Swapmoto Live Podcast

Presented by 6D Helmets The other day, we randomly wondered what Travis Pastrana has been up to lately. The last time we spoke was just before the 2023/34 Nitro Cross Series finale in Las Vegas, and TP had just undergone knee replacement surgery. A quick "What's up?" text, and voila, this installment of the 6D Helmets Midweek Podcast. As always, Travis is a hoot! Enjoy!

Michael Antonovich and Alex Ray discuss what the took away from watching a week of action at the Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's and the looming push to end this year's Pro Motocross Championship.

Michael Antonovich talks about why he ended up driving home from Washougal, rolling through the Black Hills and stopping in Sturgis ahead of the rally, and a burning desire to camp at the Pro Motocross Championship.

Presented by 6D Helmets Mike Genova made his fortune producing products for hot tubs through his company Leisure Concepts, but his real passion lies in racing and as such, he has fielded the Motoconcepts Race Team for well over a decade. We enjoyed this opportunity to chat with Genova away from the race track and learn the story behind his career, and why he opts to invest so much into a motocross and Supercross team.

The month of July flew by! Michael Antonovich talks about what he saw and did over three weeks while traveling to the RedBud, Spring Creek, and Washougal rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship.

Presented by Pro Taper There was no race last weekend to bench race about, but this week's show was a fun time that was filled with rumors, ideas, memories, and more!

For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Adam Cianciarulo to discuss his struggles with his injury late in his racing career, what's next for him, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy Adam Cianciarulo on the Swapmoto Live Show!

Presented by Pro Taper Coming into last weekend's Washougal Pro MX National, you'd be hard-pressed to bet on anyone other than the current points leaders. But does that mean the racing is boring? We say, NO! There was plenty to watch as both Haiden Deegan and Chase Sexton raced to the 250 and 450 wins, respectfully. Today's podcast was executed under challenging conditions, as our man on the scene, Michael Antonovich, makes his way home to Illinois via rental car, after the massive IT outage that has made airline travel an absolute nightmare.

Presented by Pro Taper Last weekend's Spring Creek MX National was one for the record books as a massive crown saw four dominant performances from Chase Sexton and Levi Kitchen, a freak lightning-induced delay, a first-turn crash that wiped out many top contenders, and more!

Presented by Factory Backing Have you heard of Janky Productionz? We spotted a yellow Geo Metro on the freeway earlier this year, and it had two mini bikes strapped to the back of it, with @JankyProductionz emblazoned on the side. Days later, they showed up on our Instagram explore feed and we followed, intrigued by the father-and-son duo that planned to travel across the country in the Metro, riding in every state along the way. Hit play and meet Adam and Hunter Knudsvig, a small family who are living their best lives.

Presented by Pro Taper Without a doubt the most anticipated MX National of the year is the Red Bud MX National, held on Independence Day weekend each year in Buchanan, Michigan. This year's race lived up to the hype, and the rowdy crowd on hand was treated to a first-time win for "local boy" Chase Sexton and Honda HRC's Chance Hymas' first-career 250 National victory. As always, there was a lot to bench race about, and this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast is a good one!

Michael Antonovich shares some thoughts on what he saw and did over the weekend at the 2024 Southwick Motocross, round five of the Pro Motocross Championship.

The fifth round of this year's Pro Motocross Championship was the best yet! Close battles in both classes at the 2024 Southwick Motocross, plus X Games in California, gave our guys plenty to talk about for this episode of the Kickstart Podcast.

The summer solstice lined up with the first weekend off of the Pro Motocross Championship! Our crew is everywhere right now, with swap in Whistler for days of downhill MTB action, Chase in SoCal at the SML HQ, ARay doing the 9-5 at O'Neal, and Anton at home in Illinois, but we got together to talk about what's happening in moto before the next big push. Press play!

Presented by Pro Taper Round four of the Pro MX Nationals traveled to the East Coast and visited the legendary High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. And while the 450 class results were the same as they were are, we were treated to a special victory by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's fill-in racer Ty Masterpool. There's something special about a racer's first career win, but making this one even more memorable was that it was the Pro Circuit race team's 300th victory!

Presented by Factory Backing Bill's Pipes has a rich history in off-road racing that started in the dirt track arena with legends like Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts, then ventured into ATV racing before finally landing in the motocross and Supercross disciplines, where it rose to prominence and earned several motocross championships with riders like Doug Henry, Steve Lamson, Travis Pastrana, Damon Bradshaw, Jason Lawrence, Buddy Antunez, Mike Brown and more. With founder Bill Cervera taking a step back, his step-son Jeff Springman and Brandon Dunn took over the reins and are guiding the brand back towards the top of the sport.

Presented by Pro Taper The Thunder Valley MX National produced the same overall results, but the action in the motos varied radically from what we've seen thus far in the young series. Big congratulations to first-time moto winners Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas, as their performances were the weekend highlights in the Rockies. We recap that and a whole lot more in this week's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Pro Taper.

Presented by Pro Taper The Hangtown MX National was hands-down, one of the best motocross races we've seen in years, and definitely the best performance of Chase Sexton's career. Fortieth to First is going to be a catchphrase when it comes to the Red Bull KTM rider, no doubt! We talk about everything that we saw and learned at the second round of the great outdoors!

Presented by Pro Taper Round 18 of the Supermotocross World Championship got underway at Fox Raceway yesterday, and it looks like the Pro Motocross Nationals are in store for some amazing action! Will it be the Summer of Jettson again? Yesterday's 1-1 scores might indicate that it will be, but we saw some inspiring performances from Chase Sexton, Hunter Lawrence, and Aaron Plessinger that give us hope for some different winners. In the 250 class, the battles between race winner Haiden Deegan and runner-up Levi Kitchen kept us on our tiptoes as they matched each other's every move throughout the two motos. Tom Vialle, Joey Savatgy, Chance Hymas and more, kept both motos super exciting. We had a lot to talk about this morning! Enjoy a special Sunday installment of the Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, and enjoy your Memorial Day holiday!

Presented by Pro Taper The gate drops on the start of the 2024 Pro Motocross Nationals this weekend at Fox Raceway and we are amped! We got to see some pre-series racing last week at the Glen Helen Stopwatch Nationals, and it got us all fired up for this summer. It's gonna be so good! Who you got?

On this installment of the Factory Backing Midweek Podcast, we sit down with Geoff Patterson, who founded Leatt Brace USA decades ago and was essentially one of the partners who put the neck brace on the map. Since then, he's created an alcohol brand, an airline sleeping aid, and most recently, the Hitch Hotel. If you've attended a West Coast Supercross in the past two years, you've probably seen the Hitch Hotel on display with the Motoconcepts Honda team. Geoff is an interesting guy and a good friend; we think you'll enjoy this conversation!

Presented by Pro Taper The 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship came to a close last weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, and even though all three championships were settled in a relatively anti-climatic fashion, there was still plenty to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast!

Presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Tony Alessi to discuss the evolution of MotoConcepts Racing, rule changes in Supercross, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Tony!

Presented by Pro Taper The Denver Supercross was - all in all - probably one of the least-exciting races of the year as Jo Shimoda and Jett Lawrence won the 250 and 450 main events, respectively, with no trouble at all. What Denver did do, however, is set us up for one hell of a series finale in Salt Lake City next weekend!

For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with skateboarding legend Steve Caballero to discuss his passion for motocross, hobbies outside of skating, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Steve!

Presented by Factory Backing Bob Morales has been a fixture in two-wheeled sports for decades, first making moves in BMX by helping pioneer a new discipline in the sport, then launching several brands within the industry. Now in the motocross industry, Morales owns ASV Inventions, a manufacturer of unbreakable folding levers, quick-adjust clutch perches, bike stands, and more! We invited Bob to visit us at the SML HQ to take a trip down memory lane and share some insight about the sport, the state of the industry, creating and developing new products, and more!

Presented by Pro Taper Monster Energy Supercross returned to Philadelphia for the first time since 1980 and - as expected - the event was a massive hit! In addition to the crowd turnout, the racing in both classes was unreal! From Max Anstie's hard-earned win to the spectacular Jalek Swoll and Seth Hammaker collision in the 250s, to the dominant display of riding by Jett Lawrence to Jason Anderson and Cooper Webb coming together on the last lap in the 450s, Philly was one to remember.

Presented by Pro Taper The Nashville Supercross saw all hell break loose in more ways than one. While the 2024 season has been relatively injury free thus far, big crashes and mayhem took down several top contenders in both classes. Alex Ray joined Michael Antonovich in Tennessee last weekend, and this week's pod is extra insightful.

Presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Team Honda HRC's Jo Shimoda to discuss his 2024 Supercross season, the adjustment period he is experiencing with the bike, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Shimoda!

Presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Justin Bogle to discuss his new deal with Stark Future, stepping away from racing in America, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Bogle!

Presented by Pro Taper Without a doubt, this is the best 450 Supercross Series we've enjoyed in years! A championship points tie with only four rounds left in the series? Pinch us! We go over the spectacular action from the Foxborough Supercross, and a whole lot more in this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.

Presented by Factory Backing Kris Coan-Palm immigrated to the United States over a decade ago after visiting Southern California on a motocross vacation, and he's found a niche in the sport that's allowed him to make a living.

The past weekend offered a nice break for racers on the Monster Energy Supercross tour, but that by no means meant that the week was boring or without highlights! Sadly, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo announced his retirement from professional racing after the Salt Lake City finale. We all reflect on what a great guy AC has been to deal with and more, as we've known him since before he even got on big bikes. Blake Baggett also returned to the track last weekend! Does this mean he's coming back to fill in on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna? We don't think so, but it raises some spectacular possibilities, doesn't it? This week's show was super fun...

Presented by OGIO Powersports and Yamaha For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Austin Forkner to discuss his brutal crash in Arlington, touch on the massive gains Pro Circuit has made on their machine, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Forkner!

The final Triple Crown Supercross of the year was held in St. Louis last weekend and it provided not only three times the amount of racing and excitement, but three times the normal amount of drama, too! We recap what we saw, heard, and learned in this week's Kickstart Podcast!

For this week's episode of the SML Show, host Donn Maeda sits down with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Malcolm Stewart to reflect on the beginning of his 2024 season, discuss what the team is chasing on the bike, and plenty more. Plugin those headphones and enjoy this week's episode of the Swapmoto Live Show with Mookie!

The Seattle Supercross could have been the most challenging and treacherous track of the year thus far, as rain in the days before the race softened the dirt surface and left the racers with rutted jump faces, rhythm section transitions, straights, and corners. The action, however, was amazing as home-state hero Levi Kitchen scored a popular win in the 250 Western Regional main and Cooper Webb earned a massively popular victory in the 450 main after a race-long battle with defending Supercross Champion Chase Sexton that saw multiple lead changes.

Presented by Factory Backing Cari Schahr stopped by SML Headquarters in January to discuss the Host Kawasaki team that she fields with rider Dylan Walsh, to talk about her road to team ownership, her family's involvement in motocross, running the Grindstone MX Compound, and more. Sadly, Walsh was badly injured in the first qualifying session of the day at Anaheim One, rupturing his intestines and undergoing emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and repair his internal injuries. Walsh has made a remarkable recovery and will return to action at this weekend's Seattle Supercross, so we thought it was the perfect time to release Schahr's episode of the Factory Backing Midweek Podcast.

Presented by Pro Taper The 10th round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series rolled into Indianapolis, Indiana, last weekend and the traditionally tough and treacherous track hosted the second Triple Crown of the year. The racing was three times as exciting with three main events in each class, and there was a lot to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast...including some news about the ability to place bets on the remainder of the Monster Energy Supercross races and all of the Supermotocross Series this year!

Presented by Factory Backing Jason Fontes has worn many hats in the motocross industry, starting with a warehouse position at N-Style, where we first met. These days, "Fonzy" is a staple at Fasthouse, and one of the brand's biggest voices. It was a pleasure to sit down and retrace Jason's journey in this thing we call moto.

Presented by Pro Taper Heavy rainfall in the days preceding the first-ever Birmingham Supercross left the Dirtwurx Crew challenged with the task of building the track for round nine of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, but they rose to the occasion and the track - sans whoops - yielded some excellent racing action. We recap the racing - and mishaps and penalties - in this week's show.

Presented by Pro Taper As always, the Daytona Supercross kicked off Bike Week in Florida, and the racing was everything that we have come to expect from the roughest circuit in the series. Jett Lawrence put on a riding clinic as he notched his third win of the season, handily topping seven-time Daytona winner Eli Tomac in his first premier-class showing at the World Center of Racing. We talk about everything we saw, learned and heard at last weekend's race.

Presented by Factory Backing We caught up with Travis Pastrana today to talk about this weekend's Nitrocross at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegan, Nevada, but the conversation also turned towards the amazing Supercross season that we have all been enjoying. It's always a pleasure chatting with 199...we think you'll enjoy!

Presented by Pro Taper The Arlington Supercross was one wild night for sure! We saw lots of things and had a ton to talk about in this week's Kickstart Podcast. With Chase Curtis in Florida with tester Pat Foster for the Triumph intro, we invited our long-time test rider and friend, Tallon LaFountaine to join in on the bench racing today!

Presented by Factory Backing Paul Perebijnos has a rich history in the sport of motocross. From professional racer to college graduate, from privateer mechanic to factory mechanic, and more recently from Pro Taper Brand Manager to Renthal's Global Offroad Manager, he's got a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of motocross. Paul joined us in the office for a chat about the journey he's enjoyed on two wheels.

Presented by Pro Taper The ninth-annual Mini Monsters MX by Seven MX went off last weekend at Glen Helen Raceway and nearly 800 racers showed up to do battle on an exclusive track layout. We talk about all the weekend shenanigans - both during and after hours - as well as the latest happenings in our sport!

Presented by Pro Taper The sixth round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Glendale, Arizona, last weekend and the massive track yielded some great results, even though the racing on the track wasn't necessarily that spectacular. We battled through some horrible screw-ups and a missing co-host this morning to bring you this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast. Rest assured, some big changes are coming for next week. Thanks for bearing with us.

Presented by Pro Taper The Monster Energy Supercross Championship visited Detroit, Michigan, last weekend for the fifth round of the year, and the event did not disappoint! Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship Series kicked off and we got to see a whole new batch of racers behind the starting gate. Highlights included the debut of the Triumph racing team, our first repeat winner of the season in the 450 class, Haiden Deegan's debut as the defending 250 SMX Champion, and of course....Cameron McAdoo's gritty ride after a horrific first-turn crash. McAdoo called in on today's show to talk about the incident that social media is buzzing about: this week's show is nuts!

Presented by OGIO Powersports Though he's been retired from professional racing for over a decade, Jason Lawrence remains one of the most polarizing personalities in our sport. Earlier this year JLaw was set to race the Kicker Arenacross Series with the Phoenix Honda team, but that deal unravelled before the series even started. Lawrence has since taken an interest in the AMA US Sprint Enduro Series and is set to compete at round two this weekend in Union, South Carolina, aboard a Kawasaki KX450 that he purchased recently. We caught up with JLaw this morning to talk about his new interest in Sprint Enduro, what happened with Phoenix Honda, his biggest regrets in racing, cool riding gear, and lots more!

Presented by Pro Taper We're four rounds deep into the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Series and we have an incredible eight - that's right: eight - different overall winners in the 250 and 450 classes! Last weekend's Triple Crown produced some amazing races on a brutal track that challenged riders throughout the day, but at least it wasn't raining, right? This week, we recap everything that we saw, heard, and learned...all in person!