Good, Bad and Ugly | 2023 Arlington 1

Welcome to 'Good, Bad and Ugly' on Vital MX and, yes, it is still a written piece! Arlington, the seventh round of 2023 Monster Energy Supercross, is the focus this week. Jump in as we take a glance at the brilliant title fight in the premier division, Michael Mosiman's wayward start to 250SX East and Adam Cianciarulo's wrist injury. What would you place beneath each subheading? Let us know in the comments.

GOOD

This is not good. No, it is great. It is amazing! 2023 Monster Energy Supercross did not look like it was going to be incredible after just two stops, as Eli Tomac was dominant in Anaheim and San Diego. The battle for the premier class title has transformed into something that will be remembered for such a long time though, as momentum changes hands every single time that a checkered flag is waved. It is impossible to predict what will happen next and that is what everyone wants, right? It is quite likely that Eli Tomac will win in Daytona and, if that transpires, there will be another twist in this story.

By the time that the series went east last season, it was fairly obvious that Tomac had the class under control barring a catastrophe. Just step back and appreciate what we have at the moment, because it could be some time before this happens again and even this current situation could end in a flash. It is for that reason that I have made the comparison to 2006. Simply, that was the last time that there was a three-way fight for the crown that had as many layers as this (there were five contenders at this point in 2011).

The dynamic is similar to that historic year. Tomac is the defending champion, as was Ricky Carmichael, and attempting to win what could be his final indoor championship. Cooper Webb is trying to reclaim the title that he lost last year, which is the exact position that Chad Reed was in throughout the 2006 campaign. Chase Sexton is yet to win a premier class title but has more speed than his peers and is destined for a lot of success in the future, like James Stewart in 2006. Freaky, huh? Anyway, it is something fun to think about as we embark on this magical journey.

BAD

The mind boggles when it comes time to examine the season that Michael Mosiman has had. Mosiman is a superb rider, just as every reader is aware, and yet he has been a shadow of his former self across three bouts of 250SX East competition. With no true heavyweight competing in the division, '31' was a clear title favorite and tipped by this scribe to be the fastest rider more often than not. The potential is not in doubt, even now, so what has happened? There have been falls and whatnot, but his problems extend further than the results sheet. There has simply been a lack of pace and competitiveness.

Red Bull Troy Lee Designs GASGAS Factory Racing moved to Austria's new platform in the off-season, so have bike set-up woes contributed to his wobble? It would seem so. In a statement from the squad, Mosiman was quick to reflect on the testing that transpired in the two weeks before round seven and identified the fact that it did not translate to an improved bike on race day. The problem is larger than that though, because his confidence is at rock bottom and there will be no steps forward until that is resurrected. What comes first though, the chicken or the egg?

To make matters even worse, Mosiman is in a contract year and reports suggest that his GASGAS seat could be handed to someone else. Not only is he trying to meet the lofty expectations that he set for this term, but he is also auditioning for a ride and trying to convince squads that he can be a consistent threat for race wins in 250SX. There are many moving parts at play here and, sadly, not many of them are positive for the former winner. The only good news is that there will be another opportunity for him to rebound in just four days.

UGLY

The yet to be disclosed wrist injury that Adam Cianciarulo has suffered is the only subject that warrants a subheading such as this. Cianciarulo rode press day, along with many others, and did not crash, but he aggravated his wrist and withdrew from the seventh event on the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross calendar. The good news is that an aggravated wrist could be something fairly minor and he could be back on track in the not-too-distant future, which is what everyone wants. For now, however, it is just a waiting game and an email from Kawasaki with news of some kind is imminent. Fingers crossed for a star that the sport so desperately needs.