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Vital MX Pit Bits: Fox Raceway 1

We were ready for the end of the season. We're not so sure we're ready for the tumultuous silly season ahead.

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GuyB
10/17/2020 5:03 PM

There was some serious dirt moving going on at Fox Raceway before the final National of the season. It's almost hard to show the scale of this step-up.

We were stoked to see Steve Westfall officially named as Team Manager for the Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna team. That's good news, since he'd already been doing the job for quite some time. We shot this halfway through the second moto, while Zach Osborne was en route to clinching the 450 crown.

The good news for the Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna guys? They scored another number one plate for the truck door. The bad news? Zach was the only rider left healthy by the end of the season. Jason Anderson, Dean Wilson, RJ Hampshire, Stilez Robertson, and Jalek Swoll were all sidelined by the final round. That left a lot of team staff idled.

The GEICO Honda gang announced that they're done...at least for now. They're still hunting for new sponsorship, and hope to be back in the future. But for now, they're on the sidelines. During Friday's amateur racing, the team had Hunter Yoder under their awning for his only appearance there.

There are a lot of talented people under that tent, and it'll be interesting to see where they all land.

For now, it looks like Team Honda HRC will house the two Lawrence brothers, and the rest of the riders will end up with various Honda-supported teams.

The final round had a bit of a job fair feel to it. We spotted former Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager, Jim Perry (left), checking in with a lot of the teams.

This was the final race for the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team, as they'll switch over to Gas Gas for next year and beyond. KTM introduced a special Troy Lee Designs Factory Edition model, and Brandon Hartranft (below) got to race with that version...including the non-spec yellow plates.

The team has already started the arduous task of swapping brands. The shop is getting repainted, and they'd cut up many sets of wheels the previous week to get ready for the new colored hubs. Stock of extra orange components (like sprockets) will get returned to the manufacturer, and stuff like orange plastic will get dispersed among KTM's other teams.

In an echo of the last time we were at Pala (now Fox Raceway), the Fox guys had Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki do up this special graphics kit that matched along with the gear that their sponsored riders were wearing for the weekend. You can see Adam Cianciarulo (below) in a set of that 80's-inspired gear.

Offseason goal for Adam? Practice opening champagne bottles. If this season was any indication, he'll have a lot more opportunity for podium visits in '21...and he wrestled with opening the bottles at several of the races this season. That leaves him vulnerable to champagne attacks from other riders. Maybe not the worst thing in the world, but that stuff stings when it gets in your eyes.

Bruce Stjernstrom and Mitch Payton doing a little bench racing.

Kevin Moranz was trying to help Jason "Wheels" Todd boost his Instagram numbers by giving away one of his helmets when Wheels gets to 5,000 followers. Last we checked, he was still at 4,663. Give him a follow at @wheels988...you know, if you're into that sort of thing. Or you want a chance to win a free helmet.

Justin Barcia took a crack at practice, but apparently was too sore after his get-off at Thunder Valley. He'll be Gas Gas-mounted next season.

That start style...

Justin was wearing a sample of a new Jeff Stanton replica Arai during his practice time. There's also a lot of blue on the stock helmet, but it was covered up with the Monster logos. If the jungle drums are true, Justin (along with the rest of the Gas Gas squad), will have Red Bull sponsorship, along with an addition sponsor from outside the industry.

Alpinestars busted out some cool gear for the final race, and this Jordan-inspired kit for Chase Sexton was the best of it. He made good use of it, nabbing the overall win.

Gared Steinke has been running some interesting We Big gear this season, including this set...

Yoshimura recently started adding some laser etching to the mufflers on the JGR Suzukis.

JGR had quite the bummer of a race. Fredrik Noren had a kneecap injury during practice...or at least that's what he was told...so he opted to sit out for the day. When he went to get checked afterward, it wasn't nearly as serious as he thought, which left him a little frustrated.

Joey Savatgy's ankle also kept him out of the motos on Saturday.

$Add a fractured fibula for Alex Martin, and Isaac Teasdale was the JGR team representation for the final round. He nabbed a 12th overall.$

The black ano components on the Bar X Suzukis look really cool, but they quickly take a beating in the roost of a National moto.

It may not fit the mold of what most of the other teams are running, but the Bar X Suzuki guys have one of the more hot rod style tractors in the pits for their hauler.

Max Anstie finished in the top ten overall in his first season back after coming back from an Achilles injury. We can't wait to see what he's got in '21.

Dave's son, Lawson (who has spent most of the summer helping out with the H.E.P. Suzuki team, also got some time in during Friday's amateur day.

It was good to see Carlen Gardner back in action at Fox Raceway. He had a solid day, finishing in the top 20.

It was cool to see Jordan Jarvis qualify directly into the motos at the final round. She finished 33rd overall...and 27th in the second moto.

LeBig, continuing his vlog action with David Vuillemin, as Dylan Ferrandis chased his 250 title.

One place we wouldn't have wanted to ride with an injured hand? The final round at Fox Raceway. Cameron McAdoo toughed it out, finishing tenth overall on the day, and ninth overall for the season. He'll be back with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in '21.

We spotted the hand injury that took Alex Ray out of the action at Thunder Valley. This was after practice, and we're sure it didn't get much better after a day of pounding around the track.

Of course, the finger pales in comparison to the scar that Christian Craig is sporting on his back here. The sport can be cruel at times. We were stoked to see Christian's 4-2 fourth overall...and maybe more importantly, that he finished the whole (shortened) 450 season injury-free. That'll be a good headstart heading into '21, as he moves to the Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha squad.

The chirping back and forth between Jett Lawrence and Justin Cooper after Justin's dog appeared on the podium at Thunder Valley was odd. In the aftermath, we're not sure what' was funnier...Justin Cooper's butt patch (his dog with a donut in it's mouth...

...or Jett's comment on it. "It kinda looked like Chewbacca from Star Wars with a donut in his mouth." That's comedy. Oh, and this shot? It's some living on the edge.

Speaking of the edge, Richard Taylor visited there (and saved it)...

...and so did Joey Crown. (Also a save.)

We'll have to see where Shane McElrath ends up in '21. The one part we know for sure is that it won't be with Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha.

How about some privateer love? Coty Schock had his best-ever day in the 450s with a 12-10 tench overall.

Jake Masterpool ended up in 14th overall in the 450s, moving up one spot in the final standings at Fox Raceway.

Way to go, Dylan. It takes a big crew to make things happen at Star Yamaha, and it'll get even bigger between now and '21, as Yamaha's 450 program (with Aaron Plessinger and Dylan Ferrandis) will move into the fold at Star.