Swapmoto Live Podcast

The weather outside Ford Field was freezing, but the racing inside was red hot! The Detroit Supercross saw several horrendous crashes, the 450 points leader stuck in the gate, another spectacular McAdoo crash and the third red flag of the 250 East Series, a surprising single-file restart for three laps, and much more! We had a blast recapping what we saw in Motor City!

Malcolm. Do we need to say more? Not really. Malcolm Stewart's first-ever 450 Supercross win came last Saturday night in front of his family and friends at the Tampa Supercross. And it couldn't have been sweeter. The younger Stewart brother started the race around 10th and set blistering fast laps and methodically chased down his rivals before taking the lead as he pressured race and championship points leader Chase Sexton into a mistake in the whoops, the area of the track in which the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider was phenomenal. Malcolm's win came exactly 20 years after big brother James' first premier Supercross win, forever earning the brothers a place in the record books as the first siblings ever to do so. We talk about that, and a whole lot more, in this week's Kickstart Podcast. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets SLR Honda's Billy Laninovich was already in the record books as the oldest rider to qualify for a 250 Supercross main event at 40 years of age, having done so last year. Still, he extended the record even further last weekend in Glendale, Arizona, at the Triple Crown inside State Farm Stadium by doing it again at 41, only a couple of weeks shy of 42! We caught up with him yesterday as he recovered inside a hyperbaric chamber at his trainer's house. It's always a pleasure chatting with Lano; such a great guy...

The first Triple Crown Supercross of the year provided some excitement, didn't it? A fourth winner in the 250 class and a dramatic DNF from the defending champion in the 450 class, plus our first two-time winner of the year was more than enough to get excited about! We recap what we saw and learned at last weekend's Glendale Supercross, round four of the Monster Energy Supercross championship!

What a season it's been so far! In the first three Monster Energy Supercross races, we've seen six different winners top the 250 Western Regional an d450 Supercross classes! Too good to be true? Maybe, maybe not. Last weekend in Anaheim, the "favorites" - defending Supermotocross Champions Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan - came out on top of the rain-dampened 250 and 450 main events, respectively. In this week's Kickstart Podcast, we go over everything we saw, heard, and learned!

Presented by 6D Helmets If you pay close attention to pro racing and what the racers are wearing, we'll bet you have admired the handiwork of this episode's guest, Michael Adams, better known as Michael J. Kicks. While MJK makes his living in insurance, his creative outlet and passion is art: customizing sneakers and motocross boots. We met MJK at Anaheim One when he and Marta Gazzola of Gaerne presented RJ Hampshire with a pair of custom-painted SG22 boots. Once we realized it was the Michael J. Kicks, we set up this interview and had a ton of curious questions for him...enjoy!

If you weren't at Snapdragon Stadium last weekend, you missed out! Round two of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series was in a word...awesome. Eli Tomac turned the Beast Mode dial up to 10, JuJu Beaumer earned his first career 250 Supercross win, and the rest of the action that unfolded was simply amazing. This week, the King of Supercross joined us to bench race and analyze what went down in San Diego!

Presented by 6D Helmets Two-time 250 National MX Champion Jeremy Martin has had many ups and downs during his career, but there have also been some dark times. A broken back, concussions, shoulder injuries, and broken bones...injuries are a very real part of our sport and the risks go without saying, but the toll they take on your body and mind all add up. Martin's most recent setbacks have forced him to take a step back to evaluate what is most important to him, and we had a very candid conversation with the Minnesota native on this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast

There have been plenty of great Supercross season openers, and last weekend's Anaheim One was pretty darned cool as far as we're concerned. While Chase Sexton and Jo Shimoda weren't total shockers as the winners of the 450 and 250 mains, per se, it was exciting to have the class favorites face some adversity in the first two main events of the season. Two-Time Supercross Champion Rick Johnson joins us again for today's show to offer some added insight.

Presented by Pro Taper The gates drop on the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series this Saturday, and we couldn't be more excited! Two-Time Supercross Champion Ricky Johnson joins in on the fun going over all the things to look for on this week's show as we go over everything we've learned and heard this off-season. Who do you have for the class wins this Saturday?

Presented by Pro Taper How can it be Christmas Eve already? This year has flown by, especially the short "off-season" following the SMX Final in Las Vegas. Anaheim is on;ly a few short days away and we can't wait for the first gate drop of the new season. Join us for some holiday conversation in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.

Presented by Pro Taper Five-time Arenacross Champion Kyle Peters joined us on the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast this week to talk about the challenges of new contenders, rough riding, and more, in the tight confines of the AMA Kicker Arenacross Series. Lots more to chat about from the final Swapmoto Race Series event of the year, ARay's potential Stark Arenacross Adventure, and more!

Presented by 6D Helmets The WSX Supercross World Championship Series has come to a close. Eli Tomac added to his list of career accomplishments by earning his first World Championship title in the four-race series that routed racers through Canada, Australia, and the Arab United Emirates. We caught up with the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha racer for this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast to talk about his "off-season" adventures, his preparedness as Anaheim One draws near, being on the largest team in the pits, and much more!

Presented by Pro Taper Last Wednesday, the WSX World Supercross Championship ended in Abu Dhabi with Ken Roczen scoring his first overall victory of the year while Eli Tomac wrapped up his first WSX World Championship. A few days later, the action heated up in Boise, Idaho, as the AMA Arencacross Championship rolled into town! In this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, WSX reported Kristen Beat joins us to offer some feedback and insight in the first half of the show, and MCR Honda's Ryan Breece - who was also in Abu Dhabi - popped in to talk about the rough world of AMA Arenacross! Enjoy!

Presented by Pro Taper Last weekend was an eventful one on both sides of the globe! The AUS-X Open saw Joey Savatgy and Shane McElrath crowned the Australian SX and SX2 Champions in the relaunch of Australia's biggest stand-alone Supercross race. McElrath stayed up late to call in from his hotel room in Abu Dhabi to join us for part one of this week's show, and our camping neighbor Ryan Villopoto joined us for part two to talk about the party that was the Day in the Dirt 27 Grand Prix!

Presented by 6D Helmets It's been six years since the Swapmoto Live team launched, and Editor Michael Antonovich has played a vital role in every aspect of our brand's business. Known best as "Anton," he is our man on the road and has attended almost every motocross, Supercross, and Motocross of Nations, with his bag of cameras on hand. With the conclusion of the 2024 racing season comes a big change for our partner and friend, as he is leaving the SML family to venture out as an independent journalist. With a long history that dates back to the days before he could legally consume a beer, swap and Anton sat down to talk about the future and reminisce on the past.

Presented by Pro Taper Rounds two and three of the WSX Supercross World Championship Series went down last weekend in Perth, Australia, and Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Eli Tomac was again the man with a plan, and emerged from both rounds with the overall wins. Tomac is getting warmed up for the Monster Energy Supercross Championship kickoff in January, and it certainly looks like he will be firing on all cylinders when the gates drop at Anaheim One. Our friend Kristen Beat was on hand leading the broadcast team in Perth, and she joined us to give us her first-hand observations!

Presented by Pro Taper Last weekend, the Paris Supercross went off in La Defense Arena, and our man Anton was on hand to see Cooper Webb use consistency to earn his first-ever King of Paris crown over Jett Lawrence, who suffered an unfortunate DNF in a moto that caused him to lose his crown. But that's not all we get to talk about! ARay went to Finland to race a Supercross and in typical Alex fashion, got a borrowed set of kit suspension confiscated just as he buckled his seat belt. Hear about that and a lot more, on this week's show!

A weekend of racing at the 2024 Paris Supercross is complete! Two nights at the La Defense Arena made for six motos per class, and given the competition, one mistake was all it took for a rider's shot at the King or Prince of Paris honors disappear. We grabbed time with Tom Vialle, Jo Shimoda, Malcolm Stewart, Dylan Ferrandis, and Jett and Hunter Lawrence after Sunday's checkered flag and talked about everything from the track to the battles to the jet lag from flying across the Atlantic. Tom Vialle | 0:18Jo Shimoda | 2:21Malcolm Stewart | 4:42Jett Lawrence | 8:26Hunter Lawrence | 10:55Dylan Ferrandis | 12:22

Presented by 6D Helmets If you've been around since the start of freestyle motocross, the name Nate Adams will bring to mind many things. From his multiple X Games gold medals to his flawless, precise riding style, or from his Target sponsorship to his glove brand, Deft Family...Nate Adams has lived the life of five men combined. It's been a minute since we heard from Patchy, so we tracked him down and got him on this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. Needless to say, we are saddened to learn of the health issues he's struggling with that have ultimately forced him to hang up his boots for good.

Feld Entertainment and MX Sports have shared analytics of the 2024 broadcasts on NBC, with double-digit percentage increases in total audience delivery and minutes streamed across 31 events among the highlights. The programming stats are telling, especially amid current television trends, and when paired with live attendance figures and online followers, it shows how SuperMotocross is part of the popularity boom that racing is experiencing. Live sports and the audiences they draw play an important factor in the television business, and for motorsports especially, the shift to streaming has been a big win, as the investment by broadcasters to get a share of an audience means more racing is happening and viewers are reliably tuning in in recording setting numbers.SuperMotocross will be one of a few motorsports on NBC in 2025, and, given the growth from consistent scheduling and the amount of content produced, it'll be interesting to see how the series is integrated into Peacock, as every race will again be shown live on the streaming service while television broadcasts will be split between NBC, CNBC, and the USA Network.

Presented by Pro Taper The WSX World Supercross Championship Series got underway last weekend in Vancouver, Canada's BC Place Stadium, and we were on hand to check out the action. Eli Tomac was impressive as he topped the 450 class, and we enjoyed seeing him in such a jovial mood. Ken Roczen, of course, was fast, but a few mistakes kept him from seriously challenging Tomac for the win. While swap was North of the Border, Anton was risking his life and limbs aboard a KTM Factory Edition 350 XC-F, competing in the final GNCC of the year at Ironman Raceway.

Presented by 6D Helmets We've been great friends with Mike Sleeter for decades. We met when he was a 125 Supercross racer, recruited him as a magazine test rider, and had him stripped away by KTM to help develop new motocross bikes, got him back momentarily when he left the Austrian manufacturer many years later, then lost him again when he moved to Australia! Now with Stark Future, Sleeter was in town for a few days on business and we got him into the office for a great catching-up podcast! Talk about a guy who has done it all!

Presented by Pro Taper We had an eventful weekend and have been taking full advantage of the short off-season that we have. ARay went racing, Anton saw the Cookie Monster, Chase jumped out of a tree at a wedding, and swap got to see a really white version of a Tik Tok dance at the Mammoth Airport! Enjoy this week's show...

It's official: the off-season is officially here! Anton spent the weekend at the Mini Monsters Finals Lincoln Trail MX in Illinois, ARay and swap hit up up LACR MX, and Chase was sick in bed. The Australian SX Championship kicked off on the other side of the world, though, and we were all stoked to see Joey Savatgy's return to form. All told, we had interesting weeks in our own special ways...enjoy this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!

Presented by 6D Helmets In this extra episode of the 6D Helmets Weekend Podcast, we stopped in at - you guessed it - 6D Helmets headquarters in La Habra, California, to sit down with founder Bob Weber. I've been friends with Bob for over two decades as we were co-workers at Dirt Rider Magazine in the late 1990s. When Weber launched 6D helmets in 2012, he effectively changed how the motocross and off-road world thinks about helmet safety, as he and the brand shed light on the deadly rotational brain injuries that seem to happen so often in off-road motorcycling. Weber's story is fascinating, so grab a snack and a beverage, and enjoy!

Presented by Pro Taper The 2024 Motocross of Nations at Matterly Basin was one for the record books, indeed. Although Team USA came up one spot shy of victory, the racing in all three motos was enough to get any motocross fan cheering. Aaron Plessinger, Cooper Webb, and Eli Tomac answered the call to represent our country and all three did us proud with gritty rides for the Red, White, and Blue. For Team Australia, the event was a dream come true as Hunter and Jett Lawrence, and Kyle Webster, put their country on the top step of the podium for the first time in the event's 77-year history. Our very own Michael Antonovich was on hand and shared his experiences and observations with us in this week's Kickstart Podcast.

Three thrilling races at the 2024 Motocross of Nations saw Team Australia take home the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in history, an incredibly strong Team USA finish second overall, and Tim Gajser make a last-turn last-lap pass for a crucial win. We grabbed time with the guys at the end of the day to discuss the weekend in England.

KTM and the Pierer Mobility Group's financial situation was one of the industry's biggest talking points through most of the past summer. Certain details that were shared in a public earnings statement, including the stock price, inventory surpluses, and workforce downsizes were repeatedly mentioned in online articles or videos, and the company has enacted new measures to correct the issues. Dozens of international motorcycle journalists were invited to Austria in September to see and hear what is happening with the Pierer Mobility Group. The two-day trip included presentations on how KISKA analyzes and designs for the motorcycle market, tours of the KTM Component, Engine, Assembly Line, and Research & Development buildings, conversations with executives, and rides through the mountains on production and prototype machines. Hear what we saw during the trip, including how all of KTM's off-road production remains in Austria, from SML's Michael Antonovich.

At 44 years old, Matt Buyten was enjoying life as a seven-time X Games Gold Medalist with a successful FMX career behind him and a young son to raise. Tragedy struck the Texas transplant in July when he suffered a horrific crash at a Loretta Lynn's qualifier that left him paralyzed from mid-chest down. Support for Buyten has been great, but he still has a long road ahead. We caught up with Buyten to learn more about his injury and how he is doing, and recap some highlights of his awesome career! If you can afford to do so and are so compelled, please support Buy10 by visiting road2recovery.com where you can find his page in the athlete causes tab.

After 31 races, the 2024 SuperMotocross Series finally came to an end last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, and by all accounts, the event was one of the most exciting races of the year! From Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan's second SMX World Championships, to Pierce Brown's long over-due win, to Chase Sexton's tragic hand injury that left Team USA for the Motocross of Nations in jeopardy!

A long year of racing wrapped up at the 2024 Las Vegas SuperMotocross, the title-deciding round of the SuperMotocross World Championship. Hear from two-time winner Jett Lawrence, runner-up Hunter Lawrence, 250 overall winner Pierce Brown, retiree Phil Nicoletti, and race finishers Coty Schock, Jett Reynolds, Julien Beaumer, Marshal Weltin, Fredrik Noren, and Grant Harlan. Coty Schock 0:18 Jett Reynolds 2:24 Julien Beaumer 4:04 Pierce Brown 4:56 Phil Nicoletti 7:22 Grant Harlan 10:37 Marshal Weltin 12:25 Fredrik Noren 15:08 Hunter Lawrence 17:50 Jett Lawrence 19:03

Presented by Pro Taper The second Supermotocross Playoff at Fort Worth featured some of the best 450-class action in recent memory! Form Hunter Lawrence's first SMX win to Eli Tomac's return to the "beast mode," there was a ton to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper!

Playoff Two in the SuperMotocross World Championship proved to be crucial for racers, as a challenging track, hot weather, and the chance for double points made for thrilling motos. Hear what Hunter Lawrence and Haiden Deegan had to say about their wins and ranks as the top riders going into the finale, plus talks with Jordon Smith, Julien Beaumer, Jo Shimoda, Tom Vialle, Cullin Park, Colt Nichols, Malcolm Stewart, and Dean Wilson. Jordon Smith | 0:18 Julien Beaumer | 1:36 Jo Shimoda | 3:09 Tom Vialle | 5:26 Haiden Deegan | 6:31 Cullin Park | 7:37 Malcolm Stewart | 9:28 Dean Wilson | 11:38 Colt Nichols | 13:55 Hunter Lawrence | 16:34

Presented by 6D Helmets Yusaku Yoshimura came to the United States in 2008 to work at the company his grandfather's company, Yoshimura R&D, based in Chino, California. At the time, Yusaku didn't speak English and started working in the production department, where his job was to clean pipes that had just been produced. Through the years, he worked many different jobs and learned all aspects of the business and in 2017 was promoted to President of Yoshimura R&D. Since then, Yusaku has streamlined production practices, grown business, and even expanded the company into the mountain biking industry. We caught up with "You Suck Yoshi" today for this week's 6d Helmets Midweek Podcast.

Presented by Pro Taper It was a big weekend in racing at the first of three SMX Finals went off at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Jett Lawrence made his return to racing in winning fashion, Haiden Deegan made a statement with a pair of dominant moto wins, and Eli Tomac found his usual form! A few hours away, meanwhile, the Mini Monster East by Seven MX also gave amateur mini racers a chance to showcase their speed on the amazing Monster Mountain MX course. We go over everything that we saw and also have a guest appearance by Red Bull KTM's Julien Beaumer, who earned his first career podium in Charlotte!

Round one of the Supermotocross World Championship took in North Carolina at zMAX Dragway, and riders were put to the test during two 20-minute and a lap motos on a super-sized track. Hear from Justin Cooper, Shane McElrath, Julien Beaumer, and Chance Hymas about the 2024 Charlotte SuperMotocross. Chance Hymas | 0:18Julien Beaumer | 2:02Shane McElrath | 3:48Justin Cooper | 7:34

Presented by Pro Taper We all enjoyed the one-week break between the Pro Motocross Championship Finale and the first of three SML Finals... What did you do with your free weekend? We had plenty to talk about and ponder regarding the upcoming finals...

Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Ironman Motocross, the track changes, the 2025 MXoN, SMX, schedules, and more.

Presented by 6D Helmets Can you believe that it's already shootout season? Yesterday, we concluded our comparison testing of the 2025 450 MX bikes with a final day of back-to-back riding at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. Representatives from the manufacturers were on hand to help set up the bikes ideally for each test rider, and we outfitted all of the bikes with excellent Maxxis SI tires to ensure consistent traction between all the machines. Thank you to Temecula Motorsports for making our private test day possible! The 2025 Beta RX450 and Suzuki RM-Z450 are not yet available, but we will test them when they arrive.

Presented by Pro Taper The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up last weekend at Ironman Raceway and there was plenty of amazing action to talk about and recap; from Chase Sexton's dominant final performance, to Aaron Plessinger's gritty and popular home track performance, to Eli Tomac's awesome return to the podium in only his second outdoor of the year. Motocross of Nations news and more, all in this week's episode. Enjoy!

The Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up a four-month, 11-race tour of the country with the 2024 Ironman Motocross. A picturesque August day in Indiana saw four action-packed motos and the awarding of the 450 MX title, and after everything was over, we grabbed time with a handful of riders to talk about last gate drops of the summer. Mark Fineis 0:18Coty Schock 1:43Julien Beaumer 3:54RJ Hampshire 5:51Chance Hymas 7:11Devin Simonson 8:36Shane McElrath 10:00Malcolm Stewart 12:29Christian Craig 14:29Phil Nicoletti 16:21Chase Sexton 22:56

Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Budds Creek Motocross, some broad thoughts on the Motocross of Nations, and what he knows about Team USA's selection process.

Presented by 6D Helmets Michael Leib has transitioned from journeyman Supercross racer to entrepreneur in less than five years. His companies - Canvas MX and Lucid Manufacturing - have found their place in motocross and in many ways, have changed how many of us think about motocross and off-road riding apparel. Leib's newest venture - SMX Jerseys - has begun to fill a void and create a new niche for race fans, by producing replica racing hero jerseys that are available on an on-demand basis. Wearing your own motocross jersey to a Supercross is dorky, but what if you could wear an Aaron Plessinger #7 Thor jersey? That's one no different than wearing a Jordan jersey to a Bulls game, right? We sat down with Leib to get the scoop on SMX Jerseys, only a few weeks after ordering our own David Bailey replica JT Racing jersey off Instagram!

Presented by Pro Taper Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, has hosted some truly memorable races through the years. The mention of the legendary racetrack always sparks a memory for motocross race fans of all ages and generations. Last weekend's racing at the championship's penultimate round certainly produced some new memorable moments, from Haiden Deegan's dominant first moto championship-clinching performance to Chase Sexton's amazing passing en route to the final 450 moto win. We recap all that, plus a lot more!

The Pro Motocross Championship continued its summer-long run with round ten, the 2024 Budds Creek Motocross. A warm day in Maryland saw rain and heat, close racing in both classes, multiple passes, and a title presentation, all of which riders detailed for us after the checkered flag. Julien Beaumer 0:18Haiden Deegan 1:53Shane McElrath 4:10Fredrik Noren 6:10Broc Tickle 7:47Aaron Plessinger 11:47

Michael Antonovich talks about the weekend trip to the Unadilla Motocross, past trips to New York, a first-time ride on local county-maintained bike trails, and why Eli Tomac racing WSX is a good thing for race fans everywhere.

Torrential downpours on Friday, excellent track prep, and a refreshed field of riders made the 2024 Unadilla Motocross one of the summer's best races! Chase Curtis, Alex Ray, and Michael Antonovich recap what we saw and heard at round nine of the Pro Motocross Championship on this episode of the Kickstart Podcast.

The excitement of the Pro Motocross Championship picked up where it left off with countless battles over four thrilling races at the 2024 Unadilla Motocross. We talked about round nine with Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen, Jalek Swoll, Max Anstie, Cooper Webb, Shane McElrath, Phil Nicoletti, Fredrik Noren, Grant Harlan, and Dylan Ferrandis. Max Anstie | 0:18 Jalek Swoll | 4:18 Levi Kitchen | 6:40 Cooper Webb | 9:13 Shane McElrath | 11:13 Phil Nicoletti | 15:25 Fredrik Noren | 18:34 Grant Harlan | 22:25 Dylan Ferrandis | 24:40 Chase Sexton | 28:29

For this week's episode of the SML Show, guest host Ricky Johnson sits down with Jeremy McGrath to reflect on Jeremy's career, team switches, the final years of racing, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this special episode of Ricky Johnson and Jeremy McGrath on the Swapmoto Live Show!