Most Consequential Mechanical DNF’s

aeffertz
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Off weekend so I want to do some reading and learning! As the title states, throughout the history of MX/SX, what have been to the most consequential mechanical failures?

The first one that comes to mind for me is in 2015 when JMart and Musquin went into the final round with just 2 points separating them. 2 laps into Moto 1, Musquin’s bike dies which led to Jeremy Martin winning the title with a 4-9 finish on the day. 

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resetjet
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5/17/2025 11:13am

Reed at daytona.  Bike quit 2 turns from finish.  

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1
5/17/2025 11:46am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2025 11:47am

RJ’s front wheel in 1982. 

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TeamGreen
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5/17/2025 11:57am

CanAm broken frame…1977?

The Shop

BMR179
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5/17/2025 11:58am

Tomac's front brake in Arlington a few years back.

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Sauce96
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5/17/2025 12:05pm

Hughes breaking a chain in 95 at steel city.

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hellion
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5/17/2025 1:18pm

Larocco’s carb falling off costing him the 125 national championship. 

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Spudinki45
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5/17/2025 1:19pm

Dungey 2011 both in SX, and Mx when he ran out of fuel. Would have won the championship otherwise.

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wreckitrandy
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5/17/2025 1:23pm

Hannah's throttle cable.

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SoCalMX70
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5/17/2025 1:38pm Edited Date/Time 5/17/2025 1:41pm

McGrath's flat tire in '97. The last 2 rounds following Charlotte would have likely looked a lot different. 

Pretty sure he also smoked the clutch at a couple other rounds that season. I'm almost positive the on the fly adjustable clutch was invented from McGrath's Suzuki woes.

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Heavyhitter
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5/17/2025 2:20pm
hellion wrote:

Larocco’s carb falling off costing him the 125 national championship. 

I bet that was a rough day for the mechanic 

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OldTech
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5/17/2025 2:28pm

Stewart's connecting rod exiting the bike in 06?

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Derpin' DJ
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5/17/2025 2:30pm

The Musquin and Dungey ones definitely from a championship perspective.

Ken's shock blowing up through the whoops last year ended his season. 

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5/17/2025 2:34pm Edited Date/Time 5/17/2025 2:39pm

As mentioned it has to be poor Grant Langston at Steel City..

 

But otherwise; Sebastian Tortelli Red Bud 2000.... (edit: though I can't say it cost him a title - just sticks in my mind as a big Seb fan at the time).

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EVH4Ever
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5/17/2025 2:52pm

Gary Semics broken chain while leading Atlanta SX

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1
5/17/2025 2:54pm

Pit Beirer’s KTM 250SX doing something funky on the jump take off. 

Although Nicoll rode the bike a few days later and said there was nothing wrong with it..🤷‍♀️

EVH4Ever
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5/17/2025 2:56pm Edited Date/Time 5/17/2025 2:57pm

Pierre Karsmakers launching a works RC250 into the gatorback quarry.

Edit: Not mechanical. lol

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5/17/2025 2:58pm
hellion wrote:

Larocco’s carb falling off costing him the 125 national championship. 

I bet that was a rough day for the mechanic 

Larocco's dad was one of the mechanics.

aeffertz
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5/17/2025 3:06pm Edited Date/Time 5/17/2025 3:10pm

Not a DNF per se but consequential none the less. Brandon Hartranft suffered a career ending TBI when his bike locked up on the face of a SX jump during practice. 

Chris_Buehler
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5/17/2025 3:35pm
resetjet wrote:

Reed at daytona.  Bike quit 2 turns from finish.  

In '08? It gave KDub hope but Reed still controlled the championship pretty easily 

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Village Idiot
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5/17/2025 3:52pm
Rickyisms wrote:

RJ’s front wheel in 1982. 

That one really disappointed me.. though I'm sure Donnie doesn't feel that way about it.

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Village Idiot
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5/17/2025 3:56pm

Bradshaw's cranial seizure at the coliseum in '92, costing him the SX title.

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CPR
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5/17/2025 5:03pm
hellion wrote:

Larocco’s carb falling off costing him the 125 national championship. 

I bet that was a rough day for the mechanic 

No doubt it was, but carbs popping out was not uncommon back around then.

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5/17/2025 5:16pm

Does Dungey’s fuel boiling at Freestone in 2011 count? He was leading that race and ended up losing the title by 12 points.

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bents
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5/17/2025 5:51pm

Does Dungey’s fuel boiling at Freestone in 2011 count? He was leading that race and ended up losing the title by 12 points.

That, and I think a rock got stuck in his front sprocket at an SX? The boiled fuel was a bad one-he had that on lock by a mile

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hartebreak
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5/17/2025 5:52pm

Langston's wheel in 2001

5/17/2025 6:29pm
Sauce96 wrote:

Hughes breaking a chain in 95 at steel city.

it didnt actually cost him anything, Lamson was already gone, 

his reaction pushing the bike uphil gained him a heap of fans, 

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olds cool
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5/17/2025 6:36pm

Did a mechanical cause Magoo’s crash that put him in a chair?  Can’t remember for sure.

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FGR01
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5/17/2025 6:39pm

Does Dungey’s fuel boiling at Freestone in 2011 count? He was leading that race and ended up losing the title by 12 points.

bents wrote:
That, and I think a rock got stuck in his front sprocket at an SX? The boiled fuel was a bad one-he had that on lock...

That, and I think a rock got stuck in his front sprocket at an SX? The boiled fuel was a bad one-he had that on lock by a mile

Wasn't the SX one he bumped against the wall going under the tunnel and bent his rear sprocket?

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Village Idiot
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5/17/2025 6:40pm
olds cool wrote:

Did a mechanical cause Magoo’s crash that put him in a chair?  Can’t remember for sure.

I believe it was the light from a photographer's camera that blinded him for a moment and he missed the bars with his left hand while he was whipping at the Bercy finish, crashed into some hay bales and was thrown.

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