I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and that got me thinking. In what order will riders start retiring and when?
I'm sure Tomac will be first, that's a given but besides him, there are the following riders near the end of their career. The riders below add a lot of flavor to the field and I don't see any current 250 riders that appear to have the personality or riding style to fill the voids of those who will be gone soon.
It's going to be a bummer to see any of these riders hang it up but I'm afraid it's not too far away for some to start clocking out. Who will retire first, who will last the longest, etc.? Has there ever been this many stars of the sport who could possibly be retiring around the same time? Usually it's one or two riders but we could be looking at several riders retiring at the same, or close to the same time in the near future. Hopefully I'm wrong and they all continue for several years to come.
Name - Age
- Eli Tomac 31
- Jason Anderson 30
- Justin Barcia 31
- Ken Roczen 29
- Cooper Webb 28
- Dylan Ferrandis 29
- Malcolm Stewart 31
- Dean Wilson 32
- Adam Cianciarulo 27
----
Edit: Added Deano and AC to the list along with ages.
I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and...I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and that got me thinking. In what order will riders start retiring and when?
I'm sure Tomac will be first, that's a given but besides him, there are the following riders near the end of their career. The riders below add a lot of flavor to the field and I don't see any current 250 riders that appear to have the personality or riding style to fill the voids of those who will be gone soon.
It's going to be a bummer to see any of these riders hang it up but I'm afraid it's not too far away for some to start clocking out. Who will retire first, who will last the longest, etc.? Has there ever been this many stars of the sport who could possibly be retiring around the same time? Usually it's one or two riders but we could be looking at several riders retiring at the same, or close to the same time in the near future. Hopefully I'm wrong and they all continue for several years to come.
Name - Age
- Eli Tomac 31
- Jason Anderson 30
- Justin Barcia 31
- Ken Roczen 29
- Cooper Webb 28
- Dylan Ferrandis 29
- Malcolm Stewart 31
- Dean Wilson 32
- Adam Cianciarulo 27
----
- Colt Nichols 29 (30 in March)
- Kyle Chisholm 36
- Phil Nicoletti 34 (35 in March)
- Christian Craig 32
- RJ Hampshire 28
- Jordon Smith 28 (29 on February 5th)
- Aaron Plessinger 28
- Shane McElrath 29
- Fredrik Noren 31 (32 in March)
- Vince Friese 33
- Mitchell Oldenburg 29
- Jeremy Martin 30
- Max Anstie 30 (31 in April)
Edit: Added Deano and AC to the list along with ages.
No need for any of them to retire anytime soon , they all capable of winning atm.
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I feel if Kenny were to win the sx title, he would pull the pin the next day.
I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and...I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and that got me thinking. In what order will riders start retiring and when?
I'm sure Tomac will be first, that's a given but besides him, there are the following riders near the end of their career. The riders below add a lot of flavor to the field and I don't see any current 250 riders that appear to have the personality or riding style to fill the voids of those who will be gone soon.
It's going to be a bummer to see any of these riders hang it up but I'm afraid it's not too far away for some to start clocking out. Who will retire first, who will last the longest, etc.? Has there ever been this many stars of the sport who could possibly be retiring around the same time? Usually it's one or two riders but we could be looking at several riders retiring at the same, or close to the same time in the near future. Hopefully I'm wrong and they all continue for several years to come.
Name - Age
- Eli Tomac 31
- Jason Anderson 30
- Justin Barcia 31
- Ken Roczen 29
- Cooper Webb 28
- Dylan Ferrandis 29
- Malcolm Stewart 31
- Dean Wilson 32
- Adam Cianciarulo 27
----
- Colt Nichols 29 (30 in March)
- Kyle Chisholm 36
- Phil Nicoletti 34 (35 in March)
- Christian Craig 32
- RJ Hampshire 28
- Jordon Smith 28 (29 on February 5th)
- Aaron Plessinger 28
- Shane McElrath 29
- Fredrik Noren 31 (32 in March)
- Vince Friese 33
- Mitchell Oldenburg 29
- Jeremy Martin 30
- Max Anstie 30 (31 in April)
Edit: Added Deano and AC to the list along with ages.
No need for any of them to retire anytime soon , they all capable of winning atm.
I agree 100%. I hope they don't retire anytime soon.
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Justin Barcia will probably retire this year Eli will retire when he figures out what to do when he retires The rest won’t for a...Justin Barcia will probably retire this year
Eli will retire when he figures out what to do when he retires
The rest won’t for a few years.
Did something change with Barcia? He recently said he wanted to keep going after his contact(which expires after 2025 btw not this year).
you forgot AC...
I was originally thinking of riders who will retire based on their age but you're right. I've added him and Deano
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
My Guess is Tomac and Roczen Will retire first.
AC and Craig Will go to a 2nd tier team if they keep racing.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
That's not how I see it at all. I think it's more a matter of teams having seen plenty of 250 champs go on to struggle in 450 class, so if a known entity who will consistently make mains and compete for better is avaliable, that's who they are signing instead of taking a chance. Same thing is happening with these guys making a career out of 250 class. Guys going this route and staying a little longer is a relatively new thing so there's a log jam right now, but sooner or later whether careers are 3 years or 10 years, the number of guys leaving any given year levels off and the opportunities for the younger guys come back.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
Colt Nichols rubbing his hands rn.
When they lose the desire to Race, and take the risks inherent in that.
And, when they can't get a contract that pays them what they want / what they believe they are 'worth'.
Both of those points are intertwined.
But, one or the other, separately, can be the ultimate reason for them ceasing their careers.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities.
Not one of these “training facilities” has produced a champ that I’m aware of.
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Justin Barcia will probably retire this year Eli will retire when he figures out what to do when he retires The rest won’t for a...Justin Barcia will probably retire this year
Eli will retire when he figures out what to do when he retires
The rest won’t for a few years.
Did something change with Barcia? He recently said he wanted to keep going after his contact(which expires after 2025 btw not this year).
He said he’s in his last contract, I thought it was up this year.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
Colt Nichols rubbing his hands rn.
Nichols is going to be 30 in March.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities. Not one of these “training...The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities.
Not one of these “training facilities” has produced a champ that I’m aware of.
Barcia was an MTF guy.
The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.The sport is dwindlimg. There’s not enough talent coming in from the 250’s to force the old 450 racers to retire. Sad but true.
The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities. Not one of these “training...The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities.
Not one of these “training facilities” has produced a champ that I’m aware of.
Barcia was an MTF guy.
What age did he start at MTF
The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities. Not one of these “training...The group of older guys holding these rides are the last gen of riders not to go through training facilities.
Not one of these “training facilities” has produced a champ that I’m aware of.
Barcia was an MTF guy.
What age did he start at MTF
Not sure of his age, but I’m fairly certain he was on mini bikes.
I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and...I recently watched a podcast with Jason Anderson and he said something along the lines of not wanting to hang up the boots anytime soon and that got me thinking. In what order will riders start retiring and when?
I'm sure Tomac will be first, that's a given but besides him, there are the following riders near the end of their career. The riders below add a lot of flavor to the field and I don't see any current 250 riders that appear to have the personality or riding style to fill the voids of those who will be gone soon.
It's going to be a bummer to see any of these riders hang it up but I'm afraid it's not too far away for some to start clocking out. Who will retire first, who will last the longest, etc.? Has there ever been this many stars of the sport who could possibly be retiring around the same time? Usually it's one or two riders but we could be looking at several riders retiring at the same, or close to the same time in the near future. Hopefully I'm wrong and they all continue for several years to come.
Name - Age
- Eli Tomac 31
- Jason Anderson 30
- Justin Barcia 31
- Ken Roczen 29
- Cooper Webb 28
- Dylan Ferrandis 29
- Malcolm Stewart 31
- Dean Wilson 32
- Adam Cianciarulo 27
----
- Colt Nichols 29 (30 in March)
- Kyle Chisholm 36
- Phil Nicoletti 34 (35 in March)
- Christian Craig 32
- RJ Hampshire 28
- Jordon Smith 28 (29 on February 5th)
- Aaron Plessinger 28
- Shane McElrath 29
- Fredrik Noren 31 (32 in March)
- Vince Friese 33
- Mitchell Oldenburg 29
- Jeremy Martin 30
- Max Anstie 30 (31 in April)
Edit: Added Deano and AC to the list along with ages.
I hope they don't retire soon. I love not having the legends retire at 27 because they are burnt out. I think this list is figuring out how to stay current and fast while racing into their 30s. Kenny showed us last year what just racing what you wanted did for him mentally and speed wise.
That being said, I think Eli could be the first to retire. I don't see him retiring after this SX season, I hope. I think if he wins this title or is in close standings for first, that he will commit to going through the SMX playoffs. But he has nothing left to prove but it seems to himself. He is a legend already in the books.
I would be very surprised if any of Eli, Roczen, Barcia, Craig, or AC are still racing 3 years from now. Anderson I could see still being around just by how he talks about not wanting to retire and him likely going to Triumph in the future.
I do think the field will still be very stacked through 2025 and maybe 2026, though.
If riders are racing in the 450 class for 10+ years... i think its very possible we see records from various riders broken. Could you imagine if RC decided to race for another 5 years? or if RV2 had a different approach and stayed around until he was in his 30's.. sports changing.
- Colt Nichols 29 (30 in March)
- Kyle Chisholm 36
- Phil Nicoletti 34 (35 in March)
- Christian Craig 32
- RJ Hampshire 28
- Jordon Smith 28 (29 on February 5th)
- Aaron Plessinger 28
- Shane McElrath 29
- Fredrik Noren 31 (32 in March)
- Vince Friese 33
- Mitchell Oldenburg 29
- Jeremy Martin 30
- Max Anstie 30 (31 in April)