We shut our eyes, and one other yr goes by.… Welcome to Racerhead, for the final time in 2022. Tomorrow is New 12 months’s Eve, after which we start a complete new spin across the solar and name it 2023. There’s tons to stay up for, first up being the Anaheim Supercross opener, adopted by what everybody helps can be a protected, entertaining, and aggressive season of Monster Power AMA Supercross, the ’23 AMA Professional Motocross Championships, and the model new SuperMotocross World Championship. We’ve made it by way of the low season with just about everybody wholesome, which suggests a complete bunch of men can be going into Anaheim with a powerful probability of successful. No actual “December Surprises” means we don’t have plenty of information occurring proper now, as everybody is concentrated on getting themselves and their bikes sorted earlier than subsequent Saturday night time.
It has been a quiet week, because it normally is between Christmas and New 12 months’s, so there’s not a lot to report right here. I’ve been engaged on our annual year-end requiem, The Lives They Lived, the place we keep in mind a few of the moto mates and figures we misplaced within the final 12 months. That can go up tomorrow afternoon. It is by no means a simple factor to drag collectively, however it’s an annual reminder of each how fortunate we’re to be concerned on this sport, in addition to what a merciless factor this sport will be.
Looking forward to 2023, on Sunday, January 1 at 5 p.m. Jap/2 p.m. Pacific, the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) preview present will air on NBC and Peacock. The present will preview the storylines and updates on the highest stars of the game forward of the brand new season. Defending 450 SX/MX Champion Eli Tomac of the Monster Power Yamaha Star Racing squad can be searching for his third 450SX title, which might additionally make him the primary back-to-back title winner since Pink Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey did it in 2016–’17. Jason Anderson, final yr’s runner-up, can be searching for his second SX title, and Cooper Webb his third. Nobody else within the subject has ever been a 450SX Champion. Ken Roczen can be making an attempt to seize Suzuki its first SX title since Ricky Carmichael in 2006, and Honda’s Chase Sexton and Colt Nichols can be making an attempt to get their model its first AMA 450 title since Carmichael’s ’04 Professional Motocross romp. There’s additionally a quick slew of sophistication newcomers that features Nichols, Christian Craig, and ultimately Justin Cooper and Jett Lawrence, plus some quick veterans like Malcolm Stewart, Justin Barcia, Marvin Musquin, and Malcolm Stewart. And that’s simply the 450 class. You can begin getting psyched for the season by watching Sunday’s preview present on both NBC or Peacock at 5 p.m. Jap, in addition to all the preview exhibits from Weege, Matthes, Jason Thomas, Kellen, and Keefer.
As a result of these guys all work so exhausting on the present, whereas additionally finishing the 2023 Monster Power Supercross Memento Yearbook (which is lastly again!), in addition to the newest situation of Racer X journal (with a first-time cowl look for a rider that you will notice subsequent week), they’re all on quick preseason vacation trip, so I’ve received Racerhead all to myself!
Completely happy New 12 months, everybody—see you on the races in 2023!
