Good day, and welcome to 2023! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy weekend while you sat back and watched the arrival of the new year. As we head into 2023, we have a lot to be excited about both here in Canada as well as in the USA, and right across the globe. I am told that the 2023 Triple Crown Series schedule will be released in the next week, so we’ll be looking forward to that. A few weeks ago, the FIM World Supercross Championship released its 2023 schedule, and if all goes as planned, there will be a round in Vancouver, BC in the fall. Finally, in California, this is the most exciting week in our sport as the gate drops on the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Series this weekend in Anaheim. Saturday at Angel Stadium will also kick off the new Super Motocross World Championships. This 31-round series will see the SX and MX series combined, along with a three-race playoff in the fall to decide an overall champion. If you’re a true fan of this sport, then you’ll love this new series as it means more racing and more chances to see your favourite rider(s) on the race track.
If you’re a rider, especially a top rider, I’m not sure if you’re completely sold on more racing throughout the calendar year and/or the added risk. There isn’t a sport on the planet that demands more training and more practicing at game speed than Supercross/Motocross, and even in recent weeks, we’ve seen more mid-week crashes caused by bike failure than ever before. To be race ready for Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, you have to train at race pace during the week, and at some point, the odds catch up with you. Before this new series was announced, I’m sure every top rider would say that less racing was at the top of their wish list for the future season. Now they have more racing, and if you look at it from a risk vs. reward scenario, the added purse and added bonuses only come after more risk, and that seems unfair. With ten months of racing ahead, I can see this first season being very entertaining, as the riders will be excited at the possibility of making more money. However, with a shorter off-season than ever before, how physically and mentally fresh are the riders and teams going to be for year two and beyond of this new schedule? It’s going to be interesting to see how it all works out, especially if the FIM World Supercross Championships continue to grow each year, as that will no doubt keep the pressure on this new series Stateside to keep evolving. It’s too bad that in less than a year, these two series have become fierce competitors as there is a need for both in our sport. Obviously, the SuperMotocross Series in the USA is where the top riders are contracted to race but also having them race in various countries around the globe is undoubtedly a good thing. There’s a reason why other USA-based sports have a game or two each season in other countries. Regardless of what sport it is, fans in every part of the world want to see their favourite athletes compete live. Anyway, this week it’s all about Anaheim as fans worldwide will be focused on what happens Saturday evening at Angel Stadium.
So what do you think is going to happen this weekend in Anaheim? Will Justin Barcia once again find his opening-round vibe and take the win? Will Ken Roczen repeat what he did last year and take an easy victory, only this time on a Suzuki? Will Eli Tomac continue to assert his dominance in SX and give Yamaha their first win on the all-new 2023 YZ450F? All three scenarios could play out inside Angel Stadium this Saturday on what will be the most technical opening round track we’ve seen in years. However, if I were a betting man, I would lean more towards Chase Sexton or Jason Anderson taking the Anaheim 1 win. Both are coming off very good 2022 seasons, and also both riders are on pretty much the same equipment they were on last year. Also, both Sexton and Anderson learned last year that to beat Tomac; you have to be aggressive and score as many points as you can early in the series before he starts to find his groove. I know we say this every year, but the 450SX field is deeper this year then it’s ever been as so many riders are healthy, fit, and ready to win races. Like everyone, I cannot wait for the gate to drop on Saturday night.
In the 250SX West class, we’re going to have a couple of Canadian riders to cheer for as Cole Thompson and Julien Benek are scheduled to line up. Thompson, as you know, is entering Anaheim 1 better prepared than anyone in the 250SX West class, as he’s fresh off the Australian SX Series just a few weeks ago. Is there any better preparation than racing? Cole looks good on his Heartbeat Hot Sauce Team Solitaire Yamaha, and I would not be the least bit surprised if he challenges for a top-five finish this weekend. As for Benek, he’s coming off yet another injury, so I’m not sure if he’ll be 100% or not come Saturday. It might be a case of him trying to improve at each round and gaining more and more confidence as the series goes along. I love that Julien is racing SX though, as he’s just so darn talented, and if he can remain healthy, then these races will no doubt help him prepare for the Triple Crown Series later this summer.
So SX is back this weekend, and if you still need to purchase your International Video Pass, here is the link. SuperMotoCross Video Pass – Stream All Things SuperMotoCross. Also, the Motorcycle Show is back this weekend at the International Centre near the Toronto Airport. This is the first time this popular show has taken place since 2020 so it should be fun. Finally, look for an announcement this week regarding some changes taking place here at MXP Magazine. I’m very excited about the future of MXP and cannot wait to let everyone know later this week. That’s it for me this week. Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year to everyone! If you have any questions or comments, please email me at chris@mxpmag.com.