Today began with the 11 a.m. press conference hosted by our own Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas, and the Diamond Club was packed with media, sponsors, a few VIP fans, and lots of industry folks. There were also quite a few retired riders on hand, including James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Emig, nine-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli (who was on hand primarily for the Ducati/Troy Lee Designs announcement), Marvin Musquin, both Alex and Jeremy Martin, Zach Osborne, and a few more. The dates for the three SMX Playoffs and Finals were announced. We’re going back to Charlotte for the first one, then St. Louis to the Dome at America’s Center, and we will end the season once again at Las Vegas.

The current contenders all took turns up on the stage, 250 riders first (though an under-the-weather Levi Kitchen was not there today), then the first half of the 450 contenders, then finally the five current or past SX Champions racing tomorrow night: Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, Jason Anderson, Chase Sexton, and Jett Lawrence.

After the presser the current racers were given a couple of short sessions out on the track, and while no one was going full race speed, I have to say that Eli Tomac looked very comfortable and seemed to be having some fun out there. And Jett Lawrence looked very fluid too, I did see Chase Sexton tip over but that was about the extent of the excitement.

Next came the Ducati/Troy Lee Designs announcement and a beautiful Desmo450 MX motorcycle was unveiled that Troy Lee had designed himself. The goal is to have enough bikes produced and in America for early homologation, because they want Cairoli to race it, possibly as soon as RedBud in July! Needless to say, there was a lot of buzz under the TLD tent, especially with the announcement that Factory Connection boss Rick “Ziggy” Zielfelder will be part of the U.S. development.

About the only bad news, besides the fires, was the news that Jalek Swoll had torn his Achilles tendon and will likely miss the entire SX season, and possibly the entire year. The Triumph team acted quickly and sent Stilez Robertson West, alongside Jordon Smith, and also put Austin Forkner in the East.

Needless to say, it was a very busy day at the Big A, and I apologize for this column going up late as a result. But opening day is finally here, in the form of the 83rd AMA Supercross to be held here in Anaheim. And it should be a great one! Here’s the broadcast schedule:

To pick up a souvenir program while at the traces, visit the Legends and Heroes tent in the pits at each round to get a free souvenir program.

And here’s the whole presser if you want to see it all:

And our RAW coverage of the riding sessions:

And Josh Gagnon's (@alwaysbelieve331) countdown to A1 continues...

IT'S HERE! (Matthes)

Anaheim 1 is tomorrow and finally, people in the media like myself can stop talking about what is gonna happen and start talking about what did happen. It’s always an exciting time. I usually think about my own experience as a mechanic around Anaheim 1 and just how much damn work it was. Like, those guys are the heroes, everyone involved with the teams are wide open this time of the year. Thankfully, A1 was pushed back one week later than usual so these guys maybe got to have Christmas off?

Last season we had so many questions about the 450 class, like how would Chase Sexton adapt to the new KTM, how was the rookie kid from Australia going to do (well, two of them actually), could Eli Tomac be as good as usual after his Achilles tendon injury, and so on. This year is a little more settled. We KNOW Jett's awesome, ET is close to his old form, and Sexton, well, he wasn't as good on the KTM as he was on the Honda. So, we're looking for the edges now—which riders can get that 0.2 a lap gain, which guys, like Jason Anderson, get a contract for next year, and things like that. I guess we'll see if Hunter Lawrence can continue that late SX season surge he had into last year into this year. Last year at the opening five or six rounds he was racing with Dylan Ferrandis closer to tenth than to the front, and by the end of the year he was leading laps and almost beating his brother. So yeah, Hunter Lawrence is an interesting guy to watch I suppose.

In the 250's, it's gonna be a battle royale with Deegs and Levi Kitchen with some appearances from Jordon Smith, Garrett Marchbanks, and a few others. Could we get a Michael Mosiman rise from the dead also?

IT'S. GO. TIME. (Jason Thomas)

Anaheim is here! The long wait has ended, and we are ready to rock and roll for another season of the SuperMotocross World Championship. For most of the world, this is like Christmas morning with unlimited upside and not a lot to worry about. For riders, it’s a stressful, nauseating experience. The points given out are the same as every other Monster Energy AMA Supercross round, but it certainly doesn't feel that way. It feels like the weight of the world is sitting on every contender's shoulders. It's mostly because of the long layoff that seems to build anticipation to the sky. The amount of work and effort exerted by everyone involved in a program looks to Anaheim as a payoff when realistically, it's just another Saturday.

The incredibly hard yet still ideal approach to this round is similar to how an NFL quarterback would want to approach a big game. Throw a touchdown on the first throw? Don't get too cocky because you're going to be back out there in no time. Throw a pick six on the first drive and feel like you lost the game already? Don't get too down because the team is depending on you to bounce back. Anaheim takes this same dynamic. It's one round but if riders let it dictate their entire psyche and pretend it’s the ultimate predictor of the season, they're likely wrong in their assumption. Take it for what it is. If things go well, just smile and look to San Diego for continuation. If things go completely awry, spend the evening and possibly Sunday assessing the why, but make the next week a pathway to righting the ship. Allowing negative thoughts to permeate can drag into multiple weekends and simply cannot be allowed to take root. Have a short memory and keep it moving. 

In talking to a few Anaheim legends, namely Jeremy McGrath, an interesting approach was revealed. MC said that instead of letting his mind dwell on all of the pressure-filled aspects, he tried to lean into the "Showtime" parts of his persona. He would make sure his gear, helmet, and even hairstyle were a huge storyline. That would capture the questions and attention span of he and others. Instead of asking if he could win another title, pundits would ask about the snazzy lights on his helmet and the bleach blonde hairdo he arrived with. Was it deflecting? Sure, but it was strategic deflecting. Anything he could do to allow the race to take care of itself without finding yourself in a never-ending thought loop was considered a win. The race always has and always will happen whether or not you endlessly dwell on an outcome that no one can predict. 

The most ideal yet highly unlikely result is to soak in the experience and enjoy a fleeting time in a rider's life. One day, they are going to wake up and be in their 40's, and this racing life will be a memory. The competitive side of their life will wane. They'll realize that they lived their dream. Everything they longed for as a child came to fruition and they traveled the world chasing this incredible sport. They'll wish they slowed down, enjoyed the moment, and realized that a bad result isn't a death knell. They'll wish they could feel the adrenaline and endorphin rush when that 30 second board goes up. They'll miss the things they hate and realize the magic was in the hardest of moments. One day, they'll look back on mornings they dreaded and wish they could do it all again. Ask me how I know.

BLAIR/MATTHES PROJECT (Matthes)

I teamed up with Daniel Blair to do a weekly show about SX/MX for the YouTubes and the podcasts of the world. Here's episode one.

PULPMX FANTASY (Matthes)

We're back with PulpMX Fantasy and if you live in a state that allows it, have some fun playing this year! We give away four Yamahas, weekly and season ending prizes, and more. Want a reason to cheer for guys like Max Miller, Cade Clason, and more? We're giving it to you! Honestly, you don't even have to be good at the game to win the random draw of the YZ450F!

Sign Up Now

Hey, Watch It!

Simon Cudby headed to the Kawasaki test track south of Corona, CA next to the 15 freeway to film with Jason Anderson and Jorge Prado. Also getting in some final laps before A1 were Pro Circuit's Cameron McAdoo and Garrett Marchbanks.

Weege From Home: I Hired Justin Rodbell To Fix My HVAC! | Can You Race and Work a Job?

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week  

“A Waymo robotaxi and a Serve delivery robot collided in Los Angeles”—Tech Crunch 

"Ozzy Osbourne Says He Used To Have To Drink 28 GALLONS Of Alcohol To Get Through The Holidays With His Family"—Barstool Sports

"Kim Jong Un Has Banned Hot Dogs, People Caught With Hot Dogs Will Be Thrown in North Korean Labor Camp"—Barstool Sports

Random Notes

Off-Road Travel TV will make its world-wide debut January 12 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT on MAVTV. In the first episode of the all-new 30-minute show, the crew goes camping with Michael Laddenand in his amazing Drive the Globe expedition rig. Then Ken Faught heads to Utah to go on an amazing three-day tour with Speed & Sport Adventures, considered the best dirt bike tour company in America. The show concludes with a preview of Off-Road Travel TV’s incredible 48-day Alaskan adventure and a look at our amazing purpose-built Toyota Tundra and 4Runners. Help spread the word. #adventure #explore #travel #dirtbikes #adventurebikes #utvs #advs #jeep #4x4 #expeditionrigs #offroad

(LOGO)

Looking for a cool Dual Sport Adventure Ride? Check out the one coming up in March in Wickenburg, Arizona:

Exit Tours Motorcycle Club Adventure Ride

Sorry this was rushed, but it’s been a very busy day. Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races.