Swapmoto Live Podcast

Presented by Yoshimura Imagine starting a graphics company in a small town in Germany, just to fund your dirt bike habit, and having it blow up into a worldwide success! That's exactly what Philipp Klakow has done with Backyard Design USA. As our favorite graphics company to work with - their designs and quality are second-to-none - we were stoked to see Philipp stateside a few weeks ago as he had planned to race the first couple of Supercross rounds for fun. Sadly, he broke his femur in a crash a few days before Anaheim One, but we can assure you that this injury will not dampen his enthusiasm for the sport.

Presented by Pro Taper Almost unbelievably, we had another mudder in San Diego. This one was different, though, as riders were still able to jump many of the obstacles, and this made racing super sketchy! We had two more new winners this year, and seeing Aaron Plessinger get his first career win was amazing. We chat about everything we saw and learned...

Nine years ago, we created the Mini Major by Seven MX, a race that is tailored specifically to mini bike racers in our efforts to support the overall growth of the racing portion of our sport. And it was a hit! Each and every year, the Mini Major has attracted key talent and grown in overall participation. Past winners include Stylez Robertson, Ryder DiFrancisco, Jett Reynolds, Talon Hawkins, and more! For 2024, the event has been rebranded the Mini Monsters by Seven MX, and is an AMA Major Event, complete with National-Championship Number-One Plates! Race Director Aaron Cooke stopped by the SML offices this morning to discuss!

Presented by Pro Taper Unless you've been in a coma for the past couple of days, you already know that the San Francisco Supercross inside Oracle Stadium was a crazy, messy, quagmire and that the racing - although slow - produced some great results, some bitter disappointments, and some career highs. We had a great time recapping everything that we saw, heard, and learned in NorCal.

Presented by Pro Taper The Anaheim One Supercross was everything we had hoped it would be, and more! What were your biggest surprises and letdowns? See how they lined up with ours! This is the longest, most-fun pod we've ever done after a race. Enjoy!

Presented by Yoshimura Right after graduating high school, Maki Ushiroyama left his home in Japan and moved to California with the dream of riding dirt bikes and finding a job in the motocross industry. While attending an art school in San Diego, he drove to Troy Lee Designs in Corona, some two hours north, to meet Troy and ask if he could intern at TLD. And with that, as they say, the rest is history. Maki spent 32 years designing helmets, t-shirts, riding gear, race team graphics and transporters, and more, during his time with the legendary brand. Now venturing out on his own with Groove Machine Inc., and independent art agency, Ushiroyama stopped by to reminisce his three-decade history in the sport.

Presented by Pro Taper The 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series kickoff is a mere four days away and we couldn't be more hyped! Who looks good? Who will take it? What new looks and sponsorships will we see come Saturday? We talk about all of this, and more, on the first Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast of the year.

Logan Karnow has made quite the name for himself over the past two years, thanks to his results on the track, desire to have fun after the checkered flag, and the sponsors on his motorcycle, including OnlyFans, which linked up with the Ohio privateer in 2023 and renewed their support of Karnow's program for 2024. With the first gate drop of the year just days away, we grabbed a few minutes to talk about preseason prep in Florida, working with the subscription-based content platform, and what it takes to be a well-known racer in the modern era.

Presented by Pro Taper We took the Kickstart Podcast on the road this morning and visited our cohost Alex Ray at his place of employment. The O'Neal Racing HQ in Camarillo, California, is a beautiful workplace and home to one of the legacy brands in our sport. We caught up on lots of things in this week's show, but mostly just enjoyed ARay's company, face to face.

Presented by Yoshimura This weekend, Glen Helen Raceway will host rounds six and seven of the Nitrocross Series, and even though the vehicles will have two extra wheels; we're stoked to head out there to see some amazing racing. One of the big draws for us, of course, is the head-to-head match-up between Travis Pastrana and Brian Deegan, both in the E Division electric cars and the Can-Am Side by Sides. It's the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles X Games where both Pastrana and Deegan pulled off the world's first 360s in freestyle motocross, which gives the Deegan vs. Pastrana vibe even more juice. We rang Travis Pastrana up on Facetime to get his take on this weekend's race, electric vehicle racing, the Stark Varg, injuries, and more. We also have three pairs of general admission and one pair of VIP tickets for this weekend's racing at Glen Helen to give away. Want to win? Drop a comment with a compelling reason why you should win, and we will choose the four winners Thursday morning at 9 am. Good luck!

Presented by Pro TaperWe missed last week's show because all four of us were sick and had no voices, so we chatted about all the shenanigans at this year's Day in the Dirt Grand Prix, Jorge Prado's big announcement, Arenacross, and more!

Presented by Yoshimura Skillz Racing is a 100% custom motocross gear company based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and we chatted with owner Ismael Navarro about how he got started, the challenges he faced, and more. Most importantly, we got more information on how he is giving back the sport by supporting the privateers of the Monster Energy Supercross series!

Presented by Yoshimura The 2024 MX Shootout is in the books after several weeks of comparison testing, and one final day of back-to-back comparisons with a panel of test riders and technicians from all of the manufacturers to assist with bike setup. While the official Bike of the Year scores are being tallied and will be announced soon, our panel of test riders gathered at the SML headquarters to bench race about all six of the machines...

Presented by Pro Taper The 40th Running of the great Paris Supercross went off last weekend in France and our very own Michael Antonovich was there to document the action and sip an espresso or two. We go over everything that he saw and learned at the most important off-season race of the year!

Jordon Post is one of one. We've gotten to know the tattooed journeyman over the last few years at rounds of Supercross and Pro Motocross, as his roles with the track crew put him on location early and in the heart of the action. After Post gets done hanging banners or helping assemble various structures around the track and paddock, he continues the hustle by picking up his camera and documenting the action in a way only he can. The last twenty minutes of this talk take a heavy turn, as Jordan discussed the loss of his stepbrother Wills Fedrick at the Nashville race this year and the way working in the industry has helped him come to terms with the things that happen in life.

Presented by Pro Taper You've probably heard us referencing the upcoming wedding for several months now, and it all went down last weekend: Our very own Alex Ray is officially hitched and off the market. We chat about the wedding, the Texas Mini Major, and the upcoming Day in the Dirt in this week's show...

Presented by Pro Taper Round two of the WSX Championship went down in Abu Dhabi last weekend and sparks flew as the tiny arena required racers to get aggressive for positions. While Joey Savatgy was the event's overall winner, the runner-up, Dean Wilson, was arguably the quickest rider on the track. We coordinated time zones with our buddy Deano and got him in on today's Kickstart Podcast, presented by Pro Taper.

Presented by Yoshimura It's been 13 years since Jason Lawrence's pro racing career came to an end, but the name JLaw still attracts attention whenever it pops up. A couple of weeks ago, Lawrence was invited to race the Ironman GNCC with the powerful Phoenix Honda team and his appearance sparked interest in both the fans and in Lawrence, himself. Now, it appears, JLaw will contest this winter's AMA Arenacross Championship Series with the Phoenix Honda team, alongside defending champ Kyle Peters. JLaw phoned us up this morning on his way to North Carolina to start his preparation. The conversation was too good to hold until the middle of the week, so here ya go!

Presented by Pro Taper In this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast, we talk about the Honda CRF Electric that we flew to Japan to see in action with Trey Canard. Also updates on the state of World SX, new rides and more!

After five years of employment with the Ford Motor Company as a Research Engineer, Sean Hilbert decided to step back from the workforce and pursue higher education through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MIT Sloan School of Management. During Hilbert's time at the prestigious schools, he put together a vision for the future of the powersports industry that would use "individualized focus" to make off-road motorcycles custom-built for the consumer and soon gathered business partners and financial support that made the idea a reality. The group acquired Cobra Moto from Bud Maimone, a machinist who revolutionized amateur motocross with his American-made mini bikes, in 2003 and has spent the past twenty years growing the brand with a lineup of performance-focused models, an international dealer network, a large production facility in Michigan, and direct support for the racing families who at the track every weekend.

Presented by Pro Taper Three weeks into the off-season and we are still finding plenty to chin-wag over...new rider and team combos, bike tests, new gear, and more!

Presented by Pro Taper It's been a relatively quiet week in motocross and Supercross as the off-season is now in full effect. The big news is Guillem Farres to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, but we've also heard and seen a few more interesting things...

Presented by Yoshimura Our long-time test rider Rene Garcia got to trade in his gloves and helmet in for a passport and a set of wrenches as he traveled with Team Guam to Ernee, France, as Joshua Varize's mechanic at the Motocross of Nations. We asked him to join us and give us some insight into what goes into getting a privateer to the biggest race of the year.

Presented by Yoshimura Yesterday, the SML testing team wrapped up its final day of comparison testing for the crop of 2024 250 MX bikes at Fox Raceway, and we gathered at the office afterward to compare our thoughts about each of the six machines from Gas Gas, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, and Yamaha. Special thanks to Fun Bike Center, Motul, and OGIO Powersports for making our comparison test possible

We've officially had one week of the offseason and man, did it feel good! Not that we weren't busy, mind you...we had a ton of testing to do and we've been wide open as usual. Anton is leaving for France with the rest of Team USA for the Motocross of Nations, ARay is working the Chaparral Parking Lot Sale, Chase is filming a wedding in Mexico, and Donn is orchestrating the 2024 250 Shootout this coming week! Busy, busy...

Presented by Pro Taper To say that the Supermotocross Finale at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum delivered would be an understatement! The inaugural SMX Championship produced some amazing racing, two new champions, and new rivalries that will keep fans entertained for years to come. Join the SML staff as we recap everything that we saw and learned at the last American race of the year.

Presented by Pro Taper The pass. You know; the pass everyone is talking about. What did you think of Jett Lawrence letting Ken Roczen pass him for the second moto win at last weekend's final Supermotocross Supermorocross moto? We cover that and a whole lot more in this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by Pro Taper

Presented by Yoshimura On this installment of the Yoshimura Midweek Podcast, we invited our SoCal neighbor Tag Gasparian of Tagger Designs to stop by and share his story, From his early days as a professional surfer to his current role as one of motocross' most popular helmet painters, Chances are that you have either admired some of Tag's work, owned some of it, or have something he designed on your Christmas wish list. Enjoy!

Presented by Pro Taper Well, the Supermotocross Playoffs are finally here, and for the SML staff, the new series is everything we had hoped it would be and more! The racing in Charlotte was insane, and the results were mixed up, and that's more than we could have ever wished for. 250 winner Jo Shimoda joined us for this morning's show and added some insight and humor, too! Enjoy! What did you think of the first SMX playoff? Comment below!

After a tumultuous few weeks with rumors of race cancellations, boardroom negotiations with financial backers, and a press release that promised "positive future developments" to support the FIM World Supercross Championship, SX Global has announced the sale of its business to a new investment group. The organization, led by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, will work alongside longtime WSX principal Adam Bailey, who will maintain his role as CEO of the series as it continues its second year. Kyril is the son of Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who served as CEO of advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi and sporting giant adidas, while his great-great-grandfather Léopold Louis-Dreyfus established the family's businesses in agriculture, shipping, energy, raw materials, and finance that, according to its 2022 financial report, operates in more than 100 countries with 21.6 billion dollars in total assets. Sartori is known for forming the Union Group immediately after graduating from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and through his increasing political influence with the National Party, the oldest active political group in the South American country. Louis-Dreyfus and Sartori have been close friends and business partners for some time. Both are on the board of directors at Sunderland AFC and will join Adam Bailey in similar roles at SX Global.

Presented by Pro Taper Last weekend, Chase Curtis made the trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to experience his first-ever Mammoth Mountain Motocross. We recap that, share some Mammoth memories, talk silly season rumors, and what's up with the upcoming SMX finals this weekend!

Presented by Pro Taper Well, he did it! Jett Lawrence wrapped up the 2023 450 National MX Championship a couple of weeks ago, but last weekend at Ironman Raceway the Australian wonderboy completed the third perfect season our sport has ever seen...as a rookie! Meanwhile, big brother Hunter Lawrence wrapped up the 250 National MX Championship with solid finishes, and Jo Shimoda went out in grand style with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team with a perfect 1-1 sweep for the brand's only win of the series. We recap all of this and a lot more, on this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast.

The Pro Motocross Championship is about to close out at the 2023 Ironman Motocross, an action-packed weekend that will kick off with the announcement of Team USA for the Motocross of Nations. Although the Americans are the defending champions of the Chamberlain Cup and will run numbers one, two, and three when they go to France in October, putting the team together has been a challenge. Yes, interest in the race is at an all-time high after last year's victory on home soil at RedBud, and multiple OEMs have pledged their time and resources, but sending the exact same lineup as last year is not possible due to Eli Tomac's ongoing recovery from an Achilles injury, Justin Cooper's long-planned wedding which lands on the same weekend, and Chase Sexton's upcoming switch from Honda to KTM. And that's why AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier had to push the team's lineup declaration from its usual date at Unadilla, to the finale at Ironman. He and managing partner Roger DeCoster have spent the better part of the summer working out scenarios for Ernee, a complicated matter considering the time some candidates were missing with injuries, the extended season for SuperMotocross, and the numerous rider-team changes that will happen in October. Here's what we do know ahead of the official announcement. Aaron Plessinger is a lock. At third place, the Red Bull KTM rider is the highest-ranking American in the 450 Class championship standings, and he has not finished outside the top ten once this summer. Eager for redemption after the RedBud mud in 2018, expect AP to be the Open Class pick. Chase Sexton, the only available rider from last year's lineup, is down to go, and could use the race as his debut on the Red Bull KTM. Team Honda HRC has offered support to Sexton through the race, as they'll be backing the Lawrence brothers for Team Australia, but we've been told that Sexton would like to get on the orange bike as soon as possible. Sexton's involvement was said to motivate and determine Haiden Deegan's participation. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider has been impressive as a rookie, and making the MXON his first race overseas would be a big draw for both the team and the event, but we've learned that the teenager and the group around him may opt-out after a long year that started in the Supercross Futures class. The MX2 rider is often crucial to a team's overall score, and this year, it sounds like the group favors dropping a willing and experienced 450 Class rider down to the small-bore bike, rather than picking among the other Americans in the 250 Class. Justin Barcia is the most likely candidate. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing rider has been on Team USA a few times already, including 2015 in Ernee. Cooper Webb is another possibility, but it sounds like his current focus is getting up to speed on the YZ450F ahead of the SMX rounds. An added benefit of these two is that if Chase Sexton decides not to go after all, either Barcia or Webb could step up to the MXGP spot and run the number one plate. Here's my interview with Mike Pelletier from last Friday at Budds Creek, where he explained some of the obstacles faced this summer and the importance of unifying Team USA.

The Budds Creek MX marked the penultimate stop of the 2023 National MX Championship and though Chase Sexton made it interesting in the final 40 moto, it was yet another Jett Lawrence 1-1 romp to victory. We discuss that, the MXoN USA team, rumors, hurricanes, and more, on this week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast!

Presented by Yoshimura At the age of 18, Steve Piatonni made the mature decision to leave behind a potential professional motocross career to start a business for himself: Shock Therapy Racing, a SoCal-based suspension, and mechanic service specializing in dirt bikes. With 40 years of experience behind him, Piatonni is a go-to for SoCal racers looking for help with their machines, and he joined us for this week's Yoshimura Midweek Podcast!

Presented by Pro Taper The Jett Lawrence Train rolled through Utica, New York, last weekend and the 20-year-old wrapped up his first 450 National MX Championship in grand style with. 1-1 performance that kept his perfect season intact. We talk about that and a whole lot more on this week's Kickstart Podcast by Pro Taper.

This week marks the first Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast without good ole Alex Ray in-house as we record. Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few months, you know that ARay hung up his helmet for good and has joined the working force with a job at O'Neal USA. With one week in his new career under his belt, ARay phoned in, and along with Michael Antonovich, we cover the wet and sloppy Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur Nationals.

Presented by Pro Taper The first of two off-weekends has passed and a lot was still going on for the SML staff; ARay had his bachelor party in Havasu and Chase and Donn headed to Whistler, B.C. for Crankworx with the King of Supercross. We had a nice bench-racing session about the newest rumors floating around, what to look for at Loretta Lynns next weekend, and more!

Presented by Yoshimura Rob Salcedo has enjoyed a three-decade career in the motocross industry, and we are lucky to have known him for most of it. From his early days in the Fox Racing warehouse to his current position with Leatt, Salcedo has gotten to work around great personalities in our sport throughout. We caught up with "Chuchacabra" at the Crankworx MTB Festival in Whistler, B.C. this week to get the Cliff Notes version of his long journey in the two-wheeled world.

We are in Whistler, B.C. Canada for the Crankworx MTB festival with the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, for the second time ever. Following up with our first installment in 2019m we got together this evening for our (now) traditional Live Tequila Podcast. Both McGrath and swap went live on Instagram to field some questions from viewers, and it was a good time - albeit somewhat more controlled and in control than the second installment (which was never aired and archived, by the way). Jeremy and Donn talk about everything from Jett Lawerence's dominance to two-strokes making a comeback, to MC dislocating his hip on his KTM, to nearly dying in an off-road truck, and more! Enjoy!

The Pro Motocross Championship made its annual trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Washougal Motocross, a busy and exciting weekend that gave Anton and ARay plenty to talk about. In this episode of the Kickstart Podcast, we'll cover Haiden Deegan's 1-1, Jett's perfect season continued, Eli Tomac's appearance at the Alpinestars MX24 launch, and Thursday night's action at PIR.

Presented by Pro Taper The second half of the 2023 MX Nationals started last weekend at Spring Creek MX in Millville, Minnesota, and fans were treated to some great racing in both classes. While the results columns may not have seemed exciting per se, there was plenty to see on the legendary track, and we discuss all the best stuff in today's show..

A lot went down at round six of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship! Last weekend's Southwick National saw some entertaining racing, championship heartbreak, and resulted in Haiden Deegan holding the red plate. Press play as we cover everything that Michael Antonovich saw in-person, as well as everything Alex Ray and Chase Curtis learned over the weekend.

We spent the better part of an hour during Friday afternoon's downtime at the RedBud Motocross talking stickers with Matt Davis, co-creator and co-owner of Throttle Jockey. The Indiana print house has made its share of iconic graphic kits since starting in 1992, and for the past twenty years, they've handled everything for Team Honda HRC's motocross operation in America. It's a role that Davis takes pride in, and as you'll hear, his appreciation for motocross stretches back to the family's very first visit to RedBud in the 1970s.

Presented by Yoshimura Wes Smith is a behind-the-scenes guy who has done business with many of the sport's top racers and freestyle riders over the past few decades. A lifelong motocross rider and enthusiast, Smith fine-tuned his craft working for Planet Hollywood before branching out on his own as Smithline Industries, a custom memorabilia framing, and mounting shop. Through the years, he's done work for the likes of Robbie Maddison, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Justin Cooper, Nate Adams, and more. Most notably, however, Smith had a goal to work with his favorite rider, Jeremy McGrath, when he started out and has been largely responsible for the personal museum known as Jeremy McGrath's Attic. We asked Wes to stop by so he could tell us his motocross story!

Presented by Pro Taper Is there a bigger motocross race than Red Bud? We think not! Last weekend's MX National in Buchanan, Michigan, saw some amazing racing, some big surprises, and the first of many Haiden Deegan wins. We cover everything that we saw and learned and Alex Ray also makes a big announcement in this week's show!

Presented by Pro Taper The first break in the MX National Championship Series gave riders, mechanics, and everyone involved in the racing side of our sport a much-needed break. Some used the time to regroup and reset, while others kept their noses to the grindstone in search of more speed, more fitness, or simply a better bike setting. This week's Pro Taper Kickstart Podcast has no rhyme or reason, but we sure had a great time flapping our lips about moto and more!

Presented by Pro Taper We thought that Thunder Valley was Rut City, but last weekend's High Point MX National was on a whole different level of gnarly! There was lots to talk about after round four of the 2023 MX Nationals: Ken Roczen's return to action, Hunter Lawrence's seven-point penalty, RJ Hampshire's first moto win, Jett Lawrence finishing both motos in Red Bullet helmet mode, and more!

Presented by Yoshimura We've known Todd Ford for over three decades since we first met him when he was a young, enthusiastic salesman at a popular graphics company. These days, Ford owns and operates Custom Upfits, a NorCal-based vehicle upfitter that has built moto vans for the likes of Chad Reed, Justin Barcia, Andrew Short, Ryder DiFrancisco, Jett Reynolds, and more! Todd is also a huge supporter of Road to Recovery, and has donated complete vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and more, to help injured motocross racers.

Presented by Pro Taper Brutal. That's the word that best describes the track that greeted racers at round three of the MX Nationals last weekend at Thunder Valley MX, just outside of Denver, Colorado. We talk about the whos, whats, wheres, and whys, of last weekend's race!