Grass is Always Greener | Riders Who Have Returned to Pro Circuit

The illustrious history of Pro Circuit is one to be admired and respected. Owner, Mitch Payton, started Pro Circuit in 1978 and quickly gained notoriety for his skill and talents in building the fastest motors around Southern California. Exhaust pipes, silencers, and suspension soon followed, and PC became the place to go if you wanted the best hop-up performance upgrades available.

As Pro Circuit's success grew, Mitch started a race team and competed at the highest level. Mitch found a corporate sponsor, which had not been done in Supercross/motocross then, and started the Team Peak/Pro Circuit/ Honda race team. In 1991, the team competed in the AMA Supercross series with riders Jeremy McGrath, Brian Swink, Steve Lamson, and Jeremy Buehl. 

Thirty-four years later, Pro Circuit has won twenty Monster Energy Supercross 250 titles, eleven Pro Motocross 250 championships, and over 300 races. PC became the blueprint for what a non-factory team could be. Many teams have followed in their footsteps, but none have been more impactful to the sport.

With the success and reputation of Pro Circuit comes the desire of riders to be a part of the team's history. Pro Circuit has had 70 different riders under their tent since its origin and 59% of them have won races. Very few of those 70 riders have parted ways with PC and then come back a year or more later. In fact, until the recent announcement that Garrett Marchbanks would be returning to the team in 2025, only six other riders have returned to the team. Mike Brown, Justin Hill, Tyler Bowers, Ivan Tedesco, Martin Davalos, and Ricky Carmichael returned for a second stint at PC.

We thought it would be interesting to look at the results and see if they improved, worsened, or stayed the same. What did they finish in points, and what were their average finishes? Obviously, injuries and bike issues affect the data, but here's what we found.

Mike Brown: 1992, 2001, 2002, & 2003 (Six wins)

1992 125SX East: 7th (Avg Finish 9.2)

1992 125MX: 24th (Avg Finish 12)

2001 125SX East: 3rd (Avg Finish 3.63)

2001 125MX: 1st (Three wins) (Avg Finish 6.91)

2002 125SX East: 2nd (Avg Finish 6.5)

2002 125MX: 19th (Avg Finish 17.43)

2003 125SX East: 2nd (One win) (Avg Finish 3.25)

2003 125MX: 4th (Two wins) (Avg Finish 8)

Mike Brown had been on a privateer Honda in 1991 and finished fifth overall in points. Those results got him a call for the sophomore year of the Team Peak/Pro Circuit/Honda team in 1992. Brownie had a couple of top tens in Supercross, including second place in Pontiac. Unfortunately, Mike admits he wasn't ready for the team's pressure and consequently lost that ride for 1993. 

Eight seasons later, he got a second chance with Mitch in 2001. He rode the Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX125 to a third overall in Supercross and scored four podiums. The same year, in the Pro Motocross Championship, Travis Pastrana was leading the points until a crash at Unadilla changed the course of the series. Brownie and Grant Langston had a heated battle that came down to the final round and moto, where Langston would have a wheel issue, and Brown took the title.

Mike Brown stayed with PC for two more seasons, finishing second in both years in 125SX East, behind Chad Reed (2002) and Brenden Jessemen (2003). His outdoor results were up and down, and he left Pro Circuit at the end of the 2003 season. Mike clearly was ready for the PC environment when he came back to the team and had his career best finishes.

Ricky Carmichael: 1997, 1998, 1999, & 2001

1997 125SX East: 3rd (3 wins) (Avg Finish 5.25)

1997 125MX: 1st (8 wins) (Avg Finish 3.85)

1998 125SX East: 1st (8 wins) (Avg Finish 1)

1998 125MX: 1st (8 wins) (Avg Finish 2.42)

1999 125MX: 1st (9 wins) (Avg Finish 1.66)

2001 125MX: 26th (Avg Finish 1)

Ricky Carmichael had dominated the amateur motocross season for much of his youth and came into his rookie season on the Pro Circuit Kawasaki team looking to do the same at the pro level in 1997. His rookie Supercross season was layered with wins, crashes, and a broken finger, which hindered his results. He hadn't learned to back it down and manage a race at that career stage. The 125MX season, on the other hand, was a sign of things to come. With eight wins and ten podiums, RC won his first pro title in his first season. 

Ricky went undefeated in the 125SX East series in 1998 and followed that with another outdoor title. He moved to the 250 class in Supercross in 1999 but stayed in the 125 class outdoors, where he won his third straight title. 

In 2000, Ricky moved to the premier class for the factory Kawasaki team full-time. He finished fifth in his debut 250SX season but again won the outdoor title. 2001 would see him win both the Supercross and Pro Motocross 250 titles. That year, he wrapped up the 250MX title early and decided to drop back down to the 125 class and return to Pro Circuit for the final round at Steel City. RC had finished his 125 career tied with Mark Barnett for first on the all-time win list with 25 wins. He wanted to get one more to set himself at the top of the list, which he did. James Stewart would eventually break that record by winning 28. RC's return to PC was unique in that it was only for a single race, but he certainly continued his winning ways for the team. 

Ivan Tedesco: 2004, 2005, & 2012 (Eleven wins)

2004 125SX West: 1st (Seven wins) (Avg Finish 1.55)

2004 125MX: 6th (Avg Finish 9.42)

2005 125SX West: 1st (Two wins) (Avg Finish 5)

2005 125MX: 1st (Two wins) (Avg Finish 4.75)

2012 250MX: 17th (Avg Finish 12.33)

Ivan Tedesco started his Pro Circuit Kawasaki career in 2004 by winning the 250SX West title. He only finished outside the top two once, with a fourth. The '04 outdoor season saw 'Hot Sauce' finish inside the top ten on nine occasions but never find the podium. James Stewart would win the title that year.

Ivan was back for 2005 and rewarded Mitch Payton with titles in both the SX and MX Lites classes. He battled riders including Andrew Short, Nathan Ramsey, Mike Alessi, and Grant Langston to earn those championships. He was also part of the winning 2005 MXdN team with Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Windham. Ivan finished second in the MX2 class in Ernee, France.

2006, Ivan signed with Suzuki and would not return to Pro Circuit for six seasons. 2012, Ivan had a Supecross-only deal with the Hart and Huntington Suzuki team, but injuries cut it short. An opportunity came up for him to return to PC outdoors, and Ivan took it. His return would not result in the success he had found previously with the team. He started the season with a fourth at Hangtown for round one and would follow that with multiple injuries. He eventually missed the end of the season due to a kidney injury.

Tyler Bowers: 2013, 2015, & 2016 

2013 250SX East: 16th (One win) (Avg Finish 6) 

2015 250SX West: 9th (Avg Finish 7.43)

2016 250SX East: 5th (Avg Finish 7.55)

2013 would see Tyler Bowers win his third consecutive AMSOIL Arenacross championship with Babbitt's Kawasaki. Tyler did not expect an opportunity to race any of the Supercross rounds that year because he had some knee and collarbone issues that needed addressing. Then Mitch Payton called to ask if he would fill in for the team, which had a few injuries from their riders. Tyler took the opportunity and got his first Supercross win in Las Vegas at the finals. Tyler returned to Arenacross in 2014 and won his fourth consecutive title. 

Mitch hired Tyler full-time for the 2015 season, in which he finished 9th overall. He had some success, including five top-five finishes, but also saw him have some run-ins with the eventual champion, Cooper Webb. He returned in 2016 with similar results. He finished in the top ten in all but one round in his final season with Pro Circuit. He did not race outdoors for the team.

Martin Davalos: 2013, 2014, 2018, & 2019 (Three wins)

2013 250SX West: 5th (Avg Finish 5.63)

2013 250MX: 15th (Avg Finish 11.66)

2014 250SX East: 2nd (Two wins) (Avg Finish 2.57)

2018 250SX East: 14th (Avg Finish 12.4)

2019 250SX East: 4th (One win) (Avg Finish 7)

2019 250MX: 18th (Avg Finish 17.44)

Martin Davalos was riding for the Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki team in 2012 and often would be the fastest qualifier and run up front, but he had no wins. As the 2013 season approached, he had an offer with Suzuki, but he asked Mitch Payton if there was an opportunity at Pro Circuit. Davalos had always dreamed of riding for Mitch. As luck would have it, he got the opportunity.

Martin's first season with the team was up and down, and he often found himself on the ground. He found the podium in SX four times but could only muster a fifth by the end of the season. Outdoors, he found himself outside the top ten five separate times, and he finished the year with a 15th overall.

He returned in 2014, where he got his first career win in Atlanta and led the points for a time. Davalos would win one more before an injury while practicing left him with a dislocated right foot and shattered scaphoid. He missed the final two rounds and ended his season second overall. Ivan did not race outdoors in 2014.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna signed a contract with Martin in 2015, and he did not return to PC until 2018. He raced in the 450 class in 2017 and hoped for a 450 ride for 2018, but no offers were taken. Mitch Payton offered him a second chance, and Davalos was back on PC for '18 and '19. Unfortunately, 2018 would not be a success. Marty was involved in a crash at the opener that resulted in herniated discs, and multiple crashes in subsequent rounds further irritated it. He would miss the rest of the season to let it heal and have surgery to repair his MCL. He also missed all of the Pro Motocross championship.

Martin finished his Pro Circuit career in 2019 by winning a race and finishing inside the top-five five times in Supercross. He raced in the outdoor series, where his best result was a twelfth. It could be said Marty's second showing at Pro Circuit was not quite as successful as his first.

Justin Hill: 2013, 2014, & 2017 (Six wins)

2013 250SX East: 12th (Avg Finish 9.66)

2013 250MX: 12th (Avg Finish 11.75)

2014 250SX West: 4th (Two wins) (Avg Finish 4.88)

2014 250MX: 14th (Avg Finish 14)

2017 250SX West: 1st (Four wins) (Avg Finish 2)

2017 250MX: 19th (Avg Finish 16.25)

Justin Hill came out of the 'B' class at Loretta Lynn's Amateur nationals with a 250 B Stock championship and a win at the Monster Energy Cup Amateur All-Stars in 2011. Two years later, he started his pro career with Pro Circuit in 2013, finishing 250SX East with a twelfth and only one top five. His best result was an eight outdoors, and he chose to go back home to Oregon at the end of the season and regroup. He said he needed to change his mindset and build confidence.

According to Mitch Payton, he came into 2014 looking like a different rider. His results reflected this, as he got his first career win in San Diego and would go on to podium five times, including the Las Vegas Shootout. His outdoor results did not improve for 2014, and a shoulder injury caused him to miss the last few rounds.

Justin signed with Red Bull KTM in 2015, but injuries plagued him. In 2016, he won round three of the 250SX East series with TLD KTM but knocked himself out the following weekend, thus ending his season.

Hill had kept a good relationship with Mitch during those two years and was back on Pro Circuit Kawasaki in 2017. He took full advantage of a second chance by winning four rounds of the SX West series and the title. His outdoor results were consistent with years past, and he finished 19th. Winning a title in his second stint at PC makes his second chance more successful.

Garrett Marchbanks: 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2025 (One win)

2018 250MX: 19th (Avg Finish 16.2)

2019 250SX West: 10th (Avg Finish 11.9)

2019 250MX: 14th (Avg Finish 18.22)

2020 250SX East: 4th (One win) (Avg Finish 6.71)

2025 TBD

Garrett Marchbanks won eight Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship titles in his time on Team Green, was the 2014 AMA Youth Motocross Racer of the Year, and the 2017 AMA Amateur Motocross Racer of the Year. He was a hot prospect and was an obvious choice to start his pro career on Pro Circuit Kawasaki. 

Marchbanks made his 2018 rookie debut in the Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown going 12-6 for tenth overall. He did three more races before he hurt his knee at High Point and had to sit out the next two rounds to heal. In his return at RedBud, he crashed again, injuring his ankle and ending his season early. Not a great start.

Garrett's debut Supercross season started with a sixth at Anaheim 1 and a ninth at Glendale but had a crash at A2, leaving him with a 21st-place result. Two weeks later Garrett bounced back and scored his first podium with a second. Unfortunately, that would be the highlight of his season and he would finish 10th overall. His outdoor results found him outside the top ten most of the season.

Marchbanks was back with PC in 2020 and competing in the 250SX E, where he got his first professional win in Daytona and had five top-five finishes. He ended in fourth place overall but missed the final four rounds after a crash in Salt Lake City resulting in a lacerated liver, bruised lungs, and torn MCL and PCL. He inevitably missed all of outdoors and did not return to PC for 2012.

It was recently announced that Marchbanks will return to his roots and be under the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent again for the 2025 season. He was contracted to finish the 2024 season with the Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha team but was released from that contract in July. On July 29th, 2024, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki announced Garrett would be joining the team early to finish the Pro Motocross Championship and attempt to qualify for the SuperMotocross championship. Only time will tell if the grass is greener back at PC.