaining five rounds to help make this MX2 battle a memorable one.

 4. Did Not Finish

 Number four on our list is the dreaded DNF in the MX2 class. With three of the final five rounds taking place on rough sand tracks combined with the humid temperatures, this can be very hard on the machines. With the 250F motorcycles running hot and at high RPMs for the duration of the long motos, DNFs may be more common than they were in the west. This issue may also be an advantage for the two-strokes as these bikes are usually more reliable than the 250 four-strokes. Either way, we hope the racing is good and that a DNF doesn’t decide any position in the final points standings.

 5. New to the Series

 As with the rounds out west where a few riders chose to ride the first four rounds because they live in the west, usually the same happens in the east. We already mentioned Jerry Lorenz from Michigan as one of the new riders who may play the role of the spoiler. Another name that has come up is Jimmy Decotis, but he injured his wrist so he may not be making an appearance until later in the series.

 Other names to watch out for are Jesse Wentland, who finished very well last weekend at Red Bud, and James Roberts who is another American who will be in the mix on Sunday at Gopher Dunes. Finally, Ontario’s own Nicky Beatty will be lining up for his first Canadian National of the year this weekend. Beatty has been racing in the USA all winter so we’re sure he is ready to go. The speed and length of a national moto will be no surprise to him. With all the mentioned riders, the MX2 class in the east has a very deep field and could provide the best racing of the season.