The biggest story leading up to the season opener of the Lucas Oil Motocross Championship circled around one James Stewart. Everyone asked, "Will he kick some butt, will he choke, was his problem with SX all in his head or has he landed on his head too many times, will the Suzuki be his saving grace, if he was so fond of the Suzuki starting last year, why did he ride for another team if he says he does not do it for the money," and a slew of other questions. Many of those questions may never get answered but one thing is certain, Stewart showed up at Hangtown looking calm, cool, collected, kicked some butt and took names. He proved he made the proper call and forward is the only direction in his sights.

Images and Typos: Scott Hoffman
With Ryan Villopoto unable to defend his title and Ryan Dungey looking and riding as expected (classic Dungey), the focus has been on JS, even though he kind of says he doesn't want to be in the limelight, he just wants to race and have fun. Yes there are a few other go-fasters that showed some speed such as Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short, and Mike Alessi, but with the storm of what has transpired in the Stewart camp in the last few months, it is very atypical for the sport of motocross and fans are interested to see what is going to be printed on the last page of the story. This is why JS is under the scope and will be for some time or maybe until he retires.

OK, round 1 is in the books and the series is off to Texas to what is usually a very hot, very humid, and dangerous event with regard to the weather and how it wreaks havoc on the racers. It will be a testament to who is in shape and ready for this sort of abuse. Round 2 will also show if round 1 painted the picture for the entire series or is there speed in the field we are unaware of. It would be nice to see 4-6 winners in the 450 class for the 2012 Motocross Championship but this cynic predicts it will be a Dungey/Stewart season if both racers can stay focused and healthy. Maybe toss in a possible single win or moto wins by Alessi, Millsaps, Short, or Metcalfe. Heat could be a factor and it will determine if Stewie is in shape and not affected by the conks to his head during the supercross season.

At Hangtown, Dungey had a fighting chance to possibly win the second moto if not for lappers getting in the way during a pretty intense battle. Let's just say the Dunge was not happy and it looked for a second like he was almost pissed, yet he grabbed his composure. Dungey's classic late moto charge is still his ace in the hole and could determine the title. Dungey has that ability to maintain an amazing pace throughout the entire moto, especially during that crucial last 10 minutes of a race.
I am very glad Stewart stepped up and decided to race the outdoor series for no money, it does say a lot about him as a racer and his desire to ride. Plus if StewZuki was not on the gate, it could have been a one-rider series with the dominant figure being Dungey. Just image what it could have been if Supercross did not wreck the top talent--the battle royal with Villopoto, Chad Reed, Stewart, and Dungey going at it--that that would have been a season!

For now we have to be grateful for having a solid series and as time goes by the rest of the field in the 450 class should find their groove and make it to the front. It is kind of a bummer that Tyla Rattray was injured again at Hangtown and Ben Townley never even made it close to racing before re-injuring his hip. Those two could have helped mix it up a bit.
As for the 250 class it is anyone's game. The talent pool is deep and the speed is incredible. Even after watching the opening round at Hangtown, I can't predict who will win. I can say it probably won't be defending title holder Dean Wilson, his day was over early at Hangtown with what is said to be a shoulder injury, or an extension to the injury he suffered during the SX season.

Pro Circuit's Blake Baggett looked the strongest with his late race charge in the first moto at Hang, yet he did the same thing in 2011 and did not win the title. One must look at the SX title holders, Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac, as top contenders. But there is also deep talent and speed with KTM's Ken Roczen, veteran Ivan Tedesco, or even riders from Rockstar Suzuki such as Martin Davalos, he took a 4th in moto 2 at the Hangtown Classic. It is going to take a few more rounds to discover who has the staying power and the desire to bring their A game each and every week.

So now the series is off to Texas for the Freestone National and it could be another cooker.

Previous Round Results and Current Standings
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic
Prairie City OHV Park - Sacramento


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The world's best rally drivers are revved up for the start of the 2012 Global Rallycross season this Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dominant European driver Marcus Gronholm's commitment to the full 2012 season--unlike years past-- should make things difficult for the top American drivers such as Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, and Brian Deegan. Saturday also marks the first competitive race for professional skateboarder Bucky Lasek, who's following in the footsteps of his fellow action sports crossover stars.

To help celebrate the start of another Rallycross season Ken Block released a new edit, DC Gymkhana Four: Bonus Edit. A spin-off from last year's Hollywood megamercial, the new edit features more driving and never-before-seen footage from Gymkhana Four.



Check out all the action from Saturday's race live on ESPN following the nationwide series.

From Motocross.com.

Every year the Dirt Diggers North put on the huge event that lately has been the first round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The fans love it, TV covers it live and the place is steaming with energy. But behind the scenes there is a lot more going on that is very important to every person that rides a dirt bike. The AMA District 36 Legislative Action Office has a program to show our elected officials what we motorcycle riders, dirt bike riders specifically, are really all about.
Each year there is a special dignitary area set up for viewing the races. Dave Pickett is the man behind all this working tirelessly as the director of District 36's Legislative Action Office. In the process of making sure politicians are properly informed about issues affecting off-highway vehicle use, the Hangtown event is a way to show them first hand who and what we are. Every year the VIP seating area is filled with a lot of the people who are working to keep your right to ride available and the elected officials who ultimately make a lot of decisions affecting that right.This year the dignitary area hosted Congressman Dan Lungren who represents California's 3rd Congressional District and State Senator Ted Gaines for California's 1st District as well as members of their staff. County officials and high ranking California State Parks officials are known to make appearances. Also in attendance were members of California's OHV Commission and members of the American Motorcyclist Association's Congress. This platform shows the elected officials that we are a family sport that enjoys outdoor recreation and that we spend and bring money into communities. It shows them that a properly run state park can bring in revenue to the state and give back to the taxpayers who support it. Especially in times of huge budget deficits with OHV money being ripped off to pay for other programs, most dirt bike riders have no idea this stuff is even going on or how important it is to them next time they expect to be able to unload and go riding. We need the support of these elected officials because they make these kinds of decisions for us.
To further the cause and to help support the activities of the D36 LAO, there is an ongoing raffle (check www.ama-d36.org) for a sweet KTM 350 XC-F that has been tricked out by supporters of the cause. Many members of D36 and surrounding areas may not realize that half of the yearly district dues goes to support activities to keep riding areas open. This money allows the LAO to work with politicians to head off bad legislation and keep an eye on Forest Service and BLM policy and make sure we don't get locked out since most OHV users are not informed or up to speed on all the issues.

The highly anticipated freestyle motocross film 420% All Natural featuring Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg is now available online. He reunited with his friend Jay Schweitzer of the "On the Pipe" series to create a film showcasing the best free-riding on natural terrain.

Twitch recently sat down with Network_A to discuss the film, commenting, "Some of the biggest highlights in the film are the numerous natural terrain flips, the scenic route in Cambria, the dirty hips in Beaumont and the 270 at Ricky Canyon. The guys were out in the hills just shoveling jumps and having fun. I wanted to have the best group at free-riding in the world."

The film features an impressive roster of riders including Nate Adams, Todd Potter, Mike Mason, and Jeremy McGrath.

Main Trailer:


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