Taking Shape
You can’t always rely on the season opener for meaningful data on how the season is going to take shape. Guys are still getting used to their outdoor setups, the physical requirements are different than supercross, and there are plenty of first-round jitters to deal with. But now that we’ve got one round out of the way, at Hangtown we should start seeing the beginning of trends that will morph into season-long storylines. -Aaron Hansel
Even Faster?
It’s weird to see a guy be unhappy after winning a moto, but then again, when you’re Jett Lawrence and you’ve never lost a 450 moto, the bar is pretty high. Lawrence felt as though his bike wasn’t working right, and even though he’d just won, he was focused on improving his machine. That’s a scary thought for the competition, because if Lawrence is able to go even faster, it’s going to take a Herculean effort from the competition to break his winning streak. -Hansel
The Kitchen and Deegs Show
Some of the best racing all day was between Levi Kitchen and Haiden Deegan in the 250 Class. There was tight racing, a track marker somehow got lodged in Kitchen’s boot, Deegan almost got penalized for going off the track, and there was even a bit of trash talk after the first moto. It was monumentally entertaining, and if we’re lucky, these two will put on another performance like this at Hangtown. -Hansel
![Kitchen and Deegan]()
Kitchen and Deegan Align Media ![Kitchen and Deegan]()
Kitchen and Deegan Align Media
Solid Start
Third place is great, right? It’s a solid start to the season in a pretty deep field of competitors in the 250 Class, right? Right. But, if you’re Tom Vialle you’re probably looking at other stats too, like finishing nearly 20 seconds behind Deegan in the first moto and almost 40 seconds back in the second. Those are pretty startling margins, especially for a world champ. Can Vialle be relevant in the fight for moto wins at Hangtown? -Hansel
- Motocross
Hangtown Motocross Classic
Saturday, June 1- QualifyingLiveJune 1 - 1:00 PM
- QualifyingLiveJune 1 - 1:00 PM
- MotosLiveJune 1 - 4:00 PM
- MotosLiveJune 1 - 4:00 PM
- Motos (Re-Air)June 3 - 2:00 AM
The Fill-In
Ty Masterpool is supremely talented on a motorcycle, so it was pretty exciting when it was announced he’d gotten a fill-in ride at Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Things didn’t go great at Fox Raceway, unfortunately, where Masterpool had some crashes in the first moto and ended up going 24-10 for 15th overall. On the other hand, he had almost no time on the bike and was used to the 450 he’d been riding until late last week. With some testing and additional time on the bike, Masterpool should be much better at Hangtown. -Hansel
Everyone’s Favorite Cowboy
Aaron Plessinger has really become a fan favorite in recent years, and when he came out of the gate hard and went after Jett Lawrence in the first moto last Saturday the crowd was eating it up. He ended up third in the moto, but unfortunately got caught in a first-turn pileup in the second moto, which relegated him to 12th (eighth overall), but still, it was a great performance. Will Plessinger give the fans at Hangtown a reason to get loud for him this weekend? -Hansel
Old Man Strength
Seeing Phil Nicoletti come out and battle up front in the second moto at Fox Raceway wasn’t exactly what anyone expected, including Nicoletti most likely, but that’s exactly what happened. He didn’t just roll over either, he went at it and even shut the door on Chase Sexton a few times! If Nicoletti can get out of the gate well at Hangtown, will he put some more old man strength on display? -Hansel
Better Odds
Considering Jett Lawrence has never lost an overall at Fox Raceway, if someone is going to beat him in 2024, chances were slim that they would do it at that track. A track where he somehow manages to ride effortlessly when everyone else struggles. He has been beat in the 250MX class at Hangtown before though, so maybe (that is a very big MAYBE) someone will be able to dethrone him here. -Sarah Whitmore
Spectacular Ride
Hunter Lawrence put in one heck of a rookie ride at Fox Raceway, going 2-3 for 2nd overall. Towards the end of supercross, Hunter said that he would not want to take points away from his brother Jett during his championship run. However, with the start of a new series you can bet Hunter won’t be offering up any gifts if the chance to win is presented to him. Could we end up seeing a new winner with the same last name? -Whitmore
Old Man’s Still Got It
Joey Savatgy was second fastest in qualifying at Fox Raceway, and was fifth the first moto, right behind Chance Hymas, who finished right behind Tom Vialle in third. Before this weekend Joey had not lined up behind a gate since Arlington 2023. Now that he has dusted the cobwebs off, could he make a charge for the podium this weekend? -Whitmore
