With a lot of talk about Jorge Prado stepping right into the premier class without a single lap on a 250F, it got me thinking; how many riders have skipped the small bike class altogether and made their supercross debut in the premier class? What were their results? How long did they race supercross? Where did these riders come from? Did they have success before or after racing supercross? It seems like a unique stat which hasn't been explored, so here's a few riders I could think of who fit the description:
Weston Peick - Peick turned pro in 2009 and went straight to 450s for MX. He qualified for his first main event at A3 2010 and finished 18th. Peicks scrappy results earned him support from Motosport for 2014, where he had a breakout year and finished 7th overall. After a solid summer with RCH, he caught the attention of JGR for 2015 and remained with them until his career ending injury at Paris 2018. Peick’s best SX race result was a pair of 3rds at Santa Clara 2015 and Las Vegas 2015. His best SX season result was a 6th in 2018. How many riders have a pure 450 only career like Peick?
Nick Schmidt - The Milestone assassin qualified for his first main event in Las Vegas 2013 and finished 18th. Through 52 main events, Schmidt's best finish was 13th. He quietly stepped away from full time racing after 2018.
Ronnie Stewart - Similar to Peick, Stewart pro in 2009 and raced outdoors on a 450 from the start. He qualified for his first main event at Indianapolis 2014 and his top finish is 16th. According to his personal website, Ronnie was 1 of 4 racers to attend all races in 2014.
Colton Facciotti - Multi-time Canadian champion went to Daytona in 2018 for his one and only SX race. Colton got a bad start in the LCQ and did his best to work toward the front, though he could only make it to 5th and missed the main event. Later that year, Facciotti won the 450 Canadian championship (and again in 2019). This was also the last international race he would attend before retiring at the end of 2019.
Lawson Bopping - Austrialian sensation tried his hand in the US stadiums in 2016. He made the made event on his first try, at A1 of all places! Interestingly, he was originally going to attempt A1 two years prior, but was injured preparing for the opener. After a handful of main events, including a best finish of 16th at Glendale, Bopping returned home to prepare for the Australian MX championship.
*Tim Gajser - Multi time world champion shows up to the Monster Energy Cup in 2017, though not an officially sanctioned SX race, thus mentioned with an asterisk. Gajser qualified 6th overall and was battling for a top 5 in the last couple of laps of moto 1, until he crashed hard and called it a night. Crazy to think he allegedly raced on moto suspension!
*Romain Febvre - Febrve elected to race the Paris-Lille SX a handful of times (also an asterisk for not being US sanctioned SX). In 2015 after becoming the newly crowned MXGP world champion, he finished 7th. He returned for 2016 and finished 12th. After a being the MXGP runner-up in 2021, Febvre was having his best performance on a SX track, until he crashed violently and broke his leg. With Febvre missing the start of the 2022 MXGP season and Kawasaki completely restructering their entire MXGP team in the off season, Kawi ruled out sending their riders to future off season SX races. Perhaps if both Febvre and Gajser didn't crash at their races, the factory MXGP teams might've experimented with SX more often?
Who else makes this list?
Chad Reed- went straight into the premier class in Australian SX as a 16yo and won his first race.
Then after winning a couple of Aussie titles, did a single year in MXGP before going to the states to race SX, but was forced to step down to the 125/ 250f class as part of Yamaha’s deal.
However he raced the first three rounds of the premier class (best finish of 5th), before starting the East Coast series, which he won out, except for the final shootout round.
Granted the tracks were nothing like they are now, but everyone before 1985 who raced SX was thrown straight to the wolves because there was no 125 class.
Heath Voss?
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Two nobody's named Bayle and Albertyn.
They did terrible in the big bike class with no 125SX experience.
Stefan Everts
Jeff stanton
Alessi
Maybe my memory is off but didn’t he go to the 250 class after the believe the hype shenanigans? Or did he always stay in the 450 class?
Whatever it was, I think them signing with KTM at that time totally hindered his career.
Seb Tortelli, Greg Albertyn both due to the same rule as Prado...
Oh shoot you’re right, I forgot he did a couple seasons on the small bike
Michigan's Denny Bentley finished 5th in the 1981 Daytona SX which was his first SX race after turning pro and only racing 2 MX nationals in summer 1980.. Think about it, that would be like a kid winning A class @ LL's last year then race last 2 nationals then getting 5th at Daytona this year in 450 class in only 3rd pro race and very first SX.
Back on topic = Jeff Stanton didn't race 125 SX.
Bayle? Albertyn?
I thought Tortelli would be in that state too, but he raced a couple of 125SX races first.
Reed raced a 125X in 99
I believe Josh Hill went straight to 450, and won at least one SX main event. I'd argue that he is the most successful racer to go straight to the Premier class.
And he's a cool dude!
He raced a full SX Lites season before he raced a 'premier class' SX race.
Every rider pre 1985
Pit Row
Chad lost a round to Jesseman too, fwiw. RC the only one to truly win out in regional SX
What about that guy who beat up Vince Friese on national TV 😂
Good catch! I thought his win in the mud was his first ever SX, but he raced in the USA after just one 125GP (in Borgloon) and did pretty good too! He must've been nearly 15?!
Alessi first raced in the 250/450MX class, then the next year he only raced outdoors in the 125/250 class. His first SX races were in 2006 in the 'Lites' class.
If my math is correct, he was about 16 years, 5 months-ish?
Born: August 19, 1978
He raced in 1995 the EMX125 series and finished second behind Brian Jorgenson. Dunno if you know (or otherwise someone else) but I think that in the past all world champions 125cc/250cc & 500cc where excluded from racing the regional series. That this was the reason why Stefan Everts raced 250cc (He was already 125cc WC), that Seb Tortelli raced in 1997 in 250cc (He became WC 125cc in 1996), JMB was also 125cc champion and never raced regional Supercross.
But I don't know for sure, and finding a rulebook from the early nineteens online isn't possible.
Another rider who raced supercross but skipped the 125cc (now 250cc class), the 1996 500cc World Champion Shayne King.
Pretty sure Bradshaw debuted in the premiere class then dropped down to 125s
from what i remember Bayle started SX on 250 2 stroke and was sx champion in his 2e year! I think JMB was one of the most talented rider in history of the sport. shame he left dirtbike at such a young age and didn't got what he deserved
Over 6 time? Jeff Stanton.
Weston Peick Was just entirely too big for a 250F so it’s no surprise he skipped 250 SX. I had a class with him in 8th grade, he was 15 and he was already riding a 450 at the time.
EXACTLY. IN THE 70S AND EARLY 80S' IF YOU TURNED PRO YOU WERE THROWN INTO THE DEEP END WITHALL THE SHARKS.
I stand corrected!
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