2021 Pala Pro Motocross Media Day (Updated)

Zach Osborne missed much of the 2021 Supercross series with a back injury. He says the back “is in a good spot now, there is no setback with the back. It doesn’t bother me and doesn’t flare up later in the moto.” However, he admits that the outdoor series will “take me a minute to build into it.” He’s been training and testing in California, which he says, “isn’t my forte.” He added that wearing the number-one plate doesn’t add anymore pressure than usual but “respects the responsibility of wearing the number-one pate, but there is no added pressure.” Photos: Kit Palmer

Supercross Champion Cooper Webb says he hasn’t ridden much outdoors, having instead focused all of his attention on the 2021 Supercross season. He admitted that in the past he’s suffered from the “Supercross hang-over,” which might’ve hampered his performance in the outdoors in previous years, though he sat out last year’s National Championship with an injury. He said, however, that he is “super motivated” for the upcoming outdoor season and “definitely wants to add another trophy to the trophy case,” meaning getting his first 450MX title.

Eli Tomac says he has one goal for the upcoming outdoor season and that’s “to try and win. It sucks losing two number-one plates and I’d like to win at least one of them back.”

Dylan Ferrandis said that the transition to the 450cc class has been “really tough.” But he also said that the last four weeks of outdoor testing has gone well for him. “I’m feeling good on the bike. Everything is okay, and I feel pretty strong.”

Justin Barcia says he is very much looking forward to the outdoor series. He added that the bike is working well and is coming into the championship with a lot of confidence.

Ken Roczen, however, appears to be coming into the championship lacking confidence. “I haven’t ridden motocross in a while and feel a little disconnect [with motocross], not 100 percent compared to the past.” This might have to do with the Honda rider “investing a lot in Supercross the last few years.” He said, however, “I am willing to put my head down and focus, willing to do whatever it takes. I don’t know where we’re at at the moment, but I’m going to be open-minded and learn from the better guys.”

Osborne said that the opening rounds last year at Loretta Lynn’s fit him better than starting out in California.

After feeling he “underachieved” in Supercross this year, Chase Sexton is highly motivated to change that feeling in the outdoors. “We’ve had a good ‘off-season’ [the four-week break between Supercross and motocross].” The Honda HRC Team is racing outdoors for the first time in the U.S. on the new CRF450R and has borrowed some of the suspension settings that World Champion Tim Gajser used last year on the GP circuit. (Gajser raced the new bike in 2020.) It’s “a good setting to start this year.” Regardless, it appears that Sexton is still searching when it comes to suspension settings going into the AMA outdoor Championship.

Former 250MX Champion Aaron Plessinger says he’s extremely excited about the outdoor series. He says he likes the Pala track and is looking forward to a fresh start and show everyone what he is capable of doing.

Jason Anderson looked very fast on the Pala track on media day and seemed to be having the most fun, as well. Anderson appeared loose and comfortable on the bike and comes into the outdoor series riding a wave of confidence from the Supercros series, where he performed well late in the season.

Suzuki is again relying heavily on Brandon Hartranft, Englishman Max Anstie and Adam Enticknap in the outdoors. Anstie (pictured) has a lot of outdoors experience and is looking forward to getting back on the MX tracks after his first full season in 450SX. “[Supercross] was an amazing experience,” said Anstie, who “learned a lot in Supercross.” Anstie showed promise last year in the Nationals. “We’re on the same bike but made some improvements to the suspension, so we know the bike, and it’s good. I’m definitely excited to get going, [motocross] has been what I’ve been doing last 10 years in Europe.”

Marvin Musquin might not be the rider everyone is talking about right now, but that could change. The Red Bull KTM rider should be considered a serious threat for the 450MX Championship. Musquin looked fast at Pala and is desperate to win his first major 450cc title before it is too late for the veteran racer. “I feel like I have good momentum right now,” he said. Musquin recently won the Salt Lake City I Supercross round.

It’s hard to believe that Austin Forkner hasn’t race motocross since 2018, “but I’ve ridden a lot outdoors during all my injuries, just not raced,” he said. “I don’t know where I will fit in, but we will soon see.” After his many injuries since turning pro, Forkner said, “I would say I’m pretty healthy, no lingering injuries.”

RJ Hampshire is returning from injury too, but “I feel like we’re in a good spot, I feel like I should be one of the guys battling for the [250MX] championship.” Since his latest injury that knocked him out of Supercross, “we’ve had four or five weeks testing outdoors and have had plenty of time on the bike.” Hampshire is ready.

Max Vohland is another rider returning from injury, and he, too, is ready to go and is 100-percent fit. “My injury really wasn’t that bad, I was riding three weeks after the crash but decided to start focusing on the outdoors,” said Vohland, whose father, Tallon, is a GP veteran. “MX is what we know and I feel comfortable [outdoors]. I’m shooting for top five [in the motos], if not, then it’s top 10.”

Tomac would like to give Kawasaki one last championship before he jumps ship at the end of the season.

Adam Cianciarulo practiced a lot of starts at Pala. He say’s he’s excited to race again since breaking his collarbone at the Orlando Supercross. However, he still might not be 100 percent, saying, “It [the collarbone] is more sore than we thought [it would be] where they put the plate. My doctor said, ‘you won’t be comfortable all summer long.’ But, I’m excited with the changes we made to the bike and excited to get back [to racing].”

Former 250MX champ Jeremy Martin is hoping to win another title for Yamaha, which he managed to do twice before going to Honda. Now he’s back on Yamaha and anxious to race again. Martin has been sidelined with an injury since his first race on Yamaha this year in Supercross. “I feel like I’m in a pretty good situation,” he said. “I feel good [but] not quite 100 percent. Shoulder injuries are a pain in the butt.” He did say, though, that, “I’m comfortable on the bike, but haven’t done anything this year, just waiting.”

Barcia has been fast outdoors in the past but inconsistency has been his achilles heel. Will this be his year?

“Sitting out [the outdoors] last year lit a fire,” said Cooper Webb. “The field is stacked; have to come out firing.”

Chase Sexton says he’s entering the 450MX Championship more confident than he did last year, which was his first full season on a 450cc.

Christian Craig has moved up to the 450cc class in the outdoor Nationals. The 450cc class is no stranger to Craig who has raced the big bikes many times before. Craig is filling the 450cc spot on the Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha Team vacated by Malcolm Stewart, who had a Supercross-only deal with the team.

250SX West Supercross Champion Colt Nichols hopes to ride that championship wave into the outdoor 250MX Championship.

Justin Cooper has traditionally started off the outdoors on fire then cools off as the series moves on. “I really don’t know why that is,” he said. But he did say that he’s been working on that and hopes to be a championship contender all season, not just at the beginning of the season.

Ken Roczen and Jason Anderson

Eli Tomac

Ken Roczen

Austin Forkner

Honda’s Hunter Lawrence say he’s “100 percent healthy, mentally ready, the body is well and the shoulder is good. I’m really excited to start racing.”

2021 Pala Pro Motocross Media Day (Updated)

Pala Media Day Photo Gallery